Dr Carrie McDougall, Melbourne Law School.

The impartiality of the law is one of its foundational principals. Yet a brief look at history shows that when it came to basic rights, such as the vote and access to education, the law was not always impartial.

Great progress is continually being made, but women remain underrepresented in international legal bodies. This results in processes and precedents that don’t address women’s needs, as international law is inherently shaped by the people who preside over it.

Luckily, the solution to this lies in the law as well - in the global effort to empower women, international law is one of our most powerful tools. Bodies like UN Women, treaties such as the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and people such as Dame Rosalyn Higgins, the first female president of the International Court of Justice, are constantly pushing for greater representation for women in international law.

To mark the 40th Anniversary of Law Week in 2020 and as part of its ‘Women in International Affairs’ series, AIIA Victoria invites you to celebrate the achievements of women in international law, reflect critically on the interplay between gender and the law, and meet extraordinary women currently forging careers in international law and international relations.

Dr Carrie McDougall will give her insights on the role of women in International Law taken from a remarkable career spanning government, academia and diplomacy.

Dr Carrie McDougall is a Senior Lecturer at Melbourne Law School. Prior to this she worked at DFAT as Assistant Director of the International Law Section. In this role she provided advice on the jus ad bellum, international criminal law, international humanitarian law, and the responsibility to protect. This included advice on Australian operations in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, and on legal issues considered during Australia’s term on the United Nations Security Council. She has also served as the Legal Adviser at Australia’s Mission to the United Nations in New York. Carrie is the author of The Crime of Aggression under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (Cambridge University Press, 2012).

This event is online only. After registering, on Thursday 21 May you will receive a follow-up confirmation email containing further details on how to join the webinar, which will commence at 5pm AEST (Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra time, UTC+10). (If you believe you have not received an email by early afternoon please check your junk folder!).

AIIA Victoria gratefully acknowledges the Walter Mangold Trust Fund for its ongoing support of our young members.

To download the pdf flyer please click here