April 14, 2016
Public Policy Lecture Series: Charli Carpenter, "Gender, Civilian Protection and the Paradox of War Law"
Thursday, 7:00 p.m., Vollum lecture hall
Politicians generally talk about sending soldiers into war to protect civilian populations, but the truth is that armed conflict puts civilians -- men, women and children -- at great risk of harm. University of Massachusetts political science professor Charli Carpenter will discuss the profoundly gendered ways we think about and implement the protection of civilians in armed conflict, in terms of who gets protected and from what, how the norms and structure of international law fails to protect civilians today, and ways that might be changed. Carpenter has published extensively on gender, children’s rights, and humanitarian action and is a recipient of numerous awards from the National Science Foundation and the MacArthur Foundation. She is the author of several books, including Innocent Women and Children.
Sponsored by the Division of History and Social Sciences. For more information on the series, visit their website.