The essays examine the interaction of the rights of equality and the rights of difference, and the meaning and use of the two concepts in the context of gender relations, both past and present.

In Beyond Comparison: Sex and Discrimination Timothy Macklem addresses foundational issues in the long-running debate in legal, political and social theory about the nature of gender discrimination. He takes the highly original and controversial view that the heart of discrimination lies not in the unfavorable comparisons with the treatment and opportunities that men enjoy but rather in a denial of resources and opportunities that women need to lead successful and meaningful lives as women. Therefore, to understand what women need we must first understand what it is to be a woman. By displaying an impressive command of the feminist literature as well as intellectual rigor, this work promises to be a milestone in the debate about gender equality and will interest students and professionals in the areas of legal theory and gender studies.

"For anyone who believes that there was no important labor movement before Roosevelt, or before Gompers, or before the Knights of Labor, this well-documented work should prove a shocker. And for those who look to the past for enlightenment to guide us through our troubled tomorrows, this book is a reservoir of historic information and insights." -- New Leader "Beyond Equality is a masterpiece. . . . A book of bold and brilliant originality, it is now shaping the perspective of a new generation of graduate students." -- David Brion Davis, author of The Problem of Slavery in Western Culture

In a world where basic human rights are under attack and discrimination is widespread, Advancing Equality reminds us of the critical role of constitutions in creating and protecting equal rights. Combining a comparative analysis of equal rights in the constitutions of all 193 United Nations member countries with inspiring stories of activism and powerful court cases from around the globe, the book traces the trends in constitution drafting over the past half century and examines how stronger protections against discrimination have transformed lives. Looking at equal rights across gender, race and ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation and gender identity, disability, social class, and migration status, the authors uncover which groups are increasingly guaranteed equal rights in constitutions, whether or not these rights on paper have been translated into practice, and which nations lag behind. Serving as a comprehensive call to action for anyone who cares about their country’s future, Advancing Equality challenges us to remember how far we all still must go for equal rights for all.

For far too many people today, their perception and discernment of history begins with the day that they were born. And unfortunately, most of these very same people truly believe that the world, and all life on earth, revolves around them. Each and every one of us need to learn our proper place in life and in the world: To be a leader, a follower, or to just stay well out of the way of both of the others. In America, we are constitutionally granted the rights of Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Read and listen closely; we are not guaranteed any degree of happiness, only the freedom to seek happiness on our own.

The discussion in this study of the relations between men and women is launched from a crucial premise: that the struggle for equal rights for women has reached a point where collaboration rather than confrontation between the sexes is necessary for continued progress. In order to attain true equality, women and men must recognize their legitimate differences and act together under circumstances in which their distinctive contributions are freely and reciprocally acknowledged. Reflecting on these differences in a series of interwoven essays, Cornelius F. Murphy seeks to open a constructive dialogue between the sexes. Reconciliation is his overarching concern. Recent books such as Robert Bly's Iron John and Sam Keen's Fire in the Belly have explored the influence of distinctive masculine qualities on men's attitudes toward the meaning and purpose of their lives. And many feminists, while struggling to overcome sexual discrimination, also have insisted upon the recognition of important differences between the sexes. Neither sex, it seems, is satisfied with an androgynous conception of what it means to be fully human. Murphy begins his study with an exploration of sexual oppression through the ages and its effects on both sexes. He discusses subtle and fundamental differences between masculine and feminine disposition, reasoning, and ways of knowing. He addresses the distinctions that traditionally have been drawn between public and private life and efforts of modern women to overcome them. It is suggested that uncomplimentary, though fact-based, assessments of the masculine record in history, together with prevailing stereotypes of men, leave an incomplete picture of male identity and contribute to mistrust between the sexes. In response, Murphy investigates various ways of imagining a more elevated manhood. He extends his analysis to the subject of equality within the home, the opportunities and demands of married love, and the tensions and joys of procreation. As the first full-length interdisciplinary study to attempt a reasoned reconciliation of the aspirations of feminism with those of a renewed ideal of manhood, Beyond Feminism will appeal to scholars and students in philosophy, theology, women's and gender studies, ethics, political theory, and law. Cornelius F. Murphy, Jr. is professor of law at Duquesne University. He has written extensively in the fields of jurisprudence, legal process, and public international law.

There follow essays by Carol Lazzaro-Weis, Lucia Re, Luisa Muraro, Adriana Cavarero, Lea Melandri, and Teresa de Lauretis, in which the authors explore the concept of sexual difference, female authority, relational identity, gendered roles, and homosexual desire in its relation to heterosexual normativity. The volume brings Italian feminist theory squarely into the arena of the most important contemporary feminist debates, revealing both its connections to and disjunctions from more dominant French and North American theories and practices."--Cover.

This book offers a comprehensive and in-depth overview of how public policy is shaping gender equality in Europe.