The aim of this study is to describe, from a didactic point of view, wether gender norms are challenged and sex equality is maintained when two teachers in grade one communicate with their pupils. This is based on the existing norms in our society which generates into certain expectations of how one should act depending on wether you are a girl or a boy. In addition to this, the lack of equality between women and men is a global question. The norms and conditions in society are reproduced, but can also be deconstructed in school (Martinsson and Reimers 2008, p. 8). Thererfore, this study proceeds from the following questions: In what ways is the teaching designed, within the frame of communication, in the perspective of gender and sex equality? How does the two teachers reflect upon that? How is the allowance to speak distributed among the pupils and does this differ wether it is a girl or a boy? How does the two teachers reflect upon that? Are certain speech acts more common respectively less common in the teachers’ communication with girls respectively boys? The investigation is based on observations and an interview, and the teachers’ speech acts towards the pupils are analysed. The theoretical frame of the investigation is founded on feminist theories, from a post-structuralist and a social construct perspective. Hence, theoretical constructs such as performativity (Butler 2006, p. 216) are of importance. The results of the investigation shows, in conclusion, that the two teachers are well aware of how to conduct their teaching in relation to gender and sex equality. This is shown both in their practice of teaching and in their reflections on the matter. Furthermore, the results of the investigation show that the teachers do not differ between girls and boys. However, both teachers show that they take the gender- and sex equality issues into thought, in order to achieve sex equality and counteract sterotypes for gender roles in the classroom.

La crainte d’une indifférenciation entre les sexes qui serait portée au nom du principe d’égalité est aujourd’hui prégnante dans les discours politiques et juridiques. L’ouverture du mariage aux couples de même sexe, la lutte contre les stéréotypes de genre ou encore la facilitation de la procédure de changement de sexe sont autant de réformes qui ont suscité de fortes réactions opposées à la remise en cause de la différence des sexes en droit. Il est vrai que le principe d’égalité des sexes a progressivement été construit, tout au long du XXe siècle, comme une exigence d’indifférenciation entre les sexes, notamment à travers l’affirmation d’un principe de non-discrimination en raison du sexe. En ce sens, le rapport du principe d’égalité à la différence des sexes a peu à peu été envisagé comme un rapport d’opposition. Toutefois, et c’est un point fondamental, ce projet politique d’indifférenciation rattaché au principe d’égalité des sexes butesur l’impossibilité pour le droit de remettre en cause la différence des sexes. Le droit ne peut en effet se passer de la différence des sexes, pour deux raisons essentielles : d’une part, le droit prend en compte la différence des sexes pour lutter contre les inégalités de fait ; d’autre part, le droit est lui-même producteur de la différence des sexes, par les règles de l’état civil et de la filiation. Les rapports entre le principe d’égalité et la différence des sexes apparaissent ici contradictoires : d’un côté, l’évolution de la conception de l’égalité conduit à admettre la différence des sexes en vue de remettre en cause les inégalités de genre (rapport d’admission) tandis que, de l’autre, la différence des sexes est exclue d’une analyse en termes d’égalité, confortant les fondements des inégalités de genre (rapport d’exclusion). / Many political and legal discourses express today the fear that the equality principle would threaten the difference of sexes. Reforms such as the opening of marriage to same-sex couples, the fight against gender stereotypes or the facilitation of the sex reassignment procedure, generated strong reactions that offer vigorous resistance in order to maintain the difference of sexes in law. It is true that the equality principle has been constructed, throughout the 20thcentury, as an exigence of neutrality between the sexes, particularly through the statement of the non-discrimination principle. Therefore, the link between the equality principle and the difference of sexes has been built as a relation of opposition. However, such a political project comes up against the impossibility for the law to put an end to the difference of sexes. In fact, the law cannot depart from gender, for two main reasons: firstly, the law takes into account the difference of sexes in order to tackle inequalities; secondly, the law itself produces the difference of sexes, through the rules dealing with civil status and filiation. The relations between the equality principle and the difference of sexes appear here contradictory: on the one hand, the evolution of the conception of equality leads to admit the difference of sexes in order to deal with gender inequalities (relation of admission) whereas, on the other hand, the difference of sexes is excluded from an analysis in terms of equality, reinforcing the basis of gender inequalities (relation of exclusion).

The purpose of this study has been to look into and analyze the view on sex equality in textbooks and teaching media, and teaching of a group of upper secondary school teachers, through a gender perspective. The teachers teach subjects within social- and political science. The two questions that I wanted to answer are: What views do the teachers have on sex equality in their teaching? What views do the teachers have on sex equality in the teaching media (textbooks and other teacher media) which they have access to? Since I wanted to look into the teachers own views I chose unstructured interviews as the method of gather empirical information. To interpret the transcribed texts I chose the hermeneutic view of people as intentional. I interviewed six teachers in an upper secondary school, four men and two women. I have interpreted the interviews through a gender perspective, based on theories by Yvonne Hirdman, Maria Hedlin, Ylva Elvin-Nowak, Heléne Thomsson and Britt-Marie Thurén. Theories that have been acknowledged are gender, gender making, the male norm, structure, how to integrate sex equality, mentors and models, and feminism. Previous researches that I have focused on are thesis of Eva Gannerud, and Victoria C Wahlgren. The conclusion of the study is that some of the teachers’ did not think that most of the textbooks they used contained an aspect of sex equality, some of them seldom used textbooks and if they wanted a sex equality aspect of the teaching they had to find supplement material on their own. In my analysis I found that the teachers felt responsibility but did not feel that they had room for increased teaching by adding sex equality to the existing lesson material. I argue that the responsibility should not lie on the individual teacher to figure out supplement for sex equality aspects on their own, but the responsibility should lay on the school system as a whole, teachers training included.

Diploma thesis "The Public Defender of Rights as a Gender Equality Body" explores the jurisdiction of the ombudsman in the area of equal treatment and prohibition of discrimination (so-called Equality Body). The main focus of the work is the equality of men and women. The methodology used is theoretical-analytical legal analysis. The work starts with a theoretical analysis of basic terms and concepts relating to equal treatment and prohibition of discrimination. The institution and activities of the ombudsman are also defined in theory. This is followed by a legal analysis of three types. The first one is a procedural analysis of anti-discrimination laws (method of their enactment, past, present and proposed laws). This is followed by an institutional analysis of the Czech Equality Body and the impact of the ombudsman in the area of equal rights. The analytical research is concluded with a substantive legal analysis of selected cases decided by the ombudsman. Methods of feminist legal analysis have been predominantly used for the purposes of the analytical research. A wide area of the subject matter has been explored by use of this examination, which has produced a number of conclusions as well as a complete overview of the activities of the Equality Body in the Czech Republic. Possible changes,...

Šiame magistro darbe yra nagrinėjama viena iš Lietuvos Respublikos baudžiamojo kodekso nusikaltimų ir baudžiamųjų nusižengimų asmens seksualinio apsisprendimo laisvei ir neliečiamumui nuostatų – seksualinis priekabiavimas, kuris Lietuvoje buvo kriminalizuotas 2003 m., įsigaliojus naujam Baudžiamajam kodeksui. Seksualinio priekabiavimo instituto tyrimą sudaro trys dalys. Pirmojoje dalyje autorė aptaria seksualinio priekabiavimo sąvokos bei jo kaip reiškinio apskritai ištakas užsienio valstybėse ir Lietuvoje. Antrojoje dalyje, atskleidžiant seksualinio priekabiavimo sampratą įvairiapusiškai, nagrinėjama bendra socialinė – teisinė šio reiškinio samprata ne tik Lietuvos Respublikos, bet ir kai kurių užsienio valstybių (Vokietijos, Estijos, Suomijos, Bulgarijos, Nyderlandų, Lenkijos) teisės aktuose. Taip pat apžvelgiami tarptautiniai, Europos Sąjungos bei kai kurių užsienio valstybių nacionaliniai teisės aktai, reglamentuojantys seksualinį priekabiavimą. Trečiojoje dalyje autorė aptaria baudžiamąją teisinę seksualinio priekabiavimo sampratą ir jos aspektus. Pirmajame šios dalies skyriuje pateikiama bendra baudžiamoji teisinė seksualinio priekabiavimo samprata. Antrajame trečios dalies skyriuje aptariama baudžiamoji teisinė kai kurių užsienio valstybių (Prancūzijos, Austrijos, Italijos, Vengrijos, Portugalijos) seksualinio priekabiavimo samprata pagal jų baudžiamuosius įstatymus bei apžvelgiami kiti teisės aktai, reglamentuojantys seksualinį priekabiavimą tose valstybėse... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / This work analyses one of five criminal acts against freedom of sexual self-determination and immunity, provided for in the 21st chapter of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania, which is sexual harassment. It was criminalized in 2003, when the new Lithuanian Criminal Code came into force. This paper is divided into three parts. In the first part of this work the author discusses the origins of the concept of sexual harassment and its phenomenon in Lithuania and in foreign countries. The second part of the work sets out to investigate the general social-legal aspects of this phenomenon. This part analyses the laws, regulating sexual harassment in Lithuania and in several foreign countries (i.e. Germany, Estonia, Finland, Bulgaria, the Netherlands, and Poland). It also reviews the international and EU documents, regulating sexual harassment. The third part of the work analyses the criminal-legal conception of sexual harassment and its aspects. The first section of this part is designed to investigate the criminal-legal conception of sexual harassment as such in general. The second section analyses criminal conception of sexual harassment in some foreign countries in particular (i.e. France, Austria, Italy, Hungary, and Portugal), including other laws regulating sexual harassment in those countries. The third section analyses the elements of sexual harassment which determine it as a criminal act, as provided for in the Criminal Code of the Republic of Lithuania... [to full text]

The dissertation analyzes obstacles and potential in democracies, specifically Canada, Sweden, and United States, to effectively address empirically documented harms of pornography. Legislative and judicial challenges under different democratic and legal frameworks are compared. Adopting a problem-driven theoretical approach, the reality of pornography’s harms is analyzed. Evidence shows its production exploits existing inequalities among persons typically drawn from other forms of prostitution who suffer multiple disadvantages, such as extreme poverty, childhood sexual abuse, and race and gender discrimination, making survival alternatives remote. Consumption is also divided by sex. A majority of young adult men consumes pornography frequently; women rarely do, usually not unless initiated by others. After consumption, studies show many normal men become substantially more sexually aggressive and increasingly trivialize and support violence against women. Vulnerable populations—including battered, raped, or prostituted women—are most harmed as a result. The impact of attempts to address pornography’s harms on democratic rights and freedoms, specifically gender equality and speech, is explored through the case studies. Democracies are found to provide more favorable conditions for legal challenges to pornography’s harms when recognizing substantive (not formal) equality in law, and when promoting representation of perspectives and interests of groups particularly injured by pornography. State-implemented approaches such as criminal obscenity laws are found less effective. More victim-centered and survivor-initiated civil rights approaches would be more responsive and remedial—a finding with implications for other politico-legal problems, such as global warming, that disproportionately affect disadvantaged populations traditionally largely excluded from decision-making.