International Labor Standards and Instruments of Recourse for Working Women

The special concerns of the growing number of women entering the global workforce are shaping the development of international labor law. Yet the specialized rules governing the rights of women often conflict with more generalized norms promoting equality in the workplace. This paper identifies a fundamental tension facing labor advocates and human rights groups supporting the rights of working women. International labor law must resolve the tension between standards that protect women and those that promote equality of opportunity.