Gender and the Constitution

Helen Irving holds degrees in political science, anthropology, history, and law. She is currently Associate Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Sydney. Helen Irving has taught political science and constitutional law in several Australian universities since her first appointment in 1977 and was recently Visiting Professor at Harvard Law School from 2005 to 2006. She is the author of To Constitute a Nation: A Cultural History of Australia's Constitution and Five Things to Know about the Australian Constitution. She is also the editor of A Woman's Constitution?, The Centenary Companion to Australian Federation and Unity and Diversity: A National Conversation, among others. She has published widely in journals and in edited collections and is a frequent opinion writer and media commentator. She has been the historical consultant for a number of television and radio documentaries, as well as historical and constitutional advisor to many public and governmental bodies and Justices of the High Court of Australia.

• 1. Framework; 2. Language; 3. Federalism; 4. Citizenship; 5. The constitutional court; 6. Representation; 7. Equality rights; 8. Reproductive rights; 9. International and customary law; 10. Conclusion.

"The book makes an important contribution to a growing literature on a topic of concern to legal scholars, women's rights advocates, and political scientists...By providing a comparative overview of constitution making, interpretation, and application, Irving's book is a valuable resource for constitutional scholars as a whole, and for those especially interested in the role of gender in constitutions and the consequent effects of gender equality in society." Politics & Gender Susan Gluck Mezey, Loyola University Chicago