"This book is timely and thought provoking, rarely does a book on Gender equality explore the relationship between research, theory, practise and action with such rigour, insight and relevance from a global context. Each author presents leading edge contributions which advance stimulating and distinctive debates to the study of diversity and equality. The ingenious accounts provide critical insights and new impetus to the study of gender equality. The book is evocative, an invaluable resource for scholars, students and practitioners across the social sciences. A must read, which makes an outstanding contribution." –Kiran Trehan, University of Birmingham, UK"This thought provoking book challenges our current understanding and implementation of the core concept of gender equality as embodied in the CEDAW Convention and rightfully calls for more comparative analyses of ways and gaps encountered in its incorporation at the national level. As such it contributes better understanding of obstacles and measures needed in achieving gender equality as established goal No 5. of the UN Sustainable Development Agenda." –Dubravka Simonovic, UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women, its Causes and Consequences"This timely volume addresses a long standing core question and dilemma in feminist theory and more generally work on gender equality. This is the underlying and often normative universalism of what human rights imply, and in particular concepts such as gender equality in contrast to national and local gender regimes. Drawing on an empirically rich variation of examples from different parts of the world, we come to learn about the complexity and challenges involved in applying definitions and concept related to human rights and social injustice. With a point of departure in a common set of questions of what gender equality means, the different chapters of the book addresses how international law, policies, and regulatory frameworks needs to be understood in their particular contexts. It is a refreshing and much sought for perspective that teaches us that gender equality is never only about gender." –Ulf Mellström, Karlstad University, Sweden