Socio Economic Rights Project

ESR Review, Volume 13 No 3, 2012

The third issue of the ESR Review focusses on the impact of corruption within Africa that contributes to poverty and unemployment and denial of access to housing and health-care services. There are also summaries of recent developments on socio-economic rights across the world.

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ESR Review, Volume 13 No 2, 2012

This second issue of 2012 focusses on monitoring of state performance relating to the realisation of social and economic rights using the Social and Economic Rights Fulfilment Index, an interview with the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights and updates on the recent ILO Convention on Decent Work for Domestic Workers 2011, and the International Labour Organisation Social Protection Floors Recommendation 2012.

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ESR Review Volume 13 No 1 - 2012

This is the first ESR issue of 2012. This issue focuses on gender mainstreaming, racial inequality, the link between access to socio-economic rights and the right to dignity, as well as the application of international standards and norms in South Africa’s domestic case law.

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ESR Review Volume 12 No 4 - December 2011

This is the fourth issue of the ESR Review for 2011. Its articles discuss various areas of socio-economic rights, with a particular emphasis on how they relate to women’s lives. In an acknowledgment of the importance of women’s rights, Michelle Bachelet, the Under- Secretary-General and Executive Director of UN Women, emphasises that ‘where laws and justice systems work well, they can provide an essential mechanism for women to realise their human rights. However, it also underscores the fact that, despite widespread guarantees of equality, the reality for many millions of women is that justice remains out of reach’ (UN progress report of the world’s women 2011– 2012, In pursuit of justice).

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ESR Review Volume 12 No 3 - 2011

This is the third issue of the ESR Review for 2011. It is a special issue that focuses on and explores the interplay between access to socio-economic rights in the context of persons with disabilities and the needs of persons with disabilities to have economic and social security.

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ESR Review Volume 12 No 2 - 2011

This is the second issue of the ESR Review for 2011. It hails the adoption of the Principles and Guidelines on the Implementation of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights during its 48th ordinary session held from 10 to 24 November 2010 in Banjul, The Gambia. This long-awaited instrument is a landmark in the evaluation of economic social and cultural rights in Africa.

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ESR Review Volume 12 No 1 - 2011

The first issue of 2011 features Realising the rights of older persons in South Africa and an appraisal of General Recommendation 27 of the CEDAW Committee on protecting the rights of older women.

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ESR Review Volume 11 No 3 - 2010

The issue includes articles that provide an overview of the protection and enforcement of socio-economic rights in Africa today.

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ESR Review Volume 11 No 2 - 2010

The issue includes articles on adolescents' sexual health rights, regulating private power in health, protection of socio-economic rights by the African Commission. It also contains developments on parliament and the MDGs as well as HIV and AIDS, among others.

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Engaging meaningfully with government on socio-economic rights - A focus on the right to housing

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Engaging meaningfully with government on socio-economic rights - A focus on the right to housing - isiXhosa

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ESR Review Volume 11 No 1 - January 2010

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ESR Review Volume 10 No 4 - November 2009

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ESR Review Volume 10 No 3 - September 2009

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ESR Review Volume 10 No 2 - July 2009

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Claiming Economic, Social and Cultural Rights at the international level

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Child poverty and children’s rights of access to food and basic nutrition in South Africa: A contextual, jurisprudential and policy analysis

Research Report number 7. This research report is written by Prof Danwood Mzikenge Chirwa. Millions of children in South Africa bear the yoke of extreme forms of poverty and its associated evils, such as malnourishment, stunted growth, nutritional-deficiency diseases and illiteracy. The depreciation of the South African rand towards the end of 2008 and the current global financial crisis have only served to entrench child poverty by pushing poor households into deeper levels of deprivation and relegating those who were previously financially stable to the status of the poor.

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From the global to the local: The role of international law in the enforcement of socio-economic rights in South Africa

Socio-Economic Rights Project Research Series 6, 2009. This research paper by Redson Edward Kapindu explores the vital role of international human rights law and jurisprudence, including the UN and African human rights systems and policy frameworks, in advancing socio-economic rights at the domestic level in South Africa. The paper starts by providing a general overview of the international (including African regional) human rights system and their relevance. The paper proceeds to explore the question of the applicability of international human rights law under the South African Constitution. In this regard, the paper provides an incisive discussion of the domestic application of international socio-economic rights obligations in South Africa, paying special regard to the significance of General Comment 9 of the CESCR and the issue of minimum core obligations. The paper concludes with an exposition of some of the challenges in the application of international law in advancing socio-economic rights in South Africa and provides some recommendations.

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Living in security, peace and dignity: The right to have access to housing of women who are victims of gender-based violence

Socio-Economic Rights Project Research Series 5, 2009. This research paper by Heléne Combrinck examines the nature and extent of state duties to promote the realisation of the right to have access to adequate housing of women who are victims of gender-based violence, with specific reference to domestic violence. The paper first sketches the background to domestic violence and housing in South Africa generally and explains the housing needs of women experiencing domestic violence as well as the link between domestic violence and forced evictions. It then examines constitutional obligations to promote access to housing, with reference to the Grootboom and subsequent judgments. The paper further sets out the legislative and policy framework supporting access to housing in South Africa and examines whether this framework currently makes adequate provision for women who are victims of domestic violence. Though the focus is on South Africa, the paper also looks at the standards and norms that have emerged in international human rights law, with specific reference to the rights to adequate housing, gender equality and freedom from violence. Finally, the paper proposes certain recommendations based on the conclusions reached.

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ESR Review Volume 10 No 1 - March 2009

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