Women's Law: Sexual Difference and the Natural Law

In this timely book, Catherine Carol explores Western culture’s denial of the existence of ‘woman’ through the instrument of law. Carol suggests that the dominance of legal positivism within politico-legal domains has contributed to the ease in which governments enforce gender ideology through the delivery of anti-human programs and policies which aim to conceal the truth about human nature.

The author considers the fact that human beings are materially embodied and situated in the natural world and suggests that there are normative conclusions which arise from this. Carol appeals to natural law as the rational standard by which to challenge these programs and policies supported by positive laws, to suggest that law must coincide with what is ‘right’ to acquire binding force. Women’s law is the specific recognition of natural law by women, and the book proposes the obligation to discern the natural law remains for women everywhere, even when they are precluded by the laws of their community from doing so. The chapters provide an overview of human sexed identity and the cultural machinations which deny human duality and remove access to human nature; women’s law when it was promulgated law in human communities; and natural rights which rest on the idea that human nature needs protection.

Women’s Law is an essential resource for students and academics in gender studies and legal philosophy and theory. Its insights are also greatly beneficial to legal educators and practitioners, including gender equality advocates and human rights lawyers.