NALSAR-UNFPA Human Rights Blog Writing Competition: Commemorating 75 Years of UDHR

To honor and celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), as part of the UNFPA project at NALSAR, submissions are invited for a Blog competition revolving around the theme of "Making the Invisible Visible in Law Practice and Legal Education."

The blog competition encourages participants to go beyond the conventional understanding of human rights and allied subjects, shedding light on and critically evaluating the pressing human rights issues hitherto silenced by the mainstream human rights jurisprudence or conveniently evaded to serve various political ends. Therefore, celebrating the spirit and achievements of the UDHR is incomplete without acknowledging and addressing the voice of the voiceless and making their presence visible in legal discourse and practice toward renewing our collective resolve and re-energizing efforts for meaningful change and furthering justice. Thus human interest stories that uplift the spirits of the dehumanized and articulate their reflections through lived experiences are encouraged.

Eligibility Criteria

Students/research scholars enrolled in any UG/PG/Ph.D. course from any university are eligible to participate in the competition.

Themes:

A. Sexual and Reproductive rights as Human Rights

1. Access to safe abortion – recent socio-legal developments

2. Sex Education in school curriculums

3. Period poverty

4. Legal recognition for same-sex relationships

5. Sexual violence in conflict zones

B.Gender Discrimination and Human Rights

1. The wage gap in the informal sectors

2. Right for transgender people to self-identify – theory and practice

3. Public patriarchy – legislations that embed gender discrimination

4. Unpaid care work

5. Intersectional barriers in accessing legal remedies against gender discrimination

C. Human Rights in the Digital Space

1. Human-rights-based approaches to tackling Technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TGBV)

2. When Bodies become Data-How Biometrics curtail Human Rights

Word Limit: The article must not exceed 1500 words. The Editorial Board may be flexible with the word limit according to individual articles.

Submission Guidelines:

• Submissions should adhere to academic standards, demonstrating clarity, coherence, and analytical rigor.
• Authors are encouraged to explore original perspectives and research on the intersection of human rights, legal practice, sociological impacts, and education.
• The article must be submitted through the form below. Kindly refer to it for further requirements.
• Submissions should be accompanied by a short summary (1-2 lines) of the article. Articles should not be co-authored.
• Kindly do not send articles you may have submitted to another platform.
• All references must be hyperlinked in the body of the text. In case no online source is available for reference, footnotes may be used.
• Submissions shall necessarily contain the following: Name of Author, Year of Study (if applicable), Institution/Organisation of affiliation, Short Biography (about 40-50 words), and a LinkedIn reference(optional).

Awards:

Publication: Selected entries will be published on the blog at the discretion of the Editorial Board. The authors will be duly informed about the same.

From the pool of entries shortlisted for publication, the winners will be determined by a jury. The decision of the jury shall be conclusive in this regard.

Cash Prizes: The cash prizes are as follows:

1st Prize - INR 45,000

2nd Prize- INR 25,000

3rd Prize (to be given to three entries) - INR 10,000 to each

Important Dates:

Launch Date: Human Rights Day, December 10th, 2023

Submission Deadline: 10th January 2024

For submission, please use the provided form

Contact Information:

In case of any queries, please contact unfpa.blog@nalsar.ac.in.