Hidden Figures in Women’s International Human Rights, with Ellen Chesler, Fatima Sator and Dan Plesch

This episode brings us on a journey of archaeology. Not the type with shovels and brushes, but rather a restorative archaeology that sheds light on the stories of women who are not well known in the history books.

We speak with Fatima Sator, Ellen Chesler and Dan Plesch, two of the authors and the co-editor of a new book published this year called Women and the UN: A New History of Women’s International Human Rights. It documents the stories of influential women, many from the global south, who dedicated their work to ensuring women’s human rights were recorded in UN conventions,  treaties and documents. Despite this work, there is very little known about them and their contribution.  

Fatima Sator is a communications specialist at International Committee of the Red Cross, author and gender equality researcher at School of Oriental and African Studies University of London, or SOAS. 

Ellen Chesler is an author and Senior Fellow at CUNY's Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies. They both contributed chapters to the book.  

Dan Plesch is a co-editor of this volume, together with Rebecca Adami. He is the Director of the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS. 

We talk about why documenting these stories of women in our history matters for our understanding of multilateralism, and consider how we define multilateralism might to evolve to fully comprehend the  contribution of women to key multilateral decisions and documents that exist today. 

Episode Transcript

Access the transcript here.

Open Access Book

“Women and the UN: A New History of Women’s International Human Rights” - Open Access version online: https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003036708/women-un-rebecca-adami-dan-plesch  

Book Resources 

• Project Page for Women and the UN:  https://www.soas.ac.uk/cisd/research/women-in-diplomacy/women-in-the-un-charter/ 
• Open Global Rights article on the book:  https://www.openglobalrights.org/women-and-the-un-a-new-history-of-womens-international-human-rights/?lang=English 
• TEDx PlaceDesNations talk with Fatima Sator and Elise Diettrichson - "These women changed your life": These Women Changed Your Life | Elise Luhr Dietrichson & Fatima Sator | TEDxPlaceDesNationsWomen 
• "Women founders of the UN" - SOAS conference with Rebecca Adami 
• Women and Girls Rising: Progress and resistance around the world, edited by Ellen Chesler and Terry McGovern:  https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/10.4324/9781315708379/women-girls-rising-ellen-chesler-terry-mcgovern 

Content

Speakers: Ellen Chesler, Fatima Sator and Dan Plesch

Host: Natalie Alexander

Editor & Producer: Natalie Alexander

Social media designs: Natalie Alexander

Recorded & produced at the United Nations Library & Archives Geneva