Dr. Ann Olivarius was recently invited to speak at an event hosted by the Oxford Human Rights Student Society at the University of Oxford titled “Ann Olivarius: A Career in International Feminist Law.”
Addressing students interested in human rights and legal advocacy, Dr. Olivarius reflected on her career as a feminist lawyer and the continuing challenges facing women’s rights globally.
Drawing on her early experiences at Yale University in the 1970s, she discussed how legal protections against sexual harassment were developed at a time when the concept itself was not yet recognised in law. She spoke about the importance of making systemic inequalities visible and using the law as a tool to challenge abuses of power.
The talk also explored broader issues affecting women’s rights today, including democratic backsliding, climate justice, violence against women, and Feminist Foreign Policy. Dr. Olivarius highlighted the importance of ensuring women are represented in political and peace-building processes, arguing that durable rights protections must be embedded in legal systems rather than left vulnerable to political change.
Encouraging students to engage critically with the law and its role in shaping society, she noted that “the law is not just a set of rules in a dusty book. It is the operating system of power.”
