Charlotte Bunch
Encyclopedia
Charlotte Bunch is an American
activist, author
and organizer in women's and human rights
movements.
A Board of Governor’s Distinguished Service Professor in Women's and Gender Studies, Bunch founded Washington D.C. publications, Women's Liberation and Quest: A Feminist Quarterly.
In 1989, she founded the Center for Women's Global Leadership
at Douglass College, Rutgers University
, of which she remains the Founding Director and Senior Scholar. She was succeeded as Executive Director by Radhika Balakrishnan
in September 2009.
CWGL lobbied the United Nations
and the international community to view women’s rights as a human rights issue. CWGL is a component of the Gender Equality Architecture Reform
(GEAR) Campaign, working towards the establishment of a new United Nations Gender Entity that really works for equality for all of the world's women. Bunch has been a major voice for this campaign. The gender entity was finally created after four years of advocacy on July 2, 2010, and deemed UN WOMEN.
At its 20th Anniversary Symposium on March 6, 2010, following panel discussions on body, economy, and movement, CWGL organized a tribute to its founder, Charlotte Bunch, who transitioned on September 1, 2009 from her role as Executive Director to working with CWGL in her new capacity as Founding Director and Senior Scholar. Attendees watched a short preview of the upcoming documentary film Passionate Politics: The Life & Work of Charlotte Bunch, which chronicles Bunch’s lifelong personal and political commitment to women’s human rights.
CWGL launched the Charlotte Bunch Women’s Human Rights Strategic Opportunities Fund in recognition of her contributions to the global women’s human rights movement.
In October 1996 Bunch was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame
. In December 1999 she was selected by United States President
Bill Clinton
as a recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights
. She received the "Women Who Make a Difference Award" from the National Council for Research on Women in 2000 and was honored as one of the "21 Leaders for the 21st Century" by Women's eNews
in 2002 and also received the “Board of Trustees Awards for Excellence in Research” in 2006 at Rutgers University
.
She has served on the boards of numerous organizations and is currently a member of the Advisory Committee for the Human Rights Watch
Women's Rights Division, and on the Boards of the Global Fund for Women
and the International Council on Human Rights Policy. She has been a consultant to many United Nations bodies and recently served on the Advisory Committee for the Secretary General’s 2006 Report to the General Assembly on Violence against Women.
The papers of Charlotte Bunch can be found at the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library
on the History of Women in America, Radcliffe Institute.
She is the author of several books and articles. Her writings include Passionate Politics: Feminist Theory in Action (NY: St. Martin's Press, 1987); "Preambulo: Abriendo las Copuertas," in Declaracion Universal de Derecho Humanos: Texto Y Comentarios Inusuales, edited by Alda Facio (San Jose, Costa Rica: ILANUD Programa Mujer, Justiciaa y Genero, 2001); and "Taking Stock: Women's Human Rights Five Years After Beijing" in Holding On to the Promise: Women's Human Rights and the Beijing + 5 Review, edited by Cynthia Meillon and Charlotte Bunch (NJ: Center for Women's Global Leadership, 2001).
She is openly lesbian.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
activist, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and organizer in women's and human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
movements.
A Board of Governor’s Distinguished Service Professor in Women's and Gender Studies, Bunch founded Washington D.C. publications, Women's Liberation and Quest: A Feminist Quarterly.
In 1989, she founded the Center for Women's Global Leadership
Center for Women's Global Leadership
The Center for Women’s Global Leadership, based at Rutgers University, was founded in 1989 by Charlotte Bunch, the former Executive Director and an internationally renowned activist for women's human rights...
at Douglass College, Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
, of which she remains the Founding Director and Senior Scholar. She was succeeded as Executive Director by Radhika Balakrishnan
Radhika Balakrishnan
Radhika Balakrishnan is the Executive Director of the Center for Women's Global Leadership at Rutgers University. Currently, she serves as the Chair of the Board of the United States Human Rights Network and Chair on the Board of the Center for Constitutional Rights.-Early life:Radhika...
in September 2009.
CWGL lobbied the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and the international community to view women’s rights as a human rights issue. CWGL is a component of the Gender Equality Architecture Reform
Gender Equality Architecture Reform
The Gender Equality Architecture Reform Campaign is a network of over 300 women’s, human rights and social justice groups around the world....
(GEAR) Campaign, working towards the establishment of a new United Nations Gender Entity that really works for equality for all of the world's women. Bunch has been a major voice for this campaign. The gender entity was finally created after four years of advocacy on July 2, 2010, and deemed UN WOMEN.
At its 20th Anniversary Symposium on March 6, 2010, following panel discussions on body, economy, and movement, CWGL organized a tribute to its founder, Charlotte Bunch, who transitioned on September 1, 2009 from her role as Executive Director to working with CWGL in her new capacity as Founding Director and Senior Scholar. Attendees watched a short preview of the upcoming documentary film Passionate Politics: The Life & Work of Charlotte Bunch, which chronicles Bunch’s lifelong personal and political commitment to women’s human rights.
CWGL launched the Charlotte Bunch Women’s Human Rights Strategic Opportunities Fund in recognition of her contributions to the global women’s human rights movement.
In October 1996 Bunch was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame
National Women's Hall of Fame
The National Women's Hall of Fame is an American institution. It was created in 1969 by a group of people in Seneca Falls, New York, the location of the 1848 Women's Rights Convention...
. In December 1999 she was selected by United States President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
as a recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights
Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights
The Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights was established in 1998 by the President of the United States Bill Clinton, honoring outstanding American promoters of rights in the United States....
. She received the "Women Who Make a Difference Award" from the National Council for Research on Women in 2000 and was honored as one of the "21 Leaders for the 21st Century" by Women's eNews
Women's eNews
Women's eNews is a nonprofit online news service based in New York City. It publishes international news articles specializing in coverage of women's lives.- History :...
in 2002 and also received the “Board of Trustees Awards for Excellence in Research” in 2006 at Rutgers University
Rutgers University
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...
.
She has served on the boards of numerous organizations and is currently a member of the Advisory Committee for the Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
Women's Rights Division, and on the Boards of the Global Fund for Women
Global Fund for Women
The Global Fund for Women is the largest non-profit foundation in the world funding women's human rights. It was founded in 1987 by New Zealander Anne Firth Murray, and co-founded by Frances Kissling and Laura Lederer to fund women's initiatives around the world...
and the International Council on Human Rights Policy. She has been a consultant to many United Nations bodies and recently served on the Advisory Committee for the Secretary General’s 2006 Report to the General Assembly on Violence against Women.
The papers of Charlotte Bunch can be found at the Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library
Schlesinger Library
The Arthur and Elizabeth Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America is a research library at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University. According to Nancy F...
on the History of Women in America, Radcliffe Institute.
She is the author of several books and articles. Her writings include Passionate Politics: Feminist Theory in Action (NY: St. Martin's Press, 1987); "Preambulo: Abriendo las Copuertas," in Declaracion Universal de Derecho Humanos: Texto Y Comentarios Inusuales, edited by Alda Facio (San Jose, Costa Rica: ILANUD Programa Mujer, Justiciaa y Genero, 2001); and "Taking Stock: Women's Human Rights Five Years After Beijing" in Holding On to the Promise: Women's Human Rights and the Beijing + 5 Review, edited by Cynthia Meillon and Charlotte Bunch (NJ: Center for Women's Global Leadership, 2001).
She is openly lesbian.
External links
- Charlotte Bunch's Biographical Information from the CWGL Website
- Charlotte Bunch's Publications
- Articles, Statements, and Speaking Engagements by Charlotte Bunch
- IPS News Article with Quotes by Charlotte Bunch