CFLS Speaker Series: Ireh Iyioha

Description of Event

Women—especially those at the intersection of various axes of inequality—are disproportionately impacted by disasters, such as public health disasters. While the gendered nature of disasters and women’s special vulnerability to disaster impact is well articulated, use of the term “vulnerable” to describe those who—due to various metrics, such as race and class—are particularly susceptible to harm is itself contested. As the idea of the universal vulnerable subject promises to transcend the limits of anti-discrimination law and identity politics, this talk asks: What does it mean to be vulnerable and therefore entitled to law’s special protections? And what do the non-neutral impacts of disasters reveal about the structure and limits of the idea of universal vulnerability? 

Speaker

Dr. Ireh Iyioha is an Associate Professor of Law at the University of Victoria and an Associate of the Department of Philosophy at Harvard University. She researches the limits and effectiveness of law in several areas, including public health and disaster law, and women's health law. She has been recognized internationally through numerous awards, including the World Congress on Medical Law Award, the Canadian Association of Law Teachers Award, a Top 40 under 40 in Edmonton Award by Avenue Magazine and the Stars of Alberta Award from the Queen's Representative, the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta for exemplary leadership in service.