Lucia van der Meulen wins Dissertation Prize for thesis on subtle sexism and human rights

Lucia van der Meulen, a graduate from Utrecht University, has won the Thoolen NJCM Dissertation Prize for the best Master thesis on human rights. The price is awarded for her thesis from 2018: Combating Sexism through Human Rights: Present and potential protection in Europe.’ She will give a short presentation on her research during the NJCM anniversary conference in Amsterdam on 12 March.

The jury of the Thoolen NJCM Dissertation Prize 2019 has chosen Lucia van der Meulen as the winner of the eighth edition of the Thoolen NJCM Dissertation Prize for her dissertation on ‘Combating Sexism through Human Rights: Present and potential protection in Europe’, written at Utrecht University. The jury found her interdisciplinary approach, linking her findings from social psychology to the human rights framework, on subtle forms of ‘sexism’ original and clear. Especially after #metoo, this is an urgent human rights issue.

The theses were assessed on the originality of the subject, the human rights application, the scientific level, innovation, source material research and readability/accessibility. The panel was impressed by Van der Meulens work and the thesis of the second place winner. It was a close call. The jury admired the variety of sources used by both writers and the eloquent use of language. In addition, the topics are of high societal relevance.

About Lucia van der Meulen

In 2018 Lucia van der Meulen graduated cum laude in the masters programme Public International Law at Utrecht University. She is now studying in the  Legal Research Master's programme In Utrecht en is working as a student assistant at the 
SIM: the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights at Utrecht University. She is a volunteer editor of the Utrecht Journal of International and European Law and a volunteer at COC Midden-Nederland.