Global Ethics Weekly: Human Rights on the Ground, with Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox

Feb 14, 2019

Quinnipiac's Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox discusses her work researching the conception of human rights in a community in rural India. She tells the story of Chaya Kakade, a woman who went on a hunger strike after the Indian government proposed a tax on sanitary napkins, and has since built her own production center in Latur. How does Kakade understand human rights? How can Westerners move beyond a legalistic view of the concept?

Quinnipiac's Sujata Gadkar-Wilcox discusses her work researching the conception of human rights in a community in rural India. She tells the story of Chaya Kakade, a woman who went on a hunger strike after the Indian government proposed a tax on sanitary napkins, and has since built her own production center in Latur. How does Kakade understand human rights? How can Westerners move beyond a legalistic view of the concept?

For more on Kakade, check out Gadkar-Wilcox's Carnegie New Leaders podcast from one year ago. Gadkar-Wilcox also discussed her campaign to be state representative in Connecticut in a Global Ethics Weekly last month. This podcast also references a recent podcast with Suchitra Vijayan on the rise of right-wing nationalism and identity-based violence in India.

You may also like

AUG 6, 2025 Podcast

Living a Moral Life in a Catastrophic World, with Philosopher Travis Rieder

Moral philosopher Travis Rieder joins "Values & Interests" to explore how we might pursue ethical lives in an era of global crisis.

United States Capitol at sunrise. CREDIT: Andy Feliciotti/Unsplash.

AUG 5, 2025 Report

Illiberal Narratives and Shifting Values: Examining Competing Visions of the U.S. and its Role in the World

This report examines the rise of illiberal narratives and the recent dismantling of U.S. soft power institutions

JUN 17, 2025 Podcast

Empowerment, Ownership, & Agency: Building an Inclusive AI Future, with Jimena Viveros

Lawyer and AI expert Jimena Viveros explores why bridging the digital divide between the Global South and North is both a moral and economic imperative.