The collapse of the Afghan government has raised grave concerns for the future of the country, particularly for women. Exit is not a generally available option, but should it be? This week, we wanted to re-release our conversation about the rights of women in Afghanistan as we prepare to release a special conversation with Rina Amiri who was the US Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our coll...
May 29, 2026•38 min•Ep. 47
In this episode of Entitled , we examine how caste discrimination doesn’t end at the borders of India. As Dalit workers migrate to the US in search of better wages, many encounter familiar patterns of exclusion and abuse right here in the United States. We speak with Qayam Masumi and Roja Singh, members of the Dalit Solidarity Forum, an advocacy organization dedicated to raising awareness about caste discrimination. They are advocating on behalf of Dalit workers who they say were trafficked from...
May 08, 2026•46 min•Ep. 46
In this episode of Entitled, we sit down with Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun, who has served as the Representative of Myanmar to the United Nations since October 2020. Despite the February 2021 military coup, he remains in his position, representing the interests of the democratic government and opposing the military junta at the UN. He has survived threats and has been challenged by the junta, but the UN has continued to recognize him as the representative. As Myanmar continues to face political uphea...
Apr 10, 2026•40 min•Ep. 45
On this episode of Entitled, we sit down with Kenneth Roth, the longtime former executive director of Human Rights Watch and one of the world’s most prominent advocates for international human rights. Over nearly three decades leading Human Rights Watch, Roth helped shape the global human rights movement, documenting abuses, pressuring governments, and elevating the role of international law in holding leaders accountable. In this conversation, he reflects on how the human rights landscape has e...
Mar 13, 2026•41 min•Ep. 44
On this episode of Entitled, Tom and Claudia talk with human rights advocate Rafia Khondoker about the state of women’s rights and democratic freedoms in Bangladesh. Last week, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party secured a landslide victory in the first national election since the 2024 uprising, approving a referendum on major constitutional reforms—the "July Charter"—seeking to strengthen judiciary independence, safeguard democracy and increase women's participation in politics. Drawing on her leg...
Feb 17, 2026•42 min•Ep. 43
In this episode of Entitled, we speak with Leopoldo López about authoritarianism, resistance, and the future of Venezuela. Recorded before the U.S. intervention, the conversation centers on López’s long opposition to the Maduro regime—through political organizing, imprisonment, exile, and international advocacy. Following the interview, Tom and Claudia reflect on developments since the conversation was recorded, turning to the U.S. intervention and its implications for sovereignty, legitimacy, a...
Jan 08, 2026•52 min•Ep. 42
We speak to Mansoor Ali Shah, who served as the Senior Puisne Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan until just last month. Shah is one of two judges who resigned after parliament passed a constitutional amendment that curbed its remit and will no longer allow the Supreme Court to hear constitutional cases. The judges say the reform “stands as a grave assault on the constitution”. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of person...
Dec 29, 2025•47 min•Ep. 40
Why has gender—once a term of analysis and identity—become one of the most explosive political flashpoints of our time? From the halls of the United Nations to state legislatures across the United States, debates over gender and sexuality now shape elections, social movements, and international alliances. In this live episode of the "Entitled" podcast, hosts Claudia Flores and Tom Ginsburg sit down with Graeme Reid, U.N. Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, and Emily Baz...
Nov 25, 2025•56 min•Ep. 41
This year, the US government has issued sanctions on a number of experts from the UN to the International Criminal Court for speaking out about human rights in Gaza. President Donald Trump authorized sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan with the goal of stopping the ICC from undertaking its independent mandate. UN experts strongly condemned the move , calling it “an attack on global rule of law." In this episode of Entitled, we discuss how sanct...
Oct 28, 2025•29 min•Ep. 39
When South African runner Caster Semenya dominated international competitions, sports authorities demanded she prove she was “really” a woman. The rules they created—targeting women with intersex traits or naturally higher testosterone—have since reshaped the future of women’s sports. In this episode of Entitled , we unpack the controversial regulations of World Athletics, the recent European Court of Human Rights ruling, and the wider human rights questions at stake. Are these policies about fa...
Sep 18, 2025•40 min•Ep. 37
What does it mean when people start calling Donald Trump a king? And why are some political theorists — on both the right and left — exploring the possibility of leaving democracy behind? All this debate got co-host Tom Ginsburg thinking about an argument he’s been turning over in his head for years: could constitutional monarchy actually be the best form of government? Is it possible that constitutional monarchy actually strengthens democracy? Do monarchs serve as symbols of national unity that...
Jul 18, 2025•36 min•Ep. 36
As student protests over Gaza sweep college campuses, one case is testing the limits of free speech and immigration law in America. Mahmoud Khalil, a Columbia student and lawful permanent resident, was arrested by ICE without a warrant and sent to a remote detention center in Louisiana—allegedly for his political advocacy. In this episode, we sit down with Khalil's lawyer Baher Azmy, who is also the Legal Director of the Center of Constitutional Rights, to unpack the disturbing legal maneuver be...
May 15, 2025•47 min•Ep. 35
What happens when the country that helped design the international human rights system starts to dismantle it? In this episode, we speak with the former president of the U.N. General Assembly, Ambassador Dennis Francis, about the growing threats to global cooperation and human rights—from authoritarian drift, to shrinking U.S. commitments, to rising fears inside the U.N. system itself. Is this the end of the liberal international order? And if so, what comes next? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWiz...
Apr 21, 2025•34 min•Ep. 34
What happens when the government turns the law into a weapon? In these first few months of the second Trump administration human rights advocates, legal scholars, and university leaders are warning of a political landscape where funding is slashed, free speech is chilled, and legal institutions are bent to serve those in power. From defunding human rights initiatives to threatening universities and using the justice system for political retribution, many say the future of democracy is on the lin...
Mar 21, 2025•33 min•Ep. 33
This week, our co-hosts Professors Tom Ginsburg and Claudia Flores discuss bitcoin, the cryptocurrency soaring in both popularity and value. In the last month, the price of a single bitcoin has risen from around $70,000 to almost $100,000. Its cultural impact is immense, yet confusing and controversial. Those who associate bitcoin with MAGA conservatives and get-rich-quick day traders might be surprised to learn that some see it as a tool to protect human rights. Alex Gladstein, Chief Strategy O...
Dec 09, 2024•47 min•Ep. 32
United Nations special experts have a crucial role in upholding international human rights law. These independent specialists hold mandates to report and advise on different areas within human rights as special rapporteurs, independent experts, or members of working groups. But how exactly do these appointments work, and what are the responsibilities, capabilities, and on-the-ground impacts of these experts? In this episode, we hear from our very own co-host, Professor Claudia Flores, member of ...
Nov 15, 2024•40 min•Ep. 31
Since our last episode on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza, we wanted to do an update on where international law currently stands in the conflict. This year, the conflict has triggered several legal cases at international courts, including at the International Court of Justice, which has accused Israel of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. In this episode, we speak with Aslı Ü. Bâli, a Professor of Law at Yale University who teaches international law and human rights i...
Oct 03, 2024•50 min•Ep. 30
We've all heard about different kinds of laws...but there is a higher order law that often gets overlooked—it's called Natural Law. The idea behind Natural Law is that all humans are born with an innate understanding of what's right and what's wrong, and that laws should be based on morality. In today's world, where there is no shortage of international wars, authoritarian leaders, human rights violations, and more, where and how can Natural Law be applied? On this episode, we speak with Mary El...
Aug 29, 2024•43 min•Ep. 29
When it comes to discussion about the conflict in Gaza, there is an endless parade of commentators on both sides telling us what is right or wrong, legitimate or illegal, a crime or a justified attack, but in all that debate and discussion the actual international laws of war often get pushed to the sidelines. We’re planning to do a series of episodes on this conflict in the coming weeks, but we wanted to start by getting a baseline understand on the laws of war with an international expert. Oon...
Jun 24, 2024•48 min•Ep. 28
The word apartheid gets used in many different contexts to indicate the severity of crimes across the globe. But its use is controversial because the word has a very specific definition in international law. Even more controversial is the concept of expanding the term to include gender. If there is one place on earth where it could be argued that a gender apartheid designation is needed its Afghanistan. Since the US withdrawal from the country, the Taliban have instituted a brutal repression of ...
May 08, 2024•49 min•Ep. 27
In recent years, book bans have swept the nation. According to PEN America, more than 4,000 books have been banned in some capacity in public schools since July 2021. Books that discuss topics like racial justice or have characters that identify as LGBTQ+ are just some of the examples that have received widespread attention. While book bans are not a new phenomenon, parents rights groups have accelerated their attacks on what books can be put on school's shelves, leaving a bigger question up for...
Mar 28, 2024•40 min•Ep. 26
As kids, we all heard someone tell us that it's wrong to lie...but as we grew older, we realized that people lie all the time. Politicians, presidents, and even executives at corporations tell lies—big and small. As citizens, there are obvious exceptions where lying is wrong, for instance; perjury, lying on your employment application, or lying to get a bank loan. But do we have a right to lie? And if so, what are the boundaries? On this episode, we speak with UCLA Professor of Philosophy and La...
Feb 29, 2024•38 min•Ep. 25
We’re doing something special for this month’s episode. In October of 2023, we hosted a live recording here at the University of Chicago. Tom Ginsburg was joined on stage by renowned scholar Genevie Laikier to have a conversation about free speech on social media. In other words, it was very relevant to our current season about the right to free expression. We’re going to share that recording with you this month. We hope you enjoy, and thanks to everyone who listened to our podcast this year. Ho...
Jan 24, 2024•45 min•Ep. 24
Some might say one of the most important ways we exercise the right to free expression is through protests. And we’ve certainly seen groups all over the world using that right in the last few years, from the George Floyd protests in the U.S. to democratic marches in Hong Kong to demonstrations in Chile, Venezuela, Iran and Peru. On the surface this right may seem straightforward, but there are many thorny questions to grapple with: when does a protest become a violent violation of other rights, ...
Dec 07, 2023•47 min•Ep. 23
We all know the phrase: “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” But is that actually true? Recent research in psychology has shown that words can cause a plethora of different harms. Should this make us re-think our approach to hate speech? In the US we’ve been hesitant to regulate hate speech, while other countries have been incredibly stringent. Which approach is right, and why? And, how do we even define what hate speech is anyway? To get some answers we sit down...
Nov 02, 2023•52 min•Ep. 22
On the third season of Entitled, we're circling back to the first fundamental right: the freedom of speech. Lawyers and law professors Claudia Flores and Tom Ginsburg begin this season by peeling back the curtains of how this right is currently playing out at universities across the country. In recent years, there have been tensions — and intense clashes — around speakers invited to campus, what professors are allowed to say in the classroom, and what subject matter should even be allowed to be ...
Sep 28, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 21
On our last season, we focused entirely on the idea of equality from an international perspective. But when it comes to domestic questions of equality, or equity, they often focus on an important and specific topic: race. And one of the leading voices in that conversation is Dr. Ibram X. Kendi. Kendi is most famous for his 2019 book "How To Be An Anti-racist". The book argues that the opposite of racism isn’t “not racist” but anti-racist. Meaning, rather than just being neutrally against racism ...
Sep 07, 2023•41 min•Ep. 20
For the first time in decades, the future of abortion rights in the US is uncertain. With the overturning of Roe v Wade in 2022, The Supreme Court has forced Americans to reconsider and fight for a new vision of a right to abortion should be. But it’s important to remember that debates about abortion don’t end at our borders. The end of Roe will have global ramifications for how other countries think about abortion rights but, as the US re-enters this international debate, are their lessons we c...
Jun 01, 2023•56 min•Ep. 19
In a world with personalized laws, each person would be subject to different legal rules and their own personally-tailored laws. For example, if you're a good driver, you could be rewarded for that good behavior with less stringent laws. Through this idea, and the acceleration of AI, technology could be used to comprehend our data from various places to create laws individual to us. These are some of the ideas that Omri Ben-Shahar writes about in his book, Personalized Law: Different Rules for D...
Apr 28, 2023•45 min•Ep. 18
More than half a million people are currently homeless in the United States. It's a crisis that extends beyond California and is trending upwards in other states, too. Most jurisdictions in the US have no right to shelter, and the right to have a home at all is not a guarantee. But just across the border, Canada recognizes the right to adequate housing as a fundamental human right affirmed in international law. In this episode, we speak with Canadian lawyer Leilani Farha, the former Special Rapp...
Mar 23, 2023•38 min•Ep. 17
