women’s rights – Page 11 – International Justice Resource Center

Guatemala Prosecutes Soldiers For Sexual Slavery During Civil War

February 16, 2016 IJRC armed conflict, domestic courts, enforced disappearance, indigenous communities, Inter-American System, international criminal law, international human rights, torture, women's rights

A landmark trial of former Guatemalan soldiers for crimes against humanity commenced this month before the country’s High Risk Court A (Tribunal de Mayor Riesgo A). In 2014, the State arrested and charged former Sepur Zarco base commander Lieutenant Colonel Esteelmer Reyes Giron and former military commissioner Heriberto Valdez Asij with acts of sexual violence, sexual slavery, murder, and forced

ECtHR: Swiss Disability Insurance Assessment Discriminates Against Working Mothers

February 9, 2016 IJRC children, economic, social & cultural rights, European System, family, labor rights, women's rights

The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) held last week that Switzerland violated the European Convention on Human Rights by assessing disability benefits in a manner that disproportionately penalized women who reduced their working hours after having children, resulting in gender discrimination. See ECtHR, di Trizio v. Switzerland, no. 7186/09, Judgment of 2 February 2016 (in French only). The application

African Human Rights Commission Launches Campaign to Decriminalize Abortion

February 2, 2016 IJRC African System, children, economic, social & cultural rights, family, international human rights, reproductive and sexual rights, women's rights

On January 18, 2016, the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) announced that, through the Special Rapporteur on Rights of Women in Africa, it will be launching a continental Campaign for the Decriminalization of Abortion in Africa. [ACHPR Press Release] Of the ACHPR’s 57 Member States, 25 reportedly have legislation in place that either completely prohibits abortion or

European Committee Finds Numerous Violations in Protection of Social Rights

February 1, 2016 IJRC children, discrimination, economic, social & cultural rights, European System, family, immigration & asylum, international human rights, labor rights, migrants, reproductive and sexual rights, women's rights

On January 27, 2016 the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR or the Committee) published its 2015 conclusions regarding 31 States’ implementation of the European Social Charter’s provisions related to the rights of children, families, and migrants. It found 239 instances in which governments’ policies and practices failed to adequately protect these rights. [ECSR Press Release] The Committee also reiterated 38

AU-EU Meetings Emphasize Cooperation to Protect Human Rights

January 11, 2016 IJRC African System, civil society, crime & impunity, democracy & political rights, European System, human rights defenders, international human rights, military and humanitarian intervention, regional human rights protection, thought, expression & association, women's rights

In November 2015, representatives of African and European intergovernmental organizations and civil society gathered in Rwanda for the 11th African Union – European Union (AU-EU) Human Rights Dialogue, a platform for sharing experiences concerning human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. Participants in the Human Rights Dialogue, which was held in Kigali on November 24, 2015, included the Hon.

Updated Inter-American Commission Report Reviews Gender Equality, Women’s Rights Standards

December 14, 2015 IJRC crime & impunity, due process & judicial protection, Inter-American System, international human rights, reproductive and sexual rights, women's rights

On November 18, 2015, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) published a new report analyzing regional human rights standards on gender equality and women’s rights, as well as their implementation by domestic judiciaries. [IACHR Press Release] The publication, Legal Standards: Gender Equality and Women’s Rights, updates a 2011 publication with references to norms and interpretations developed through 2014. Its

Modernization of Forced Labour Convention Set to Enter into Force

December 1, 2015 IJRC children, economic, social & cultural rights, ILO, indigenous communities, international human rights, labor rights, migrants, women's rights

A new international agreement on modern slavery will enter into force in 2016, following ratifications by Niger and Norway. [UN News Centre] The Protocol of 2014 to the Forced Labour Convention, 1930 updates a 1930 treaty, including by addressing the increase of forced labor in the private sector and the vulnerabilities of workers in specific industries and at-risk groups, such

Six United Nations Human Rights Bodies Meet in November 2015

November 11, 2015 IJRC civil society, discrimination, international human rights, torture, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Human Rights Council, UN treaty bodies, Universal Periodic Review, women's rights

During the month of November 2015, six United Nations human rights mechanisms will meet in Geneva, Switzerland. The UN Human Rights Committee, Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW Committee), Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group, Committee Against Torture (CAT), Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (SPT), and the Committee on

IACHR to Hold Hearings on Four Cases, 53 Rights Topics This Week

October 19, 2015 IJRC children, civil society, democracy & political rights, discrimination, economic, social & cultural rights, enforced disappearance, environmental rights, extrajudicial executions, human rights defenders, indigenous communities, Inter-American System, international human rights, LGBTI rights, privacy, property, reproductive and sexual rights, thought, expression & association, torture, women's rights

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is holding its 156th session from October 17 to 28, 2015 in Washington, D.C. [IACHR Press Release] The IACHR will conduct public hearings in four cases on its docket, and receive information from States and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on the 53 human rights issues, ranging from the human rights situation of LGBTI people,

CESCR Reviews Burundi, Greece, Guyana, Iraq, Italy, Morocco & Sudan

October 9, 2015 IJRC cultural rights, discrimination, economic, social & cultural rights, education, health, labor rights, UN treaty bodies, women's rights

On September 21, 2015, the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (CESCR) commenced its 56th session in Geneva, Switzerland. During the session, which ended October 9, the Committee considered the reports of Burundi, Greece, Guyana, Iraq, Italy, Morocco, and Sudan regarding their implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). [OHCHR Press Release: