Search Results for: gender

The plight of women’s rights in various countries reflects a complex interplay of legal, cultural and societal norms that significantly disenfranchise women and girls, threatening their human rights and dignity. Countries like Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iran, Yemen, Sudan, Pakistan, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Syria, and Nigeria present challenging environments where women’s rights [...]

Irish voters decisively rejected on Saturday two constitutional amendments that would have significantly altered the definition of family and gender roles within the home. In accordance with Article 46 of the Constitution, the Irish government submitted two amendments by referendum: the 39th Amendment of the Constitution (The Family) Bill 2023, aimed to protect families formed [...]

UN International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), a UN agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide, released a report Friday on International Women’s Day alleging that more than 230 million girls and women worldwide have been subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM), an increase of 30 million or 15 percent compared with [...]

The UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on the Islamic Republic of Iran unveiled a report on Friday alleging widespread human rights violations committed by the Iranian government, particularly in response to the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests that began on September 16, 2022. “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests were sparked by the death of Jina Mahsa Amini [...]

As the world marks International Women’s Day, we have to address the elephant in the room. When it comes to honoring and protecting the rights of women, far too much of the global community is backsliding. As a legal scholar from Afghanistan, I know firsthand about these struggles as they pertain to the women of [...]

Alabama’s House of Representatives approved two bills on Thursday, including one that would restrict public funding for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The other bill passed by the Republican-led house would restrict absentee ballot assistance by charging individuals for helping others with absentee voting. The first bill, SB-129, sponsored by Senator Will Barfoot (R), [...]

Reports of bias incidents in New Jersey increased by 22 percent from 2022 to 2023, according to preliminary data released by the state’s attorney general Thursday. The preliminary data shows there were 2,699 bias incidents reported to New Jersey law enforcement in 2023. Anti-black and anti-Jewish bias remained the most common motivations for racial and [...]

The Orthodox Church in Corfu, Greece, excommunicated two members of Parliament on Tuesday. This action was sparked by the politicians’ support for a bill that legalised same-sex marriage in the country, which was passed in February. The diocese of Corfu held a General Priest Assembly on Tuesday to discuss the matter, after which a statement [...]

At least 126 human rights defenders were murdered in the Americas in 2023, according to a statement published Tuesday by the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR). The IACHR stated that this high violence rate was directed toward land and environment defenders, leaders of indigenous communities and leaders of communities of African descent. In the [...]

The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan warned in a report on Friday that mass violence and gross human rights violations in South Sudan continue unabated and must be urgently addressed. The Commission conducted investigations in South Sudan and its neighboring states in 2023. The investigations involved hundreds of interviews, expert forensic analysis [...]