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Source: http://blog.amnestyusa.org/category/women/feed/

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<title>Women’s Rights – Human Rights Now</title>
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<title>Trump’s Global Gag Rule a blow for women’s rights and lives.</title>
<link>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/us/74153/</link>
<comments>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/us/74153/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jan 2017 15:41:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Tarah Demant]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[USA]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Women's Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[abortion]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Donald Trump]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Global Gag Rule]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[President Trump]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[reproductive rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[united states]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[women's rights]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.amnestyusa.org/?p=74153</guid>
<description><![CDATA[A mere two days after millions of people marched around the word with and in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington, President Donald J. Trump announced the “Global Gag Rule,” a major blow to women’s rights and human rights worldwide.]]></description>
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A mere two days after millions of people marched around the word with and in solidarity with the Women’s March on Washington, President Donald J. Trump announced the “Global Gag Rule,” a major blow to women’s rights and human rights worldwide.
Trump’s Global Gag Rule prohibits U.S. international aid to groups that so much as educate their communities on safe abortion. Even if an organization is using non-U.S. funding for such activities, they will lose their U.S. funding if they offer counseling, advocate for legal reform, provide abortions, or even provide referrals at any time.
Foreign NGOs and clinics, many of whom depend on U.S. funding to deliver life-saving healthcare, must choose between two impossible choices: 1) take the funding they depend on but deny the services their communities need and deserve, or 2) refuse U.S. funding and struggle to keep clinics open, offer services, and advocate for laws that reduce unsafe abortions.
This is not the first time the U.S. has imposed such restrictions on foreign aid. Under George Bush, implementation of such policies did not decrease the number of abortions, but <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" href="http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/89/12/11-091660/en/" target="_blank" data-href="http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/89/12/11-091660/en/">increased abortion rates</a>. It also resulted in a sharp decline in availability of contraceptives, and increased rate of maternal death, and increased rate of closed health clinics.
The policy allows for exceptions in cases of rape, incest, and life endangerment, but not for health endangerment or severe or fatal fetal impairment, both mandated by international law as the baseline standards for when abortion must be accessible. What’s more, it’s unclear if services are ever provided under these three exceptions for fear of losing U.S. foreign aid. Trump’s Global Gag means that women and girls who depend on U.S.-funded health facilities may not even hear about the options that may save their lives.
We’ve seen what a lack of access to safe and legal abortion means: in <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" href="http://www.ipsnews.net/2017/01/trumps-global-gag-a-devastating-blow-for-womens-rights/" target="_blank" data-href="http://www.ipsnews.net/2017/01/trumps-global-gag-a-devastating-blow-for-womens-rights/">Latin America and the Caribbean</a>, for example, where multiple countries have severe abortion restrictions, including total bans, unsafe abortions and maternal death have spiked, and women could face up to 50-years in jails for miscarriages.
Trump’s Global Gag Rule, in essence and in practice, negates human rights standards for women — mostly poor and rural women — who depend on international aid-funded clinics, healthcare facilities, and organizations. The consequences of Trump’s Global Gag rule are not theoretical: this curtailing of women’s rights will have devastating impacts on women and girls worldwide — from a lack of contraception to an increase of unsafe abortions and maternal death.
It’s a telling sign that only 48 hours after a global outcry for human rights, especially women’s rights, one of the first moves of the Trump administration is to undermine women’s rights worldwide. Now more than ever we must stand up for human rights and against human rights abuses.
Join us, and <a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" href="https://act.amnestyusa.org/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1839&ea.campaign.id=62058" target="_blank" data-href="https://act.amnestyusa.org/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1839&ea.campaign.id=62058">demand</a> President Trump to choose human rights.
]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/us/74153/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>78</slash:comments>
</item>
<item>
<title>From Margin to Center: Sex Work Decriminalization is a Racial Justice Issue</title>
<link>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/us/from-margin-to-center-sex-work-decriminalization-is-a-racial-justice-issue/</link>
<comments>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/us/from-margin-to-center-sex-work-decriminalization-is-a-racial-justice-issue/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 12 Dec 2016 18:20:35 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Guest Writer]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[USA]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Women's Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Decriminalization]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sex Work]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.amnestyusa.org/?p=74116</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Sex work is criminalized throughout the United States, typically as misdemeanor offenses. Similar to the way the Unites States treats and criminalizes drug use, the policing of sex work exacerbates stigma, compromises access to resources, justifies violence, and is steeped in racial disparities.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img class="size-full wp-image-41356" src="http://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/148639294.jpg" alt="Sex workers wait for customers in Honduras (Photo Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images)." width="594" height="396" srcset="https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/148639294.jpg 594w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/148639294-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/148639294-450x300.jpg 450w" sizes="(max-width: 594px) 100vw, 594px" />
By Jasmine Sankofa, AIUSA Sexual and Reproductive Rights Advocate
Sex work is criminalized throughout the United States, typically as misdemeanor offenses. Similar to the way the Unites States treats and criminalizes drug use, the policing of sex work exacerbates stigma, compromises access to resources, justifies violence, and is steeped in racial disparities. Women of color, especially Black cisgender and transgender women, girls, and femmes, are particularly vulnerable. Because sex work and sex trafficking are conflated, interventions are focused on abolishing the sex industry instead of eliminating structural issues that drive exploitation.
From profiling to strip searches, from discarded condoms<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a> to forcible and extorted sex—law enforcement is a frequent perpetrator of violence against sex workers. As the Daniel Holtzclaw case in Oklahoma revealed, having a history of sex work and drug use increases vulnerability to police sexual violence. Black women, who are over policed, impoverished, and live in racially segregated communities, are marked as prime targets. Unfortunately, what the thirteen survivors in Oklahoma experienced <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2828422">is not an anomaly</a>.
Although sexual assault is grossly underreported, sexual violence is the <a href="https://www.policemisconduct.net/statistics/2010-annual-report/">second most reported form of police misconduct</a>, after use of force. The <a href="https://dctranscoalition.files.wordpress.com/2015/11/dctc-access-denied-final.pdf">DC Trans Coalition</a> found that 23% of Black transgender people were physically or sexually assaulted by police because they were perceived to be transgender and involved in the sex trade. Another report, <a href="http://www.transequality.org/sites/default/files/Meaningful%20Work-Full%20Report_FINAL_3.pdf">Meaningful Work</a>, found that nearly 40% of Black and Black Multiracial transgender folks who have experience exchanging sex were subjected to pervasive harassment, violence, and arrest.
When violence is committed against sex workers, police often refuse to investigate. In Los Angeles, Black sex workers were <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/12/tales-of-the-grim-sleeper-nick-broomfield">targeted for nearly three decades</a>. Police officers responded by coding case files “No Human Involved.” Sex workers remain targeted and shamed, and Black women continue to feel the brunt of it—of the 41 sex workers murdered in the United States in 2015, <a href="http://www.december17.org/2015facts/">17 were Black and 12 were transgender women</a>.
Actual or perceived involvement in the sex trade results in approximately 30,000 arrests annually, <a href="https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2015/crime-in-the-u.s.-2015/tables/table-43">according to FBI crime data</a>. In 2015, nearly 40% of adults arrested for prostitution were Black. This disparity is larger for minors, where approximately 60% of youth under the age of 18 arrested for prostitution were Black—despite being categorized as <a href="https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114s178enr/pdf/BILLS-114s178enr.pdf">victims of sex trafficking under federal law</a>.
The criminalization of HIV also primarily targets people in the sex trade, <a href="http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/HIVCriminalization.EvaluationofTransmissionRisk.2016.pdf">even when the risk of exposure is unlikely or non-existent</a>. In addition to physical violence, criminalization results in substantial collateral consequences—including the severing of parental rights, sex offender registration, healthcare isolation, and barriers to employment in the formal sector.
While the harm produced by criminalization and stigma renders Black women exchanging sex hyper vulnerable, sex worker rights have yet to be fully integrated into the broader racial justice platform.
Luckily, this is beginning to shift. In August, the <a href="https://policy.m4bl.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Decrim-Drugs-Sex-Work-with-reparations-Policy-Brief.pdf">Movement for Black Lives</a> released a powerful policy agenda visioning Black power, freedom, and justice—sex work decriminalization was included in this vision. In an <a href="http://theroottv.theroot.com/video/2016-The-Root-100-Honoree-Charl">interview</a>, Charlene Carruthers, the National Director of Black Youth Project 100, asserted the importance of centering issues faced by Black sex workers. She stated that “unless we work from the margins, and move the margins into the center, none of us will be free.”
Black women have always fought for bodily autonomy and resisted against exploitation. Instead of punishing and shaming survival strategies, we should be invested in expanding choices. Sex work decriminalization is a racial justice issue, requiring us to address the root causes of vulnerability. To do this, we need to check ourselves—by silencing our judgment, listening to their voices, holding space for their healing, supporting them on their own terms, recognizing their agency, respecting their choices, and challenging structural oppression on all fronts.
In recognition of International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, let’s (re)commit to our collective freedom and center those of us at the margins.
]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/us/from-margin-to-center-sex-work-decriminalization-is-a-racial-justice-issue/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>6</slash:comments>
</item>
<item>
<title>Ohio’s proposed abortion bans would violate human rights—We must fight back!</title>
<link>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/us/ohios-proposed-heartbeat-bill-would-violate-human-rights-we-must-fight-back/</link>
<comments>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/us/ohios-proposed-heartbeat-bill-would-violate-human-rights-we-must-fight-back/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 12 Dec 2016 18:01:39 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kaitlyn Denzler]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[USA]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Women's Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[abortion]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Ohio]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[women's rights]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.amnestyusa.org/?p=74113</guid>
<description><![CDATA[This Tuesday, the legislature in Ohio passed a ban on abortion as soon as the fetus’ heartbeat can be detected. ]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-74122" src="http://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-14-at-10.27.23-AM.png" alt="screen-shot-2016-12-14-at-10-27-23-am" width="796" height="798" srcset="https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-14-at-10.27.23-AM.png 796w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-14-at-10.27.23-AM-150x150.png 150w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-14-at-10.27.23-AM-300x300.png 300w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-14-at-10.27.23-AM-768x770.png 768w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-14-at-10.27.23-AM-60x60.png 60w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-14-at-10.27.23-AM-144x144.png 144w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-14-at-10.27.23-AM-299x300.png 299w" sizes="(max-width: 796px) 100vw, 796px" />
 
UPDATE SINCE LAST POSTED: 
Ohio has become the 18th state to adopt a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/13/us/kasich-ohio-heartbeat-abortion-bill.html">20-week abortion ban</a>. Governor Kasich vetoed the 6-week abortion ban, and signed the 20-week abortion ban into law on December 13, 2016. The 20-week ban, as described below, has no exceptions for rape or incest. It also criminalizes and penalizes abortion providers who would be at risk of receiving an 18 month prison sentence for providing abortion services after 20 weeks.
We, along with our partners, will continue to fight the unconstitutionality of bans like this, and the dangers of criminalization. 
*********************************
During the U.S. Presidential campaign, we watched in horror as public figures spoke proudly about their plans to defund Planned Parenthood. And we were witness to calls—including from then candidate/now President-elect Trump—for stricter abortion laws, even at one point calling for a total abortion ban, despite the fact that proposed restrictions and bans would put pregnant people’s lives in danger and violate international law. One of the figures calling for stricter abortion laws was Governor Kasich of Ohio.
We’re already seeing much of the campaign rhetoric turn into a painful reality, and lawmakers emboldened to push forward contentious and harmful bills. <a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2016/12/07/extreme_anti_abortion_heartbeat_bill_passes_ohio_state_legislature_in_wave.html">This Tuesday</a>, the legislature in Ohio passed a ban on abortion as soon as the fetus’ heartbeat can be detected (House Bill 493). Heartbeats are detectable around six weeks, which is before many people even realize they’re pregnant. This type of measure essentially bans abortion altogether, and would <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ohio-moves-to-ban-abortion-six-weeks-after-conception_us_58480c29e4b08c82e888e4fe">criminalize </a>abortion providers, who could face up to a year in prison if they perform an abortion after a heartbeat is detected or if they fail to test for one before providing an abortion. If signed into law, Ohio would be home to the nation’s most stringent abortion restrictions.
<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/12/09/politics/ohio-abortion-bills/">On Thursday</a>, the legislature passed another abortion ban which would prohibit abortions after 20 weeks (Senate Bill 127). The bans would also only make an exception if the life of the pregnant person is at risk, but not in cases of rape or incest—a clear violation of human rights law. And they also clearly violate Roe v. Wade, whereby states are not allowed to prohibit abortions before the fetus is viable (usually around 22 to 24 weeks).
The bills now sit on Governor Kasich’s desk, who will make the final decision of whether the bills become law or not. As governor, Kasich has signed anti-abortion measures into law, including a law that requires an Ohio doctor to perform an ultrasound before a person can get an abortion (if possible, the doctor must offer the person a chance to listen to the heartbeat and view the ultrasound). This is not the first time Ohio has tried to pass similar “heartbeat” bills like the one which passed on Tuesday. <a href="http://www.dispatch.com/content/blogs/the-daily-briefing/2015/03/25032015---kasich-on-heartbeat-bill-from-nh.html">Previously, </a>Kasich has been opposed to the measure, but the climate is different this time and many lawmakers feel emboldened. State Senate President Keith Faber, for example, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/ohio-heartbeat-abortion-bill-heads-to-governors-desk/2016/12/06/2c954584-bc2f-11e6-ae79-bec72d34f8c9_story.html?tid=twisira&utm_term=.6ee2b6046838">said </a>the bill came back again and has better chance than it did before because of the President-elect’s victory and the expectation he will fill Supreme Court vacancies with justices who are more likely to uphold stricter abortion bans.
Such proposals defy human rights standards and put the lives of pregnant people, especially women of color and low-income women, at risk. Sadly, Ohio is one of many states we need to watch and then join together to fight against human rights violations.
We must reject at every turn laws that restrict people’s rights—from Ohio to the White House: we must ensure all people’s sexual and reproductive rights are upheld.
]]></content:encoded>
<wfw:commentRss>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/us/ohios-proposed-heartbeat-bill-would-violate-human-rights-we-must-fight-back/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
</item>
<item>
<title>Why We Need to Address Gender-Based Violence, Now More Than Ever</title>
<link>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/americas/why-we-need-to-address-gender-based-violence-now-more-than-ever/</link>
<comments>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/americas/why-we-need-to-address-gender-based-violence-now-more-than-ever/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 09 Dec 2016 19:52:52 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Guest Writer]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Americas]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Refugee and Migrant Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Women's Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[gender based violence]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[human rights day]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.amnestyusa.org/?p=74108</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The 16 Days campaign is exactly that —16 days of global activism, starting with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25th and leading up to Human Rights Day on December 10th]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-74109" src="http://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-09-at-11.46.34-AM.png" alt="screen-shot-2016-12-09-at-11-46-34-am" width="814" height="684" srcset="https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-09-at-11.46.34-AM.png 814w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-09-at-11.46.34-AM-300x252.png 300w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-09-at-11.46.34-AM-768x645.png 768w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-09-at-11.46.34-AM-357x300.png 357w" sizes="(max-width: 814px) 100vw, 814px" />
By Helena Klassen, Identity and Discrimination Intern and Nicole van Huyssteen, Women’s Human Rights Thematic Specialist
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” (16 Days) campaign, originated by the Centre for Women’s Global Leadership (CWGL). The campaign takes on a specific theme each year, which is determined by consulting with the many international human rights groups working to end gender-based violence (GBV). By calling upon individuals and organizations around the world to take action against GBV, the 16 Days campaign has had a significant impact and great success in building support of and activism for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls for more than two decades.
The 16 Days campaign is exactly that —16 days of global activism, starting with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women on November 25th and leading up to Human Rights Day on December 10th. During this time, Amnesty activists and members advocate for and with those who experience gender-based violence around the world. With the launch of Amnesty International’s <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/our-work/issues/refugee-and-migrant-rights/refugees-and-asylum">“I Welcome” Campaign</a> this year, AIUSA has dedicated its 16 days of activism to highlighting how GBV affects refugee women and girls and LGBTI refugees.
By the end of 2015, <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2016/10/tackling-the-global-refugee-crisis-sharing-responsibility/">there were more than 21 million people</a> seeking refuge worldwide. Many refugees are fleeing violence and persecution — situations that force them to unwillingly leave their homes and families. Becoming a refugee often also puts them at risk for other violations of their human rights, especially when their intersecting identities are perceived as a reason to commit further violence against them.
For women, girls, and LGBTI people, being a refugee can be particularly dangerous. Sometimes, the reasons they are threatened and harassed as refugees are the reasons they left their countries in the first place. Patricia* is a trans woman from El Salvador who fled to Mexico because of the persecution she experienced by gangs and the police in her home country. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AIUSAWomensHumanRightsNetwork/photos/a.159805200759109.39655.137466436326319/1253899418016343/?type=3&theater">She says:</a>
<blockquote>They said they did not like me because of ‘who I am’. I was threatened by gangs as well – each month they charged me ‘rent’ but I was not able to pay it all. I believe I was threatened because of discrimination or homophobia, because of who I am. I had thought about going to the authorities but I realized that they were the same people who were harassing me.</blockquote>
The increasing amount of violence in the countries known as the Northern Triangle (El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras), where Patricia is from, have resulted in massive upticks in migration and displacement, just as escalations of violence in other places around the world cause more people to flee their homes and become refugees. Refugees and displaced persons often experience violence and other human rights abuses while traveling between their countries of origin and their destinations. By welcoming refugees, governments and citizens can help to prevent widespread gender-based violence and protect those who are most vulnerable to the many human rights abuses faced by displaced persons.
<img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-74110" src="http://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-09-at-11.46.52-AM.png" alt="screen-shot-2016-12-09-at-11-46-52-am" width="720" height="602" srcset="https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-09-at-11.46.52-AM.png 720w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-09-at-11.46.52-AM-300x251.png 300w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Screen-Shot-2016-12-09-at-11.46.52-AM-359x300.png 359w" sizes="(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px" />
Individual stories like Patricia’s help highlight the way human rights crises affect individuals in different and complex ways. As part of the 16 Days of Activism campaign this year, AIUSA commissioned a series of illustrations to accompany these stories, examples of which are included in this post. To see more of them, follow @AmnestyWomenRts on Twitter and @AIUSAWomensHumanRightsNetwork on Facebook.
Human rights are the cornerstone on which Amnesty International bases its work — but it would be impossible to do the work without listening to the stories of individuals who are most affected when these rights are threatened. Gender-based violence happens to women and LGBTI people simply because of the identities they embody or are perceived to embody. GBV is also used as a tactic to threaten women and LGBTI people when they work to promote and uphold other human rights. 16 Days recognizes that all forms of GBV are against international human rights law, and the activists who work and volunteer for Amnesty know that we will have to defend human rights on multiple fronts — including rights for refugees, LGBTI people, and women — in order to end GBV as a tool of abuse and repression.
It is therefore important to note that 16 Days also encompasses International Women Human Rights Defenders Day on November 29th each year. Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) face multiple risks when they advocate for their own rights and the rights of others, including the use of retaliatory GBV. Amnesty International USA is currently <a href="http://write.amnestyusa.org/cases/">highlighting the cases of four WHRDs</a> for its annual Write for Rights campaign. To celebrate Human Rights Day and the last day of the 16 Days of Activism, write a letter on December 10th in support of one of these women, or any of the Write for Rights cases showcased on the website.
There isn’t much time left in the 16 Days of Activism for this year, but you can still take action to promote the rights of refugee women and girls and LGBTI refugees. Make the pledge to #WelcomeRefugees, and <a href="https://act.amnestyusa.org/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1839&ea.campaign.id=44665">call on Congress</a> to increase the number of refugees who are resettled in the United States. You can also learn more about 16 Days and the Women’s Human Rights Network on <a href="https://twitter.com/AmnestyWomenRts">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AIUSAWomensHumanRightsNetwork/">Facebook</a>.
You, too, can be a Human Rights Defender when you stand up for the rights of those affected by gender-based violence and the global refugee crisis, both during the 16 Days of Activism and beyond.
*Name changed to protect identity.
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<title>Education is a Human Right – That is, Unless you are Pregnant in Sierra Leone.</title>
<link>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/africa/education-is-a-human-right-that-is-unless-you-are-pregnant-in-sierra-leone/</link>
<comments>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/africa/education-is-a-human-right-that-is-unless-you-are-pregnant-in-sierra-leone/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Fri, 02 Dec 2016 15:38:52 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Guest Writer]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Africa]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Women's Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[education]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[reproductive rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sierra Leon]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.amnestyusa.org/?p=74089</guid>
<description><![CDATA[housands of pregnant girls are being excluded from school because of a rule issued by Sierra Leone’s government. In April of 2015, the Minister of Education, Science and Technology issued a statement banning all pregnant girls from school settings. ]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_65911" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img class="size-full wp-image-65911" src="http://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/209065_Sierra_Leone_School.jpg" alt="Anonymous school children, all girls, in front of a blackboard at an unidentified school somewhere in Sierra Leone." width="2000" height="1333" srcset="https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/209065_Sierra_Leone_School.jpg 2000w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/209065_Sierra_Leone_School-300x200.jpg 300w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/209065_Sierra_Leone_School-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/209065_Sierra_Leone_School-450x300.jpg 450w" sizes="(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Anonymous school children, all girls, in front of a blackboard at an unidentified school somewhere in Sierra Leone.</div>
By Abby Saleh, Press intern, AIUSA
Thousands of pregnant girls are being excluded from school because of a rule issued by Sierra Leone’s government. In April of 2015, the Minister of Education, Science and Technology issued a statement banning all pregnant girls from school settings. This immediately went into action, and thousands of girls were denied access to education and were barred from taking exams. The government justified the policy as the protection of “innocent girls” from negative influences, which stigmatizes pregnant girls.
Many of these girls become pregnant as a result of sexual violence or a lack of sex education. Sierra Leone failed to protect these girls from sexual violence, and it failed them by removing sexual and health education from their school curriculums many years ago. These girls should not be punished, and should be granted the same rights as any other child.
“The prohibition on visibly pregnant girls attending mainstream schools and taking exams is hopelessly misguided, and is doing nothing to address the root causes of Sierra Leone’s high teenage pregnancy rate, which surged during the devastating Ebola crisis, and remains high despite this ban,” said Alioune Tine, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for West and Central Africa. “Rather than humiliating and excluding teenage girls, Sierra Leone’s authorities should focus on increasing sexual and reproductive health information in schools, and protecting girls from sexual violence and abusive relationships. Unless these issues are addressed, the cycle of unwanted early pregnancy will continue for generations to come.”
It has been reported that girls are being put through humiliating and degrading treatment such as being compelled to take pregnancy tests and going through intrusive physical searches. This is traumatizing, and puts them at an increased risk of abuse. Many girls stated that this treatment left them feeling abandoned and discouraged. They were not allowed to participate in the exams they had been preparing for, thus forcing them to be left behind. Not only are they left behind in their studies, but they are also ostracized and abused by their families and communities.
These actions are discriminatory and a violation of rights enshrined in international conventions, and they have a negative impact on the future of the country. Education is a human right and should be accessible to every child, regardless of their condition. It is critical to the development of the child and the progression of a society to ensure that girls are educated. This ban will only cause these girls to be more at risk of violence and discrimination, as well as impact the stability of the country’s economy, health, mortality rates, and more. These levels of discrimination will also have a severe psychosocial impact on females in the country for many years to come, possibly impacting the next generation as well.
The government of Sierra Leone responded to this crisis due to international and national pressure. President Ernest Bai Koroma announced the establishment of an alternative “bridging” education system that would allow pregnant girls to continue going to school. Separate, but supposedly equal. This attempt by the government at “protecting values and culture” while claiming to maintain its obligations under international standards is still not a good solution for the issue. Although many girls registered immediately and had positive things to say about the bridging system, they were still being stigmatized and ostracized for the situation they were in. The bridging program ended in August of 2016, but another education program for pregnant girls, or any girl who dropped out of school, was put into place with the help of UNICEF. Though this new program has been well received by the international community, it still does not grant pregnant girls the right to take exams. Also, concern still remains about the lack of choice for pregnant girls due to the ban and their inability to sit in on exams. It also does not guarantee access to sex education, which would be a violation of Sierra Leone’s legal obligation to provide equal access to quality education for all children.
Beyond the scope of education, these young girls are being heavily subjected to discrimination. Regardless of Sierra Leone’s government commitment to meeting international standards, its policy blatantly stigmatizes these girls, which not only reinforces the negative stereotypes surrounding them, but discriminates and ostracizes them from society just the same. This cannot but impact the psychosocial development of these girls. How can they properly develop within societies that have labeled them as the devalued other? We need to remember that separate but equal is not equal.
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<title>Six Trump Proposals That Must Never Become Policy</title>
<link>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/us/six-trump-proposals-that-must-never-become-policy/</link>
<comments>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/us/six-trump-proposals-that-must-never-become-policy/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 14 Nov 2016 15:55:49 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Guest Writer]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Gun Violence]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Identity and Discrimination]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Refugee and Migrant Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Security and Human Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Torture]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[USA]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Women's Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Election 2016]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Policy]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Trump]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[united states]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.amnestyusa.org/?p=74061</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Already in the U.S. there have been reports of a spike in hate-driven actions and threats. This is not a coincidence - it is further proof that Trump’s irresponsible proposals must never become U.S. policy.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<img class="size-full wp-image-74062" src="http://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/23690118099.png" alt="Donald Trump speaks at a campaign stop at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa © Matt A.J." width="548" height="331" srcset="https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/23690118099.png 548w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/23690118099-300x181.png 300w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/23690118099-497x300.png 497w" sizes="(max-width: 548px) 100vw, 548px" />
 By <a href="https://twitter.com/margaretlhuang">Margaret Huang</a>, executive director of Amnesty International USA
In the very early hours of November 9, we voiced our grave concern about statements that President-elect Donald Trump made over the course of the election and his promises to ban Muslims from entering the U.S., build a wall on our country’s southern border, restrict access to healthcare and return to the practice of torture.
Already in the U.S. there have been reports of a spike in hate-driven actions and threats. This is not a coincidence – it is further proof that Trump’s irresponsible proposals must never become U.S. policy.
1. Closing the door on refugees 
Trump has said “We have to stop the tremendous flow of Syrian refugees into the United States. We don’t know who they are. They have no documentation and we don’t know what they’re planning.” This is patently false. Refugees are no different than anyone else who seeks to live free from fear. This especially applies to those fleeing armed conflict in regions like Syria, Somalia, South Sudan, Iraq and Afghanistan – as well as those coming from the Americas (more on that in a bit). The United States has a longstanding bipartisan tradition of resettling refugees and treating refugees with dignity and full respect for rights. What’s more, these refugees are extensively vetted by multiple U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies before they arrive. No refugee comes to the United States with “no documentation” or without extensive vetting.
President Obama authorized 30 percent more refugees to resettle in 2017, from 85,000 in 2016 to 110,00 in the coming year. That number gets the U.S. closer to it’s fair share, but it falls dramatically short when you consider that 10 low-to-middle-income countries take in over half of the world’s refugees. Trump’s statements cast serious doubt on these promises being fulfilled. His anti-refugee stance has led to other forms of discrimination, including…
2. Ban on Muslims entering the US 
Last year, Trump called for a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.” Following a public outcry, he has appeared to back away from this stance. Nevertheless, the statement points to the potential to enact policies that discriminate against Muslims once Trump takes office and has remained one of the most defining moments of his campaign.
This kind of scapegoating and fear-mongering recalls the worst chapters of U.S. history, including the imprisonment of people of Japanese Americans in concentration camps during the second world war. A so-called “ban on Muslims” must never be imposed. It is a violation of human rights law and a violation of U.S. law. It is racist and it does not make us safer.
3. The wall 
Trump has repeatedly said that he wants to build a wall along the southern border of the United States, with the stated aim of keeping out immigrants. Regardless of whether or not such a thing would be practical, the wall became a stand-in for the baseless idea that those from outside the United States, especially from Latin America, are to be feared and shunned.
Much like the proposed ban on Muslims, this rhetoric only served to inflame xenophobia and harden attitudes toward any people seeking entry to the United States for any reason. All immigrants, regardless of their legal status, have human rights like anyone else. And while of course the United States has the right to regulate immigration, it must do so in a humane and unbiased manner that respects human rights.
In particular, any kind of wall – either physical or metaphorical – that hinders the access of those seeking asylum is dangerous. Some of those coming across the southern border are fleeing deadly violence in countries like Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala and have fled to keep themselves and their family safe. They need protection, not more obstacles.
4. Restrictions on reproductive freedom 
Trump has said he would appoint justices to the U.S. Supreme Court that could potentially overturn Roe v. Wade, and leave laws determining when – and if – a woman can get an abortion up to the states.
We have seen what happens when states attempt to limit this right. Though the laws may not ban abortion outright, states impose measures like unnecessary regulations on abortion clinics and long waiting periods when seeking an abortion. These regulations make it impossible for clinics to operate or for women – especially those who may have to skip work or care for children or family members – to find the necessary time to undergo the procedure.
All people have the right to make decisions about their own health, including whether and when to have children. Removing a federal right to abortion will inevitably lead to access being curtailed in some states, if not removed altogether. For the sake of women’s health and their basic human rights, this must not be allowed to happen.
5. Torture 
A practice of the post-9/11 era, waterboarding was a method of torture used against those detained by the CIA to simulate drowning. Trump has said that not only does he “like” waterboarding, he doesn’t think it goes far enough.
Apparently, it bears repeating: Waterboarding is torture. And it is therefore a gross violation of human rights law. Waterboarding was banned by the military in the 2006 Army Field Manual. President Obama extended the ban to the CIA with an executive order in 2009.
Torture of any kind does not make anyone safer as information gathered under such circumstances is highly suspect. It undermines the standing of any country that seeks to influence others when it comes to human rights.
The United States’ history of using torture against prisoners is deeply shameful. It must remain in the past.
6. More guns on our streets 
Trump is under the misguided idea that more guns in the public sphere will keep more people safe. “If we had guns in [San Bernadino] on the other side where the bullets went in the different direction, you wouldn’t have 14 or 15 people dead right now,” he said in January. But there is no assurance that more guns on the streets will lead to a deterrence of violent crime, and in fact may lead to just the opposite outcome. Gun violence is a human rights crisis in the United States, with Americans being 10 times more likely to be killed by guns than people in other countries. Everyone has the right to live free from fear of violence. We need stronger federal gun laws in place. Not weaker ones as Trump suggests.
When President-elect Trump takes office, Amnesty International will be holding him accountable on human rights. His words have been chilling; we will do all we can to prevent them from becoming reality.
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<title>5 Reasons Women Need More Seats at the Peace Table</title>
<link>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/united-nations/5-reasons-women-need-more-seats-at-the-peace-table/</link>
<comments>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/united-nations/5-reasons-women-need-more-seats-at-the-peace-table/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 31 Oct 2016 16:54:00 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Guest Writer]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[United Nations]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Women's Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Dayton Agreement]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[R1325]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Resolution 1325]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[women's rights]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.amnestyusa.org/?p=74026</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Today on the 16th Anniversary of Resolution 1325, there is still much progress to be made on women’s inclusion in peace and security efforts.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_74031" style="width: 2924px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img class="size-full wp-image-74031" src="http://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GettyImages-56418672.jpg" alt="Paris, FRANCE: (FILES) This file picture taken 14 December 2005 at the Elysee Palace in Paris shows (1st Row L to R) Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic, Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic (C) and Croatian President Franjo Tudjman signing the Dayton peace accord on Bosnia, as (2d row L to R) Spanish Prime Minister Felipe Gonzalez, US President Bill Clinton and French President Jacques Chirac look on. 14 December 2005 will mark the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Dayton peace agreement which ended more than three years of bloody inter-ethnic war and divided the country into a shaky system of separate but equal entities. AFP PHOTO/FILES/MICHEL GAGNE (Photo credit should read MICHEL GANGNE/AFP/Getty Images)" width="2914" height="1963" srcset="https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GettyImages-56418672.jpg 2914w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GettyImages-56418672-300x202.jpg 300w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GettyImages-56418672-768x517.jpg 768w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GettyImages-56418672-1024x690.jpg 1024w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/GettyImages-56418672-445x300.jpg 445w" sizes="(max-width: 2914px) 100vw, 2914px" />Paris, FRANCE: (FILES) This file picture taken 14 December 2005 at the Elysee Palace in Paris (MICHEL GANGNE/AFP/Getty Images)</div>
By Christina V. Harris, Women’s Human Rights Coordination Group
“When will we learn that no peace can be sustainable and just without the active and meaningful participation of women?” <a href="http://www.fmreview.org/sites/fmr/files/FMRdownloads/en/dayton20/mlinarevic-isakovic-rees.pdf">said Gorana Mlinarević, Nela Porobić Isaković and Madeleine Rees</a>, commenting on the lingering ethnic tensions and gender inequality in Bosnia and Herzegovina 20 years after the Dayton Peace Agreement was made. The Dayton agreement, which was formally mediated, negotiated, witnessed, and signed exclusively by men, is today thought by many to have been a failure.
The agreement came about at a time when <a href="http://wps.unwomen.org/~/media/files/un%20women/wps/highlights/unw-global-study-1325-2015.pdf">just 11 percent of peace agreements included even a reference to women</a>, and five years before the passing of the landmark United Nations Security Council <a href="http://www.un.org/en/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=S/RES/1325(2000)">Resolution 1325</a>—the first UN resolution to acknowledge war’s unique, and too often unrecognized, impact on women and girls. Of immense significance, it was also the first resolution to urge UN Member States to increase the participation of women in conflict resolution and peacebuilding efforts—an official move away from the days of Dayton where only male leaders of warring parties were seen as acceptable contributors to peacemaking.
Today on the 16th Anniversary of Resolution 1325, there is still much progress to be made on women’s inclusion in peace and security efforts. During last year’s commemoration, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Executive Director of UN Women, highlighted the resolution as “one of the crowning achievements of the global women’s movement and one of the most inspired decisions of the United Nations Security Council.” However, <a href="http://wps.unwomen.org/~/media/files/un%20women/wps/highlights/unw-global-study-1325-2015.pdf">she lamented</a>, “there remains a crippling gap between the ambition of our commitments and actual political and financial support.”
<div id="attachment_67376" style="width: 2010px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img class="size-full wp-image-67376" src="http://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/71834_Colombia_conflict_international_woman_s_day_celebration.jpg" alt="Students celebrating International Women's Day hold Colombian flags and flowers during march to demand the release of dozens of kidnapped children, Bogota." width="2000" height="1500" srcset="https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/71834_Colombia_conflict_international_woman_s_day_celebration.jpg 2000w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/71834_Colombia_conflict_international_woman_s_day_celebration-300x225.jpg 300w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/71834_Colombia_conflict_international_woman_s_day_celebration-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/71834_Colombia_conflict_international_woman_s_day_celebration-400x300.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 2000px) 100vw, 2000px" />Students celebrating International Women’s Day hold Colombian flags and flowers during march to demand the release of dozens of kidnapped children, Bogota.</div>
Just last week US Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, <a href="http://usun.state.gov/remarks/7505">reiterated</a> Mlambo-Ngcuka’s concern: “Don’t get me wrong,” she stated, “there has been, of course, genuine progress since Resolution 1325 was adopted” but “the gap between how men and women actually contribute to peace processes” remains. She noted a significant increase in gender-specific provisions in peace agreements since 2010 and a numerical increase in the number of women participating in official negotiations around the world in recent years. However, she concluded that it’s still ultimately men deciding on how to make peace, with women’s participation in peace processes too often viewed by those in charge as a box to be checked, if it’s checked at all.
At this very moment women in Syria, South Sudan, Yemen, and Afghanistan are calling for a seat at a peace table that fails to fully recognize the need for their participation. Here are five reasons why the international community must support their efforts:
<ol>
<li>Women bring unique experiences and perspectives to peace negotiations – While most combatants are men and are more likely to be killed in combat, women play many roles during armed conflict, from victim to perpetrator, community peacemaker to household breadwinner. Women are more likely to be the targets of gender-based violence in war and to die from the indirect effects of armed conflict. They are also well-documented as being some of the most effective advocates for peace in their communities and countries. With different experiences during war, come different perspectives and priorities that must be addressed during peace negotiations—from sexual and gender-based violence to refugee rights to root causes of conflict. <a href="https://www.inclusivesecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Why-Women-Brief-10.12.15.pdf">In fact</a>, women, when included in talks, are known for not only advancing specific concerns facing women and girls, but advocating on behalf of other excluded groups to address vital human rights and recovery issues. </li>
</ol>
<ol start="2">
<li>A peace agreement is 35 percent more likely to last at least 15 years if women participate in its creation – Data shows that many peace deals appear successful in the short term only to fail in the long run. While <a href="https://www.inclusivesecurity.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Why-Women-Brief-10.12.15.pdf">data</a> is still emerging on the impact of women’s inclusion in peace deals, a recent <a href="https://www.ipinst.org/2015/06/reimagining-peacemaking-womens-roles-in-peace-processes">study of 40 peace processes</a> in 35 countries over the last thirty years revealed that when women’s groups actively engage in a peace process, a peace deal is almost always reached. If they do not participate, the rate of reaching an agreement is much lower. It has also been shown that when women participate in peace processes, peace is more likely to last. According to Stone, when women are involved and included in peace processes “the peace agreement that results is 20 percent more likely to last at least two years.” And in the longer term, “an agreement is 35 percent more likely to last at least 15 years if women participate in its creation.”</li>
</ol>
<ol start="3">
<li>A strong peace accord doesn’t just end a war, it builds long term peace in a fragile society – Many male leaders have argued that the peace table has no need for women’s voices, particularly as women do not typically play significant roles in armed forces and groups. However, <a href="http://www.unwomen.org/en/digital-library/publications/2000/1/women-at-the-peace-table-making-a-difference#view">many advocates have rightly asserted</a> that the aim of peacemaking isn’t just to end a conflict between warring parties, it’s to create a framework that will serve as a guide for a new, peaceful society. Any such framework cannot be considered legitimate if 50 percent of a society’s population is kept from contributing to its fabric. </li>
</ol>
<ol start="4">
<li>New constitutions and national action plans will have a better chance of being made with women’s human rights in mind – Because they are the building blocks of post-war reconstruction, peace agreements can “<a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/international-and-comparative-law-quarterly/article/peace-agreements-or-pieces-of-paper-the-impact-of-unsc-resolution-1325-on-peace-processes-and-their-agreements/1AAFCDE695804F5E3A96729BEE924462">have a distinctive quasi-constitutional quality and sometimes even constitute or contain constitutions.</a>” For this reason, these documents are more than just pieces of paper for moving forward, they have the power to deeply affect the laws and policies that govern a population. The peace table can therefore offer women and other minority groups a significant opportunity to advance their human rights and secure social, political, and economic gains that they might not have previously had under their former government structure. </li>
</ol>
Some have called Bosnia and Herzegovina’s peace deal “the peace that failed women.” <a href="http://kvinnatillkvinna.se/en/2015/12/11/bosnia-and-herzegovina-a-peace-that-failed-women/">According</a> to women’s human rights activist Vildana Džekman, the result of excluding women during the Dayton process is still felt today. Džekman notes: “The division is deepening every year. Women are ignored in Bosnia and Herzegovina, since the constitution does not recognize them as through the guarantee of women’s rights. Wherever you scratch on the surface you find segregation, discrimination and marginalization. For example, maternity benefits differ between cantons, and in some there are none at all! I ask myself is a woman in Tuzla worth less than a woman in Sarajevo? According to this structure she is.”
<ol start="5">
<li>Equal inclusion in the peace process is a right in itself that must be recognized – Perhaps we should have started and ended here. However, while we wish this were a given, provided the slow progress made on 1325, the <a href="http://wps.unwomen.org/~/media/files/un%20women/wps/highlights/unw-global-study-1325-2015.pdf">UN Women’s Global Study</a> on the Implementation of Resolution 1325 recently reminded the world community that “it must not be forgotten that resolution 1325 was conceived of and lobbied for as a human rights resolution that would promote the rights of women in conflict situations. Any policy or programme on women, peace and security must be conducted with this in mind.”</li>
</ol>
As we struggle for women’s equal participation, we must remember that a seat at the peace table is not enough. Once women get to the table, they will inevitably face additional barriers, including male colleagues who are resentful of their presence and eager to shut their perspectives down. This fight will be a long one, and the next step, as articulated by Ambassador Power, is doing “more to promote not mere participation, but meaningful, effective participation, with a stress on the word effective.”
Amnesty has joined partner organizations calling on the US government to codify a US National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace, and Security. <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/pdfs/USCivilSocietyWorkingGroupExpertStatement.pdf">We continue to work with partners</a> to push the US government to fulfill its commitments under the NAP, working to ensure that inclusive peace processes are institutionalized as part of US foreign policy priorities. Stay tuned for more information on this during the next administration.
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<title>The UN Sustainable Development Goals: Let’s Step it Up For Gender Equality!</title>
<link>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/united-nations/the-un-sustainable-development-goals-lets-step-it-up-for-gender-equality/</link>
<comments>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/united-nations/the-un-sustainable-development-goals-lets-step-it-up-for-gender-equality/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Mon, 24 Oct 2016 14:50:26 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Guest Writer]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[United Nations]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Women's Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[gender equality]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[SDGs]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sustainable Development Goals]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[UN Day]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.amnestyusa.org/?p=73936</guid>
<description><![CDATA[By Nicole Van Huyssteen, Women’s Human Rights Co-group Sixteen years ago, 189 world leaders gathered at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to adopt the Millennium Declaration, which set out a series of eight time-bound targets with an overall goal … <a href="https://blog.amnestyusa.org/united-nations/the-un-sustainable-development-goals-lets-step-it-up-for-gender-equality/">Please continue reading.</a>]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_73941" style="width: 1092px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img class="size-full wp-image-73941" src="http://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Screen-Shot-2016-10-24-at-10.42.16-AM.png" alt="UNPhoto/Sylvain Lietchti" width="1082" height="718" srcset="https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Screen-Shot-2016-10-24-at-10.42.16-AM.png 1082w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Screen-Shot-2016-10-24-at-10.42.16-AM-300x199.png 300w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Screen-Shot-2016-10-24-at-10.42.16-AM-768x510.png 768w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Screen-Shot-2016-10-24-at-10.42.16-AM-1024x680.png 1024w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Screen-Shot-2016-10-24-at-10.42.16-AM-452x300.png 452w" sizes="(max-width: 1082px) 100vw, 1082px" />UNPhoto/Sylvain Lietchti</div>
By Nicole Van Huyssteen, Women’s Human Rights Co-group
Sixteen years ago, 189 world leaders gathered at the United Nations Headquarters in New York to adopt the Millennium Declaration, which set out a series of eight time-bound targets with an overall goal of reducing extreme poverty in its many dimensions by the year 2015. These targets — which became known as the <a href="http://www.undp.org/content/undp/en/home/sdgoverview/mdg_goals.html">Millennium Development Goals</a> (MDGs) — formed a blueprint which committed all nations and leading development institutions to a new global partnership to galvanize unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest.
The <a href="http://www.undp.org/content/dam/undp/library/MDG/english/UNDP_MDG_Report_2015.pdf">final MDG Report</a> found that the 15-year effort to achieve the MDGs had produced the most successful anti-poverty movement in history, with the number of people living in extreme poverty declining by more than half, the primary school enrollment rate in developing regions reaching 91%, and infant and maternal mortality rates declining significantly.
Yet there was still much to be done to ensure a further reduction in global poverty and the achievement of universal prosperity and equality for all. Which is why in September 2015, world leaders gathered at the UN Headquarters once again, this time to adopt the <a href="http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/">17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)</a> of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Building upon the success of the MDGs, these 17 new goals represent an internationally agreed upon set of targets to end poverty, protect the planet, promote gender parity, and ensure prosperity for all by the year 2030.
On the gender front, the 5th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG 5) aims to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls within the next 14 years. It includes <a href="http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/women-and-the-sdgs/sdg-5-gender-equality">9 targets</a> – including ending all forms of discrimination and violence against women and girls; ensuring women’s full and effective participation in political, economic and public life; and ensuring universal access to reproductive rights – that need to be systematically addressed in order to achieve this important objective.
Although the SDGs aren’t legally binding, countries are expected to take primary responsibility for establishing a national framework in order to review progress made in implementing the Goals. On this UN Day, which follows shortly on the heels of the first anniversary of the adoption of these goals, we take a look at some of the ways in which countries, UN agencies and other stakeholders have started implementing these targets, and those of SDG 5 in particular. 
UN General Assembly General Debate: Country Updates
On 20 September 2016, UN Secretary-General (SG), Mr. Ban Ki-moon, shone a spotlight on gender equality by announcing at the opening of the General Debate of this year’s UN General Assembly (UNGA) that he is proud to call himself a feminist. With the SDGs forming the theme of this year’s General Debate, many country leaders reiterated the value of achieving these global goals and shared their efforts to integrate the 2030 Agenda into national policies and programs.
 
Malawi shared how it is collaborating with traditional leaders to tackle retrogressive traditional practices that are harmful to women and adolescent girls. Mexico has established a National System for Equality between Women and Men to ensure that its gender equality policy is upheld at the highest level and is reflected in the government’s national actions. Costa Rica, having co-chaired the <a href="https://www.empowerwomen.org/en/who-we-are/initiatives/sg-high-level-panel-on-womens-economic-empowerment">High Level Panel on the Economic Empowerment of Women</a>, highlighted the findings published in the Panel’s first <a href="http://www.womenseconomicempowerment.org/assets/reports/UNWomen%2520Full%2520Report.pdf">report</a>, which aims to shine a spotlight on discriminatory laws which hamper women’s participation. Zambia has enacted the Gender Equity and Equality Act of 2015 in an effort to strengthen its legal framework for gender equity and equality. And Croatia shared that it chaired the Equal Futures Partnership this year – an innovative multilateral initiative with a view to encouraging Member States to empower women economically and politically.
Other UN General Assembly SDG Updates
At the sidelines of the General Assembly, UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women, unveiled the first <a href="http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2016/09/new-heforshe-report-puts-spotlight-on-gender-equality-in-global-universities/">HeForShe IMPACT 10x10x10 University Parity Report</a>, which focuses on gender parity in leading global universities. The groundbreaking report lays out 30 concrete commitments by 10 universities spanning across 8 countries and five continents to fast-track gender equality in classrooms.
“Sustainable development is not possible and peace will not be lasting, without empowering every girl and woman,” said Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, the UN Agency for Education, Science and Culture. “I see the face of the new global agenda as that of a 12-year-old girl, in school, not forced into marriage or work. It is the face of a 20-year-old woman, at university, creating and sharing knowledge. This is the importance of the HeForShe IMPACT 10x10x10 Initiative.”
Another lesson learned one year into the SDGs is that insufficient gender-specific data makes it difficult to track the progress of gender equality and inclusive development consistently. In response to this challenge, UN Women has <a href="https://www.devex.com/news/new-un-women-gates-foundation-partnership-takes-on-gender-data-88795">teamed up</a> with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the government of Australia and the UN Foundation-led Data2X Organization, to launch a pilot project that will support 12 countries in regularly producing and colleting gender-specific data. In support of these efforts, Melinda Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, <a href="http://www.gatesfoundation.org/media-center/press-releases/2016/05/gates-foundation-announces-80-mill-doll-comm-closing-gender-data-gaps-acc-progress-for-women-girls">announced</a> earlier this year that the Foundation would commit $80 million over the next three years to close gender data gaps which will no doubt help accelerate progress for women and girls around the world in an effort to achieve SDG 5.
UN Women is also continuing its Step It Up For Gender Equality campaign, which asks governments to make concrete, public commitments to overcome gender equality gaps by passing new laws and policies or strengthening existing ones. To date, more than 90 member states have shared the steps they have taken to close the gender gap. You can read more about their various commitments <a href="http://www.unwomen.org/en/get-involved/step-it-up/commitments">here</a>.
These commitments and efforts are indicative of encouraging progress taken in pursuit of achieving gender equality within the first year of the adoption of the SDGs. However, far more must continue to be done globally if we are to realize our goal of a world with 50-50 gender parity by the year 2030. Civil society and the private sector have a critical role to play in achieving these goals and we should all continue to urge the international community to spearhead efforts that provide opportunities for women and girls.
There are many ways in which Amnesty activists can contribute to the achievement of SDG 5, including by:
<ul>
<li>Staying engaged with Amnesty International’s work on helping to end early and forced child marriage in 2017 and <a href="http://www.tahirih.org/news/child-marriage-happens-in-the-u-s-too/">learning more</a> about child marriage and laws in the US.</li>
<li>Getting involved in initiatives such as <a href="http://citiesforcedaw.org/">Cities for CEDAW</a>, which campaigns to protect the rights of women and girls by passing local legislation establishing the principles of CEDAW in cities and towns across the United States.</li>
<li>Supporting the <a href="https://www.malala.org/">Malala Fund</a>, which aims to ensure every girl has access to 12 years of free, safe, quality primary and secondary education.</li>
</ul>
To learn more about the SDGs and the ways in which stakeholders, individuals and civil society organizations can contribute to their implementation and review, and support the UN in its efforts, take a look at Amnesty International’s Practical Guide for National Action and Accountability <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/download/Documents/ACT1046992016ENGLISH.PDF">here</a>!
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<title>On International Day of the Girl, Stand in Solidarity with Yazidi Women and Girls!</title>
<link>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/children-rights/on-international-day-of-the-girl-stand-in-solidarity-with-yazidi-women-and-girls/</link>
<comments>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/children-rights/on-international-day-of-the-girl-stand-in-solidarity-with-yazidi-women-and-girls/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Tue, 11 Oct 2016 04:01:58 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Guest Writer]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Children's Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Women's Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[International Day of the Girl]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Women and Girls]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[women's rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Yazidi Women]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.amnestyusa.org/?p=73826</guid>
<description><![CDATA[In early August 2014, extremist fighters, who were attempting to create a new Islamic caliphate, the so-called Islamic State (IS), attacked towns and villages in the Mt. Sinjar region of northern Iraq. ]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="attachment_73836" style="width: 4010px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img class="size-full wp-image-73836" src="http://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/204429_A_girl_in_Khakhe_camp_who_was_a_victim_of_Islamic_State_abuse.jpg" alt="A girl in Khakhe camp who was a victim of Islamic State abuse. This anonymous woman A girl was a victim of abuse by the armed group calling itself Islamic State. Hundreds of Yezidi women and girls have had their lives shattered by the horrors of sexual violence and sexual slavery in IS captivity,” said Donatella Rovera, Amnesty International’s Senior Crisis Response Advisor, who spoke to more than 40 former captives in northern Iraq. “Many of those held as sexual slaves are children – girls aged 14, 15 or even younger. IS fighters are using rape as a weapon in attacks amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity.” The women and girls are among thousands of Yezidis from the Sinjar region in north-west Iraq who have been targeted since August in a wave of ethnic cleansing by IS fighters bent on wiping out ethnic and religious minorities in the area. The horrors endured in IS captivity have left these women and girls so severely traumatized that some have been driven to end their own lives. Nineteen-year-old Jilan committed suicide while being held captive in Mosul because she feared she would be raped, her brother told Amnesty International." width="4000" height="2248" srcset="https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/204429_A_girl_in_Khakhe_camp_who_was_a_victim_of_Islamic_State_abuse.jpg 4000w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/204429_A_girl_in_Khakhe_camp_who_was_a_victim_of_Islamic_State_abuse-300x169.jpg 300w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/204429_A_girl_in_Khakhe_camp_who_was_a_victim_of_Islamic_State_abuse-768x432.jpg 768w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/204429_A_girl_in_Khakhe_camp_who_was_a_victim_of_Islamic_State_abuse-1024x575.jpg 1024w, https://blog.amnestyusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/204429_A_girl_in_Khakhe_camp_who_was_a_victim_of_Islamic_State_abuse-500x281.jpg 500w" sizes="(max-width: 4000px) 100vw, 4000px" />A girl in Khakhe camp who was a victim of Islamic State abuse.</div>
By Alice Dahle, AIUSA’s Women’s Human Rights Co-chair
In early August 2014, extremist fighters, who were attempting to create a new Islamic caliphate, the so-called Islamic State (IS), attacked towns and villages in the Mt. Sinjar region of northern Iraq. These combatants are known by various names, including ISIS, ISIL and Da’esh. Their plan began with an ethnic cleansing of the non-Muslim population in the area, with a particular focus on the <a href="http://www.yeziditruth.org/the_yezidis">Yazidi (also spelled as Yezidi) people</a> who had lived there for thousands of years.
The Yazidis follow their own ancient religion, and their own culture and identity have evolved over the centuries. Before the invasion of the IS, this tiny minority group made up about 1.5% of the population of Iraq.
During the IS attack in 2014, more than 5,200 Yazidis were abducted, and more than 400,000 were forced out of their homes. Many fled into the Sinjar Mountains or into the north Kurdish area.
Treatment of those taken captive was brutal and varied by age and sex. Men and boys were immediately separated from women and girls. Some of the younger boys were taken away to be indoctrinated and turned into soldiers for the IS, but most of the men and older boys were executed immediately and buried in mass graves.
Women and girls, too, were separated by age. Older women were killed, but those who were young and strong were detained in schools or abandoned buildings until they were gradually taken away and sold by their captors as slaves or “wives”. Some were sold for as little as a <a href="https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/8015/isis-rape-yazidi">pack of cigarettes</a>.
Many sold as “wives” were ordered to become Muslims, and if they resisted, they were beaten, starved, threatened with being sold into a brothel or otherwise punished. Some girls put dirt on their hair and faces and refused to bathe in an attempt to avoid “marriage” or sexual assault and rape. Others tried to commit suicide, rather than submit, and some were successful. Girls as young as <a href="http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/isis-iraq-former-yazidi-sex-slave-says-nine-year-olds-are-being-held-raped-by-daesh-1543858">9 years old</a> were kept as sexual slaves. Those who were disobedient were sold and resold or given away as presents.
Some of these <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/longforms/2015/isis/portraits-of-the-yazidi-women-who-escaped-isis.html">women and girls have escaped</a>, and Donatella Rovera, Amnesty International Senior Crisis Response Advisor, has spoken with more than 40 of them. In a report called <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/research/reports/escape-from-hell-torture-sexual-slavery-in-islamic-state-captivity-in-iraq">Escape from Hell: Torture and Sexual Slavery in Islamic State Captivity in Iraq,</a> she states that, “The physical and psychological toll of the horrifying sexual violence these women have endured is catastrophic. Many of them have been tortured and treated as chattel. Even those who have managed to escape remain deeply traumatized.”
One such survivor is Nadia Murad, a young Yazidi woman who survived kidnapping and sexual slavery. Her mother and six of her brothers were executed during the IS attack on her village. After 4 months in captivity, Nadia escaped when her captor left a door unlocked and a neighboring family smuggled her into a refugee camp. On September 21, 2016, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime appointed Nadia Murad their <a href="http://www.ipsnews.net/2016/09/yazidi-survivor-of-isil-appointed-un-goodwill-ambassador/">Goodwill Ambassador</a> for the Dignity of Survivors of Human Trafficking.
Nadia has stated that, “The sole aim of the IS was to destroy Yazidi identity through forced rape, the recruitment of children and the destruction of our temples.” She described IS’s actions as “collective genocide against Yazidi identity” and religion and called for the International Criminal Court to take up the case.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon referred to Nadia as a “fierce and tireless advocate for the Yazidi people and victims of human trafficking everywhere.” He also suggested that IS’s crimes against the Yazidis might qualify as genocide and called for the immediate release of the thousands of Yazidis still held captive.
Nadia Murad has been granted asylum in Germany, as have a number of other women and girls who have managed to escape from IS captivity. Many of these survivors are reluctant to talk about what happened to them. In addition to coping with the trauma of the violence they endured, they fear rejection and the stigma of tarnished “honor”. Many do not know the fate of their family members, and they are still grieving the loss of those who were killed.
Women’s experiences and stories during times of conflict are a reminder of how women disproportionately suffer gendered human rights violations, such as sexual assault and rape. These brave women and girls deserve our admiration and solidarity. Please let them know they are not alone <a href="https://act.amnestyusa.org/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=1839&ea.campaign.id=58064">by signing our postcard</a> and sending them an encouraging message.
URGENT ACTION CASE
You can also take immediate action on behalf of <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/get-involved/take-action-now/help-release-woman-and-infant-daughter-detained-in-kurdistan-iraq-ua-21016">Bassema Darwish Khidr Murad</a>, a 34-year-old Yazidi woman who survived abduction by the IS. She continues to be arbitrarily detained with her infant daughter at the Women and Juvenile Prison in Erbil, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Amnesty International is concerned by reports of abuse faced by Bassema Darwish including being beaten with cables when initially held at the Anti-Terrorism Directorate of the Kurdistan Regional Government. Find out how to take action <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/get-involved/take-action-now/help-release-woman-and-infant-daughter-detained-in-kurdistan-iraq-ua-21016">here</a>.
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<title>Why we’re still fighting on September 28th—the Global Day of Action to Decriminalize Abortion</title>
<link>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/women/why-were-still-fighting-on-september-28th-the-global-day-of-action-to-decriminalize-abortion/</link>
<comments>https://blog.amnestyusa.org/women/why-were-still-fighting-on-september-28th-the-global-day-of-action-to-decriminalize-abortion/#comments</comments>
<pubDate>Wed, 28 Sep 2016 15:26:01 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kaitlyn Denzler]]></dc:creator>
<category><![CDATA[Women's Rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[abortion]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[reproductive rights]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[women's rights]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">http://blog.amnestyusa.org/?p=73621</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Three years on, our work on sexual and reproductive rights remains as important as ever. Here’s why we’re still fighting.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[ 
By Kaitlyn Denzler, Women’s Rights Campaigner 
Over two and a half years ago, Amnesty International launched the <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/mbmr">My Body, My Rights</a> (MBMR) Campaign, a global effort to end the control and criminalization of sexuality and reproduction, and to help everyone know and claim their sexual and reproductive rights. Three years on, our work on sexual and reproductive rights remains as important as ever. Here’s why we’re still fighting:
1) Ireland: Ireland has a near-total abortion ban, which means that abortion is only allowed if the life of the pregnant person is at risk. It also means that people are forced to make very difficult, if not impossible, decisions: leave Ireland—if that’s even an option—to obtain a safe and legal abortion, carry an unwanted or potentially deadly pregnancy to term, or seek out clandestine and often unsafe services and risk breaking the law.
This law violates human rights standards that demand—at a minimum—that abortion is allowed in cases of rape, incest, if the life or health of the pregnant person is at risk, or when there is severe or fatal fetal impairment. It also violates human rights standards of equal access to rights, as it disproportionately affects poorer women who can’t afford to travel (which they shouldn’t have to do in the first place).
In Ireland and other cities across the world, communities have been<a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-37462862"> hitting the streets </a>demanding a change to Ireland’s restrictive and harmful abortion laws. Activists have been calling for a referendum to repeal the laws, including the Eighth Amendment that protects the fetus’ right to life on an equal footing with the pregnant person’s. The Prime Minister will hold a citizen’s assembly next month to discuss whether a referendum should take place. During these discussions, it’s crucial that we continue to stand in solidarity with activists in Ireland and across the world, rallying behind #repealtheeighth, and putting pressure on the Irish government.
2) El Salvador: Many of you have already helped us achieve huge victories on behalf of the “Las 17” (the group of women in prison on pregnancy-related charges), with the release of women like <a href="http://blog.amnestyusa.org/americas/worldwide-activism-brings-justice-for-maria-teresa-rivera/">Maria Teresa Rivera</a>, imprisoned for miscarrying. But there are more people still behind bars with similar stories and backgrounds—women who come from poor, marginalized communities without access to strong legal representation.
Unfortunately, it might get worse. In July, a group of parliamentarians from the opposition party in El Salvador, ARENA, <a href="http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/press-releases/scandalous-proposal-to-increase-jail-terms-for-women-accused-of-abortion-in-el-salvador">proposed</a> an increase in jail terms to up to 50 years for women accused of having an abortion. In response to the proposal, activists have been protesting and are not backing down. We cannot forget the women who are still in prison, and we must not stop supporting the activists fighting against these draconian, harmful laws.
3) Poland: The government of Poland is also putting the lives and health of women and girls at risk by restricting abortion access. Last week, Poland’s parliament <a href="https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2016/09/a-dangerous-backward-step-for-women-and-girls-in-poland/">passed forward</a> a near-total abortion ban, that would also criminalize abortion, making the pregnant person and healthcare professionals liable to a prison term of between three months to five years. Under the bill, inadvertently causing the death of the ‘conceived child’ also carries a prison term for the health professional.
Just like in Ireland, laws like this create a “chilling effect” which prevent pregnant people from seeking services even if their health is at risk, and it can prevent healthcare professionals from providing life-saving services to their patient.
In response to these parliamentary discussions and decisions, thousands of people in Poland and other cities across the world have been protesting. Some have been posting selfies wearing black, the color of mourning in Poland, as part of the ‘black protest’ (#CzarnyProtest) online. And more protests are planned for October 1st.
4) The United States. Here at home we’ve been witness to public figures oscillating on their calls for stricter abortion laws, even calling for a total abortion ban and punitive consequences. We’ve seen states try to close health clinics that offer abortion care. And we’ve seen the first case in the U.S. where a woman from Indiana was sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of feticide (or illegally inducing her own abortion) and child neglect.<a href="#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1">[1]</a> Such proposals and cases defy human rights standards and put the lives of millions of women and girls at risk.
The realities in Ireland, El Salvador, Poland, and the U.S. are, unfortunately, only a few of many examples across the world where denial of abortion access and increased control over people’s bodies have far-reaching and dire consequences, especially on low-income, marginalized communities. They go against international human rights standards, and they leave people with very stark choices, or no choice at all. This is why we are still working and why we need your support!
Despite the harsh reality for women and girls, activists all around the world are rallying for their rights— and you can join them, not only by supporting protests in Ireland, Poland, and El Salvador, but by knowing and claiming your rights! Download our Fall 2016 My Body, My Rights Toolkit, where you’ll learn more about sexual and reproductive rights and how to connect with AIUSA’s Sexual and Reproductive Rights Advocate Trainers—volunteer youth leaders responsible for human rights education activities in their regions.
<a href="https://aaf1a18515da0e792f78-c27fdabe952dfc357fe25ebf5c8897ee.ssl.cf5.rackcdn.com/1839/Fall+2016+Toolkit_FINAL.pdf?v=1475089142000">Check out our Fall 2016 My Body My Rights Toolkit!</a>
<a href="#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1">[1]</a> An appeals court threw out the feticide charge, and reduced the child neglect charge in July 2016. Indiana’s attorney general decided not to appeal the overturning of her conviction. Patel was released from prison on September 1, 2016.
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