Amnesty International and Women's Human Rights

New Women's Human Rights e-newsletter: Profile on the MDGs

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-09-08T19:47:34+01:00

With the Millennium Development Goals United Nations Summit just around the corner, Amnesty International is focusing on making sure that the final deliberations ensure a human rights approach to the next phase of implementing the goals.

A new women's human rights e-newsletter highlights our postcard campaign, along with other updates about Amnesty International Canada's work on women's human rights. Be sure to sign the MDGs and human rights action, and check out upcoming Sisters In Spirit Vigils, and a new report on Kenya. Action updates from the past year are also available in the newsletter.

More news on events and activities in New York and Ottawa around the Millennium Development Goals Summit is coming soon!

Read the Women's Human Rights e-newsletter.

Saudi Arabia must investigate abuse against Sri Lankan domestic worker

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-09-07T16:08:28+01:00

Amnesty International has urged the Saudi Arabian authorities to investigate without delay allegations by a Sri Lankan woman that she was seriously abused and injured while employed recently as a domestic servant in Saudi Arabia and to bring the perpetrators to justice if the allegations are well founded.

According to press reports in Sri Lanka and information received by Amnesty International, L P Ariyawathie, a 49-year-old mother of three children, was severely abused by her employers in Saudi Arabia when she complained about her heavy workload. Her employers are alleged to have driven 24 nails and a needle into her hands, legs and forehead, causing severe injuries, which required hours of surgery when she returned home to Sri Lanka in August. Some of the nails are reported to have been up to 5cm long. Doctors who treated her in Sri Lanka said she had been deeply traumatized by her experience. She had reportedly travelled to Saudi Arabia to obtain employment as a domestic servant – as many other Sri Lankan women do to help support their families – in March 2010. She is reported to have told doctors that she was subjected to abuse in July before she left her employment and returned to Sri Lanka.

Read the Public Statement

Bosnia and Herzegovina must reject Burqa ban

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-09-07T16:06:15+01:00

Amnesty International has urged the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina to reject a draft law prohibiting wearing in public clothes which prevent identification which was set to be debated on September 1st.

The draft law envisages imposing penalties such as a fine of 100 KM (50 euro) or imprisonment between one and seven days. The advocates of the law have been arguing that its adoption is needed in order to address security concerns, however they have failed to identify them.

However, Amnesty International believes that Bosnia and Herzegovina already has a legal framework which is able to address this issue. Under international human rights law the exercise of the right to freedom of expression and to manifest religious belief can only be restricted when necessary and proportionate.

This may include certain clearly defined restrictions on the wearing of full-face veils if that is shown to be necessary for a legitimate purpose such as protecting public safety.

Read the News Release

Democratic Republic of Congo: Mass rape highlights failures in protection and justice

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-09-07T15:51:04+01:00

Amnesty International is appalled at the latest reports of the mass rape and other sexual violence committed in the Walikale region of North Kivu between 30 July and 2 August.

According to the United Nations, more than 150 civilians in 13 villages were raped by members of armed groups, including the Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda (FDLR). Reports indicate that the rape was organized and systematic.

Amnesty International is calling for the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the United Nations to make every effort to provide the survivors, witnesses and their communities with immediate medical and psychological treatment. Evidence, including witness testimonies, should be gathered and preserved, in order to facilitate bringing the perpetrators to justice.

Read the Public Statement

Take action: Updates to women's human rights actions from the past year

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-08-24T18:51:28+01:00

The most recent edition of the Women’s Human Rights newsletter has now been sent to members (sign-up to receive the newsletter by contacting svaw@amnesty.ca). It includes updates to appeals for action that were part of the newsletter over the past year. Find these updates below, along with links to updated actions that need more letter-writing this fall.

Chad: No safety for refugee women and girls
Refugee women and girls who fled Darfur for eastern Chad continue to face sexual violence within and outside of refugee camps. While the United Nations Mission in eastern Chad (MINURCAT) has helped reduce levels of violence, the government of Chad has called for its withdrawal. MINURCAT will withdraw all personnel from Chad by the end of December 2010, leaving thousands at risk. Amnesty International is urging the President of Chad to protect women and girls as international personnel leave the region.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Members of the army and security forces continue to rape with impunity
Continuous armed conflict in eastern DRC has resulted in high levels of violence, including the systematic rape of women and girls. The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the DRC, MONUC, remains the only force capable of providing a measure of protection to civilians, but the government has repeatedly called for its withdrawal. Amnesty International fears that the removal of MONUC will lead to a further deterioration of human rights.

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Justice long overdue for war crimes
In Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), thousands of women who experienced rape and other forms of sexual violence during the 1992-1995 war are still waiting for justice and reparations. In July 2010, the Ministry for Human Rights and Refugees in BiH announced the development of a state strategy to ensure access to reparations for the survivors. Amnesty International is calling on the BiH government to adopt the strategy without delay.

Burkina Faso: Giving life, Risking death
Every year, more than 2,000 women in Burkina Faso die from complications during pregnancy and childbirth. In a meeting with
Amnesty International in February 2010, the government of Burkina Faso agreed to lift all financial barriers to accessing emergency obstetric care. Amnesty is now calling on the government to implement this commitment and to ensure adequate health facilities, better transportation and skilled health personnel.

Call for a public inquiry into the disappearance and murder of women from the Downtown Eastside

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-08-18T17:59:32+01:00

Yesterday, Amnesty International published an open letter to BC Attorney General - The Honourable Michael de Jong - supporting the call for a public inquiry into the police and government response to the disappearance and murder of women from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside.

The Supreme Court of Canada has now rejected an appeal for a new trial in the case of Robert Pickton, who is convicted of the murder of 6 women and had been charged with murdering 20 more. With the legal proceedings at an end, it is now clearly the time for the Government of British Columbia to convene a public inquiry.

It is essential that police and government officials learn from the tragic killings of women from this neighbourhood, so that the response to similar patterns of violence can be improved and women have better access to justice. The call for a public inquiry has now been made by many individuals (including, importantly, the families of murdered and missing women) and organizations.

Read the Open Letter

Afghan couple stoned to death by Taleban

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-08-16T15:12:18+01:00

Amnesty International has condemned the first Taleban executions by stoning carried out in Afghanistan since 2001.

Acouple were stoned to death on Sunday for ‘eloping’, in a Taleban-controlled village in Kunduz, northern Afghanistan, Amnesty International confirmed today.

The stoning came two days after Afghanistan’s highest Islamic religious body, the Council of Ulema, called on the government to more strictly enforce physical shari’a punishments, known as hudood, as a concession to the Taleban in an attempt to end the war. Under the Taleban, hudood punishments included public stoning, amputations and lashing.

This stoning is the first to be confirmed in Afghanistan since the fall of the Taleban in 2001. Amnesty International has warned that the Afghan government should not sacrifice human rights, particularly the rights of women and minorities, in the name of reconciliation with the Taleban and other insurgent groups.

Read the news release

Missed opportunity for Japan to provide justice for �comfort women�

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-08-16T14:15:13+01:00

On the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II, Japan has yet again missed an opportunity to apologize unequivocally, accept legal responsibility and provide adequate reparations for the survivors of Japan’s military sexual slavery system (euphemistically termed the “comfort women” system).

29 August 2010 is also the 100th anniversary of the annexation of Korea by Japan. To mark the occasion Prime Minister Naoto Kan issued a statement expressing “deep remorse” for the period of colonization of South Korea but failed to mention the “comfort women”.

This is a serious omission given that the military sexual slavery system developed with Japanese colonization and military expansion across Asia. The majority of the victims enslaved were Chinese, Korean, Taiwanese, Filipina, Malaysian, Indonesian, Dutch, East Timorese and Japanese.

Up to 200,000 women were sexually enslaved by the Japanese Imperial Army from around 1932 to the end of World War II. The vast majority of women enslaved were under the age of 20; some girls were as young as 12 when they were abducted. The Japanese Imperial Army used violence and deception to obtain women and girls. Survivors rarely spoke of their experiences even as they suffered from physical and mental ill-health, isolation, shame and often extreme poverty as a result of their enslavement.

Read the news release

TV �confession� of Iran stoning case woman criticized

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-08-12T20:35:00+01:00

Amnesty International criticised the TV “confession” of an Iranian woman last night, in which Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, awaiting execution by stoning for adultery, appears to implicate herself in the murder of her husband.

The interview was broadcast on Wednesday 11th August, on the '20:30' program by Seda va Sima, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting.

Televised “confessions” have repeatedly been used by the authorities to incriminate individuals in custody. Many have later retracted these “confessions”, stating that they were coerced to make them, sometimes under torture or other ill-treatment.

Amnesty International understands that last week, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani’s lawyer, Javid Houtan Kiyan, submitted a 35-page request for a judicial review of her case, a response is expected on or around 15 August.

Read the news release

Take Urgent Action

Iran: Update on the case of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani - still faces possible execution

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-08-11T15:35:12+01:00

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani was convicted in May 2006 of having an "illicit relationship" with two men, and received 99 lashes as her sentence. Despite this, she was then also convicted of "adultery while being married," which she has denied, and sentenced to death by stoning. While reports indicate that she has been acquitted of the murder of her husband, she remains in prison awaiting implementation of the sentence. It remains unclear whether she has been convicted of a separate charge of being complicit in the murder of her husband.

Following international condemnation of the sentence of death by stoning, on around 7 July judicial officials in the north-western city of Tabriz wrote to the Head of Iran’s Judiciary in Tehran seeking permission to change the method of execution from stoning to hanging. On 11 July, the head of the provincial judiciary in East Azerbaijan, Malek Ezhder Sharifi, confirmed that the stoning sentence remained and could be implemented at any time by decision of the Head of the Judiciary, Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani.

On 4 August, Branch 9 of the Supreme Court began a review of the sentence and agreed to consider a judicial review of the case, submitted by her lawyer. The Supreme Court is expected to either accept or reject the judicial review on or around 15 August.

Please continue to send urgent appeals on her case.

UNIFEM Action: Women Count for Peace

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-08-10T19:01:40+01:00

As part of UNIFEM's Say No - Unite to End Violence Against Women campaign, there is a new online petition calling for better implementation of the United Nations Security Council Resolutions on Women, Peace and Security: 1325 +10: Women Count for Peace. In 2000, the UN Security Council passed resolution 1325, calling for participation of women in peace processes, and protection from violence. Yet women and girls are still targeted for sexual violence in conflict, and rarely able to participate in the formal peace process, despite their involvement in all aspects of conflict. 2010 marks the 10th anniversary of Resolution 1325, and it is time for governments to do more to end violence against women in conflict and ensure their active participation in peace processes and access to justice and restitution.

Take Action

Women's Worlds 2011- will you be there?

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-08-10T15:09:46+01:00

ANSWER THE CALL.

Are you engaged in research and/or advocacy relating to women's equality, women's rights, women's empowerment?

Then you should know about Women's Worlds 2011, a place where we can all connect and converse. The conversation includes you.

The 30th anniversary of this international and interdisciplinary global feminist conference will take place in Ottawa-Gatineau, Canada from 3-7 July of 2011.

Until September 15, 2010, we are accepting proposals from academia, the community level, and everywhere in between - groups, individuals, coalitions, networks, teams.

We hope you will ANSWER THE CALL.

This event will bring together academics, advocates, researchers, policy-makers, workers, activists, and artists of all ages from around the world under the theme "Inclusions, exclusions, and seclusions: Living in a globalized world".

For more information: info@womensworlds.ca

Jessica Yee interviews Sarah Deer on the passing of the US Tribal Law and Order Act

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-08-09T17:09:26+01:00

On 21 July, the USA House of Representatives passed the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010, which addresses the complex jurisdictional issues that prevent justice for cases of violence against Indigenous women in the USA.

On August 3, Jessica Yee, a Native feminist activist in Canada, interviewed Sarah Deer, who is a Tribal Law Professor in the United States. Sarah Deer was on the advisory committee for Amnesty International's 2007 Maze of Injustice report, about the disturbing rates of sexual violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women in the USA.

Read the interview on the Ms. Magazine blog.

Iran must end harassment of stoning case lawyer

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-07-29T16:30:39+01:00

Amnesty International has urged the Iranian authorities to stop harassing human rights lawyers amid continuing uncertainty over the whereabouts of the defence counsel in a recent controversial stoning case and the arrest of two of his relatives.

Mohammad Mostafaei’s whereabouts have been unknown since shortly after he was released from questioning by judicial officials last Saturday.

Late that evening, the Iranian authorities detained his wife and brother-in-law, prompting fears that they are being held to put pressure on Mohammed Mostafaei to turn himself in to the authorities, if he is not already being detained.

The acclaimed lawyer is defending Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, whose case became the subject of an international outcry when it was reported that she was soon to be executed by stoning.

Read the News Update

Amnesty USA applauds passage of legislation addressing sexual violence against Indigenous women

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-07-21T20:01:10+01:00

Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) today applauded the passage in the House of Representatives of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010, a groundbreaking piece of legislation that tackles the complex jurisdictional maze that allows violent crime against American Indians to continue unabated. The Tribal Law and Order Act, a long overdue effort to address public safety issues would enhance the criminal justice system by improving coordination and communication between federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement agencies.

The legislation addresses disturbing rates of sexual violence against American Indian and Alaska Native women, a subject that Amnesty International drew national attention to in its 2007 report, Maze of Injustice: The Failure to Protect Indigenous Women from Sexual Violence in the USA.

Maze of Injustice exposed the disproportionately high levels of rape and sexual violence that Native American and Alaska Native women suffer in this country - 2.5 times higher than for non-native women in the United States. The complex maze of tribal, state and federal jurisdictions often allows perpetrators, 86 percent of them non-Native men, to rape with impunity. To navigate this maze, authorities need to establish whether the crime took place on tribal lands and whether the perpetrator was Native or non-Native to determine which law enforcement agency has jurisdiction, during which critical time is lost. This leads to inadequate investigations or a failure to respond.

Read the News Release

Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions report on domestic violence and housing in Latin America

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-07-21T12:43:48+01:00

On July 16, the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) release a report on housing and domestic violence in Latin America. The report, entitled A place in the world: The right to adequate housing as an essential element of a life free from domestic violence, documents how women facing domestic violence in Argentina, Brazil and Colombia are unable to escape the violence due to a lack of adequate housing, including emergency shelter.

Read the COHRE press release

Read the COHRE report: A place in the world: The right to adequate housing as an essential element of a life free from domestic violence

Dr. Sima Samar of Afghanistan speaks about women's rights at Amnesty International

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-07-19T17:20:21+01:00

Photo Credit: Representatives of civil society organizations attended a meeting on women's rights in Afghanistan with Dr. Sima Samar (4th from left).

On July 14, 2010, Amnesty International hosted a discussion on women's rights in Afghanistan with Dr. Sima Samar, Chair of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. The meeting was organized by the Canadian Federation of University Women, as part of their annual meeting, which included a focus on Afghanistan.

Afghanistan conference raises fears of sacrificing rights for short-term peace

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-07-19T17:03:12+01:00

Plans for a peace deal with the Taleban in Afghanistan could seriously jeopardize the rights of the Afghan people, in particular Afghan women, unless concrete human rights benchmarks are incorporated, said Amnesty International.

An open letter has been sent out by the Amnesty International to representatives of more than 70 partner countries, international donor institutions and national delegates from across Afghanistan, who are meeting to build on commitments made in London in January 2010, including drawing up plans for a peace process with the Taleban and other armed groups.

In areas under Taleban control today, as when in government, the Taleban have severely curtailed the rights of girls and women, including the denial of education, employment, freedom of movement and political participation and representation.

Read the News Release

Join Amnesty International for the 5th annual Stolen Sisters Vigil

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-07-16T14:34:52+01:00

Photo Credit: 2009 vigils to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women in Lethbridge, Vancouver and Ottawa.

On Monday October 4, 2010, communities across Canada will hold vigils to honour missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls across the country.

According to a Canadian government statistic, young Indigenous women are five times more likely to die as a result of violence than any other women of the same age in Canada.

Since 2006, Amnesty International has been partnering with the Native Women’s Association of Canada, KAIROS and communities across Canada, to host vigils calling for an end to violence and discrimination against Indigenous women and girls in Canada. In 2009 over 70 vigils were held.

Join us! Take action and get involved with vigils in your community! For more information visit the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) website, Amnesty International's Stolen Sisters webpage, or contact Amnesty International to find out more by emailing demanddignity@amnesty.ca.

France votes to ban full-face veils

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-07-13T18:49:53+01:00

Amnesty International has condemned an overwhelming vote by the lower house of the French parliament to ban the wearing of full-face veils in public.

336 parliamentarians voted for the measure on Tuesday, with only one opposing it.

“A complete ban on the covering of the face would violate the rights to freedom of expression and religion of those women who wear the burqa or the niqab as an expression of their identity or beliefs,” said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International’s expert on discrimination in Europe.

The law, which must still be approved by the French Senate, prohibits the wearing anywhere in public of any form of clothing intended to conceal one’s face. Breach of the law would be punishable by a fine of up to 150 Euros and / or the requirement to complete a community rehabilitation programme.

Read the News Release

News: Stolen Sisters: Star Phoenix: "Relay raises awareness of missing women"

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-07-13T17:20:50+01:00

Today, the Star Phoenix newspaper in Saskatchewan covered a story entitled "Relay raises awareness of missing women" about a relay to Onion Lake First Nation, to highlight the high levels of violence against Indigenous women and girls and to call for justice.

The story profiles the annual walk started by the family of Daleen Kay Bosse in 2005 to remember her and other missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls across Canada.

Read the Story

More information on the annual October Sisters In Spirit vigils is coming soon.

Urgent Action: Iran: Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani still risks execution

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-07-09T20:12:42+01:00

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, a 43-year-old mother of two, is held on death row in Tabriz Prison, north-west Iran. On 8 July 2010, the Iranian Embassy in London announced that she would not be stoned to death, but she still could be executed, by stoning or other means.

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani was convicted in May 2006 of having an "illicit relationship" with two men and received 99 lashes as her sentence. Despite this, she was then also convicted of "adultery while being married", which she has denied, and sentenced to death by stoning.

Following an international outcry in recent weeks against her possible execution, the Iranian Embassy in London issued a statement on 8 July 2010 which said that Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani would not be executed by stoning. However, her precise legal status is unclear as her lawyer has not received any official communication regarding commutation of her death sentence.

Take Urgent Action

Iran must not execute woman spared stoning death by any means

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-07-09T18:41:57+01:00

Amnesty International today urged the Iranian authorities not to execute by any method a 43-year-old woman convicted of adultery, following an official statement that she will not be executed by stoning.

The Iranian Embassy in London announced on Thursday that Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani would not be stoned to death. However, fears remain that the mother-of-two could be hanged, as she has been convicted of “adultery while married”.

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani was convicted in May 2006 of having an “illicit relationship” with two men and received 99 lashes as her sentence. Despite this, she was then also convicted of “adultery while being married", which she has denied, and sentenced to death by stoning.

Read the Media Release

GEAR Campaign Success: New UN Entity on Gender Equality

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-07-07T14:02:58+01:00

The Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR) Campaign celebrates the United Nations General Assembly resolution, agreed to on 30 June and formally adopted by the General Assembly on Friday, 2 July, to establish “UN Women”—the new gender equality entity at the UN.

The resolution to establish a new United Nations entity on women's rights and gender equality comes after years of campaigning efforts from civil society organizations around the world. On June 17, Amnesty International took part in the delivery of petitions to the President of the United Nations General Assembly, calling for the establishment of a robust new entity.

The campaign continues to ensure that the new entity will strengthen the UN's work on women's issues, and more effectively ensure the protection and promotion of women's human rights.

Thanks to all those who took part!

Kenya: Fear of attack leaves women prisoners in their homes

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-07-07T13:08:40+01:00

Photo Credit: Private toilets in Mukuru Kwa Njenga, Nairobi, February 2010. These toilets are owned by landlords and used by tenants, some of whom have to walk for up to ten minutes from their homes to reach them. Amnesty International.

Women and girls in Nairobi’s slums live under the constant threat of sexual violence, leaving them often too scared to leave their houses to use communal toilet and bathroom facilities, Amnesty International said in a report released today.

Insecurity and Indignity: Women’s experiences in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya details how the failure of the government to incorporate the slums in urban plans and budgets has resulted in poor access to services like sanitation, which hits women in slums and informal settlements especially hard.

“Women in Nairobi’s settlements become prisoners in their own homes at night and sometimes well before it is dark,” said Godfrey Odongo, Amnesty International’s East Africa researcher. “They need more privacy than men when going to the toilet or taking a bath and the inaccessibility of facilities make women vulnerable to rape, leaving them trapped in their own homes.”

The situation is compounded by the lack of police presence in the slums and when women fall victim to violence they are unlikely to see justice done. Kibera, Nairobi’s largest slum and home to up to a million people, has no police post.

Read the News Release

Read the Report

Spanish politicians urged to reject bans on full-face veils

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-07-07T12:53:13+01:00

Amnesty International is calling on law-makers in the Spanish region of Catalonia not to adopt a motion on Wednesday in favour of banning women from wearing the full-face veil in public buildings and spaces.

“Any wide-ranging ban will violate the rights to freedom of expression and religion of those women who choose to wear a full-face veil as an expression of their identity or beliefs,” said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International’s expert on discrimination in Europe.

“Women should be free to choose what and what not to wear. This is their right under international human rights law. This right extends to forms of dress that others may find objectionable and it should be respected - for the very small minority of Muslim women who do choose to wear full face veils, just as for everybody else.”

With lawmakers in Belgium having approved a ban on the wearing of the full-face veil in public in April this year and the French Parliament due to consider a similar ban in July, Spain has become the third European country this year to consider the introduction of restrictions on the wearing of full-face veils.

Read the News Release

Globe and Mail: Marital rape in Africa: The right to say no

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-06-14T14:40:19+01:00

An article in the Globe and Mail by Sally Armstrong on June 12 highlights the "Three to Be Free" project of the African and Canadian Women's Human Rights Project (ACWHRP). The project focuses on ending violence in the family, including campaigning for the criminalization of marital rape in three countries (Kenya, Malawi and Ghana).

For many women around the world, violence in the family is a daily reality. When discrimination and violence against women are not against the law, there is little recourse and no access to justice. Even when the laws exist, enforcing them is a great challenge. But despite these challenges, the first step is often changing the laws and confronting attitudes. This project is doing both.

Read the article

Amnesty International appalled as Nicaragua refuses to uphold women's human rights

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-06-10T14:12:05+01:00

Amnesty International is very disappointed that Nicaragua has rejected the recommendations made by 12 States to change or reconsider the law imposing a total ban on abortion. The recommendations were made during the review in the UPR Working Group of Nicaragua’s human rights record at the United Nations.

So long as the total ban on abortion remains in place, victims of rape and incest – many of them still children themselves – are compelled to bear children or risk their health and imprisonment if they seek an illegal abortion. A further consequence of the total ban on abortion is that medical professionals, fearful of prosecution, delay or deny life-saving medical treatment to women and girls who suffer complications during pregnancy.

Since the introduction of the abortion ban in 2006, UN experts have repeatedly condemned the law and urged its revision, including UN treaty bodies such as the Committee Against Torture. Today, sadly, Nicaragua refused once again to heed these important recommendations.

Read the news release

Korean Council for Women Drafted into Military Sexual Slavery by Japan write to President Obama

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-06-08T18:26:09+01:00

A group of survivors of the Japanese military sexual slavery system in World War II from South Korea have written an open letter to United States President Barack Obama. In 2007, the United States House of Representatives passed the U.S. House Resolution 121, which calls on the government of Japan to formally apologize to former "comfort women". The letter calls on President Obama to put pressure on the government of Japan to ensure justice for former "comfort women".

Read the Open Letter

Global GEAR Campaign Website Launched!

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-06-07T22:07:25+01:00

Today the Global Gender Equality Architecture Reform (GEAR) campaign website was launched: www.gearcampaign.org. The GEAR campaign is focused on ensuring a strong new entity at the United Nations for women's rights and gender equality. In the past, there have been several UN agencies working on women's rights, which have not had a lot of influence and capacity.

The GEAR Campaign has successfully called for a new entity on gender equality, which has received support from the United Nations. Now, the support needs to be turned into action.

Check out the new GEAR Campaign website and take action to call for a new UN entity on women's rights to be immediately implemented and given the necessary tools to make a difference in women's lives around the world.

Indonesia: Delay in Domestic Workers Bill will prolong exploitation and abuse

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-06-07T16:58:46+01:00

A decision on June 2, 2010 by the Parliamentary Commission IX to postpone the drafting of a Domestic Workers Protection Bill is a step backwards for the protection of workers’ rights in Indonesia, Amnesty International said. This move clearly goes against the National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) 2010 which had prioritized this law for debate in 2010.

An estimated 2.6 million domestic workers remain unprotected under legislation safeguarding workers’ rights, in particular the 2003 Manpower Act. The Manpower Act itself discriminates against domestic workers - virtually all of whom are women and girls – because it does not provide the same protection it affords other workers, such as reasonable limitation on working hours; remuneration adequate to secure a life with dignity; and provisions for rest and holidays.

The result is that women and girl domestic workers live and work in abusive conditions. They experience economic exploitation, and physical, psychological and sexual violence on a regular basis.

Read the public statement

Event: Little Women for Little Women in Afghanistan Children's March

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-05-28T19:20:31+01:00

The Little Women for Little Women in Afghanistan is a non-profit organization of Canadian girls working to raise funds and awareness in support of education for girls in Afghanistan. They work with Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan.

Join members of Little Women for Little Women in Afghanistan at a march in Ottawa on Parliament Hill June 1st 2010 from 12:00-1:00PM. We will gather at the Centennial Flame calling for support for the rights of children to education, protection, health and equality.

Contact Little Women for Little Women in Afghanistan for more information at lw4lw@telus.net, and find out more on their website at www.littlewomenforlittlewomen.com.

UN move to withdraw from Chad puts thousands at risk

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-05-26T13:00:04+01:00

An imminent UN Security Council resolution to withdraw peacekeeping troops from eastern Chad will put the safety of thousands of refugees and other vulnerable groups at risk, Amnesty International warned today.

The resolution, sparked by a demand from the Chadian government earlier this year that the United Nations mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) leaves the region, is likely to be adopted by the UN Security Council by Wednesday.

Amnesty International currently has a team on the ground in Chad looking into the human rights situation of displaced people and refugees. There are approximately 250,000 Darfuri refugees, 165,000 displaced Chadians and hundreds of thousands of other Chadians living in the region where MINURCAT troops have been deployed.

Read the News Release

Read Alex Neve's Mission to Chad blog

French politicians urged to reject ban on full face veils

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-05-19T19:46:58+01:00

Amnesty International is calling on French law-makers to reject a draft law banning the wearing of full face veils in public that was adopted by the government and put before Parliament today.

The proposal, which is being put forward by the French government after a prolonged public debate on the wearing of Islamic face veils, would prohibit the wearing anywhere in public of any form of clothing intended to conceal one’s face.

"A complete ban on the covering of the face would violate the rights to freedom of expression and religion of those women who wear the burqa or the niqab in public as an expression of their identity or beliefs," said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International's expert on discrimination in Europe.

Read the News Release

Celebrate Mother's Day with Amnesty International at momsrule.org

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-05-06T14:05:57+01:00

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, Amnesty International is celebrating mothers and caregivers around the world.

We have partnered with other organizations to promote momsrule.org. Using this website, you can tell a story about why your mom or caregiver is great and send them an e-card for Mother’s Day to thank them for all they do!

You can also send an important message to Prime Minister Stephen Harper letting him know that you value maternal health as a human right.

Prime Minister Harper has put maternal health on the agenda at this year’s G8 summit, and it is up to all of us to ensure that a human rights approach to maternal health is included in G8 discussions.

Take action at momsrule.org and remember to sign up for more information about Amnesty International’s work on maternal health.

Belgium votes to ban full-face veils

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-04-29T21:01:24+01:00

Amnesty International has condemned an overwhelming vote by the lower house of the Belgian parliament on Thursday in favour of legislation banning the wearing of full-face veils in public.

One hundred and forty one parliamentarians voted for the measure, two abstained and none opposed it.

“A complete ban on the covering of the face would violate the rights to freedom of expression and religion of those women who wear the burqa or the niqab as an expression of their identity or beliefs,” said John Dalhuisen, Amnesty International’s expert on discrimination in Europe.

“The Belgian move to ban full face veils, the first in Europe, sets a dangerous precedent. Restrictions on human rights must always be proportionate to a legitimate goal. A total ban on full face veils would not be,” said John Dalhuisen.

Amnesty International is calling on the Belgian Senate to exercise its prerogative to review the law and carefully consider it in the light of Belgium’s obligations under international human rights law. The Senate should ask for an opinion from the Belgian Council of State on the legality of the measure.

Read the News Release

Amnesty members in Belleville hold International Women's Day action

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-04-27T21:23:42+01:00

Photo Credit: Amnesty members in Belleville participate in the 2010 International Women's Day march.

Report from member Mieke Thorne:

Monday 8 March about 150 women and some men joined marchers all over the world to acknowledge accomplishments and to recognize the fact that marginalization of women still exists in the world.

After the march, all gathered at Bridge Street United Church for a light lunch of soup, Chilli and bread. After an introduction and short history a 11 minute video "From Pain to Power" was shown. In it, women from the Democratic Republic of Congo described their pain and experiences, yet showed the courage of moving on.

A speaker from Quinte United Immigrant Serves discussed the experiences of newcomers to Canada in our community and the difficulty women face with the adjustment of living in a different culture. The gathering concluded with a candle light ceremony for suffering women, East, West, North, South.

Haiti and the danger there for women and girls was mentioned and a 5th candle was lit for our local community. Letters to different parts of the world where women need help were signed by the participants.

Sponsors of the event included Amnesty International Group 111 Belleville, Canadian Federation of University Women, Belleville and District, Sexual Assault Response Program with Quinte Health Care, Quinte United Immigrant Services, The Sexual Assault Centre for Quinte and District and the Three Oaks Foundation.

Urgent Action: China - Human Rights defender Mao Hengfeng at risk of torture

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-04-27T20:28:50+01:00

Chinese human rights defender Mao Hengfeng is at risk of being tortured or otherwise ill-treated in police custody. She is believed to be held incommunicado in Yangpu District police detention centre in the port city of Shanghai. She is a prisoner of conscience, held solely for her work defending women’s reproductive rights and victims of forced evictions, and her support of human rights defenders.

Take Action

Algeria: Investigate and prosecute attacks against women

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-04-22T16:12:48+01:00

Urgent action is needed by the Algerian authorities to investigate a series of attacks against women and to bring the perpetrators to justice, Amnesty International said today.

Over the past two months, women living in Hassi Messaoud – an oil-rich area 627km south-east of Algiers– in the “36 dwellings” and “40 dwellings” areas, are reported to have been the target of a spate of attacks by groups of unidentified young men. The attacks allegedly take place at night, when the groups (usually composed of five to six people) forcibly enter the homes of women, apparently in order to rob them. Women caught by the groups have been physically assaulted, including with knives, and have had their cellular phones and jewellery taken from them. There are also reports that some women have been sexually abused, including by being disrobed and verbally insulted, such as being called “prostitutes”.

Amnesty International is particularly alarmed that the attacks appear to have deliberately targeted women. Most of the women attacked had come to Hassi Messaoud to find work and either live alone, with other female relatives or with their children. There are concerns that single women are being targeted not just because they are women, but because they are living alone and are economically independent. It has been reported that the attacks were also motivated by the perceived failure of law-enforcement officials to provide effective protection and prosecute perpetrators.

Read the Public Statement

Bans on full face veils would violate international human rights law

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-04-21T20:34:48+01:00

Over the last few months there has been growing public debate in Europe on the wearing of full face veils, such as the burqa and the niqab, by Muslim women. Two countries, Belgium and France, are currently considering the adoption of legislation that would prohibit the wearing of full face veils.

Amnesty International believes that such general prohibitions on the wearing of full face veils would violate the rights to freedom of expression and religion of those women who choose to wear a full face veil as an expression of their religious, cultural, political or personal identity or beliefs.

Under international human rights law everyone has the rights to freedom of expression and freedom to manifest their religion or beliefs. States must therefore not impose generally applicable requirements that women dress or do not dress in a certain way, and they must protect women from the imposition of such requirements by third parties. It is wrong for women to be compelled to wear a headscarf or veil, either by the state or by non-state actors; it is also wrong for women to be prohibited by law from wearing it.

Read the News Release

Haiti�s emergency response must include protection from sexual violence

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-03-24T19:33:44+01:00

(Port-au-Prince) Thousands of women living in temporary camps around Haiti are threatened by sexual violence and have inadequate protection from any authorities, Amnesty International said today after concluding a three-week visit to the country.

Sexual violence is widespread across the hundreds of spontaneous camps that sprung up in the capital and other affected areas of Haiti following the massive earthquake that struck the country in January.

Amnesty International said that the lack of measures to prevent and respond adequately to the threat of sexual violence is contributing to the humanitarian crisis and urged the Haitian authorities to take immediate and effective measures to curb sexual violence and protect women living in the camps.

Read the News Release

Read the Facts and Figures

Take Action

Justine Masika Bihamba questions the effectiveness of Canadian aid for survivors of rape in DRC

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-03-17T14:21:29+01:00

In a recent article by Geoffrey York in the Globe and Mail, Justine Masika Bihamba, a human rights defender who works for the protection of women and girls from sexual violence in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), questions the effectiveness of international programs to support survivors.

Read the article

Of particular importance to Amnesty International is ensuring that survivors of sexual violence receive adequate support services, including health and psycho-social support, and that perpetrators of sexual violence are brought to justice in accordance with international standards. Support for a justice system that adequately functions is essential to prevent sexual violence and provide redress for survivors.

Letter by AI Member Linda Murray: Still work to be done on behalf of women

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-03-16T20:54:26+01:00

Amnesty member Linda Murray responded to an article in the Kingston Whig Standard with respect to the need for celebrating International Women's Day and continuing to push forward for women's rights around the world. In her words: "Honouring International Women's Day will always combine celebrating gains made with focusing on where the next challenges lie. It is a day for working together to improve conditions on the home front and to ensure that women worldwide gain the rights and freedoms most of us in Canada enjoy."

Thanks to Linda for this article. Read the letter here.

Amnesty members in Barrie took action on International Women's Day!

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-03-16T20:46:12+01:00

From Fieldworker Marilyn McKnight:

The Barrie Amnesty International Action Circle participated in a well-attended community event on International Women's Day. This year the event was organized by the Women and Children's Shelter of Barrie and Calibri: Centre des femmes franchaphones of Simcoe County. The Barrie Action Circle members were guests along with many other non-profit groups in this region. The evening was a wonderful celebration with food, refreshments, local entertainment and interesting speakers.

The Barrie Amnesty International Action Circle highlighted the plight of indigenous women from Guerrero State in Mexico. We had maple-leaf shaped greeting notes, a letter and a petition highlighting the plight of Ines Fernandez Ortega and Valentina Rosendo Cantu. We also had letters written on the behalf of Mao Hengfeng and her work defending women’s reproductive rights in China, and another letter advocating for the safety of women and girls in Haiti.

In addition, we also had letters in support of Bill C-300, the corporate accountability legislation currently being reviewed by members of a Canadian Parliamentary Committee. We think that the success of this Bill is crucial to the well-being of women in developing countries.

In all, we mailed 69 letters and petitions as the result of our efforts on March 8. We also had many interesting discussions with the evening's participants.

Mexico: Indigenous human rights defender Obtilia Eugenio Manuel is in danger

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-03-16T20:35:16+01:00

On 6 March, Obtilia Eugenio Manuel, President of the Me'phaa Indigenous People's Organization (Organización del Pueblo Indígena Me'phaa (OPIM)), received a written death threat at the offices of the OPIM in Ayutla de los Libres, Guerrero state.

After repeated threats and harassment, in April 2009 the Inter American Court of Human Rights issued a protection order on behalf of Obtilia Eugenia Manuel, her husband and her children as well as other members of the OPIM and other human rights defenders in Guerrero.

Take Urgent Action to call for her protection!

Chad: UN Mission mandate must be extended

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-03-16T20:27:28+01:00

The UN Security Council renewed the mandate of the UN Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) until 15 May 2010, despite the request by the government of Chad for the withdrawal of the Mission. Amnesty International is calling for the Mission to be extended further to ensure, in particular the protection of civilians, including women and girls.

If MINURCAT is forced to withdraw, the level of violence, insecurity and grave human rights violations in Eastern Chad and northern Central African Republic will almost certainly increase substantially. Even with recent improvements, conditions in eastern Chad remain precarious for the hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees and displaced Chadians who are living there in camps. A premature UN exit will expose them to further human rights abuses.

Read the news release

Urgent Action: Iran: Women�s rights activist Mahboubeh Karami detained in Evin Prison

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-03-15T19:18:53+01:00

Women’s rights activist Mahboubeh Karami has been detained in Evin prison in Iran's capital, Tehran, since 2 March. Amnesty International believes she is a prisoner of conscience, held because she campaigns for human rights. She is at risk of torture or other ill-treatment.

Mahboubeh Karami has been a member of the Campaign for Equality since its foundation in 2006. The Campaign aims to end discrimination against women in Iranian law.

Mahboubeh Karami’s house in Tehran was raided by three security officials at 10pm on 2 March. Prior to her arrest, they searched the house and confiscated some of her personal belongings.

Mahboubeh Karami has been arrested four times before on similar charges. Each time, she was detained for several days before being released. She was later acquitted of all charges.

Her arrest is part of a wave of arrests of human rights defenders, journalists and political activists which have been carried out since the anniversary of the Iranian Revolution on 11 February 2010, and which have stepped up since the start of March 2010. [more]

Take Action:

Please write immediately:

- Calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Mahboubeh Karami, who is held solely for her peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression and association in connection with her women’s and other human rights activities;

- In the meantime, urging the Iranian authorities to protect her from torture or other ill-treatment and to grant her immediate and regular access to her family, her lawyers and to any adequate medical treatment;

- Reminding the Iranian authorities that freedom of expression and association are guaranteed under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Iran is a state party.

Write To:

Head of the Provincial Judiciary in Tehran
Ali Reza Avaei
Karimkhan Zand Avenue
Sana’i Avenue, Corner of Alley 17, No. 152
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: avaei@Dadgostary-tehran.ir
Salutation: Dear Mr Avaei

IWD 2010 Film: "What if it was International Men's Day?"

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-03-12T20:00:20+01:00

Photo Credit: A short film presented at the International Women's Day event in Ottawa, March 8, 2010. The film is a parody on "International Men's Day".

As part of the Ottawa International Women's Day event, "I'm Still Not a Feminist, But...", this short film was shown. The film asks: what if our roles were reversed? What if it was International Men's Day?

This film raises questions about women's rights and gender equality through a parody of the issues. It's funny how things might look different when you change perspective. Please welcome this segment from our favorite (imaginary) national news program. Over to you Petra Womansbridge....

View the Film

Amnesty members in Halifax celebrate IWD 2010 with a Taste for Justice!

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-03-12T19:46:07+01:00

Halifax members of all ages recently celebrated International Women's Day at a Taste for Justice potluck. Area activists shared good food and conversation at the dinner featuring cases on justice for military sexual violence in Mexico, ending discrimination against women in Iran and human rights defenders in China.

Did you have an IWD event? Tell us about how you took action to promote and protect women's human rights for March 8!

Amnesty celebrates International Women's Day in Toronto!

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-03-12T17:34:30+01:00

Photo Credit: Members of Amnesty's Action Network on Women's Human Rights and Human Rights for Iran Action Circle in Toronto join the International Women's Day March.

From Amnesty members in Toronto: On March 6th, Amnesty’s Action Network for Women and Human Rights (ANWHR) joined forces with the AI Human Rights for Iran Action Circle to celebrate International Women’s Day in Toronto. In addition to marching down the middle of the city, this formidable team of women circulated Amnesty materials to hundreds of people attending the rally- resulting in over 600 signatures on our urgent action postcards and petitions!

It truly is an honor and a privilege to volunteer with Amnesty. Each International Women’s Day is a reminder of the invaluable role that Amnesty plays throughout the world.

IWD Ottawa: 2nd Annual Femmy Award Winners

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-03-09T20:41:45+01:00

Photo Credit: Femmy Award Winners from March 8 2010 with event host Oni the Haitian Sensation (right).

For International Women's Day on March 8th Amnesty International joined a coalition of organizations to celebrate the 2nd Annual Femmy Awards for Outstanding Feminist Achievement in the National Capital Region! The Femmy Awards honour women located in the National Capital Region who have made outstanding contributions to the struggle for women’s equality.

This year’s winners are:
Andrée Coté - Women’s Human Rights Officer for the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC),

Erin Lux - founder of the women’s initiative within Jer’s Vision,

Jane Stinson - research, writer and current board member of CRIAW,

Anna Besch - educator and founder of Women Against Slavery, and

Awatef Rasheed - current board member of CRIAW, member of the Canadian Federation of University Women, and a representative for Al-Amal.

Congratulations to all of these amazing and inspiring women!

Read more about our femmy winners! [more]

Andrée Coté: As the Women’s Human Rights Officer for the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), Andrée works tirelessly and passionately representing the women and members of PSAC and the greater labour movement. Andrée is a selfless femtor and inspiration to many sisters in this region and whose past, present and future is intrinsically linked to every battle for equality we have won and have yet to win!

Erin Lux: Erin has led many campaigns and initiatives for women’s rights. She started the women’s initiative within Jer’s Vision, and has always advocated for equal and fair representation of women within the organization. As a result, Jer’s Vision has been a founding member of the Vagina Monologues at the University of Ottawa, self-defense workshops for women in Ottawa high schools, introduction to feminism workshops in middle schools, and more.

Jane Stinson: Jane has worked hard to promote women’s rights all of her life. She has been a researcher, a writer, an activist, a femtor, a staunch supporter of women’s rights. She is a past President and current board member of CRIAW and has worked extremely hard to ensure that CRIAW continues to be a viable feminist organization, and that the Board is representative.

Anna Besch: A feminist educator, Anna learned about the issue of human trafficking and has made it her life’s mission to educate others and work to end this global problem. Anna teaches several courses on slavery at the university-level, including a new course on sex slavery, which is almost exclusively a women’s issue. She is constantly striving to bring the idea of slavery as a women’s issue to the forefront, both within and outside the feminist movement. Last year Anna founded Women Against Slavery - an organization devoted to ending slavery through education and outreach. Anna’s devotion to these issues is founded on the principle that women have the power and the responsibility to end this atrocity.

Awatef Rasheed: Throughout her entire adult lilfe, Awatef has struggled against the repressive norms of a male-dominated, Middle Eastern society under Saddam Hussein’s dictatorship and the repercussions of her decision to remove herself and her daughters from that horrible situation. Since fleeing her country of origin and moving to Canada, Awatef has coupled her life experiences with academic study and professional activism to push for greater women’s rights in Iraq and around the world. She has completed a Master’s degree in Women’s Studies, is currently a Board member for CRIAW and previously served on the steering committee for Feminists for Just and Equitable Public Policy. She has also been a member of the Canadian Federation of University Women, and a representative for Al-Amal.

Take Action:Colombia: Protect women and girls from sexual violence

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-03-05T20:39:01+01:00

Sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls has been a defining and constant part of the armed conflict that continues to rage in Colombia. Women and girls have been threatened and raped by all the warring parties, including guerrilla forces, the army and army-backed paramilitaries.

Indigenous and Afro-descendent women and girls living in isolated, rural areas that are valued for their natural resources are particularly vulnerable.

Indeed, violence against women and girls can be a means to force whole families or communities to flee their homes and allow land to be appropriated. Alternatively, the goal may be to sow terror within communities and so make it easier for military control to be imposed. In other cases, it is a way to wreak revenge on adversaries or retaliate against women human rights defenders.

Take Action

International Women's Day events in Canada

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-02-25T21:00:26+01:00

To mark International Women’s Day, Amnesty International members and groups across Canada are organizing and participating in marches, letter-writing events, movie nights and more! You can take part in any one of numerous public events across the country:

In Regina, there will be two events, on March 6th and March 8th, which focus on maternal mortality, increasing funding for shelters in both Canada and Venezuela, and stopping violence against women in Mexico. Email gordon.barnes@amnestysaskatchewan.ca for more information.

In a cooperative effort with Oxfam Canada and other women’s groups, Amnesty International members in Vancouver are hosting a rally and conference entitled: “Women’s Voices at the Table,” which will explore the inclusion of women in economic and political decision making at the G8/20 conferences. The rally will feature live musical performances and speakers, and will be followed up that same afternoon (March 6th) with the conference. For more information, please visit: http://www.iwdvancouver.ca/.

On Saturday, March 6th at 2PM, an art exhibit entitled “Portraits of Injustice,” by Amnesty supporter Carol Morrison, is opening in the Harbourside Gallery in Halifax. At 5PM, after the opening reception, you’re welcome to join a potluck held by Amnesty Halifax members at 1326 Lower Water Street in the SMU Function room. This Taste for Justice potluck will celebrate International Women’s Day, so please drop in!

Members of AI Canada’s Orillia group are organizing a letter-writing event at St. Paul’s Church on Tuesday, March 16th, and invite members of the general public to drop in and write letters on women’s human rights anytime between 11am and 1pm.

In Kingston, an International Women’s Week is being organized in partnership with the Kingston Interval House and involves a community fair on March 6th at Memorial Hall, as well as other events organized by a variety of community groups throughout the week. Check out www.wedontstopkingston.com for more information and an event calendar.

The Ottawa Amnesty International Gender Rights Network is participating in the coalition event "I'm Still Not a Feminist, but..." in Ottawa. The event includes a film, feminist improv, and the annual "Femmy" awards, which recognize local women's rights activists in the national capital region. This free event is on March 8 at the National Archives from 7-10pm (doors open at 6pm). Check out the event on facebook.

In Toronto, Amnesty members are planning to take part in the annual IWD march and fair on March 6th, and welcome all fellow Amnesty supporters to join them under their large Amnesty banner! The rally will begin at 11AM at the OISE Auditorium at 252 Bloor Street and continue to Ryerson University at 55 Gould Street, where a fair organized by the Ryerson University Student’s Union and Women’s Centre will take place. Amnesty will have a table at the fair where postcards and petitions can be signed from 1:30PM to 4PM.

In Belleville, Amnesty members are partnering with local organizations and Interval House for a special event on March 8th. Participants will march from downtown with signs and placards to a church venue where there will be a hot lunch, followed by speakers and a film on womens' rights issues.

Send in your events to lmossman@amnesty.ca for posting and watch for updates. Have a great International Women’s Day!

Ottawa event: "I'm Still Not a Feminist, but..." International Women's Day event

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-02-24T17:39:53+01:00

Join Amnesty International in coalition with local, national and international organizations in celebrating International Women's Day at the event "I'm Still Not a Feminist, but..." in Ottawa. The event is a fun, engaging and dynamic approach to discussing women's human rights and gender equality, and will include a film, feminist improv, and the annual "Femmy" awards, which recognize local women's rights activists in the national capital region.

The event is being held on March 8 at the National Archives from 7-10pm (doors open at 6pm). It is free, and childcare is provided (contact svaw@amnesty.ca to reserve a space).

Find the event and more details on facebook. See you there!

Canadian Civil Society Organizations issue "Reality Check" for women's equality in Canada

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-02-23T15:36:53+01:00

On March 1st, organizations and government delegations from around the world will gather in New York for the 54th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). 2010 marks the 15-year anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which called on the UN, governments and organizations to ensure gender equality and women's rights were at the core of their work. This year's CSW will include follow-up and evaluation of progress on the committments made in Beijing.

In preparation for this year's CSW, Canadian civil society organizations have prepared a report entitled, "Reality Check: Women in Canada and the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action Fifteen Years On," to describe Canada’s lagging performance in achieving women’s equality. The report notes the achievements in equality in access to education, but highlights key areas in which there has been little progress: The report will be presented to the United Nations at the meeting in New York.
Read the Report

Amnesty International's Gender Rights Network raises awareness about WOZA with a Giant Rose!

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-02-18T23:21:19+01:00

The Amnesty International Gender Rights Network (GRN) in Ottawa spent a chilly afternoon on Saturday, February 13th distributing fair trade roses with messages about WOZA to the public. GRN members carried petitions, donation boxes, armfuls of roses, and a giant papier mache rose outside the gates of Ottawa’s annual Winterlude festival.

Passersby were encouraged to take a photo with the giant rose, sign petitions, donate, and accept a rose with an information card about Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA). Children, families and couples all stopped by, and petition signatures and donations were collected to support the work of WOZA.

Thanks to all those who took part in this campaign, and congratulations on the effective and positive campaigning which engaged so many people!

WOZA Roses delivered!

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-02-18T23:14:03+01:00

Photo Credit: Amnesty International Secretary-General Alex Neve (left), WOZA Coordinator Stephanie McBride (second from right), and Women's Human Rights Campaigner Lindsay Mossman (right) deliver roses to The Well, a gathering space for women and women with children in Ottawa, following the visit to the Zimbabwean Embassy.

Follow-up on the roses delivery from WOZA Coordinator Stephanie McBride:

On February 11, 2010, Amnesty members gathered outside the Zimbabwean embassy with the hope of giving Embassy staff a Valentine’s Day present of fair trade roses. In attendance was Secretary-General Alex Neve, Oxfam’s South Africa Program Director Jim Mackinnon, as well as several Amnesty staff members and volunteers. Although the Embassy had been informed of the plan to deliver the roses, they declined to accept them. Amnesty members did meet with some Embassy staff, however, when their car got stuck in a snow bank and Alex and Jim rushed across the street to help them push it out! Despite our best efforts, the Embassy still did not accept the roses, and so we made a trip to The Well, a women’s drop-in centre in downtown Ottawa. The roses, which included information cards about Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA), were kept in the centre overnight and were a lovely Valentine's surprise for the women who visited the next morning.

The total funds raised for WOZA are still being tallied, and will be reported soon. Thank you so much to all those who donated to make this campaign a success on multiple fronts: international solidarity, governmental lobbying, and community outreach.

Join Amnesty International for International Women's Day!

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-02-18T23:00:18+01:00

This March 8, International Women's Day, Amnesty International is inviting members and the public to join us in celebrating the successes of the Stop Violence Against Women Campaign and to continue to call for the protection of women's human rights.

An International Women's Day Kit is available here to provide information on Amnesty's work, SVAW Campaign successes, ideas for events and appeals for action.

More actions will be available on the website, but there are also the following petitions to download and print for your event. Petitions include cases of women's rights defenders from Mexico, Iran and China.

To find out more, or to let us know about your event, contact Lindsay Mossman, Campaigner on Women's Human Rights at: lmossman@amnesty.ca.

Ottawa: Take Part in Roses for WOZA Valentine's Day Action!

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-02-10T16:27:55+01:00

Delivering Roses to the Zimbabwean Embassy: On Thursday, February 11th, Amnesty International will deliver roses donated by members across Canada to the Zimbabwean Embassy to call for the protection of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA).

WOZA is a group of courageous human rights defenders calling for an end to political violence in Zimbabwe. They are regularly harassed and detained for their peaceful demonstrations for human rights. Roses are a symbol of courage used by members of WOZA in their demonstrations in Zimbabwe.

To join us, contact wozacoordinator@amnesty.ca.

Raising Public Awareness about WOZA:
On Saturday, February 13th, the Ottawa Amnesty Gender Rights Network will be handing out roses along with information cards about WOZA at the corner of Elgin and Laurier between 2 and 4pm. If you are heading to the canal, please stop by for a rose and a photo with our giant papier maché rose, and offer a donation for WOZA.

To find out more, check out our event on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=270182321793&ref=ts

To join the Ottawa Amnesty Gender Rights Network, contact amnestygenderrights@gmail.com.

Come out and take part to remind all of us that Valentine’s Day is not only a time for our loved ones, but also a time for respect, equality, and human rights for all.

Check out the online action at: www.amnesty.ca/roses4woza.

Have a great Valentine’s Day!

Amnesty urges UN to condemn Nicaragua�s abortion ban

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-02-04T16:08:55+01:00

Nicaragua will appear before the United Nations on 8 February as part of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process of the Human Rights Council. Amnesty International is calling on UN members to raise questions about Nicaragua's absolute ban on abortion during that process.

Nicaragua’s revised Penal Code, which came into effect in July 2008, includes prison sentences for girls and women who seek an abortion and for health professionals who provide health services associated with abortion. This includes cases where the life of the woman is at risk or when pregnancy is the result of rape or incest.

Read the News Release

Amnesty International’s submission to the UN Universal Periodic Review on Nicaragua

Read the Report: The total abortion ban in Nicaragua: Women’s lives and health endangered, medical professionals criminalized

Roses for WOZA Valentine's Day Action

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-02-03T22:01:18+01:00

“Your efforts send the message that we are not alone and that the world is watching.” WOZA leader Magodonga Mahlangu.

Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) is a group of courageous women's human rights defenders, with over 35,000 members. WOZA was formed in 2003 to defend human rights amidst the political violence in Zimbabwe, and continues their work today by mobilizing on behalf of the right to education and to end political violence. Members of WOZA are under constant threat: on January 25th, 2010, eleven WOZA members were beaten and detained by police for attending a peaceful protest which publicized the rights to education in Zimbabwe.

WOZA members hand out roses on Valentine's Day to send a message of peace. This February 14, join Amnesty International in standing with these courageous human rights defenders by purchasing a rose. We will present roses to the Zimbabwean embassy in Ottawa, and hand out roses to members of the public to inform them about WOZA’s courageous and powerful activism.

Join us by sending a rose and a solidarity message

Watch a video celebrating the work of WOZA

Alex Neve delivers Stolen Sisters petitions to Status of Women Canada

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-02-01T22:30:08+01:00

On 25 January 2010, Alex Neve delivered petitions signed by thousands of Canadians calling for an end to violence against Indigenous Women in Canada to the Minister of State (Status of Women), the Honourable Helena Guergis.

Thank you to everyone who signed the petition, and who participated in collecting petition signatures! Your efforts allowed us to give a strong message to the government to do more to protect Indigenous women in Canada from violence.

Burkina Faso: Giving Life, Risking Death

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-01-27T19:39:05+01:00

Every year, more than 2,000 women die in Burkina Faso from complications during pregnancy and childbirth. That means at least 5 maternal deaths a day. Most of these deaths could have been prevented. Women living in poor and rural communities are the most affected by maternal mortality.

Women in Burkina Faso face many barriers that prevent them from accessing the health services they need. Although women have equal status under the law, in practice many cannot exercise their right to decide whether, when and how many children to have. Early marriage is also common in Burkina Faso, which increases the likelihood of early pregnancy, heightening the risk of complications and maternal mortality for young women.

Read the News Release

Read the Report

Take Action

Saudi Arabia must prevent flogging of teenage girl

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-01-22T21:11:14+01:00

Amnesty International has urged the Saudi Arabian authorities not to carry out the public flogging of a 13-year-old girl charged with assaulting a teacher at her school.

The teenager will reportedly receive 90 lashes in front of her classmates, as well as a two-month prison sentence, following her conviction at a court in the city of Jubail on Tuesday.

The full details of the charges against the girl, as well as the nature of the alleged assault, are currently unclear. However, it appears that the alleged assault occurred after the girl was caught in school with a mobile phone equipped with a camera. Such phones had been banned at the school.

Read the News Release

Haiti: Relief and reconstruction efforts must protect women and girls from sexual violence

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-01-22T19:03:32+01:00

On 12 January an earthquake of magnitude 7.1 struck Haiti, leaving thousands of people dead and others still missing. The United Nations, relief and development workers in Haiti and around the world have responded quickly to assist with humanitarian efforts to save lives, clear the devastation and restore basic services. Human rights, including those of women and girls, must be central to the relief and reconstruction efforts.

Sexual violence against women and girls is the most immediate and dangerous type of gender-based violence occurring during acute crisis. It is essential that all actors and all immediate relief efforts and long-term reconstruction plans ensure the protection of women and girls and provide appropriate assistance to survivors of sexual violence.

Take Action: Call on Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon to prioritize the protection of women and girls in the reconstruction efforts.

Mourning the loss of Haitian Women�s Rights Leaders

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-01-22T00:13:44+01:00

Report from AIUSA:

The reports from Haiti are more tragic everyday. The loss, the devastation, the aftershock, the grief and the suffering. Yesterday, there were reports of losses to the women’s human rights movement- Myriam Merlet, Magalie Marcelin and Anne Marie Coriolan are Haitian women’s human rights defenders who were victims of the earthquake. This tragic loss will be mourned throughout the global women’s rights community but the impact will be felt deeply as Haiti rebuilds.

Read the blog post

Protection of human rights must accompany relief efforts in Haiti

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-01-20T21:09:01+01:00

Amnesty International called on the United Nations to put in place measures for the protection of human rights and the most vulnerable among the survivors of Tuesday's devastating earthquake.

Amnesty International saluted the speedy and courageous efforts of UN, relief and development workers in Haiti and around the world assisting with humanitarian efforts to save lives, clear the devastation and restore basic services and the country's crumbling infrastructure.

The organization also asked for particular attention to be provided to ensuring respect for human rights and protection of children and those left orphans as a consequence of the earthquake. Girls in particular are at higher risk of sexual abuse and attack.

Read the News Release

Yemen must set aside prison sentence on female journalist

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-01-20T21:05:21+01:00

Amnesty International has called on the Yemeni authorities to set aside a three month prison sentence imposed on a woman journalist after she was convicted of defaming President ‘Ali ‘Abdullah Saleh.

According to media reports, Anissa 'Uthman, a journalist working for al-Wassat, a weekly newspaper, was prosecuted because of articles she wrote criticizing the arrest and imprisonment of human rights activists.

Anissa 'Uthman is reported to have been sentenced to imprisonment last Saturday when she was tried in her absence by a press court in Sana'a recently established to try media-related cases. The court began operating in June 2009 and is apparently working its way through around 150 cases.

She is now feared to be at imminent risk of imprisonment although the court verdict and sentence are still subject to appeal.

Read the News Release

Former �Comfort Women� demand justice in their 900th demonstration

Lindsay Mossman — 2010-01-13T15:12:00+01:00

Photo Credit: A banner created by Amnesty International members in BC in 2009, calling for justice for "comfort women".

Today, Wednesday January 13, 2010 marks the 900th demonstration by former “Comfort Women” in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. The group of women began protesting on January 8, 1992 to call for the Japanese government to apologize and provide compensation to the around 200,000 women who were forced into a system of sexual slavery by the Government of Japan during the Second World War.

Resolutions calling on the Japanese government to accept full responsibility for the abuses of "comfort women", to officially apologize for the crimes committed against the women and to provide adequate and effective compensation have been passed in Canada, the USA, South Korea, Taiwan and the European Parliament. Since March 2008, eight city councils in Japan have also called for justice and reparations.

Amnesty International is calling on the Government of Japan to:

• accept full responsibility for the “comfort women” system in a way that publicly acknowledges the harm that these women suffered and restores the dignity of the survivors;
• apologize fully for the crimes committed against the women;
• provide adequate and effective compensation to survivors and their immediate families directly from the government;
• include an accurate account of the sexual slavery system in Japanese educational textbooks on World War II.

Read the News Release

Take Action! Papua New Guinea: Nowhere safe to go - Women's shelters needed

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-12-18T17:19:31+01:00

There are only three safe houses in the capital of Papua New Guinea, Port Moresby – each run without government assistance, and each struggling from a lack of resources. The situation is even worse outside the capital. The severe lack of shelters for women in Papua New Guinea is a clear example of the government’s inaction and failure to meet its obligations to protect women’s human rights.

There is an urgent need for more shelters for women fleeing violence in Papua New Guinea. Until then, women will suffer the daily brutality of domestic violence because they have nowhere safe to go.

Take Action

Take Action: Chad - No safety for refugee women and girls

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-12-18T17:15:20+01:00

Refugee women and girls fled Darfur hoping to find safety and protection in eastern Chad. Instead they remain under attack. Women and girls face rape and violence every day both inside and outside refugee camps in eastern Chad. Family members, other refugees, staff of humanitarian organizations, and the police force are all responsible for acts of violence towards women and girls.

Take Action

Urgent Action: Iranian journalist Hengameh Shahidi sentenced

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-12-11T17:50:43+01:00

Hengameh Shahidi, a female journalist, has been sentenced to six years, three months and one day’s imprisonment for charges related to her peaceful exercise of her rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly. She remains free on bail, pending an appeal against her conviction and sentence, but if imprisoned, Amnesty International would consider her to be a prisoner of conscience and would call for her immediate and unconditional release.

On 30 November, Hengameh Shahidi’s lawyer Mohammad Mostafaei went to Branch 26 of the Revolutionary Court in Tehran, where he was informed that his client had been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for “gathering and colluding with intent to harm state security”, to one year imprisonment for “propaganda against the system” and to 91 days for “insulting the president”. Mohammad Mostafaei stated the same day that he intended to lodge an appeal against Hengameh Shahidi’s sentence.

At her trial, Hengameh Shahidi, who was an advisor on women’s issues to defeated presidential candidate Mehdi Karroubi during his election campaign, was accused of taking part in demonstrations against the disputed election result between 13 and 17 June, giving an interview to the media, collecting signatures for the “One Million Signatures Campaign (also known as the Campaign for Equality - which aims to end discrimination against women in Iranian law), supporting a campaign to end executions by stoning in Iran, signing numerous statements addressed to United Nations human rights bodies about human rights violations in Iran, and publishing articles on her blog. [more]

Hengameh Shahidi was arrested on 30 June and was held in solitary confinement in Evin Prison in the capital Tehran for 50 days before being transferred to a cell holding another woman. Her interrogators threatened to arrest other family members, and on several occasions she was threatened with execution. On one occasion she was subjected to a mock execution. She was eventually released on bail of 900 million rials (over US$90,000) on 1 November 2009, after she went on hunger strike in protest at her continued detention. On 4 November, after her release on bail, she was tried.

Take Action: Please write immediately:

- Urging the authorities to review Hengameh Shahidi’s conviction and sentence, as if imprisoned, she would be a prisoner of conscience imprisoned solely for the peaceful exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly;

- Stating that participating in peaceful demonstrations, giving interviews and signing petitions calling for greater respect for human rights are not crimes and are permitted by the Iran’s Constitution and by international law.

- Calling for an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into Hengameh Shahidi’s allegations of torture in detention and for anyone responsible for abuses to be brought to justice promptly and fairly.

Write To:

Head of the Provincial Judiciary in Tehran
Mr Ali Reza Avaei
Karimkhan Zand Avenue
Sana’i Avenue, Corner of Ally 17, No 152
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: avaei@Dadgostary-tehran.ir
Salutation: Dear Mr Avaei

Further Background:

Hengameh Shahidi was arrested on 30 June and was held in solitary confinement in Evin Prison in the capital Tehran for 50 days before being transferred to a cell holding another woman. Her interrogators threatened to arrest other family members, and on several occasions she was threatened with execution. On one occasion she was subjected to a mock execution. She was eventually released on bail of 900 million rials (over US$90,000) on 1 November 2009, after she went on hunger strike in protest at her continued detention. On 4 November, after her release on bail, she was tried.

Before her release, prison officials threatened Hengameh Shahidi that she would be punished if she continued her hunger strike. This contrasts with the impunity enjoyed by security officials responsible for human rights violations. The Norooz website stated that she has asked “Were the individuals who beat me in the basements of Evin prison brought before the [prison] disciplinary committee?”. Amnesty International is not aware of any official investigation of these allegations.

The authorities used excessive force to quell largely peaceful protests which erupted after the announcement that incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinjead had won the 12 June election, which many people disputed. The authorities have acknowledged 36 deaths, while the opposition claims that over 70 died. Over 4,000 were arrested, many of whom were tortured or otherwise ill-treated in detention centres across the country. Some have alleged they were raped, although the authorities have denied this after cursory investigations and other measures which appear designed to hide, rather than uncover, the truth. Over 80 have been sentenced to prison terms or flogging in connection with the unrest, including those sentenced after mass “show trials” which began in August. At least five have been sentenced to death.

The authorities have continued to use force to dispel demonstrations held on days of national importance. Most recently, people demonstrating on 7 December 2009, the anniversary of the killing of students by the former Shah’s forces in 1953, were met with beatings and use of tear gas by security forces. Over 200 were arrested in Tehran alone. Human rights defenders have also been targeted: on 5 December around 29 members of the group Mourning Mothers, which gathers every Saturday to protest at the killings of protestors and other human rights violations since the election, were arrested in Tehran. All have since been released.

For further information about the post-election events please see Iran: Election contested, Repression compounded (Index MDE 13/123/2009), December 2009, http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/123/2009/en

Human Rights Day: Women on the frontline for human rights

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-12-10T14:37:44+01:00

Women often bear the brunt of poverty and human rights abuses; but as activists they use these roles to trigger positive social change. To mark World Human Rights Day, Amnesty International spoke to three women who put their lives on the line in defence of human rights, including Gertrude Hambira, the Secretary General of the General Agricultural and Plantation Workers Union of Zimbabwe featured in this photo.

Women are affected by poverty, violence and human rights violations more than men because of the discrimination they face around the world. Over 70 per cent of the world’s poor are women. Women earn only 10 per cent of the world’s income but do two thirds of the world’s work. Three quarters of the world’s illiterate are women. Women produce up to 80 per cent of the food in developing countries but own only one per cent of the land.

In spite of these overwhelming odds, women are often the most active agents of positive social change in their communities, working tirelessly to improve their lives and the situation of their families. Women are responsible for some of the most effective grassroots-based human rights work all over the globe.

Read More and Take Action!

Urgent Action: Eight Afghan women and children held in airport in Ukraine

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-12-07T22:39:25+01:00

Eight Afghan nationals, four women and four children aged between four and 10 years, have been detained in the departure lounge of Boryspil airport in Kyiv, Ukraine since 16 November, and are at risk of being forcibly returned to Afghanistan via the United Arab Emirates.

The eight asylum-seekers arrived at Boryspil on 16 November on a flight from Dubai, and were intending to transit to the UK where they wanted to join their relatives who have been granted asylum there.

Some of the eight stated that they were afraid of returning to Afghanistan because they feared persecution. However, following confirmation from the UK Consul that their visas had originally been stolen, they were prevented from boarding the flight to London. They were scheduled to be forcibly returned to Afghanistan on a flight via Dubai at 2 pm on 19 November. Initially, staff of the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, was denied access to the women and children at the airport. A lawyer from the NGO, the Centre for Legal Support, applied to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) to prevent their forced return to Afghanistan. At 1.30 pm on 19 November, half an hour before their flight, the ECtHR called on the Ukrainian government not to return the group to Afghanistan until the Court has taken a decision on the case. However, the flight seemed set to go ahead despite this ruling. [more]

According to information on the website of the Ukrainian border guard service, the plane's Chief Steward refused to take the group on board because of their disruptive behaviour and insistent demands that they be reunited with their family in the UK. The asylum-seekers were returned to the airport's departure lounge, where they were finally able to meet with UNHCR staff and to file their applications for asylum in Ukraine. They have, however, not been allowed to leave the departure lounge since then. The Ukrainian authorities have not provided the group with anything. Food, clean clothes, bedding and other basic items have all been provided by the UNHCR.

In the meantime the ECtHR has withdrawn its “interim measures”, requesting the Ukrainian government not to forcibly return the asylum-seekers, arguing that Ukraine intended to return them to the United Arab Emirates. Amnesty International is seriously concerned that the asylum-seekers’ request for asylum will not be acknowledged by the border guards in the United Arab Emirates and they may face deportation to Afghanistan. The United Arab Emirates have neither ratified the UN Refugee Convention nor the Convention against Torture.

Take Action: Please write immediately:

- Urging the Ukrainian authorities to allow the group of eight asylum-seekers, four of whom are children aged between four and 10, to stay in Ukraine until their asylum applications have been examined;

- Reminding the Ukrainian authorities that as a state party to the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, they must not forcefully return refugees or asylum-seekers to any country where they would face a serious risk of the death penalty, torture or other grave human rights abuses;

- Urging the authorities to give the eight asylum-seekers access to fair asylum procedures, including a thorough review of their asylum claims on appeal, and to abstain from forcibly returning them until their procedure has been finalised.

Write To:

Oleksandr Medvedko
vul. riznitska 13/15
01601 Kyiv, Ukraine
Fax: +380 44 280 2851
Salutation: Dear Prosecutor General

Further Background:

Under international law, asylum-seekers should only be detained when the authorities can demonstrate that it is necessary to do so. Anyone detained must be promptly brought before a judicial authority and be provided with an effective opportunity to challenge the lawfulness of the decision to detain him/ her. Furthermore, the Convention on the Rights of the Child obliges states to detain children only as a last resort and for the shortest possible time. The Convention also states that children who are seeking refugee status should receive appropriate protection and humanitarian assistance in accordance with international standards.

Ukraine has repeatedly violated the rights of refugees and asylum-seekers, in breach of its obligations under international human rights and refugee law. Ukrainian authorities made several attempts to forcibly return Lema Susarov, an ethnic Chechen, to Russia, even though he was recognized as a refugee by the UNHCR, and would have been at risk of torture if returned. He was released in July 2008 and allowed to take up an offer of asylum in Finland. On 4 and 5 March 2008, the Ukrainian authorities forcibly returned 11 ethnic Tamil asylum-seekers to Sri Lanka where they were at risk of serious human rights violations including torture and ill treatment. Six of them had applied for refugee status in Ukraine, but were forcibly returned without the right to appeal. Most recently, on 2 September, six nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo, who had arrived at Boryspil airport on 31 August, were forcibly returned from Ukraine despite the fact that one of them had reportedly clearly expressed his wish to claim asylum in Ukraine.

Make the United Nations more effective in realizing women's rights

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-12-02T22:00:03+01:00

During the 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence (25 November – 10 December), Amnesty International is campaigning to end violence that drives and deepens women's poverty.

Amnesty International, together with more than 300 other organizations around the world, is calling for a new strong UN agency for women. This agency will have greater capacity to help the UN and governments, with the full engagement of civil society, to ensure that women and girls around the world enjoy their rights in practice.

The United Nations is a galvanizing force in setting new international standards and commitments to protect and promote women’s human rights, especially women at risk of violence, or facing poverty. Make the United Nations more effective in realizing women’s rights.

Take Action: SUPPORT AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL'S CAMPAIGN to make the United Nations more effective in realizing women's rights!

Take Action: 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-11-18T09:08:01+01:00

The 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence is an international campaign initiated by the global women’s movement in 1991. The campaign starts on November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and ends on December 10, Human Rights Day.

During the 16 Days of Activism, Amnesty International encourages you to use the actions below to take action to end violence against women and girls.

Afghanistan: Women Human Rights Defenders at risk

In October 2001 the US-led intervention in Afghanistan was accompanied by a pledge from the Afghan government to protect women's human rights and promote gender equity within the country, however women and girls continue to experience serious human rights violations.

Haiti: Protecting Girls in Domestic Service

In Haiti in 2007, there were more than 100,000 girls aged between six and seventeen working as domestic servants. Children in domestic service often come from extremely poor backgrounds and are routinely stigmatized, exploited, and ill-treated by their employers. Sexual violence against women and girls in pervasive and widespread in Haiti, and girls in domestic service are at high risk of being assaulted.

Yemen: Discrimination and Violence Against Women and Girls

In Yemen, the Constitution describes women not as equals before the law, but as “sisters of men.” This expression, with its cultural and traditional meanings, supports discrimination against women and girls.

Tajikistan: Remove Barriers to Girls' Education

In Tajikistan, education is compulsory until age 17. Yet one in every five girls drops out of school after completing primary education at age 10. Although gender equality is guaranteed in law, gender stereotypes and the cost of sending a child to school mean that education for girls is often the lowest priority.

Turning the tide against HIV in South Africa

In South Africa, women aged 15-34 experience rates of HIV infection two to four times higher than men of the same age. Women living in poor rural communities are often unable to reach health centres to get the treatment they need. South Africa must increase access to health services by improving the regularity and affordability of rural transport systems.

Make the United Nations more effective in realizing women’s rights

In September 2009, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution agreeing to create a strong UN agency for women's rights. But to actually create the new agency and ensure it's effectiveness, there is an urgent need for clear political commitment and immediate, substantial funding.

Urgent Action: Colombian Human Rights Defender Ingrid Vergara at risk

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-11-09T19:49:00+01:00

Female human rights defender Ingrid Vergara has received death threats and her daughter, 14-year-old Cendy Torres Vergara, has been followed by unknown individuals in the city of Sincelejo, northern Colombia. Ingrid Vergara documents and exposes human rights violations committed by paramilitary groups. Her life and that of her daughter may be at risk.

On 26 October at around 1.15pm Cendy Torres noticed a white car with tinted windows and without licence plates following her while she was walking to school in Sincelejo. The car slowed down and two children who were walking past went up to it. The children then approached Cendy Torres and told her: “They want you to let your mom know that she must shut up if she wants to reach the new year” (te mandan decir que le digas a tu mama que se quede callada si quiere llegar a año nuevo). The car then drove away.

Cendy Torres had noticed the same car following her on the afternoon of 19 October, the morning of 20 October and the afternoon of 21 October. On 21 October, neighbours told Ingrid Vergara that a white pick-up truck with tinted windows had driven past her house several times. The vehicle slowed down every time it passed her house.

Ingrid Vergara is a member of the National Movement of Victims of State Crimes (Movimiento Nacional de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado, MOVICE), a coalition of civil society organizations campaigning for truth, justice and reparation for the victims of human rights violations committed during Colombia’s long-running armed conflict. Ingrid Vergara is one of the leaders of MOVICE in Sucre department, northern Colombia, and has drawn public attention to enforced disappearances and killings committed by paramilitary forces. [more]

Take Action: Write in Spanish or your own language:

- Expressing concern for the safety of Ingrid Vergara and Cendy Torres and urging the authorities to guarantee their safety in strict accordance with their wishes;

- Calling on the authorities to carry out a full and impartial investigation into these and previous death threats against Ingrid Vergara and Cendy Torres, to make the results public and bring those responsible to justice;

- Reminding the authorities to adhere to their obligations regarding the situation of human rights defenders, as laid out in the 1998 UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders.

Write To:

Vice-President of the Republic
Dr. Francisco Santos Calderón
Vicepresidencia de la República
Carrera 8A No 7-27
Bogotá, Colombia
Fax: +57 1 565 7682 (ask: “me da tono de fax por favor”)
Salutation: Dear Mr Vice-president/Estimado Sr. Vicepresidente

Acting Attorney General
Dr. Guillermo Mendoza Diago
Fiscal General de la Nación (e)
Fiscalía General de la Nación
Diagonal 22B (Av. Luis Carlos Galán No. 52-01) Bloque C
Piso 4, Bogotá, Colombia
Fax: +57 1 414 9108
Salutation: Dear Attorney General/Estimado Sr. Fiscal General

Send Copies To:
National Human Rights Organization
Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz
Calle 61A No 17-26
Bogotá, Colombia

Further Background:

On 2 April 2008, Cendy Torres was approached outside her school by four unknown men who threatened: “we are going to kill you because of what your mother is doing” (te vamos a matar por lo que tu madre está haciendo). Ingrid Vergara has suffered a number of death threats and acts of intimidation before. The latest one was an anonymous email that she received on 2 July 2009, inviting her to her own funeral and referring to her as a guerrilla. Although some protection measures have been agreed, the authorities have not fully implemented them. No-one has been brought to justice for any of these threats.

During Colombia’s 40-year-old armed conflict, members of human rights organizations, trade unions and other social organizations have often been labelled as guerrilla collaborators or supporters by the security forces and paramilitaries. As a result they often suffer threats, enforced disappearance or killings. Guerrilla groups have also threatened or killed human rights defenders they consider to be siding with the enemy.

In September 2009, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Margaret Sekaggya, visited Colombia and concluded that “patterns of harassment and persecution against human rights defenders, and often their families, continue to exist in Colombia… I am in particular deeply concerned about the widespread phenomenon of threats from unknown authors against human rights defenders and their families”. She also expressed her “serious concern about the arbitrary arrests and detention (sometimes on a massive scale) of human rights defenders, as well as unfounded criminal proceedings brought against them.”

Urgent Action: Zimbabwean Trade Unionist Gertrude Hambira Under Threat

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-11-09T19:09:15+01:00

The home of 48-year-old Gertrude Hambira, a prominent female trade union activist in Zimbabwe, was attacked by three armed men on 3 November. Gertrude Hambira is now in hiding, fearing for her life.

On 3 November, the home of Gertrude Hambira, the Secretary General of the General Agriculture and Plantation Workers Union (GAPWUZ) was attacked by three armed men who forced their way in. At the time of the attack Gertrude Hambira was not at home. However, her husband, Gertrude's elderly mother and the couple's children, including a five-year-old, were at home.

At around midnight, Gertrude Hambira's husband was woken by three men who had broken into the house in Milton Park, a suburb in the capital, Harare. When he confronted the men, they asked him about the whereabouts of his wife. He was pinned down by the intruders who threatened to shoot him when he called for help. One of the men fired a single shot into the roof of the house. The men took with them three mobile phones, US$100 cash and some photographs of Gertrude Hambira with her children from a family photograph album. The armed men only left the house when a security alarm was activated, and Gertrude Hambira's husband was able to escape and alert a neighbour before calling the police. [more]

The attack on Gertrude Hambira's home follows two similar attacks linked to state security agents in Harare in the previous week. On 27 October, Edith Mashayire, an employee of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) political party led by Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, was attacked on the street in Harare by armed men believed to be state security agents. They reportedly told her that she was under arrest and started assaulting her with their guns, but they released her after she called for help from members of the public. During the same week another MDC employee, Pascal Gwezere, was abducted by state security agents from his home. He was reportedly tortured by his abductors. He was later charged with breaking into a military armoury and undergoing military training in Uganda in 1999. These charges are widely believed to be trumped up.

Take Action: Please write in English or your own language:

- Calling on the authorities to guarantee the safety of Getrude Hambira;

- Calling for an independent investigation into the circumstances around the attack on Gertrude Hambira’s family home;

- Urging the authorities to investigate the attack and to end harassment and intimidation of human rights defenders and political activists by state security agents;

Write To:

Commissioner General of Police
Mr. Augustine Chihuri
ZRP Headquarters
P.O. Box 8807
Causeway
Harare, Zimbabwe
Fax: 011 263 4 253 212
Salutation: Dear Commissioner

Send a Copy To:

Her Excellency Florence Zano Chideya
Ambassador for Zimbabwe
332 Somerset Street West
Ottawa, Ontario K2P 0J9
Fax: (613) 563-8269
Email: info@zimottawa.com

Sierra Leone: Special Court renders final judgment in RUF case

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-10-28T20:37:46+01:00

Amnesty International said the 26th Oct. 2009 decision by the Special Court for Sierra Leone to uphold the convictions of three former senior leaders of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) is a positive step in the fight against impunity for the worst crimes committed during the country’s eleven-year civil war.

The Appeals Chamber of the Special Court for Sierra Leone upheld, by a majority, the convictions of Issa Sesay, Morris Kallon and Augustine Gbao, former senior leaders of the main armed opposition group in Sierra Leone’s conflict.

“The confirmation of the convictions of these former RUF leaders is a positive contribution in the fight against impunity not only in Sierra Leone but also in Africa,” said Hugo Relva, Legal Adviser with Amnesty International’s International Justice Project.

“However, we need to remember that these convictions are of only eight out of the possibly thousands of people responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Sierra Leone during the armed conflict. Far more effort has to be made to bringing to justice others implicated in these terrible crimes.”

Although the Appeals Chamber revised the sentences for some counts, the final judgment rendered today upheld the total terms of imprisonment for Issa Sesay, who will serve 52 years in prison, Morris Kallon, who will serve 40 years in prison and Augustine Gbao, who will spend 25 years in prison.

They were sentenced for their individual criminal responsibility for crimes against humanity and war crimes, including the use of child soldiers, forced marriage and attacks against United Nations peacekeepers. [more]

“Many other perpetrators of vicious crimes – including murder, rape, sexual slavery and mutilation – remain free to this day, protected by amnesties,” said Hugo Relva.

“This is utterly unacceptable and demonstrates the need for African states and others to exercise universal jurisdiction with regard to those who committed crimes under international law.”

The judgment rendered today is the last that will be issued by the Appeals Chamber in Freetown. Proceedings against Charles Taylor, former Liberian president, for crimes against humanity and war crimes are being held in The Hague at the International Criminal Court premises.

“It is essential for Sierra Leone to take steps to ensure that the legacy of the Special Court at the national level is not one of continuing impunity. The government should lift the amnesties and enact legislation to make war crimes and crimes against humanity crimes under national law in Sierra Leone,” said Hugo Relva.

Mexico: Women's struggle for Justice and Safety, action comes to a close

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-10-23T19:12:16+01:00

A 2006 national survey revealed that almost one in four women in Mexico had suffered physical and/or sexual violence at the hands of an intimate partner. The justice system did not provide an effective means for women to file complaints, pursue prosecutions or receive protection.

In February 2007, a new federal law, the General Law on Women’s Access to a Life free from Violence (the General Law) was passed to combat violence against women and enable them to access justice. The law established the responsibility of the authorities to prevent and punish all forms of violence and for state governments to enact and implement a similar law fulfilling these requirements.

Amnesty International launched a campaign aimed to ensure that the new law was passed and implemented in all of Mexico’s 32 states. AI also called for the publication of a new Health Directive which would substantially improve procedures for treating, registering and advising women who have been victims of violence.

On 27 March 2009, more than two years after the Federal Law was passed, Guanajuato became the last state to pass the law on women’s access to a life free from violence. A month later, on 16 April 2009, a new draft of the Health Directive was also published. The Directive now provides access to legal and safe termination of a potential pregnancy for victims of sexual violence.

Although this action is now closed, Amnesty will continue to remind state governments that regulatory procedures must be introduced in all states, and will maintain close coordination with local women’s organizations to press for the effective implementation of the General Law.

Thank you to everyone who took this action. Your efforts have made a real contribution towards protecting women from intimate partner violence in Mexico.

CCR National Forum on "Improving services and protection for trafficked persons"

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-10-21T21:06:39+01:00

The Canadian Council for Refugees is organizing a National Forum on Improving Services and Protection for Trafficked Person, to be held on 2 and 3 December 2009 in Windsor, ON.

The National Forum is a cross-Canada initiative that aims at improving services and protecting trafficked non-citizens in Canada. It will bring together non-governmental organizations (NGOs) from across Canada to exchange information and strategies on protection and services to trafficked persons, in consultation with government and other interested stakeholders. The National Forum is an initiative led by the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR).
For more information please see: www.ccrweb.ca/traffickingforum.htm

Peru must build on plans to decriminalize abortion

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-10-21T20:33:40+01:00

Amnesty International has called on the Peruvian authorities to step up recent efforts to decriminalise abortion in the country.

Peru's Congressional Commission last week issued a proposal to decriminalise abortion in certain circumstances, including when a woman or girl is pregnant as a result of rape.

"The removal of criminal sanctions will hopefully contribute to preventing women and girls suffering the anguish and serious health risks of seeking an unsafe, illegal backstreet treatment with uncertain outcomes, no proper aftercare and the possibility of being imprisoned if found out," said Guadalupe Marengo, Amnesty International's Americas Deputy Director. [more]

Amnesty International has welcomed the Commission's proposal and urges it to continue the debate it has begun on the issue.

The Peruvian authorities should promote an environment with no restrictions on women's access to sexual and reproductive health information and services.

Amnesty International believes that in order to eliminate unsafe abortions and other violations of women’s rights, all laws which permit the imprisonment or imposition of any other criminal sanction on women for seeking or having an abortion must be repealed.

A woman or girl child who has already had her human rights violated as a result of rape, sexual assault or incest must not then have her rights further violated by being criminalised for seeking an abortion in the case of a pregnancy resulting from the original abuse.

Urgent Action: Iran: Kobra Babaei faces imminent execution by stoning

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-10-21T16:05:13+01:00

Kobra Babaei, an Iranian woman, is feared to be at imminent risk of stoning to death after her husband Rahim Mohammadi was hanged for “sodomy” on 5 October. The Iranian authorities did not inform Rahim Mohammadi’s lawyer that he was about to be executed, as is required by law.

According to an interview given by Mohamad Mostafaei, Kobra Babaei and Rahim Mohammadi’s lawyer, earlier this year, the couple had turned to prostitution to support themselves financially after a prolonged period of unemployment. They were both convicted of “adultery while being married”, a “crime” which carries a mandatory sentence of execution by stoning. Rahim Mohammadi was also convicted of “sodomy” for which the penalty is execution, the method to be specified by the judge. Mohammad Mostafaei has said he believes the execution was unlawful and has made public a letter he wrote to the Head of the Judiciary in which he said that there was no evidence of “sodomy” and that he believed this charge was brought against Rahim Mohammadi because it would allow the authorities to hang him, rather than stone him to death. According to the lawyer, Kobra Babaei is at imminent risk of stoning now that her husband has been executed. [more]

Five other women – (names as known to Amnesty International) Iran, Khayrieh, two women known only as "Hashemi-Nasab" and M.Kh, as well as Ashraf Kalhori – all remain at risk of execution by stoning after being found guilty of “adultery while being married”. The Spokesperson for the Judiciary said in June that the Amnesty and Clemency Commission had in fact not rejected Ashraf Kalhori's plea for clemency, but was still considering her case.

Take Action: Please write immediately in Persian, Arabic, English, French or your own language:

- Expressing regret at the hanging of Rahim Mohammadi on 5 October and calling for an immediate halt to the execution by stoning of Kobra Babaei;

- Calling for all stoning sentences to be commuted and for those convicted not to be executed by any other means;

- Urging the authorities to speedily enact a law that unequivocally bans stoning as a legal punishment and does not permit the use of other forms of the death penalty or flogging against those convicted of “adultery”.

Write To:

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Sadeqh Larijani
Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St.
Vali Asr Ave. south of Serah-e Jomhouri
Tehran 1316814737
Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: Via website: http://www.dadiran.ir/tabid/75/Default.aspx
(1st starred box: your given name; 2nd starred box: your family name; 3rd: your email address)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Further Background:

In Iran stoning to death is prescribed as the mode of execution for those convicted of committing the offence of “adultery while being married”. In 2002, the Head of the Judiciary instructed judges to impose a moratorium on stonings. Despite this, at least five men and one woman have been stoned to death since 2002. In January 2009, the Spokesperson for the Judiciary, Ali Reza Jamshidi, confirmed that two executions by stoning had been carried out in December 2008 and said that the directive on the moratorium had no legal weight and that judges could therefore ignore it.

Rahim Mohammadi and Kobra Babaei, who have a 12-year-old daughter, were both unable to find work for prolonged periods and were very poor. Reports state that “they realized that certain officials were willing to help them in exchange for sexual relations with Rahim’s young wife” and had therefore turned to prostitution in order to support themselves. They were sentenced to stoning by Branch 2 of the General Court in Eastern Azerbaijan Province, which also sentenced Rahim Mohammadi to execution for “sodomy” . All the sentences were later confirmed by Branch 27 of the Supreme Court.

In June 2009, the Legal and Judicial Affairs Committee of Iran’s parliament (Majles) recommended the removal of a clause permitting stoning from a new version of the Penal Code currently under discussion in the parliament. The law has yet to be passed by the whole Majles, after which it will be passed to the Council of Guardians for approval. The clause allowing the use of stoning could be reinstated at either stage.

For further information about the practice of stoning in Iran, see Amnesty International’s report Iran: End Executions by stoning, published in January 2008.

Amnesty International presents to Senate Committee on Human Rights on Women, Peace and Security

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-10-20T21:04:44+01:00

The Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights is currently undertaking a study of Canada's implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. As part of this study, Amnesty International testified before the Committee on September 22, 2009, calling for Canada's support for national and international justice mechanisms to ensure reparations for survivors and to end the culture of impunity for sexual violence in armed conflict.

Read the transcript of the Committee hearing, including testimony from other NGOs and officials from Foreign Affairs.

2009 Vigils to honour missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-10-16T20:33:25+01:00

Photo Credit: Sisters in Spirit Vigil in Lethbridge, AB. October 2009.

On October 4, 2009, Amnesty International members joined with Indigenous women’s organizations and supporters at over 70 vigils across Canada to remember missing and murdered Indigenous women. Here's a snapshot of some of the vigils:

In Lethbridge, AB, around 350 people came out to hear prayers conducted by Eliza Lawrence, a Chipewyan elder, and Sylvia Yellow Old Woman, songs performed by Olivia Tailfeathers and Danis Clare, and an honor drum song by Moccasin Flats. Speeches were given by Dr. Joanne Fisk, Tracy Beardy and Maxine Goodstriker. Over 250 candles were lit in the park for the vigil.

In Ottawa, ON, a Stolen Sisters event at the University of Ottawa was attended by about 200 people. The event included an opening prayer by elder Annie St. George and speakers from Amnesty International, the Native Women’s Association of Canada, the National Association of Friendship Centres, and KAIROS.  This was follwed by a community feast and march to Parliament Hill, where a candlelit vigil with speeches from family members of missing and murdered women was held. [more]

On a rainy Sunday night in Halifax, NS, about 100 people of all ages gathered in the Mi’kmaq Native Friendship Centre. After smudging and a healing circle ceremony, family members of missing and murdered Indigenous women told moving stories about their loved ones. Then, over a moose meat dinner prepared by volunteers, women’s rights activists connected to continue discussions. It was a great event that strengthened old ties and formed many new ones.

The vigil in Vancouver, BC was attended by around 150 people.  The event included a drumming circle and was an opportunity to remember missing and murdered Aboriginal women. Gladys Radek and Bernie Williams, who organize the Walk 4 Justice, spoke at the event.

In Prince George, BC, about 80 people attended the vigil at the Prince George Courthouse during the day. The vigil included drumming, speakers and a balloon launch.

Despite cool weather and rain, the Sisters in Spirit vigil in Regina, SK had a gread turnout. Names of the missing and murdered women in Saskatchewan were read out at the vigil and the crowd walked through Victoria Park with candles in remembrance.

The vigil in Saskatoon, SK, began with a march, and was followed by a meal of soup and bannock and speeches by participating organizations and family members.

The Winnipeg, MB vigil was organized by the Mother of Red Nations Women's Council of Manitoba. It was held at the Forks and included performances by Aboriginal artists and presentations by representatives of the government of Manitoba, Indigenous organizations, police officials and family members.   The event ended with a candlelight vigil and closing prayer.

In Toronto, ON, Amnesty members and supporters attended the Sisters in Spirit vigil to honour the missing and murdered Aboriginal women held at the Native women’s Resource Centre in Toronto. The vigil included drumming, honour songs, and a smudging ceremony. Some family members of missing and murdered women shared their stories.

Thank you to all the volunteers and participants who contributed to and attended the 2009 vigils to honour missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls in Canada.

No More Stolen Sisters: New report says comprehensive national plan of action urgently needed

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-09-30T13:23:45+01:00

A piecemeal government response has denied Indigenous women in Canada adequate protection from violence and other human rights abuses says a new report by Amnesty International.

“Violence and discrimination against Indigenous women is a human rights concern that is national in scope and tragic in scale,” says Amnesty International Secretary General Alex Neve. “The positive measures taken in a number of communities and jurisdictions across the country highlight the shocking failure of the federal government to ensure an effective national response.”

In October 2004, Amnesty International released a report “Stolen Sisters,” that helped document the role of racism and deeply entrenched discrimination in the large numbers of Indigenous women who have been murdered or who have gone missing in cities across Canada.

In a follow-up report released to mark the fifth anniversary of that report, the international human rights organization calls the federal government to work with Indigenous women to institute a comprehensive national plan of action to protect their rights. Such a plan of action should include:

Standardized protocols for police handling of missing persons cases that recognizes the specific risks to Indigenous women
Improved co-ordination of police investigations into long-term missing persons cases and unsolved murders involving Indigenous women and other women at risk
Adequate, sustained, long-term funding to ensure the provision of culturally relevant services to meet the needs of Indigenous women and girls at risk of violence or in contact with the police and justice system
The collection and routine publication of gender disaggregated data on health and social and economic conditions for Inuit, Métis and First Nations women and men, including rates of violence against Indigenous women. [more]

A national response to violence against Indigenous women must include also include effective measures address the social and economic inequalities that increase the risks to Indigenous women. The report also calls for:

Restoration of funding to fulfill the Kelowna Accord commitment to end inequalities in health, housing, education, and other services for Indigenous peoples
Full implementation of the human rights standards contained in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

“There is no such thing as an isolated act of violence against Aboriginal women,” says Ellen Gabriel, President of the Quebec Native Women’s Association. “Every attack takes place in a context of a long history of prejudice, discrimination and marginalization that has denied Aboriginal women full equality in Canadian society.”

In addition to the high rates of violence, the report examines two other factors that have taken disproportionately high numbers of Indigenous women from their communities: the large numbers of Indigenous children being placed in state care by an underfunded child welfare system and the over-incarceration of Aboriginal women. The report calls for:

Equitable funding for services for Indigenous women, children and families with a particular priority on eliminating discrimination in funding for Indigenous child welfare;
Immediate implementation of recommendations of the Canadian Human Rights Commission and the UN Human Rights Committee concerning the treatment of Indigenous women prisoners.

The report also calls for a specific inquiry into the years-long delay in adequately investigating the pattern of disappearances of Indigenous and non-Indigenous women in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.

“First Nations and all Canadians must be fully resolved to support, protect and respect the rights of Indigenous women. It is time to embrace a National Action Plan that will address the seriousness and scope of violence and discrimination facing Indigenous women in a coordinated effective fashion,” said Assembly of First Nations National Chief Shawn Atleo.

Read the report:
No More Stolen Sisters: The Need for a Comprehensive Response to Discrimination and Violence Against Indigenous Women in Canada

2009 Vigils to honour missing and murdered Aboriginal women and girls in Canada

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-09-29T17:19:22+01:00

On October 4, 2009, Amnesty International will join Indigenous women’s organizations and supporters at over 60 vigils across Canada to remember missing and murdered Indigenous women.

To find a vigil in your city, visit the Native Women's Association of Canada website or check out the short list of events below. For more information, contact lmossman@amnesty.ca.

Prince George, BC: A Sisters in Spirit vigil to remember our missing and murdered Aboriginal sisters will be held at 1:00pm on October 4th at the Prince George Courthouse. The vigil will include drumming, speakers and a balloon launch. For more details, contact George Harding at george_a_harding@hotmail.com.

Vancouver, BC: The vigil will be held on October 4th at 1:00 pm on CRAB Park, 101 East Waterfront Road (at the north end of Main Street). Everyone is welcome to come and show support for ending violence against Indigenous women in Canada. For more information, contact Don Wright, dwright@amnesty.ca.

Lethbridge, AB: Amnesty International Lethbridge will be hosting a vigil on October 5th from 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm at Galt Gardens. For more information, contact admin@ailethbridge.com.

Edmonton, AB: On Saturday October 3rd 2009, concerned citizens, artists, community groups and organizations in Edmonton will be hosting the SIS (Sisters in Spirit) Rally. Please gather with us to honour our lost sisters and show support to their families & friends. The rally will be held at Dr. Wilbert McIntyre Park (8331-104 St., near Whyte Ave) at 11:00am. For more information, contact stolensistersawareness@hotmail.com

Saskatoon, SK: SIMFC Family Violence, Amnesty International Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Aboriginal Women’s Circle Corporation, IskwewukEwichiwitochik (Women Walking Together) and friends, will host the Annual National Vigil, “Sisters in Spirit”, Honouring Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women. October 4th, 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm. The March begins at 3:00 pm at 168 Wall Street at SIMFC.

Regina, SK: On October 4th, Amnesty International Regina group members and the Saskatchewan Sisters in Spirit Group will hold a vigil from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm in Victoria Park (downtown Regina). For more details, contact Gord Barnes at aiuregina@hotmail.com.

Winnipeg, MB: The Mother of Red Nations Women’s Council of Manitoba is hosting a vigil on October 4 from 6:00pm to 10:00pm at The Forks, Oodena Circle. The event will include speakers, performers, two drum groups, a light supper and will end with a candlelight vigil. For more information, contact Winona Young at wyoung@morn.ca.

Toronto, ON: A Sisters in Spirit candlelight vigil to honour missing and murdered Aboriginal women will be held on October 4th from 1:00pm to 3:00pm at the Native Women's Resource Centre at 191 Gerrard St E.

Hamilton, ON: The Hamilton Stolen Sisters/Sisters in Spirit Committee will host the annual vigil for Stolen Sisters on October 4th at 2:00pm. For more information and event details please contact Wilf Ruland at deerspring@hwcn.org.

Ottawa, ON: The Native Women’s Association of Canada, Amnesty International, KAIROS, the National Association of Friendship Centres and the Canadian Federation of Students are hosting a vigil on October 4th. All are welcome to join us at 4pm at the University of Ottawa (Desmarais Bldg, 55 Laurier Ave East) for speakers and a community feast. At 6:00pm, there will be a unity march to Parliament Hill, with speakers and a candle light vigil beginning at 7:00pm. For more information, contact Lindsay Mossman at lmossman@amnesty.ca

Halifax, NS: Join AI members and others at the annual Sisters in Spirit vigil at Blackrock Beach, Point Pleasant Park (near the lower parking area). Join us on October 4 at 11:30am for Speakers and Song, a talking circle, and community building. Please come and honor our sisters in spirit. Reception to follow at the Micmac Native Friendship Centre. For more information, contact Kim Cahill at kcahill@amnesty.ca.

Take Action: One in Eight Women Die in Pregnancy and Childbirth in Sierra Leone

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-09-24T17:54:08+01:00

One in eight Sierra Leonean women die giving birth. Health care facilities are understaffed, lack basic equipment and medicines and are far from people's homes. Pregnant women and their families struggle to afford the costs of getting to a hospital and the costs of the care they would receive there.

Sierra Leone is recovering from 11 years of civil war, which ended in 2002. It will take time and a lot of outside help to rebuild what was anyway an underresourced health care system. But reducing maternal mortality is not impossible and should start immediately. Responsibility starts with the government: from the very top, the government must show its determination to tackle maternal mortality.

Take Action: Sign AIUSA's online petition:
http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/sierra_leone/slpetition.php

Read Amnesty International's report:
Out of Reach: The Cost of Maternal Health in Sierra Leone

Follow the blog of Irene Khan’s visit to Sierra Leone: http://demanddignity.amnesty.org/en-gb/frontpage/location/mission/sierra-leone

Watch the documentary: No Woman Should Die Giving Birth: Maternal Mortality in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone: Maternal mortality is a human rights emergency

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-09-24T17:33:01+01:00

Photo Credit: A nurse in Freetown holding a new born baby, Sierra Leone, 20 September 2009. Nurses in Sierra Leone are overworked and underpaid. © Amnesty International.

(Freetown, Sierra Leone) On the eve of world leaders meeting in New York to discuss increased funding for healthcare in developing countries, Amnesty International’s Secretary General Irene Khan launched a campaign to reduce maternal deaths in Sierra Leone.

The accompanying report Out of Reach: The Cost of Maternal Health in Sierra Leone uses graphic and personal testimonials to show how women and girls are often unable access lifesaving treatment because they are too poor to pay for it. In Sierra Leone one in eight women risk dying during pregnancy or childbirth. This is one of the highest maternal death rates in the world.

Thousands of women bleed to death after giving birth. Most die in their homes. Some die on the way to hospital; in taxis, on motorbikes or on foot. In Sierra Leone, less than half of deliveries are attended by a skilled birth attendant and less than one in five are carried out in health facilities. [more]

“These grim statistics reveal that maternal deaths are a human rights emergency in Sierra Leone,” said Irene Khan while launching the report in Sierra Leone’s capital, Freetown. “Women and girls are dying in their thousands because they are routinely denied their right to life and health, in spite of promises from the government to provide free healthcare to all pregnant women.”

At the United Nations General Assembly meeting on 23 September, access to healthcare in the developing world will be high on the agenda. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is expected to announce a series of new finance packages devoted to improving healthcare in the developing world with particular focus on infant and maternal health. Sierra Leone is expected to be among the recipients of the fund.

“Additional money is desperately needed in Sierra Leone but will not reach women and children in remote areas who are at greatest risk,” said Irene Khan. “The lives of women and girls will only be saved when the health system is properly managed and the government is held to account.

“Money alone will not solve the problem. In Sierra Leone severe discrimination and the low social status of women underlies the terrible tragedy of maternal deaths. This is a country where girls are forced into early marriage, excluded from schools and face sexual violence. Women’s health needs are given a low priority by their own families, community leaders and their government.”

Irene Khan’s visit to Sierra Leone marks the start of Amnesty International’s action against maternal mortality in the country. A campaign caravan will tour Sierra Leone over the coming weeks acting as a vehicle for information and debate on the issue of maternal health.

Amnesty International believes poverty is a human rights issue and this year launched a global campaign called Demand Dignity which calls for an end to the human rights violations that drive and deepen poverty. Maternal mortality is a key strand of this campaign.

The campaign mobilises people all over the world to demand that governments and corporations listen to the voices of those living in poverty and respect their rights.

Read the full report:
Out of Reach: The Cost of Maternal Health in Sierra Leone

Follow the blog of Irene Khan’s visit to Sierra Leone: http://demanddignity.amnesty.org/en-gb/frontpage/location/mission/sierra-leone

Watch the documentary: No Woman Should Die Giving Birth: Maternal Mortality in Sierra Leone

Take Action: Sign AIUSA's online petition:
http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/sierra_leone/slpetition.php

United Nations General Assembly adopts resolution on 'system-wide coherence'

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-09-18T16:16:30+01:00

On 14 September 2009, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution that supports the establishment of a new United Nations women’s organization. This new entity is intended to consolidate other UN offices focused on women's human rights, including the Office of the Special Adviser on Gender Issues and the Advancement of Women, the Division for the Advancement of Women, the United Nations Development Fund for Women and the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women. The resolution also included the appointment of an Under Secretary-General to oversee the new entity, which should provide high-level leadership and support for the protection and promotion of women’s human rights.

Amnesty International welcomes this significant step towards advancing women’s human rights, and calls on the United Nations to move forward in implementing this new entity. We urge UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to immediately begin the recruitment process for the Under Secretary-General, and call for sufficient funding for the new entity to effectively achieve its objectives.

Take Action: Bosnia and Herzegovina: Justice long overdue for war crimes

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-09-16T20:13:49+01:00

More than 13 years after the 1992-95 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), survivors of rape and other forms of sexual violence continue to wait for justice. Many still suffer severe physical and psychological problems. Little support is available to seek compensation or access the necessary health services, leaving many women struggling on the margins of society.

Violence against women occurred on massive scale during the war. Those responsible for war crimes of sexual violence, including rape, continue to evade investigation and prosecution. Some alleged perpetrators occupy positions of power and many live in the same communities as their victims. Very few individuals have been brought to justice through the international or domestic courts.

Take Action: call for access to justice for survivors of sexual violence in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Iran: Rape and other torture victims at renewed risk

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-09-16T15:27:42+01:00

Victims of rape and other torture by Iranian security forces are facing renewed risk after documents detailing abuses against them were confiscated, Irene Khan, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said today. Ms. Khan called on Iran’s Supreme Leader to ensure the victims’ safety and hold the perpetrators to account.

"The Iranian authorities appear more intent on finding the identities of those who claim to have been tortured by security officials than in carrying out an impartial investigation so that the perpetrators can be brought to justice,” said Irene Khan.

Earlier this week, judiciary officials raided and closed down the offices of a committee set up by Mehdi Karroubi to collect and collate information about torture and other abuses committed against detainees held for protesting the official outcome of the 12 June presidential election. [more]

The committee set up by Mehdi Karroubi and also supported by Mir Hossein Mousavi who, like Karroubi, was one of the four permitted candidates in the 12 June presidential election, has been vocal in accusing the security forces of raping and torturing people detained for protesting against the official election result.

Judicial officials also closed down the office of the Association for the Defence of Prisoners Rights, established by human rights activist, Emaddedin Baghi, which had also been compiling information on torture and other abuses against detainees.

Acting on an order of the Prosecutor General, on 7 September judiciary officials removed computers, files and other records and forced the closure of the committee established by the two presidential candidates. The committee is reported to have recently submitted information to a parliamentary committee set up to investigate abuses.

The seized records contain information which would enable the judicial authorities to identify the former detainees who were prepared to speak out on confidential basis due to their fear of reprisals and the shocking nature of their ordeal.

On Tuesday 8 September, Alireza Beheshti and Morteza Alviri, advisors respectively to Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, were detained and judiciary officials raided the Association for the Defence of Prisoners Rights, seized records and ordered its closure. The authorities also forcibly closed down the offices of Mehdi Karroubi and his Etemad-e Melli party. Mohammad Davari, editor of Saham News, the website which serves as the party’s online publication, has also been detained.

“The Supreme Leader must intervene and ensure that there is no cover up of the grave abuses committed against those who challenge the official election result,” said Irene Khan. “In particular, he must ensure that victims of rape, torture and other abuses are fully protected against reprisals or further abuse at the hands of those who tortured them.”

Amnesty International is continuing to urge Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to invite international experts such as the UN Special Rapporteurs on torture and extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions to go to Iran to carry out an independent inquiry.

Sudan: Amnesty International calls on government to repeal law penalizing women for wearing trousers

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-09-04T18:33:58+01:00

As a Court in Khartoum prepares to resume its trial of Sudanese journalist Lubna Hussein for wearing trousers, Amnesty International called on the Sudanese government to withdraw the charges against her and repeal the law used to justify the flogging of women for wearing clothing deemed to be “indecent”.

“The manner in which this law has been used against women is unacceptable, and the penalty called for by the law – up to 40 lashes – abhorrent,” said Tawanda Hondora, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Africa Programme.

Article 152 of the Sudanese Penal Code 1991 states, in summary, that:

“Whoever does in a public place an indecent act… or wears an obscene outfit…shall be punished with flogging which may not exceed forty lashes or with fine or with both….”

“The law is crafted in a way that makes it impossible to know what is decent or indecent,” said Tawanda Hondora. “In practice, women are routinely arrested, detained, tried and then, on conviction, flogged simply because a police officer disapproves of their clothing. The law is also discriminatory, in that it is used disproportionately against women.”

In 2003, the African Commission ordered Sudan to amend Article 152 on the grounds that flogging amounted to state-sanctioned torture, after eight women brought a case against the government when they were arrested for publicly picnicking with male friends. The eight were flogged in public using a wire and plastic whip, which reportedly left permanent scars on the women. The government has made no moves to amend the law since the Commission’s decision.[more]

“No one should be flogged. This is cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and flies in the face of international law and common standards of human decency,” said Tawanda Hondora.

Note to editors:

The full text of Article 152 in the Memorandum to Sudanese Penal Code 1991 is:

152 Obscene and Indecent Acts

(1) Whoever does in a public place an indecent act or an act contrary to public morals or wears an obscene outfit or contrary to public morals or causing an annoyance to public feelings shall be punished with flogging which may not exceed forty lashes or with fine or with both.

(2) The act shall be contrary to public morals if it is regarded as such according to the standard of the person's religion or the custom of the country where the act takes place.

Ottawa: Invitation to a public event with DRC activist Justine Masika Bihamba

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-09-01T20:19:04+01:00

In the midst of the tragic conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the military and armed groups are targeting women through acts of sexual violence and intimidation, particularly directed at women who speak out against the violence and seek to help others who have become victims of these attacks.

Justine Masika Bihamba is the director of the women’s organization Synergie des femmes contre les violences sexuelles (SFVS) which seeks to help women who have been targeted for sexual violence in the conflict in the DRC.

Join us in welcoming Justine Masika Bihamba and hearing her story and about her courageous work to protect women and girls in eastern DRC.

Thursday September 3, 2009
7-9pm
Amnesty International
312 Laurier Ave East, Ottawa
RSVP to svaw@amnesty.ca

NOTE: This informal event will be in French with some English interpretation available.

Malaysia: Photographic evidence of cruelty of caning

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-08-25T18:08:19+01:00

The Malaysian government should extend the reprieve from caning granted to Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno indefinitely after Ramadan and use this as an opportunity to abolish the punishment, Amnesty International said today. More than 35,000 people have been caned in Malaysia since 2002.

Recent photographic evidence of the physical scars left after detainees have been caned obtained by Amnesty International demonstrate the level of injury inflicted by this form of punishment. The photos show the damage and scarring that just two caning strokes continue to cause months after the actual punishment has been executed.

“These images show the harsh reality of this punishment. Tens of thousands of people in Malaysia have been subjected to this cruel form of punishment without any attention from inside or outside the country. Now that the issue of caning has come on the public agenda, it’s time for the Malaysian government to act immediately to get rid of caning altogether,” said Sam Zarifi, Amnesty International’s Asia-Pacific director.

In July, an Amnesty International delegation travelled to Malaysia and were granted access to three detention facilities south of Kuala Lumpur, where they were able to photograph detainees who said that they had been caned whilst serving their sentences in prison.

Caning is mostly used as punishment for migrant labourers for immigration offences. Immigrants who are convicted of illegal entry are normally caned up to three times, although the country’s Immigration Act allows for them to be caned up to six times. [more]

In June 2009 the Malaysian government announced that they had sentenced 47,914 migrants to be caned for immigration offences since amendments to its Immigration Act came into force in 2002.

Amnesty International calls on the government of Malaysia to repeal all laws that allow caning and other forms of corporal punishment.

“The outcry surrounding Kartika’s case highlights the need for the Malaysian government to stop the practice of caning altogether,” Sam Zarifi said.

For more information on Amnesty International's work on human rights in Malaysia, contact Margaret John, Coordinator for Malaysia: malaysiasingaporecoordinator@amnesty.ca

Malaysia: End caning as a punishment for all offences

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-08-20T18:01:59+01:00

On the 20 July, the Shariah High Court in the Malaysian state of Pahang sentenced Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, 32, to six strokes of the cane and fined her RM5,000 (approximately US$ 1,400) after she pleaded guilty to consuming alcohol last year at a hotel there. The judge in the case had also threatened to jail her for three years if she did not pay the RM 5,000 fine, which she subsequently paid.

The Malaysian authorities should immediately revoke the sentence to cane her and abolish the practice of caning altogether. Caning is a form of cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and is prohibited under international human rights law. [more]

The court has ordered that Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno be remanded at the Kajang women’s prison from Monday, 24 August, and caned within seven days of this date. According to reports, no one in the country, male or female, has so far been caned under the country’s Shariah laws, making her the first to be punished in this way. Reports also say that she is the first woman to be caned in Malaysia.

Amnesty International called on the Malaysian government to stop caning people immediately and repeal all laws providing for caning and all other forms of corporal punishment. Currently caning is used as a supplementary punishment for at least 40 crimes in Malaysia.

In June 2009, the Malaysian government announced that they had sentenced 47,914 migrants to be caned for immigration offences since amendments to its Immigration Act came into force in 2002. At least 34,923 migrants have so far been caned between 2002 and 2008, according to the country’s prison department records.

Iran: Supreme Leader must act on torture

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-08-17T19:50:07+01:00

Torture allegations now emerging in Iran must be urgently and independently investigated, Irene Khan, Amnesty International’s Secretary General said today, as she urged Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to institute an immediate, independent inquiry and to invite international experts to help carry it out.

“Reports emerging from Iran allege that both men and women detainees have been raped and tortured in other ways, in some cases causing their deaths,” said Irene Khan. “The forms of abuse described appear to have been intended to degrade and humiliate the victims in the most extreme way, and if the allegations are well-founded those responsible must be brought to justice without delay.”

On 12 August, Ali Larijani, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament (Majles-e Shoura-ye Islami), said that an investigations conducted by the parliament had found no evidence of rape or other torture of detainees, although the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei had earlier ordered the closure of Kahrizak detention centre and announced that the prison’s chief and several guards there had been dismissed for abuse of prisoners.

“We note Speaker Larijani’s denial but if it is to have credibility, we need to know the details of the investigation to which he refers, including who carried it out and whether it could be considered independent,” said Irene Khan. “We are urging the Speaker to make the details known and publish the fill findings of the investigation so that the world can assess whether it can be considered credible, or is merely an attempt to deflect criticism and to cover up the truth.” [more]

Yesterday, Mehdi Karroubi, one of the four candidates permitted to stand in the 12 June presidential election, alleged that a number of detainees held for protesting against the disputed official result of the election, had been beaten to death in detention. Previously, on 9 August, he alleged that detainees, men and women, had been tortured, including by being raped, in detention and called for an urgent inquiry. It was shortly after this, and in the face of mounting expressions of international concern, that the Speaker announced that the allegations had been dismissed by a parliamentary inquiry.

Mohsen Rouhalamini, son of a top aide to presidential candidate Mohsen Rezaei, is reported to have died of cardiac arrest and bleeding in his lungs two weeks after he was detained on 9 July. He is believed to have been held at Kahrizak and to have had serious facial injuries as well as other injuries. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei reportedly ordered an investigation into his death and it was soon after this that he ordered the closure of Kahrizak detention centre.

“The Supreme Leader must act, and act now, to address the spiral of abuse,” said Irene Khan. “Official denials are not enough. What is needed is a root and branch investigation into the allegations of torture, including rape, and other abuses, and the Supreme Leader should invite international experts – such as the UN special rapporteurs on torture and on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions – to visit Iran and participate in the investigation, if it is to have credibility at home and abroad.”

Pressure mounts as time is running out for justice for 'Comfort Women'

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-08-14T18:41:45+01:00

Photo Credit: Former 'comfort woman' Lola Menen Castillo and her daughter Anna Louise Sancho Liao. © Amnesty International.

On the anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Asia, women who faced abuse and sexual slavery at the hand of the Japanese Imperial army have now been waiting 64 years for an official apology and adequate reparations.

It is thought that as many as 200,000 women were taken from their communities and beaten, raped and coerced into providing sexual services for the Japanese military in what became known as a system of "sexual slavery". For decades after the war, women remained silent about the abuses they faced, often fearing rejection from their families and communities.

Menen Medina Castillo is now 80 years old. She was born in the Philippines but taken from her family when she was 13 by Japanese Soldiers to a "Comfort Station" where she endured successive rapes. Menen kept her experience a secret from her family. "I never thought I could demand justice for the wrongs that were done to me during the war. I kept my silence because I thought I can not do anything about it," she said.

When a few women began to speak out against the abuses they'd faced, others joined them, forming groups campaigning for justice, engaging in activities from demonstrations, to global speaking tours and parliamentary lobbying. Menen is now a national representative for the campaign in the Philippines. [more]

Consistent pressure by the former "Comfort Women" and campaigning partners has paid off. Over the past three years, the USA, Canada, South Korea, Taiwan, and the European Parliament have all shown their support for the "Comfort Women" by passing resolutions urging the Government of Japan to provide justice for them. Experts from the United Nations Committee on Elimination of Discrimination against Women echoed these calls at the Committee’s meeting in July 2009.

Until recently there have been few signs of support for the campaign within Japan, though in a significant shift, since March 2008, 8 city councils in Japan have also passed resolutions supporting the call for justice and reparations for the former "Comfort Women".

Although pressure is mounting on the Government of Japan to apologize for its part in the system of "sexual slavery" and provide adequate reparations, many of the former "Comfort Women" are now in their 80s and fear that justice will not come during their lifetimes.

Read More
Japan urged to restore dignity to WWII "comfort women" (News, 3 November 2008)
Breakthrough in battle for justice for 'comfort women' (News, 21 December 2007)
Still Waiting After 60 years: Justice for Survivors of Japan's Military Sexual Slavery System (Report, 27 October 2005)

Urgent Action: Iran must release French national Clotilde Reiss

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-08-13T16:25:35+01:00

The trial of Clotilde Reiss has ended, according to the Iranian authorities, but no verdict has yet been delivered by the Revolutionary Court of Tehran. The judge may decide to release her on bail until her sentence is passed.

Clotilde Reiss, a 24 year-old French national, was accused in a mass trial of more than 100 people charged in connection with the mass and largely peaceful protests that broke out after the widely-disputed official result of the 12 June presidential election was announced. She was charged with acting against national security by taking part in demonstrations, collecting news and information, and sending pictures of the demonstrations abroad.

Excerpts of the trial proceedings shown on state-controlled Iranian TV showed Clotilde Reiss “confessing” to the Revolutionary Court on 8 August that she had participated in the protest demonstrations and had sent a report to the head of the French Institute of Iranian Studies for personal reasons, and apologizing to the court and requesting a pardon. It is unclear, however, whether her statements were freely given or made under duress. Her lawyers say they were not allowed time to examine her case file and were able only to seek the court’s clemency.

The Presidency of the European Union, along with the French and British authorities have denounced the trial proceedings and the “confessions” made by several trial defendants and shown on one state-controlled TV.

Amnesty International considers Clotilde Reiss a prisoner of conscience, held for peacefully exercising her right to receive and impart information and ideas, and is calling for her immediate and unconditional release. [more]

Take Action: Please write immediately to officials in Iran:

- Calling on the Iranian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Clotilde Reiss, as she is a prisoner of conscience detained solely for exercising her right to receive and impart information and ideas;

- Urging the Iranian authorities to allow Clotilde Reiss immediate access to consular assistance, a lawyer of her choice and to any medical treatment she may require, and that she be protected from all forms of torture or other ill-treatment;

- Calling on the authorities to stop unlawfully restricting exercise of the rights to freedom of association, assembly and expression, including the right to receive and impart information and ideas.

Write to:
Leader of the Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=letter (English)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Further Background

On 1 July, 24-year-old French national Clotilde Reiss was detained at Tehran airport in Iran, on her way home to France. She is accused of espionage in connection with photographs she took during a demonstration in June, which she emailed to a friend.

A graduate politics student from the city of Lille in France, Clotilde Reiss travelled to Iran after receiving a scholarship for her studies on Iran. She was about to return home via Lebanon, after five months working as an assistant teacher in Esfahan University in central Iran. Clotilde Reiss is held in Evin Prison in Tehran. She met with a French envoy on 9 july and said that she was being interrogated daily, though she was not being ill-treated.

Last month, she took photographs of a demonstration in which she participated, against the announcement of the re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, which many Iranians have disputed. She emailed the photographs to her family in France and to a friend in Tehran.

In the days following the announcement on 13 June 2009 that President Ahmadinejad had won the previous day's presidential election, which hundreds of thousands of Iranians dispute, the Iranian authorities imposed draconian restrictions on freedom of expression, association and assembly. Security forces, including the paramilitary Basij, have been widely deployed in the streets; communications have been significantly disrupted. Iranian publications have been banned from publishing information about the nationwide unrest since the result was declared. Foreign journalists have been banned from the streets, their visas not renewed and some foreign reporters have been arrested or expelled from the country.

According to statements made by Iranian officials, over 4,000 people have been arrested since 12 June by the police and Basij forces across the country during demonstrations or their aftermath. These include prominent political figures close to either presidential candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, or former President Khatami, who supported Mir Hossein Mousavi’s campaign. Some human rights defenders, as well as journalists have also been detained. On 16 June lawyer and human rights defender Abdolfattah Soltani, was also arrested and detained (see UA 160/09, MDE 13/059/2009, 19 June 2009: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/059/2009/en).

Journalist Issa Saharkhiz was arrested on 4 July and taken away to an undisclosed location (please see UA 181/09, MDE 13/067/2009, 6 July 2009: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/067/2009/en)

Iran is a state party to the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights and as such must uphold Article 19 which guarantees the right to freedom of expression and includes the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi�s new sentence 'shameful'

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-08-11T13:57:57+01:00

Myanmar's pro-democracy leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to a further 18 months’ house arrest by a court in Yangon's Insein prison on Tuesday. The leader of the National League for Democracy, she has been detained for over 13 of the past 20 years, mostly under house arrest.

The court found Daw Aung San Suu Kyi guilty of violating the conditions of her house arrest, after an uninvited man spent two nights there in early May. Under Section 22 of Myanmar's State Protection Act of 1975, she was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment, commuted to 18 months under house arrest. This was less than the maximum five years’ imprisonment allowed by law.

Amnesty International's Secretary General Irene Khan described the verdict as "shameful", adding that "her arrest and trial and now this guilty verdict are nothing more than legal and political theatre."

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's first period in detention began in July 1989 as the Myanmar government intensified its crackdown on nationwide pro-democracy protests that had begun a year earlier. Her house detention order was set to expire on 27 May 2009 but she was arrested and placed on trial earlier that month. The trial concluded on 28 July. [more]

"The Myanmar authorities will hope that a sentence that is shorter than the maximum will be seen by the international community as an act of leniency," said Irene Khan. "But it is not, and must not be seen as such, especially by ASEAN or the UN. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi should never have been arrested in the first place. The only issue here is her immediate and unconditional release."

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is one of more than 2,150 political prisoners in Myanmar. Amnesty International considers her to be a prisoner of conscience. She was awarded the 2009 Amnesty International Ambassador of Conscience award on 27 July 2009.

Her sentencing comes in the midst of ongoing human rights violations by the military against ethnic minority civilians. In early June the Myanmar army staged attacks and took Karen civilians for forced labour in Kayin State. This resulted in over 3,500 refugees fleeing to Thailand.

Nicaragua: Shocking Abortion Ban Denies Life-Saving Treatment To Girls and Women

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-07-27T19:51:36+01:00

Nicaragua’s total ban on abortions is endangering the lives of girls and women, denying them life-saving treatment, preventing health professionals from practicing effective medicine and contributing to an increase in maternal deaths across the country, concluded Amnesty International in a new report today.

According to official figures, 33 girls and women have died in pregnancy this year as compared to 20 in the same period last year. Amnesty International believes these figures are only a minimum as the government itself has acknowledged that the number of maternal deaths is under-recorded.

The report The total abortion ban in Nicaragua: Women’s lives and health endangered, medical professionals criminalized is the first Amnesty International study examining the human rights implications of the denial of abortion when the life or health of a woman or girl is at risk, including when she is a victim of rape or incest.

Nicaragua’s revised Penal Code stipulates prison sentences for girls and women who seek an abortion and for health professionals who provide health services associated with abortion. Only 3% of the world’s countries have such absolute bans in place.

Read the Report

[more]

The new Code introduces criminal sanctions for doctors and nurses who treat a pregnant woman or girl for illnesses such as cancer, malaria, HIV/AIDS or cardiac emergencies where such treatment is contraindicated in pregnancy and may cause injury to or death of the embryo or foetus.

It even goes as far as punishing girls and women who have suffered a miscarriage, as in many cases it is impossible to distinguish spontaneous from induced abortions.

This new law is in conflict with the Nicaraguan Obstetric Rules and Protocols issued by the Ministry of Health which mandate therapeutic abortions as clinical responses to specific cases. However, no assurances have been given by the authorities that doctors will not be prosecuted if they respect these Rules.

“Nicaragua’s ban of therapeutic abortion is a disgrace. It is a human rights scandal that ridicules medical science and distorts the law into a weapon against the provision of essential medical care to pregnant girls and women,” said Kate Gilmore, Amnesty International’s Executive Deputy Secretary General at a press conference in Mexico City as she returned from a visit to Nicaragua.

“Nicaragua’s Penal Code is a callous and cynical artefact of the political wheeling and dealing that took place in the country’s 2006 elections. Today, however, it punishes women and girl children for seeking life saving medical treatment and doctors for providing it.”

In Nicaragua, the Amnesty International delegation met with human rights organizations, medical professionals, members of the national assembly and the Minister of Health. Despite repeated requests, the National Assembly’s Commission on Women and both President Ortega and his government’s Institute for Women refused to meet the organization to discuss the law’s impact on girl children, women and victims of rape and incest.

Amnesty International delegates met with young girls who, having been subjected to sexual violence at the hands of close family members or friends, were compelled to carry the resulting pregnancies to term – giving birth in many instances to their own brothers or sisters – because they were denied access to alternatives. It is deeply troubling that there was a recorded rise in pregnant teenagers committing suicide by consuming poison in 2008.

Obstetricians, gynaecologists and family doctors in Nicaragua told Amnesty International that under this Penal Code they can no longer legally provide effective medical treatment for life threatening diseases in pregnant women and girls because of the potential risk to the foetus.

One doctor told Amnesty International that she prays she will not receive a patient with an anencephalic pregnancy (a condition which means the foetus cannot survive) because of the prospect of telling the woman she will be compelled to carry the pregnancy to full term, despite its devastating physiological and psychological impact on the woman.

“There’s only one way to describe what we have seen in Nicaragua: sheer horror,” said Kate Gilmore. “Children are being compelled to bear children. Pregnant women are being denied essential services including life saving medical care.”

“What alternatives is this government offering a 10-year-old pregnant as a result of rape? And to a cancer sufferer who is denied life saving treatment just because she is pregnant, while she has other children waiting at home?” said Kate Gilmore.

“Girls pregnant as a result of incest had the courage to meet with us to speak out against the situation but President Ortega did not. It appears the Nicaraguan authorities could not stand up for the law, would not be accountable for the law nor commit themselves to its urgent repeal.”

Amnesty International is urging the Nicaraguan authorities to:

Immediately repeal the law that bans all forms of abortion.
Guarantee safe and accessible abortion services for rape victims and women whose lives or health would be at risk from the continuation of pregnancy.
Protect the freedom of speech of those who speak out against the law and offer comprehensive support to the women and girls affected by the law.

Amnesty International is also calling on Nicaragua’s Supreme Court to issue a decision on the legality and constitutionality of the law as a matter of the utmost urgency.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is Amnesty International�s �Ambassador of Conscience�

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-07-27T17:03:07+01:00

Amnesty International today announced that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is being awarded its most prestigious honour – the “Ambassador of Conscience” Award for 2009.

This year’s award will be announced in Dublin by Amnesty International and the Irish rock band U2, previous recipients of the award and long-time supporters of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

“This month marks the twentieth anniversary of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s arrest and twenty years since Amnesty International declared her a prisoner of conscience. In those long and often dark years Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has remained a symbol of hope, courage and the undying defense of human rights, not only to the people of Myanmar but to people around the world,” said Irene Khan, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

Vaclav Havel, who received the inaugural “Ambassador of Conscience Award” in 2003, joined in the congratulations:

“I know from my own experience that international attention can, to a certain extent, protect the unjustly persecuted from punishments that would otherwise be imposed. That is why, shortly after I was elected President, I nominated Mrs Suu Kyi for the Nobel Peace Prize, which she did subsequently receive. Goodness knows what would have happened if her fate had not been highlighted as it is again today. I welcome Amnesty’s decision and am delighted at the solidarity, that U2 and all of you are showing towards this courageous woman – the Ambassador of Conscience of each one of us.”

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the Myanmar opposition party the National League for Democracy, and has been detained for over 13 of the past 20 years, mostly under house arrest. Her house detention order was set to expire on 27 May 2009, but she was arrested and placed on trial on 18 May. Over 2,100 other people are currently imprisoned in Myanmar for their political beliefs and should be freed.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s trial for violating the terms and conditions of her house arrest resumed on 24 .July. If convicted Daw Aung San Suu Kyi could face up to five years in jail.

Take Action: Call for the immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and Myanmar's political prisoners.

Watch a Video about Aung San Suu Kyi

[more]

Background:
The Ambassador of Conscience Award, now in its sixth year, recognises exceptional leadership and witness in the fight to protect and promote human rights. Past winners of the award include Peter Gabriel, Nelson Mandela and Mary Robinson.

The Award - inspired by a poem written for Amnesty International by Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney - aims to promote the work of the organization by association with the life, work and example of its 'Ambassadors', who have done much to inspire the world through their work and personal example.

Urgent Action: Abduction of human rights defender Shadi Sadr in Iran

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-07-23T20:28:23+01:00

Human rights defender Shadi Sadr was abducted on 17 July in Tehran, by men believed to be security officials. She was most probably detained because of her human rights activities after the disputed presidential election. She is at risk of torture; she is a prisoner of conscience.

Shadi Sadr, who is a lawyer and journalist, was walking with a group of women's rights activists on a road in Tehran when men in civilian clothes grabbed her and attempted to push her into a car. Shadi Sadr lost her headscarf and coat in the ensuing struggle but managed briefly to escape. She was quickly recaptured and beaten with batons, and was then taken away in the car.

Shadi Sadr and the group of women were on their way to Tehran University to attend the first Friday prayers since the disputed presidential election to be led by former President Ali Akbar Rafsanjani.

Shadi Sadr is the defence lawyer of human rights defender Shiva Nazar Ahari, a blogger and journalist who is a member of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters, who was arrested at her home in Tehran on 14 June, shortly after the presidential election, by security officials who searched her house and took away personal items. She is now believed to be held in Section 209 of Tehran’s Evin Prison.

Iran: Women's rights activist and lawyer violently arrested - NEWS FLASH

[more]

PLEASE WRITE IMMEDIATELY in Persian, Arabic, English, French or your own language:

- calling on the authorities to release Shadi Sadr immediately and unconditionally, as she is a prisoner of conscience, held solely for her human rights activities and the peaceful exercise of her rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly;

- urging them to disclose her whereaboutsimmediately, and ensure that she is allowed immediate access to her family, lawyer of her choice and any medical treatment she may require;

- urging the authorities to ensure that Shadi Sadr is protected from all forms of torture or other ill-treatment;

- calling on the authorities to remove unlawful restrictions on freedoms of expression, association and assembly in Iran.

Write To:

Leader of the Islamic Republic
Ayatollah Sayed ‘Ali Khamenei
The Office of the Supreme Leader
Islamic Republic Street – End of Shahid Keshvar Doust Street, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: via website: http://www.leader.ir/langs/en/index.php?p=letter (English)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Head of the Judiciary
Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh (Office of the Head of the Judiciary)
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: shahroudi@dadgostary-tehran.ir
(In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Further Background:

Shadi Sadr, a lawyer and journalist, was the director of Raahi, a legal advice centre for women until it was closed in March 2007. She set up Zanan-e Iran (Women of Iran), the first website dedicated to the work of Iranian women's rights activists and she has written extensively about Iranian women and their legal rights. She has represented activists and journalists and has represented several women sentenced to death, whose convictions were subsequently overturned. She is also involved in the Stop Stoning Forever Campaign (see: http://www.meydaan.com/). Shadi Sadr was previously detained on 4 March 2007 during a protest about the trial of five women's rights activists in Tehran (see UA 52/07, MDE 13/021/2007, 5 March 2007 and follow-up: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/021/2007/en).

In the days following the 13 June announcement that President Ahmadinejad had won the previous day's presidential election, which hundreds of thousands of Iranians dispute, the authorities imposed draconian restrictions on freedom of expression, association and assembly. The security forces, including the paramilitary Basij, have been widely deployed in the streets; communications have been significantly disrupted. Iranian publications have been banned from publishing information about the nationwide unrest since the result was declared. Foreign journalists have been banned from the streets, their visas not renewed and some foreign reporters have been arrested or expelled from the country.

According to statements by officials recorded by Amnesty International, over 2,000 people have been arrested since 12 June by the police and Basij forces across the country during demonstrations or their aftermath. These include prominent political figures close to either presidential candidates Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi, or former President Khatami, who supported Mir Hossein Mousavi’s campaign. Some human rights defenders, as well as journalists have also been detained. On 16 June lawyer and human rights defender Abdolfattah Soltani was also arrested and detained (see UA 160/09, MDE 13/059/2009, 19 June 2009: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/059/2009/en).

Journalist Issa Saharkhiz was arrested on 4 July and taken away to an undisclosed location (see UA 181/09, MDE 13/067/2009, 6 July 2009: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/MDE13/067/2009/en).

On 17 July, former President Ali Akbar Rafsanjani led the first Friday prayers at Tehran University since the disputed presidential election and called for the release of Iranian people detained after demonstrations or their aftermath. Thousands of opposition supporters rallied in the streets surrounding the university and interrupted his sermon with chants of support for election candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi, and police fired tear gas to disperse them. Several people were arrested.

Hundreds of Peru�s poor, rural and Indigenous pregnant women die in health service lottery

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-07-21T15:47:55+01:00

Hundreds of poor, rural and Indigenous pregnant women in Peru are dying because they are being denied the same health services as other women in the country, Amnesty International has concluded in a new report.

Published on Thursday the report, Fatal Flaws: Barriers to Maternal Health in Peru, explores the high levels of maternal mortality amongst poor and Indigenous women in rural Peru and evaluates the impact of recent government policies designed to tackle the problem.

Peru has one of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the Americas. According to official figures, 185 women die for every 100,000 live births in Peru. The United Nations puts the number even higher at 240. Most of these are rural, poor and Indigenous women.

Amnesty International's report highlights that pregnant women in Peru die because they face a number of barriers, including: lack of access to emergency obstetric care, unavailability of information on maternal health and lack of health staff who can speak Indigenous languages.

In addition, women living in poverty are largely excluded from political decision-making processes. Their voices are rarely heard and their views rarely influence the state's laws and policies so that these violations of human rights pass largely unnoticed by society and by those in authority.

Read the News Release

Read the Report

Read the Campaign Digest

Take Action

Iran: Women's rights activist and lawyer Shadi Sadr violently arrested

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-07-20T18:25:06+01:00

Amnesty International fears the wave of arrests of civil society activists in Iran is intensifying after lawyer and human rights activist, Shadi Sadr, was violently arrested in Tehran this morning on her way to Friday prayers.

Shadi Sadr was walking with a group of women’s rights activists along a busy road when unidentified plain clothed men pulled her into a car. She lost her headscarf and coat in the ensuing struggle but managed briefly to escape. She was quickly recaptured and beaten with batons before being taken away in the car to an unknown location.

“This was an illegal, arbitrary and violent arrest in which no attempt was made by the authorities to show identification or provide any explanation for their action,” said Malcolm Smart, Director of Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Programme."

“This is the latest of a continuing series of high profile arrests of Iranians - students, journalists, intellectuals, political and civil society activists – in the wake of protests over the disputed outcome of the presidential election.”

Amnesty International is calling for Shadi Sadr to be immediately and unconditionally released. [more]

Shadi Sadr is the defence lawyer of Shiva Nazar Ahari, a human rights defender and member of the Committee of Human Rights Reporters, who was arrested at her home in Tehran on 14 June 2009, shortly after the presidential election, by security officials who searched her house and took away personal items. She is now believed to be held in Section 209 of Tehran’s Evin Prison where Shadi Sadr, her lawyer, had not been able to gain access to her.

Background
Shadi Sadr, lawyer and journalist, was the director of Raahi, a legal advice centre for women until it was closed down. She founded Zanan-e Iran (Women of Iran), the first website dedicated to the work of Iranian women's rights activists (http://www.raahi.org) and has written extensively about Iranian women and their legal rights. She has represented activists and journalists, several women sentenced to execution, whose convictions were subsequently overturned. She is also involved in Women's Field (http://www.meydaan.com), a group of women's rights activists who have launched several campaigns to defend women's rights, including the "Stop Stoning Forever" Campaign.

Shadi Sadr was among 33 women arrested in March 2007. Most had gathered outside a Tehran courtroom to protest peacefully against the trial of five women – Fariba Davoudi Mohajer, Shahla Entesari, Noushin Ahmadi Khorassani, Parvin Ardalan and Sussan Tahmasebi – who were accused of “propaganda against the system”, “acting against national security” and “participating in an illegal demonstration” in connection with the 12 June 2006 demonstration. Four of those on trial were also among those arrested, along with Shadi Sadr, a lawyer. Initially held in the Vozara detention centre, some were later transferred to Evin Prison. Most were released after several days, but Shadi Sadr and Mahboubeh Abbasgholizadeh – who is also involved in the "Stop Stoning Forever" Campaign – were held for over two weeks before being released on bail.

At a Revolutionary Court session in August 2007, which their lawyer was not allowed to attend and during which they were also questioned about their NGOs and their activities in the “Stop Stoning Forever”campaign, they were charged with illegal assembly, collusion against national security, disruption of public order and refusal to obey the orders of the police.- see for example page 9 of Iran – Women’s Human Rights Defenders Defy Repression (Feb 2008)

Take Action: Canada: End violence against Indigenous women

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-07-06T17:27:47+01:00

According to Canadian government statistics, young Indigenous women in Canada are at least five times more likely than all other women to die as a result of violence. Many factors contribute to this violence, including a long history of discrimination and impoverishment, as well as the persistent failure of many police forces to respond quickly and effectively when Indigenous women are reported missing.

Successive governments have condemned the violence and promised to take action. However the measures taken to date have fallen far short of the comprehensive, coordinated response needed to address such serious and pervasive human rights violations.

Take Action: Urge the federal government to establish a comprehensive and coordinated plan of action to stop violence against Indigenous women.

DRC: Justine Masika Bihamba Thanks Amnesty

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-07-06T17:24:10+01:00

Women's human rights defender Justine Masika Bihamba, who has been targeted for her work to protect women survivors of sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo has thanked Amnesty International members for their solidarity. In a letter to Amnesty International on July 1, 2009, she wrote:

"Hi everyone, I am lost for words to express my deep gratitude for your support in these difficult times. Be assured that the cards you have sent have fortified thousands of women in Nord Kivu who had lost hope. I would like to say to each one of you how grateful I am.
Once again thank you."

Amnesty International continues to call for an end to sexual violence in the eastern DRC and for the protection of activists like Justine, who carry out vital human rights work.

Take Action: Mexico: Mixtec Women Human Rights Defenders at Risk

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-07-06T17:17:05+01:00

On June 24, 2009 Margarita Martín de las Nieves was travelling in a pickup truck with family members when they were fired upon by a man with a shotgun. Luckily, they escaped unhurt. Earlier that day, Margarita Martín de las Nieves and Guadalupe Castro - whose husbands, Indigenous rights defenders Raúl Lucas Lucía and Manuel Ponce Rosas were abducted, tortured and killed in February 2009 - had met with a state police official to arrange protection measures.

Take Action: Call on the Mexican authorities to implement and strengthen the protection measures for Margarita Martin and Guadalupe Castro that have already been agreed with federal and state authorities.

Amnesty International condemns 'honour killings' in Pakistan

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-06-29T18:20:44+01:00

On Monday, a young woman in Pakistan was allegedly killed by her relatives for marrying without the approval of her parents. This is being considered an "honour killing". which is an act of violence that is committed primarily against women who are considered to have brought shame on their family or community. When social customs, especially those related to marriage, are breached, the family “honour” is seen to have been violated, and must be restored. Under these circumstances, “honour” is restored by the death of the person responsible for violating it. “Honour crimes” take various forms and often result in death. In this case, relatives of the woman's husband were also killed in the attack.

There is no justification for "honour crimes" and they must be investigated and those responsible brought to justice through trials in accordance with international standards. There should be no double standard in how these crimes are treated - punishment for those who carry out "honour crimes" should not be less than other punishments for similar crimes.

Amnesty International has called on the government of Pakistan to adequately prevent and prosecute violence against women and girls in the home and community, including 'honour killings'.

Read the news article "Pakistan family shot dead after wedding: police." Note: Amnesty International is not responsible for the content of external websites or news media.

Read Amnesty International's 2008 Report on Pakistan

Take Action: South Africa: Rape Survivors Denied Treatment

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-06-29T15:56:21+01:00

Survivors of sexual violence who have not reported the crime to the police are being denied treatment at a South African hospital near the Zimbabwean border. Many of the women struggling to gain access to emergency services at Musina Hospital are asylum-seekers and irregular migrants who were raped or sexually assaulted while making the hazardous journey across the border from Zimbabwe. Because of the high prevalence rate of HIV in South Africa, rape puts women at greater risk of contracting the virus. Medical care for survivors of rape to prevent HIV and to address other serious health issues related to sexual violence must be provided without delay.

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Amnesty's Women's Action Network at Toronto Pride!

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-06-29T15:26:33+01:00

Amnesty International members joined thousands of others in the 2009 Toronto Pride Parade last weekend. Above, members of the AI Action Network for Women's Human Rights in Toronto, Darlene, Claire and Magda, pose for a picture during the march.

Restaurants support Amnesty's work to Stop Violence Against Women

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-06-26T18:40:44+01:00

As part of Amnesty International's Taste for Justice, restaurants across Canada donated a portion of their proceeds to support our work on the Stop Violence Against Women (SVAW) campaign from June 1-15 2009.

One of these restaurants, The Bohemian Kitchen in Bells Corners, Ontario, created a candle-shaped cookie, raising $200 for Amnesty International's SVAW Campaign! You can read more about their participation in a local newsletter article here.

A huge thanks to all the restaurants that participated, and all the individuals who hold events in their own homes and communities all year round. To find out more or to register as a Taste for Justice host, click here.

UN Human Rights Council adopts resolution on maternal mortality

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-06-24T20:06:45+01:00

On 12 June 2009, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution entitled "Preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights". The resolution acknowledges that "globally maternal mortality is the leading cause of death among women and of girls of reproductive age." It calls for states to renew their committment to eliminating preventable maternal mortality and morbidity. It also calls for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to prepare a study on preventable maternal mortality and morbidity to be considered again by the Council in three years.

With the launch of the Demand Dignity Campaign, Amnesty International will focus attention on the human rights violations that impact maternal mortality, including lack of access to health services, discrimination, early and forced marriage and other factors. The recognition by the Human Rights Council of the necessity of a human rights approach to reducing preventable maternal deaths is welcome.

View the UN Human Rights Council resolution here

Take action on Maternal Mortality in Peru

Over 20,000 sign petition for Greek trade unionist

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-05-13T13:18:48+01:00

Photo Credit: Representatives of Amnesty International Greece hand over 22,868 petitions calling for justice for Konstantina Kouneva.
© studio Kominis

A Greek government minister has pledged to secure justice for trade unionist Konstantina Kouneva after 22,000 people signed a petition to support her.

Amnesty International handed over 22,000 petitions, calling for justice in the case of Konstantina Kouneva, to the Deputy Minister of the Interior, Hristos Markogiannakis, on Tuesday 5 May.

In a meeting with representatives of Amnesty International in Greece, the Deputy Minister committed himself to ensuring that the investigation of the case would be given a high priority and that everything possible would be done to bring the perpetrators to justice. [more]

Konstantina Kouneva, a trade union leader, was seriously injured when acid was thrown in her face by unknown assailants on 22 December 2008. The attack followed escalating tension between her and her employers as a result of her trade union activities, pressing for basic rights for workers in the cleaning industry.

On various occasions, she criticized the practices used by employers to exploit the workers, many of whom are migrants, including delays in paying their salaries for up to five months and not paying employees' social insurance.

The first stage of the investigation into the attack failed to take into account her activities as a trade union leader, while the second stage is reported to have been progressing very slowly.

On the same day that the petitions were presented to the Deputy Minister, representatives of Amnesty International also carried out a street theatre action in front of the Katehaki metro station in Athens in support of Konstantina Kouneva.

Thanks to all those that took action through AI's online petition.

Urgent Action: Imminent Execution of Ifraah Ali Aden in Somalia

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-05-12T16:42:45+01:00

Ifraah Ali Aden is in imminent danger of being executed for the murder of another woman, Suad Mohamed Aware, who was another of her husband's wives. She was convicted after an unfair trial. The warrant for her execution does not set a date, and it appears that she could be put to death at any time.

Ifraah Ali Aden was sentenced to death on 27 April, less than 24 hours after the killing of Suad Mohamed Aware. She had no time to prepare her defence, and it is not clear whether she had adequate legal representation

Ifraah Ali Aden and Suad Mohamed Aware appear to have been in dispute for some time. There are conflicting reports about the killing, with some (including her relatives) saying that Suad Mohamed Aware was attacked by Ifraah Ali Aden with a knife in a medical centre in Bossaso. According to relatives of Ifraah Ali Aden, she was confronted by Suad Mohamed Aware and two other women; there was a struggle, during which she killed Suad Mohamed Aware in self-defence. Suad Mohamed Aware was seven or eight months pregnant when she was killed. [more]

Ifraah Ali Aden’s relatives also say that she complained to the police several times that she had been threatened by Suad Mohamed Aware, once with a gun, but that the police did nothing; some of her relatives, including her seven children, were intimidated by Suad Mohamed Aware's family before the killing. This intimidation continued after the killing, and they had to flee Bossaso, and have been unable to visit Ifraah Ali Aden in prison, where she is said to be in a "state of shock."

She was sentenced to death by the Court of First Instance in the city of Bossaso, on the coast of the north-eastern region of Puntland. She is four or five months pregnant, according to sources close to her. She has a cell to herself in a prison in Bossaso which is only for prisoners under sentence of death. Relatives of the woman Ifraah Ali Aden killed have apparently been able to get into the prison, as have members of the security forces, to taunt her about her imminent execution.

Take Action: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:

calling on the authorities to immediately suspend the warrant of execution against Ifraah Ali Aden, and give her immediate access to a doctor, to confirm whether she is pregnant;
stating that international human rights law and standards prohibit the execution of pregnant women and new mothers
urging the authorities to ensure that Ifraah Ali Aden has adequate legal representation and that her family is able to visit her;
urging the authorities to ensure that Ifraah Ali Aden is able to appeal to a higher court in proceedings which comply with international fair trial standards, and that her rights to legal representation, to adequate time and facilities to prepare her defence, to challenge evidence brought against her and to call her own witnesses, and to seek clemency, are upheld;

Write To:

President Abdirahman Mohamed Mohamud (Farole)
President of Puntland
Email: plpresidencyg@hotmail.com

Further Background:

The Puntland region declared its autonomy from Somalia in 1998, and has its own government. Although there is no effective or competent system of administration of justice in Somalia, Puntland has functioning courts, based on three legal systems: the judicial system of the former Somali state; shari’a (Islamic law); and customary law, as traditionally administered by elders. The system applied will depend on the matter under consideration as well as the region in which the issue arose. Several people have been sentenced to death in Puntland since it came into being, and at least one person was executed in 2008.

While the death penalty is not in itself a violation of international law, there is an increasing international trend towards its abolition and international law and standards place strict limitations on its use in those states where it is still used. These limitations include a prohibition on the execution of pregnant women and new mothers; a requirement that people charged with crimes punishable by death are entitled to the strictest observance of all fair trial guarantees required by international human rights law; and that they should have the right to seek pardon or commutation of sentence.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty unconditionally and under any circumstances, as a violation of the right to life and the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment.

Iran: Release of US-Iranian journalist welcome

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-05-11T19:05:04+01:00

Amnesty International has welcomed the news that the US-Iranian journalist, Roxana Saberi, is to be released from jail in Iran later today (Monday).

“We are delighted that justice has been served by the appeal process and that Roxana Saberi is due to be released from prison in Tehran today,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa region. "She should, however, never have been imprisoned in the first place."

Roxana Saberi was convicted of "collaborating with a hostile state" by Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, behind closed doors, in April and originally sentenced to eight years in prison. Yesterday, a court heard an appeal against her conviction and commuted the sentence to a suspended two-year term on the charge of "collecting classified information", with a five-year ban on working as a journalist in Iran. [more]

“Although Ms Saberi’s release is welcome, it should be unconditional,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui. “We are concerned that she may face travel restrictions, like those imposed this weekend on Narges Mohammadi, an aide to Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Shirin Ebadi, and Soraya Azizpanah, the editor of Rasan magazine, who were banned from attending a conference in Guatemala.

“We are also calling on the Iranian authorities to release all other prisoners of conscience in Iran, including the Alaie brothers - both doctors - who are imprisoned on similar charges and whom we believe are held solely in relation to their work with international and specifically US institutions in the field of HIV and AIDS prevention and treatment.”

Iran: Protest the Execution of Delara Darabi

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-05-07T19:17:08+01:00

Delara Darabi was executed on May 1, 2009 in Rasht Prison, northern Iran, despite receiving a two-month stay of execution from the Head of the Judiciary on April 19. Neither her parents nor her lawyers were notified 48 hours before her before her execution as required under Iranian law.

Delara Darabi was convicted of murdering a relative in 2003 when she was 17. She initially confessed to the murder, apparently believing she could save her boyfriend from the gallows, but later retracted her confession. Amnesty International does not consider her trial to have been fair. The courts refused to consider new evidence that her lawyer said would have proved she could not have committed the murder.

The execution of Delara Darabi brings to at least 140 the number of executions in Iran so far this year. She is the second woman known to have been executed this year and the second child offender. Since 1990 Iran has executed at least 42 child offenders, eight of them in 2008 and one on January 21, 2009. These executions went ahead in total disregard of international law, which unequivocally bans the execution of those convicted of crimes committed when under the age of 18.

Take Action

Read the Press Release

Iran: Roxana Saberi hostage to strained political US-Iranian relations

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-04-20T20:39:57+01:00

US-Iranian journalist Roxana Saberi is a pawn to the ongoing political developments between Iran and the USA and should be considered a prisoner of conscience, Amnesty International said today as it called for Saberi’s immediate and unconditional release.

“The fact that Roxana Saberi faced a shifting tide of accusations from the time of her arrest until her trial is an indication that the Iranian authorities were looking for any excuse to detain her,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme. “There is no reason for holding Roxana Saberi, unless the Iranian authorities can provide convincing evidence that she committed a recognizable criminal offence.”

Thirty-one-year-old Roxana Saberi, who was born in the USA and has lived in Iran for the past six years where she had been working as a journalist, was sentenced on 18 April to eight years in prison for “espionage” in a closed trial.

Her father has said that “confessions” made under duress during her pre-trial detention may have been used as evidence in her trial. [more]

Amnesty International has noted a statement made by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Sunday 19 April in which he instructs the Tehran General Prosecutor to ensure that Roxana Saberi receives her full legal rights to defend herself and a subsequent statement on Monday 20 April by the Head of the Judiciary which called for her to have a speedy, fair appeal.

“The recent statements by President Ahmadinejad appear to be a tacit recognition of a fact that we have been highlighting for years - that justice in Iran is hard to come by,” said Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui.

“If – as appears to be the case – Roxana Saberi is held solely for political reasons in connection to Iran’s relations with the USA, or on account of the peaceful exercise of her internationally recognized right to freedom of expression, then she is a prisoner of conscience who should be released immediately and unconditionally. We trust that in this case at least, justice will be served during the appeals process.”

Background
Roxana Saberi was arrested on 31 January and was initially accused of having purchased alcohol which is banned in Iran. She was held in Tehran’s Evin Prison, where reports of torture and ill-treatment of detainees are common. The accusations against her were later changed to carrying on reporting as a journalist after her press credentials were revoked by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance in 2006.

She was finally charged with “espionage” on 13 April at a trial session in which she retracted her earlier “confessions”. Her conviction and sentence were announced on 18 April. After her trial, her father, Reza Saberi, said that his daughter had “confessed” to certain activities during her initial detention, possibly during the initial five weeks when she had no access to a lawyer, as she was told that if she cooperated with her interrogators, she would be released. She retracted these confessions at her trial. Her lawyer has stated his intention to lodge an appeal against her conviction and sentence. The Head of the Judiciary has also written to the Tehran Judiciary stating that "different dimensions of this case, including material and moral elements of the crime, must be considered at the appeals stage in a careful, quick and fair way".

Several US-Iranian dual nationals have been detained in Iran in recent years since the US Congress announced an extra US$75 million funding for “supporting democracy” in Iran. They include Dr Haleh Esfandiari, Kian Tajbakhsh, Parnaz Azima and Ali Shakeri. Most have been accused of acting against national security, particularly with relation to participation in an alleged “soft revolution” in Iran.

Five Iranian diplomats are held in the USA after being arrested in Iraq in 2007. In a meeting with the Swiss President on 19 April, President Ahmadinejad called for their release. Some commentators have also suggested that Roxana Saberi’s arrest and trial may also be in part due to internal rivalries in the Iranian system with regard to the election of President Obama in the USA and his recent overtures towards Iran.

Women human rights activists targeted in Afghanistan

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-04-14T21:08:37+01:00

Sitara Achakzai (pictured left), a member of the provincial council in Kandahar and an advocate for women's rights, was killed by armed men on 12 April 2009 in Kandahar city.

Women human rights defenders have been under attack in Afghanistan, targeted for speaking out and calling for an end to discrimination and violence against women. In the past few years, other women human rights defenders have been killed, including Lt. Col. Malalai Kakar, a prominent female Afghanistan National Police criminal investigator in Kandahar and Safia Amajan, provincial director of the Ministry of Women's Affairs in Afghanistan.

The government of Afghanistan must do more to protect women who speak out for human rights.

Take Action: Call on President Karzai to protect Women Human Rights Defenders and ensure that they are able to carry out their vital work, without fear of violence and intimidation.

Nepal's government fails to protect women human rights activists

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-04-14T15:03:30+01:00

Photo Credit: Women's human rights demonstration in Kathmandu, 29 November 2008 demanding a commission to look into violence against women. © Private

On 10 April 2008, a new Constituent Assembly in Nepal was elected. The elections brought hope for placing human rights at the heart of the Constituent Assembly work and the new Maoist government made specific commitments to end impunity and improve the human rights situation in Nepal, including the rights of women and women human rights defenders.

In July, the government established a task force to make recommendations regarding violence against women and criminalization of domestic violence, following an extended protest by women human rights defenders, initiated after the alleged murder of a women human rights defender and the subsequent failure of police to properly investigate. The task force has yet to submit its report, which was due within two months.

A year on, very little has changed in reality, as women activists continue to face barriers to access justice and seek redress for domestic and sexual violence and gender discrimination. Two women's rights activists in Nepal have been murdered since the new government came to power, with no significant attempts made to investigate or prosecute the crimes.

Read More

Read the News Release

Take Action: Call on the Government of Nepal to protect women activists!

International Women's Day 2009 in Halifax

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-04-01T22:23:38+01:00

Photo Credit: Amnesty International members in Halifax at the International Women's Day event screening of "The Greatest Silence".

Halifax area Amnesty International members recently organized a screening of "The Greatest Silence", a film about the brave women of the Democratic Republic of Congo, followed by a discussion facilated by Alison Etter, Amnesty International Fieldworker and Liz MacCormack, representative of the Dalhousie Women's Centre. The event attracted a wide range of participants from seniors to youth. A screening of "Finding Dawn", a film about missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada, was also held that week in honour of International Women's Day, facilitated by Dalhousie Amnesty International Society member Charlotte Sachs. Thanks to all who helped plan the events and who attended!

Trapped by Violence: Women targeted and killed in Iraq

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-04-01T22:03:03+01:00

In Iraq, women who have spoken out about violence against women have become targets themselves. Women political leaders and activists have been threatened, targeted and killed by Islamist armed groups. Women who run shelters for women escaping violence, lawyers who help women to defend their rights and women campaigning for an end to discrimination have been targeted for their work. They remain at serious risk of violence.

Take Action: Call on the Goverment of Iraq to protect women from violence.

I�m Not a Feminist, But�� Celebrating International Women�s Day in Ottawa

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-03-11T19:18:29+01:00

Photo Credit: Joanna Kerr (centre) of Oxfam Canada moderates the debate at the event "I'm not a feminist, but..." in Ottawa on March 4, 2009. Debators pictured here are (L to R): Ellen Gabriel of Quebec Native Women Inc., Robert Fox of Oxfam Canada, Dilani Mohan of the Miss_ G Project for Equity in Education, and Jessica Yee of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network. © Amnesty International.

In front of a standing-room only crowd at the National Archives in Ottawa, high profile women and men held a lively debate and discussion on the relevance of feminism on March 4, 2009.

The event, organized by more than ten organizations working for women's rights and equality at local, national and international levels, was held in honour of International Women’s Day. Close to four hundred Ottawa residents, from all walks of life, came to celebrate, learn and be inspired.

The debate “Be It Resolved That: Canada and the world need more feminists”, also featured a lighthearted film screening in which a variety of Ottawa residents spoke from the heart about what feminism means to them, and the first annual Femmy Awards, recognizing the contributions of women activists in the National Capital region. As well, Raghad Ebied and Agathe Gramet-Kedzior read from their powerful essays entitled “I’m not a feminist but…” and “I’m a feminist and…” which they wrote as part of a writing contest for the event. [more]

As the main focus of the event, the debate allowed the audience a chance to engage with local, national and international issues in a funny, educational, inspiring, and sometimes unusual way. The debate began as a friendly sparring on the debating topic. Debaters engaged on such topics as whether or not the feminist movement is inclusive and accessible for women of color, how Indigenous women inspired the suffragettes, the relevance of feminism to young women, and the stigma surrounding the use of the word “feminist.”

The debate focused on the capacity of women to be change agents. “If there were more feminists making the decisions, it wouldn’t only change who is making the decisions – it would change the decisions,” argued Robert Fox, Executive Director of Oxfam Canada and one of the night’s debaters.

Dilani Mohan is one such woman of change. One of the founding members of The Miss G__ Project for Equity in Education, a grassroots organization devoted to the elimination of sexism and the promotion of active citizenship among youth, Mohan also participated in the event as a debater. The Miss G__ Project is currently working on getting Women's and Gender Studies added to the Ontario Secondary School Curriculum.

“As an inspiring woman told me, feminism is not an employment agency. It’s about strength, autonomy, unity, and decision-making, ” Mohan told the audience during the debate.

Maureen Welch of the CBC emceed the evening, with Joanna Kerr from Oxfam Canada as debate moderator. Other debaters included Jane Doe*, Ellen Gabriel from Quebec Native Women Inc, and Jessica Yee of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network.

The night wrapped up with the inaugural Femmy Awards, honouring fearless feminists in the national capital region. Oni the Haitian Sensation hosted the awards. This year’s winners include Suzanne Doerge of CAWI (City for All Women Initiative), Lucya Spencer of Immigrant Women’s Services Ottawa, Leilani Farha of CERA (The Centre for Equality Rights in Accommodation), Cindi Foreman of The Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Sue Genge of The Canadian Labour Congress, Karen Seabrooke of Inter Pares, Ghislaine Sirois of Action Ontarienne contre la Violence faite aux Femmes, Kathryn Trevenan, Faculty Member of University of Ottawa, Margery Ann Wardle who volunteers with a number of organizations, and Joan Wright of Planned Parenthood.

Over 10 organizations, working for women's rights and equality participated in the event, including: Amnesty International Canada Nobel Women's Initiative, Oxfam Canada, Harmony House, Inter Pares, Peacebuild: Gender and Peacebuilding Working Group,Women’s Event Network, OCTEVAW, Ad Hoc Coalition for Women’s Equality and Human Rights, Women’s Worlds 2011, PACT Ottawa, Planned Parenthood Ottawa, Comité Réseau d'Ottawa, and GalldinLiew Feminist Legal Practice.

International Women's Day in Toronto

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-03-11T16:35:51+01:00

Photo Credit: Amnesty International members march in the International Women's Day Parade in Toronto, March 7, 2009.
© Romina Oliverio.

On March 7th, 2009, Amnesty International’s Action Network for Women's Human Rights (ANWHR) marched in solidarity with Indigenous women in the International Women’s Day Parade in Toronto. Volunteers gathered over 370 signatures in support of recommendations in the AI report “Stolen Sisters: Discrimination and Violence Against Indigenous Women in Canada” which will be updated later this year. Further signatures were gathered at Amnesty’s table at the Information Fair at Ryerson University following the parade. Thank you to all those who came out!

International Women's Day in Vancouver and Gabriola Island

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-03-11T16:25:22+01:00

Photo Credit: International Women's Day event in Vancouver. March 4, 2009.

International Women's Day events in Vancouver and Gabriola Island drew a full house and involved choir performances and guest speakers.

The Vancouver event took place on Wednesday, March 4 and featured a welcome from Aboriginal Educator Majorie Dumont, followed by readings by two poets, Marni Norwich and Magnolia Villalobos. Next on the agenda was a panel discussion on women's achievements around equality, featuring Shelagh Day (FAFIA), Kasari Govender (West Coast LEAF), and Asia Czapska (Justice for Girls), moderated by Miriam Palacios (Oxfam).

The Solidarity Sisters Choir performed three songs, and poet Shauna Paull read a poem she had composed for the event. About 200 people were in attendance to participate in the forum and visit displays presented by more than 20 women's and human rights organizations. The event was co-presented with Oxfam, We Can, the Vancouver and District Labour Council, and the BC Council for International Cooperation.

The Gabriola Island event was more intimate but no less inspiring, with about 60 people gathered on Sunday, March 8, to hear short presentations on women's rights, enjoy a local choir performance, and watch the film "A Grandmother's Tribe" which highlights the challenges faced by grandmothers who find themselves raising multiple grandchildren as the parents, one by one, die due to HIV/AIDS.

Both events inspired audiences with stories about successes over the years to achieve equality for women, but both events also drew attention to the work that remains to be done locally and globally to fully realize an end to violence and discrimination against women.

AI Canada supports Sinethemba Shelter in South Africa

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-03-11T16:22:55+01:00

In late 2008, Amnesty International Canada‘s South Africa Coordinators received an email from the AI International Secretariat informing us that the Sinethemba women’s shelter in South Africa had been robbed. Some R10,000 worth of goods were stolen and the shelter car, which is needed to transfer women to court, was damaged. The shelter urgently needed money to replace what had been stolen and to repair the vehicle.

In the past, Amnesty International Canada has successfully campaigned for the Sinethemba shelter. In November 2006, AI Canada members wrote to the South African High Commission in Canada, calling for South African provincial funding for the shelter. As a result of these letters, the national Social Welfare Department in South Africa supported the purchase of the property on which the shelter is situated.

In response to the recent request for immediate assistance, Amnesty International Canada provided CAN $1,500 of relief funding to the shelter, along with a donation of CAN $100 from AI Group 56 located in Ottawa. This money has allowed the shelter to remain open and to continue to assist women and children in the area.

In appreciation for AI Canada's assistance, Lesley Frescura, of the Amnesty International group in Durban, South Africa, wrote “Your continued assistance and financial support at the end of 2008 was an absolute godsend for Rachel Tomlinson and the Shelter … your support for the Shelter shows us the true spirit of AI and is an example to us.”

Photo Credit: Left: the Sinethemba shelter. Above: the Amnesty International Durban Group visiting the shelter, with Rachel Tomlinson, the shelter’s director, sitting far right. ©AI Durban Group.

Greece: Investigate the attack of trade union leader

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-03-09T22:07:08+01:00

Konstantina Kuneva, a Bulgarian migrant worker and trade union leader received extensive injuries when she was attacked on 22 December 2008 in the Greek capital, Athens. The attack is allegedly connected with her trade union activities, demanding basic rights for migrant workers, and reportedly followed an escalation of tension between Kuneva and her employers.

As a result of the attack in which two men threw sulphuric acid in her face, Konstantina Kuneva has lost the total vision in one eye, and left with partial vision in the other. Her vocal chords were also seriously damaged. She remained in a comatose state for several days and continues to be hospitalized.

Konstantina Kuneva, who worked as a historian in Bulgaria, came to Greece in 2001 to earn money to pay for her son’s medical treatment. While working as a cleaner, she participated in trade union activities to demand basic rights for migrant workers and eventually become Secretary General of the Attica Union on Cleaners and Domestic Workers.

Take Action: Call for the Government of Greece to ensure a thorough and impartial investigation into the attack on Konstantina Kuneva.

*Note, this action is on AI's international website, and you will be asked to register to sign the online petition. Registration is free and easy, and gives you future access to other online appeals on the website.

International Women�s Day: Failure to respect the rights of women deprives us all

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-03-08T15:20:19+01:00

International Women's Day is a time to celebrate women’s commitment to work for equality and justice for all people.

The landscape for women's rights has changed dramatically over the past century. In 2009, the issue is less about women’s legal status – although many countries do still have discriminatory laws on their books – and more about ensuring women genuinely experience equality in all aspects of their lives.

At the international and regional level, there are legally binding agreements to protect and promote women's rights. In many countries women are active participants in the political process and have made progress towards some economic equality. However, women's right to life, to physical integrity, to health, to education, to freedom from violence, remains largely unfulfilled. Nowhere is this more evident than for women living in poverty. The reason? The lack of political will, and the rhetorical commitments of political leaders are followed by a gaping vacuum in terms of action and resources.

There are no legitimate excuses to explain why governments have failed to fully implement – and make effective – the national and international laws passed over the last few decades to end discrimination and violence against women once and for all. [more]

The failure of governments to act, coupled with persistent and pervasive discrimination in societies, systematically undermine the rights of women who are marginalised and excluded. Women living in poverty are deprived of their rights to health and education and live in fear of violence in their lives and of their children, demonstrating that freedom from fear and freedom from want or inextricably linked. Women living in poverty are excluded from the opportunity to actively participate in decisions that affect their lives. Women experience multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination based on their race, ethnicity, caste, religion, gender or sexuality but also simply on account of their living in poverty.

In South Africa, high levels of sexual violence and the prevalence of HIV make women particularly vulnerable to HIV infection. Women who live in poverty are often unable to afford the costs of transportation to access medical facilities where they could receive comprehensive care and treatment. Women living in Kibera, Kenya, one of the world’s largest slums, struggle daily to access basic necessities such as water and food and some degree of physical security. In Haiti, many girls cannot afford to pay school fees. This either means they are denied access to education or they end up in sexually exploitive relationships with men in order to pay the fees. Over half a million women die preventable deaths every year from complications related to pregnancy. The vast majority of these deaths are of women living in poverty. Poverty will not be eradicated unless all these gross human rights violations are addressed.

The Millennium Development Goals, the major global response to poverty agreed by all governments at the beginning of this century, do include commitments to women's empowerment and health. But the existing targets and indicators used to measure progress to this end are inadequate - masking discrimination, and leaving largely unaddressed the violence and marginalisation of women. Violence against women inhibits poor women's efforts to overcome poverty through employment. Violence against girls, means fewer girls attend school, and violence against women is both a significant factor pushing women to leave rural areas and their continuing exposure to it in slums.

Today, International Women's Day, women around the world will celebrate, stand up and speak out to demand their rights. Will governments listen to these demands and act to uphold the rights of women? Of all women?
Amnesty International urges governments to listen and to act. Failure to respect the rights of women deprives us all. None of us can afford to live in a world in which the gifts, talents and experiences of half the population are excluded.

Afghanistan: Women Human Rights Defenders at Risk

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-03-04T18:11:04+01:00

In October 2001 the US-led intervention to oust the Taleban regime was accompanied by a pledge from the Afghan government to protect women’s human rights and promote gender equity within the country. While a number of advancements for women's rights have been made, Afghan women and girls continue to experience serious human rights violations, including domestic violence, abduction and rape by armed individuals, trafficking, forced marriages, and child marriages.

Women human rights defenders are challenging the status of Afghan women and promoting human rights. These courageous women frequently face intimidation and attacks. Some have fled the country, while others have been killed for raising their voices against violations of women’s human rights.

Take Action: To mark International Women’s Day, take action to demand that women human rights defenders are properly protected in Afghanistan.

Call on the Government of Venezuela to Protect Women's Rights

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-03-03T22:43:28+01:00

In Venezuela, thousands of women suffer physical, sexual or mental abuse by members of their families. In March 2007, the Venezuelan authorities introduced the Organic law on the rights of women to a life free of violence. While passing the law was a welcome step, implementation has been slow. Many women continue to suffer from violence, unable to escape the situations they are in or report the violence.

One of the main problems is the lack of shelters, as women who face violence can find themselves with nowhere to turn for protection. Further, many women do not report violence because they worry they will not be believed by the police and other law enforcement officials.

Take Action: Call on the Government of Venezuela to protect women’s rights by establishing new shelters and providing training for law enforcement officials.

*Note, this action is on AI's International website, and you will be asked to register to sign the online petition. Registration is free and easy, and gives you future access to other online appeals on the website.

International Women's Day Events Listing

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-02-25T14:21:20+01:00

Join Amnesty International to celebrate International Women's Day! Take part in events in these cities, or contact svaw@amnesty.ca to find out about an event in your area.

Nelson:
Celebrate the achievements of women as agents of change and take action for women’s human rights.
Film Screening
When: Saturday March 7th, 6:30pm
Where: Nelson Library Basement
Hosted by: West Kootenay Women’s Association and Amnesty International Nelson

Gabriola Island:
International Women’s Day Event
Join Amnesty International and others in a celebration of International Women's Day. Event will feature guest speakers, choir performances, and films.
When: Sunday, March 8th, Doors open at 6:45 pm, Program begins at 7 pm.
Where: Roxy, 560 North Road.

Vancouver:
“Celebrating Women’s Achievements Past and Present”
Free public forum to celebrate International Women’s Day with guest speakers, poetry, live music, and information and action tables.
When: March 4th.
Refreshments at 5pm, Speakers and activities from 6-9pm.
Where: Vancouver Public Library Central Branch, 350 West Georgia Street
Hosted by: Amnesty International Canada, Oxfam Canada, BC Council for International Cooperation, and the Vancouver and District Labour Council.

Edmonton:
International Women’s Day Celebration
From Half a Chance to the Whole World
Stories of women’s human rights, music, artwork, NGO fair and refreshments
When: March 7, 7pm-10pm
Where: The Hydeaway (10209 100 Avenue)
$10 suggested donation
Sponsored by Amnesty International and Oxfam Canada

Regina:
Women’s Rights are Human Rights Conference
International Women’s Day conference: Stop Gender-Based Violence, film screening and panel discussion on violence against women in Canada and abroad.
When: March 6th, 8:30am-4:00pm
Where: University of Regina, AdHum Building, 5th Floor
Admission is $10 ($5 for students)
For more information and registration forms see www.earthbeat.sk.ca
Sponsored by: Amnesty International, Saskatchewan Sisters in Spirit, SCIC, Daughters of Africa, MATCH International, SFL, Prairie Lilies Feminist Society, Women’s Studies Program University of Regina.

Saskatoon:
International Women’s Day “Voicing Our Strengths and Moving Forward”
Event includes drumming, guest speakers, music, refreshments and children’s activities.
When: March 8th, 1-4pm
Where: Mendel Art Gallery
Organized by the Saskatoon Branch of the United Nations Association of Canada.

Barrie:
International Women’s Day Celebration:
Join us for an evening of live entertainment, community booths, an interactive children's corner and refreshments and prizes. Celebrate the collective power of women past, present, and future.
Where: Barrie City Hall Rotunda
When: March 5th, 5:00-8:00pm
Presented by: Athena's Sexual Assault counselling and advocacy centre, Barrie Amnesty International Action Circle, COLIBRI, Elizabeth Fry Society of Simcoe County, Women and Children's Shelter.

Toronto:
2009 International Women's Day March
"March for the end of violence, discrimination, and poverty for women worldwide."
Where: Rally at OISE Auditorium, 252 Bloor St. West (St. George subway station) followed by a March to Ryerson University.
When: March 7th. Rally at 11am, March at 1pm
Information Fair from 1:30-3:30 at Ryerson University, 55 Gould St.
Amnesty International's Action Network on Women's Human Rights (ANWHR).
Find us on Facebook

Ottawa:
"I’m Not a Feminist, but…"
Join the Debate, Stay for the Party!
Debate: Be it resolved that Canada and the world need more feminists!
Including Feminism on Film and the 1st Annual Femmy Awards
When: March 4th, 7-10pm
Where: National Archives Auditorium
Refreshments and networking opportunities following the event. Childcare available, contact svaw@amnesty.ca; Event is free, donations accepted.
Sponsored by: Amnesty International Canada in partnership iwth other organizations.
Find us on Facebook

Montreal:
Women as Agents of Change
Panel discussion and film screening on Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti and Indigenous Women.
When: March 9th, 6-9pm
Where: Maison de la culture Côte-des-Neiges (5290 chemin de la Côte-des-Neiges)
Hosted by: Bureau international des droits des enfants et Amnistie internationale Canada francophone.

Halifax:
Film Screening: “The Greatest Silence”
Winner of the Jury Prize at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival, “The Greatest Silence” tells the stories of the brave women of the DRC. Break the Silence. Denounce Rape. Fight Impunity.
When: March 4th, 7pm
Where: Weldon Law Building, Room 105, 6061 University Ave, Dalhousie University.
Contact: Email kcahill@amnesty.ca for more information.
www.thegreatestsilence.org

Halifax: Dalhousie University
Film screening of the movie "Finding Dawn"
When: Wednesday, March 11th, 7:30 pm
Where: Room 1020 Rowe Building, Dalhousie University
Free admission and all are welcome.

Invite: Ottawa International Women's Day Event- March 4, 2009

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-02-23T20:11:32+01:00

This International Women's Day, Amnesty International is sponsoring the event:

"I'm not a Feminist, but..."
Join the Debate, Stay for the Party!
Participez au débat, Venez fêter avec nous!

Debate: Be it Resolved that Canada and the world need more feminists!

Feminism on Film and the Femmys: National Capital Region Feminist Awards!

March 4; 7-10pm
National Archives Auditorium

Refreshments and networking to follow the event.

Childcare is available: contact svaw@amnesty.ca

Event is free! Donations accepted.

Find us on Facebook!

Sponsored by: Amnesty International Canada, Oxfam Canada, Peacebuild: Gender and Peacebuilding Working Group, Inter Pares, Women's Event Network, Nobel Women's Initiative, OCTEVAW, Ad Hoc Coalition for Women's Equality and Human Rights, Women's Worlds 2011, PACT Ottawa, Planned Parenthood Ottawa, Harmony House, GalldinLiew LLP Feminist Legal Practice.

Mexico: two years on: the law to protect women has had no impact at state level

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-01-30T21:00:27+01:00

On the second anniversary of the passing of the General Law on Women’s Access to a Life Free From Violence, Amnesty International said the law has had no impact in the majority of Mexico’s 32 states.

The organisation assessed the level of fulfilment of some of the most important points of the law and found that although the law came into effect two years ago, two states have still not approved it: Guanajuato and Oaxaca.

Of the 30 states that have passed the law, few have implemented some of its main requirements:

Only five have complied with the obligation to establish implementation mechanisms – essential for the law to be put into in practice.
Only 20 have an agency coordination mechanism for preventing violence against women, as stipulated by the law. Those mechanisms that are in existence have not published their concrete achievements with regard to eradicating violence against women, nor their strategies for achieving this. Only two new shelters for domestic violence victims are being built by state authorities – one in Durango and one in Sonora – despite the law’s clear stipulation that states must “promote the creation of shelters for victims”.
According to information received by Amnesty International, there are a total of 60 shelters for women victims of violence in Mexico – those run by the authorities and those run by voluntary organisations included. This number is still completely inadequate in relation to the demand. [more]

“There is a clear and deplorable lack of state-level commitment to implement the General Law on Women’s Access to a Life Free From Violence,” said Kerrie Howard, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for the Americas Programme. “In practice, this lack of commitment means that the safety and lives of thousands of women are put in jeopardy."

Women’s organisations in states such as Chihuahua, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Morelos and Sonora have emphasised the high level of violence against women and the administration's lack of effectiveness in preventing and punishing it.

Amnesty International believes it is essential to create and implement criminal investigation protocols for use by staff of the public prosecutor's office, the police and experts when dealing with women filing complaints of abuse. These protocols must include an obligation to provide sufficient protection to guarantee the safety of the woman and her family.

“The federal government has, through INMUJERES, prioritised a harmonisation of state legislation with national and international regulations. We do not deny that this is a necessary step but it is clear that progress in implementing measures to improve access to the justice and security of the General Law has, for the vast majority of state governments, been limited or even non-existent," stated Kerrie Howard.

“If the basic requirements of the federal law are not fulfilled at state level, the law will remain a dead letter. Women in Mexico deserve much more than this, and each and every authority has the duty to take all measures necessary to ensure that violence against women is tackled effectively.”

General Information
The General Law on Women’s Access to a Life Free From Violence was published in the Official Journal of the Mexican Federation on 1 February 2007.

According to Article 8 of the Federal Law, “Within a framework of coordination, the state legislatures will promote the necessary reforms of local legislation (…) within a period of six months as from the entry into force of this Law.”

A table outlining the implementation of the General Law on Women’s Access to a Life Free From Violence in each state will be available from 29 February 2009 06:00hs GMT at: http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/info/AMR41/005/2009/es .

Women as Agents of Change - International Women's Day

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-01-26T15:04:36+01:00

Join us on March 8, International Women’s Day, in celebrating women who are agents of change – those women who stand up to demand an end to violence against women and to protect the rights of women in their homes, communities, and nations.

Amnesty International invites you to host or participate in events in your community, and to call for an end to violence, discrimination, and poverty in women’s lives.

An International Women’s Day Kit with Stop Violence Against Women campaign information, background information on gender and poverty, tips and ideas for organizing or participating in events, cases of women's rights activists, and appeals for action will be available at the end of January.

To order your kit, contact lmossman@amnesty.ca.

Iran: Enforced closure of human rights centre an ominous development

Lindsay Mossman — 2009-01-05T15:42:24+01:00

Photo Credit: Shirin Ebadi, Iranian lawyer and 2003 Nobel Peace Prize winner. © Amnesty International

The forcible closure of the Tehran-based Centre for Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) by the Iranian authorities on 21 December is an extremely ominous development threatening the country's entire human rights movement. Amnesty International is calling for the decision to be reversed without delay.

The CHRD was forcibly closed down by dozens of police and plain-clothes security officials who went to its offices shortly before the Centre was to hold an event commemorating the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

According to Narges Mohammadi, spokesperson for the CHRD, security officials failed to show any official order justifying their action and one told her that if she were not a woman, he would drag her by the legs and throw her into the street.

The CHRD was co-founded in 2002 by Shirin Ebadi, Iran's best known human rights defender who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003. She was present at the time of the Centre's forcible closure yesterday. The Centre has sought legal registration since its formation six years ago but this has been continuously denied by the Iranian authorities, leaving Dr Ebadi and her colleagues to operate in a form of legal limbo, and under constant threat. She has previously received death threats.

It is unclear why the Iranian security authorities decided to act against the Centre now. [more]

They appear to have wished to prevent a celebration of the UDHR, the founding document of modern human rights law, and also to send a powerful and chilling warning to Iran's growing movement of human rights activists and defenders by targeting the organization headed by the most internationally renowned leader of the movement.

The CHRD has three stated roles, reporting violations of human rights in Iran; providing pro-bono legal representation to political prisoners; and support to the families of political prisoners. Its members have pursued high profile cases of impunity, and defended high profile victims of human rights violations. Some such as lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani have been detained in the past for no more than carrying out his duty as a lawyer.

Amnesty International calls for the CHRD to be allowed to resume its activities without delay and to be allowed legal registration. The Iranian government should abide by its obligations under international law to promote and protect human rights and should support, not attack and undermine, the work of human rights defenders.

Update: Release of Negin Sheikholeslami from Evin Prison in Iran

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-12-17T18:01:23+01:00

Negin Sheikholeslami was released from Section 209 of Evin Prison in Tehran on 23 November 2008. She has been released on bail until her trial begins, but no date has been set, and there is no concrete information as to what charges she is facing.

Negin Sheikholeslami was arrested in her home in Tehran on 4 October 2008. She is the founder of the Azar Mehr Women's Social and Cultural Society of Kurdistan, founded in 2000. It organizes training and sports activities for women in the city of Sanandaj. Negin Sheikholeslami is also associated with the Human Rights Organisation of Kurdistan (HROK) which reports on human rights violations against Kurds in Iran.

Take Action: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:

welcoming the release of Negin Sheikholeslami;
asking to be informed of any charges against her and the date of her trial;
urging that any charges related solely to her peaceful exercise of her right to freedom of expression and association, including in the context of her work as a human rights defender, be dropped. If convicted and imprisoned on the basis of such charges, she would be a prisoner of conscience and Amnesty International would call for her immediate and unconditional release.

Write To:
Head of the Tehran Judiciary
Ali Reza Avaie
No. 152, corner of the 17th Alley
Before Shahid Motahhary Ave.,
Sanaei Ave., Karimkhan Zand Ave.,
Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Fax: +98 21 8832 6700 (works intermittently)
Email: avaei@dadgostary-tehran.ir
Salutation: Dear Mr. Avaie

UNIFEM collects 5 million signatures for the Say No to Violence Against Women Campaign!

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-11-27T19:45:05+01:00

On November 25th, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) held an event at the UN in New York to present the signatures to their campaign Say NO to Violence against Women (www.saynotoviolence.org) to United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. UNIFEM succeeded in breaking the 1 million signatures goal, and collected 5 million signatures! Thank you to everyone who signed on to the campaign!

Find out more about UNIFEM's campaign here: http://www.saynotoviolence.org/

Watch a video of the presentation to Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon at the United Nations on November 25th, 2008.

Haiti: Don�t Turn Your Back on Girls

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-11-27T18:34:49+01:00

In Haiti, the levels of sexual violence against girls are shocking- studies done in the last four years suggest that girls make up more than half of the victims of reported cases of rape. Sexual violence affects girls of all ages, in their own homes and within their communities. Despite the high number of cases of sexual violence, many women and girls do not report these crimes. They don’t feel confident that the police will believe them or take action. In Haiti, many officials and the general public believe that the victim is to blame for the violence: for wearing the wrong clothes or saying the wrong thing, or because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The police and justice system have failed to protect girls from sexual violence, and often fail to punish those responsible once these crimes take place. The state is required under international law to protect women and girls from violence. Yet this is clearly not happening in the case of sexual violence in Haiti.

Take Action: Send an appeal to the Prime Minister of Haiti and the Minister of Women’s Affairs and Women’s Rights, calling on them to take action to end sexual violence against women and girls.

Read the Report: Don’t Turn Your Back on Girls: Sexual Violence Against Girls in Haiti

Malaysian activist Irene Fernandez acquitted after 12 years of legal battles

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-11-26T21:06:33+01:00

Photo Credit: Irene Fernandez signing up to Amnesty International campaign in 1998. © Amnesty International

Irene Fernandez, founder and director of human rights organization Tenaganita, was arrested in 1996 for was "maliciously publishing false news" under the Printing Presses and Publications Act. She had reported that detained illegal immigrants suffered from malnutrition and torture in Malaysia.

Amnesty International repeatedly campaigned for her acquittal, stating that Irene Fernandez had been targeted for her legitimate work as a human rights defender. [more]

In 2005, Irene Fernandez was chosen as one of four recipients of the prestigious Right Livelihood Award, known as the ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’. In her acceptance speech in Sweden, she said:

“In the absence of a free media, of an independent judicial system and independent oversights for police and state accountability, I was found guilty of publishing false news ... I came out of court smiling because I knew that I had spoken the truth; we had not compromised on fundamental rights and dignity of people. The conviction has … brought about a new awakening to Malaysians and to the global community."

The Kuala Lumpur High Court in Malaysia acquitted Irene Fernandez on Monday November 24. The decision ended one of the longest-running court cases in Malaysian legal history after more than 12 years of legal battles.

Irene Fernandez and her organization Tenaganita have continued to work for the rights of migrant workers.

There are currently an estimated 2.6 million migrants living in Malaysia and migrant workers comprise a majority of those designated by the Malaysian government as "illegal immigrants". Earlier this year, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak announced large-scale crackdowns to expel undocumented migrants in Malaysia, targeting hundreds of thousands of migrant workers living in an irregular situation.

Statement of the Secretary General, Irene Khan on International Day for the Elimination of Violence

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-11-25T14:21:33+01:00

Photo Credit: School girl sitting in a school yard in rural Haiti, near Cayes Jacmel. © Amnesty International.

Violence against women and girls is a priority concern for Amnesty International and in 2004 a global campaign to Stop Violence against Women was launched. So far the campaign has contributed to successes that have brought a number of legislative and policy changes at national levels, as well as supported efforts in the international arena for the adoption of Resolutions 1325 and 1820 by the United Nations Security Council. These resolutions on Women Peace and Security aim to ensure women's equal participation in conflict prevention, conflict resolution and post-conflict peacebuilding and to increase the human rights protection of women and girls in conflict situations.

Despite these advances, violence against women and girls remains widespread across the globe. Recent research in Afghanistan, Armenia, Canada, Cote D'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jamaica, Haiti, Liberia, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Venezuela, and the USA has shown that this violence is not only a human rights violation but also a key factor in obstructing the realization of women's and girls' rights to security, adequate housing, health, food, education and participation. Millions of women find themselves locked in cycles of poverty and violence, cycles which fuel and perpetuate one another. [more]

Poverty is characterised by the daily experience of human rights abuses that lead people into deprivation, insecurity, exclusion and voicelessness. Poverty is an affront to human dignity and the worst human rights crisis in the world. It exists in all countries and affects women disproportionately – 70% of the world’s poor are women.
Neither violence against women nor poverty are inevitable, though they combine to restrict women’s choices and put women at risk from violence. While all girls have the right to education, which is vital in allowing them to choose their futures, this right is often curtailed by violence and poverty. In countries such as Haiti, girls may have little choice but to grant sexual favours in order that they can pay their school fees. Others who go in search of a public place with lighting by which to do their homework because their home has no electricity, are attacked by groups of men. As a result of the abuse, it is likely that girls' education will be disrupted or discontinued.

Violence against women is human rights abuse for which states are responsible. Amnesty International will continue to demand accountability from both national and international actors for these violations. It will continue to call upon states and the international community to ensure equal access to rights and services for women and girls. This includes systemically incorporating the analysis of the impact on the enjoyment of women and girls' human rights into all strategies, programs and reporting related to poverty reduction and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals. This must also include progress made in the elimination of gender-based violence. Human rights violations cannot be stopped, poverty ended, nor development achieved without the active participation of the people affected by these abuses, in particular women and girls.

16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence: November 25 - December 10

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-11-06T18:03:53+01:00

The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence is an international campaign initiated by the global women’s movement in 1991. The 16 Days starts on November 25, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, and ends on December 10, Human Rights Day.

This global campaign provides an important opportunity to take action to end violence against women.

Key Dates of the 16 Days include:

November 25th: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
November 29th: International Women Human Rights Defenders Day
December 1st: World AIDS Day
December 6th: Anniversary of the Montreal Massacre of 1989 — National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women
December 10th: Human Rights Day

As part of this campaign, Amnesty International has produced letter-writing appeals focusing on the key women’s human rights themes of the 16 Days.

Actions currently available include:

Brazil: 'I live to get justice’ – Women on the Frontline against Urban Violence : As human rights defenders, lawyers and activists, women have been central in the fight for the protection and promotion of rights and access to justice in urban communities in Brazil.

Democratic Republic of Congo: No End to War on Women and Children : In the conflict in eastern DRC, thousands of women and girls have been raped, and many women have suffered gang rape or have been raped more than once.

South Africa: No escape from violence for rural women living with HIV : There is a serious lack of shelters for victims of domestic violence in the rural areas of South Africa. Many rural women living with HIV also live in poverty and are unable to access the shelters that do exist.

Mexico: Indigenous women seek justice : In the Mexican state of Guerrero, Indigenous women have suffered terrible consequences of a militarized approach to social problems fuelled by grinding poverty and discrimination.

UNIFEM's Say No to Violence Against Women Campaign

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-11-06T14:31:14+01:00

As part of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence Amnesty International is supporting UNIFEM's campaign to deliver 1 million signatures from around the world of people who are saying NO to violence against women.

The UNIFEM Campaign "Say No to Violence against Women" is getting closer to reaching its one million signatures target, with over 481897 signatures, but there is still a long way to go! The signatures will be delivered to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, at an event on 25th November (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) in New York.

Please sign on to UNIFEM's Campaign, adding your voice to the hundreds of thousands of people around the world calling for an end to violence against women.

Take Action: Go to UNIFEM's Campaign website: www.saynotoviolence.org to add your signature, and invite others to join you.

Jordan � protect the rights of women domestic migrant workers

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-11-04T16:19:59+01:00

Tens of thousands of women migrant domestic workers in Jordan face isolation, exploitation and abuse, with little or no protection from the state. Migrant domestic workers are crucial to the economy in Jordan, contributing to the well-being of the households where they work and providing vital incomes for their own families and communities.

Until this summer, the Labour Law in Jordan excluded domestic workers from the protection offered to other workers, such as minimum wage provisions, sick leave, or days off. Amendments were endorsed by the Jordanian Parliament to state that a separate regulation will be issued to define the terms of their working conditions.

Although this is a step forward, more needs to be done to ensure that the rights of women migrant domestic workers are protected in line with international human rights standards.

Take Action: Call on the government of Jordan to ensure new measures effectively protect the rights of women migrant domestic workers.

*Note, this action is on AI's International website, and you will be asked to register to sign the online petition. Registration is free and easy, and gives you future access to other online appeals on the website.

Japan urged to restore dignity to WWII

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-11-04T13:39:27+01:00

Photo Credit: Menen Castillo, 78, Gil Won Ok, 79, and Ellen van der Ploeg, 84, former 'comfort women', in Europe, 2007. © Amnesty International

The UN Human Rights Committee has called on the Government of the Japan to restore dignity to the survivors of Japan’s military sexual slavery system.

The UN Human Rights Committee issued its concluding observations and recommendations to the Government of Japan on Thursday, October 30, expressing "concern that the State party [Japan] has still not accepted its responsibility for the 'comfort women' system during World War II."

The UN Human Rights Committee considered Japan's report on its implementation of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) on 15 October. [more]

The Committee recommended that:

"The State party should accept legal responsibility and apologize unreservedly for the 'comfort women' system in a way that is acceptable to the majority of victims and restores their dignity, prosecute perpetrators who are still alive, take immediate and effective legislative and administrative measures to adequately compensate all survivors as a matter of right, educate students and the general public about the issue, and to refute and sanction any attempts to defame victims or to deny the events."

This recommendation follows resolutions passed by the US, the Netherlands, Canada, and the 27 member states of the EU urging the government of Japan to provide a public, unambiguous and formal apology for the crimes committed against these women.

Amnesty International, which has been working on the cases of the "comfort women" as part of its Stop Violence Against Women campaign, strongly welcomed this recommendation. The organization is calling on the Government of Japan to:

accept full responsibility for the “comfort women” system in a way that publicly acknowledges the harm that these women suffered and restores the dignity of the survivors;
apologize fully for the crimes committed against the women;
provide adequate and effective compensation to survivors and their immediate families directly from the government;
include an accurate account of the sexual slavery system in Japanese educational textbooks on World War II.

Toronto Event Notice: Amnesty Speaker at 'The Misfit' performed at Theatre Passe Muraille

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-10-29T21:35:48+01:00

The Misfit
Written and performed by Anita Majumdar, Directed by Mark Cassidy
Tuesday to Saturday 7:00pm, Saturday 2:30pm, runs until November 15, 2008

Anita Majumder's 'The Misfit' introduces us to Naznin, a respected, Canadian born Kathak dancer, with a dark past. After running off with an Indian hotel steward, Naznin is disowned by her parents all in the name of “honour”. In India she finds asylum as a choreographer for a dance troupe that performs classical Indian dance to English MTV pop music at wedding receptions. As we travel through the play, we soon discover that Naznin isn’t the only dancer to fall victim to her community’s hunger for misogyny.

Tuesday November 4th: Amnesty International will join a panel of speakers following the performance of 'The Misfit' to discuss some of the human rights issues raised. Nora Kerr, long-time Amnesty International member in Toronto, and member of the Action Network on Women's Human Rights, will be discussing Amnesty International's work to Stop Violence Against Women. Other speakers include: best-selling author Marina Nemat ("Prisoner of Tehran") and renowned musician and political spoken word artist, Rosina Kazi (lead singer of LAL).

Special Offer: Call the Theatre Passe Muraille box office at 416-504-7529 and say “Amnesty International” to get $10 off your tickets to the November 4th performance of THE MISFIT. Please note that the play begins at 7:00pm and runs for 75 minutes. The panel discussion will follow the performance.

Urgent Action: Guatemala: Fear for safety of Norma Cruz

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-10-27T14:56:19+01:00

Norma Cruz is the Director of Fundación Sobrevivientes (Survivors' Foundation) which provides psychological support to women victims of sexual violence and other forms of domestic violence. It also provides legal assistance in cases of killings of women and has investigated high-profile cases of trafficking of people in which government officials could be involved.

On 19 October at around 12pm a relative of Norma Cruz (whose name is withheld for safety reasons) was stopped by an unknown man driving a pick-up truck while walking home in Guatemala city. Norma Cruz’s relative was made to get into the truck and was threatened at gunpoint, being told repeatedly “you’re going to die”. The relative was released after 20 minutes one block away from Norma Cruz’s home. [more]

During the morning of 23 October the same relative received three threatening phone calls. Later that day a green pick-up truck with tinted windows was parked in front of the offices of Norma Cruz's organization, the Sobrevivientes Foundation. Members of staff deemed this suspicious and approached the vehicle in order to talk to the driver, who immediately drove off. Fundación Sobrevivientes believes these acts of intimidation are related to a particular case they are currently supporting.

The safety of Norma Cruz, and that of her colleagues and relatives, is at risk.

Take Action: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:

expressing concern for the safety of Norma Cruz, her family and her colleagues in Sobrevivientes Foundation;
urging the President and the Minister of the Interior to ensure that immediate measures are taken and maintained to guarantee the safety of Norma Cruz, her family and colleagues in strict accordance with their wishes;
calling on the authorities to order an immediate, thorough and swift investigation into this incident, with the results made public and those responsible brought to justice;

Write to:

Lic. Álvaro Colom
Presidente de la República
Casa Presidencial, 6ª Avenida, 4-41, Zona 1
Ciudad de Guatemala, GUATEMALA
Fax:   011 502 2221 4423
Salutation: Dear President / Estimado Sr. Presidente

Minister of the Interior:
Sr. Francisco José Jiménez Irungaray
Ministro de Gobernación
6ª Avenida 13-71, Zona 1,
Ciudad de Guatemala, GUATEMALA
Fax:   011 502 2413 8658
Salutation: Dear Minister / Estimado Sr. Ministro

Copies to:

His Excellency Georges DE LA ROCHE PLIHAL
Ambassador for the Republic of Guatemala
130 Albert Street, Suite 1010
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5G4
Fax:   (613) 233-0135
Email: embassy1@embaguate-canada.com

Iran: Arbitrary detention and fear of torture or other ill-treatment of Esha Momeni

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-10-21T18:44:02+01:00

Esha Momeni, a student and women's rights defender, was arrested by Iranian security officials on 15 October. She is being held in Section 209 of Evin Prison in Tehran, which is run by the Ministry of Intelligence. She has not been charged with any offence, and is at risk of torture or other ill-treatment. [more]

Esha Momeni is a graduate student at California State University, Northridge, in the USA. She is also a member of a branch of the Campaign for Equality in California. She had been in Iran for two months to visit her family and to conduct research for her Master's degree thesis on the Iranian women’s movement, for which she had conducted video interviews with members of the Campaign for Equality in Tehran.

Esha Momeni was arrested while driving on the Moddaress Highway in Tehran, by officials who identified themselves as traffic police. They told her that they were arresting her on suspicion of committing a traffic offence. They then escorted her to her family's home, which they searched, confiscating her computer and the footage of the interviews she had conducted. She was then taken to Section 209 of Evin Prison. Esha Momeni’s family have not been allowed to visit her and were told by officials on 20 October that Esha Momeni’s case was still being investigated, and no details would be released until the investigation was completed.

Take Action: Please write immediately to the Head of the Judiciary in Iran:

expressing concern at the arrest of Esha Momeni, and urging on the authorities to treat her humanely in detention, and protect her from torture or other ill-treatment;
asking the authorities to ensure that while in detention she is granted immediate and regular access to her family, a lawyer of her choice, and any medical treatment she may require;
expressing concern that her arrest was apparently in connection with her peaceful activities in support of equal rights for women in Iran and in the context of her graduate research;
urging the authorities to release her immediately and unconditionally if she is not to be charged with a recognizably criminal offence and brought to trial promptly and fairly;

Write To:

Head of the Judiciary
His Excellency Ayatollah Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi
Howzeh Riyasat-e Qoveh Qazaiyeh / Office of the Head of the Judiciary
Pasteur St., Vali Asr Ave., south of Serah-e Jomhouri, Tehran 1316814737, Islamic Republic of Iran
Email: info@dadgostary-tehran.ir
(In the subject line write: FAO Ayatollah Shahroudi)
Salutation: Your Excellency

Further Background
The Campaign for Equality, launched in 2006, is an Iranian women’s rights initiative composed of a network of women and men committed to ending discrimination against women in Iranian law. The Campaign gives volunteers basic legal training, and these volunteers travel around the country promoting the Campaign, talking with women in their homes, as well as in public places, telling them about their rights and the need for legal reform. The volunteers are also collecting one million signatures of Iranian nationals for a petition demanding an end to legal discrimination against women in Iran.

Dozens of activists and supporters have been arrested in connection with their activities for the Campaign for Equality, some while collecting signatures for the petition demanding an end to legal discrimination against women in Iran. As of October 2008, the Campaign’s website had been blocked by the authorities at least 16 times (see: http://www.change4equality.com/). Official permission to hold public meetings has frequently been denied, and Campaign activists usually hold their workshops in the homes of sympathizers, some of whom have then received threatening phone calls apparently from security officials or been summoned by them for interrogation. At least one such workshop was forcibly broken up by police, who arrested those present, beating some.

Urgent Action: Iran: Human rights defender Negin Sheikholeslami arrested and at risk of torture

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-10-17T14:18:37+01:00

According to the Human Rights Organization of Kurdistan (HROK), Negin Sheikholeslami, a human rights activist from the Kurdish minority in Iran, was arrested at her home in Tehran by members of the security forces at about midnight on 4 October. She is at risk of torture or other ill-treatment and needs medical attention for her respiratory problems. [more]

Negin Sheikholeslami's husband was told on 9 October 2008 that she was being held in Section 209 of Evin Prison, which is controlled by the Ministry of Intelligence. He was not told the reasons for her arrest and was informed that she would not be allowed to meet anyone until the investigation into her case was complete.

Negin Sheikholeslami is the founder of the Azar Mehr Women's Social and Cultural Society of Kurdistan, which was founded in Sanandaj in Kordestan Province in 2000. It organizes training and sports activities for women in the city of Sanandaj and elsewhere in Kordestan Province. She is also associated with another human rights organization, the HROK, which reports on human rights violations against Kurds in Iran.

Take Action: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:

• asking to be informed of the reasons for Negin Sheikholeslami's arrest;

• calling for her to be allowed immediate and regular access to all necessary medical treatment, and to her family and a lawyer of her choice;

• urging that she be protected from torture and other ill-treatment while in detention;

• calling for her immediate and unconditional release unless she is to be charged with a recognizably criminal offence and tried promptly and fairly.

Write To:

Minister of Intelligence
Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejeie
Ministry of Intelligence, Second Negarestan Street, Pasdaran Avenue, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran
Salutation: Your Excellency

Copies to:
Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran
245 Metcalfe St.
Ottawa, Ontario
K2P 2K2
Email: executive@salamiran.org

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Several prominent Iranian Kurdish human rights defenders are currently detained or imprisoned in Iran after being charged or sentenced on vaguely-worded "security" charges in violation of their right to freedom of expression and association.

Iran's Kurdish population live mainly in the west and north-west of the country, in Kordestan and neighbouring provinces, bordering Kurdish areas of Turkey and Iraq. They have long suffered extensive discrimination. Iranian Kurdish human rights defenders, including community activists and journalists, risk arbitrary arrest and torture.

For more information on human rights violations against the Kurdish minority in Iran, see AI report: Iran: Human rights abuses against the Kurdish minority.

Blog Action Day: South Africa: No escape from violence for rural women living with HIV

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-10-15T13:36:07+01:00

Women under 25 in South Africa are three to four times more likely to be HIV-infected than men in the same age group. While there are many reasons for the spread of HIV, women’s socio-economic disempowerment and the impact of gender-based violence also contribute to the higher infection rate of women. Women’s experience of sexual violence and intimate partner violence increases their risk of HIV infection over time. Further, women are less likely to have access to economic resources, which often makes it difficult for them to leave violent relationships, or get the medical care they need.

In March 2008 Amnesty International released the report “I am at the lowest end of all”: Rural women living with HIV face human rights abuses in South Africa, which highlighted a pattern of human rights abuses against women who are exposed to the risk of or are already living with HIV in a rural context of widespread poverty and unemployment.

Take Action: Call for adequate shelters and assistance for women in rural South Africa experiencing domestic violence.

Note: This blog posting is part of Blog Action Day 2008, an annual nonprofit event on October 15th focused on raising awareness and creating a global discussion on a particular issue by inviting bloggers and others to post about that issue. The 2008 focus of Blog Action Day is Poverty.

AI submission to the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-10-09T21:39:24+01:00

On October 22, 2008 Canada will be reviewed by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. This UN Committee monitors the implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Canada signed the Convention in 1980 and is obligated to submit regular reports describing how it is implementing the Convention. The last time Canada was reviewed by the Committee was in 2003.

Amnesty International is one of many organizations that will provide an assessment of Canada's performance in implementing the Convention for the 2008 review. Amnesty International's submission to the Committee, entitled Canada - Unequal Rights: Ongoing concerns about Discrimination against Women in Canada highlights some of the ongoing concerns for women's human rights in Canada.

To read the full submission on the United Nations web site, click here

DRC: Resurgence in rape and recruitment of child soldiers

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-10-09T20:46:25+01:00

Photo Credit: Cover photo of Amnesty International Report DRC: North Kivu: No End to War on Women and Children. Masisi territory, North Kivu province. © Amnesty International.

A new Amnesty International report, DRC: North Kivu: No End to War on Women and Children uncovers the extent of continuing physical and sexual abuse of women and children in the conflict, despite government and armed group commitments to bring such atrocities to an end.

“The human rights situation in North Kivu is appalling,” said Andrew Philip. “Armed groups and government forces continue to rape women and girls. Even infants and elderly women are among the victims – some of whom have been gang raped. Disturbingly, rapes are often committed in public and in front of family members, including children.”

One 16-year-old rape survivor described how she had been abducted by two junior army officers and held captive in an army camp in North Kivu for several days before she was released. In the camp, she was raped nightly by one of the officers.

“The other officers and soldiers in the camp didn’t seem to care or be willing to take responsibility”, she told Amnesty International. She now suffers flashbacks and persistent headaches.

In its report, Amnesty International issued comprehensive recommendations to the armed groups, DRC government and the international community aimed at stopping human rights abuses. The recommendations include a call on armed groups to immediately release all children associated with their forces, and measures to end to the horror of sexual violence.

Read the News Release

Read the Report

Call to Action: October 4th Vigils for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in Canada

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-09-29T16:04:08+01:00

On October 4, 2008, Amnesty International will join the Native Women’s Association of Canada and KAIROS, as well as many other Indigenous women’s organizations and supporters at nearly 30 vigils across Canada to remember missing and murdered Indigenous women.

October 4th marks the 4th anniversary of the release of Amnesty International’s Stolen Sisters report, which documented widespread violence against Indigenous women in Canadian cities and the lack of an adequate police and government response.

To find a vigil in your city, visit the Native Women's Association of Canada website. Some examples are listed below. For more information, contact lmossman@amnesty.ca

Halifax, NS: October 4th: The event will be held at Point Pleasant Park at Black Rock Beach, near the lower parking lot. The location is accessible. It's from 12PM - 2PM and there will be an Amnesty International speaker, among others, along with a sea shell ceremony and drumming.
Contact: kcahill@amnesty.ca

Montreal, QC: October 4th: At Dominon Square (Metcalfe and Boul. Rene-Levesque), a “Sisters in Spirit” candlelight vigil will be held to show solidarity with Aboriginal women. The event will begin at 7:25PM and continue until 8:30PM.
Contact: irkarl@gmail.com

Ottawa, ON: October 4th: A Sisters in Spirit vigil will take place on Parliament Hill, starting at 10AM with a rally, silent vigil, and national and international speakers. After a balloon launch at 11:45, there will be a unity march to Victoria Island for a closing prayer and lunch. All are welcome to attend.
Contact: tducharme@nwac-hq.org

Toronto, ON: October 4th: From 10:00AM to 2:00PM, all are invited to 191 Gerrard Street East (at Sherbourne and Gerrard) to partake in a spirit vigil and tea commemorating missing and murdered Aboriginal women.
Contact: advocacy@nativewomenscentre.org.

Hamilton, ON: The Stolen Sisters/Sisters in Spirit Committee will be holding a two-part event that begins with the showing of a documentary on violence against Indigenous women, entitled Finding Dawn. This film will be shown on Friday, October 3rd at the Hamilton Public Library at 55 York Blvd. (Jackson Square) from 7:00PM to 10:00PM. On Saturday, October 4th, the event will continue with a candlelight vigil to be held at the Hamilton Police Services office at 155 King William Street at 11:00AM.
Contact: dahc_outreach@cogeco.net

London, ON: The public is invited to a vigil at the Ministry of Education Center at Dundas and Highbury in London Ontario. The vigil will begin at 6PM and end around 9PM. Volunteers are welcome.
Contact: Buis01@execulink.com

Thunder Bay, ON: October 4th: The Sisters in Spirit vigil will begin at 12PM at Patterson Park (Miles & May Streets). Please join us in honouring our missing and murdered Aboriginal Women.
Contact: hpa@onwa-tbay.ca

Kenora, ON: October 4th: In cooperation with native friendship societies and health centres throughout Kenora, the vigil on October 4th will include keynote speakers, a ceremony, a “Take Back the Night” walk through the town, dinner, and an art show. Participants should gather at the Post Office at 100 Park Street for 4:00PM.
Contact: clarkge@shaw.ca

Winnipeg, MB: On Friday, October 3rd, Winnipeg’s Aboriginal Centre at 181 Higgins Avenue will host a free concert remembering and honouring Aboriginal women. A pipe ceremony at 6:00PM will precede the concert, which begins at 7:00PM.
Contact: morn@morn.ca

Regina, SK: October 4th: Beginning at 7PM in Victoria Park, members of Saskatchewan’s Sisters in Spirit and Amnesty International Regina will hold a silent vigil to remember the lives of the women in the community who have gone missing or been murdered.
Contact: nn.barnes@sasktel.net

Saskatoon, SK: October 4th: Amnesty International, the Native Women’s Association of Canada and Women Working Together invite the community to gather in Friendship Park at 10:45AM for a walk to Egadz at 11AM, which will be followed by speakers and messages from family members of missing women.
Contact: helensmithmcintyre@hotmail.com

Edmonton, AB: October 4th: The vigil will be held at McIntyre Park (aka Gazebo Park), 104 St and 83 Ave (near the Old Strathcona Farmers' Market), starting at 11AM, and is organized by Amnesty Edmonton 12/26 Chapter and UofA Aboriginal Students Association.
Contact: dbork@yalberta.ca

Rimbey, AB: October 4th: At 8PM, Amnesty International members in Rimbey invite guests to participate in an outdoor candlelight vigil and petition signing at The Beatty Heritage House in downtown Rimbey.
Contact: boormana@telus.net

Lethbridge, AB: October 4th: At the Galt Gardens in Lethbridge, at 7:00 PM, Amnesty International members, in cooperation with the Aboriginal Council of Lethbridge, will hold a vigil to remember and raise awareness about violence against Aboriginal women.
Contact: amnestylethbridge@shaw.ca

Vancouver, BC: A Stolen Sisters walk and vigil will begin at 6pm at the Vancouver Public Library, Main Branch. The public is invited to meet at Georgia and Homer for a march to the Art Gallery.
Contact: dwright@amnesty.ca

Prince George, BC: October 4th: Starting at 3PM, there will be a prayer session, a circle smudging, a silent vigil, an open mike event, and a final prayer of remembrance. This event will be held at the Prince George Courthouse (at 3rd Avenue and George Street).
Contact: george_a_harding@hotmail.com

Walk4Justice Arrives in Ottawa!

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-09-12T19:26:39+01:00

Photo Credit: In August, Amnesty International members greeted the walkers as they left Toronto to continue their walk to Ottawa. Amnesty International.

After crossing the country, the Walk4Justice has arrived in Ottawa!

Walk4Justice is an extroardinary achievement, organized by grassroots community activists to raise awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada. The walkers, who include family members, Indigenous women activists and their supporters, began walking across Canada on June 21 - National Aboriginal Day. They will conclude their walk on September 15 on Parliament Hill in Ottawa.

Amnesty International would like to invite members and supporters to join the walkers for a march and rally on September 15. The march will begin at 9am at Minwaashin Lodge (424 Catherine Street) and will arrive at Parliament to begin the rally at 10am.

Please contact svaw@amnesty.ca for more information. Hope to see you there!

Iran: End pressure on women�s rights defenders campaigning for an end to discrimination

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-09-03T13:19:24+01:00

Two years after the launch of the Campaign for Equality on 27 August 2006, Amnesty International is renewing its demand that the Iranian authorities cease harassing and imprisoning women’s rights defenders and allow them to freely continue their campaigning for the repeal of laws and policies which discriminate against women in Iran.

The second anniversary of the Campaign for Equality is occurring as women’s rights defenders face increasing repression as they try to take their demands for equal treatment to the broader population, as the authorities continue to impose restrictions on their use of public space to carry out their peaceful and legal activities. Other developments, meanwhile, may further entrench discrimination against women in Iran.

In particular, a new Family Protection Bill passed in July by the Law and Legal Affairs Committee of Iran’s parliament not only fails to address discrimination against women in relation to marriage, divorce and child custody but, if passed into law, would also lift the condition requiring a man to get the permission of his first wife before taking a second wife. The bill still needs further parliamentary approval and to be agreed by the Council of Guardians, but it represents a very worrying trend.

Amnesty International is urging the Iranian government and parliament not to entrench discrimination but to move ahead with a package of reforms in order to end those laws and practices which continue to discriminate against women, who make up half of the population of Iran, and to deny them access to their human rights. As well, Amnesty International is urging the Iranian government to ratify, without reservation, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, and to bring Iran’s laws and practices into conformity with this Convention. [more]

This year also marks the 10th Anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, which affirms the protection of human rights defenders from violence or threats as a result of their work. In Iran, however, such defenders face constant harassment and are frequently arrested and imprisoned. Amnesty International is urging the Iranian authorities both to protect human rights defenders and value the work that they do, and is calling for the immediate release of all prisoners of conscience, including activists in the Campaign for Equality who are currently being detained.

Since the launch of the Campaign, Amnesty International has collected information on the harassment of the Campaign for Equality activists. They face threatening phone calls by persons identifying themselves as Ministry of Intelligence officers warning them not to hold planned meetings; they are prevented from organizing peaceful meetings or demonstrations and to date, the website of Campaign for Equality has been blocked on at least 11 occasions.

Some campaigners have been sentenced or are facing charges for their peaceful campaigning for women’s rights and Amnesty International calls for such charges to be dropped and for their immediate and unconditional release of those serving prison sentences.

Amir Yaghoub-Ali was sentenced in May 2008 to one year’s imprisonment for collecting signatures in Daneshjou Park, Tehran in July 2007. He is currently free pending the outcome of an appeal against his conviction and sentence.

The sentencing in June 2008 of Hana Abdi, a member of Iran’s Kurdish minority, and member of the Campaign in Kordestan province and of the Azad Mehr NGO to the maximum five years’ imprisonment, to be spent in internal exile after conviction of "gathering and colluding to commit a crime against national security." Hana Abdi was summoned to the Prosecutors Office in August 2008 and was cautioned about passing news outside prison, if she does so she would be further charged with “propaganda against the state”.

Ronak Safarzadeh, a colleague of Hana Abdi, remains detained pending trial on the charge of “moharebeh” (enmity against God), which can carry the death penalty.

Zeynab Bayzeydi, a Kurdish women's rights activist and a member of the Human Rights Organisation of Kurdistan (HROK) was sentenced in August 2008 to four years' imprisonment, and internal exile. Her sentence has been upheld by the appeal court in August 2008. She was arrested on 9 July 2008, after the police ordered her to present herself for interrogation at a police station in Mahabad. Zeynab Bayzeydi was charged with membership of unauthorised human rights associations, and on account of her activities in support of women's rights, which she has denied, except the one arising from her work on the Campaign for Equality.

Delaram Ali was among 70 people arrested during a demonstration against legalized discrimination against women in June 2006. In June 2007, Delaram Ali was sentenced to 34 months’ imprisonment and 10 lashes on charges of “participation in an illegal gathering”, “propaganda against the system” and “disrupting public order and peace”. The sentence was reduced to 30 months’ imprisonment on appeal. Although her sentence was suspended and her case is under review, she remains at risk of imprisonment

Nasrin Sotoudeh, a well-known human rights lawyer and Mansoureh Shoja’i, a member of the Campaign were charged on 14 July 2008 with “acting against state security by having unauthorized contacts with Iranians abroad”. They had been prevented from travelling to Dubai in March 2008 where they were due to attend a celebration of International Women’s Day, organized by Iranian women living in Dubai.

Nasim Khosravi and Raheleh Asgarzadeh were tried in Branch 13 of Revolutionary Court in Tehran for collecting signatures. They were arrested on 14 February 2008 and held for almost two weeks before being released on bail. No verdict has yet been announced.

Mahboubeh Karami, journalist and women’s rights defender, was charged in mid August 2008 with "acting against national security," and the Revolutionary Court in Mahabad has scheduled her next hearing for 1 November, according to her lawyer. She was held in Evin Prison in Tehran from 13 June 2008 and released on bail on 25 August 2008 for the amount of one billion rials (approximately US$110,000).

Maryam Hosseinkhah, Parvin Ardalan, Jelveh Javaheri and Nahid Kesharvarz were summoned to trial on 2 August for charge of “acting against national security”, their lawyers were present for their defence, but their trial was otherwise closed to the public.

Background
The Campaign for Equality is a network of individuals working to end legal discrimination against women in Iran. The Campaign informs women of their rights, and is aiming to collect one million signatures from the Iranian public to a petition against discriminatory laws.

The tireless campaigning of women’s rights defenders has succeeded in stirring debate about discrimination against women at all levels of society – among women themselves, in the press and even among the religious establishment. However, the Iranian authorities appear to be paying little attention to these legitimate demands of Iranian women.

See Iran: Women's rights defenders defy repression, published on 28 February 2008
http://www.amnesty.ca/amnestynews/upload/MDE130182008.pdf

Amnesty International expresses its condolences to the family of Daleen Kay Bosse

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-08-19T13:56:04+01:00

Amnesty International expresses its condolences to the family and community of Daleen Kay Bosse (Muskego).

Daleen, a 27 year old university student and mother from the Onion Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan, went missing in May 2004. In their search for their missing daughter, Pauline and Herb Muskego have emerged as powerful voices for justice for Aboriginal women.

Daleen's remains were found on August 8. The Saskatoon Police Service have a charged a 30-year-old man in her murder.

A recent column by Doug Cuthand puts these tragic events in perspective. Read the column.

View the profile of Daleen Kay Bosse.

Iran: Announcement of suspension of stoning a welcome step if carried out

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-08-08T20:01:56+01:00

Amnesty International welcomed the announcement by the spokesperson for Iran’s judiciary that execution by stoning has been suspended, as a result of which several women have had their sentences commuted.

“Stoning is a horrific practice, designed to increase the suffering of those facing execution, and it has no place in the modern world,” Amnesty International said. “We look to the Iranian authorities to ensure that this dreadful punishment is never again used.”

The organization cautioned that the authorities must ensure that this is not a ‘hollow promise.’ They failed to stop the practice after Ayatollah Shahroudi, the head of Iran’s judiciary, announced a moratorium on stoning in December 2002. At least one stoning execution was carried out in 2007 in Qazvin province.

“If this announcement holds, it will represent a signal victory for Iranian human rights defenders who recently mounted their own Stop Stoning Forever Campaign, and a big step forward for human rights,” said Amnesty International.

“Now we need to see further action by the Iranian authorities to end other cruel and inhuman punishments such as flogging and the amputation of limbs, as well as other steps to reduce use of the death penalty.” [more]

Background

In January 2008 Amnesty International published a 30 page report Iran: End executions by stoning.

Iran's existing Penal Code prescribes execution by stoning as the penalty for adultery by married persons. It even dictates that the stones are large enough to cause pain, but not so large as to kill the victim immediately.

Despite official claims that stonings have been halted - including a moratorium issued by the Head of the Judiciary in 2002 - several have taken place, with the latest in 2007. Ja'far Kiani, a man, was stoned to death for adultery on 5 July 2007 in the village of Aghche-kand, near Takestan in Qazvin province. A woman and a man are also known to have been stoned to death in Mashhad in May 2006.

The majority of those sentenced to death by stoning are women. Women are not treated equally with men under the law and by courts, and they are also particularly vulnerable to unfair trials because their higher illiteracy rate makes them more likely to sign confessions to crimes they did not commit.

Despite this bleak reality, human rights defenders in Iran believe that international publicity can help bring an end to stoning. Courageous efforts are being made by their Stop Stoning Forever campaign, whose efforts have helped save five people from stoning (and led to another sentence being stayed) since it began in October 2006.

These efforts have come at a price, with campaigners facing harassment and intimidation by the authorities. Thirty-three women, including members of the Stop Stoning Forever campaign, were arrested while protesting in March 2007 about the trial of five women's rights activists in Tehran.

Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases.

Mexico: Women�s Struggle for Justice and Safety

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-08-01T15:42:14+01:00

In Mexico, one in four women suffer physical and/or sexual violence at the hands of an intimate partner. Yet many do not report it to the authorities because they fear they will not be protected and that their complaint will not be taken seriously. The authorities often consider violence in the family a "private matter". The lack of an adequate official response can mean that women who report violence are put at further risk.

Take Action: Call on the Governor of Sonora State in Mexico to ensure women are protected from violence in the family.

Read Amnesty International's Report: Women’s struggle for safety and justice: Violence in the Family in Mexico

Toronto Event Notice: �Women of Liberia: Fighting for Peace�

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-07-24T21:02:14+01:00

Photo Credit: Jackie Redd is featured in the Amnesty International film "Women of Liberia: Fighting for Peace". Amnesty International.

Amnesty International’s Film: “Women of Liberia: Fighting for Peace” follows the epic journey of five women from the beginning of the Liberian war to their reintegration into post-conflict society.

Three of the women featured in the film will be speaking about their experiences and the challenges for women and girls in post-conflict Liberia.

Date: Friday, August 1, 2008

Time: 6-10 pm

Location: Friends House (60 Lowther Ave). Subway: St. George, Bedford Exit

For more information, please contact Elena Dumitru: edumitru@amnesty.ca

Background:
In Liberia, women were directly involved in the conflict which occurred between 1989 and 1997, and then again from 1999 to 2003. Women combatants or women associated with the fighting forces (WAFF) made up 30-40 percent of all fighting forces in the conflicts in Liberia. Yet more than five years after the end of the conflict little has been done to recognize their experience and provide support for them to return to their communities.

Take Action:
Liberia: A Flawed Process Discriminates against Women and Girls

Rape in Burundi � demand justice now!

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-07-23T19:02:05+01:00

Photo Caption: Victims of rape at the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) centre in Bujumbura, Burundi. Carl De Keyzer/Magnum Photos

13 year old Kaneza (not her real name) from the province of Bujumbura rural was raped by a 22-year-old man in September 2007. Kaneza didn’t tell anyone about the rape, until she found that she was pregnant. She told her uncle's wife, who immediately reported the rape to the police.

The alleged perpetrator was arrested and questioned, and confessed to the rape. Yet despite this, he remains free.

Rape is widespread throughout Burundi, but many cases, like that of Kaneza, remain unprosecuted.

Take Action: Call on the Public Prosecutor in Burundi investigate the alleged rape of Kaneza and bring the suspect to justice.

*Note, this action is on AI's International website, and you will be asked to register to sign the online petition. Registration is free and easy, and gives you future access to other online appeals on the website.

'Comfort Women': waiting for justice after 62 years

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-07-16T21:32:59+01:00

Photo Credit: Gil Ok Won and AI members and staff call for justice for the 'comfort women' opposite the Japanese Embassy in London. Gil Ok Won was one of many women used as wartime sex slaves - comfort women - by the Japanese military. © Amnesty International.

Thousands of women known as "comfort women" were forced into servitude by the Government of Japan for the armed forces in the 1930s before and after the Second World War. In what became known as a system of "military sexual slavery", women were abducted, beaten, raped and coerced into providing sexual services for the Japanese military. Resolutions have been passed in the USA, Netherlands, Canada and the European Parliament calling on the Government of Japan to accept full responsibility for the abuses of "comfort women", to officially apologize for the crimes committed against the women and to provide adequate and effective compensation.

The Government of the Philippines is currently considering passing a resolution that has particular significance because of the number of Filipino women who were enslaved by the Japanese Imperial Army.

Show your support for the Philippines to be the next country to pass a resolution calling for Justice for the 'Comfort Women'.*

*Note, this action is on AI's International website, and you will be asked to register to sign the online petition. Registration is free and easy, and gives you future access to other online appeals on the website.

Venezuela: Political will and resources needed to make law reality

Lindsay Mossman — 2008-07-16T18:35:33+01:00

Photo Credit: Report Cover for Amnesty International Report - Venezuela: "The law is there, let's use it" Ending domestic violence in Venezuela. Amnesty International.

(Caracas) In a new report published today, Amnesty International urged the Venezuelan authorities to show the political will and provide the resources needed to ensure the new law on violence against women will not just exist on paper.

“The 2007 Venezuelan law to protect women from violence is an example for the rest of the region but it will be useless for women unless it’s fully implemented,” said Guadalupe Marengo, Deputy Director of Amnesty International’s Americas Programme.

“Implementation of the law means more shelters, special tribunals and training for those who have to deal with these crimes.”

Amnesty International’s report looks at the reality of domestic violence for women in Venezuela. [more]

Thousands of women in Venezuela suffer beatings, verbal abuse and rape at home. In 2007 alone, 4,484 women called a helpline set up by INAMUJER (National Institute of Women’s Affairs) to report abuse. Local organizations, however, estimate that only 1 in 9 women report violence to the authorities.

Many of the women who talked to Amnesty International in Venezuela said that lack of financial independence, information, insufficient shelters – only two in a country of over 27 million inhabitants -- and a poorly resourced police and judicial infrastructure, make it hard for them to feel safe.

“Thousands of women in Venezuela live in a constant state of fear of violence from their partners, fear for their lives and the safety of their children. When a safety net is not provided, many women feel that they have no choice but to stay with their abuser or to be homeless and unable to support themselves or their children,” said Guadalupe Marengo.

In March 2007, the government passed a law that defines violence against women as a human rights violation and reaffirms the responsibility of the state and its officials to eradicate it. The law replaced one passed in 1999 that, although positive, failed to be fully implemented.

It sets out measures to prevent violence against women, to protect women at risk and to punish those responsible. It also requires the authorities to implement a far reaching programme to raise awareness and challenge public attitudes which condone or conceal this under-reported crime.

“Venezuela’s government needs to step up to the challenge set by the 2007 law.”

Read the Report

Protection for human rights defenders and mothers of women killed in Ciudad Ju�rez.

Cheryl Hotchkiss — 2008-06-02T14:04:43+01:00

Your urgent letters are required to protect the rights and lives of human rights defenders in Cuidad Juárez, Mexico:
Marisela Ortíz Rivera (f), human rights defender
Norma Andrade (f), human rights defender;
María Luisa García Andrade (f), human rights defender;
Other members of Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa (Our Daughters Return Home)

Members of an organization set up to fight for justice for women abducted and murdered in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua state, have received threats apparently linked to the opening of the film “Bordertown”, which is loosely based on the stories of the murdered women. Members of Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa (Our Daughters Return Home) have supported the film’s release as a way of raising awareness of the killings of women in Ciudad Juárez.

On 25 May, members of Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa received an email accusing them of profiting from the film and threatening them and their daughters. [more]

It said: "Fucking old fools with making yourselves famous you already showed your arses with the film Bordertown. Don’t carry on robbing the mothers who deserve help, leave Juárez now if you don’t like it. Leave the people of Juárez in peace we’re sick to death of your fucking bullshit complaints. We’re going to fuck you, fucking gossips and exaggerators. Don’t be surprised if one day we take your daughters and send them back to you in pieces. We’re going to fuck you where it hurts most bitches. Most of all the whore Malu Garsia (sic) and the hypocrite Maricela (sic). Take care because soon you’ll have unpleasant news."

(Pinchis biejas kuleras con tal de aserse famosas ya dieron las nalgas con la pelicula Bordertaun. No sigan robando a las madres que meresen ayuda, largense de Juaritos si nno les gusta. Dejen en pas a los Juarenses que ya nos tienen asta la madre con sus pinchis kejas de mierda les bamos a dar asta por el culo, por pinchis chismosas y exajeradas. No se estranen ke un dia les cojan a sus hijas y se las regresen en pedasos. Las bamos a chingar dandoles donde mas les duela hijas de la mierda, prinsipalmente a la puta de Malu Garsia y la ipocrita de la Maricela. No se descuiden porke pronto tendran notisias desagradadbles.[sic]"

On 16 May, “Bordertown” was premiered in Ciudad Juárez. In the days leading up to the film premiere, members of Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa have told Amnesty International that they received anonymous SMS messages on their mobile phones, telling them not to support the film, accusing them of making money from the situation and threatening that they would be investigated and put in prison.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Over 430 women and girls have been murdered in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua City since 1993. Approximately one in three of these murders involved some form of sexual violence. In 2003, Amnesty International's report Mexico: Intolerable killings (AMR 41/026/2003: http://www.amnesty.org/en/report/info/AMR41/026/2003) highlighted the pattern of violence against women in these two cities and the systematic failure of the authorities to effectively prevent and punish these crimes. Since then, the state government in Chihuahua has taken some measures to improve investigations, but many perpetrators have not been brought to justice and those responsible for the systematic failure of investigations have not been held to account. More than 30 women reported abducted remain unaccounted for. In 2008 at least 17 women have been murdered. Members of organisations such as Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa have been at the forefront of the campaign for truth and justice, and have presented a number of cases before the Inter American Commission on Human Rights. Human rights organisations working on the issue have frequently been accused of profiting from the cases and damaging the image of Ciudad Juarez. They have also been subject to threats and attacks on several occasions. The perpetrators have never been brought to justice.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Using your own words, please choose a few of the suggestions below to create a personal appeal and send it as quickly as possible:

- expressing concern at the threats against Maricela Ortíz Rivera, María Luisa García Andrade, Norma Andrade and other members of Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa;
- calling on the authorities to put in place adequate protection measures for those at risk, in accordance with their own wishes;
- urging the authorities to carry out a swift and impartial investigation to identify those responsible for the email and text message threats received by Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa in recent weeks and to bring them to justice;
- calling on the authorities to fulfil their obligations under the UN Declaration on the Rights and Responsibilities of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and ensure that human rights defenders have a right to carry out their activities without any restrictions or fear of reprisals.

APPEALS TO:

Minister of the Interior:

Lic.Juan Camilo Mouriño Terrazo
Secretario de Gobernación
Secretaría de Gobernación
Bucareli 99, 1er. piso, Col. Juárez
Delegación Cuauhtémoc
México D.F., C.P.06600
MEXICO
Fax: 011 5255 5093 3414/15/16 (to confirm receipt /17)
E-mail: secretario@segob.gob.mx
Salutation: Señor Secretario / Dear Minister

Governor of Chihuahua State:

Lic. José Reyes Baeza Terrazas
Gobernador del Estado de Chihuahua
Palacio de Gobierno, 1er piso
C. Aldama #901, Col. Centro,
Chihuahua, Estado de Chichuahua
C.P. 31000
MEXICO
Fax: 011 5261 4429 3300 ext. 11066
Salutation: Señor Gobernador / Dear Governor

Picking up the Pieces: Women�s experience of urban violence in Brazil

Cheryl Hotchkiss — 2008-05-12T15:51:51+01:00

“We can’t go on living under these conditions. We live in fear.”- Paola, a seamstress and mother of one, lives in a community dominated by violence. As Paola spoke, a voice echoed through the street: “EVERYONE INDOORS BY 6:00PM! ALL SHOPS CLOSE TOMORROW!” as the drug traffickers announced that evening’s curfew.

Crime, violence and exclusion have long been major issues in some of the cities in Brazil. In poor communities, women live out their lives against a backdrop of constant criminal and police violence. Regardless of their lack of safety and daily challenges to survival, a vibrant women’s movement has had an impact on federal government policy, through the adoption of the “Maria da Penha” law in 2006, and the creation of a Woman’s Ministry. Unfortunately, women’s experience of public insecurity and exclusion continue suggest that these changes may be more about appearances than real change.

Take Action

Central Africa: Secure the release of kidnapped women and children

Susanne Ure — 2008-04-25T17:23:23+01:00

On 22 April 2008 Amnesty International called on the UN and governments in Central Africa to take immediate action to secure the release of more than 350 men, women and children thought to have been abducted by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in recent weeks.

The abductions took place in the Central African Republic (CAR), the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Southern Sudan while the LRA was ostensibly preparing to sign a peace agreement with the Ugandan government meant to end more than 20 years of a civil war that has been characterised by war crimes, including abductions and widespread unlawful killings and mutilation of non-combatants.

“As in Uganda, these people – including scores of women and children – are likely to be used as child combatants and sex slaves, and yet none of the governments in the region have done anything to try to secure their release,” ...

News Release

Brazil: Women's lives shattered by public security crisis in shanty-towns

Susanne Ure — 2008-04-25T17:06:42+01:00

In a new report published 17 April 2008, Amnesty International revealed the untold stories of women who are forced to live, bring up their children and fight for justice in Brazil’s lawless shanty-towns.

“The reality for women in Brazil’s slums is catastrophic. They are the hidden victims of the criminal and police violence that has engulfed their communities for decades,” said Tim Cahill, Brazil researcher at Amnesty International.

The Brazilian state is virtually absent in marginalized communities and often the only contact people have with the government is via sporadic, militarised police incursions.

Though the federal government has launched a new project which promises to attend to the decades of neglect that have contributed to this reality, little has been done to analyse and address the specific needs of women living in these communities.

“Far from providing protection, the police often subject women to illegal searches by male officers, abusive and discriminatory language and intimidation, especially when they attempt to intervene to protect a relative,” ...

News Release | Take Action | Report: Picking up the pieces – Women’s experience of urban violence in Brazil

Iran: Women Sentenced to be Stoned to Death is Released

Cheryl Hotchkiss — 2008-03-19T15:47:49+01:00

Mokarrameh Ebrahimi was released from Choubin prison in Qazvin province, northwestern Iran, on 17 March. Mokarrameh Ebrahimi had been imprisoned for 11 years. She was sentenced to death by stoning after being convicted of adultery.

Activists from Iran's Stop Stoning Forever campaign publicized the plans for this public execution, which led to a widespread domestic and international outcry, including from Amnesty International.

Shadi Sadr, leader of the "Stop Stoning Forever" campaign, said, "It was a rare ruling… I cannot tell how the commission came up with this decision… But you cannot deny the role of public opinion and domestic and international pressures." While this is a great success, action is required to bring a complete end to executions by stoning in Iran.

Take Action

South Africa: Rural women the losers in HIV response

Susanne Ure — 2008-03-18T16:26:24+01:00

Despite gradual improvements in the government’s response to the HIV epidemic and the adoption of a widely-welcomed five-year plan, five and a half million South Africans are HIV-infected – one of the highest numbers in any country in the world. Fifty-five percent of them are women. South African women under 25 are three to four times more likely to be HIV-infected than men in the same age group.

News Release | Report | Take Action

Governments must take action to end violence against school girls

Susanne Ure — 2008-03-18T16:20:08+01:00

On the eve of International Women’s Day, Amnesty International called on governments and school officials around the world to take concrete action to end violence against girls, particularly inside schools, in a new global report published today.

Many girls all over the world go to school, fearing for their safety, dreading humiliating and violent treatment, simply hoping to get through another day. The report Safe Schools: Every Girl’s Right, shows how violence in and around educational institutions remains pervasive. From Mexico to China, girls continuously face the risk of being sexually assaulted, harassed or intimidated on their way to school or once inside school premises.

News Release | Report | Video | Take Action | Take the Safe Schools Quiz | Find out more

Business as Usual: Violence Against Women in the Globalized Economy of the Americas

Cheryl Hotchkiss — 2008-02-29T19:49:14+01:00

Racial and gender discrimination, poverty and a lack of accountability in for government and non-governmental actors create an environment where violence against women is inevitable. But it doesn’t have to be. Amnesty International is concerned that inadequate attention has been give to how trade and investment policies can contribute to increasing economic inequality and fueling violence against women and girls, particularly those living on the margins of society. Amnesty’s report Business as Usual: Violence against Women in the Globalized Economy of the Americas outlines the impacts of economic changes and upheaval on women in Indigenous communities; the specific threats faced by women migrants; and the violence against women who speak out against economic changes in order to defend human rights.

Take Action | Report

Chad/Sudan: Violence against displaced women

Cheryl Hotchkiss — 2008-02-29T16:22:01+01:00

In their search for safety from armed conflict, women and girls fleeing their homes often find themselves caught in an inescapable cycle of violence. Many displaced women and girls experience violence at the hands of armed groups, the military, border guards, police, smugglers or traffickers. In the Darfur region of Sudan and the border areas of Chad, women and girls have been deliberately targeted by all parties to the conflict, and thousands of women and girls have been raped by members of militias and armed groups.

Take Action | Learn More

Mexico: Indigenous human rights defenders at risk

Cheryl Hotchkiss — 2008-02-29T16:00:55+01:00

Lorenzo Fernández Ortega, Inés Fernández Ortega, Fortunato Prisciliano Sierra and Obtilia Eugenio Manuel are members of the Me Phaa Indigenous People’s Organization (OPIM). They along with other members have been working help find justice for people who have experienced human rights violations at the hands of the Mexican military in Guerro state. As a result of their work, they have been the threatened, intimidated, kidnapped and in the case of Lorenzo, killed.

Take Action | News Release | Report

Democratic Republic of Congo: Coquette Nsinga - raped for supporting the opposition

Cheryl Hotchkiss — 2008-02-29T15:32:54+01:00

Being involved in the political process in the Democratic Republic of Congo is not easy or safe. Coquette Nsinga is a 25-year-old student. Police officers arrested and beat her, detained her in isolation, and raped her, all because she belongs to an opposition political party, the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC).

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Greece: Trafficked Women and Girls Forced to Comply

Cheryl Hotchkiss — 2008-02-26T17:30:50+01:00

Greece has been a transit and destination country for trafficked persons since the early 1990s and from that time has seen a continuous increase in the number of women and girls trafficked and forced into prostitution. The women mainly come from Eastern Europe and Africa. They often believe they are being brought to Greece to make a living but rarely know that they will be forced to work in the sex industry.

News Release | Report | Take Action

Amnesty International Canada's consultations regarding sexual and reproductive rights

Cheryl Hotchkiss — 2008-02-26T17:17:28+01:00

In April 2007, Amnesty International (AI) adopted a policy on selected aspects of abortion. This policy has been adopted at the international level of the movement and therefore has global application. This policy, along with our wider policy on sexual and reproductive rights, was decided upon after extensive internal and external consultations. [more] These policies have been adopted because of concerns about:

the consequences of widespread sexual violence against women and girls;
the failure of virtually all states to prevent sexual violence or provide an adequate remedy for victims and survivors of sexual violence;
the grave impact that discrimination and lack of access to health care information and services, including reproductive health information and services, has on women and girls; and
the serious threats that pregnancy without access to safe and appropriate health care services can pose to a woman’s life and health.

AI has long promoted the rights of women and men to make informed choices about sex and reproduction free from coercion, discrimination and violence. AI also has long opposed coercive population control measures such as forced sterilization and forced abortion. AI’s policy on selected aspects of abortion, which is consistent with these other policy positions, is rooted in an analysis of state obligations as defined under international human rights law. AI is committed to addressing those human rights violations that lead to unwanted pregnancies, violations such as:

sexual violence, particularly in situations of armed conflict;
arbitrary or unreasonable restrictions on a person’s exercise of the full range of her or his sexual and reproductive rights;
restrictions on access to sexual and reproductive health information or services due to discriminatory laws, policies, and practices; and
limited or no access to the resources and factors that support sexual and reproductive health.

Above all else, AI is committed to taking action to stop the human rights violations that result in women’s unequal status, making it impossible for many women to control the terms and conditions of their sexual interactions with men. It is this inequality that is at the heart of the widespread violence experienced by women and girls around the world.

AI’s policy on selected aspects of abortion calls on all states to:

Provide women and men with comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and services.
Repeal laws under which women can be charged and imprisoned for seeking or having an abortion or health care professionals are or can be charged and imprisoned for providing abortion services or information about such services. State regulation of access to abortion is appropriate, including with respect to gestational limits and regulating abortions which are tied to the sex or disability status of the foetus Such regulation of access, however, must not result in imprisonment on any of these grounds. More generalized health care regulations, such as ensuring practitioners are licensed and protection against medical malpractice should continue to be enforced, including through criminal penalties where appropriate. In no circumstances should women face criminal law sanctions.
Provide all women who experience complications from abortion with access to appropriate medical services regardless of whether they obtained the abortion legally or illegally under national law.
Ensure that any woman, who has become pregnant as a result of sexual violence, including incest, has access to safe and legal abortion services.
Ensure that when a pregnancy poses a risk to a woman’s life or a grave risk to her health, she has access to safe, legal abortion services.

AI takes no position on whether a woman facing a risk to her life or health or who has become pregnant as a result of sexual violence should have an abortion. Amnesty is seeking to ensure that abortion services in such cases are safe and accessible to these women so as to prevent the grave human rights violations that could occur if women were denied this option.

Amnesty’s action work on selected aspects of abortion will only be undertaken when an appropriate research base has been developed and it is determined by those involved in the research that national and/or international action is required.

Background

Since the launch in 2004 of its global campaign to Stop Violence Against Women, AI has exposed widespread injustices, including a myriad of forms of sexual violence that can lead to unwanted pregnancies. Many women in these circumstances are doubly stigmatized: first as victims of sexual violence and then for being pregnant. In many countries, women who wish to end unwanted pregnancies resulting from sexual violence have no other option but to resort to unsafe abortions, endangering their lives. For some women, the grim choice is between the risk of an unsafe, illegal abortion and the possibility of imprisonment or being stigmatized for being the victim of sexual violence resulting in a pregnancy. In many countries, women whose lives are endangered by pregnancy are unable to access legal abortion services. Consequently, women who have had an illegal abortion and face medical complications are unable to access life-saving treatment they need from medical service providers without risking criminal prosecution and imprisonment.