• Updated Human Rights Watch Submission to the United Nations Committee against Torture on Greece
    Written statement
    Apr 25, 2012
    This memorandum, submitted to the United Nations Committee Against Torture (“the Committee”) ahead of its upcoming review of Greece, highlights areas of concern Human Rights Watch hopes will inform the Committee’s consideration of the Greek government’s (“the government”) compliance with the International Convention against Torture and Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment ("the Convention").
  • Peru: Submission to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
    Written statement
    Apr 12, 2012
    This memorandum, submitted to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ahead of its upcoming review of Peru highlights areas of concern that Human Rights Watch hopes will inform the Committee’s consideration of the Peruvian government’s compliance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
  • Letter to Peruvian Congress on Involuntary Detention of Persons With Disabilities
    Letter
    Apr 2, 2012
    Human Rights Watch expresses its concern about Law No. 29737 and related provisions in Peruvian law that permit involuntary detention for treatment of people with psychosocial or mental disabilities and those who suffer from addiction, in circumstances that do not comply with international human rights law.
  • Letter to UN Special Rapporteurs on Involuntary Sterilization of Women and Girls with Disabilities
    Letter
    Mar 9, 2012
    An alarming number of women and girls with disabilities have been, and continue to be, denied their rights to experience their sexuality, to have sexual relationships and to found and maintain families through the practice of forced sterilization.
  • People with Disabilities: Law Reform Needed
    Press release
    Jan 22, 2012
    Governments around the world should reform laws that limit the capacity of people with disabilities to vote, to make independent decisions, or to live in the community, Human Rights Watch said today in an essay in its World Report 2012.
  • Jamaica: Ensure Voting Access for People With Disabilities
    Press release
    Dec 22, 2011
    Jamaican authorities should take prompt action to ensure that people with disabilities can vote in the elections on December 29, 2011, Human Rights Watch said today.
  • Submission to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
    Written statement
    Dec 20, 2011
    This submission is based on research and advocacy conducted by Human Rights Watch. Women and girls with disabilities face a heightened risk of physical and sexual violence. Many factors contribute to this risk, including limitations in physical mobility, isolation, and common myths about women and girls with disabilities.
  • Vote for an End to Discrimination
    Commentary
    Nov 11, 2011
  • Sterilization of Women and Girls with Disabilities
    Backgrounder Briefing
    Nov 10, 2011
    Across the globe, women and girls with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to forced sterilizations performed under the auspices of legitimate medical care or the consent of others in their name. The practice of forced sterilization is part of a broader pattern of denial of the human rights, including reproductive rights of women and girls with disabilities.
  • Submission to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
    Written statement
    Oct 17, 2011
    This submission highlights areas of concern we hope will inform your consideration of violations of Article 29 of the CRPD. It documents legal restrictions on the right of persons with disabilities to vote and stand for election, including the laws that deprive them of their legal capacity to make decisions. It describes accessibility barriers that effectively lead to the denial of the right to vote, as well as limitations that may prevent persons with disabilities from running for public office. This submission also presents positive examples of how some countries have implemented this right, and recommendations for States parties to the CRPD. The following information is based on our research and advocacy efforts in a number of countries around the world and ongoing monitoring of the human rights of persons with disabilities.