Reports

Leave No Girl Behind in Africa

Discrimination in Education against Pregnant Girls and Adolescent Mothers

This report draws on extensive Human Rights Watch research on the rights of girls in Africa. Human Rights Watch examined national laws, policies, and practices that block or support pregnant girls’ and adolescent mothers’ right to primary and secondary education in all African Union (AU) member countries. Africa has one of the highest rates of adolescent pregnancy in the world. African governments should urgently adopt laws and policies to ensure that schools allow and support pregnant girls to stay in school and to return to school after having a child.

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  • “Justice Reestablishes Balance”

    Delivering Credible Accountability for Serious Abuses in Côte d’Ivoire

    This report outlines critical areas requiring additional government support so that Ivorian courts can provide credible justice.

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  • “To Consolidate This Peace of Ours”

    A Human Rights Agenda for Côte d’Ivoire

    The 77-page report, “‘To Consolidate This Peace of Ours’: A Human Rights Agenda for Côte d’Ivoire,” assesses the government’s progress in strengthening the rule of law and identifies the key human rights priorities for the next five years.

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  • Making Justice Count

    Lessons from the ICC’s Work in Côte d’Ivoire

    This 88-page report draws on interviews with activists, journalists, and ICC staff in Abidjan and The Hague to assess whether the ICC has done what it can to ensure that its proceedings are relevant, meaningful, and accessible to Ivorians.

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  • “That Land Is My Family’s Wealth”

    Addressing Land Dispossession after Côte d’Ivoire’s Post-Election Conflict

    The 111-page report details the grave economic consequences of land dispossession and the resulting risk for inter-communal violence in western Côte d’Ivoire.

  • Turning Rhetoric into Reality

    Accountability for Serious International Crimes in Côte d’Ivoire

    This 74-page report analyzes Côte d’Ivoire’s uneven efforts to hold to account those responsible for serious international crimes committed following the November 2010 presidential election.

  • "A Long Way from Reconciliation"

    Abusive Military Crackdown in Response to Security Threats in Côte d’Ivoire

    This 73-page report details the brutal crackdown that followed a series of violent attacks on military installations around the country in August. The attacks were allegedly committed by militants loyal to former President Laurent Gbagbo.

  • “They Killed Them Like It Was Nothing”

    The Need for Justice for Côte d’Ivoire’s Post-Election Crimes

    This 130-page report details the war crimes and likely crimes against humanity committed by forces under both Gbagbo and Ouattara. It documents the horrific human rights abuses that took place from November 2010, when Gbagbo lost an election and refused to yield power, through June 2011.

  • Afraid and Forgotten

    Lawlessness, Rape, and Impunity in Western Côte d’Ivoire

    This report documents the often brutal physical and sexual violence in the western administrative regions of Moyen Cavally and Dix-Huit Montagnes.

  • "The Best School"

    Student Violence, Impunity, and the Crisis in Côte d’Ivoire

    This 98-page report documents how, in the last several years, members of FESCI have been implicated in attacks on opposition ministers, magistrates, journalists, and human rights organizations, among others.

  • "My Heart Is Cut"

    Sexual Violence by Rebels and Pro-Government Forces in Côte d’Ivoire

    Pro-government and rebel forces in Côte d’Ivoire have subjected thousands of women and girls to rape and other brutal sexual assaults with impunity. This 135-page report details the widespread nature of sexual violence throughout the five-year military-political crisis.

  • “Because they have the guns … I'm left with nothing."

    The Price of Continuing Impunity in Côte d’Ivoire

    This 36-page report documents human rights abuses against civilians that were committed by state security forces, their allied militias and the rebel New Forces (Forces Nouvelles) between November and March. These armed groups have preyed on civilians through intimidation and outright force.

  • Country on a Precipice

    The Precarious State of Human Rights and Civilian Protection in Côte d’Ivoire

    This 35-page report documents recent military incidents that demonstrate the precariousness of the situation in Côte d’Ivoire. The report also shows how the continued proliferation of militias and the government’s practice of using hate speech to incite violence puts civilians at continued risk.

  • Youth, Poverty and Blood

    The Lethal Legacy of West Africa’s Regional Warriors

    The lives of “regional warriors” are documented in this 66-page report. Based on interviews with some 60 former fighters who have crossed borders to fight in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea, the report explores the forces driving the phenomenon of cross-border mercenary activity in West Africa.