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Covid-19 Hampers Workplace Safety in Georgia’s Mines

Labor Inspectorate Needs More Resources to Put Reforms into Effect

Two people died in a mining accident in the country of Georgia’s western coal mining town of Tkibuli last week. The accident in itself was tragic, but even more heartbreaking when you consider the context. The dangers of working in Georgia’s mines…
Miners going to work
News

IOC Doubles Down on Losing China Strategy

International Olympic Committee Should Help Secure Peng Shuai’s Safety

“We have taken a very human and person-centred approach to her situation,” the International Olympics Committee (IOC) said in a December 2 statement, revealing it had held a second closed call with Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai. Meanwhile, Peng has…
Two men speak to each other while seated
News

Olympics: Protect Peng Shuai

Sport & Rights Alliance Calls on the IOC To Put People Before Partnerships

(Nyon, Switzerland) – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) should immediately stop supporting China’s strategy of suppression and start prioritizing protecting athletes and upholding its human rights obligations, the Sport & Rights…
A woman in athletic wear holding a tennis racket
News

European Court Rules to Reunite Chechen Woman with Her Children

Russia Should End Discrimination Against Women in Custody Cases and Beyond

This week, the European Court on Human Rights ruled that Luisa Tapayeva, a Chechen woman, should be reunited with her four daughters who were taken from her after their father died. Under local customs, children are “owned” by the father and his…
A picture from an animation by Justice Initiative Project on the custom of taking children away from mothers in Chechnya and Ingushetia.
News

South Africa: Broken Promises to Aid Gender-Based Violence Survivors

Improve Shelter Funding; Increase Access for Sex Workers, LGBT, Undocumented Survivors

(Johannesburg) – The South African government has taken important steps but did not provide adequate funding for shelters and other services for gender-based violence survivors during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many survivors have been made more…
General view during the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) protest march organized by the Office of The Premier in collaboration with Phepha Foundation on April 26, 2021 in Durban, South Africa.
News

Olympics: Don’t Promote Chinese State Propaganda

Olympic Committee’s Call with Chinese Tennis Star Disregards Safety Concerns

(New York) – The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) collaboration with Chinese authorities on tennis star Peng Shuai’s reappearance undermines its expressed commitment to human rights, including the rights and safety of athletes, Human Rights…
Peng Shuai waves at the Australian Open tennis championships in Melbourne, Australia on January 15, 2019. 
News

Letter from Human Rights Watch to Institutional Shareholders

Re: Energy Companies in Myanmar and Abuses by the Military Junta

October 20, 2021 We are writing on behalf of Human Rights Watch concerning ownership by your firm (or funds or entities under its control) of energy companies, including Total Energies, PTT (and its subsidiary PTTEP), Chevron, and POSCO, which are…
News

Myanmar: Investors Should Act to Halt Funds to Junta

Revenues from Foreign Companies Keep Military in Power

(New York) – Payments by energy and extractive companies to entities under the control of the Myanmar military are providing key funds to sustain the junta and pose serious legal, financial, and reputational risks to investors in those companies.…
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News

New Olympic Framework Backs Inclusion

New Guidelines Push Back on Discriminatory ‘Sex Testing’ Practices

(New York) – A new framework published by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) promotes inclusion in sport, Human Rights Watch said today. The new policy contrasts with the “sex testing” policies imposed on some athletes in international track…
Person holding image of athletes in a race.
News

Bangladesh: Protests Erupt Over Rape Verdict

Judge Appears to Blame Victims; Activists Renew Calls to Repeal Harmful Law

(New York) – Women’s rights activists are protesting following the acquittal of all five men accused in an alleged gang-rape of two women in Dhaka in 2017, Human Rights Watch said today. The judge said that the police had failed to provide credible…
Students and activists take part in a torch procession demanding for the government to take action against murder and rape in Bangladesh. 
News

African Leaders Meet in Niger to Support Girls’ Rights

Address Discrimination Against Pregnant Students, Widespread Teenage Pregnancy

(Nairobi) – African leaders should prioritize education for pregnant girls and married adolescents at the Third African Girls’ Summit in Niamey, Niger, from November 16-18, 2021. Governments attending the summit should commit to stronger human rights…
A 17-year-old girl from western Kenya who dropped out of lower secondary school when she got pregnant. She received no information that would have allowed her to continue going to school while she was pregnant, but she wants to continue studying so she can find a job and care for her child.
News

Afghanistan Facing Famine

UN, World Bank, US Should Adjust Sanctions, Economic Policies

(New York) – Donor countries, the United Nations, and international financial institutions should urgently address Afghanistan’s collapsed economy and broken banking system to prevent widespread famine, Human Rights Watch said today. The UN World…
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News

Papua New Guinea: Address Abuses Raised at UN Review

Countries Criticize Failures on Women’s and LGBT Rights and the Death Penalty

(Geneva) – The Papua New Guinea government should seriously address the criticisms of its human rights record and scores of recommendations raised by United Nations member countries, Human Rights Watch said today. Papua New Guinea appeared…
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News

Iran: Population Law Violates Women’s Rights

Denies Access to Essential Reproductive Health Care, Information

(Beirut) – Iran’s new population law further violates women’s rights to sexual and reproductive health and puts women’s health and lives at risk, Human Rights Watch said today. Iranian authorities should immediately repeal the provisions that restrict…
Iranian women walk down a street in the capital Tehran on February 7, 2018.
News

Ethiopia: Blocking Tigray Aid Harms Rape Survivors

Urgently Allow Entry of Food, Medicine; Support International Investigations

The Ethiopian government’s blocking of aid with health facilities in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region destroyed is preventing sexual violence survivors from getting post-rape care.   The government’s effective siege of Tigray since June is…
Two women stand facing away from the camera
Report

“I Always Remember That Day”

Summary I have anxiety…. I feel stress, I am affected mentally…. That moment comes to my mind every day….  I always remember that day. —Tirhas S. (not her real name), 44-year-old sexual violence survivor, Tigray, March 16, 2021[1] The…
News

From Schools to Motels, Nowhere is Safe from Spy Cams in South Korea

Recent Digital Sex Crimes Underscore Urgent Need for National Plan

Last week, authorities arrested an elementary school principal in South Korea who had installed a spy camera inside a bathroom used by the school’s female staff members. In October, authorities arrested a group of men who had bribed a motel worker…
A group of women sit holding protest signs that read "My Life Is Not Your Porn"
News

Afghanistan: Taliban Blocking Female Aid Workers

Discriminatory Rules Hinder Lifesaving Assistance

(New York) – Taliban rules prohibiting most women from operating as aid workers are worsening the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Countrywide restrictions mean that aid will reach fewer families in need, particularly women-headed households.…
Men wait in a line to receive cash at a money distribution organized by the World Food Program in Kabul, Afghanistan, November 3, 2021.
News

Woman in Gaza Fights Travel Ban Imposed by Her Father

Such Restrictions Violate Women’s Rights, Can Facilitate Abuse

On November 3 a court in Gaza will consider the request of Afaf al-Najar, a 19-year-old woman, to lift a travel ban imposed by her father. She told Human Rights Watch that on September 21, Palestinian border officials at the Rafah Crossing between…
Women hold signs during a protest against the decision by Gaza's Supreme Judicial Council banning women from movement in and out of the Gaza Strip without the permission of her "guardian," in Gaza City, February 16, 2021.