Saudi Arabia: Law Enshrines Male Guardianship
Personal Status Law Discriminates Against Women in Marriage, Divorce, Custody

Despite great strides made by the international women’s rights movement over many years, women and girls around the world are still married as children or trafficked into forced labor and sex slavery. They are refused access to education and political participation, and some are trapped in conflicts where rape is perpetrated as a weapon of war. Around the world, deaths related to pregnancy and childbirth are needlessly high, and women are prevented from making deeply personal choices in their private lives. Human Rights Watch is working toward the realization of women’s empowerment and gender equality—protecting the rights and improving the lives of women and girls on the ground.
Personal Status Law Discriminates Against Women in Marriage, Divorce, Custody
Violence Against Lesbian, Bisexual, and Queer Women and Non-Binary People
EU Action Needed to End Undermining of Institutions that Protect Rights
‘Would World Leaders Bear It If Their Daughters Were Banned from School?’
Inter-American Court Ruling Could Set Precedent in Latin America and the Caribbean
Victory for Players Promoting Women’s and LGBT Rights in Sport
State School Required All Girls to Wear Muslim Headdress
Government Should Ensure Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Care, End Abortion Ban
17th Pre-Sessional Working Group
Creative Strategies Needed to Provide Justice for Survivors of Violence
Patriarchal Citizenship Laws Treat Women as Second Class Citizens
How Women Are Treated Is a Bellwether for Authoritarianism
Personal Status Law Discriminates Against Women, Lacks Rights Defenders’ Input