FRIDAY FILE - On April 2, 2013, a decades long campaign culminated in the signing of the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) at the UN General Assembly. The ATT prohibits arms sales when there is a risk that weapons could be used to violate international humanitarian or human rights law. 

FRIDAY FILE - Long working hours, lack of rest time and poor treatment and compensation, in the absence of national legislation, often turns domestic work into a form of slavery in many countries. We reflect on some of the changes taking place in Latin America regarding decent work for domestic workers.

FRIDAY FILE – From 20-22 March, about 250 people, largely from civil society organizations (CSOs) and another third from other stakeholders such as the United Nations (UN), gathered in Bonn, Germany for an international conference on Advancing the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Agenda.  There was an active group of women’s rights organizations and advocates who made it clear that “We will not be mainstreamed into a polluted stream!”

We are writing to ask you to join a solidarity effort for our dear friend Sunila Abeysekera, a leading women’s human rights defender, who is in a life struggle with cancer. AWID is joining this campaign in solidarity with Sunila, a dear friend and partner for many years. Please consider collaborating.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received very disturbing information regarding the assault on five women human rights defenders working with Sahjani Shiksha Kendra (SSK) in Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh. 

We are writing to ask you for urgent help on the case of Beatriz, the 22-year-old woman in El Salvador whose life is at risk if she carries on with her pregnancy. As of today, there has still been no decision by the Salvadoran Supreme Court, and no action by the Salvadoran authorities to allow her to have the interruption of pregnancy she needs.