Victims of violence, in particular domestic violence, will soon be able to count on EU-wide protection, after the European Parliament voted with an overwhelming majority (602 votes in favour, 23 against, 63 abstentions) to endorse the European Commission's proposal for an EU-wide protection order.
News & Analysis
Women's Rights in the News
Georgia: Homophobic violence mars Tbilisi Pride event
21 May 2013
Police in the Georgian capital Tbilisi failed to protect lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) activists as thousands of people violently attacked a Pride event today in what Amnesty International said was an ineffective response to organized and violent homophobia.
Brazil judicial decision paves the way for same sex marriage
15 May 2013
Brazil has become the third and largest Latin American country to give a de facto green light to same-sex marriage.
Issues & Analysis
Bangladesh's garment workers face exploitation, but is it slavery?
21 May 2013
It may be splitting hairs over what is and is not slavery, but mislabelling paid workers as slaves could harm their cause.
Political Statement of Networks and Organizations Gathered in Mexico "Deepening Democracy and Rules of Law that fultill Women's Human Rights. It is about Time Already"
16 May 2013
Organizations and feminists, academics and human rights women networks from Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean, here undersigned, participants of the international seminar “Incidence on the Network: The Challenge of States to Fulfill Women’s Human Rights”, held from May 7 to May 10, 2013 in Mexico City, express the following:
US Embassy in Tel Aviv excludes Palestinians from reception honoring the LGBT community in Israel
16 May 2013
Aswat- Palestinian Gay Women was recently invited to attend a reception hosted by the US Embassy in honor of the LGBTQI community in Israel, planned for Thursday 16th May. Enquiring about speakers at the event, Aswat learned that no Palestinian LGBTQI activists had been approached to speak, and that only Jewish Israeli campaigners were invited to speak. Despite requests on our part to be included in the list of speakers, the Embassy repeatedly made the excuse that arrangements had been finalized and that there had not been room to include us in the list of speakers.
AWID's Friday Files
Illegal Detention of Women Human Rights Defenders in the Midst of the Border Conflict of Sudan
24 May 2013
FRIDAY FILE - Sudanese people inspired by the Arab spring, and led by women and youth, took the streets of Sudan demanding regime change in 2011. Authorities violently cracked down on these demonstrations, detaining more than 150 women, who were sexually abused or tortured, injured and beaten in the protests. Since June 2012, new protests against the Sudanese regime have intensified violence against women human rights defenders (WHRDs).[1]
The First Arms Trade Treaty Recognises Gender-Based Violence
16 May 2013
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.
Some Advances in Legal Rights for Domestic Workers in Latin America
10 May 2013
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.
New Resources
Why the U.S. Desperately Needs a National Paid Family and Medical Leave Program
22 May 2013
Paid post-pregnancy parental leave offers big benefits for moms, babies, and even employers. Here, powerful evidence to support expanding our country's family leave laws.
From the desk of Lakshmi Puri, Acting Head of UN Women
22 May 2013
It has now been two months since the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) adopted agreed conclusions on the priority theme of eliminating and preventing violence against women and girls at its fifty-seventh session.
Human Rights and Maternal Health: Exploring the Effectiveness of the Alyne Decision
22 May 2013
This article explores the effectiveness of the decision of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in the case of Alyne da Silva Pimentel Teixeira (deceased) v. Brazil, concerning a poor, Afro-Brazilian woman.
Special Focus
CSW Special Focus
AWID is pleased to launch a special focus section on CSW 57. Follow the proceedings and keep up to date on events, news, analysis, and official and CSO statements in preparation for and coming out of the two-week meeting.
Democratic Republic of Congo
AWID is alarmed by the escalating violence in the North Kivu province of the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and is dismayed by the lack of international response to protect civilians and women human rights defenders. We stand in solidarity with our sisters in DRC and our partners who are working closely to ensure that WHRDs in the area are out of harm's way.
Parliamentary Coup in Paraguay
On June 22, 2012, the Paraguayan Senate found President Fernando Lugo guilty of impeachment charges in a 39 to 4 vote, resulting in his removal from office.
Rio+20
The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from 20-22 June 2012 marking the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED).
Crisis in Haiti
Two years after a 7.0 earthquake devastated Haiti’s capital of Port-Au-Prince, on Tuesday, 12 January 2010 the nation is still trying to rebuild their country and their lives.
What's new on awid.org?
Announcements
World’s biggest fashion retailers agree to sign Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh
22 May 2013
Canadian labour rights group calls on Loblaw and others to join them. The Toronto-based Maquila Solidarity (MSN) welcomes the decision of H&M, Inditex (owner of the Zara brand), Primark, C&A and Tesco to sign the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh with the Global Unions IndustriALL and UNI and Bangladeshi unions.
International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia
22 May 2013
May 17 marks each year since 2004 the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia ("IDAHO") around the world. In over 100 countries on all continents, activists and their allies are mobilizing.
Global Breakthrough as Retail Brands sign up to Bangladesh Factory Safety Deal
22 May 2013
Thirty-one of the world’s leading apparel retailers and brands have committed to the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh, accounting for more than 1,000 Bangladeshi garment factories.