WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS ONLINE BULLETIN Amnesty International USA March 2004 In this issue: -- Take Action: Young Woman Faces Imminent Execution in Iran -- Take Action: Ensure Safe Treatment Of 13-Year-Old Renu Ale in Nepal -- Hot Topic: Women In Afghanistan - Two Years Later -- More - - - - - - - - - - - - TAKE ACTION: YOUNG WOMAN FACES IMMINENT EXECUTION IN IRAN In February 2003, Mandana Nik-khou Monfared (25) was sentenced to death for the murder of Masoud Khazi, a man she intended to wed after her divorce. According to the newspaper Hadeseh, Mandana Nik-khou Monfared plead guilty to premeditated murder when taken into police custody in September 2002, and reportedly had no lawyer to act on her behalf. She later retracted her confession and changed her plea to innocent, expressing that she was frightened and unsure of her statements at the initial interrogation. Mandana asserts that she witnessed her current husband shoot Khazi when he discovered she was to remarry after a consensual divorce. To date, no other suspects are under investigation for Khazi's murder. Mandana's death sentence was passed by Iran's Supreme Court and is currently under review by the Tehran Criminal Court Unit for Enforcement of Judgements. After confirmation by Iran's Supreme Court, the death sentence may be revoked if the heirs of Masoud Khazi drop their right to impose the death penalty upon Mandana and alternatively ask for "diyeh," or the payment of blood money. The Head of the Judiciary may also reverse a death sentence if the final verdict is flawed. Mandana's nine-year-old- son published a letter in the Shargh newspaper addressing the Head of the Judiciary, pleading for his mother's release: "We do not have a father and only have our mother. We ask you to let her come home to us...Our mother is innocent." Additionally, Mandana's father is attempting to appeal for a retrial, and requesting the Iranian government further investigate his daughter's case and sentence. TAKE ACTION! Call on Iranian leaders and officials to commute Mandana Nik-khou Monfared's death sentence immediately. ACT NOW: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=8173 - - - - - - - - - - - - TAKE ACTION: ENSURE SAFE TREATMENT OF 13-YEAR-OLD RENU ALE IN NEPAL 13-year-old Renu Ale was arrested on November 13, 2003, and is reportedly held at Bhairab Nath Gan army camp in Maharajganj, Kathmandu. Relatives have tried to visit her there, but have not been allowed into the camp. It is not known why she was arrested, and she has not been formally charged or presented before a court at any time during the four months of her detention. TAKE ACTION! Write to the Nepalese ambassador and express your concern for the safety of Renu Ale. ACT NOW: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=8174 - - - - - - - - - - - - HOT TOPIC: WOMEN IN AFGHANISTAN - TWO YEARS LATER It has been two years since the United States' preliminary efforts to undo the terrorist mechanisms of Al Qaeda, as well as to free Afghan men, women and children from the rule of the Taliban. Yet the status of women in Afghan society has yet to improve. Women are still subject to patriarchal rules in the home, discriminatory laws and an inefficient criminal justice system. Domestic violence is not recognized as a criminal offense in Afghanistan, and authorities rarely respond to reports of domestic abuse. Female members of society are far from equal to their male counterparts and have yet to experience the "freedoms" of life that the United States promised to them. Amnesty International recently published a report that documents the unequal treatment of women in Afghan society entitled, "Afghanistan: 'No one listens to us and no one treats us as human beings': Justice Denied to Women." The report focuses on issues such as violence against women, the unequal treatment of women in the public and private spheres and the inability of the United States, the international community and the Afghan Transitional Administration (ATA) to adequately implement strategies to protect Afghan women. U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell claimed, "[t]he recovery of Afghanistan must entail the restoration of the rights of Afghan women". Unfortunately, Powell's declaration has yet to be transformed into action. Afghanistan's current criminal justice system is too weak to safeguard the rights of its female citizens and therefore needs the assistance of the international community. Amnesty International's report details the various abuses that Afghan women face on a daily basis, including physical and mental violence by male relatives in the home, underage and forced marriages, and denial of access to information about proper education about reproductive health. Additionally, the report reveals that perpetrators of violence against women in Afghanistan are often granted impunity by authorities and as a result view their actions as acceptable. This violent and patriarchal mindset must be brought to a halt. Amnesty International calls on the United States and the international community to assist the ATA in protecting the human rights of its citizens. Join Amnesty International in urging Secretary of State Colin Powell to ensure that the US government uses its influence to convince the Afghanistan Transitional Authority to publicly condemn all violence against women. Take action: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=8175 View the full report: "Afghanistan: 'No one listens to us and no-one treats us as human beings': Justice Denied to Women": http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=8157 - - - - - - - - - - - - WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS NEWS IN BRIEF Thirty-seven female G.I.'s report rape by fellow American soldiers (Iraq) - As they join in the effort to stabilize post-war Iraq, female G.I.'s are facing sexual assault at the hands of male American soldiers. Thirty-seven women have come forward with these allegations after returning home from their posts in Iraq and Kuwait, and are seeking counseling and medical attention for sexual assault trauma. According to the Denver Post, female soldiers have reported poor access to U.S. military health and psychotherapy services, as well as threats from high military officials upon report of their sexual assaults. The Pentagon has refused to divulge the official number of sexual harassment reports from the Iraq and Afghanistan fronts, but asserts that the U.S. military does not tolerate sexual assault on any level. Some U.S. House and Senate leaders are taking action to protect the rights of women in combat by investigating individual cases, as well as approaching the Senate Armed Services. According to the Denver Post, women have performed more combat duties in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts than any other military operation. (Source: Denver Post) - - - - UN appoints new High Commissioner for Human Rights (New York)- Amnesty International welcomes Louise Arbour as the new United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. With a strong background in human rights advocacy and legal service, Arbour will be a tremendous force in implementing bold and creative strategies for ensuring protection against human rights abuses. The High Commissioner serves as the United Nations' top advocate for human rights and must be willing to speak out on behalf of individuals who are facing abuses. According to Amnesty International, "human rights abuses must be confronted wherever they occur and regardless of any country's economic or political weight." With this statement at the core Amnesty International's goals, the organization anticipates working closely with the new High Commissioner, especially on the campaign to Stop Violence against Women that launches on March 5, 2004. (Source: Amnesty International) - - - - - - - - - - - - REPORTS AND RESOURCES The Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, an organization that aims to support women during times of conflict in the Balkans, the Middle East and the Caucasus, released a follow-up report on a 2003 seminar that addressed issues of working with victims of sexualized violence in international legal procedures. Read the full report (in PDF): http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=8158 - - - - According to a study by the Women's Edge Coalition, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) imposes harmful effects upon Mexico's poor farmers and especially Mexican women. The report gives statistics that outline an accurate account of how NAFTA affects women differently than men, and how the trade agreement has a greater negative impact upon women. Read more about the study: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=8179 - - - - Cultural Survival is an organization that works to promote the human rights of indigenous peoples across the globe. With an emphasis on the health, migration, legal standing, natural resources and cultures of indigenous peoples, the Cultural Survival website holds several resources on women's rights. Access their resources on indigenous women's rights: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=8176 - - - - - - - - - - - - HOT EVENTS Launch of AIUSA's Campaign to Stop Violence against Women On March 5th, AI will launch its groundbreaking two-year international campaign to Stop Violence Against Women. Through this campaign Amnesty International is calling on all governments as well as private actors, institutions and individuals to take immediate steps to put an end to violence against women and to redress the suffering it causes. To sign up for the campaign, contact Robin Brown at rbrown@aiusa.org. Go to: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=8178 - - - - Washington, DC Women's Human Rights Action Team The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, March 24th at 6:45pm at the AIUSA office (600 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, 5th Floor). Contact Alyson Kozma at akozma@aiusa.org for more information. - - - - Washington, DC Women's Human Rights Action Team Event Join the WHRAT at the Blue Room (2321 18th St. NW) for a "Happy Hour Fundraiser" on March 10th from 6-9 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the Tahirih Justice Center, an organization that gives aid to women seeking refuge from gender-related persecution. Contact inma_peral@yahoo.com for more info. - - - - New York City Women's Human Rights Action Team Event On March 6th from 1-5 p.m., join WHRAT at TechSpace in NYC (41 East 11th St, 11th floor) for an afternoon of art and information celebrating International Women's Day and the launch of the Stop Violence Against Women campaign! Contact rwile@msn.com for more information. - - - - National Week of Student Action (NWSA): Stop Violence against Women in Ciudad Juarez From March 29-April 5, join hundreds of AIUSA student groups around the nation to mobilize to end violence against women in Ciudad Juarez and Chihuahua, Mexico. Sign up today to participate as a group or individual: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=8150 - - - - AIUSA's Annual General Meeting Join AIUSA for our annual meeting from April 16-18, 2004 in Brooklyn, New York. Register and learn more about this year's conference, "Vigilant Justice: Securing Human Rights in Today's World": http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=8151 - - - - March for Women's Lives On Sunday, April 25th, join activists from around the country to march in Washington, DC in support of reproductive justice, a fundamental women's human right! Learn more: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=8165 - - - - - - - - - - - - NEW AT AMNESTY Stop Violence Against Women Coordinators Wanted! AIUSA is currently recruiting Stop Violence Against Women (SVAW) Coordinators, a new volunteer leadership position. SVAW state coordinators will be a resource both internally and externally. Responsibilities include: Internally: -- act as liaisons on the SVAW Campaign among interested activists, trainers and groups on regional/national levels -- conduct local trainings -- act as resource for groups on the campaign, including speaking at meetings and conducting workshops upon request -- participate in regional leadership structures and participate in regional conferences, leadership meetings and state lobby days -- help coordinate state SVAW action agenda Externally: -- conduct and coordinate outreach to state and local anti-VAW organizations to promote the campaign and AI's work on VAW and women's human rights -- to facilitate contact between local and student groups and community-based anti-VAW organizations -- be available to conduct workshops or speak to local organizations, upon request, on the campaign and the issues Knowledge and experience working on women's human rights is preferred. Familiarity with AIUSA is necessary, as is strong motivation to learn more both about the issues and the organization. Applicants who are not overwhelmed with other activist responsibilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Term of service is two years. Please send statement of interest, including your experience with the issues and Amnesty activities, to your regional office: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=8166 - - - - - - - - - - - - Great cause. Great books. During March, Penguin Publishing (USA) will be donating 10% of their net online sales to Amnesty International. Their entire catalog of more than 30,000 titles are now available directly from their website: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=8167 --- The "women-rights" mailing list provides information on issues related to women's human rights. 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