WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS ONLINE BULLETIN Amnesty International USA October 2004 In this issue: -- Take Action -- Hot Topic: Domestic Violence -- Women's Human Rights News In Brief -- More TAKE ACTION: PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN AND GIRLS TRAFFICKED IN KOSOVO There is an alarming increase in women trafficked into Kosovo who are being raped, beaten, and abducted. Since the July 1999 deployment of a NATO-led international peacekeeping force (KFOR) and the establishment of a United Nations civilian administration (UNMIK), trafficking has increased. Authorities are failing to protect the rights of these women and girls. Take action! ACT NOW! http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=10186 - - - - TAKE ACTION: EXPRESS CONCERN OVER MA WEIHUA'S FORCED ABORTION AND IMMINENT EXECUTION Though it is her first offense, 29-year old Ma Weihua is facing the death penalty on drug charges. She has reportedly been forced to have an abortion while in police custody. Because China's Criminal Law forbids the execution of pregnant women, Ma Weihua's pregnancy may have been terminated so that she could be put to death legally. Take action! ACT NOW! http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=10187 - - - - TAKE ACTION: SUPPORT HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN ZIMBABWE Human rights defenders are being harassed by the Zimbabwean government. The government has increasingly restricted freedom of association, assembly and expression. In clear violation of national and international human rights standards, a bill has been brought before Parliament that would severely repress human rights organizations. Take Action! ACT NOW! http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=10188 - - - - - - - - - - - - HOT TOPIC: Domestic Violence "K", from the Democratic Republic of Congo, was married to an army officer who regularly tortured her often in front of their children. He repeatedly raped her, infected her with sexually transmitted infections, and frequently threatened to shoot her. During one incident, he knocked out a tooth, dislocated her jaw and punched her in the eye so hard that she required several stitches. "K" will forever live with chronic medical problems as a result of her husband's abuse. While K's story is shocking, she is far from alone in her experience of domestic violence. Amnesty International's "Broken bodies, shattered minds" reports that at least 20 percent of women worldwide have been physically or sexually assaulted. Official reports in the United States report that a woman is battered every 15 seconds. In India, more than 40% of married women report being kicked, slapped or sexually abused, and in Egypt, 35% of women report being beaten by their husbands. Domestic violence is a pattern of behavior used to establish power and control over another person through fear and intimidation, often including the threat or use of violence, when one person believes they are entitled to control another. Domestic violence is not isolated within any particular group. Such violence occurs across lines of class, race, sexual identity and national origin. In all cultures, domestic violence is most commonly carried out by men against women. Domestic violence has long been regarded as a private matter, something to be addressed within the family, rather than by the state. However, domestic violence is a human rights violation and states have an obligation to prevent, investigate and punish such violence. Violence in the home is a global epidemic. Without exception, a woman's greatest risk of violence is from someone she knows. According to a study by the American Psychological Association, one out of every three women in the U.S. experiences at least one physical assault by a partner during adulthood. The full extent of such violence is not known, however, as it is estimated that only one in seven domestic assaults comes to the attention of the police. The United Nations Convention Against Torture defines torture as an act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person, for a purpose such as punishment or intimidation. By applying the legally accepted definition of torture to the domestic violence women face every day, the international community is increasingly recognizing that violence against women is not only a human rights violation, but constitutes a form of torture as well. Domestic violence takes many forms. From acid burning, dowry-related violence and "honor" killings, to rape, battery, and psychological abuse, women are all too often subjected to the basest forms of abuse and humiliation by the people closest to them. Such torture of women in rooted in a global culture which denies women equal rights with men, and which legitimizes the violent appropriation of women's bodies for individual gratification or political ends. Domestic violence is a grave human rights abuse and violates a woman's right to physical integrity, liberty, and even life. In the United States, October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM). Join Amnesty International's campaign to Stop Violence Against Women and speak out about violence against women. http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=10171 Visit the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence for information on local DVAM events. http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=10189 For more information about domestic violence, see Amnesty International's fact sheets on domestic violence as torture and domestic violence in the LGBT community. http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=10162 http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=10163 - - - - - - - - - - - - WOMEN'S HUMAN RIGHTS NEWS IN BRIEF Human Rights Organization Demands Investigation On August 26th, the Poor People's Economic Human Rights Campaign (PPEHRC) filed a formal request for a hearing before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the Organization of American States, focusing on policy choices made by the United States government. PPEHRC contends that current US government policy is incompatible with human rights standards, as outlined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. More information about PPEHRC: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=10172 - - - - Racial Profiling, National Security, and Human Rights in the United States Amnesty International USA recently launched a comprehensive new report studying the unlawful use of racial profiling in police, airport security, and immigration procedures in the United States. The study details the toll racial profiling has taken in the United States and explores the links between racial profiling, national security, and human rights.. Read the report: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=10173 - - - - - - - - - - - REPORTS AND RESOURCES More Protection Necessary for Trafficked Persons Due to the increase in human trafficking in places such as Kosovo, Amnesty International has called for the strengthening of provisions of the European Convention against Trafficking in Human Beings. Read AI's recommendations, "Enhancing the Protection of the Human Rights of Trafficked Persons": http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=10174 - - - - Women's Contributions to Transitional Justice A new report by Women Waging Peace examines women's contributions to transitional justice, a critical component of post-conflict peace building. Women have played an important role in the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) by collecting and offering testimony, counseling and preparing witnesses, and providing leadership among the other judges and survivors. View the ICTY report: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=10190 - - - - Defending Women's Human Rights In Africa The African Union adopted the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa to ensure that African governments are held accountable for protecting the rights of women. The Protocol provides specific guarantees of women's rights, including a wide range of women's civil and political rights as well as economic, social and cultural rights. Learn more about the Protocol: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=10176 - - - - Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Manual The Center on Economic and Social Rights has published the Activist's Manual on the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The purpose of the manual is primarily for reporting to the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, but is also meant as a resource for activists and an educational tool. View the manual: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=10177 - - - - Raising Human Rights Awareness Among Women Global Rights's Morocco field office, in collaboration with local women's groups, has released a revised version of its manual, "Making Human Rights Real: A Human Rights Education Program for Women in Morocco." The group's mission is to promote human rights and to enhance legal awareness among illiterate women in Morocco. More information: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=10191 - - - - - - - - - - - HOT EVENTS DC Women's Human Rights Action Team Next meeting: Wednesday, October 13 at 6:45pm at the Amnesty International USA office (600 Pennsylvania Avenue SE, 5th floor. Metro: Eastern Market). For more information, contact akozma@aiusa.org. - - - - Amnesty International USA Regional Conferences Oct. 15-17 Midwest Regional Conference Saint Louis, MO Nov. 5-7 Southern Regional Conference Houston, TX Nov. 12-14 Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference College Park, MD Nov. 12-14 Western Regional Conference Salt Lake City, UT Nov. 13-14 Northeast Regional Conference Boston, MA More information http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=10160 - - - - International Caravan for Justice in Juárez and Chihuahua From October 20 to November 1, a caravan of activists will cross the United States and Mexico, calling for an end to the femicide that has left almost 400 young women dead in Juárez and Chihuahua City and demanding justice for their families. More information: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=10158 - - - - National Coming Out Day National Coming Out Day is celebrated on October 11, the anniversary of the 1987 gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered march on Washington, D.C. where hundreds of thousands of Americans rallied to support equal rights. This year's theme is "Come Out. Speak Out. Vote." More information on events being held in your area: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=10180 - - - - 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence The 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence runs from International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (Nov. 25) through International Human Rights Day (Dec. 10). This year's theme, "For the Health of Women, For the Health of the World: No More Violence," focuses on the connections between violence against women and HIV/AIDS. More information: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=10192 - - - - The Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR), the Women's Studies Program at the George Washington University and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation are sponsoring the International Women's Policy Research Conference: When Women Gain, So Does the World, from June 20-21, 2005. Visit the IWPR website: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=10193 - - - - Creating Change Conference The Creating Change Conference, sponsored by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, is the nation's largest annual skills building and strategy conference of activists and organizers working on issues affecting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. The 17th annual conference will be held in St. Louis from November 10-14, 2004. More information: http://takeaction.amnestyusa.org/ctt.asp?u=305607&l=10183 --- The "women-rights" mailing list provides information on issues related to women's human rights. Archives of "women-rights" messages, as well as instructions on how to (un)subscribe to the list, can be found at: http://www.hrea.org/lists/women-rights/markup/maillist.php
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