SHOCKING: Teenage Gang-Rape Survivor in Sudan Convicted of ‘Indecent Acts’

February 25, 2014 at 8:00 AM

An 18-year-old Ethiopian migrant woman in Sudan was gang-raped – and now faces prison and a hefty fine for coming forward (Photo by Eric Lafforgue/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images).

By Alice Dahle, Amnesty USA’s Women’s Human Rights Coordination Group

An 18-year-old Ethiopian migrant woman in Khartoum, Sudan was out looking for housing, when she was lured into an empty property and gang-raped by seven men. A police officer found her after the attack and took her to the police station. However, since it was a public holiday, a formal complaint was not filed.

The perpetrators of the rapes filmed the attack and distributed the video through social media six months later. As a result, everyone involved was arrested.

Of the seven men put on trial, three were convicted of adultery and sentenced to 100 lashes. Two more were convicted of indecent acts and sentenced to 40 lashes and fines. Another man was convicted of distributing indecent material and sentenced to 40 lashes and a heavy fine. The seventh individual was released on grounds of insufficient evidence against him. Those sentenced to lashing had their sentences carried out immediately after the trial in a closed court.

But that’s not where the story ends.

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BREAKING: President Karzai Rejects Law Rolling Back Violence Protections for Women

By Julia Drost

February 19, 2014 at 12:47 PM

Afghan university students and independent civil society activists take part in a demonstration in support of passing the Elimination of Violence against Women law in front of Parliament in Kabul (Photo Credit: Shah Marai/AFP/Getty Images).

This is what protecting human rights looks like: responding to resounding national and international outcry, including the voices of Afghan women and Amnesty activists around the world, early this week Afghan President Karzai blocked a new discriminatory law that would have denied justice to women and girls subjected to domestic violence, rape, and forced or child marriage.

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On the Desk of President Karzai: A New Discriminatory Law Against Afghan Women

By Julia Drost

February 14, 2014 at 8:00 AM

The deeply flawed Article prohibits the relatives of an accused individual from acting as witnesses during a criminal prosecution, including cases of violence against women (Photo Credit: Shah Marai/AFP/Getty Images).

President Karzai’s pen is poised to approve a revision to Afghanistan’s Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) passed by Parliament that will prove catastrophic for the ability to Afghan women and girls to seek justice when family members commit acts of violence against them. His signature could come within a week’s time.

The deeply flawed Article 26 (clauses 4 and 6) of the CPC prohibits the relatives of an accused individual from acting as witnesses during a criminal prosecution, including cases of violence against women. This would mean that testimonies of relatives witnessing the rape of a family member or an honor killing will not be taken into consideration – a major concern where violence, including domestic violence and forced or child marriage, is predominantly perpetrated and/or witnessed by family members.

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This Friday, Rise for Justice!

By Cristina Finch

February 11, 2014 at 11:48 AM

Amnesty activists at One Billion Rising demonstration in Times Square last year (Photo Credit: Amnesty International).

Amnesty is once again a sponsoring partner of One Billion Rising, V-DAY’s campaign to mobilize women and men across the world to demonstrate their collective strength and solidarity in support of justice and the elimination of violence against women and girls.

Violence against women is one of the world’s most pervasive violations of human rights. One out of every three women worldwide will experience physical or sexual abuse during her lifetime and in some countries, rates of violence reach as high as 70 percent.

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U.S. Congress Takes Another Critical Step to Help Afghan Women’s Rights and Security

By Julia Drost

December 20, 2013 at 12:15 PM

Lieutenant Islam Bibi Helmand’s top female police officer (R) talking to a colleague on March 8, 2013. Known as the most senior female police officer in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, Bibi was shot dead on July 4, 2013 by unknown gunmen while being driven to work. The attack is seen as part of a series violence against top women officials (Photo Credit: Majid Saeedi/Getty Images).

Elsie De Laere, our Afghanistan country specialist, co-authored this piece.

The situation is unfortunately not unfamiliar yet it deteriorates with each passing day: Afghan women working to protect and advance their rights continue to face growing threats to their lives and safety.

Well-documented threats to female Members of Parliament and government, women’s human rights defenders, and female police officers occur on a daily basis, all set against the terrifying backdrop of an uncertain future currently being shaped by attempts to revoke provisions of the country’s Elimination of Violence Against Women law and potential peace negotiations with the Taliban and other insurgent groups that threaten to rollback gains for women’s human rights.

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This Woman Has Been Denied Justice for 17 Years

By Guest Writer

December 6, 2013 at 12:30 PM

Indigenous Bangladeshi women during a demonstration demanding an end to encroaching development on their lands, still asking for the rights Kalpana Chakma fought for before her disappearance (Photo Credit: Shawkat Khan/AFP/Getty Images).

By Rebecca Landy, Women’s Human Rights Coordination Group

You probably are aware of the news reports in the last twelve months regarding the horrific sweatshop fires and building collapses in Bangladesh that killed and injured over a thousand, mainly women, laborers.

Or maybe you read recently about U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay calling out Bangladesh for the injustice and violation of international law in the recent verdict of death sentences for 152 border guards accused of murder.

But chances are you have not heard of Kalpana Chakma and the 17-year miscarriage of justice in waiting for a proper investigation into her disappearance.

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What Everyone Should Know About Rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo

By Guest Writer

December 5, 2013 at 12:31 PM

A ten-year-old girl who was raped twice in ten days surrounded by other raped victims and a counselor (Photo Credit: Roberto Schmidt/AFP/Getty Images).

By Rebecca Landy, Women’s Human Rights Coordination Group with the Democratic Republic of Congo Country Specialists

For almost two decades, armed conflict has ravaged the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). During this time, civilians have faced persistent human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law, including unlawful killings, rape, and sexual violence.

An October 2013 report by the Ministry of Gender stressed the high rates of sexual violence in areas of armed conflict – citing approximately 7,000 cases of sexual violence in North Kivu province in 2011 alone. As sexual violence is usually largely under-reported, the actual number is likely even higher.

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Congress, You’ve Been Given Homework: Pass I-VAWA!

By Julia Drost

November 21, 2013 at 5:44 PM

(Photo Credit: Futures Without Violence).

Yesterday, an overflowing Congressional hearing room sat (and stood) captivated as witnesses described the ongoing struggle to end gender-based violence (GBV) globally to the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission.

While it was exciting to be in a packed hearing room on Capitol Hill with many youth activists, all wearing bright Amnesty “Stop Violence Against Women” stickers, I will be the first to admit that the topic of the hearing wasn’t exactly uplifting. The global epidemic of violence against women is disturbing, astounding, and infuriating. Would there be any good news to report? Any glimmers of hope or progress that has been made?

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What I’ll Tell Congress About Violence Against Women

By Cristina Finch

November 19, 2013 at 11:24 AM

On Wednesday I will testify on behalf of Amnesty International USA before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hearing on gender-based violence. I’ll use the opportunity to talk about how gender-based violence affects everyone but also how it disproportionately affects women and girls.

I’ll tell Congress that violence against women takes many forms, including rape, domestic violence, female genital mutilation, child and forced marriage and acid attacks, to name a few. It’s a global human rights crisis that exacerbates instability and insecurity around the world.

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Will You Take Action to Help End Employment Discrimination?

By Cristina Finch

November 1, 2013 at 3:30 PM

Participants attends the 2009 Athens Gay Pride on June 13, 2009 (Photo Credit: Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty Images).

The United States Senate is poised to vote on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (“ENDA”), critical legislation that will help end employment discrimination against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

Imagine being fired from your job not because of your qualification but simply because of who you are or who you love. For millions of people in the United States, this is the scary reality.

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Human Rights Now Blog

Tag Archives: gender-based discrimination

This Woman Has Been Denied Justice for 17 Years

What Everyone Should Know About Rape in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Congress, You’ve Been Given Homework: Pass I-VAWA!