Human Rights

Sponsored by: Marguerite Casey Foundation
Human Rights
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Women in Venezuela suffer greater human rights violations

Venezuela’s political and economic crises have human rights experts concerned about the country’s rate of gender violence, for which legal systems are in place but no government data is available. Luz Patricia Mejía, a lawyer at the Organization of the American States (OAS) and women’s rights expert, says there is reason to believe the rate of violence against women may be rising.

Human Rights
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Land conflict and murder go hand-in-hand in Brazil

A year after witnessing the murder of his friend by a gang of farmers in Brazil’s agricultural heartland, indigenous activist Elson Gomes still fears for his life. Gomes also misses his friend, Clodiode Rodrigues was one of 61 land rights campaigners killed across Brazil last year, the highest level of violence since 2003. Gomes and Rodrigues are fighting for rights to their land.

Human Rights
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Deadly factory fire in Peru exposes country’s high use of slave labor

A factory fire in Lima, Peru, that killed four young people has drawn official and international attention to the sometimes deadly risk posed by the country’s use of forced labor, or slave labor. This tragedy, the International Labor Organization says, revealed that the Peruvian factory had operated in an abusive manner that “approaches modern forms of slavery such as forced labor, which affects millions of people around the world.”

Human Rights
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Congo finds 10 more mass graves in conflict-ridden Kasai region

Congolese authorities have identified 10 more mass graves in a region where the military and militia fighters accuse each other of summary executions and burials. The 10 new graves announced by the military on Monday bring to 52 the total number of such sites found in the Kasai region since the start of an insurrection last August by the Kamuina Nsapu militia which wants the withdrawal of military forces from the area.

Human Rights
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Committee urges Canada to address indigenous suicide epidemic

Urgent government action is needed to address inadequate health care, housing and other root causes of a suicide epidemic among Canada’s indigenous, according to a new report. Canada’s indigenous suicide crisis stems from a long history of poverty, chronic unemployment and generations of sexual, physical and psychological abuse.

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Westerners don’t want to take in more refugees, survey says

Despite the record number of refugees and displaced people around the world today, rich countries appear to be increasingly reluctant to provide them safe haven. Many Westerners do think that most refugees and displaced people are ‘innocent victims,’ according to a new survey commissioned by humanitarian organization Islamic Relief Worldwide, yet only a minority thought their countries were morally or politically responsible for taking them in.

Human Rights
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Nepal court orders rapid compensation and care for acid attack victims

Acid attacks – a vindictive form of violence meant to disfigure and maim a person for life – are on the rise in most developing nations, particularly in South Asia. Bangladesh, for example, has for many years been notorious for this form of attack. But effective legislative reforms in Bangladesh are inspiring advocates in other countries, like Nepal, to pursue legal protections for future victims.

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