Stories about Human Rights from October, 2013
India's Women Take on Fear and Sexual Violence in “Action Hero”
The game is meant to tackle the fear that many Indian women have toward their cities because of rampant sexual harassment.
Media Ignores Farmers and Disabled Advocates Occupying Mumbai Train Station
The group brought traffic to a standstill at the station, but news outlets and social media largely turned a blind eye to the incident.
Chilean Navy and Human Rights Groups Visit Torture Site on Dawson Island
More than 40 members of human rights groups and their families visited Dawson Island as part of the commemoration activities marking the Chilean military coup of 1973.
Your Fantasy is Her Nightmare: ‘Sexy’ Pakistani Women on YouTube
“The lack of conversation on sex and sexuality is a society-wide problem." Watch our short film "Suck on the Sugarcane of Love", about private videos sexualized for public consumption.
China's Air Pollution Monitoring Network: Too Little, Too Late?
Heavy smog descended on Beijing and the surrounding area over the recent week-long holiday, pressuring Chinese authorities to unveil a pollution monitoring system. Netizens were not satisfied.
Saudi Women Driving – “A Western Demand”
Saudi blogger Ahmed Al Omran shares this tweet by a female member of the Saudi ruling family, ridiculing the call to lift the ban on women driving: London-based Saudi princess ridicules the calls to lift the ban on women driving, calls it a Western demand pic.twitter.com/XYqfyi4kIs — Ahmed Al Omran...
Syria: The Girls of Al-Tall Weave Ribbons and Freedom
Their story is that of the greater Syrian tragedy - a nonviolent group with little funding and external support that defied both the regime, and its radical counterparts through civil means.
Landmark Ruling in Discrimination Case Puts the Caribbean First
The Caribbean Court of Justice's decision in a controversial discrimination case sends the signal that regional citizens have the right to freedom of movement across CARICOM states, without suffering harassment.
Express Yourself: Blog Action Day on Human Rights!
October 16 is Blog Action Day. Join bloggers worldwide in highlighting this year's topic: human rights.
Kuwait's Stateless Protest for Citizenship Rights
As many as 120,000 stateless Kuwaitis (Bedoon) are denied access to healthcare, education, employment, and any sort of documentation. They are now protesting to get their rights.
Who is a Real Muslim? – The Perils Of The Muslim Minorities In Pakistan
Raza Habib Raja at Pak Tea House comments: The biggest ‘crime’ in Pakistan is to be what I call, Non-Muslim Muslims. So if you are an Ahmedi, Shiite, and even a believer in some Sufi Saint you will invariably be called Non-Muslim by some. That brings one to the question...
Interview with Guinea Boxing Champ Turned Belgian Politician
Making the transition between the worlds of high level sport and politics has never been easy. It is even more difficult when two different countries are involved. Bea Diallo explains his remarkable career.
Protesters March Hundreds of Kilometers to Save Sundarbans from Coal Plant
The proposed coal plant would be only 14 kilometers away from the Sundarbans, the largest mangrove forest in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
One-Third of the World's Babies Don't Have Birth Certificates
No birth certificate can mean children cannot enroll in school or receive medical care. An interview with Evelina Martelli, project manager for BRAVO!, a programme pushing for birth registration.
The Gambia Quits British Commonwealth, Calling It ‘Extension of Colonialism’
"The Gambia will never be a member of any neo-colonial institution," the West African country announced in a statement released this week.
Pakistan's Sindh Province Proposes Block on Skype, Viber and WhatsApp
The Sindh government's proposed three-month ban on messaging apps Viber, WhatsApp, Tango, Skype and other Voice Over Internet Protocol-based calling and messaging applications is meant to disrupt terrorist activities.
‘Enough Forced Evictions!': Amnesty International Takes On Brazil World Cup Construction
As a result of infrastructure improvements ahead of the World Cup and Olympics, thousands of families are being forcefully evicted in Rio de Janeiro.
Central African Republic: “Don't Forget About Us!”
The Central African Republic conflict between the Central African government and Seleka rebels has worsened alarmingly since December 2012. The humanitarian situation is catastrophic in certain towns but especially in the interior of the country.
“Without Papers You Are Nobody” in Kyrgyzstan
Hundreds of people living in Kyrgyzstan do not have the country's identity documents. This makes these people ‘invisible’ to the authorities, as Diana Rahmanova writes [ru]: In essence, you can say, “Here I am. I exist. I live. Here. Here is my body, my face. Look at me. I am not...
Abuse, Low Wages and Little Freedom: The Life of Hong Kong's Foreign Maids
The case of Indonesian maid Kartika Puspitasari, who was assaulted and tortured by her employers has thrust the terrible living conditions of Hong Kong's foreign maids into the spotlight.
