Press release

Press release

Child Marriage in Sindh: How Marginalisation, Climate Crisis and Religious Extremism Fuel a Growing Human Rights Crisis

Sindh continues to face alarming human rights challenges, particularly affecting young girls from marginalised and minority communities. Despite existing laws, child marriage and forced religious conversions remain widespread due to weak enforcement, political resistance, poverty, and entrenched social norms. This article outlines the structural causes behind these violations and highlights the urgent need for stronger protections, accountability, and coordinated efforts to safeguard vulnerable girls in the region. 

Italian Parliament Building
Press release

Italian Parliament Unanimously Votes to Make Femicide a Crime

Italy has taken an important step in combating gender-based violence by officially recognising femicide as a distinct criminal offence punishable by life imprisonment. Passed on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the law reflects years of activism and marks a turning point in how the country addresses systemic violence against women. GHRD welcomes this milestone and its potential to enhance justice and prevention.  

Press release

Youth Empowerment: Digital Challenges and Democratic Resilience

The event at the European Parliament on December 10, 2025, focused on youth empowerment, addressing challenges such as misinformation and digital media manipulation. Experts emphasized the need for media literacy and effective regulatory frameworks, like the Digital Services Act, while noting gaps in current laws. Concerns about a child protection crisis related to social media’s impact on minors were discussed. The EU aims to empower youth through inclusion and active participation in decision-making, highlighting the significance of youth empowerment for the future of European democracy.

Press release

Preventing Genocide and a Humanitarian Catastrophe in Sudan

During the ICC Assembly of States Parties, Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD) convened a panel of leading legal and human rights experts to assess the escalating atrocities in Sudan and the growing accountability gap. Speakers examined the ICC’s limited jurisdiction, the role of external actors, the collapse of humanitarian access and the urgent need for coordinated international action to prevent further mass violence.

Women marching for voting rights in New York, ca. 1917.
Press release

Female Resilience: How Millennia of Obstacles Have Forged Exceptional Leadership

The persistence of violence against women remains a global concern, yet it represents only one dimension of a broader reality. Across historical and contemporary contexts, women have developed complex emotional and cognitive competencies that have mediated crises and contributed to social resilience in measurable ways. Understanding these capacities as empirically grounded forms of leadership, rather than as culturally assigned roles or innate attributes, allows for a more accurate assessment of women’s contributions to social stability and collective recovery.

EU
Press release

EU Enlargement Forum: Completing the Unification of Europe

From initial scepticism to emerging momentum, the EU Enlargement Forum demonstrated the European Commission’s renewed political determination and institutional drive to advance enlargement. Upholding democratic values, human rights, and the rule of law remains central for candidate countries, as the EU asserts greater readiness and credibility amid growing authoritarian challenges.

Press release

Inclusive Communication for All: Lessons from “Why Choice Matters”

At a time when digitalisation is reshaping everyday life across Europe, the “Inclusive Communication for All” event at the European Parliament highlighted the growing risks of digital exclusion and the urgent need for communication policies that protect citizen choice. Bringing together MEPs, civil society, and industry representatives, the discussion underscored that equal access to information is not only a policy concern but a matter of fundamental rights.

Press release

The Human Rights Situation in Sudan and the EU strategy

Against the backdrop of one of the world’s fastest-escalating humanitarian crises, the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights and Subcommittee on Development convened a joint hearing to assess Sudan’s deteriorating human rights situation and the European Union’s strategic response. Bringing together EU officials, UN representatives, and civil society experts, the session underscored the scale of atrocities committed since the outbreak of conflict in 2023 and highlighted the urgent need for a coordinated, well-resourced, and rights-centred EU approach.

Press release

UN Side Event: Enforced Disappearances in Pakistan

On April 1st, 2025, Global Human Rights Defence (GHRD) held a side event at the 58th Human Rights Council session in Geneva, moderated by Charlotte Zehrer. The event highlighted a GHRD report on enforced disappearances in Pakistan, particularly affecting ethnic and religious minorities, and called for urgent reforms and accountability. Panelists included Isabelle Wachsmuth from WHO, who discussed the traumatic impacts of enforced disappearances; Jamal Baloch, who described the systematic oppression of Baloch people, labeling it as genocide; Ammarah Balouch, who focused on the forced conversion of Sindhi girls; and Anwar Mehmood Rehman, who addressed the persecution of Ahmadiyya Muslims. All panelists united in demanding an end to enforced disappearances and called on the UN and international community to act decisively against these human rights violations.

Bangladesh flag
Press release

Side event: Human Rights Violations in Bangladesh

At the 58th Human Rights Council Session in Geneva, the Tumuku Development and Cultural Union and the International Forum for Secular Bangladesh hosted a side event focusing on human rights violations and the rise of Islamic extremism in Bangladesh. Moderated by Kevin Lawrence, the event highlighted ongoing arbitrary arrests, violence against minorities, and severe restrictions on freedom of speech. Experts Fazal-ur Rehman Afridi and Dr. Rayhan Rashid raised concerns about religious persecution, extrajudicial killings, and significant suppression of dissent against marginalized groups such as Hindus and Christians. They discussed the militarization of state institutions and the unchecked rise of extremist groups undermining pluralism. The panel also addressed the repression of local media and the harassment of journalists, with reports of a climate of fear and intimidation. Investigative journalist Sahar Zand shared troubling accounts of violence against religious minorities. Former British MP Paul Bistrow acknowledged progress in specific areas in Bangladesh but warned of the potential loss of these gains amidst worsening human rights conditions. The panelists called for stronger international action to protect democratic principles and hold violators accountable, stressing the need for continued attention to the human rights situation in Bangladesh.

6th GHRD International Film Festival: Human Trafficking Edition
Submission Deadline: 9th August 2026
Submission Form