This monthly report aims to present an overview of the evolution of women’s rights and the violations of the rights worldwide during the month of February 2022. This report also seeks to raise awareness about these violations, while also recognising the new developments in various parts of the world. Moreover, it also aims to ensure that women’s voices are heard, so that they are not left in the dark or forgotten.
In 2020, Amnesty International recorded 483 cases of capital punishment worldwide; the true extent of execution is believed to be drastically higher. While China remains the country with the highest number of executions in 2020, the number of executions is considered a state secret, making the numbers unreliable. Amnesty International expects the true number to be higher by thousands (Amnesty International, 2021). Globally, a trend towards the abolishment of the death penalty can be witnessed; 75 percent of UN member states have abolished the practise. Japan is one of the few countries standing by it (Ogura, 2022). This article will explore the current developments in the country, national support and criticism for the practice, its unintended consequences, as well as its legality under national and international law.
The report systematically examines the economic and political incentives and relations China possesses with both the Ukraine and Russia before examining parallels between Taiwan and Ukraine and determining if China possesses the capabilities and political motivation to become a mediator to bring about an end to the conflict.
This report presents a comparative analysis of the situation with regard to pregnancy discrimination in China, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan. The authors also analyse the national legislation of each country and provide examples of unfair practices towards women.
This report on femicide in Europe, the main mechanism that has the potential to address the serious issue of femicide and violence against women is provided in the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, known as ‘the Istanbul Convention’. The landmark treaty set the path for creating a legal framework at a pan- European level to protect women against all forms of violence and prevent, prosecute and eliminate violence against women and domestic violence.
The United States of America, or the USA, is a federation of 50 states comprising 13 original colonies. It is a federation with a presidential system, meaning that whilst each state has its own legislative powers and representation in Congress, the legislative branch of the United States, the President remains the executive and Head of State.
‘Indigenous peoples’ or ‘First Nations’ are the collective names used to describe the original people who inhabited North America (and their descendants) prior to the arrival of European colonizers. In Canada, 4.9% of the population (1.67 million people) self-identify themselves as Indigenous persons, according to the 2016 Census.
Despite Canada being a refugee-welcoming country, recent developments related to the detention of individuals seeking refuge in Canada and the deprivation of their liberty for indefinite periods of time have received criticism from relevant human rights organisations and activists.
Indigenous human rights defenders in Guatemala have been systematically targeted by Guatemala’s
judicial system. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
report, published in February 2021, at least 881 arrest warrants had been issued against members of
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indigenous human rights organisations since October 2020 . Within these arrests, the OHCHR found
that Guatemala has been misusing its criminal law against indigenous human rights defenders,
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claiming the rights for their lands and communities . The most recent case involved Bernardo Caal Xol,
an indigenous human rights defender and leader of the Maya Q’eqchi indigenous community, who was
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unlawfully sentenced to imprisonment of seven years and four months .
There is a gap between the written laws found in books and the legislations and their enforcement,
meaning how these laws work in practice, practically in all the legal systems around the world. When
law addresses security issues, such as violence against women, a lack of execution can result in slow or
ineffective police responses to domestic violence calls.
