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Internally displaced women: progress, challenges and the way ahead 2013, para. 43
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- However, opportunities for IDW to participate actively in decision-making processes remain particularly limited. For example, IDW have rarely played an active role in developing, implementing and monitoring national action plans on Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), although IDW in a diverse range of contexts have demonstrated their ability and determination to play leading roles in developing and implementing policies and programmes concerning them. Unfortunately, the participatory approaches used to identify protection gaps of concern to IDW often do not extend to ensuring that they have an active say in the development, implementation and evaluation of responses to these gaps. IDW should therefore be given the opportunity to actively participate in peace processes; in negotiating durable solutions and the planning process for returns, reintegration or resettlement; and in post-conflict reconstruction and rebuilding. Participation of women in humanitarian planning should further reflect the diversity of the population and seek to include adolescent girls, youth and those with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Report of the SR on the right to health and Agenda 2030 2016, para. 52
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Community empowerment initiatives working with poor and marginalized communities have achieved extraordinary health outcomes, for example in the global fight to end HIV/AIDS (target 3.3) (E/HLPF/2016/2, para. 107). Economic and social empowerment, such as the decriminalization of sex work and sex worker mobilization, have improved health and identified critical health gaps (Goals 3 and 5). Community mobilization to attain adequate and stable housing for homeless people living with HIV can have life-saving implications for their health (targets 3.3 and 11.1). Efforts to empower parents in vulnerable situations through participatory parental education initiatives reduce the risk of negative health outcomes for their children (Goal 3 and targets 4.2, 5.2 and 16.2). When young girls have access to education, child mortality rates and girls' long-term health improve (Goals 3, 4 and 5) (A/70/213, para. 9). Investments in such initiatives place the human rights principles of autonomy and participation at the centre of public health policy and are critical components of an open, inclusive and peaceful society.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Girls
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health in early childhood - Right to survival and development 2015, para. 9
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Low birth weight, lack of breastfeeding, undernutrition, overcrowded living conditions, indoor air pollution, unsafe drinking water and food and poor hygiene practices are the main immediate risk factors for pneumonia and diarrhoea. However, while such diseases are proximate causes of death and are duly reflected in statistics, poverty and inequalities are the root causes, or underlying social determinants. Poverty increases young children's exposure to risks such as poor nutrition, violence, inadequate sanitation, lower levels of maternal education, inadequate stimulation in the home, increased maternal stress and depression and, at the same time, limits access to health and other services. In 2013 the under-5 mortality rate in low-income countries was more than 12 times the average rate in high-income countries. There are also significant disparities in under-5 mortality and morbidity within countries, driven by poverty, gender and other inequalities. Low levels of literacy and poor access to education among women correlate strongly with high rates of under-5 mortality.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Topic(s)
- Health
- Poverty
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Criminalisation of sexual and reproductive health 2011, para. 24
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Other legal restrictions also contribute to making legal abortions inaccessible. Conscientious objection laws create barriers to access by permitting health-care providers and ancillary personnel, such as receptionists and pharmacists, to refuse to provide abortion services, information about procedures and referrals to alternative facilities and providers. Examples of other restrictions include: laws prohibiting public funding of abortion care; requirements of counselling and mandatory waiting periods for women seeking to terminate a pregnancy; requirements that abortions be approved by more than one health-care provider; parental and spousal consent requirements; and laws that require health-care providers to report "suspected" cases of illegal abortion when women present for post-abortion care, including miscarriages. These laws make safe abortions and post-abortion care unavailable, especially to poor, displaced and young women. Such restrictive regimes, which are not replicated in other areas of sexual and reproductive health care, serve to reinforce the stigma that abortion is an objectionable practice.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Ability of associations to access financial resources as a vital part of the right to freedom of association & Ability to hold peaceful assemblies as an integral component of the right to freedom of peaceful assembly 2013, para. 43
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The ability to hold peaceful assemblies is a fundamental and integral component of the multifaceted right to freedom of peaceful assembly, which shall be enjoyed by everyone. Such ability is of utmost importance to the work of civil society actors, including those promoting the realization of economic, social and cultural rights, as it enables them to publicly voice their message, which ultimately benefits the realization of the right(s) they strive to promote and protect, especially in the context of the ongoing dire economic crisis. This is all the more relevant for groups most at risk of violations and discrimination, such as women, youth, indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, persons belonging to minority groups, groups at risk because of their sexual orientation and gender identity and non-nationals.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 36
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Girls and young women with disabilities also encounter significant challenges when attempting to access justice, prevention mechanisms and response services for sexual and gender-based violence. Sexual assault is often underreported, and even more so when the individual has a disability. Girls and young women with disabilities face numerous challenges when reporting abuses, such as the risk of being removed from their homes and institutionalized; stigmatization; fears with regard to single parenthood or losing child custody; the absence or inaccessibility of violence prevention programmes and facilities; the fear of the loss of assistive devices and other supports; and the fear of retaliation and further violence by those on whom they are both emotionally and financially dependent (see A/67/227, para. 59). In addition, when, as survivors of sexual violence, they report the abuse or seek assistance or protection from judicial or law enforcement officials, teachers, health professionals, social workers or others, their testimony, especially that of girls and women with intellectual disabilities, is generally not considered credible, and they are therefore disregarded as competent witnesses, resulting in perpetrators avoiding prosecution.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 23
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Many girls and young women with disabilities do not have access to information and education about sexual and reproductive health and rights and related services. Several studies found that youth with disabilities, especially girls and young women with intellectual disabilities, have low levels of sexuality education and sexual and reproductive health and rights knowledge, including information with regard to the prevention and transmission of HIV. The lack of inclusive education prevents girls and young women with disabilities from accessing comprehensive sexuality education, as those programmes are usually not available in special education settings. In addition, comprehensive sexuality education is not always delivered in accessible formats and alternative languages, and very often it does not address disability-specific needs. Stigma and stereotypes about female sexuality can also lead to the exclusion of girls and young women with disabilities from existing comprehensive sexuality education programmes by their parents, guardians and teachers. There is a general lack of guidance for families and teachers on how to talk about sexuality and equality with girls and young women with disabilities.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Continuum of violence against women from the home to the transnational sphere: the challenges of effective redress 2011, para. 35
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Sexual harassment at school and at the workplace is acknowledged as a pervasive manifestation of violence. In El Salvador, the Special Rapporteur heard testimonies of the working conditions of young women working in the maquila plants, where they were subjected to verbal and physical abuse by supervisors, sexual harassment, and mandatory pregnancy tests. Sexual harassment in educational and training institutions in Algeria was pervasive and underreported at the time of the visit of the Special Rapporteur, despite commendable steps by the authorities to criminalize sexual harassment based on abuse of authority. The visit to the United States revealed the particular vulnerability of undocumented immigrant women to violence, including sexual harassment and abuse, in the workplace. Sexual and physical violence against girls in educational establishments perpetrated by male school staff and school boys remains problematic, as reported during the visit of the Special Rapporteur in Zambia. Long distances from home to school also increased risk of harassment, with girls reportedly having sexual relationships with minibus and taxi drivers as a way of coping with transportation costs.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Servile marriage 2012, para. 48
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Reports also indicate that relentless pressure and emotional blackmail are used by parents and families to force young girls into unwanted marriages. More extreme forms of pressure can involve threatening behaviour, abduction, imprisonment, physical violence, rape and, in some cases, murder.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery, including its causes and consequences
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Child participation 2012, para. 81
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Children and young people are often more familiar with and exposed to evolving technology than adults, yet they continue to play a relatively modest role in the development and implementation of strategies to prevent and combat child pornography online.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Child participation 2012, para. 72
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- In the United Kingdom, a prevention programme on sexual exploitation, administered by Nia (an organization that works towards the prevention of violence against children and the protection of victims of gender-based violence) in partnership with the Children's Society, developed and ran a train-the-trainers programme in which young people were trained to deliver training to professionals and other young people. The aim was to equip young people with information on sexual exploitation and to develop creative ways to engage participants in the learning process. The young people co-facilitated training sessions for professionals, in addition to giving presentations and workshops at various conferences and youth centres. The response from the trainers was unanimously positive; all felt that the experience had boosted their self-esteem, increased their own awareness of sexual exploitation and given them presentation skills. While the young people reportedly experienced rudeness and haughty behaviour from some professionals, they found the majority open and genuinely interested in hearing their viewpoint. The project benefited both the participants and the professionals by showing them another perspective and the unique knowledge of young people.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Child participation 2012, para. 55
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Children have been participating in the development of legislation, policies and national action plans. National children's parliaments, established in many parts of the world, have also made it possible for children and young people to engage in political systems and processes and to influence debates related to children's issues in a formal way.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Comprehensive child protection systems 2011, para. 57b
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- [Child participation mechanisms must operate in compliance with internationally recognized standards and ensure the following:] Voluntary and informed participation of child and youth representatives;
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Effective Implementation of the OPSC 2010, para. 55
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The rape and sexual exploitation of young girls and women have been used as veritable weapons of war during conflict. The physical and psychological consequences are significant for the victims, who often find themselves stigmatized and marginalized and hence more vulnerable.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Effective Implementation of the OPSC 2010, para. 22
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Other practices such as forced marriage that are in effect in certain parts of the world can be considered "sale for purposes of sexual exploitation". One manifestation of this, among others, is that young girls are given as wives to men - often older men - in exchange for money.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the sale and sexual exploitation of children, including child prostitution, child pornography and other child sexual abuse material
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The human rights situation of Roma worldwide, with a particular focus on the phenomenon of anti-Gypsyism 2015, para. 76
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur observes that there are often underlying attitudes that contribute to the lack of focus on empowerment of Roma communities and organizations. They can be outright discriminatory attitudes, such as when decision-making authorities adopt the paternalistic attitude that they are better equipped to make decisions on behalf of Roma. However, there are also more subtle forms of bias, including the tendency to focus on Roma as passive victims of discrimination, which may have the effect of perpetuating erroneous assumptions about their inability to contribute to society. This in turn hampers the shift from a perception of Roma as primarily passive victims of discrimination to an acknowledgment of their role as active agents of transformation who can participate in policy decisions that affect them. The Special Rapporteur notes that effective, meaningful participation must be a transformative process that becomes an inclusive experience, facilitating Roma involvement, empowerment and active citizenship. Such a participatory approach must also guarantee that those whose voices are rarely heard are empowered, including Roma women and young people.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Protection of minority rights in conflict prevention 2010, para. 37
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Equally, efforts must be made to give voice to the diversity of members within minority communities, including women, youth and the elderly, and to interest groups such as returning internally displaced persons. The participation of civil society in debates over models for inclusion is essential.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Human rights of internally displaced persons in the context of the Post-2015 development agenda 2015, para. 39
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The synthesis report recognizes increasingly negative displacement trends. In the section on "dignity" it states that no society can reach its full potential if whole segments of that society are excluded from participating in, contributing to, and benefiting from development. It notes that the agenda "must not exclude migrants, refugees, displaced persons, or persons affected by conflict and occupation". The chapter entitled "A synthesis" states that particular attention should be given to countries in situations of fragility and conflict and the specific conditions of each country should be addressed. There is a consistent call to "leave no one behind" and ensure equality, non-discrimination, equity and inclusion. The report states: "We must pay special attention to the people, groups and countries most in need. We need to include the poor, children, adolescents, youth and the aged, as well as the unemployed, rural populations, slum dwellers, persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples, migrants, refugees and displaced persons, vulnerable groups and minorities. These also include those affected by climate change."
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Internally displaced women: progress, challenges and the way ahead 2013, para. 23
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The past twenty years have witnessed the formulation of a multitude of tools and standards relevant to gender and forced displacement, which increasingly include IDW. While some standards and practices focus on particular issues such as reproductive health and SGBV, others tackle gender and displacement in a cross-cutting manner. The Guiding Principles formed the first normative framework to detail a number of specific rights of IDW, including non-discrimination and the right of expectant mothers, mothers of young children, and female heads of household, inter alia, to protection and assistance that "takes into account their special needs". The Guiding Principles identify various forms of violence and exploitation against which IDPs should be protected, including SGBV, underline the right of IDW to access all necessary documents, education and training, and call for the active participation of women in decision-making at all stages of displacement. They have informed subsequent instruments and frameworks, which address IDW, such as the Kampala Convention and the Framework on Durable Solutions for Internally Displaced Persons.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Homelessness as a global human rights crisis that demands an urgent global response 2016, para. 87
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Homelessness disproportionately affects particular groups, including women, young people, children, indigenous peoples, people with disabilities, migrants and refugees, the working poor, and lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, each in different ways, but with common structural causes. These include: (a) the retreat by all levels of government from social protection and social housing and the privatization of services, infrastructure, housing and public space; (b) the abandonment of the social function of land and housing; (c) the failure to address growing inequalities in income, wealth and access to land and property; (d) the adoption of fiscal and development policies that support deregulation and real estate speculation and prevent the development of affordable housing options; and (e), in the face of urbanization, the marginalization and mistreatment of those who are most precariously housed in informal settlements, living in temporary overcrowded structures, without access to water, sanitation or other basic services and living under the constant threat of eviction.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on adequate housing as a component of the right to an adequate standard of living
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Poverty
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Ethnic minorities
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health in early childhood - Right to survival and development 2015, para. 58
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Health workers and other professionals such as social workers have a very important role to play in supporting positive and responsive parenting. States should ensure that there are an adequate number of general practitioners, paediatricians, nurses and other relevant health-care professionals trained to work with children. The Special Rapporteur is concerned that the training and practice of medical doctors, nurses and other health professionals continues to focus predominantly on the biomedical determinants of health. Health-care services and all relevant professionals should be better equipped with relevant knowledge and practical skills to respond proactively to new knowledge about the negative impact of social determinants and early childhood adversities on the physical and mental health of children. For example, nurses and social workers, who visit families with young children should be trained to address issues related to the emotional and cognitive development of children and should be able to provide parents with the knowledge and basic skills necessary for nurturing and responsive parenting and non-violent ways of bringing up children.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health in conflict situations 2013, para. 45
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Mass displacement, breakdown of community and family networks, and institutional collapse may create a vacuum in which women and young girls are vulnerable to sexual violence. They face a heightened risk of sexual exploitation and trafficking, as well as increased domestic violence and abuse from family members. Health facilities that lack qualified health professionals, patient referral mechanisms and psychological counselling may be unable to identify and respond to these forms of conflict-related sexual violence. This is especially true when health services are restricted to sexual violence perpetrated by armed groups. The stigma associated with sexual violence and HIV and the absence of adequate protection mechanisms may also contribute to negative physical and mental health outcomes. Stigma, abandonment by families and communities, and retribution from perpetrators create an atmosphere that perpetuates gender-based violence and leads to the exclusion and disempowerment of survivors. The failure to provide services that promote the safety and respect the confidentiality of survivors undermines their full participation in society, particularly in post-conflict reconstruction efforts.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Families
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Criminalisation of sexual and reproductive health 2011, para. 63
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Adequate knowledge about sexual and reproductive health has repeatedly proved to be effecting in lowering rates of maternal mortality; preventing unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortion, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections; delaying the onset of sexual intercourse; increasing knowledge about family planning options; and protecting against gender-based violence (see E/C.12/2000/4, para. 21). Empowering women through comprehensive education and information on sexual and reproductive health is also imperative since young women often have less power or control in their relationships, which make them disproportionately vulnerable to coercion, abuse and exploitation. As a tool for empowerment and means to critically examine gender inequalities and stereotypes, comprehensive education and information also becomes a way of eroding deeply entrenched systems of patriarchy; such systems perpetuate violations of women's rights, including their right to health (see A/65/162, paras. 7-9). Providing women with knowledge and skills relating to their sexual and reproductive health, related education and information enhances their freedom in making informed health-related decisions, and promotes their equal participation in society.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Criminalisation of sexual and reproductive health 2011, para. 61
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Studies have shown that while few young people have accurate knowledge about HIV/AIDS, women are generally even less well informed than men. In a UNAIDS study of 147 countries, whereas more than 70 per cent of young men were found to recognize that condoms can protect against HIV, only 55 per cent of young women identified condoms as an effective strategy for HIV prevention. Women and girls are disproportionally impacted by legal restrictions to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education and information, which both reinforces and exacerbates the gender inequalities that the figures demonstrate. The existence of legal restrictions on access to sexual and reproductive health information and education lead to the provision of inaccurate information through informal sources that are often inaccurate and may reinforce negative gender stereotypes. As a result, young women are less prepared for their sexual and reproductive lives, leaving them vulnerable to coercion, abuse and exploitation, as well as to an increased risk of unintended pregnancy, unsafe abortion, maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Challenges faced by groups most at risk when exercising or seeking to exercise the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and/or of association 2014, para. 33
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- There may be legitimate and non-criminal reasons for wearing a mask or face covering during a demonstration, including fear of retribution. For example, in Egypt, article 6 of the 2013 law on protests and demonstrations prohibits the wearing of a mask to hide the face during any assembly. That provision contains no exceptions and could be used to discriminate against women who wear the niqab, effectively preventing them from participating in public meetings or protests. Such laws may also be used against individuals with medical disabilities who wear face masks for medical purposes. Certain peaceful protest movements in the Arab world, Western Europe, North America and elsewhere have adopted the use of the Guy Fawkes mask as an emblem. The mask is particularly popular among youth and student protest movements. The donning of this mask can be as much a political statement - a way of identifying with one's fellow demonstrators and a worldwide movement - as it is an attempt to conceal identity.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Person(s) affected
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right of the child to freedom of expression 2014, para. 70
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- In the case of sexual exploitation, for example, advances in technology, including faster Internet connections and new ways of transmitting material that circumvent Internet service providers, have facilitated the sharing of images involving child abuse. Cybergrooming also involves the use of the Internet, this time to "befriend" and facilitate online sexual contact or a physical meeting with a child or young person for the purpose of committing sexual abuse. Offenders often use online forums such as chat rooms, social networking sites and instant messaging for this purpose; these "deconstruct traditional boundaries of privacy" and result in children being exposed to risks. Lastly, cyberbullying is understood as the psychological bullying and hazing by adults or other children through information and communications technologies. Cyberbullying can take various forms, including threats and intimidation, harassment, cyberstalking, vilification and defamation, exclusion or peer rejection, impersonation, unauthorized publication of private information or images, and manipulation. This is particularly problematic for groups that are already considered vulnerable in society.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Youth
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) 2012, para. 32
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The need to ensure equality of opportunity and to pay particular attention to marginalized groups is emphasized by article 2 of the UNESCO Convention on Technical and Vocational Education. Article 2, paragraphs (3) and (4), establishes that "States shall work towards the right to equal access to technical and vocational education and towards equality of opportunity to study throughout the educational process"; and that "States shall pay attention to the special needs of the handicapped and other disadvantaged groups and take appropriate measures to enable these groups to benefit from technical and vocational education". Similarly, article 5 (h) of ILO Recommendation No. 195 concerning Human Resources Development: Education, Training and Lifelong Learning (2004) establishes the responsibility of States to "promote access to education, training and lifelong learning for people with nationally identified special needs, such as youth, low-skilled people, people with disabilities, migrants, older workers, indigenous people, ethnic minority groups and the socially excluded; and for workers in small and medium-sized enterprises, in the informal economy, in the rural sector and in self-employment".
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the right to education
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Persons with disabilities
- Youth
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Eliminating discrimination against women in the area of health and safety, with a focus on the instrumentalization of women's bodies 2016, para. 32
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- Discriminatory laws and practices have contributed to a deplorable global situation with respect to women's health and safety which calls for urgent, immediate and effective actions. According to WHO, an estimated 225 million women are deprived of access to essential modern contraception. Pregnancy and childbirth-related complications resulted in the deaths of almost 300,000 women worldwide in 2013. About 22 million unsafe abortions take place annually and an estimated 47,000 women die from complications resulting from unsafe abortion each year. Breast and cervical cancer remain the leading cancers among women aged 20-59 years, resulting in 1 million deaths, the majority in low- and middle-income countries where screening, prevention and treatment are almost non-existent. Young women bear the brunt of new HIV infections. One in three women under 50 has experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner or family member. At least 200 million women and girls have been subjected to female genital mutilation.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Working Group on discrimination against women and girls
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 63
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur recommends that the United Nations, including all its programmes, funds and specialized agencies, adequately consider the sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities in all its work, including when assisting States in the implementation of mainstream policies and programmes.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Sexual and reproductive health and rights of girls and young women with disabilities 2017, para. 62m
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Paragraph text
- [The Special Rapporteur makes the following recommendations to States:] Mobilize resources within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals and invest in inclusive programmes that increase the access of girls and young women with disabilities to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
- Body
- Special Procedures: Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Persons with disabilities
- Women
- Youth
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph