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Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 76
- Paragraph text
- Owing to multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, specific challenges face minority women and girls affected by humanitarian crises. According to the General Recommendation on women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations of the Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (see CEDAW/C/GC/30, para. 36), during and after conflict specific groups of women, including, inter alia, internally displaced and refugee women, women of diverse caste, ethnic, national or religious identities, or of other minorities, are at a particular risk of violence, especially sexual violence. These groups of women "are often attacked as symbolic representatives of their community". The Committee has further noted that stateless women and girls face heightened risk of abuse during conflict, owing to, among other factors, their minority status (ibid, para. 60). Minority women may be particularly at risk of sexual and gender-based violence and other forms of violence, including slavery and trafficking. The Special Rapporteur was deeply troubled and saddened when she listened to the testimonies of Yezidi women in Iraq of sexual and gender-based violence committed against them by Daesh, which acts must be fully investigated and their perpetrators prosecuted.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- 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. 22
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur also remains concerned by the failure of public authorities to protect Roma from violent attacks. That includes the lack of systematic intervention and condemnation by public figures when political and public discourse perpetuates racist and extreme views about Roma, and the failure of law enforcement authorities to protect Roma from the perpetrators of crimes against them. For example, a violent police crackdown on a Roma community in Slovakia in 2013 was condemned by a number of special procedures mandate holders, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the country's Ombudswoman. Nevertheless, the Minister of the Interior of Slovakia publically labelled the Roma victims of that intervention as criminals, and investigation into the police misconduct has been slow, with no charges brought against the police to date. Such failures by authorities to protect Roma adequately and to distance themselves from all manifestations of anti-Gypsyism not only promote a climate of distrust, dissuading Roma from reporting violent crimes against them to authorities, but also create an atmosphere of impunity and may encourage further acts of violence against Roma.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur sought further opportunities to build on the work of the previous mandate holder on the role of minority rights protection in conflict prevention presented to the General Assembly in 2010 and the Human Rights Council in 2011, and dedicated her report to the General Assembly in 2014 (A/69/266) as well as the seventh session of the Forum on Minority Issues to preventing and addressing violence and atrocities against minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 100
- Paragraph text
- Dalit women face obstacles in accessing formal justice systems. These include the refusal by police officers to register criminal complaints or delays in filing complaints, lack of proper investigation into complaints of violence and ill-treatment, and insensitivity by law enforcement officials.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 99
- Paragraph text
- Atrocities against women from marginalized castes are often committed when they try to assert their rights and challenge caste and gender norms. Perpetrators include dominant caste landlords, police officers, doctors and teachers, with the "punishment" both being expressive of caste outrage and intended to teach the woman and her community a lesson.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 98
- Paragraph text
- Women from disadvantaged caste groups are also the main victims of trafficking, and are especially vulnerable to early and/or forced marriage, bonded labour and harmful cultural practices. Accusations of witchcraft are sometimes made to deprive Dalit women of their basic economic and social rights, including access to land and their assets.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 97
- Paragraph text
- Available data indicate that caste-based violence against women and girls, in particular sexual violence, may be increasing. Violence and the threat of violence are frequently hidden and go unreported in villages and rural areas, forming a culture of invisibility, silence and impunity which, in many instances, places the burden of shame on victims instead of perpetrators.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 96
- Paragraph text
- They are often the victims of caste-based violence, particularly sexual violence. A study identified 12 major forms of violence against Dalit women: nine in the community (physical assault, verbal abuse, sexual harassment and assault, rape, sexual exploitation, forced prostitution, kidnapping or abduction, forced incarceration and medical negligence), and three within the family (female feticide and infanticide, child sexual abuse and domestic violence).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- Manual scavenging, the digging of graves, the cleaning of human excretions and forced prostitution also expose individuals in lower castes to a range of health hazards. Research further indicates that children in lower castes are at greater risk of infections and nutritional deficiencies.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Food & Nutrition
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 75
- Paragraph text
- Discrimination based on caste increases the vulnerability of affected groups to contemporary forms of slavery. Research indicates that forced and bonded labour is widespread within caste-affected communities, despite legal bans. In South Asia, Dalits comprise the majority of people subjected to domestic bonded labour, and a large number of victims of trafficking in persons, sexual slavery and other forms of labour exploitation are members of low castes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 72
- Paragraph text
- In India, manual scavenging constitutes a caste-designated occupation that is mainly imposed upon Dalits, particularly Dalit women, who represent 95 per cent of manual scavengers. Despite the passing of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act in 2013, the practice reportedly persists, institutionalized through State practice, with local governments and municipalities employing manual scavengers.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 69
- Paragraph text
- Minority women, many of them from low-caste backgrounds, may be subjected to kidnapping and forced religious conversion. According to the Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of religion or belief, "such incidents seem to occur in a climate of impunity". Civil society organizations have reported several cases of Dalit Hindu girls being kidnapped and forcibly converted to Islam following marriage in Pakistan.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 68
- Paragraph text
- Caste-based discrimination on the grounds of religion has a particular impact on women and girls. The existence of practices labelled as "religious dedication" of girls to temple deities, including the Devadasi system, constitutes a de facto form of forced prostitution and sexual slavery, mainly targeting Dalit girls.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 60
- Paragraph text
- Entrenched caste discrimination within the criminal justice system translates into victims facing multiple obstacles at every stage of the legal process: from lodging a complaint to investigation, trial and judgement. Often, the fear of reprisal prevents victims from reporting attacks, resulting in underreporting and impunity. In South Asia, most violence against Dalits and Dalit communities is underreported and not addressed by Governments.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities in situations of humanitarian crises 2016, para. 62
- Paragraph text
- Violence against minorities can also be more insidious, as has been evident with the recent migration crisis in Europe. Recent protracted conflicts in the Middle East, and in particular the Syrian Arab Republic, led to mass migration flows to Europe in 2015 and 2016. However, this has also been coupled by certain xenophobic reactions against particular flows of asylum seekers and refugees fleeing crisis, which may in turn lead to more violence and insecurity against them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Movement
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2016
- 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. 43
- Paragraph text
- In 2014, ternYpe, the International Roma Youth Network, and its partners organized a conference and youth event gathering 1,000 people from 25 countries to raise awareness among young Europeans, civil society and decision makers about the Roma Holocaust, as well as about anti-Gypsyism in the context of racism, hate speech and extremism in Europe.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 32
- Paragraph text
- Governments, civil society and the international community must be alert to the warning signs of hatred and violence much earlier: when the first words of hate speech are uttered; when media start to promote negative stereotypes; or once there is an atmosphere of discomfort and animosity when minorities exercise their right to freely and openly practise their religion, use their language, or assert their right to have a voice in political life and the decisions that affect them.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 94
- Paragraph text
- Civil society organizations have developed innovative approaches and actions to combat hate in the media, including the Internet. Those actions include identifying hate trends, tracking and monitoring hate speech websites, notifying potentially affected or targeted communities about hate activities, working closely with Internet providers and governmental agencies to report hateful content and providing online educational materials and training programmes.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 91
- Paragraph text
- Several self-regulatory media bodies have started to operate in Africa, some of them in countries with a history of hate speech and incitement to violence against minority groups. The Rwanda Media Commission was established in 2013 with the mandate to promote ethical journalism, defend media freedom and adjudicate complaints against the media; some commentators have alleged censorship and serious restrictions on media freedoms.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 87
- Paragraph text
- Media outlets can actively engage in fighting incitement to hatred and violence in the media by adopting principles and guidelines of ethical and responsible journalism to improve the quality of information and reporting to avoid bias, prejudice and manipulation, as well as by promoting diversity among media workers and investing in adequate training for media professionals.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Civil & Political Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 82
- Paragraph text
- In 2012, the Council of Europe launched the "No hate speech movement", a campaign directed towards youth with the objective of combating online hate speech in all its forms. The campaign is part of the project "Young People Combating Hate Speech Online, 2012-2014", which aims to equip young people with competences to recognize and act against hate speech, racism and discrimination in their online expression.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Youth
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The role of minority rights protection in promoting stability and conflict prevention 2011, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Additionally, women and men members of minorities may be targeted by armed actors in different ways, increasing the forms of violence in the society in general. For example, women are targeted by sexual violence, while men are forcibly recruited into militias. The rape of women, for example, may be intended to humiliate men and demonstrate their inability to protect "their" women.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 40
- Paragraph text
- Information received by the previous mandate holder and the work of the Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, as well as other holders of thematic mandates, have revealed disturbing patterns of attacks and violence against members of religious minorities and their places of worship. In this context, the Special Rapporteur presented a thematic report to the General Assembly in 2013 (A/68/268) on minority rights-based approaches to the protection and promotion of the rights of religious minorities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Social & Cultural Rights
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2017
- 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. 21
- Paragraph text
- Roma are also vulnerable to violence by State actors, which can be both explicit and implicit. The Special Rapporteur is concerned about police harassment, intimidation and abuse. Empirical studies indicate that Roma are overrepresented in the criminal justice systems across Europe, with research indicating that they are often detained arbitrarily on account of their Roma identity. The lack of a visible Roma presence in police forces and judiciaries compounds that problem.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Violence
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Hate speech and incitement to hatred against minorities in the media 2015, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- Social media platforms have also been used to disseminate hate speech content against groups, which has fuelled intercommunal tensions and led, in some cases, to violent clashes among communities. Following a country visit in July 2014, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar expressed her concern over the spread of misinformation, hate speech and incitement to violence, discrimination and hostility in the media and Internet, particularly targeted against Muslim communities.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Activists
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preventing and addressing violence and atrocities against minorities 2014, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- In some situations, members of minority communities have testified that law enforcement bodies were present or informed at the time violence that took place but had failed to arrive or intervene. In the worst cases, victims reported that law enforcement officers actively participated in violent attacks or colluded with the attackers. In other cases, law enforcement personnel might be poorly equipped or motivated, lack appropriate training or the appropriate command structure to respond to violence.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preventing and addressing violence and atrocities against minorities 2014, para. 50
- Paragraph text
- The Committee noted that the significance of the indicators for predicting genocide or violence against racial, ethnic or religious groups should be supplemented by additional general indicators on: (a) prior history of genocide or violence against a group; (b) policy or practice of impunity; (c) existence of proactive communities abroad fostering extremism and/or providing arms; and (d) presence of external mitigating factors, such as the United Nations or other recognized invited third parties.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Violence
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Preventing and addressing violence and atrocities against minorities 2014, para. 38
- Paragraph text
- In conflicts in Afghanistan, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guatemala, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar, Somalia, Sri Lanka and the Sudan, minority women have suffered systematic sexual and other violence. Violence against minority women does not always take place in the context of conflict. Women affected by caste-based discrimination in several countries experience high levels of violence owing to their low caste status and gender, and face killing, rape, gang rape and custodial torture.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Humanitarian
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Ethnic minorities
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Reflections on the six-year tenure of the Special Rapporteur 2017, para. 71
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur recalls that the various forms of discrimination, violence and atrocities are different manifestations of similar mind sets and are often rooted in fear, ignorance, feelings of insecurity or, simply, envy of the other. She regrets the disconnect between the psychological, social and legal studies in this field, and urges the United Nations to pay increased attention to better understanding the actual psychosocial motives behind prejudice, racism, bigotry and hatred so they can be better addressed and prevented.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2017
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Minorities and discrimination based on caste and analogous systems of inherited status 2016, para. 102
- Paragraph text
- Outside South Asia, information on caste-affected women and girls is scarce. In Japan, a survey by the Buraku Liberation League revealed that Buraku women experienced discrimination in a wide range of areas, including marriage, employment and health care, and approximately 30 per cent had suffered from sexual violence. In Mauritania, Haratine women are reported to be at greater risk of violence, in both the public and private spheres, and to suffer from high levels of sexual violence, including rape and marital rape, domestic violence and sexual assault.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on minority issues
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph