INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE AMERICAS 1/20

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND INTRODUCTION  1. Through its various human rights protection and promotion mechanisms, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (hereinafter the “IACHR” or the “Commission”) has consistently received information regarding numerous human rights violations faced by and specific to indigenous women in the Americas. During hearings and working visits in the past years, indigenous...

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GERDA LERNER'S ANALYSIS OF PATRIARCHY

Gerda Lerner's 1986 history classic, The Creation of Patriarchy, traces the development of the patriarchy to the second millennium B.C.E. in the middle east, putting gender relations at the center of the story of civilization's history.  She argues that before this development, male dominance was not a feature of human society in general.  Women were key to the maintenance of human society and...

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UN General Assembly: 1st Resolution on Sexual Harassment

UNITED NATIONS, (Pakistan Point News - 20th Nov, 2018 ) In a historic move, a committee of the UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution on sexual harassment that would urge governments to condemn violence against women and girls, The resolution passed on Monday by the 193-member Assembly's Third Committee, which deals with social, cultural and humanitarian questions, calls on states not invoke any...

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Dominican Republic - Las Mariposas - Historical Feminist Fight Against Dictatorship & Violence

200 hundred pesos bill with the Mirabal sisters on it. From the left: Patria (born in 1924), Minerva (born in 1926) and María Teresa (born in 1935) Dominican Republic - Las Mariposas - Historical Feminist Fight Against Dictatorship & Violence In 1997 the United Nations designated 25 November, the day of the death of the Maribal sisters, as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against...

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The Duty to Protect Life 3/3

18.  The second sentence of paragraph 1 provides that the right to life “shall be protected by law”. This implies that States parties must establish a legal framework to ensure the full enjoyment of the right to life by all individuals as may be necessary to give effect to the right to life. The duty to protect the right to life by law also includes an obligation for States parties to adopt any appropriate...

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The Prohibition against Arbitrary Deprivation of Life 2/3

10.  Although it inheres in every human being [23] the right to life is not absolute. The Covenant does not provide an enumeration of permissible grounds for deprivation of life, but by requiring that deprivations of life must not be arbitrary, Article 6, paragraph 1 implicitly recognizes that some deprivations of life may be non-arbitrary. For example, the use of lethal force in self-defence, under...

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General comment No. 36 (2018) on article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, on the right to life General remarks 1/3

1.  This general comment replaces earlier general comments No. 6 (16th session) and 14 (23rd session) adopted by the Committee in 1982 and 1984, respectively.  2.  Article 6 recognizes and protects the right to life of all human beings. It is the supreme right from which no derogation is permitted even in situations of armed conflict and other public emergencies which threatens the life of...

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Inclusive social protection: policy implications

Availability, accessibility and adequacy are the prerequisites to leaving no one behind, as elaborated below.  Availability  Inclusion requires that social protection systems meet the needs of a diverse population at all stages of the life cycle. Contributory schemes rely on the payment of contributions, which may not be affordable to all. Inclusive social protection systems must therefore...

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Explaining gaps in social protection

 Gaps in social protection are but one symptom of disadvantage and exclusion. The prejudicial treatment of people based on their background or identity prevents some groups from accessing a broad range of public goods and services. For example, members of disadvantaged groups typically have limited influence on decision-making in their communities. That is, they may not be allowed to participate...

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Ethnic minorities and indigenous peoples: marginalization is the norm

 Indigenous peoples and members of ethnic or racial minorities are generally at higher risk of poverty than the rest of the population. They also face substantial disadvantages in access to health care, education and employment. Members of these groups often live in rural and remote areas that lack adequate infrastructure and services. In cities, living in areas of concentrated poverty contributes...

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International migrants: carrying their own weigh

 Although international migration is not a new phenomenon, a growing number of people choose or are forced to migrate. In 2015, there were an estimated 244 million international migrants around the globe (United Nations, 2015a). Migrants can face daunting challenges while in transit and in their country of destination. But on balance, international migration has been a positive phenomenon, transforming...

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Persons with disabilities: breaking down barriers

Persons with disabilities: breaking down barriers An estimated 15 per cent of the world’s population experience moderate or severe disability—that is, severe or extreme impairments, limitations in functioning and restrictions in participation (WHO and World Bank, 2011). Persons with disabilities routinely face accessibility and attitudinal barriers that hinder their participation in social, economic and...

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Old age: responding to a rapidly ageing population

 The number of persons aged 60 and over is projected to double from 2015 to 2050.4 As the share of older persons continues to grow in countries around the world, the need to guarantee their income security will become increasingly urgent. In countries with comprehensive social protection systems, older persons can rely on pensions to partly meet their needs. In many developing countries, however,...

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From youth to adulthood: turning risks into opportunities

The transition to adulthood can be a time of enormous opportunities—but also risks. Globally, the youth unemployment rate is twice as high as the total unemployment rate (ILO, 2017b). Even if they do find a job, young people are overrepresented in so-called vulnerable employment, often in the informal sector. In addition, a growing number of young people are neither in the education system nor employed...

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