Continuation of Video…
IMPUNITY WATCH PRESENTATION OF NECTALI RODENZO (2/12) from Impunity Watch on Vimeo.
November 9, 2010. Impunity Watch Law Journal and the International Law Society hosted Nectali Rodenzo, a lawyer and Co-Coordinator of the National Front of Lawyers in Resistance to the Coup in Honduras. Rodenzo shared his experiences of the 2009 Honduran military coup, its context and aftermath, and how it relates to the human rights situation on the ground in Honduras today.
By Elizabeth A. Conger
Impunity Watch Senior Desk Officer, Middle East Desk
CAIRO, Egypt – According to a report issued by the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights (ECWR), Egypt ranked 125th out of 134 countries when it came to women’s rights in 2010. The report also showed that Egypt ranked thirteenth among countries in the Middle Estate/North Africa region.
Nehad Abu El Komsan, chair of the board of ECWR, said: “The regional ranking is especially saddening . . . Palestine – which is under occupation – preceded Egypt in the women’s rights ranking.”
Among the factors which determined Egypt’s low ranking was the state council’s refusal to appoint female judges in February of 2010. The ECWR report also stated that the women’s quota system, which reserves sixty four parliamentary seats for female candidates, was only a temporary solution and did not adequately integrate women into the polical sphere.
Abu El Komsan stated: “The women [candidates] were used to decorate the parliament. It is not an issue of development, it is only a political tool.”
The report noted that although representation of women in political parties turned out ot be weak, some women did successfully emerge as leaders in a few political parties, such as Asmahan Shoukry, who was named the Labor Party’s first female president.
The report’s examination of educational opportunities in Egypt revealed that school curriculum in Egypt reaffirm the stereotypical view that women are only suitable for domestic roles. Additionally, the study showed many reports of men attempting to break into girls’ schools and harass girls. Girls also reported harassment by teachers and security guards at universities.
As for workplace conditions, women still receive lower wages than men for the same work, are regularly deprived of promotion opportunities, and are treated as temporary labor because of their domestic responsibilities. A new labor law reduced maternity leave from ninety to one hundred an eighty days, and limited it to twice in a lifetime.
Additionally, the study showed a marked increase in violence against women. According to the report, 71.4% of violent crimes committed in Egypt during 2010 were against women. A study by several NGO’s also showed that incidents of rape have increased in Egypt, with twenty seven rapes reported daily. It is also estimated that roughly 95% of rape cases in Egypt go unreported.
The study stated that two thirds of young men polled felt that physically torturing a women is “justifiable in some situations.”
The report also noted the rise in two new police practice practices in Egypt: the practice of holding women hostages in order to force fugitives to surrender themselves to the police, and sexual violation of women by police officers. In 2010, several Christian women women were also reported to have disappeared as a part of sectarian violence in Egypt.
The ECWR report concluded with recommendations that the Egyptian government pass more legislation to protect women, do more to integrate women into the political sphere, and promote gender equality through art.
For more information, please see:
thedailynewsegypt.com – Women’s rights in Egypt deteriorate in 2010, says report – 28 December, 2010
msn news – Violence against women increased in Egypt in 2010: Report – 28 December, 2010
ECWR /Bikyamasr – Egypt Women: Postponed rights in 2010 – 28 December, 2010
November 9, 2010. Impunity Watch Law Journal and the International Law Society hosted Nectali Rodenzo, a lawyer and Co-Coordinator of the National Front of Lawyers in Resistance to the Coup in Honduras. Rodenzo shared his experiences of the 2009 Honduran military coup, its context and aftermath, and how it relates to the human rights situation on the ground in Honduras today.
Impunity Watch Presentation with Nectali Rodenzo from Impunity Watch on Vimeo.
Rodezno and the Lawyer’s Front are engaged in the daily defense of life and liberties in post-coup Honduras, as part of a massive resistance that opposes not only the de facto government that took over when President Zelaya was ousted, but the illegitimate regime installed after fraudulent elections were held last November. Ongoing political assassinations, horrific police brutality, persecution and murder of anyone working in opposition to the Lobo government characterize the current regime’s approach to human rights. Rodezno will speak to the context in which the coup was perpetrated, and prospects for those who continue to struggle for justice in Honduras.
By Laura Hirahara
Impunity Watch, Africa
TUNIS, Tunisia- Police used batons to end demonstrations today in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, after weeks of clashes between those protesting the high unemployment rates in the North African country and officials. Today’s events come just three days after police opened fire on a group of 1,000 protesters in Menzel Bouzaiene, killing one and injuring several more. The demonstrations started earlier this month after two men attempted suicide in the Sidi Bouzid province of Tunisia, citing lack of employment and poor living conditions.
One of the young men, a jobless graduate, Mohammed Bouazizi, doused himself in gasoline and then lit himself on fire after being cited by police for selling fruits and vegetables without a permit. The second young man electrocuted himself shortly after in the same town. In a statement made to the AP, Sami Tahr, head of the union for high school teachers said “We’re gathered today in solidarity with the population of Sidi Bouzid and to salute the memories of the martyrs of repression who seek only their right to working.”
Officials claim the protests are isolated and being used by the opposition to garner support for their radical agenda. In a statement released by the Tunisia government, officials say protesters burned a national guard building using malatov cocktails and threw stones at police. The statement reports that several police suffered severe burns during the demonstrations and that two are currently in comas as a result of their injuries. Student representative Mohamed Fadhel, said the man who was shot during Friday’s demonstration was 18-year-old Mohamed Ammari and that police had surrounded the city, not allowing any travel in or out.
Protest in Tunisia is rare and the violent protest in the capital is the first of its kind in approximately ten years. Despite being a relatively stable and wealthy North African country, Tunisia’s President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali, who has been in power for the last 23 years, has been criticized by the international community for repressing political dissent and quashing public protest. In response to the recent demonstrations, on Thursday the government promised to use eight million euros to create jobs but with no details on the program released, including when it will start, protests continue.
For more information, please see;
CNN-Tunisian Forces Kill 1, Hurt 4 Protestors– 24 Dec., 2010
BBC- Tunisian Jobs Protests Reach Capital Tunis– 27 Dec., 2010
BBC- Tunisia Security Forces Shoot Dead Protester- 24 Dec., 2010
Reuters- Police Disperse Jobs Protest in Tunisian Capital– 27 Dec., 2010
MSNBC- Rare Rally in Tunisian Capital Against Joblessness– 27 Dec., 2010
By R. Renee Yaworsky
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America
CARACAS, Venezuela—New laws imposed by “lame duck” legislators in Venezuela have continued to inspire criticism that the country has now lapsed into a dictatorship. President Hugo Chavez, who will rule by decree for the next 18 months, has taken this opportunity to stifle as much opposition as possible.
One of the new laws sparking controversy will prevent lawmakers from switching political parties, categorizing such an act as “fraud.” Lawmakers breaking this law may be thwarted from holding public office of any kind. Many leaders of the opposition have protested, calling the law unconstitutional.
Proponents of Chavez defend the regulation. Iris Varela, a legislator who is a member of the President’s United Socialist Party, argued that such a law was necessary as it disallowed Chavez’s critics from being elected on one ticket “so later they can betray.”
Another new law changes the way the country’s legislature will operate procedurally. For example, legislators used to be able to take to the floor to orally defend a bill for 15 minutes; now they will only have 10 minutes. Those opposing a bill will only have 3 minutes to make their argument. A further change restricts parliamentary debates from being broadcasted on state television.
Defenders of free expression have spoken out against a new law that expands restrictions on Internet messages that “incite or promote disobedience of the current legal order,” or “refuse the legitimately constituted authority.”
“One has to say it clearly:” said Ismael Garcia, an anti-Chavez legislator, “a new dictatorial model is being imposed in Venezuela.”
Last week, fervent protests erupted against the restrictive laws. Most of the protesters were students and were dispersed by armed forces shooting off water cannons and rubber bullets.
“In Venezuela, the law is destroyed by the law,” opined historian and philosopher Fernando Mires in a recent essay. “The judicial system is destroyed by the judicial system and the Parliament is destroyed by the Parliament.”
For more information, please see:
New York Times-New Laws in Venezuela Aim to Limit Dissent-24 December 2010
Wall Street Journal-Flurry Of New Laws Strengthens Chavez’s Grip On Venezuela-24 December 2010
AP-Flurry of laws boost Chavez’s power in Venezuela-24 December 2010