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Greece: Investigate the attack of trade union leader

Fri, 27 Feb 2009 17:36:56 +0000

Konstantina Kuneva, a Bulgarian migrant worker and trade union leader received extensive injuries when she was attacked on 22 December 2008 in the Greek capital, Athens. The attack is allegedly connected with her trade union activities, and followed an escalation of tension between Kuneva and her employers.

As a result of the attack in which two men threw sulphuric acid in her face, Konstantina Kuneva has lost the total vision in one eye, and is left with partial vision in the other. Her vocal chords were also seriously damaged. She remained in a comatose state for several days and continues to be hospitalized.

Konstantina Kuneva, who worked as a historian in Bulgaria, came to Greece in 2001 to earn money to pay for her son’s medical treatment. While working as a cleaner, she participated in trade union activities, demanding basic rights for workers, and eventually became Secretary General of the Attica Union of Cleaners and Domestic Workers.

On various occasions, Konstantina Kuneva criticized the practices reportedly used by employers to exploit workers, including delays in payment of salaries and lack of payment of workers’ social insurance, many of whom are migrants. After taking up the post as leader of the trade union, she received a number of threatening anonymous phone calls. The trade union has reported that workers who stand up for their rights are threatened and reassigned to jobs under even more unfavourable conditions.

An official criminal investigation by the police is now underway though the initial findings of the investigation suggest that it is neither thorough nor objective. Amnesty International is concerned that the initial phase of the investigation focussed on irrelevant details of Konstantina’s private life and failed to take into consideration her trade union activities as a possible motive for the attack.

The Greek Government must ensure that a thorough and impartial investigation into the attack on Konstantina Kuneva takes place.

Call on the Government of Venezuela to protect women’s rights

Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:10:05 +0000

In Venezuela, thousands of women suffer physical, sexual or mental abuse by members of their families. In 2007 alone, 4,484 women called the helpline set up by the National Institute of Women’s Affairs asking for help. Many more women are too scared to report violence.

The Venezuelan authorities have taken positive steps towards eradicating domestic violence by introducing in March 2007 the Organic law on the rights of women to a life free of violence. The law is a valuable tool to strengthen women’s access to their rights, and has the potential to produce real improvements in the life of thousands of women.

Nonetheless, while passing the law was a welcome step, its implementation has been far from satisfactory. As a consequence, many women continue to suffer from violence, finding themselves unable to escape the situations they are in or report the violence. Abuses remain behind closed doors and perpetrators often go unpunished.

One of the main problems hampering the eradication of domestic violence is the lack of shelters, as women who face violence can find themselves with nowhere to turn for protection. The 2007 law recognizes that the Venezuelan authorities are responsible for ensuring that women fleeing from abusive relationships are properly protected.

However, there are only two shelters run by national authorities for victims of violence to cater for Venezuela's population of over 10 million women. There's an urgent need for more shelters now.

Furthermore, in order to stop domestic violence, women must be able to report abuse with confidence. They must count on a police force that supports and advises survivors, enforces protection measures and investigates allegations of domestic violence.

Unfortunately, this is not the case in Venezuela, as women told Amnesty International how they have been discouraged from reporting by intrusive, judgemental and inappropriate questioning by police and have been made to feel that their complaints were trivial.

Law enforcement officials must be educated on legislation and trained how to deal with cases of domestic violence. The 2007 law makes the government, and the Ministry of the Interior and Justice in particular, responsible for providing such training. However, to date, the number of training programmes set up has been insufficient and have not reached most police officers responsible for dealing with complaints of domestic violence.

Sign the petition and demand that the Government of Venezuela takes urgent steps to protect women's rights!

Jordan – protect the rights of women domestic migrant workers

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:49:09 +0000

Tens of thousands of women migrant domestic workers in Jordan face isolation, exploitation and abuse, with little or no protection from the state. Migrant domestic workers are crucial to the economy in Jordan, contributing to the well-being of the households where they work and providing vital incomes for their own families and communities.

Many face exploitation and abuse:

Many work 16 to 19 hours daily, with no day off
Physical, psychological and sexual abuse is common
Many are effectively held captive in their employers’ home
Many women are not paid some or all of their meagre wages, sometimes for years

Until this summer, the Labour Law in Jordan excluded domestic workers from the protection offered to other workers, such as minimum wage provisions, sick leave, or days off. Amendments were endorsed by the Jordanian Parliament to state that a separate regulation will be issued to define the terms of their working conditions.

Although this is a step forward, more needs to be done to ensure that the rights of women migrant domestic workers are protected in line with international human rights standards.

Call on the government of Jordan to ensure new measures effectively protect the rights of women migrant domestic workers.

Demand proper protection of womens’ rights in Mexico

Mon, 20 Oct 2008 11:38:09 +0000

One in four women in Mexico has suffered physical, and sometimes sexual, violence at the hands of their partner. Thousands are put at risk of repeated abuse because weak or ineffective protection measures fail to ensure their safety.

Domestic violence can have physical, psychological, and emotional effects, as well as serious economic and social consequences on women and their families. Many face a range of obstacles when trying to report cases, such as the refusal of officials to accept complaints, inadequate investigations, and poor enforcement of protective measures.

A number of factors also deter women from filing complaints, such as fear of reprisals, and entrenched social attitudes which excuse violence against women, and undermine women’s role in the family and society. Official restraining orders are rarely issued and in many cases, there are no dedicated police resources to enforce them if they are issued.

Following her divorce in 1993, Marcela Blumenkron made numerous emergency calls to the police to report threats and harassment from her former husband. Time and again, she was advised by prosecutors to resolve the issue directly with her former husband.

On one occasion, Marcela was told, “if you come back with a bruise, we’ll do something”. In 2005, Marcela’s former husband broke into her home and stabbed her, leaving her paralyzed for four months, with long-term nerve damage and limited mobility.

Although Mexico recently passed a law to counter violence against women, and many states have followed suit, more still needs to be done or these changes will make little difference to women at risk. Take action to demand that womens’ rights in Mexico are properly protected!

Rape in Burundi – demand justice now!

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:31:20 +0000

13 year old Kaneza (not her real name) from the province of Bujumbura rural was raped by a 22-year-old man in September 2007. Kaneza didn’t tell anyone about the rape, until she found that she was pregnant. She told her uncle's wife, who immediately reported the rape to the police.

The alleged perpetrator was arrested and questioned, and confessed to the rape. Kaneza’s family thought that this would be enough to prosecute the perpetrator, though he was released several days later.

Local human rights activists have reported that the father of the perpetrator approached the Public Prosecutor of Bujumbura Rural and proposed an out-of-court settlement.

When the family spoke to the Prosecutor of Bujumbura Rural, he forced them to agree to an "amicable settlement" and cease

© Carl De Keyzer/Magnum Photos

legal proceedings. Kaneza’s family complained to the judicial authorities in Bujumbura, the capital of Burundi.

The Prosecutor was then ordered by them to re-arrest the alleged perpetrator. He didn’t do this, but instead detained Kaneza for several hours and threatened her.

Kaneza recently gave birth to a child. The man who allegedly raped her remains free.

Rape is widespread throughout Burundi, though many cases, like that of Kaneza, remain unprosecuted. Women are often too afraid to even report the crime out of fear that their families and communities will reject them.

The justice system is flawed. The police and judiciary often fail to investigate reports of rape and other sexual assaults or prosecute those accused of committing such offences.

Sometimes victims are forced to withdraw their complaints and enter into negotiated settlements with the perpetrator or his family outside of the formal judicial system. Sometimes the victim is also forced to marry her attacker.

Write to the Public Prosecutor in Burundi to demand that the alleged rape of Kaneza is investigated and the suspect brought to justice.

'Comfort Women': waiting for justice after 62 years

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:59:18 +0000

"The Japanese Government thinks that if all comfort women die, it will be buried and forgotten. But it won’t. As long as our next generation knows about it, it will not be forgotten." Gil Won-Ok (below, right), former "Comfort Woman" from South Korea.

© Paula Allen Thousands of women known as "comfort women" were forced into servitude by the Government of Japan for the armed forces in the 1930s before and after the Second World War. In what became known as a system of "military sexual slavery", women were abducted, beaten, raped and coerced into providing sexual services for the Japanese military.

The full extent of the sexual slavery system has never been fully disclosed by the Government of Japan, though it is thought that as many as 200,000 women were enslaved. The Government of Japan continues to refuse to officially acknowledge its responsibility for these crimes.

©Paula Allen

The "comfort women" system of forced military prostitution allowed for a range of abuses, such as sexual violence including gang rape and forced abortions, in what has been described as "one of the largest cases of human trafficking in the 20th century."

Many of these women continue to suffer the consequences of these abuses and are courageously speaking out about their experiences and campaigning for justice. Pressure is mounting on Japan as a range of governments across the world have passed resolutions calling for justice for "comfort women".

Resolutions have been passed in the USA, Netherlands, Canada and the European Parliament for the Government of Japan to:

accept full responsibility for the abuses of "comfort women"
officially apologize for the crimes committed against the women
provide adequate and effective compensation

The Government of the Philippines is currently considering passing a resolution that has particular significance because of the number of Filipino women who were enslaved by the Japanese Imperial Army.

Join the former "Comfort Women" in their battle for justice. Show your support for the Philippines to be the next country to pass a resolution calling for Justice for the Comfort Women.

Safe Schools: every girl's right!

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 15:26:53 +0000

The key to a bright future is for girls and women is choice. Women must be free to choose the path that is right for them, a path that is out of harm’s way and allows them to move forward and realize their potential.

Education is a crucial step in this journey. It is crucial to breaking cycles of poverty, violence and disease. Education is a human right, and therefore every girl’s right.

Girls across the world find a range of barriers to education:

Girls are assaulted on the way to school, attacked in schools grounds and teased by their classmates. Some are threatened with sexual assault by other students, coerced into sex by teachers, even raped in the staff room.
In countries wracked by war, girls are at risk from armed groups and from attacks on their schools. Sexual abuse and exploitation are problems for girls living in refugee camps or displaced people’s camps.
Certain girls face an increased risk of violence at school. Certain aspects of girls’ identities, including their sexuality, status as migrants, orphans or refugees, caste, ethnicity and race, can increase their risk of abuse.
Although free primary education should be available to all children, schools around the world commonly charge user fees. Girls are more likely to be excluded than boys when there isn’t enough money to go round.

Violence leads to countless girls being kept out of school, dropping out, or not fully participating in school life. Effects range from pain and fear, to lowered self-esteem, sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancies and depression. In many cases, abuses go unreported.

The problem is exacerbated by the fact that girls often choose not to report what continues to be a taboo issue in some societies, or for fear of retaliation. That leaves such acts under-reported and allows their perpetrators to go unpunished.

There is no justification for the lack of action. The issue is not about resources but political will. Governments, teachers and school authorities must work to prevent violence against girls in schools, must promptly investigate reports of abuse, impose appropriate punishments on offenders, support those who have suffered from violence to recover and ensure that such abuses do not recur.

Join Amnesty International’s campaign to protect girls’ rights to safety, equality and education. Make schools safe for girls.

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Safe Schools
Stop Violence Against Women

Rape: ever present danger for Darfur's women

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:14:09 +0000

"All around the camps there is not enough wood. But the Arab Jammala dominate the area and we daren’t go far out. If you are a man you will be beaten, if you are a woman you will be raped." – Internally displaced man living in a camp, 2007.

At least 2.3 million people have been displaced by the conflict in Darfur. Most of those driven from their homes and communities are now living in more than 65 camps dotted around Darfur.

Hundreds of thousands of people were driven from their home in 2003-4 in attacks that were accompanied not only by killing, but also by rape of women on an unprecedented scale.

Janjawid militias used rape as a weapon to humiliate and punish the communities they attacked. They often carried out assaults in public and abducting some women, taking them to militia camps to live for months in sexual slavery.

There are more women living in camps than men and the threat of rape remains rife for those who venture outside the camps. Many of the camps are surrounded by belts of deserted land with hardly a tree standing. Rapes are carried out on women who leave the camps to go to market or collect firewood. They are carried out by Janjawid militia, government soldiers, armed opposition groups and even by other displaced people.

One girl displaced during the conflict told of being raped by a group of men from the Sudanese army while collecting fire wood. When her brother took her to report this to the local police, the policeman refused to report the case and detained her brother when he questioned the procedure.

"The images of that day occupied my mind. I can’t say I have completely recovered. The shock is still terrible. I don’t trust the police and I never will trust them," said the girl to Amnesty International.

Most women raped in Darfur never report what has happened because it’s so unlikely that the perpetrator will be brought to justice that there’s little point in a woman harming her reputation and prospects of marriage.

Police rarely investigate cases of rape reported to them, while if the alleged rapists are members of the Sudanese Armed Forces, justice appears to be impossible. In some instances, it is the person who makes the complaint who is detained.