When Branded as a Born Criminal: The Plight of India's De-Notified Tribes
By Mariya Salim
Branded as being born 'criminal' 150 years ago under British colonial rule, De-Notified Tribes (DNTs) continue to bear the brunt of the various laws that stigmatised them since 1871.
Latin American Development Depends On Investing In Teenage Girls
By Estrella Gutiérrez
Latin America's teenage girls are a crucial force for change and for promoting sustainable development, if the region invests in their rights and the correction of unequal opportunities, according to Luiza Carvalho, the regional head of UN Women.
Analysis: Is Empowerment of Women a Will-o'-the-Wisp?
By Vani S. Kulkarni and Raghav Gaiha
Few dispute that women's autonomy and betterment of their lives are moral imperatives. But whether these are also key to economic development is contested.
'Ethical Fashion' Champions Marginalised Artisans from South
By A. D. McKenzie
"Work is dignity," says Simone Cipriani. "People want employment, not charity."
Accusations of 'Apartheid' Cause Israelis to Backpedal
By Mel Frykberg
A decision by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to segregate buses in the occupied West Bank has backfired after causing an uproar in Israel's Knesset, or parliament, and political damage on the international stage.
Police Killings Challenge U.S. "Exceptionalism"
By Kitty Stapp
Since being roundly chastised last fall by the U.N. Committee Against Torture for excessive use of force by its law enforcement agencies, the United States hasn't exactly managed to repair its international reputation.
No Woman, No World
By Sean Buchanan
Almost exactly two years ago, on the morning of Apr. 24, over 3,600 workers – 80 percent of them young women between the ages of 18 and 20 – refused to enter the Rana Plaza garment factory building in Dhaka, Bangladesh, because there were large ominous cracks in the walls. They were beaten with sticks and forced to enter.
Empower Rural Women for Their Dignity and Future
By Valentina Gasbarri
Rural women make major contributions to rural economies by producing and processing food, feeding and caring for families, generating income and contributing to the overall well-being of their households – but, in many countries, they face discrimination in access to agricultural assets, education, healthcare and employment, among others, preventing them from fully enjoying their basic rights.
Indigenous Peoples – Architects of the Post-2015 Development Agenda
"We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children" – an ancient Indian saying that encapsulates the essence of sustainability as seen by the world's indigenous people.
Israeli Arrest Campaign Targets Palestinian Children
Fourteen-year-old Malak al Khatib, one of the youngest Palestinian detainees and one of only a handful of girls, was released from an Israeli prison on Feb. 13 into the arms of emotional family members and supporters after being incarcerated in an Israeli prison for two months on "security offences".
Marginalised Groups Struggle to Access Healthcare in Conflict-Torn East Ukraine
By Pavol Stracansky
With international organisations warning that East Ukraine is on the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe as its health system collapses, marginalised groups are among those facing the greatest struggle to access even basic health care in the war-torn region.
Refugees Between a Legal Rock and a Hard Place in Lebanon
By Oriol Andrés Gallart
Staring at the floor, Hassan, a 21-year-old Syrian refugee from Idlib in northwestern Syria, holds a set of identification papers in his hands. He picks out a small pink piece of paper with a few words on it stating that he must obtain a work contract, otherwise his residency visa will not be renewed.
Family Farmers – Forward to the Future
By Gloria Schiavi
"Who is more concerned than the rural family with regards to preservation of natural resources for future generations?"
Family Farming – A Way of Life
It does not make the headlines, but 2014 is the International Year of Family Farming (IYFF) and family farming will be centre-stage at this year's World Food Day on Oct. 16 at the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
Georgia's Female Drug Addicts Face Double Struggle
Irina was 21 when she first started using drugs. More than 30 years later, having lost her husband, her home and her business to drugs, she is still battling her addiction.
Promoting Human Rights Through Global Citizenship Education
By Ravi Kanth Devarakonda
Amid escalating conflicts and rampant violations of human rights all over the world, spreading "human rights education" is not an easy task. But a non-governmental organisation from Japan is beginning to make an impact through its "global citizenship education" approach.
New Anti-Discrimination Law Could Worsen Situation for Georgia's LGBT Community
Georgia's LGBT community is sceptical that recently-introduced anti-discrimination legislation hailed by some rights groups as a bold step forward for the former Soviet state will improve their lives any time soon.
Arab Region Has World's Fastest Growing HIV Epidemic
By Mona Alami
At a time when HIV rates have stabilised or declined elsewhere, the epidemic is still advancing in the Arab world, exacerbated by factors such as political unrest, conflict, poverty and lack of awareness due to social taboos.
Jordan's LGBT Community Fears Greater Intolerance
As the region is rocked by violence against a backdrop of the rise of radical groups, Jordan's lesbian gay bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community fears that new instability in the Hashemite kingdom could lead to increased intolerance towards the community.
Bolivia's Anti-Racism Law – Not Worth the Paper It's Written On?
By Franz Chávez
Three years ago Bolivia passed a law to combat discrimination and racism, but no one has been convicted as a result, in spite of hundreds of legal complaints.
Brazil's 'Rolezinhos' Want Room in the Palaces of Consumerism
By Fabiana Frayssinet
They poured into shopping malls en masse to have some fun. But the reaction, a mixture of fear, admiration and heavy-handed repression, brought a new youth movement into being in Brazil: the "rolezinhos."