Archive for October 7th, 2012

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07/10/2012

For Egyptian Women, Revolution Has Only Begun

Human Wrongs Watch

By Shahira Amin*

Cairo – The women of Egypt played a huge role in the uprising that toppled former President Hosni Mubarak. They were on the frontlines, standing shoulder to shoulder with men in Cairo’s Tahrir Square, demanding “Bread, Freedom and Social Justice.” Their participation in the eighteen-day mass protests raised hopes for greater inclusion of women in the decision-making process and an end to the gender discriminatory policies of the past.

Egyptian women celebrate the one year anniversary of the country’s revolution in Cairo. Amr Abdel-Hadi | Demotix | Source: UNCUT

However since the January 25 2011 revolution Egyptian women’s voices have been drowned out, and the “new Egypt” continues to marginalise women.

Today, as the country’s new constitution is being written, hopes are fading that Egypt’s new governing code will guarantee full and equal participation of women, and there are growing concerns that women may even lose rights gained in recent years.

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Posted in Africa, Middle East, The Peoples | 1 Comment »

07/10/2012

Egyptian President Says Failed to Implement His 100-Day Plan

Human Wrongs Watch

By RIA Novosti*, Cairo, October 7 – Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi took the personal responsibility for failing to implement in full a plan for Egypt’s recovery that he pledged to execute in the first 100 days of his presidency.

Image source: Think Africa Press

“The designated program was not partly implemented but I take the full and personal responsibility for this omission,” Morsi said addressing Egyptians live on television.

Monday will mark 100 days of Morsi in office. In early July he proposed the so-called “100 Days Program” that he pledged to implement by October 8. The plan included 60 provisions that were divided into five main blocks defining the main directions for the Egyptian interior policy.

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Posted in Middle East, The Peoples | Leave a Comment »

07/10/2012

Bahrain: Exploitation, Rights Violations of Migrant Workers

Human Wrongs Watch

Beirut – Hundreds of thousands of mostly South Asian migrant workers in Bahrain face exploitation and abuse despite government reforms intended to protect them, Human Rights Watch said in a new report.

These twelve men share a one room labor camp, with no beds and no air conditioner. © 2010 Samer Muscati/Human Rights Watch

The 123-page report, “For A Better Life: Migrant Worker Abuse in Bahrain and the Government Reform Agenda,” documents the many forms of abuse and exploitation suffered by migrant workers in Bahrain and details the government’s efforts to provide redress and strengthen worker protections.

Bahraini authorities need to implement labor safeguards and redress mechanisms already in place and prosecute abusive employers, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said. “The government should extend the 2012 private sector labor law to domestic workers, who are excluded from key protections.”

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Posted in Africa, Asia, Market Lords, Middle East, Mother Earth, Others-USA-Europe-etc., The Peoples, War Lords | Leave a Comment »

07/10/2012

Zero Reserves for 2,5 Million Refugees Trapped in Acute Crises

Human Wrongs Watch

Geneva – With its financial reserves at zero, the United Nations refugee agency is facing an “unprecedented” combination of crises, its top official warned today as he appealed to the international community to provide the necessary financial support. The total number of refugees worldwide is estimated at more than 42 million.

*Mali refugee students set up “government” in UNHCR-backed school in Niger. Photo: UNHCR

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, noted that his agency, known by the acronym UNHCR, is currently dealing with four acute crises as it tries to protect and assist 700,000 people who had fled conflict in Syria, Mali, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) by the end of September, on top of last year’s record exodus of 800,000 refugees worldwide.

“As a matter of fact, UNHCR is presently overstretched,” the UN refugee chief said in Geneva on 5 October, stressing that all the current problems come on top of dealing with long-standing chronic problems, such as one million Somali refugees who have fled conflict and drought in their homeland to Kenya, Ethiopia and Yemen.

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Posted in Africa, Asia, Latin America & Caribbean, Middle East, Mother Earth, Others-USA-Europe-etc., The Peoples, War Lords | 2 Comments »

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