Human Rights in the News: April 2020
/Curated by Nikki Bambauer
Welcome to the April 2020 edition of Human Rights in the News, Woven Teaching’s monthly collection of important stories from around the world.
An International Women’s Day march in Papua New Guinea. Men and women are seen holding up clasped hands at the front of the march.
UN backs global action to end violence against women and girls amid COVID-19 crisis
UN News | April 6, 2020
According to the United Nations, reports from countries in every region around the globe indicate increasing rates of domestic violence during COVID-19 shutdowns. In some places, reports of domestic abuse have doubled over the previous year – and abuse is typically grossly underreported. Learn more >
Food distribution by masked individuals in New Delhi (Credit: Rebecca Conway)
‘Instead of Coronavirus, the Hunger Will Kill Us.’ A Global Food Crisis Looms
Abdi Latif Dahir | The New York Times | April 22, 2020
Arif Husain, chief economist at the World Food Program, recently stated that 130 million people could go hungry as a direct result of COVID-19 pandemic. This would nearly double the number of people facing acute food shortages worldwide. Learn more >
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán wearing a suit and holding a file folder. He is surrounded by other people in business attire, some wearing masks (Credit: Zoltan Mathe/Reuters)
Hungary prepares to end legal recognition of trans people
Shaun Walker | The Guardian | April 26, 2020
Hungary’s government is poised to approve legislation that would end the legal recognition of trans people. The law would equate gender with “biological sex based on primary sex characteristics and chromosomes,” making it impossible for transgender individuals to change their name or obtain identification documents that affirm their gender. Learn more >
Michelle Bachelet, seen from the shoulders up against a blue background (Credit: Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone, via Associated Press)
U.N. raises alarm about police brutality in lockdowns
Emma Farge | Reuters | April 27 , 2020
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet has warned of increasing police violence around the world. Approximately 80 countries have declared emergencies related to the COVID-19 pandemic; in many of these states, police and other security forces are using excessive and deadly force on the population. Learn more >
Uzbekistan’s Bibi-Khanym Mosque, with two bright blue domes (Credit: LoggaWiggler/Pixabay)
'Coronavirus doesn't respect barbed wire': concern mounts for Greek camps
Helena Smith | The Guardian | April 7, 2020
Social distancing is nearly impossible in the refugee camps on Greek islands; they are filled to six times their standard capacity. The government of Greece has called the camps “ticking time bombs” as COVID-19 infections spread throughout the camps. Learn more >
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