Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence

The Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law co-sponsored a number of panels to commemorate the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, a campaign sponsored by UN Women. 

For instance, on November 29th, the Academy presented the Panel "Women in Human Mobility and Gender Violence: Cases and Comparative Experiences in the Region."  The panel addressed the problem of gender and sexual violence suffered by refugee women in Latin America.  This exceptional discussion featured Marta Valiñas, President of the International Independent Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela (UN), Margarita García Lama, Project Officer at the Foundation for Justice and the Democratic Rule of Law, and Gisela de León, Regional Legal Director of CEJIL. You can access the video here. 

Concerned with the challenging situation of women in Iran, the Academy co-sponsors the panel “Women, Life, Freedom: What does Iran’s New Revolution tell us About Women and the Future of Iran?”.  This very interesting conversation took place on the First of December and included professor Padideh Ala’I (WCL), Shim Bozorgi (WCL-SJD Candidate), Shadi Mokhtari (Assistant Professor, SIS), and professor Diane Orentlicher (WCL). This panel was co-sponsored by the War Crimes Research Office and International and Comparative Legal Studies, WCL. 

Additionally, on December 5th, we had the pleasure of hosting a very interactive Conversation with Leaders of the Green Wave movement in Latin America. The panel was co-sponsored with If/When/How (WCL), IPAS, and the Latin American Law Student Association (WCL) and included the participation of Feminist Activists from El Salvador, Chile, and Argentina who shared their first-hand experiences in promoting and defending women’s right to choose over their own bodies. 

Furthermore, on December 7th, the panel “Access to Abortion Under International Human Rights Standards: Experiences from Latin America” addressed the important measures that countries have taken in the Region to protect the rights of women to access abortion in Latin America. This fascinating dialogue was co-sponsored by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Latin American Network of Strategic Litigation in Gender (ReLeg), the Department of Constitutional Law of the University of Externado de Colombia, and the AUWCL War Crimes Investigation Office. The speakers included Judges and Magistrates from the Supreme Courts of Colombia, Ecuador, and the Judicial Power of Mexico, that was accompanied by a representative of the UN-Working Group on Arbitrary Detention; and a Professor of Constitutional Law from the Universidad de Palermo, Argentina. You can enjoy this discussion here.

In order to commemorate the importance of freedom of expression, On December 8th, the Academy was honored to receive Julisa Mantilla, the Presiding Commissioner of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and Jineth Bedoya, a relevant Colombian Human Rights Activist, to share her experience in the panel “Jineth Bedoya’s Case: Reflections On Press Freedom In Colombia And The Pursuit Of Justice Over The Last Decades''. This event was co-sponsored by CEJIL, IFEX, and “No es Hora de Callar,” who also shared their thoughts and reflections on the challenges faced in this case. The video can be accessed here.

The Academy looks forward to partnering up with leading organizations to keep promoting women’s rights and cooperating to eradicate gender-based violence.