Heather Barr

The State-Led Crackdown on Grok and xAI Has Begun At least 37 attorneys general for US states and territories are taking action against xAI after Grok generated a flood of nonconsensual sexual images of women and minors.

At least 37 attorneys general for US states and territories are taking action against xAI after Grok generated a flood of nonconsensual sexual images of women and minors.

"But former staffers, many of whom are independently continuing the institute’s international work, said they planned to protest what they called the theft of the building on Thursday, during the signing ceremony that will be hosted by Mr. Trump." #USIP via @heatherbarr.bsky.social (over there...)

Saw The Running Man tonight. It’s based on a 1982 book that envisions reality TV producers taking over the US and sending their masked goons to terrorize American cities—which probably sounded implausible at the time.

When do we do something about the billionaire death cult.

Women in Argentina Face Rising Violence Argentina is experiencing increasing gender-based violence. But newly elected legislators taking office on December 10 have an opportunity to strengthen protections and violence prevention measures.

Women in Argentina Face Rising Violence
www.hrw.org/news/2025/12...

Starbucks to pay $35M to NYC workers after city alleges years of abuses Baristas at a Starbucks on Broadway where workers went on strike in February. The city says about 15,000 employees will get paid $50 for each week worked over a three-year period. For some workers, that's thousands of dollars. [ more › ]

Starbucks to pay $35M to NYC workers after city alleges years of abuses https://gothamist.com/news/starbucks-to-pay-35m-to-nyc-workers-after-city-alleges-years-of-abuses

Block no. 0051 of the AIDS Memorial Quilt

My uncle, Douglas Colesworthy, on the AIDS Memorial Quilt. He died in 1987. Silence = death.

The justice minister announced plans to remove femicide from the Penal Code. The security minister attributed the rise in femicides to so-called “excesses of feminism.” President Milei argued femicide laws unfairly assign greater value to a woman’s life. x.com/heatherbarr1...

“AI is already changing sex work and our future relationships in so many ways”, documentary filmmaker Naomi Pallas tells Dazed. Pallas is the director of the award-winning short film Clankers, which explores the rise of AI sex influencers and the blurring of consent. For the documentary, Pallas made her own pregnant AI sex worker after attending courses run predominantly by men about how to make them and develop a unique niche. What Pallas discovered through attending these courses was that these men were essentially stealing the content of real sex workers and deepfaking their likenesses to make their AI influencers. “When I saw this, I just thought, ‘Oh my God. They are trying to get the means of production back from women’”.

Theft on top of theft.

HRW quote card that says, “The UK government’s decision to end the cruel "two-child limit” social security policy is welcome and long-overdue. It forced growing numbers of children and families into poverty and undermined their rights.” Kartik Raj, Europe Senior Researcher

Good riddance to rubbish policy.

The end to the UK's "two child limit" social security policy has been announced, and it will soon be gone.

We @hrw.org welcome the news, as one of many, many, many voices calling for an end to this arbitrary, cruel social security policy.

UN Should Protect its Long Underfunded Human Rights Pillar The United Nations leadership has launched a major reform plan to make the cash-strapped world body more efficient and cost-effective. Unfortunately, it has offered little on how this will impact the ...

🚨 New from @hrw.org: UN leadership & member states should preserve the UN's long underfunded human rights pillar

Independent mechanisms responding to grave crises need to be saved. Cutting or merging them won't solve the UN's funding crisis caused by US, #China & others not paying their dues.

Seventy-Nine Years Without a Woman Leader at the UN In February 2026, it will be 80 years since the United Nations selected its first secretary-general, a man. Since then, eight other people have had that job, all men.

🗣️ #WPSWednesday: “80 years, 9 male UN secretaries-general. It’s time for a woman to lead. Gender equality isn’t optional—especially in a world facing rising conflict & human rights crises. @heatherbarr.bsky.social @hrw.org www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

„Quiet, Piggy!“ Just think about that for a minute, and what it means to live in a time when a President can assault a woman in public like that without any consequences.
It‘s quite a testimony to the age of regression we live in.

Soixante-dix-neuf ans sans femme à la tête de l'ONU En février 2026, cela fera 80 ans que les Nations Unies ont choisi leur tout premier Secrétaire général, un homme. Depuis lors, les huit autres personnes ayant occupé ce poste étaient tous des hommes.

En février 2026, cela fera 80 ans que l'ONU a choisi son tout premier Secrétaire général, un homme. Depuis, les 8 autres personnes ayant occupé ce poste étaient tous des hommes.

Il est grand temps qu'une femme occupe ces fonctions.

@heatherbarr.bsky.social ⤵️
www.hrw.org/fr/news/2025...

Seventy-Nine Years Without a Woman Leader at the UN In February 2026, it will be 80 years since the United Nations selected its first secretary-general, a man. Since then, eight other people have had that job, all men.

In Feb 26, it will be 80 years since the UN selected its first secretary-general, a man. Since then, eight others have had that job, all men. Surely it’s long past time a woman held the post. In these perilous times we cannot afford an all-men’s club at the top of the UN.
www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

Seventy-Nine Years Without a Woman Leader at the UN In February 2026, it will be 80 years since the United Nations selected its first secretary-general, a man. Since then, eight other people have had that job, all men.

In Feb 26, it will be 80 years since the UN selected its first secretary-general, a man. Since then, eight others have had that job, all men. Surely it’s long past time a woman held the post. In these perilous times we cannot afford an all-men’s club at the top of the UN.
www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

Opinion | Endless Gossipy Chatter About Epstein. One Glaring Omission.

“There are other names you might not be seeing at all: Courtney Wild, Rachel Benavidez, Michelle Licata, Maria Farmer, Annie Farmer, Liz Stein, Jess Michaels, Marina Lacerda, Danielle Bensky, Anouska De Georgiou, Shawna Rivera.” www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/o...

Taliban’s Mandatory Burqa in Herat Assaults Women’s Autonomy The Taliban in Afghanistan’s western province of Herat have recently banned women doctors, patients, and healthcare workers from entering hospitals without wearing a burqa.

Activists protested, setting burqas on fire:

“We burn this not out of hatred, but for freedom. There is no power stronger than a woman’s will for free life.”

“A woman’s body is not a site for [playing] politics.”

“Your silence helps the Taliban.” www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

What Escalating Conflict Means for Women and Girls Conflicts and crises cause harm based on gender. Because women and girls across the globe experience legal, economic, and cultural discrimination, they also experience the impacts of conflict in disti...

With conflict globally reaching a level not seen since the post-WWII era, better responses to the impact of conflict on women’s rights are urgently important. Conflicts and crises harm women and girls in ways far beyond sexual violence. www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...

@heatherbarr.bsky.social

Afghan Women’s Return to Football a Human Rights Victory Their return to compete after the Taliban banned all sports for women and girls is a true victory for human rights.

To see the team rebuilt and competing again gives hope for future generations of Afghan women and girls that they too can reclaim their rights, not only in sports but in all aspects of their lives. www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...

We are deeply concerned by a State’s use of the word “witch” to attack a UN expert in her report to the #UNGA80 3rd Committee. Misogynistic gendered insults have no place in international dialogue and undermine women’s equality and the integrity and independence of UN mandates.

UN: Momentum Builds for Crimes Against Humanity Treaty Developing an effective International Convention to Prevent and Punish Crimes against Humanity will require ambitious and forward-looking diplomacy.

“We share the view of many civil society organizations and experts that gender apartheid is an urgently needed addition to the legal cannon.” www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...

Please join the women’s rights division at @hrw in remembering and celebrating the life of our colleague Agnes Odhiambo, an expert researcher and advocate on women’s rights in Africa.

🗓️ November 5 @ 9AM EST / 4PM SAST
📍Registation link: https://bit.ly/4qkQjg5
📖 Learn more: https://bit.ly/4qwQd59

Updating my LEGO White House

Spent all day reading briefs in Louisiana v. Callais and watching white people argue that the 14th amendment is a race-neutral colorblind amendment and citing Plessy for that proposition has me so angry. Just.. come the fuck on.

The Reconstruction Amendments were not intended to be race-neutral.

Wow, I didn't think he was *literally* tearing down the White House.

"Misogyny is a favorite tool of authoritarians." @heatherbarr.bsky.social @hrw.org

Diplomatie féministe dans un contexte de recul mondial Lorsque les gouvernements se réuniront à Paris cette semaine pour une conférence sur la diplomatie féministe, les sujets à aborder ne manqueront pas.

📆♀️Cette semaine, se tient à Paris une conférence sur la diplomatie féministe.

❌Remise en cause des droits reproductifs
❌Apartheid de genre en Afghanistan
❌Débats sur le droit de vote des femmes

➡️Les sujets à aborder ne manqueront pas 👇
www.hrw.org/fr/news/2025...

Feminist Foreign Policy During a Global Backlash When governments convene this week in Paris for a conference on feminist foreign policy, there will be a lot to talk about.

When govts convene this week in Paris to discuss feminist foreign policy, there will be a lot to talk about. The French govt’s description of the event says progress toward gender equality “is not being made fast enough.” That is an epic understatement. www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...