Global Justice Center

Afghanistan: Relentless Repression 4 Years into Taliban Rule The Taliban have deepened their repression since taking over Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, by intensifying restrictions on the rights of women and girls, detaining journalists, and silencing all dis...

The upcoming fourth anniversary of the Taliban takeover is a grim reminder of the gravity of the Taliban’s abuses, particularly against women and girls.

Governments should support efforts to hold the Taliban leadership and all those responsible to account.

The GJC team recently gathered for a much-needed retreat. We felt incredibly grateful for the opportunity to discuss some of the most urgent questions facing GJC and the broader feminist movement.

We return with a renewed clarity of purpose as our fight for global gender equality continues.

The impacts of reproductive violence can be unique, profound, damaging, and long-lasting. Yet for too long, investigators have failed to fully document it.

Our Q&A explains what reproductive violence is and how documentation is critical to preventing it. www.globaljusticecenter.net/qa-documenti...

Q&A: Documenting Reproductive Violence in Conflict and Crisis In September 2024, UN Women and Global Justice Center issued a report detailing challenges and offering legal guidance to improve the documentation of reproductive violence in crisis and conflict by U...

NEW: Reproductive violence is a form of gender-based violence that targets reproductive autonomy – a protected right under international law.

So why isn't it being effectively documented? Check out a new Q&A that distills our recent report with UN Women. www.globaljusticecenter.net/qa-documenti...

Q&A: How International Law Protects Access to Abortion in Cases of Conscientious Objection Around 80 countries expressly allow healthcare providers to refuse to provide abortion care based on their conscience, religion, or belief. This practice is referred to as ‘conscientious objection’. C...

(2/2) In cases such as religious refusals, patients must be provided prompt care by another provider. If this is not possible, refusals must be prohibited.

Learn more in our recent Q&A on conscientious objections and international law. www.globaljusticecenter.net/qa-how-inter...

A Tennessee woman said she was denied prenatal care for being unmarried under this newly signed act. What to know A woman said she was denied prenatal care for being unmarried under the newly signed Medical Ethics Defense Act. Here's what to know about the Tennessee law.

(1/2) A Tennessee woman was denied prenatal care for being unmarried. This is "conscientious objection" run amok, and it's time we called it what it is — a human rights violation.

Healthcare providers have an obligation to provide nondiscriminatory care. www.tennessean.com/story/news/h...

🎉 We're thrilled to release our 2024 Annual Report!

In a year marked by deepening attacks on reproductive rights and gender justice, we are proud of our work to advance global gender equality.

Read more about GJC in 2024: www.globaljusticecenter.net/wp-content/u...

Trump Order on International Criminal Court Likely Violates First Amendment, Judge Rules

We're glad to see a judge recognize the dangerous implications of the Trump administration's sanctions on the International Criminal Court.

The free speech of human rights advocates — as well as the strength and independence of the court itself — is at stake here. www.nytimes.com/2025/07/19/u...

📣 We're looking for a new Expert Legal Advisor to join our team and help us develop legal strategies to advance global gender equality!

If you're a lawyer with 12+ years experience working in gender & international law, we hope you'll consider applying. www.globaljusticecenter.net/career/exper...

The U.N. Should Condemn the U.S.' Human Rights Record on Abortion The periodic United Nations review of the United States’ human rights record is coming up in November. With the Trump administration’s far-reaching, intensifying attacks, the timing could not be more ...

Later this year, the United States will undergo a UN review of its human rights record.

It's a perfect time to:

1️⃣ Hold the Trump administration accountable for the abortion rights crisis

2️⃣ Reiterate abortion's status as a fundamental human right msmagazine.com/2025/07/09/u...

Rights defenders denounce US sanctions on UN expert on Palestinians Human rights defenders rallied on Thursday to support the top U.N. expert on Palestinian rights, after the United States imposed sanctions on her over what it said was unfair criticism of Israel.

Human rights defenders rally to support UN expert on Palestinian rights @franceskalbs.bsky.social, after US imposed sanctions on her for criticizing #Israel. - @emmafarge.bsky.social @reuters.com

Among those urging US to reverse course: @hrw.org, UN rights chief Volker Turk, @kenroth.bsky.social

White text on a violet background says, Reproductive agency for everyone, everywhere. #WorldPopulationDay

On #WorldPopulationDay, let’s be clear: We want reproductive agency for all people. Reproductive rights are human rights, no matter where you live.

The U.N. Should Condemn the U.S.' Human Rights Record on Abortion The periodic United Nations review of the United States’ human rights record is coming up in November. With the Trump administration’s far-reaching, intensifying attacks, the timing could not be more ...

NEW: Our own Elise Keppler and Jaime M. Gher have a piece in
@msmagazine.com on the upcoming UN review of the U.S. human rights record.

They argue it's a critical time to hold the U.S. accountable for its failure to protect the human right to abortion access. msmagazine.com/2025/07/09/u...

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for senior Taliban leaders on a charge of gender persecution. #Afghanistan

This could provide victims and their families with an essential pathway to justice.

We were proud to stand with organizations all around the world to support the renewed mandate of the Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.

Together, we will build a world free of violence and discrimination.

Tomorrow, the Human Rights Council could vote to renew the mandate of the Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (IESOGI).

We recently joined over 1,200 NGOs calling on #HRC59 to renew the mandate #RenewIESOGI. ilga.org/news/renewie...

A “Striking” Trend: After Texas Banned Abortion, More Women Nearly Bled to Death During Miscarriage A new ProPublica data analysis adds to the mounting evidence that abortion bans have made the common experience of first-trimester miscarriage far more dangerous.

“After Texas made performing abortions a felony in August 2022, the number of blood transfusions during emergency room visits for first-trimester miscarriage shot up by 54%.”

More evidence that abortion bans are putting countless lives at risk. www.propublica.org/article/texa...

Oral Statement: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls Violence against women and girls is pervasive, evolving, and requires an all-tools approach by the Council if it is to be ended. Excluding a gender analysis from efforts to addressing violence against...

NEW: We signed on to a statement opposing efforts by the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women to exclude gender in her work.

We can't disregard how sex and gender intersect in the lived realities of those facing violence.

Full statement: www.globaljusticecenter.net/oral-stateme...

Illinois Lawmakers Pursue Creative Path to Protect Mifepristone Access—Even if FDA Revokes Approval While antiabortion extremists work to eliminate mifepristone from the shelves—and the FDA faces mounting antiabortion political pressure to revoke its approval—Illinois lawmakers are fighting back wit...

Illinois lawmakers should be commended for taking proactive steps to protect access to the abortion pill in the face of the Trump administration's attacks.

Taking such measures ensures abortion access in line with international human rights standards. msmagazine.com/2025/06/10/i...

Joint Submission to UN Special Rapporteur on Health: Health and Care Workers as Human Rights Defenders Our coalition recently developed a joint submission to the UN Human Rights Council before the USA’s upcoming 4th Universal Periodic Review. This submission focused on the significant deterioration of ...

NEW: We recently responded to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health's call for submissions on healthcare workers and the right to health.

Our submission highlights our recent report on diminishing reproductive autonomy in the U.S. www.globaljusticecenter.net/joint-submis...

🗓️ Tomorrow 11:30PM Eastern Time
🗓️ Thursday 10:00AM Myanmar Time

Our senior legal advisor, Michelle Onello, will speak at this expert panel on gender and transitional justice in #Myanmar.

Register now for this essential conversation! zoom.us/meeting/regi...

Human rights committee blames Guatemala for forcing girl who was raped to carry out her pregnancy A panel of independent experts who make up the United Nations Human Rights Committee says they have found that Guatemala violated the rights of a 14-year-old girl who was raped and forced to continue ...

“This is not just a violation of reproductive autonomy — it is a profound act of cruelty.”

This is a landmark decision from the UN Human Rights Committee that clearly recognizes forced pregnancy and abortion denial as human rights violations. apnews.com/article/guat...

The International Criminal Court deplores new sanctions from the US administration against ICC Officials The International Criminal Court (ICC) deplores the additional designations for sanctions which were announced today by the United States of four judges of the Court: Second Vice-President Reine Adela...

Trump's new sanctions against International Criminal Court judges are a disgraceful attack on an institution essential to the fight against mass atrocities.

It's only the latest ploy by the United States to evade accountability for itself and its allies. www.icc-cpi.int/news/interna...

Documenting Reproductive Violence: Unveiling Opportunities, Challenges, and Legal Pathways for UN Investigative Mechanisms Reproductive violence is a distinct form of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) targeting reproductive autonomy, a right protected under international law. The impacts of reproductive violence can...

(2/2) Unfortunately, reproductive violence like this has often been overlooked by international investigations.

In our recent report, we explained how this failure to document has lifelong repercussions for victims. www.globaljusticecenter.net/documenting-...

(1/2) Forced contraception is a textbook example of reproductive violence, a form of gender-based violence that targets reproductive autonomy — a protected right under international law.

This abuse of #Rohingya refugees must be fully investigated. www.thenewhumanitarian.org/investigatio...

Amicus Brief — United States v. Idaho (October 2024) Idaho’s “Defense of Life Act” (“Act” or “Idaho’s Law”), a near-total abortion ban, restricts access to necessary emergency reproductive healthcare, exacerbating preventable maternal mortality and morb...

Last year, we joined @amnesty.org @ipas.org to intervene in the Supreme Court case that considered access to emergency abortions.

We argued that U.S. states like Idaho have human rights obligations to provide abortion care during medical emergencies. www.globaljusticecenter.net/amicus-brief...

This latest Trump attack on essential abortion care will put the health and lives of millions in danger and further escalate the human rights crisis facing pregnant people in the United States.

Women and girls ‘not safe anywhere’ as Darfur suffers surge in sexual violence Médecins Sans Frontières report sparks calls for Sudan’s warring parties to be held to account for rapes and attacks

"This crisis is unfolding amid complete silence and utter neglect from international actors.”

New @msf.ca reports of sexual violence in Darfur should trigger action from the international community. The people of #Sudan have been neglected for too long. www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Reproductive rights funders must end ‘wall of resistance’ on Palestine As foundations defund reproductive justice groups that speak out against Israel’s genocide in Gaza, underfunded groups take the biggest hit

"We must show up in the holistic way that reproductive justice demands."

Important piece on the need to defend reproductive justice organizations as they stand for their values in Palestine and wherever violence and oppression occur. prismreports.org/2025/05/28/r...

Opinion | Beware: We Are Entering a New Phase of the Trump Era

Getting accustomed & comfortable are what enables authoritarian regimes to escalate their #humanRights abuses. It's the old 'it won't happen to me' outlook, while they look away from the persecution of others. #USA #politics www.nytimes.com/2025/05/28/o...