Violence against women and girls

Women within the region faced additional insecurity, through discrimination under the law and in practice, and violence, often at the hands of their male relatives. At its most acute, such violence saw women killed in so-called honour crimes, as in Iraq, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority and Syria.Women migrant domestic workers were particularly vulnerable to sexual and other abuse by employers as they were often unprotected by labour laws. In both Jordan and Lebanon women domestic workers died in suspicious circumstances amid speculation that some had been killed, had fallen to their deaths while attempting to escape their places of work, or had resorted to suicide in desperation. In the Kurdistan Region of northern Iraq, the high incidence of cases of women being burned to death, either at their own hand or others', suggested the same.

"I believe that lashing sentences are a source of shame and constitute disparagement for all Iranians who believe in justice and equality. Further, these types of sentences are a sign of the violence which is perpetuated against women in our society." - Sussan Tahmasebi, a member of the Campaign for Equality in Iran, referring to punishments handed down to women's rights activists.

In other states there were positive developments reflecting growing appreciation among governments that women cannot continue to be relegated to a formof second-class status. The Egyptian authorities banned the practice of female genital mutilation; the governments of Oman and Qatar made legal changes to give women equal status with men in various housing and compensation matters; and the Tunisian government acceded to a key international treaty on women's rights and introduced a "hotline" for women facing domestic violence.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Human Rights

We all have a sexual orientation and a gender identity, and this shared fact means that discrimination against members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community, based on sexual orientation and/ or gender identity, is an issue that transcends that community and affects all of us.

Sexual orientation covers sexual desires, feelings, practices and identification. Sexual orientation can be towards people of the same or different sexes (same-sex, heterosexual or bisexual orientation). Gender identity refers to the complex relationship between sex and gender, referring to a person's experience of self expression in relation to social categories of masculinity or femininity (gender). A person's subjectively felt gender identity may be at variance with their sex or physiological characteristics.

Amnesty International believes that all people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, should be able to enjoy their human rights. Although the Universal Declaration of Human Rights does not explicitly mention sexual orientation or gender identity, evolving conceptions of international human rights law include a broad interpretation to include the rights and the protection of the rights of LGBT people around the world.