Journal of Human Rights and Social Work最新文献

In Malawi, sexual abuse disproportionately affects girls and young women, emphasizing the need for effective interventions to safeguard their well-being. The Spotlight Initiative, a significant effort to combat violence against women and girls, has been implemented in Malawi, addressing various forms of gender-based violence, including sexual abuse. One funded project, Girls Action to End Violence against Women and Girls (GATEVAWG), aims to empower girls through mentorship in combating gender-based violence. This study assesses the effectiveness of initiatives and support mechanisms for sexual abuse victims in Malawi’s Dowa District. The population size includes data from at least 10 victims or project beneficiaries, 5 community authorities (traditional authorities), and at least 5 organization representatives leading the Spotlight Initiative project. Findings reveal the pervasive nature of sexual abuse in the study area, where men exploit vulnerable women and girls. While community authorities play a crucial role in intervention and support, neglecting some cases leads to adverse consequences for victims and their families. Support provided includes health care, psychosocial, emotional, and social assistance, facilitating recovery and societal reintegration. The study highlights the positive impact of the Spotlight Initiative, empowering girls with knowledge of their rights and sexual reproductive health. However, challenges persist, necessitating continuous efforts to combat harmful social and gender norms. Recommendations include encouraging girls to report abuse, raising awareness among families and community leaders, and strengthening follow-up mechanisms for addressed cases. The study also recommends future investigations into how survivors, supported by community-based initiatives, experience long-term physical, psychological, and emotional well-being.

In recent decades, the Government of Liberia (GOL) and international partners have prioritized combatting child sexual abuse, including illicit and harmful early sexual practices involving girls and adult men. Previous studies indicate high rape rates among Liberian female populations, yet more research on specific forms of abuse is needed to better understand the magnitude of the problem. Applying Bronfenbrenner’s ecological framework, this paper presents the results of a 2018 mixed-methods study of 719 Liberian young women (ages 18–35) and 493 of their parents, from urban/rural districts in Montserrado. The purpose is to contribute a large-scale representative study establishing the rate of female statutory rape and key correlates. The survey captures data measuring early sexual activity (ESA), education, socio-economic status, demographics, and knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors (KABs) associated with cultural ethnic customs, rural/urban settings, and gender rights. The statistical analysis indicates that 35.1% (95% CI 30.1–37.1) of Liberian women report experiencing ESA that qualifies as statutory rape under Liberian law. Age, ethnicity, location, SES, education, and most individual KABs are not correlated with lower rates (p < 0.05). The following are associated (unadjusted odds ratio [OR]): advanced education (OR 2.63, 95% CI 1.26–5.50); saying no to sex (0.57, 0.36–0.89); equitable work opportunities (2.15, 1.28–3.62); living with a man as a minor (0.47, 0.31–0.74); and early pregnancy (0.45, 0.32–0.65). Additionally, 39.7% (95% CI 31.2–44.1) of male assailants hold school-based occupations. As the ecology of girls is increasingly shifting in low-income nations, it is crucial to better understand the face of abuse to protect children’s welfare.

Abstract

The criminal justice system seeks to balance the search for the truth with procedural fairness. Because of this, the law imposes a legal burden on the state to protect public security and suspected individuals’ rights. Among individual rights that need protection is a presumption of innocence until proven guilty. Presumption of innocence is a basic right in the Ethiopian constitution and subsidiary laws in Ethiopia which requires the public prosecutor to prove each element constituting the crime beyond reasonable doubt. However, this right is facing violation in the Ethiopian criminal justice system. Thus, this article examines challenges to the presumption of innocence rights in Ethiopia’s criminal justice system. Doctrinal research method is used in the investigation process. The study found various subsidiary substantive and procedural laws, and practices violate the presumption of innocence rights. Among others, several criminal law clauses do not require the public prosecutor to provide proof but instead take certain elements of particular crimes as proven, the Criminal Justice Administration Policy presumption to transfer the burden of proof in certain major crimes to the defendant, and anti-corruption and the vagrancy control proclamation permits prolonged remand time which compromise and deprive the suspected right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. These laws shall be revised in a manner that protects the presumption of innocence rights.

Abstract

Female education is a controversial topic. Even though government authorities take actions to prevent gender-related issues in education, gender issues arise because of patriarchal communities’ beliefs of women’s roles in society. Women in Azerbaijan usually have no choice in choosing their life path due to society’s traditional sexism. This usually shows itself in the education field, where we can observe the humiliation of female education rights because it is the first and one of the foremost phases for women to overcome the fake barriers created by society’s unfair beliefs. The research study was designed and coordinated by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Azerbaijan, State Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan for Family, Women and Children’s Affairs International organization “Promundo,” International Center for Social Research (ICSR) in collaboration with the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) and the Azerbaijan State Committee. The data used in this research was examined in terms of female education rights violations. The authors pointed out three main aspects that create the pretext for education rights violation: traditional sexism, religious issues, and gender-related imbalance in career choices. The outcome of the research shed light on the violation of females’ education rights in patriarchal communities by depicting the situation in Azerbaijan society.

Abstract

Asylum seekers are often destitute upon their arrival in the UK and, thus, they depend primarily on the UK government to support them. Yet, the UK government has been enforcing the destitution of asylum seekers through socio-political and economic mechanisms. Socio-political mechanisms of destitution relate to repressive asylum policies inhibiting asylum seekers’ access to mainstream benefits, employment and their ability to do meaningful activities, while economic mechanisms of destitution relate to an insufficient asylum allowance that leaves asylum seekers destitute. This article uses 50 interviews conducted with asylum seekers, refugees and staff from various organisations to explore asylum seekers’ experiences of enforced destitution in Glasgow. Findings indicate that socio-political mechanisms of destitution underpin experiences of destitution and are the precursor to the economic mechanism of destitution. Findings also show that economic mechanisms of destitution challenge asylum seekers’ ability to meet their subsistence needs. Furthermore, the UK government’s enforced destitution of asylum seekers has caused asylum seekers to depend upon the third sector to fill the gaps in meeting their basic needs.

This paper explores the custody and removal of homeless individuals as well as their rights and ability to defend themselves from unwanted psychiatric assessments and involuntary hospitalization. Involuntary hospitalization, a form of detention, is contextualized in public policy concerning housing and the social determinants of health, individual rights, the city’s shelter system and the right to shelter, and the racism and discrimination inherent in the distribution of homelessness. Involuntary psychiatric care dismisses personal views on psychiatry and medicine. Some adults who are homeless in New York City are at risk due to policies and practices that Mayor Adams suggests were meant to support adults who are experiencing homelessness and “appear” to have severe mental illness. As housing is a social determinant of health, a proper housing system very well may decrease the societal burden of mental illness. Individuals must not be subjected to nonconsensual psychiatric assessments or care due primarily to their lack of housing. Consensual care may be beneficent and its availability ethically appropriate. Beneficence is not an appropriate justification for involuntary hospitalization, so the additional ethical justification of preventing imminent danger is needed.

In the dynamic landscape of pluralistic societies like India, where diverse religions and varying religious-cultural practices span across different regions, rites and rituals play a vital role in human civilization as expressions of cultural, religious, and social traditions. However, the far-reaching impact of the COVID-19 pandemic transcended religious and cultural boundaries, affecting individuals and families from diverse backgrounds, necessitating the adoption of specific positions to foster a scientific temperament. Despite this context, the recent COVID-19 pandemic in India witnessed the dishonoring of last rites for COVID-19 victims by the healthcare as well as administrative system, sparking profound questions about the treatment of the deceased and the collective conscience of humanity. Instances of dead bodies found floating in rivers highlighted the failure to provide minimum dignity to the departed. The Supreme Court emphasized the government’s responsibility to ensure proper last rites according to respective religions, yet recurrent failures have been evident. In this article, we explore the ethical, moral, and practical dimensions surrounding the violation of last rites during India’s deadly second wave of the pandemic in 2021, reflecting on the balance between public health considerations and respecting religious and cultural practices that bring solace and closure to bereaved families. This prompts the authors to reflect on the need for proactive measures, increased coordination, and resource allocation during crises. Addressing last rites violations requires both government and public involvement, and the proposed strategies for collaboration include guidelines for safe and respectful rituals during crises, awareness campaigns, and partnerships between religious and scientific communities. By engaging stakeholders and fostering dialogue, a framework that upholds the dignity of the deceased while safeguarding public health can be established. Additionally, this article delves into the health implications and ecological concerns linked to the improper disposal of dead bodies, which pose serious risks and contaminate water sources, endangering public health. Through a comprehensive analysis, this work sheds light on the violation of last rites during the COVID-19 pandemic in India, contributing to the ongoing discourse on maintaining dignity during crises, enhancing pandemic preparedness, and navigating public health challenges.

Abstract

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol were adopted in 2006 and came into force in 2008 as a medium through which the fundamental rights of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) are protected and respected. However, research evidence has shown that PWDs face various forms of challenges in Nigeria. The aim of the study was to elicit the perspectives of a group of multi-sectoral stakeholders on disability rights issues in Abia and Imo States, Southeast Nigeria. The study adopted two distinct approaches of intervention and research to engage participants. A total of 52 participants drawn from both government and non-governmental sectors were used for the study. Some of the participants were involved in a multi-sectorial stakeholders’ workshop to stimulate discussions on the plights of PWDs and the domestication of the Disability Act in Abia and Imo States. Qualitative research methods were utilized to collect data from the study participants using Focus Group Discussions (FGD) and Key Informant Interviews (KII). Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data collected. The study results highlighted the current situation of disability rights in Abia and Imo States, knowledge of the Nigerian Disability Act 2018, and actions needed for the promotion and protection of the rights of PWDs in the region. We recommend a multi-sectorial intervention plan to advocate the domestication of the Disability Act in the States, and community awareness and reorientation to ensure the promotion of the rights of PWDs.

Abstract

This study sought to discover how women with disabilities (WWDs) fared at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic with regard to access to key social services. Fieldwork was conducted in April 2022 among 104 women in three low-income areas of Caledonia, Epworth, and Hatcliffe within Harare Metropolitan Province. The key social services studied are information, water, health, education, and protection from gender-based violence (GBV). The study utilises the structural violence and social suffering theoretical lenses to analyse the institutionalised marginalisation of women with disabilities in relation to access to basic social services during the COVID-19 era. Findings reveal that the pandemic amplified the marginalisation, inequities, exclusion, and challenges confronted by persons with disabilities (PWDs) in general and, specifically, gender and social class inequalities faced by poor women in the Zimbabwean society. The intersection of vulnerabilities arising from gender, social class, disabilities, and the pandemic itself created insurmountable challenges for WWDs. Resolving these challenges is important to creating an inclusive environment for WWDs to thrive. The government, local authorities, and NGOs need to mainstream disability issues in service provision regardless of whether or not there is a pandemic.

Abstract

Food justice is centered on the principle that food is a basic human right. Despite a mandate to include human rights and social justice content in the social work curriculum, food insecurity and food justice receive scant attention in social work academia. Food insecurity affects a substantial portion of the population, with a disproportionate impact on women and Black, Latinx, and Native American communities. A human rights-based approach to food requires more than access to food; it demands that food also be available, adequate, and culturally acceptable. A right to food framework also calls on policymakers to immediately address disparities in food security, which are prevalent in the USA due to historical and ongoing systemic racism. This paper provides a conceptual understanding of food justice and its historical connections to social work, outlines the requirements of a right to food, and concludes by offering strategies to integrate food justice into the micro, mezzo, and macro social work curriculum.