Women's human rights

Three women have been charged with 'inciting prostitution' for not wearing veils and sentenced to over 30 years in prison between them.

Now, with COVID-19 cases confirmed in prisons across Iran, they're in more danger than ever.

Monireh, Yasaman and Mojgan have done nothing wrong. Join thousands calling on Iran’s Head of the Judiciary to release them immediately.

Iran: 30+ years in prison for protesting forced veiling laws

Action

Free Saudi women who fought for the right to drive

Women in Saudi Arabia are finally allowed to legally drive. But in a cruel twist, the women who fought for this right have been arrested.
Research

Online abuse of women widespread in UK

Online abuse of women is widespread in the UK according to our new research. One in five women say they've been abused online, often resulting in real psychological harm. Read more and download our full report.
The background

Why we work on women's human rights

Human rights apply to all humans, right?
So why do we focus some of our work specifically on women's rights?
argentina

Argentina: historic vote to legalise abortion strongly welcomed

Amnesty International has strongly welcomed the preliminary approval of the bill on the voluntary termination of pregnancy passed today by Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies.
Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: transfer of Loujain al-Hathloul's case to 'notorious' court condemned

Response to a decision to transfer an ongoing case against the prominent Saudi Arabian human rights defender Loujain al-Hathloul to the unfair Specialised Criminal Court following a trial session today.
Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: Loujain al-Hathloul trial resumes tomorrow

Response to reports that the prominent Saudi Arabian human rights defender Loujain al-Hathloul will appear in court tomorrow as part of a long-running trial over her human rights activism.
Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia/UK: letter to PM calls for action on jailed women activists ahead of G20

Ahead of the G20 meeting being hosted by Saudi Arabia later this week (21-22 November), Amnesty International has written to Boris Johnson calling on him to use the “platform” of the international summit to call for the release of a group of jailed Saudi women’s rights activists.
Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: business leaders must avoid 'dirty deals' at B20 summit

Amnesty International is calling on business leaders participating in the “B20” summit in Saudi Arabia next week to avoid “dirty deals” and to indicate how they intend to prevent their companies becoming involved in human rights violations in the Kingdom.

USA: reports of forced sterilisation of women in immigration detention 'deeply alarming'

USA: reports of forced sterilisation of women in immigration detention 'deeply alarming'
Saudi Arabia

Newcastle United deal was always 'blatant' Saudi sportswashing

Response to news that Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, PCP Capital Partners and Reuben Brothers have withdrawn from the process to buy Newcastle United Football Club.
Iraq

UN: Angelina Jolie cites forthcoming Amnesty report on Yezidi children

UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie has cited an upcoming Amnesty International report on Yezidi child survivors of atrocities committed by the Islamic State armed group.
Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: Lina al-Hathloul calls for UK Government to help jailed sister Loujain

The sister of a jailed Saudi women rights campaigner has called on the UK Government to use its “power and influence” to help secure the human rights defender’s release.

Make Europe a better place for all women and girls

Europe will not be the same after COVID-19. The pandemic is an unprecedented crisis with grave consequences for women and girls.
Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: 'heartbreaking' two-year anniversary of jailed women's rights activists

Amnesty International has called on Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz to release prominent women’s rights defenders - two years after they were detained - describing their ongoing plight as “heartbreaking”.
Good news

Yulia Tsvetkova released from house arrest

Russian women’s and LGBTI rights activist, Yulia Tsvetkova, was released from house arrest on 16 March. While she remains under travel restrictions and continues to face criminal and administrative proceedings for her women and LGBTI rights work, this is a positive development.
Blog

Getting girls talking about coerced marriage

Mashiyath Qurashy, part of our Rise Up programme, discusses her campaign to raise awareness about coerced marriage in her community.
Blog

How much would you risk for basic women’s rights?

Here in the UK and in my home country, USA, women are often put in positions in which our physical safety and bodily autonomy are at risk, but at the same time, we haven’t really had to fight for our rights in the way many other women and girls around the world are right now. It’s all too easy for us to take our rights for granted. What would you do if fighting for your rights meant facing torture? 
Thank you for suppor

Thank you for supporting Amal Fathy

Women's rights activist Amal Fathy was jailed for two years for posting about her experience of sexual harassment on Facebook. She has now been released.
Good news

Slovak Parliament rejects restrictive abortion bill

The Slovak Parliament rejected a bill aimed at preventing access to safe and legal abortion. If adopted, this bill would have undermined women’s privacy and autonomy, and subjected them to harmful stigma, humiliation and degrading treatment.

Abortion decriminalised in Northern Ireland

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Action

Six year sentence for drawing the female body

Yulia Tsvetkova could face 6 years in prison for making drawings of the female body. Email Russia demanding the charges are dropped.