Protecting Women from Enforced Disappearance

Joint Statement:

• Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD)
• Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance (FIND)
• International Coalition Against Enforced Disappearances (ICAED)

Women everywhere are deeply affected by the global scourge of enforced disappearance. They are the wives, mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and daughters who are in the abysmal state of uncertainty and in perpetual search for their disappeared loved ones.  They are often left behind to bear the socio-economic and psycho-emotional brunt of enforced disappearance. In cases when women are made to disappear, theyare particularly at great risk of sexual and other forms of violence.

Forum Workshop on the Effective Implementation of R. A. 10353

Combating involuntary disappearance

After 16 long years of concerned citizens’ hard-fought struggle to criminalize enforced disappearance in the country, there is now a law against Enforced Disappearance in the Asian region with the passage of RA No. 10353, otherwise known as the “Anti-Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance Act of 2012.” What’s more, its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) have been recently crafted and signed.

URGENT APPEAL on the ALARMING HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN NEPAL WITH THE RECENT ARREST OF 23 HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS

To: Ms. Rashida Manjoo, Special Rapporteur on violence against women, its causes and consequences, Mr. Frank La Rue, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression; Mr. Maina Kiai, Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association; Ms. Margaret Sekaggya, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders; Mr. Christof Heyns, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; and Mr. Olivier de Frouville, Chair-Rapporteur, Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances

From: Mugiyanto, Chairperson and Mary Aileen Diez-Bacalso, Secretary-General, Asian Federation Against Involuntary Disappearances (AFAD)

Date: 18 February 2013

Re: Alarming human rights situation in Nepal with the arrest of 23 human rights defenders and a mother with a three year-old child