Constant threats and backlash undermine women's rights around the globe, but women still continue to fight against repression.
This International Women's Day, we honor the courage of those working to improve the lives of women and girls everywhere.
Learn more at the link in our bio.
Civilians need protection during wartime.
Thousands of people remain arbitrarily detained in Iran and face possible torture and execution by Iran’s authorities.
People in detention facilities are unable to seek safety, so are at greater risk of injury or death from ongoing US-Israeli airstrikes. Prisoners who are arbitrarily detained should be released and authorities should implement domestic laws allowing for prisoners’ release or leave during armed conflict.
All parties to the conflict in Iran should respect international humanitarian law and prioritize the protection of civilians.
Read HRW’s statement at the link in our bio.
"They cannot safely flee. They cannot safely stay, and they cannot safely speak."
At a hearing on "Civilian Harm under Military Rule in the Central Sahel," HRW's Carine Kaneza Nantulya speaks about the worsening human rights situation across Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger.
HRW’s new report finds that the implementation and oversight of the EU regulatory framework governing export of surveillance technologies has serious flaws, resulting in the technology being sold to those who have previously used it in violation of international human rights and humanitarian law.
States’ human rights obligations include an obligation to regulate the sale and export of surveillance technology which inherently threatens the right to privacy, and risks violation of other rights including freedoms of expression and of assembly and freedom from torture.
The EU should tighten the controls requiring states to do greater human rights due diligence, block risky exports, and enforce the transparency and reporting requirements, so they provide meaningful oversight and accountability.
Read more at the link in our bio.
🎨 Illustrations by @glennharveyart
NEW: The M23 armed group and Rwandan military forces carried out an abusive month-long occupation of an eastern Democratic Republic of Congo city beginning in December 2025.
Human Rights Watch documented numerous horrific abuses but may have only scratched the surface.
Read the report at the link in our bio.
NEW: The United States government’s abrupt cuts to nearly all US foreign aid in 2025 harmed the global human rights movement and put countless people at risk. While no government is obligated to provide foreign aid, the way the US terminated assistance caused foreseeable harm and demands accountability.
HRW examined the human rights implications of the Trump administration’s decisions in various contexts. The snapshot includes cases from 16 countries from Afghanistan and Bangladesh to Ukraine.
Learn more at the link in our bio.
It's estimated that “gig” or “platform” work grew by 90 percent between 2016 and 2020. Yet labor protections for those workers have not kept up.
In a new report, HRW documents the experiences of platform workers across nine countries, and urges governments to adopt strong standards to protect workers.
Read more at the link in our bio.
What happens when powerful surveillance tools are sold to authorities who don’t respect human rights?
In a new report, Human Rights Watch assesses how the European Union’s landmark Dual-Use Regulation, adopted in 2021, is functioning in practice.
Learn more at the link in our bio.
24-year-old Maung Sawyeddollah is a refugee living in New York City, in a country that no longer welcomes people like him.
🎙️ In the fifth episode of The Great Unrooting, host Ngofeen Mputubwele charts Maung’s journey out of the refugee camp in Bangladesh and into New York City.
Listen now at the link in our bio or wherever you get your podcasts.
Singapore is introducing the use of caning as a “last resort” disciplinary measure under new guidelines.
Violence against children is never acceptable. Schools should instead model safety, dignity, and respect.
