2017 Gender Justice Uncovered Awards – Women’ Link Worldwide
Author: Womens UN Report Network
Date: February 23, 2017
Who will judge the judges? Presenting the 2017 Gender Justice Uncovered Awards
Today Women’s Link Worldwide launches the ninth edition of the Gender Justice Uncovered Awards, recognizing the best and worst judicial decisions on gender equality issues
February 21, 2017 – In every country, the decisions issued by judges and courts have a huge impact on people’s everyday lives. The Gender Justice Uncovered Awards, created by Women’s Link Worldwide, shine a light on court rulings that affect the rights of women and girls all over the world, for better (Gavel Awards) or for worse (Bludgeon Awards).
Some decisions are shocking, like when the Provincial Court of Murcia, Spain, acquitted the department manager of a chain of department stores for abuse and sexual harassment after he called female employees “chochitos,” a Spanish slang term that can roughly be translated as “bitches.” Or when the Supreme Court of India granted a divorce to a man who claimed to have suffered “cruelty” at the hands of his wife because she did not want to continue living with his family.
Others are a big step in the right direction for gender equality. In Senegal, a special tribunal sentenced the former dictator of Chad to life in prison for crimes including sexual slavery, sexual violence, and rape. And in Colombia, the Constitutional Court changed the law that required victims of trafficking in human beings to cooperate against trafficking networks in order to access protective measures.
These are just a few examples of the kinds of cases that anyone, anywhere can nominate for the 2017 Gender Justice Uncovered Awards, starting today, by visiting the Women’s Link Worldwide website.
Getting involved in the Awards
People anywhere in the world can get involved in the ninth edition of the Gender Justice Uncovered Awards by nominating court rulings that discriminate against women and girls or ones that protect their rights. Just share your decisions on the Women’s Link Worldwide website.
“The Awards give citizens of every country a way to monitor judges’ performance. They are a vital social monitoring mechanism, because after all, judges are people too, and they too can be influenced by discriminatory beliefs or stereotypes and issue rulings that threaten gender equality. This is a way to remind them that society is watching,” explains Awards Coordinator Tania Sordo Ruz.
Celebrating 15 years of Women’s Link Worldwide
As in every edition of the Awards, a distinguished international jury made up of human rights advocates will give the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Gavel and Bludgeon Awards to the best and worst court decisions of the year. And as always, the public can vote directly for the People’s Choice Bludgeon and Gavel Awards.
In Women’s Link Worldwide’s 15th year of existence, the makeup of the jury reflects the history of the organization:
Elizabeth Odio Benito (Costa Rica) represents the organization’s past, having served on the 2013 Awards jury. A former Judge and Vice President of the International Criminal Court, she currently serves as Judge for the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
Javier Bauluz (Spain) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist, known for his engagement in human rights issues and his coverage of the current refugee crisis in Europe.
And we are thrilled to welcome young activist Sonita Alizadeh (Afghanistan) to the Awards this year. An Afghan rapper who fights for women’s and girls’ rights and speaks out against child marriage, which she herself had to flee, she represents the future of human rights advocacy.
Media contact:
Laura Martínez Valero (Spain)
+34 669 464 490
l.martinez@womenslinkworldwide.org
Carolina Dueñas Orozco (Colombia)
+57 301 550 7330
c.duenas@womenslinkworldwide.org
http://www.womenslinkworldwide.org/en/awards
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