Freedom has been defined as the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance. But, we as women understand that true freedom must involve both the public and private spheres. When considering civic and political rights, economic, social, and cultural rights, women continue to advocate for their human rights and social justice. All these rights intersect with the many dimensions of women’s and girls’ lives, and which can be restrained by state restrictions on civil society, limitations on freedom of expression and media, and conflicts and war. In this complex and volatile world, dominated by patriarchy, political power, profit, and military strength, we women continue to bond and persevere, privately and publicly, for our freedom, empowerment, and rights.
https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2015#.VqyScLIrLIU
THIS FREEDOM HOUSE WEBSITE PROVIDES AN INTERACTIVE MAP TO SEE RATED FREEDOM IN COUNTRIES.
OVERVIEW
More aggressive tactics by authoritarian regimes and an upsurge in terrorist attacks contributed to a disturbing decline in global freedom in 2014. Freedom in the World 2015 found an overall drop in freedom for the ninth consecutive year.
Nearly twice as many countries suffered declines as registered gains—61 to 33—and the number of countries with improvements hit its lowest point since the nine-year erosion began. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a rollback of democratic gains by Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s intensified campaign against press freedom and civil society, and further centralization of authority in China were evidence of a growing disdain for democratic standards that was found in nearly all regions of the world.
Direct Link to Full 32-Page Freedom in the World 2015 Report: https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/files/01152015_FIW_2015_final.pdf
KEY FINDINGS
- Of the 195 countries assessed, 89 (46 percent) were rated Free, 55 (28 percent) Partly Free, and 51 (26 percent) Not Free. All but one region had more countries with declines than with gains. Asia-Pacific had an even split.
- In a new and disquieting development, a number of countries lost ground due to state surveillance, restrictions on internet communications, and curbs on personal autonomy.
- Ratings for the Middle East and North Africa region were the worst in the world, followed by Eurasia. Syria, a dictatorship mired in civil war and ethnic division and facing uncontrolled terrorism, received the lowest Freedom in the World score of any country in over a decade.
- The Worst of the Worst countries are the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.
Извор: WUNRN – 30.01.2016
