UN Independent Expert on the Human Rights of Older Persons – Website:
https://www.ohchr.org/en/issues/olderpersons/ie/pages/ieolderpersons.aspx
Direct Link to Full World Health Organization-WHO 2019 Publication:
Introduction
The world is currently experiencing the biggest migratory crisis since World War II, with an increasing number of refugees. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) report, 65.6 million people were forced to move because of persecution, conflict, widespread violence or human rights violations in 2016. Of these, 22.5 million were refugees; 2.8 million, asylum seekers; and 40.3 million, internally displaced persons within their own countries1.
Sexual violence (SV), defined as a sexual act or attempt to obtain a sexual act without the voluntary consent of the victim or with someone unable to consent or refuse2, is considered a present threat during forced displacement and the search for asylum3,4. In times of war, women and girls are more vulnerable to rape and are at greater risk for other forms of SV, such as early or forced marriage, intimate partner abuse, child sexual abuse, sexual exploitation and trafficking4. SV has also been perpetrated against men and boys as a tactic of war or during detention and interrogation5; they may suffer rape, sexual torture, mutilation, humiliation, enslavement, and forced incest6. This risk persists during the escape journey and after the reception in apparently safe destinations7.
On the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI) 28 September, the IFJ has condemned the fact that more than 30 countries have been guilty of closing media or blocking internet access so far in 2019, threatening citizens’ fundamental right to free access to information.
Direct Link to List & Details of Countries That Blocked Media & Internet Access:
https://www.ifj.org/fileadmin/user_upload/IDUAI_2019_-_IFJ_REPORT.pdf
Proportion of women and men in the Parliament
While the European Parliament stands for gender equality, women continue to be under-represented in politics and public life at local, national and European level, as shown by recent data.
Over the years, the percentage of female MEPs has increased. Only 31 women were members from 1952 until the first elections in 1979. In the first directly-elected European Parliament representation of women stood at 15.2%. The percentage of female members has gone up with each election. Currently, it is the highest it has ever been with 40.4% of MEPs now being women.
As far as the representation of women in the European Parliament goes, it is above the world average for national parliaments and above the EU average for national parliaments.
