Newsroom

We put a human face on complex issues to hold governments accountable.

Below you’ll find breaking news as well as reports, updates on our campaigns, and victories.

If you are a member of the press, please reach out to [email protected]

Press Release

Ireland: Government must accept UN call for constitutional referendum on abortion

The Irish government must accept that the 1983 Eighth Amendment of Ireland's Constitution is causing serious human rights violations, Amnesty International said today following the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights’ criticism of the state’s law on abortion.

June 22, 2015

screen_shot_2015-06-04_at_11.44.44_am.png

Sheet of paper Report

She is Not a Criminal: The Impact of Ireland’s Abortion Law

Pregnant women and girls risk putting their health and lives in danger if they remain in Ireland, Amnesty International said today in a report on the country’s abortion law.

June 4, 2015

Press Release

Paraguay: Raped 10-year-old girl continues to be denied the option of an abortion despite national and global outrage

The clock is ticking and Paraguayan authorities are still not ensuring that all options are available for a raped 10-year-old girl, including safe abortion services, Amnesty International and a group of national and international human rights organizations said.

May 11, 2015

Press Release

Proposed Laws Reduce Iranian Women to ‘Baby Making Machines’ in Misguided Attempts to Boost Population

Women in Iran could face significant restrictions on their use of contraceptives and be further excluded from the labour market unless they have had a child if two proposed laws are approved, says a new report by Amnesty International published today.

March 11, 2015

screen_shot_2015-03-09_at_3.47.37_pm.png

Sheet of paper Report

You Shall Procreate: Attacks on Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Iran

Women in Iran could face significant restrictions on their use of contraceptives and be further excluded from the labour market unless they have had a child if two proposed laws are approved, says a new report by Amnesty International.

March 10, 2015

Press Release

Amnesty International USA Response to the State of the Union Address

During tonight’s State of the Union address, President Obama touched on issues of national security, criminal justice reform, immigration policy and women’s health, all of which involve human rights. Steven W. Hawkins, executive director of Amnesty International USA, had the following response:

January 21, 2015

205074_a_girl_in_khakhe_camp_who_was_a_victim_of_islamic_state_abuse.jpg

Sheet of paper Report

Escape from Hell- Torture, Sexual Slavery in Islamic State Captivity in Iraq

Torture, including rape and other forms of sexual violence, suffered by women and girls from Iraq’s Yezidi minority who were abducted by the armed group calling itself the Islamic State (IS), highlights the savagery of IS rule.

December 22, 2014

Press Release

Amnesty International USA Honors Sudanese Journalist Amal Habani with Annual Award for Women’s Human Rights Defenders

Amnesty International USA honored Sudanese journalist Amal Khalifa Habani at this year’s Ginetta Sagan Award Reception and Dinner. The award is given annually to honor courageous women around the world who put their lives at risk to stand up for the rights of women and children who face grave human rights violations.

December 5, 2014

Press Release

Amnesty International and John Legend Launch Write for Rights Campaign

Amnesty International today released a new video from award winning artist John Legend as part of its Write for Rights campaign. The campaign is the world’s largest letter-writing event in which Amnesty International asks the public to write – or email, text, tweet or fax – in support of specific cases that are emblematic of its broader work on human rights both within the U.S. and around the world.

November 18, 2014

Press Release

Countries Urge El Salvador to Change Repressive Abortion Laws

El Salvador came under pressure from nine countries at the United Nations last night to amend its repressive and out-dated abortion laws. The effects of these laws amount to institutionalized violence, torture and other forms of ill-treatment against women and girls, said Amnesty International.

October 28, 2014

200692_marlene_was_accused_and_charged_with_having_an_abortion_after_she_had_a_miscarriage_when_she_was_18_years_old.jpg
Accused and charged with having an abortion after a miscarriage at 18 years old.

Sheet of paper Report

On The Brink Of Death: Violence Against Women And The Abortion Ban In El Salvador

Every year, thousands of women and girls are denied their rights and choices by El Salvador’s total ban on abortion and its criminalization. Women and girls who are carrying an unwanted pregnancy are confronted with two options: commit a crime by terminating the pregnancy, or continue with the unwanted pregnancy. This report details the pervading cultural and institutional barriers that women and girls in El Salvador face in exercising their human rights, particularly those barriers that obstruct the realization of their sexual and reproductive rights.

October 17, 2014

reporthealthcaresafrica102014.jpg

Sheet of paper Report

Struggles for Maternal Health: Barriers to Antenatal Care in South Africa

Too many women and girls are dying needlessly in South Africa during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth. One of the reasons is that they delay accessing antenatal care.

October 8, 2014