Heather Barr
Women's rights associate director, Human Rights Watch. Alaskan in Cape Town. Queen of typos.
- Reposted by Heather BarrAt least 37 attorneys general for US states and territories are taking action against xAI after Grok generated a flood of nonconsensual sexual images of women and minors.
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- When do we do something about the billionaire death cult.
- Reposted by Heather BarrWomen in Argentina Face Rising Violence www.hrw.org/news/2025/12...
- Reposted by Heather BarrStarbucks to pay $35M to NYC workers after city alleges years of abuses gothamist.com/news/starbucks-to-p…
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- The justice minister announced plans to remove femicide from the Penal Code. The security minister attributed the rise in femicides to so-called “excesses of feminism.” President Milei argued femicide laws unfairly assign greater value to a woman’s life. x.com/heatherbarr1...
- Reposted by Heather BarrTheft on top of theft.
- Reposted by Heather BarrGood riddance to rubbish policy. The end to the UK's "two child limit" social security policy has been announced, and it will soon be gone. We @hrw.org welcome the news, as one of many, many, many voices calling for an end to this arbitrary, cruel social security policy.
- Reposted by Heather Barr🚨 New from @hrw.org: UN leadership & member states should preserve the UN's long underfunded human rights pillar Independent mechanisms responding to grave crises need to be saved. Cutting or merging them won't solve the UN's funding crisis caused by US, #China & others not paying their dues.
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- Reposted by Heather Barr„Quiet, Piggy!“ Just think about that for a minute, and what it means to live in a time when a President can assault a woman in public like that without any consequences. It‘s quite a testimony to the age of regression we live in.
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- In Feb 26, it will be 80 years since the UN selected its first secretary-general, a man. Since then, eight others have had that job, all men. Surely it’s long past time a woman held the post. In these perilous times we cannot afford an all-men’s club at the top of the UN. www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...
- “There are other names you might not be seeing at all: Courtney Wild, Rachel Benavidez, Michelle Licata, Maria Farmer, Annie Farmer, Liz Stein, Jess Michaels, Marina Lacerda, Danielle Bensky, Anouska De Georgiou, Shawna Rivera.” www.nytimes.com/2025/11/19/o...
- Activists protested, setting burqas on fire: “We burn this not out of hatred, but for freedom. There is no power stronger than a woman’s will for free life.” “A woman’s body is not a site for [playing] politics.” “Your silence helps the Taliban.” www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...
- With conflict globally reaching a level not seen since the post-WWII era, better responses to the impact of conflict on women’s rights are urgently important. Conflicts and crises harm women and girls in ways far beyond sexual violence. www.hrw.org/news/2025/11...
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- To see the team rebuilt and competing again gives hope for future generations of Afghan women and girls that they too can reclaim their rights, not only in sports but in all aspects of their lives. www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
- Reposted by Heather BarrWe are deeply concerned by a State’s use of the word “witch” to attack a UN expert in her report to the #UNGA80 3rd Committee. Misogynistic gendered insults have no place in international dialogue and undermine women’s equality and the integrity and independence of UN mandates.
- “We share the view of many civil society organizations and experts that gender apartheid is an urgently needed addition to the legal cannon.” www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
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- Reposted by Heather BarrUpdating my LEGO White House
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- Reposted by Heather Barr"Misogyny is a favorite tool of authoritarians." @heatherbarr.bsky.social @hrw.org
- When govts convene this week in Paris to discuss feminist foreign policy, there will be a lot to talk about. The French govt’s description of the event says progress toward gender equality “is not being made fast enough.” That is an epic understatement. www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
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- When govts convene this week in Paris to discuss feminist foreign policy, there will be a lot to talk about. The French govt’s description of the event says progress toward gender equality “is not being made fast enough.” That is an epic understatement. www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
- Reposted by Heather Barr#NoKings event in Fairhope, Al. A woman was arrested for "lewd conduct" because she was dressed in penis suit with a sign that said "No dick-tator" 3 cops on a 53 yo woman.
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- "If you ban women from being treated by male health care professionals, and then you ban women from training to become health care professionals, the consequences are clear: Women will not have access to health care and will die as a result." www.npr.org/sections/goa...
- “After our interview the frogs were joined by a couple of unicorns, a polar bear, and axolotl, a raccoon, and several more characters.”
- Things are happening at Portland's ICE facility tonight. Read more of our protest coverage here: www.oregonlive.com/crime/2025/1...
- Reposted by Heather BarrThe German government's plan for social security "reform" is bad news for #humanrights. I tried to set out why for @hrw.org here, a couple of weeks back, as we awaited details of these plans: www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...
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- Oct 31 is the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, & Security. Resolution 1325 has never been more important than today, as we face a global backlash against women’s rights & escalating wars & crises around the globe. www.hrw.org/news/2025/10...
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- “More astonishing still was the Taliban’s open celebration of the mission of a foreign woman ostensibly tasked with defending Afghan women against ongoing abuses, honoring her in a public gathering and wishing her further success.” 8am.media/eng/otunbaye...
- “The Taliban claim the ban is to “prevent immorality.” In Afghanistan, authorities have long used “morality” as a tool of oppression applied predominantly to women and girls.” www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...
- Reposted by Heather BarrGermany’s government is set to make major social security cuts, and replace the only recently-created “Citizen’s Income” with a more punitive “New Income for Jobseekers”. These plans will increase poverty. Human rights can help guide the debate back to what matters. www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...
- September 17 marks four years since the Taliban banned secondary education for girls in Afghanistan. It is a devastating anniversary that should make everyone angry – furious even. www.hrw.org/news/2025/09...
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- The situation in Afghanistan is the most serious women’s rights crisis in the world. An inadequate international response poses grave dangers to the rights of women and girls everywhere. reliefweb.int/report/afgha...
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- The escalating women’s rights crisis in Afghanistan demonstrates a gap in international protection of rights of women and girls. The international community should fill this gap by making gender apartheid a crime against humanity under international law. gjia.georgetown.edu/2025/09/02/g...
- @unwomen.bsky.social "Education and employment bans have sidelined a generation, with nearly 80 per cent of young women excluded from education, employment or training." www.unwomen.org/en/digital-l...
- I'm not always optimistic about the impact of online petitions. But in this case--where four countries promised to do something, and lots of people are watching and wondering when those promises will be kept--I think this could be useful. Hope you'll sign. secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/...
- September 1-2, South Africa’s Western Cape High Court will hear a case that could finally end criminalization of sex work in the country. It’s a moment decades in the making, which could bring real gains for the safety, dignity, & equality of sex workers. www.hrw.org/news/2025/08...
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- “Warning against perception Taliban rule is inevitable, experts urged an “all-tools” approach combining diplomatic pressure, intl accountability, codification of gender apartheid as a crime, & greater support for Afghan civil society, especially women-led organisations.” kabulnow.com/2025/08/un-e...
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- “A 2016 law, meant to ensure that more perpetrators were punished, made it impossible for the victim’s family to pardon the accused in such cases, among other measures. But the killings continued and even increased in number over the past few years.” www.nytimes.com/2025/08/06/w...
- RIP to the extraordinary Razia Jan www.nytimes.com/2025/08/04/w...
- “Of the estimated 800,000 Afghans returned from Iran between 1 June and 23 July this year, IOM says 153,000 were women. & of these, 8% are “female-headed households”, deported back to Afghanistan alone w/their children without a husband or male guardian.” www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
- Human Rights Watch is hiring a new executive director: job-boards.greenhouse.io/humanrightsw...
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- "Columbia’s capitulation turned a site of free inquiry into an-anti university, a gated security zone w/electronic entry controls, a place of fear & loathing, where faculty/students are told what they can teach/say, under penalty of severe sanctions." www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
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- “The government must bring us to the negotiating table. Women need to be involved at every level of decision-making if we want real, lasting change in Bangladesh.” www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
- “Women/girls are being deported to a country where they can no longer attend secondary school or university & are prohibited from their voices being heard outside the house & where EU estimates basic health services are available to just 10% of women.” www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
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- Reposted by Heather BarrNEW FROM @reuters.com: Top U.S. law firms have sharply scaled back their efforts to challenge the federal government in court, especially on behalf of pro bono clients, in the face of threats from President Trump. www.reuters.com/investigatio...
- "A crucial outstanding issue is ensuring women’s full, equal, meaningful, and safe participation in all decision-making processes, in line with UN Security Council resolution 1325, including through the reformed electoral system." www.hrw.org/news/2025/07...
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- Reposted by Heather BarrIn interviews with Human Rights Watch, several women have said that despite the increasing risks, they would continue to resist restrictions on their rights and presence in public life. amu.tv/189060/
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