Every year since 1977 the State Department has issued its annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices. Following the February 25 release of the 1999 reports covering 194 countries, the House International Relations Subcommittee on International Operations and Human Rights held a hearing on March 8 to discuss the report’s findings.
Several witnesses noted that the hearing was held on International Women’s Day. “This day is set aside to honor women for their extraordinary achievements and important contributions. While we honor the past and recognize the progress that has been made, we must also look towards the future and acknowledge how much remains to be done,” said Assistant Secretary of State Harold Hongju Koh. Elisa Massimino of the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights agreed, saying, “We are witnessing an increase in extreme violations of women’s human rights—in political life, in the workplace, and in the home.”
While commending Secretary of State Madeleine Albright for her commitment to defending the rights of women, Ms. Massimino criticized the U.S. for failing to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). Mr. Koh agreed, reiterating the administration’s support for ratification of the treaty. “Ratification of CEDAW is central to maintaining our position and would strengthen our global efforts to advance the status of women,” he said.
According to the reports, “the plight of women in Afghanistan continued to be the most serious women’s human rights crisis in the world today.” Under Taliban rule, strict dress codes have been imposed, women are prohibited from working outside the home, and girls are restricted from educational opportunities.
The reports also detail continued abuses in China, where women reported incidents of domestic violence, forced abortion, and forced sterilization. Dowry-related violence also was reported in India, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Additionally, women in Kuwait do not have the right to vote or seek election. The reports also cite female genital mutilation, which is practiced in Sub-Saharan Africa and some Middle Eastern countries, as another form of human rights violations.
Under the FY2000 foreign operations appropriations bill (P.L. 106-113), the State Department is required to include information on trafficking in persons, especially women and children. According to the reports, the majority of trafficking victims are girls and women, with documented trafficking occurring in Russia, Ukraine, China, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Burma, Nigeria, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil. The reports cite the economic and social status of women in many countries as one of the reasons women and girls have been targeted.
