Belarus Single Woman
2004 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Belarus
The law requires equal wages for equal work; however, it was not always enforced in practice. Women had significantly fewer opportunities for advancement to the upper ranks of management or government. Women held only four high level government positions and one CEO position in a major company. Women reported that managers frequently considered whether a woman had children when examining job candidates. ... Of the 110 deputies in the newly elected lower house of parliament, 32 were women, while 18 of the 56 elected members of the upper house of parliament were women. With the exception of the judiciary, social barriers against women were strong, and men held virtually all of the leadership positions. The Ministers of Social Security and Health were the only female members of the Council of Ministers. The head of the Government's Central Election Committee was a woman. At a July 20 news conference, President Lukashenko directed that women should make up between 30 and 40 percent of the new legislature. ... [Read More]
Belarus
On August 29, a law on demonstrations took effect that further restricts citizens' ability to assemble peacefully, and allows the Government to close any organization after a single violation of the law. These violations include: Failure of organizers to maintain law and order during a demonstration, demonstrations that result in damages of approximately $67,000 (140.7 million rubles), and demonstrations that violate the rights and interests of the general public or the interests of the state. The new law was intended to codify a 2001 Presidential decree that banned demonstrations by unregistered organizations, limited participation to under 1,000 persons, and prohibited the wearing of masks and use of unregistered flags, symbols, and placards bearing messages deemed threatening to the state or public order (see Section 2.a.). ... [Read More]
V. Country Narratives -- Countries A through G
Equatorial Guinea is a transit and destination country for women and children trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation, involuntary domestic servitude, and other forced labor. Women and children are trafficked to Equatorial Guinea from West and Central Africa, principally Cameroon, Nigeria, and Benin. Women are trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation in Malabo, where demand is high due to the booming oil sector. Cameroonian and Beninese children are trafficked to Malabo for exploitation as street and market hawkers; Nigerian boys are trafficked to Rio Muni (the mainland) for exploitation as agricultural workers. The Government of Equatorial Guinea does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so. Over the past year the government has made a number of efforts that attest ... [Read More]
Belarus
The law requires equal wages for equal work; however, it was not enforced always in practice. Women have significantly fewer opportunities for advancement to the upper ranks of management. According to the Belarusian Helsinki Committee in March, women made up a large percentage of those being trained for future employment in education (75 percent of those being trained), textile and light industry (84 percent), the food industry (79 percent), economics (69 percent) and medicine (69 percent), while relatively few women are being trained in radio technology (6 percent), automation production (12 percent) or computer technology (19 percent). Women reported that managers frequently considered whether a woman has children when examining job candidates. ... [Read More]
Europe and Central Asia
AlbaniaI. Summary Drug trafficking is a significant problem in Albania, which is a major transit country for heroin from Afghanistan and Turkey destined for markets throughout Europe. Organized crime groups use Albania as a transit point for drug and other types of smuggling due to the countrys strategic location, weak police and judicial systems, and porous borders. The most common illegal drugs are heroin, marijuana, and to a lesser extent, cocaine. Heroin is typically transported through the "Balkans Route" of Turkey-Bulgaria-Macedonia-Albania, and on to Italy, Greece and the Netherlands. Cocaine is smuggled from South America, via the United States, Italy, Spain, Greece or the Netherlands, and ... [Read More]
Department of State Washington File: Transcript: U.S. Supports "Naming and Shaming" of Rights Violators
"It is important to keep faith with the ideals and aspirations enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," Ambassador Williamson said in Geneva March 25. "They are noble ideals, which give voice to the inalienable rights of every man and woman." ... Even if our words and resolutions did not impact the struggle for human rights, our sense of duty to speak out reaffirms our own values. As Gandhi said, "What you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it." It is important to keep faith with the ideals and aspirations enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. They are noble ideals, which give voice to the inalienable rights of every man and woman. ... [Read More]
IIIb. Country Narratives - Countries H through P
Haiti (Tier 2)Trafficking in Haiti mainly involves the internal movement of children, primarily young girls between 6 and 14 years old, from the countryside to the cities for domestic servitude. Poorer families, unable to provide adequately for their children, send their daughters, and in some cases sons, to the cities to work as domestic servants for wealthier families. In return, the poorer families expect their children to receive shelter, food, education and a better life. This centuries-old practice places children, called "restaveks" (derived from the French words "rester avec" meaning "to stay with"), in situations that sometimes lead to exploitation. Although many restaveks receive adequate care, some are placed in slave-like conditions and are subject to violence, threats and other forms of physical and mental abuse. To a lesser extent, restaveks are sent to the Un ... [Read More]
Introduction
In Yemen the Government and a national women's association began a dialog to consider changes to laws that discriminate against women. The women's group provided the Government with legal and religious justifications for the changes. The Government also created a Minister of State for Human Rights and appointed a woman to the position, marking the first time that a woman has held a ministerial position in Yemen. In Turkey substantial reform of the country's Civil Code strengthened gender equality in civil matters. NGO's actively participated in the process and contributed meaningfully to the results. ... [Read More]
V. Country Narratives - Tier 3
The Government of Turkey does not meet the minimum standards and has not yet made significant efforts to combat trafficking; however, the Government does acknowledge a problem of trafficking in the country and has taken some steps in response. There is no specific law prohibiting trafficking; however, prosecutors can use various provisions of the Penal Code against incitement to prostitution, rape, compulsory labor, child labor, and document fraud. According to government statistics, the authorities arrested 850 members of organized gangs for trafficking during 2000. Statistics on prosecutions are unavailable because there is no single statute involved. The Government does not actively support prevention or protection programs, and there are no NGOs working on the issue. The Government generally deports victims, along with other illegal aliens, within a few weeks of their detention. Law enforcement officials cooperated with film teams from Ukraine and Moldova in making ed ... [Read More]
Europe and Eurasia
In May, U.S. funding through IOM helped create the Special Division for Combating Kidnapping, Trafficking in Persons and Racketeering under the Combating Organized Crime Department of the Ministry of Interior. The Division has dedicated five officers solely to the investigation of TIP cases. Since the establishment of this division, fourteen cases of human trafficking have been investigated and criminal proceeding instituted, as compared with none in previous years (when trafficking was prosecuted under different crimes). This funding is also linked to the successful prosecution in September of Tajikistan's first TIP trial, involving a woman who adopted a girl solely for the purpose of trafficking her to the UAE and Turkey for the purpose of sexual exploitation. The girl escaped, and the woman was charged with exploitation for prostitution, trafficking in under-aged people, organization of rape, pandering, and document fraud and sentenced to 14 years of imprisonment and property confis ... [Read More]
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