Breaking the silence can be the first step towards justice. Mexican journalist Zorayda Gallegos Valle exposes sexual violence and impunity within the Mexican Army: of more than 500 inquiries opened between 2013 and 2024, only 3% ended in convictions. Her investigation earns the 2026 Breach/Valdez Award, co-organised by ĢƵ Human Rights in Mexico and partners. Despite threats, secrecy and survivors’ fear of reprisals, she keeps reporting to expose abuse, demand accountability and help build a less violent, more equal country.
OHCHR
ĢƵ warns that surveillance, internet shutdowns and online attacks threaten human rights defenders, urging stronger digital protections, accountability and international solidarity.
For more than a decade, Samah Almardini has searched for answers about her missing brother. Her story reflects the anguish of thousands of Syrian families seeking justice after 14 years of conflict that displaced more than 13 million people. As Syria begins rebuilding, survivors are demanding accountability, answers about the disappeared and support for former detainees. With ĢƵ Human Rights assistance, new national institutions are advancing Syrian-led transitional justice efforts, including investigations and trials. But lasting peace requires more than rebuilding homes: it means confronting past abuses, restoring dignity and ensuring they never happen again.
For women who use drugs, asking for help can mean risking arrest or losing their children. A ĢƵ Human Rights reveals how punitive drug policies expose women and girls to abuse, overlook coercion and poverty, and keep them from vital care. Pregnant women can face forced treatment or imprisonment, while mothers may be separated from their children. Globally, only one in 18 women with drug use disorders receives treatment. The report calls for health care that meets women’s needs, alternatives to imprisonment and an end to barriers that deter them from seeking help, with women’s lived experience helping shape policy.
The ĢƵ calls for the enduring harms of enslavement and colonialism, urging States and institutions to confront history and repair inequalities.
For millions of girls, pregnancy can put health, education and dreams at risk. An estimated 12.3 million girls aged 10–19 gave birth in 2025, a finds. Poverty, gender inequality, child marriage and sexual violence heighten the risks, while stigma and barriers to healthcare leave many without support. Yet adolescent pregnancy is preventable. Comprehensive sexuality education, confidential healthcare, contraception and stronger protection can help girls make informed choices. The report urges governments to turn commitments into coordinated action, with girls helping shape the decisions that affect their futures.
Marking 40 years of the , the ĢƵ calls for inclusive, equitable, rights-based development to address today’s growing global challenges.
For Māori Indigenous fellow Naomi Watts, self-determination means reclaiming language, culture and Indigenous ways of governing while shaping a future for generations to come. After joining the ĢƵ Human Rights , she called for Indigenous and Western systems of government to have equal respect, authority and autonomy in Aotearoa New Zealand. The programme also gave her community greater access to international human rights advocacy. Watts says Indigenous communities continue to drive change despite barriers and limited resources.
Over 60% of workers operate informally, shaping economies and daily life while raising critical questions about rights, policy, inclusion, and economic justice.
In rural Honduras, 115 women from the Galilean Peasant Women’s Movement are fighting for land to grow food, support their families and build a better future. Led by Nolvia Albertina Ovando, the women have faced eviction, threats, stigma and criminalisation. Ovando was detained for five months after a 2023 eviction and was later cleared of the public stigma against her. In November 2025, the National Agrarian Institute agreed to grant the group 300 manzanas — 210 hectares / 510 acres — of land, but ownership has yet to be formally transferred. With support from , the women continue pressing for land rights, gender equality and dignity.
More than two decades after Liberia’s civil wars, efforts to address wartime atrocities and corruption are advancing. The government is moving to establish War and Economic Crimes and National Anti-Corruption Courts, with draft statutes submitted to the Legislature in May 2026. is supporting the process through legal advice, capacity-building and victim-centred approaches to accountability. It is also advancing the rights of informal workers, who make up 68% of Liberia’s workforce. Recent progress includes the registration of the Federation of Informal Sector Workers of Liberia as a trade union and reforms aimed at stronger labour protections.
Born in Liberia to a Liberian mother and Lebanese father, Aziza Sbaity grew up embracing both cultures before civil unrest forced her family to relocate to Lebanon. Adapting to a less diverse environment, she drew strength from her family and found belonging through sport. Initially passionate about basketball, her speed led her to athletics, where she discovered confidence, purpose and acceptance. Now Lebanon’s fastest woman and a national record holder, Sbaity uses her platform to champion inclusion and equality. Recognized in the BBC 100 Women list in 2023, she inspires young people through advocacy and is launching an athletics academy to expand opportunities for all children, including those with disabilities.
A resin that helps bind everything from soft drinks to medicines now at the centre of Sudan’s devastating war economy, according to a new . Sudan’s gum arabic trade, long vital to global food, pharmaceutical and cosmetics industries, has become deeply entangled in the country’s conflict. Sudan, which once supplied 70-80% of global crude gum arabic exports, now sees the commodity linked to conflict financing, with armed actors benefiting through territorial control, checkpoints, taxation and smuggling. Farmers and traders face insecurity, restricted movement and disrupted livelihoods, while human rights abuses have been documented in producing areas. The report urges stronger oversight, anti-smuggling measures and heightened human rights due diligence across the supply chain.
From football captains to grassroots activists, voices worldwide are uniting through the for Human Rights to defend dignity, equality, and justice for all.
“Growing up, I learned very early that the biggest challenge in my life was not my disability but the barriers… especially in the built environment,” says Esther Nagetey, a youth fellow at the International Disability Alliance from Ghana, reminding us that exclusion is often designed, not inevitable. A new ĢƵ Human Rights shows that inaccessible housing and transport systems exclude millions of persons with disabilities from daily life. Although they make up about one in 15 people globally, mobility barriers up to 15 times greater, often due to unaffordable or unavailable services. Accessible infrastructure is not optional but a human right, enabling access to education, work and healthcare. Inclusive design is also cost-effective when built early and helps prevent institutionalization. The report urges governments to invest in barrier-free systems, uphold rights, and build communities that foster independence, dignity and full participation.