Human Rights Council Urged to Open Inquiry into Global Status of Men and Boys

PRESS RELEASE

Contact: Mike Buchanan

Telephone: +44 7967 026163

Human Rights Council Urged to Open Inquiry into Global Status of Men and Boys

“The power of the Universal Declaration is the power of ideas to change the world. It inspires us to continue working to ensure all people can gain freedom, equality and dignity.” (1)

September 7, 2023 – The Universal Declaration of Human Rights stands as a sentinel document in the ongoing struggle for human rights. In particular, Article 2 of the Declaration calls for upholding persons’ rights and freedoms “without distinction of any kind…such as sex.” (1)

During the past several decades, sorely-needed attention has been accorded to the rights of women and girls. But inexplicably, attention to the rights of men and boys has been weak or altogether absent.

An example was the appointment of a Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls (2). This action was taken without regard to the fact that men and boys are equally likely to be victims of domestic violence, according to hundreds of research studies (3). This omission has biased the HRC policy-making process, thereby harming the global reputation of the Human Rights Council.

During the recent 53^rd session for example, the Human Rights Council was scheduled to discuss Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem’s report on “Custody, Violence against Women, and Violence against Children.” But the report contained numerous factual errors and flawed conclusions (4). Following an outpouring of global opposition (5), the Human Rights Council declined to approve the controversial report.

In addition, the Council was criticized for publication of human rights Stories that were biased or inaccurate. For example, the June 30 Story, “Gender Bias in Custody Battles Places Women and Children at Risk” — which extensively quoted Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem — included false statements about sex bias in family courts (6).

After these concerns were brought to the attention of the Human Rights Council, laudable reforms were instituted. As a result, the human rights Stories have become more factual, balanced, and verifiable. The August 29 Story, “U.S. Youths Win Landmark Climate Case,” for example, includes numerous links to other reports (7).

But the promise of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to ensure equal rights for all remains unfulfilled. In most countries, men and boys are substantially lagging in the quest for gender equality:

Discrimination against male victims of domestic violence (8).
Shorter lifespans than women (9).
Far higher rates of occupational injuries (10).
Higher suicide rates (11).
Pronounced court biases in awards of child custody (12).

Similar concerns have been documented in the areas of child labor (13), false allegations (14), disparate treatment by the legal system (15), negative portrayals in the media (16), declining enrollments of men in universities (17), and more (18).

At the upcoming 54^th session, the Domestic Abuse and Violence International Alliance urges the Human Rights Council to open an authoritative inquiry into the global status of men and boys.

The Domestic Abuse and Violence International Alliance – DAVIA — consists of 108 member organizations from 34 countries in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America, and North America. DAVIA seeks to ensure that domestic violence and abuse polices are science-based, family-affirming, and gender-inclusive. https://endtodv.org/davia/

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