By Alice Gould Timor-Leste is one of the world’s newest countries, only claiming independence in 2002. Its government, which is progressive towards development, and its very young population (the median age of Timor-Leste is 18.9) have the potential to develop the country through a strong work force and commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals. However, food insecurity and its results are negatively affecting Timor-Leste’s capacity to develop.

The seemingly inexorable growth of the income inequality gap is worrying economists, politicians, academia and activists alike, as its consequences place the majority in a pitfall of financial insecurity. Latin America continues to be the most unequal region of the world. The effects of stark income inequality are tangibly felt through the prevalence of poverty, which is strongly tied to poor public health, food insecurity, unfavorable living conditions, increased crime, and lack of a formal education.

By Mustapha Hadji The Bretton Woods institutions have for long been criticized for putting human rights in the backseat of their priorities. The World Bank, for instance, has for many decades used the concept of “political prohibition” as a pretext to not uphold human rights. Non-interference in the political and internal affairs of a sovereign State is something that many would agree on. However, the concept of non-interference is not an absolute one and sovereignty has eroded due to the development of international law and its spread to spaces that were exclusive domains of States. Moreover, globalization and the interconnectedness it has engendered have also contributed to the erosion of sovereignty and given it a rather malleable meaning.

By Federica Russo A key element to eradicating violence against women is having a focus not merely on the protection of women, but their empowerment. The goal is to transform the social perception of women from victims in need of protection, to being perceived as having power equivalent to men. The focus on the empowerment of women in relation to violence is particularly important because it addresses the basis of violence against women.

By Kaloyan Kirilov The question of whether gender quotas in politics are necessary, effective or wanted is a source of a discussion between politicians, activists, academics and the general population worldwide. This conversation may be put in the context of a more general debate on the topic of gender inequality. However, by considering the most prevalent arguments for and against the use of quotas, I will seek to argue that the benefits of quotas outweigh the disadvantages, most of which are over exaggerated or simply false.

By Alice Gould Women facing the death penalty are a phenomenon that have been ignored for too long by both governments and academics. It was only at the 7th World Congress Against the Death Penalty, 18 years after the first Congress of its nature, that the particular issue of women and the death penalty was directly addressed. Whilst human rights discourse is currently going through much needed gender mainstreaming with regards to capital punishment, women remain underreported, unconsidered and invisible.

By Tarek Bashour No one cares about my name. I’m 26 years old and want to enjoy the brilliant years of my youth. Come and take whatever you want. I decided to sacrifice my body to continue studying.

By Meredith Veit Since the “discovery” of America, the native populations of the United States have been repressed, silenced and marginalised, and the fetishized, disparaging violence against Native American women and girls remains a serious problem. Gender based violence and the selling of native women were weapons used by the colonisers, and yet, hundreds of years later, lady liberty is still leaving many of the citizens under her purview without protection, justice, or reparations.

By Tamara Siwczyk Last week the world was shocked by the terrorist attacks on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, which left 49 people dead and was the most lethal attack during peacetime in New Zealand’s history. Only a few days later on Monday an attack was committed in Utrecht, Netherlands, where three people were killed, and three days later the alleged gunman has been charged with terrorist intent.

By Marwa Azelmat Cyberspace is often presented as a purely non-legal domain. This view is based on a number of assumptions. The first assumption is that cyberspace is different from real spaces: its aterritorial, borderless and ubiquitous aspects differentiate it from the physical and bounded spaces that are subject to legal regulation. The second assumption is that cyberspace should remain an open, decentralised and participatory space not hampered by legal regulations.