Since August 2016, the Burmese military (Tatmadaw), Border Guard, and police forces have conducted a systematic campaign of brutal violence against Rohingya Muslims in Burma’s northern Rakhine State. These attacks come in the midst of a decades-long campaign of persecution of the Rohingya through discriminatory measures to police and control the group, including denying citizenship rights, restricting movement and access to healthcare, and limiting marriage and the number of children in families. While all members of the Rohingya population were targeted for violence, gender was integral to how the atrocities were perpetrated.

This brief seeks to bring to light the international crimes—crimes against humanity and genocide—committed against Rohingya women and girls since 2016 by Burmese Security Forces and highlight the role gender played in the design and commission of these atrocities. The military has long used rape as a weapon of war and oppression in its conflicts with ethnic groups, and in the recent attacks, Rohingya women and girls were targeted for particularly brutal manners of killing, rape and sexual violence, and torture. 

In the Summer of 2013, GJC staff and interns collaborated to create this tribute to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Dear Attorney General Sessions,

The 465 undersigned faith-based, immigration, civil rights, human rights, worker rights, and anti- violence service and advocacy organizations write to express our profound concern for the lives and safety of immigrant survivors of domestic violence following your wrongful decision in Matter of A-B-. We ask that you immediately revoke this legally and factually erroneous decision.

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Dear Attorney General Sessions:

We write in strong opposition to the Department of Justice’s recent decision not to defend the constitutionality of major parts of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The Department’s position would once again allow insurance companies to deny coverage or charge more to people with pre-existing medical conditions and could embolden insurance companies to reinstate discriminatory coverage and pricing practices that negatively impact women. As organizations committed to advancing the health and economic security of women and their families, we urge the Department to reverse its position and defend the ACA.

The Justice Department’s refusal to defend key provisions of the ACA could have disastrous consequences for the health, well-being, and economic security of millions of women.

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