International Day of Awareness for Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting

Today is International Day of Awareness for Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting. On Woman's Hour Jane Garvie spoke to Sister Fa, Senegalese campaigner seeking to inform people about the harmful consequences of female genital cutting. "To celebrate progress made, as well as to outline the opportunity for further abandonment, there will be an event in the House of Commons. One of the speakers will be the Senegalese hip-hop artist, Sister Fa. As a ‘cut’ woman herself, and a successful, inspiring role model for women, she uses her music to help end FGM/C; and last year she won the prestigious Freedom to Create prize for her work."

If David Cameron speaks out on the subject of human rights abuses while in China

I hope the response he receives will include a reminder that the UK itself has an extremely poor record on human rights. - Read about Chemical Cosh drugs that are harming and bringing early death to many thousands of dementia sufferers. And the appallingly callous treatment in the Staffordshire Hospital that resulted in terrible suffering and premature death for hundreds of patients. And the many millions of UK citizens (mostly women) gravely harmed for decades by tranquillisers and other toxic psychotropic drugs which are still being prescribed by foolish doctors. - Just a few examples of the atrocious treatment far too many UK citizens routinely receive from the NHS.

EU firms are 'exporting torture equipment', Amnesty says

The equipment includes thumb-cuffs and devices that give electric shocks. Amnesty said firms from Germany, the Czech Republic, Spain and Italy were among those trading the items.
Read article on the BBC News website (UK)

Was Shell involved in Human Rights Abuses in Nigeria in the 1990s? Civil Trial delayed till next week.

This concerns the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa, a well-known activist, and eight other protestors/campaigners:
Read news report at reuters.com

Elderly people are being "mistreated and abused" in hospitals and care homes, according to a new report by Age Concern

Elderly people abused in hospitals and care homes
Article in the Telegraph

Extracts:

"Age Concern criticises the lack of progress made a year on from a parliamentary report that recommended an "entire culture change" to tackle human rights abuses experienced by older people in the NHS and care system.

The new report includes examples of older people being left to sit in their own excrement or denied food and water because the staff are too busy, being left naked in front of other patients, or being heavily sedated so they are easier to care for."

"Norma Scott said her father died of renal failure after the way he was treated in a Yorkshire hospital.

She said: "We were told my father needed to be given extra fluids for his kidneys, but he wasn't given any help to drink water or to pass fluids. He couldn't use the water jug left by his bed as he couldn't sit up.

"After six days I spoke to a doctor. When a drip and catheter was fitted, two litres of urine were drained off. He died of renal failure.

"My father should not have been treated this way. It took months to get my complaint heard and I have been battling for many more months to get the hospital to implement the Action Plan. No one checks change has happened - it's all taken on trust.""

And British politicians have the cheek to criticise other countries about human rights! Our dreadful, uncaring, extremely expensive NHS system should be scrapped.