Jennifer Venis
Jennifer Venis
I'm a freelance writer and editor specialising in human rights news, particularly gender equality, poverty and migration.
Recent words
The following are my most recently published articles. Visit my journalism portfolio page to view more of my work.
Social media: Rise of ‘kidfluencers’ pushes legislators to engage with children’s rights online
In May, the UK House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee published the report Influencer culture: Lights, camera, inaction?. It highlights that ‘child influencers are some of the most successful influencers’, and ‘influencer agencies see family influencers as some of the most in-demand social media stars […] because they appeal to both children and parents’.
Report calls for ICJ case over state failures to prevent Yazidi genocide
A report on state responsibility for the Yazidi genocide has claimed that Iraq, Syria and Turkey should be taken to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for failing to discharge their obligations under international law.
Violence against women: UK ratifies Istanbul Convention but excludes protection for migrants
The UK ratified the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (known as the ‘Istanbul Convention’) in late July, ten years after first signing it.
However, the UK has been criticised for reserving the right not to be bound by Article 59, which compels states to protect migrant women whose residency status is dependent on that of an abusive spouse or partner, including by suspending deportation proceedings to allow victims to apply for residence permits.
Latest multimedia
The following are my latest podcasts and films. Visit my multimedia portfolio page to see more.
Abortion rights: the fall of Roe
30 Jun 2022
The United States Supreme Court has overturned the constitutional right to abortion. Ruling in the case Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, the Court went beyond Mississippi’s request to allow it to ban abortion after 15 weeks’ pregnancy and fully overturned the two previous Supreme Court rulings, Roe and Casey, that had for 49 years made it unconstitutional to outlaw abortions pre-viability – that is, before a foetus could survive outside the womb, at around 24 weeks. Now, states will be able to restrict and ban abortion at any point in pregnancy.
When the majority opinion was leaked to the press in May, I spoke to four experts about the impact of the decision, human rights law on abortion, the journey to this moment and wider repercussions:
Risa Kaufman, Director of US Human Right, Center for Reproductive Rights; Akila Radhakrishnan, President, Global Justice Center; Mark Stephens, CBE, Co-Chair, IBA Human Rights Institute; and Matt Kaiser, Vice Chair, IBA Criminal Law Committee, and partner, KaiserDillion
IBA podcast
The Ukraine refugee crisis
26 Apr 2022
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began on 24 February, has resulted in the displacement of millions of Ukrainians. The responses taken by governments around the world – such as the activation of the Temporary Protection Directive by the EU – and the challenges being faced have prompted questions around how best to assist displaced people, while the situation has also highlighted the continuing plight of refugees from Afghanistan and other crisis zones.
This podcast explores the unprecedented reaction to the plight of Ukrainian refugees and the need for a coordinated, compassionate international response, and assess the situation for displaced people from other conflict zones, such as Afghanistan. Discussing these issues are: Matt Saltmarsh, Head of News and Media for the UN’s refugee agency, UNHCR; Greg Siskind, Vice-Chair of the IBA Immigration and Nationality Law Committee and a founding partner at Siskind Susser in Memphis; and Alex Stojicevic, Refugee Officer of the IBA Immigration and Nationality Law Committee and founding and managing partner of MKS Lawyers in Vancouver.
I conducted the interviews for and scripted this podcast.
IBA podcast
“A word after a word after a word is power.”
Margaret Atwood
