Facing low fertility rates that could undermine labour forces and social structures, governments are pursuing labour reforms, immigration expansion and pronatalist policies. Global Insight explores the impact of such policies on human rights and gender equality.

As the first 100 days of the Biden presidency draw to a close, Global Insight assesses whether the administration looks set to ‘build back better’, or simply reset the United States to the pre-Trump era.

By disrupting children’s education and exposing families to financial crises, the Covid-19 pandemic has increased the threat of human rights violations like child marriage around the world. Research by the United Nations Population Fund and partners estimates that an additional 13 million child marriages will take place between 2020 and 2030, which would not have occurred were it not for the pandemic.

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, workers on the lowest wages have had the least protection – from the virus, from unemployment and from financial distress – despite their work being deemed ‘essential.’ Global Insight explores how governments and corporations can step up to create a better world for these workers.

Low-wage and gig economy workers, whose jobs have been classed as essential by governments amid the Covid-19 pandemic, are resorting to legal action and protests to request health and safety measures and paid sick leave...

In July 2019, Professor Philip Alston, UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, presented the UN Human Rights Council with a 21-page report on his mission to the UK, in which he highlighted the UK government’s ‘dismantling of the social safety net’ and ‘clear violations of the country’s human rights obligations’...

Since high-profile Republicans warned that mail-in voting had to be limited for the party to ever win the presidency again, hundreds of restrictive bills have been introduced across state legislatures. But rights advocates are battling voter suppression, and corporate America is being pulled into the fight.

The rights of half of the world’s population are threatened thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic and a state-driven backlash against gender equality. Global Insight explores recent regressions in the rights of women, the connection to the rise of nationalistic populism, and how best to counter this rollback.

Lady Justice is often depicted blindfolded to represent key tenets of the rule of law: independence and impartiality. These ideals are enshrined in Article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states: ‘All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law.’ But reality tells a very different story.

As global fashion companies saw profits threatened by the Covid-19 pandemic, many pushed the impact of losses down to suppliers in countries like Bangladesh and Myanmar...

A digital transformation of governance is taking hold of the world. While this may have some benefits, the rate of change and lack of industry regulation raises human rights concerns. Welfare states have been swept up in the wave of transformation...

In this boxout interview, Professor Alston spoke to Jennifer Venis, IBA Content Editor, about poverty in the UK, holding the government to account for continued inaction and the potential impact of Brexit on the country’s poorest...