Lisa Davis

Law Professor, CUNY Law School, ICC Special Adviser on Gender and Other Discriminatory Crimes; Former Special Adviser on Gender Persecution;

[Lisa Davis @lisadavisnyc]

April 30 deadline! States must start #CrimesAgainstHumanity treaty talks with a modernized apartheid definition including race, gender, and colonial context. This isn’t academic hair‑splitting. It’s about accountability and justice for #AfghanWomen, #Palestinians, #SouthAfricanWomen, and #LGBTQ+ persons. Read more:
https://t.co/An1cDJYGBG #April30 #CAHTreaty #InternationalLaw #HumanRights

[Lisa Davis @lisadavisnyc]

I’ve been reflecting on how important it is for legal education to be grounded in real-world struggles for rights and accountability. That is why it is especially meaningful to see professors and students in the Equality and Justice Clinic at CUNY School of Law deeply involved in Khalil v. Columbia since August. This is clinical legal education at its best, rigorous, principled, and grounded in the defense of constitutional rights.

At a time when speaking out can carry real consequences, this week’s decision is a powerful reminder that constitutional protections do not yield to political pressure. A federal court’s ruling in Khalil v. Columbia affirms that universities cannot suppress protected speech under government pressure.

Grateful to be part of an institution committed to that mission.
https://t.co/fa4fsMKjaq

[Lisa Davis @lisadavisnyc]

Yesterday there was a memorial for Yanar Mohammed. For decades, Yanar refused silence and fear, fighting for women’s freedom, dignity, and safety. She built shelters, created protection networks, and spoke relentlessly for women whose suffering was ignored, all while knowing the dangers. She built courage in others. Her legacy is our responsibility: to keep speaking up for justice. Rest in power, Yanar.

[Lisa Davis @lisadavisnyc]

Today, on International Women’s Day, I’m thinking about Yanar Mohammed. She was fearless in a way most of us are not. For decades, she fought for women in Iraq, creating shelters and networks of protection for those fleeing honor killings, trafficking, and other brutal violence. Hundreds survived because she refused to accept that they had nowhere to go.

Last week, Yanar was assassinated outside her home in Baghdad. What I’ll remember most is her clarity—she cut through euphemisms and comfortable narratives and insisted that women deserved freedom in the fullest sense, no matter who was listening.

Yanar understood the risks and chose this work anyway, again and again. Her courage saved lives, and her voice changed many of us who had the privilege of knowing her. Her life saved countless others, and her voice reshaped how many of us understand feminism, solidarity, and resistance across borders.

https://t.co/ViIiOajPvk

[Lisa Davis @lisadavisnyc]

Calls for justice from @amnesty international for the killing of Yanar Mohammed, a prominent women’s rights activist and my friend of nearly two decades. @amnesty reports that Iraq’s Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al‑Sudani has ordered an investigation.

https://t.co/ldv3bB8iZa

[Lisa Davis @lisadavisnyc]

Congratulations to Dr. @NalediPandor on her appointment as Chancellor of the Nelson Mandela University. An inspiring leader whose commitment to justice, education, and public service continues to shape institutions and futures. @NelsonMandela @NMMUFacultyLaw @MandelaUni

[NelsonMandela @NelsonMandela]

The Nelson Mandela Foundation congratulates Dr Naledi Pandor, Chairperson of the Foundation’s Board, on her appointment as Chancellor of Nelson Mandela University, with effect from 1 April 2026.

A distinguished activist, academic and public servant, Dr Pandor’s lifelong commitment to education has consistently affirmed its power to transform lives, expand freedom, and build more just societies. Her leadership reflects a deep belief in education not only as access to knowledge, but as a pathway to dignity, agency, and social justice.

#NalediPandor
#GoodTrouble
#NelsonMandelaUniversity

[Lisa Davis @lisadavisnyc]

Defending law school clinics isn’t a partisan issue. It’s about protecting the foundations of a democratic legal system—one where everyone has the right to representation and universities can teach law through real-world practice without political interference. #Democracy @just_security
https://t.co/M0J0pQj6iJ

[Lisa Davis @lisadavisnyc]

The U.S., once a champion of the Universal Human Rights System, is now undermining it—promoting vague “natural rights” that weaken protections and risk rolling back decades of progress. Read the full critique:
https://t.co/UNlJ1Uktcw

[Senator Penny Wong @SenatorWong]

We have imposed financial sanctions and travel bans on three so-called Taliban ‘ministers’ and the so-called Taliban ‘Chief Justice’ for their involvement in the oppression of women and girls and in undermining good governance or the rule of law.

[Lisa Davis @lisadavisnyc]

Prof. Kirby Anwar and I wrote an article for @OpinioJuris analyzing how the CAH Treaty could codify gender apartheid. A rare chance to shape int'l law to recognize #Palestinians, #AfghanWomen, girls, #LGBTQI+ people, and those facing intersectional oppression.

https://t.co/TxUvfdytg1

[Lisa Davis @lisadavisnyc]

For the first time ever, a UN disability rights resolution at the General Assembly explicitly recognizes that people with disabilities can face discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. 🇺🇳🏳️‍🌈

Despite efforts to strip the language, Member States kept it—and passed the resolution with overwhelming support. A milestone for global human rights. Now governments must turn this into real change. Full story in the comments.

#UN #LGBTQIA #DisabilityRights #CRPD #UNGA #OutrightIntl

[Lisa Davis @lisadavisnyc]

My week in South Africa has reminded me why global solidarity isn’t optional—it’s essential. From the Nelson Mandela Foundation exhibit on Palestinian Displacement to the Pan African ILGA Conference, I’ve witnessed courage, resistance, and radical joy. Grateful for every story shared. 🌍🏳️‍🌈 #PAI7thRegionalConference

[Lisa Davis @lisadavisnyc]

I will give a talk at Pan Africa ILGA 7th Regional Conference on Crimes Against Humanity: Recognising LGBTQI+ Victims. Hoping for a great turnout! #PAI7thRegionalConference #Unbreakable - via #Whova event app

[Lisa Davis @lisadavisnyc]

Ntokozo Sibanyoni, Adv. Pansy Tlakula, Wendy Isaack and myself after our panel event Recognizing Apartheid Victims in the U.N. Draft Crimes Against Humanity Treaty, held on the sidelines of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights #ACHPR on Oct. 19.

[Lawyers for Human Rights @LHR_SA]

🌍 LHR at @achpr_cadhp 85 in Banjul, advancing rights-based migration, feminist justice & accountability for apartheid.

Together with IDC, MADRE & ISLA, we push for humane alternatives to detention & stronger global justice mechanisms✊🏾

#HumanRights #Accountability