HOUSTON JOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL LAW

This article examines the debate surrounding female genital mutilation (FGM) in Egypt where approximately 97 percent of women have undergone this practice. It shows that in 1997, the Supreme Administrative Court of Egypt overturned a lower ruling and upheld the 1996 Health Minister's decree banning FGM. It reviews comparative legal efforts in African and European countries banning FGM and looks into the gradual concerns of the international health community.

This article examines domestic and international legal responses to trafficking in women for prostitution and sex work, and argues that international treaties cannot be effectively implemented without parallel domestic strategies. After an overview of international trafficking in women, the author discusses the development of international trafficking laws and assesses their effect on the trafficking industry. The impact of the US Trafficking and Victims Protection Act of 2000 is also analyzed.

This article advocates that peacetime rape committed by a private actor should be viewed as a violation of international human rights. Furthermore, the victims should be able to bring actions in the U.S. federal courts under the Alien Tort Claims Act (ATCA). Part II examines the history of rape in armed conflict and wartime, focusing on the recognition of rape as a war crime. Part III discusses current international human rights violations and argues that rape should be included in this list. Part IV provides an account of the rapes that occurred during the Indonesian riots of 1997.