When International Human Rights Center (IHRC) student advocates Stavroula Kyriazis ‘24 and Cailin Ruff ’24 were invited to Brazil by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to present their amicus curiae brief arguing that women and girls in the Caribbean are inordinately impacted by climate change, they were not sure what to expect. As it turned out, the young alumnae were prepared for anything, and the court agreed with them that states have a special obligation to protect people with special vulnerabilities to climate change, such as women and girls.
“Cailin and I had an interest and experience when it came to women’s issues, and IHRC Center Director Professor P.R. Romano made us aware that the Inter-American Court of Human Rights was meeting,” Kyriazis said. “We learned from our research about the difficulties for women in the Caribbean region from climate change, but then, talking to people from the region, we were able to learn about problems we didn’t know about, such as water shortages. We put together an extensive report with the help of these partners, giving us strong information, including relatable stories that really made it hit home.”
They sent the report off in October 2023 and were invited six months later to present before the court. “The Inter-American Court of Human Rights asks for people to present where they need more information,” she says. “We were chosen to present our information in regards to the international human rights obligations that a States member of the Organization of American States have when it comes to climate change … It was an opportunity to help and gain unique experience, and Loyola very generously offered to pay for us to go.”
When Kyriazis and Ruff presented to the court in May 2024, things did not go exactly as they anticipated, but their training had prepared them for anything. “Part of what was interesting is the court focused on some areas that I didn’t think they would focus on when we presented,” Kyriazis said. “They would also ask under what law this should be a right or whether something was already addressed. It was a challenge.”
They would wait longer than a year for a decision, which came this past summer. “In the end, the court did say that women’s rights were more impacted by climate change,” she says. “They were found to be more at risk when it comes to gender-based violence after disasters. You have to remember: They can end up in shelters in close situations, and this is one of the ways they can be potentially at risk.”
They also investigated water shortages and food insecurity. “Women are many times the ones in households without direct water who get the water, and they are also often in charge of food,” she says. “Climate change affects both situations. I was glad to see that they focused on this, because it can be overlooked. There were many areas they touched on, but these were just a few.”
In its opinion, the court affirmed that action to protect the climate system and prevent environmental degradation is a requirement under international law. In doing so, it affirmed that women’s rights are disproportionately impacted by climate change, and that states have a special obligation to protect people with special vulnerabilities to climate change, such as women and girls. “We are ecstatic to note the court acknowledged that vulnerabilities are exacerbated by intersectional issues,” said Romano.
Representing the Center’s Mission
Romano saw Kyriazis and Ruff’s work on the brief and their court presentation as both important and impressive and felt it was a strong representation of the International Human Rights Center.
“Recently, several international courts have been asked what obligations states have to stop climate change,” he says. “There has been a movement among international and non-governmental organizations pushing for action on climate change in international courts and tribunals, and this is a key moment. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has spelled out why states of the Americas need to fight climate change as a matter of international human rights law.”
For Romano, the episode is evidence of the value of experiential opportunities like the IHRC. “These two people, who were law students at the time, showed they were passionate about this subject. This is giving voice to communities that usually don’t have it,” he said. “The goal of the center is to train students to become effective advocates in the field of international human rights and to learn the array of mechanisms that are available to engage. We want students to advocate by doing practical work, not just study theory. This is a great example of students taking their skills to the real world.”
Today, Kyriazis is an associate at King & Spalding and Ruff is an associate at Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy. For Kyriazis, the experience of preparing and presenting before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has bolstered her career.
“The experience has helped in many ways, including in my pro bono work related to genital mutilation,” she says. “In that pro bono work, there was a great deal of report work and tracking laws, and now the report is near being published. Although I’m a first-year associate who doesn’t work in international law per se, my work in the IHRC and my work especially related to the Caribbean region assisted me in jumping right into this. I’m proud of this kind of work and I want to continue to do service work within my practice.”
Ruff took it a step farther: “I don’t know many law students who get to be a part of this kind of impact,” she said. “I think that it is an exciting time to watch different international bodies pick up on what needs to happen regarding climate change and human rights and it was exciting to be a part of helping.”
