Women's Rights in the News

"Human rights activist and sole Papua New Guinea (PNG) female elected parliamentarian Dame Carol Kidu as dragged by police Saturday while protesting the illegal eviction and partial demolition of Paga Hill Settlement, housing some 2,000 residents.

“Sex work may be illegal in Uganda, but providing services for sex workers is clearly not,” reads a statement from 9 May 2012 by WONETHA, a health and human rights organisation, in response to a serious crack-down on its activities by Ugandan municipal police.

Having become the first country in South America to allow gay couples to marry, Argentina has passed a bill giving transgender citizens the right to have their gender recognised in law.

"Egypt’s People’s Assembly Council is currently discussing legislation that would reduce the minimum age of marriage for girls from 18 to possibly as low as 9 years old and could vote on the final draft bill at any moment. If adopted, girls could be married off by their families without their consent putting them at risk of physical and psychological harm, as well as cutting short other life opportunities, such as pursuing their education.

The number of divorces doubled in Nepal’s capital from 2005 to 2011, according to the Kathmandu District Court. Legal professionals say one reason is increased awareness among women about their rights. Legally, it is easier for women to file for divorce than men. But socially, women still face stigma for divorcing their husbands.

Opposition to legislation dashes equality hopes in West African country's strongly patriarchal society

Malawian Vice President and women's rights activist Joyce Banda became the country's first female president on Saturday when she was sworn in following the death of President Bingu wa Mutharika. Supporters cheered on Saturday in celebration in the nation's capital, Lilongwe. 

NEW YORK — For all the alarm and outrage that conservative Republicans have ignited lately with actions perceived as attacks on U.S. women’s rights, there has been a fierce counteroffensive that is giving activists on the other side a larger voice and greater visibility than in recent years.

Zanzibar — SOME people already think that methods being applied to fight Gender Based Violence (GBV) particularly rape and abuse of women are failing to prevent the dilemmas in the community.

Bishkek/Brussels, 29 March 2012: Kyrgyzstan’s disregard for its Uzbek community is pushing the ethnic minority to breaking point.

PORT MORESBY (26 March 2012) – United Nations Special Rapporteur Rashida Manjoo called* on the Government of Papua New Guinea to reinforce legal and support mechanisms in its fight to eradicate violence against women. At the end of her first fact-finding mission to the country, Ms. Manjoo also urged the authorities to address some of the traditional practices that are harmful to women.

Ontario's Court of Appeal has ruled that sex workers should be able to legally take their trade indoors and pay staff to support them.

A prominent lawmaker and gay rights activist in Nepal says he has asked Facebook to include a third option for people who do not identify themselves as male or female.

"A ground-breaking new human rights instrument, the 'Maastricht Principles on Extraterritorial Obligations of States in the area of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights,' has been launched at the UN in Geneva. In order to address the challenges of globalization, States' extraterritorial human rights obligations (ETOs) - that is, the obligations towards persons outside their territories - are crucial. Nevertheless, these obligations had been marginalized until recently.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) condemns the murder of Agnes Torres Sulca, a trans person and human rights defender of lesbians, gays, trans, bisexuals and intersex persons (LGTBI) in Mexico.

GENEVA (19 March 2012) – In an open letter* to world Governments, a group of 22 UN independent human rights experts called on States to incorporate universally agreed international human rights norms and standards with strong accountability mechanisms into the UN Rio+20 sustainable developmentconference’s goals, as the Rio+20 first round of informal-informal negotiations began today in New York.

Turkey today ratified the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, following a decision taken by the Turkish parliament in November 2011.

The suicide of a Moroccan teenager who reportedly had been forced to marry her rapist has spurred calls from around the world to change criminal laws long lamented by Moroccan feminists.

Girls who dress or act like boys, and boys who act feminine may be more likely to be abused and end up with post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a U.S. study.

Today, Trial Chamber I issued the first ever trial judgement of the International Criminal Court (ICC), in the case against Thomas Lubanga Dyilo (Lubanga). This is the first time a Trial Chamber of the ICC has issued a judgement on the guilt or innocence of the accused. The Trial Chamber convicted Lubanga of the war crimes of conscripting and enlisting children under the age of 15 and using them to participate actively in hostilities from 1 September 2002 to 13 August 2003. The case involved two stays of proceedings, an adjournment, 67 witnesses and the participation of 129 victims.

The Foundation for Studies and Research on Women - FEIM- celebrates the ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice, known today, which clarifies that the interruption of a pregnancy resulting from any kind of rape is not punishable, and that all cases of non-punishable abortion, according to article 86 of the Penal Code, shall not be subjected to a judicial process.

Perhaps more surprising than an Egyptian military tribunal finding one of its own not guilty of forcing a "virginity test" on a detainee, is that the case went ahead at all. There are social, economic and political restrictions faced by Egyptian women, and proposals to advance their rights.

(WNN) Rural Achham, NEPAL: She was brought in an ambulance to one of the most rural hospitals in Nepal – the Bayalpata Hospital.

On International Women’s Day, Front Line Defenders calls for increased protection and recognition of women human rights defenders around the world. On a daily basis, Front Line Defenders receives urgent appeals for help and emergency support from women human rights defenders who face threats, harassment, intimidation, violence and even killing as they go about their legitimate human rights work.

• Mongolia narrowed the gap putting legislation into force
• Brazil reached a low score in political empowerment, although the president is a woman
• Social Watch Italy: “The economic crisis could represent an opportunity to change”

Mary Kini, Angela Apa and Agnes Sil belong to three warring tribes in the mountains of Papua New Guinea. Tribal laws prohibitedthem from any interaction with one another. But after years of intertribal violence in their district, they flaunted social taboos and schemed, in secret, to bring peace to their communities. Risking their lives, they surreptitiously discussed peace plans while shopping at the local market, successfully mobilised others to their cause, and walked out onto the battlefield to send out messages of peace.

For all their talk of empowerment, initiatives by development agencies and donors fail to tackle power imbalances, and do not allow women to realise their own hopes and dreams. 

"New barbaric attacks started against the Iraqi lgbt in many cities like Baghdad and Basra while using inhumane methods such as hitting the head and body parts of gay victims with building concrete blocks repeatedly till death or by pushing them over high building roof which took place in Basra city.
 

Alarming levels of sexual violence are being reported by women and girls who have fled conflict in Sudan's South Kordofan area, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) said on Thursday.

Pakistan’s Senate on Monday [February 20, 2012] passed a bill that makes violence against women and children an offence carrying jail terms and fines, state media said. The Domestic Violence (Prevention and Protection) Bill was introduced by Senator Nilofar Bakhtiar and passed unanimously by the upper house of the federal parliament, Pakistan Television reported.

Legislation to provide for limited access to abortion in Ireland is to be introduced to the Irish parliament for debate this week.

A prominent female lawmaker has repeated her intention to run for Afghanistan's presidency when current President Hamid Karzai's term runs out in two years' time, suggesting she sees signs that gender bias is easing among some Afghans. 

Amsatou Sow Sidibe, one of two women among the 14 candidates for this month’s presidential election in the West African nation of Senegal, is using her candidacy to highlight the issues faced by the country’s women.

An Open Letter to Kenneth Roth, Executive Director of Human Rights Watch

"The Libyan Women’s Platform for Peace (LWPP) welcomes the passage of a new electoral law, which guarantees women at least 40 seats on the 200-member Constituent Assembly that will draft the country’s new constitution.

GUATEMALA CITY, Jan 31 (IPS) - The relentless wave of femicides in Guatemala, which has one of the highest female murder rates in the world, has prompted actions by the government, civil society groups, and two Nobel Peace laureates to try to put a stop to this brutal violence against women, which has reached horrific proportions.

A new initiative by fashion brand Diesel to improve working conditions and to provide free abortion pills to its female factory workers could have been an appropriate gesture by Diesel.

The head of the United Nations entity mandated to promote gender equality today said that her priority this year is to enhance the economic empowerment and political participation of women and called for the support of the international community and the entire UN system to ensure success.

Four men have been given an 18-year jail sentence for stabbing and stoning Zoliswa Nkonyana, a 19 year old openly gay woman from Khayelitsha, a small village near Cape Town.

Apenas hace dos meses la fundadora de la organización civil Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa, Norma Andrade, fue herida de bala en Ciudad Juárez y milagrosamente salvó su vida; esta mañana, ante la falta de protección de las autoridades, la activista fue atacada nuevamente por un desconocido ahora en la capital del país.