FRIDAY FILE - Russia’s QueerFest 2014 was marred by four last-minute venue cancellations, over 40 venue refusals, one bomb threat, frequent visits by aggressive men, and guests being “sprayed with a green, noxious substance”. More than ever before, however, QueerFest demonstrated its necessity and relevance in a country hostile towards LGBTI rights.

By Rochelle Jones

FRIDAY FILE - AWID spoke to Dawn Cavanagh* of the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL) in South Africa and Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI), about the significance of the resolution on Human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity recently adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council.

FRIDAY FILE: Approximately 17.2 million children around the world perform paid or unpaid domestic work for third parties or for an employer. Among them, 67.1% are girls between the ages of 5 and 17.

FRIDAY FILES: This week Mirna Cunningham[1] and Maria Oberto[2], spoke to AWID about the first World Conference on Indigenous Peoples (WCIP), held in New York on 22-23 September, and some of the implications of its outcome documents on advancing the rights of indigenous peoples.

By Gabby De Cicco and Susan Tolmay

FRIDAY FILE – While discussions on the new development agenda to replace the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) when they expire in just over a year took centre stage at the United Nations 69th session of the General Assembly (UNGA69) last week, AWID takes a look at the reality of women in the Ivory Coast, demonstrating why it is crucial that the new development agenda be based on principles of human rights, equality and sustainability.

By Mégane Ghorbani

FRIDAY FILE: As we commemorate the Day for the Decriminalization of Abortion in Latin America and the Caribbean on September 28 we take a look at the situation in El Salvador where abortion is illegal and where many women remain incarcerated because of these laws.

By Gabby De Cicco

FRIDAY FILE - Discussions on the new development agenda to replace the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) when they expire in just over a year (with many goals not yet achieved), are reaching crucial stages. United Nations head Ban Ki-moon recently stated that the post-2015 development agenda will be a key part of the 69th UN General Assembly Session (UNGA), starting this week. We look at some of the ongoing concerns with the debates and negotiations ahead of the 69th UNGA.

FRIDAY FILE – In January this year the United Nations declared 2015-2024 The International Decade for People of African Descent. AWID spoke to Vicenta Camusso Pintos, coordinator of the South Cone Region for the Red de Mujeres Afrolatinoamericanas, Afrocaribeñas y la Diáspora, to learn more about Afro-descendant women’s organizing in Latin America over the past two decades.

By Gabby De Cicco

FRIDAY FILE: On September 5, 2013 the Domestic Workers Convention (C189), adopted by International Labour Organization (ILO) in 2011, entered into force. A year later, AWID spoke to Andrea Londoño S., Coordinator of the citizens' initiative Hablemos de Empleadas Domésticas (Let's Talk About Women Domestic Workers) from Medellin, Colombia, who outlines the legal landscape, how women domestic workers are organizing, and the challenges they face.

FRIDAY FILE - On August 1, 2014, the constitutional court of Uganda overturned the discriminatory anti-gay law passed through parliament on December 20, 2013. However, the decision was based on procedural technicalities rather than on the substance of the law, which goes against freedom of sexual orientation and gender identity.

By Mégane Ghorbani