Riyadh (Reuters) – Saudi officials have hailed as “historic” new rights granted to women in Saudi Arabia that further dismantle its heavily criticized guardianship system, but male relatives could still find ways to thwart these freedoms. Written by Marwa Rashad and Stephen Kalin, Reuters Thousands of Saudi women took to social media to celebrate royal…
Rajya Sabha passed the triple talaq bill with 99 to 84 votes. Written by Iram Ara Ibrahim, India Today The new legislation which makes the practice of instant divorce through ‘triple talaq’ among Muslims a punishable offence with 3-year imprisonment was challenged in the Supreme Court and the Delhi High Court on Friday. The petition in…
Nearly one in five women aged 15 to 49 globally experienced physical, sexual or emotional abuse from a former or current partner or spouse in the previous year. Written by Ellen Wulfhorst, Thomson Reuters Foundation United Nations, June 25 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – The home is one of the most dangerous places for women, the…
Written by The Zimbabwe Mail In its current form the Marriages Bill is at best a “destroyer” of civil unions, opposition MPs have argued. On Wednesday, they shot down an attempt by Justice Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi to begin a process of having it debated in Parliament. Government, as part of efforts to harmonise the country’s…
History will probably mark last week as a game-changing political moment in Northern Ireland. Written by Jayne McCormack, BBC News If the Stormont assembly is not restored by 21 October, same-sex marriage is set to be legalised and abortion laws liberalised. Rarely do devolved issues make it on to the House of Commons floor for debate.…
Law could spur change throughout Africa. Written by Juliana Nnoko-Mewanu and Mashoka Maimona, Human Rights Watch A new marriage law in Côte d’Ivoire could be a step toward women having the same rights as their husbands over marital property. It’s part of a larger government plan to make men and women equal in marriages and…
Campaigners applaud move to curb gender-based violence after courts hold special sessions to clear backlog of cases. Written by Samuel Okiror The Guardian Hundreds of men in Uganda have been jailed for sexual offences against girls and women during a month of special court sessions to clear the backlog of cases. Between November and December…
Over the last 12 months, Sisters For Change, in partnership with The Manchester Maya Project, a consortium of specialist BME VAW service providers, has conducted extensive research to examine local authority approaches and responses to domestic abuse; commissioning and funding of domestic abuse services across Greater Manchester. Working directly with three specialist BME VAW support…
European leaders on Tuesday nominated German Defence Minister, Ursula von der Leyen for the position of EU Commission chief. This is the the first time a woman has been proposed for the role. Written by Eszter Zalan EU Observer EU leaders agreed to nominate the current German defence minister, Ursula von der Leyen, to be the…
After the custom of consigning menstruating women to outdoor sheds claimed three more lives, a new system of penalties offers hope of change. Written by Rojita Adhikari The Guardian Chhaupadi, the practice of banishing girls and women to a hut or shed when they have their periods, is common in Dilu Bhandari’s village in Nepal.…
