Govt Launches Menstrual Health Project in Cox’s Bazaar
Dhaka Tribune, Bangladesh, 10/31/2021
The Bangladesh government on October 31, 2021 launched a project to improve menstrual health management for adolescent girls and women in Cox’s bazaar. The project, which is set to run till 2024, is being funded by Korea International Cooperation Agency with the aim of strengthening the understanding of menstrual health management in Rohingya refugee camps. The project will showcase the active involvement and participation of women, boys, men, parents, community leaders, and caregivers in improving the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls in Cox’s bazaar. Those involved in the project will learn to produce reusable menstrual pads and improve their knowledge of gender equality and menstrual health.
UK Evacuates First Group of LGBT+ Afghans Since Taliban’s Takeover
Hindustan Times, India, 10/30/2021
The first ever group of 29 LGBTQIA+ people from Afghanistan arrived in the United Kingdom as a result of interventions from UK Foreign Minister Liz Truss and gay rights organisers, according to an official statement on October 30, 2021. The group included students and activists who stood up for LGBTQIA+ rights in the war ravaged country, the statement added. A UK foreign ministry spokesperson said that the LGBTQIA+ group will stay in a bridging accommodation. The government, meanwhile, assured that more vulnerable LGBTQIA+ people from Afghanistan are expected to arrive in the UK in 2021. Safe houses are being established for Afghans who arrived on October 29, 2021, Sebastian Rocca, chief executive of Micro Rainbow, a charity supporting LGBTQIA+ refugees said.
Tunisia’s #MeToo: Landmark Sexual Harassment Case Kicks Off
Al Jazeera, Tunisia, 10/29/2021
A landmark case that helped galvanise Tunisia’s #MeToo movement has reached court, involving a legislator charged with sexual harassment. Feminist activists held a small protest outside the court in Nabeul, chanting and waving placards that read “My body is not a public space”. The activists sported T-shirts and badges bearing the hashtag of their movement #EnaZeda, #MeToo in the Tunisian dialect. In 2019, a schoolgirl posted photos on social media of parliament member Zouhair Makhlouf, performing a sexual act in his car outside her high school. Activist Sara Medini said campaigners had come to the court to protest in solidarity with the survivor/victim, as well as to denounce the time it took for Makhlouf’s legal proceedings to begin.
Covid-19 in Kerala: 41 Pregnant Women Died, 149 Ended Life, Says Kerala Govt
Mint, India, 10/28/2021
As many as 41 pregnant women have so far succumbed to COVID-19 in Kerala after the virus infection broke out in the southern state in 2020, said state Health Minister Veena George. "As per the figures reported from the districts, 41 pregnant women have succumbed to the disease in the state," George said. She added that 149 patients affected with the viral infection had ended their lives. Responding to another query by Mathew Kuzhalnadan, she said as per the reports, there seems to be no difference in the findings of the recent sero prevalence scientific study conducted by the state health department and similar surveys by the ICMR.
Harassment of Coach Santhi: Notice Sent to Magazine, Sports Official
The Hindu, India, 10/27/2021
The South Regional Representative to the National Council for Transgender Persons (NCTP), a statutory authority under the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Gopi Shankar, based in Madurai, has taken suo moto cognizance of continuous harassment of athlete and coach Santhi Soundarajan on the grounds of gender identity/expression by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDATN) coach Abraham Rajan. In the notice issued to the Tamil magazine, Gopi Shankar sought an apology from the Kumudam publishing house for publishing ‘false allegations’ in the form of an article that had appeared in the magazine without knowing Santhi’s side of the story. The rights of Santhi are protected under the Constitution of India and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.
Centre to HC: Marriage is Between Biological Man and Biological Woman
The Indian Express, India, 10/26/2021
The law is settled that marriage is a term “associated with a biological man and a biological woman”, the Centre argued on October 25, 2021 before the Delhi High Court. After a brief hearing, the court listed petitions seeking recognition and registration of same-sex marriages under existing laws for a final hearing on November 30, 2021. At least five petitions are pending before the court seeking legalisation of same-sex marriages under the Hindu Marriage Act, Special Marriage Act (SMA), Foreign Marriage Act (FMA) and a declaration that the right to legal recognition of same-sex marriage is a fundamental right under Articles 14, 15, 19 and 21 of the Constitution, irrespective of a person’s gender, sex or sexual orientation.
Severe Covid-19 Risk Lower Earlier in Pregnancy, Chinese Study Finds
South China Morning Post, China, 10/25/2021
Chinese women who caught COVID-19 earlier in pregnancy were at lower risk for severe disease than those who became infected later, according to an analysis of cases in expectant mothers during China’s initial outbreak in 2020. Researchers at the National Clinical Research Centre on Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Peking University Third Hospital in Beijing assessed 138 pregnant women who came down with COVID-19 in early 2020 to fill what they said was a gap in data on how the disease affects this potentially at-risk group. The Chinese study found that pregnancy did not put the women evaluated at a greater overall risk for severe COVID-19, and patients infected in early pregnancy were even at lower risk of severe illness than those infected in the late stages.
Uttar Pradesh: Difference Between Men and Women Recipients Vaccinated Over 2.5 Lakh in Prayagraj
The Times of India - Uttar Pradesh, India, 10/24/2021
Even as women recipients of COVID-19 vaccination in the district have outnumbered male recipients in September and October, 2021, the overall number of female recipients is still lower than the number of male recipients. Figures revealed by the health department claimed that out of the 34,38,126 jabs given so far in the district, as many as 18,43,650 male recipients and 15,92,920 female recipients (a difference of 2,50,720 jabs) have been administered. Senior medical officer, Dr. Anupam Dwivedi, meanwhile, said that the department along with the state government has been successful in busting myths related to the COVID vaccines in the rural areas and that women have been visiting the vaccination sites without any doubts or worry.
41% of Indians Unaware of Examinations Related to Women's Health
National Herald, India, 10/23/2021
According to the World Health Organization, in 2020 itself, there were 2.3 million women diagnosed with breast cancer in the world. A report published by National Cancer Registry Programme (NCRP) estimates that breast cancer cases are likely to increase by nearly 20%. Happn, an international dating app, conducted an in-app survey to understand how Indians discuss health issues like breast cancer with their partners. 41% of users are not aware of examinations related to women's health. 41% of users shared that they did not encourage the women in their life to go for checkups for issues related to health. 16% of the respondents confessed that they did not remind women in their life to take examinations for their own health.
50% Rise in Breast Cancer Among Middle-Aged Women in India: Report
The Tribune - New Delhi, India, 10/22/2021
Since 2018, there has been a 50% rise in middle-aged women (aged 35-50 years) reporting cases of breast cancer in India, said doctors at a private hospital. The estimates are based on OPD records by doctors, the Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals said in a statement. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer in women and accounts for almost 30% of the entire cancer burden reported among women. With limited awareness and hesitancy towards preventive diagnosis, one in every 20 women is diagnosed with this cancer. The pandemic induced hesitancy to visit hospitals led to a lot of women delaying treatment or ignoring early signs and symptoms, hence adding to the evident spike in cases.
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