National Symposium on Sexual Health

Vietnam News - Hanoi, Vietnam, 11/30/2016

Vietnam held its third national symposium on sexuality, health and society this week in Hanoi. This year’s theme was ‘Cultural and Institutional Barriers to Addressing Sexual Violence in Vietnam’. Almost 300 participants attended and discussed a variety of topics such as sexuality education in schools and the connections between sexual violence and HIV prevention.

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Govt Committed to Gender Responsive DRR Policy: DPM

The Kathmandu Post - Kathmandu, Nepal, 11/29/2016

The ‘South Asia Peer Learning Regional Consultation on Disaster Preparedness for an Effective Response for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment’ workshop was held this week, with representatives present from all South Asian nations except India. Participants discussed how to make disaster response mechanisms more gender-responsive. Disasters in South Asia can intensify gender inequalities, with women overlooked as leaders in rebuilding efforts and 14 times more likely to be injured or die during a disaster.

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Delhi Queer Pride Parade: Thousands March For Equality and a Life Without Fear

Huffington Post - New Delhi, India, 11/28/2016

Hundreds of people marched in the 9th annual Delhi Queer Pride Parade on Sunday November 27. The main focus of the march is to repeal Section 377, which criminalises same-sex relationships. However, the event is also held in solidarity with other groups that are marginalised based on caste, ability, gender, region, and religion. This year’s march had greater attendance than last year, with about 800-1000 people participating. The event is held annually on the last Sunday in November.

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Tanzania Suspends Anti-AIDS Programs

The Toledo Blade - Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, 11/27/2016

Tanzania has banned HIV and AIDS outreach initiatives that work with gay men, pending an evaluation to determine whether these programmes encourage homosexuality. There is some hope that the government will soon restore outreach efforts, but until then HIV positive patients are vulnerable to ‘viral rebound’, in which the virus becomes more damaging. About thirty percent of gay men in Tanzania are HIV positive, and according to health workers the ban may lead to rising numbers.

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Children’s Exploitation Continues Despite Laws

Sunday Guardian - New Delhi, India, 11/26/2016

The apathy of state governments towards protecting children in difficult conditions leads to the death of 3,000 children everyday due to malnutrition, according to a consolidated report on the situation of vulnerable children from India, released by Plan India, an independent child development organisation. About 23 million children in India are malnourished, 18 million children are living and working on the urban streets in India, while 4.3 million children are employed as child labourers and 40% of the 3 million sex workers are minors in India, according to the report.

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Sex Workers Trained as Paralegals Protect Colleagues from Police Harassment

The Star, Kenya, 11/25/2016

Organisations like the Bar Hostesses Empowerment Program and Health Options for Young Men on HIV, AIDS/STI have begun training paralegals to advocate for and educate fellow sex workers on their rights. Sex work is illegal in Kenya, which enables police to harass sex workers and demand sex or money in return for not arresting them. Paralegals not only empower sex workers to exercise their rights, but they also help them navigate bureaucracy in cases involving physical violence. These efforts are slowly having an impact – one sex worker reports that ‘after fellow sex workers trained as paralegals sensitised her on her rights, law enforcers are weary about arresting her because she is able to challenge them.’

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Gov't Prepares to Launch Plan to Tackle Gender-Based Violence

The Jamaica Gleaner, Jamaica, 11/24/2016

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Jamaican Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport Olivia Grange announced that in 2017 the government would begin implementing the National Strategic Action Plan to Eliminate Gender-based Violence. Grange expressed the government’s commitment to addressing this issue, and highlighted the importance of civil society ‘to ensure that every woman and girl is guaranteed their rights as human beings, which includes protection from violence.’

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Child Rape Bill Withdrawn After Street Protests

Daily Trust, Turkey, 11/23/2016

Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has withdrawn a bill that pardons men convicted of sex with underage girls if they have married them. The bill, part of a package of amendments to the legal system, was sent back for further work just hours before a final vote in parliament. It had sparked protests across Turkish society and was condemned abroad. Critics said it would legitimise statutory rape and encourage the practice of taking child brides.

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Sailor Moon Enlisted by Japan to Fight STIs

BBC, Japan, 11/22/2016

Japanese anime character Sailor Moon is taking on a new fight: against sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The heroine and her creator, Naoko Takeuchi, have teamed up with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare to launch a new public campaign. Officials want to raise awareness about the rise of diseases like HIV and syphilis among young Japanese women.

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Surrogates Left in Limbo After Arrests

The Phnom Penh Post, Cambodia, 11/22/2016

Three people connected to Cambodia’s underground surrogacy industry have been arrested and charged under an anti-trafficking section of the Penal Code, leaving many surrogates concerned about the status of their payments. This is the first surrogacy-related arrest made in Cambodia, where there are no laws directly prohibiting commercial surrogacy. The government has, however, recently stated its intention to ban the practice.

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