India’s R&D Workforce has Less than 15 Per Cent Women: President Kovind
The Indian Express - New Delhi, India, 2/29/2020
On the occasion of National Science Day, whose theme this year was ‘Women in Science’; President Ram Nath Kovind said that women comprise less than 15 per cent of the workforce in research and development. He announced three key initiatives for gender advancement and equality in academic and research institutions: Vignan Jyoti which will create a level playing field for meritorious girls in high school to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM); Gender Advancement for Transforming Institutions (GATI) which will develop a comprehensive framework for assessing gender equality in STEM; and an online portal for science and technology resources, such as scholarships, fellowships and career counseling for women.
High Court Rules Access to Surrogacy for Same Sex Couples
The Jerusalem Post - Israel, 2/28/2020
The High Court of Justice of Israel on February 27, 2020 asked the government to fix laws that discriminate against same-sex couples within 12 months. Current policy allows gay adoption, but raises a number of hurdles which cause substantial delays, hindering adoptive parents from gaining full adoption rights until they obtain an additional court order. Itai and Yoav Finks Arad of the Association of Gay Fathers, who filed the petition, said that the judgment is a progressive step for LGBTQIA+ rights in the country. This judgment was a continuation of the High Court’s decision on February 4, 2020, when it ruled in the favour of gay adoption by Israeli citizens of children born through surrogacy abroad.
Surrogacy Bill to Benefit Widows and Divorcees Too
The Times of India, India, 2/27/2020
Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, 2020 was approved by the Cabinet on February 26th, 2020. The bill states that ‘willing woman’ can become a surrogate mother thus; expanding the scope of surrogacy to divorced and widow women. The proposed insurance cover for a surrogate mother has also been increased from 16 months to 36 months. Cabinet minister, Prakash Javadekar stated that the bill aims to regulate surrogacy while prohibiting commercial surrogacy and allowing altruistic ones. Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani further added that only Indian couples, with both partners from Indian origin can opt for surrogacy in the country. The Rajya Sabha select committee that examined the bill argued that restricting the surrogate mother to a ‘close relative’ potentially affects the availability of surrogate mothers.
Taking Pivotal Steps to End Child Marriage
Inquirer, Philippines, 2/26/2020
Four bills have been filed in Congress which aims to penalize the facilitators and solemnizers of child marriage, which may include parents or legal guardians of the children. The bills also propose a coordinated set of preventive actions across government bodies and communities to transform the cultural attitudes and gender stereotypes underpinning violence against the girl child. The ‘Girls Not Brides’ bill, defines child marriage as a grave form of abuse and exploitation that endangers the survival and development of children. Child marriage also heightens the risk of early or unplanned pregnancies that can lead to serious consequences in a country where the maternal mortality rate remains extremely high; and where the soaring adolescent pregnancy rate was declared a ‘national social emergency’.
Sri Lanka- UNFPA Meeting in Colombo Notes Discrimination of People with Disabilities
MENAFN - Colombo, Sri Lanka, 2/25/2020
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) organised a panel discussion in Sri Lanka on February 25th, 2020. The panel discussion was titled 'Addressing birth defects from the lens of Human Rights & Inclusion’, and it was focused on human rights and a gender equality angle to disability and birth defects. The discussion was part of the 9th International Conference on Birth Defects and Disabilities in the Developing World. It brought together experts from the fields of medicine and sociology who discussed about societal barriers in accessing reproductive health services for people with disabilities from the human rights perspective. Conclusively, the discussion provided an open platform for open dialogue between policy makers, health professionals, academics, civil society, media and other stakeholders.
Gender Equity and Human Rights are Pivotal for Advancing Progress on SDGs
Modern Ghana, Africa, 2/24/2020
The Nairobi Statement endorsed to mark 25 years of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD25) speaks of the commitments enshrined in UN Population Fund (UNFPA)'s. As per the reports, there has been bridging of the gaps in public healthcare and welfare services for example, there has been 50% fall in adolescent pregnancies and the usage rate of contraceptives has increased to 67% in south Asia. There have also been ongoing discussions around including Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE). UNFPA regional director for Asia and the Pacific region, Björn Andersson advocated that Goals of ‘One Vision, Three Zeroes’ initiative by 2030 cannot be achieved without providing voluntary rights-based services to women in Asia and the Pacific region, as well as globally.
Women Inch Towards Equal Legal Rights Despite Covid-19 Risks, World Bank Says
Reuters, 2/24/2020
Women gained legal rights in nearly 30 countries in 2020 despite disruption due to COVID-19, but governments must do more to ease the disproportionate burden shouldered by women during the pandemic, the World Bank said on February 24, 2021. The World Bank said in the annual ‘Women, business and the law’ report that a total of 27 countries reformed laws or regulations to give women more economic equality in 2019-20. Around 40 countries brought in extra benefit or leave policies to help employees balance their jobs with the extra childcare needs created by coronavirus restrictions. However, such measures were “few and far between” and women on average still have only about three quarters of the rights granted to men, according to the report.
International Event to Discourage Chhaupadi
The Himalayan Times - Kathmandu, Nepal, 2/23/2020
Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens in Nepal is organising an international workshop on ‘Dignified Menstruation’ which is aimed at eliminating Chhaupadi practice, pervasive in some districts in mid-west and far-west Nepal. Chhaupadi is a form of menstrual taboos which prohibits menstruating women from participating in regular family activities. Minister Parbat Gurung informed that researchers, menstrual health rights activists, government representatives and policy makers from 20 countries would be participating in the workshop which will be organised on the occasion of second National Women Rights Day. Minister Gurung further expressed their thoughts on the need of treating menstruation from the human rights perspective to achieve gender equality.
US Indicts Paedophile for Sexually Assaulting Vietnamese Boys
VN Express, Vietnam, 2/22/2020
The US Embassy in Hanoi has reported that Paul Marshall Bodner, a former US substitute teacher, has been alleged to have travelled to Vietnam multiple times and engaged in non-consensual sexual conduct with minors in Ho Chi Minh City. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Bodner met Vietnamese boys as young as 11 or 12 years old and had non-consensual sex with them at a hotel in HCMC. According to the United Nations Action for Cooperation against Trafficking in Persons, Vietnam has become a destination country for child sex tourism with perpetrators arriving from several continents. According the Ministry of Public Security, Vietnam recorded 1,547 child sex abuse cases in 2018, down 2.8 percent from a year ago.
With 'Pink Yuan' ads, China Wakes up to the World's Biggest Gay Economy
Reuters - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2/21/2020
According to Daxue Consulting, a market research firm, China’s gay and transgender economy is the biggest in the world with its worth reaching up to $300 billion to $500 billion annually. It has been observed that the change in attitudes of people has resulted in this boom of the economy. The growing popularity of sexuality inclusive advertisements has contributed towards bringing an attitudinal change in China. As per the records, homosexuality has been legal in China since 1997 however; same-sex marriage is not recognised.
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