Karnataka: Transgenders in Prison to be Housed in Women's Wing

The Indian Express - Karnataka, India, 3/31/2016

Transgenders who are under a prison term in Karnataka have come under focus in the state now. Chamaraja MLA, Vasu, has raised the issue housing of transgender convicts and under trials in Karnataka's prisons with the home ministry. An English daily reported that the home ministry has promised to now allocate space to the prisoners so that they can be housed in the women's barracks.

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Poor Understanding of HIV and AIDS Still Prevalent

The Korea Herald, South Korea, 3/30/2016

Misperceptions of HIV and AIDS are still prevalent in South Korea, with many overlooking prevention, a survey showed. According to a survey conducted by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with the Korean Alliance to Defeat AIDS, 75.6 percent of respondents said they thought most people living with HIV contracted HIV from prostitution. Some 74 percent considered people with HIV or AIDS as those having a promiscuous sex life. The survey was conducted with 1,000 individuals aged 15 to 59 in 15 cities through one-on-one interviews. It aimed to analyze public perception and level of awareness toward HIV and AIDS.

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Widespread Sexual Harassment Still Persists in Delhi: Study

The Times of India - Delhi, India, 3/30/2016

Sexual harassment remains a pervasive problem in Delhi despite tougher laws being enacted after the Nirbhaya rape and murder case in 2012, according to a new study, published in the journal International Criminal Justice Review, that found 40 per cent of female respondents were sexually harassed in the past year. While sexual harassment is a problem experienced by women worldwide, it may be more prevalent in emerging democracies such as India and other countries in South Asia where women are becoming more involved in the workforce, said Mahesh Nalla, from the Michigan State University in US.

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Sridhar Rangayan's LGBT Film 'Breaking Free' Wins a National Award

Daily News and Analysis, India, 3/29/2016

Equal rights activist and filmmaker Sridhar Rangayan’s documentary film Breaking Free that highlights the impact and implications of Sec 377 on the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer) community won the National Award for Best Editing at the 63rd National Awards announced on 28 March, 2016. ‘This is a big victory for Indian LGBT community itself, as our film is a truthful, honest film that exposes the brutality of the law, police and government in victimising gay and transgender persons using Sec 377’, said Rangayan who has managed to weave together testimonials from persons actually booked under Sec 377 and who have been raped and tortured.

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NHRC Notice to Odisha DGP over Sexual Exploitation of AHHA Students

Odisha Sun Times - Orissa, India, 3/28/2016

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued notices to the Director General of Police (DGP) of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh over sexual harassment of girl students in Air Hostess and Hospitality Academy (AHHA). NHRC was urged to direct the concerned state governments to bring the culprits into court of justice and payment of interim compensation Rs 10 lakh to each student.

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Indonesia Shift on Gays Tests Climate of Tolerance

Wall Street Journal - Jakarta, Indonesia, 3/27/2016

A sudden backlash against homosexuals here is testing Indonesia’s reputation as a conservative but tolerant society in a region where same-sex rights are generally growing. In recent weeks, religious hard-liners have staged antigay rallies across the predominantly Muslim country. Some Indonesian officials have publicly rejected homosexuality, calling it a threat to the country’s cultural and religious values. A parliamentary commission proposed a ban on gay-related media content, including transgender hosts. And the communications ministry threatened to block websites that promote lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender lifestyles.

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Teachers to be Trained on HIV and AIDS Education

Daily News - Macheke, Zimbabwe, 3/26/2016

School-based HIV and AIDS education programmes will now be conducted by teachers not health NGOs, the Primary and Secondary Education ministry has said. Government was moving to streamline HIV and AIDS education from aid agencies who had overrun schools conducting school-based education as an intervention strategy for providing information on the infection to young people.

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Human Trafficking on Trial in Thailand

New York Times, Thailand, 3/25/2016

The first witness in the largest human trafficking trial in Thai history was called to testify in March 2016 in a court in Bangkok. The trial was sparked by the grim discovery in May, 2015 of a mass grave containing more than 30 bodies in a trafficking camp in southern Thailand. Faced with international outrage - and the lowest ranking on the State Department’s 2015 Trafficking in Persons report - the Thai government suddenly cracked down on trafficking rings in the region.

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Bhutan Tackles Violence Against Women for 'Refusing Sex, Burning the Dinner'

Reuters - Thimpu, Bhutan, 3/24/2016

A national health survey in 2012 revealed 74 percent of women in the majority Buddhist country had been victims of physical violence. Another survey from Bhutan's National Statistics Bureau revealed that 68 percent of Bhutanese women believe a man is justified in beating his wife if she neglects the children, argues with her husband, refuses sex or burns the dinner. The findings were a wake-up call in a society that enshrines non-discrimination in its constitution and through its Gross National Happiness Commission prioritizes the happiness of its citizens, taking into account factors other than economic well-being.

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Government to Probe Psychiatrist for False LGBT Claim

The Jakarta Post - Jakarta, Indonesia, 3/23/2016

The government will summon psychiatrist Fidiansjah for his recent controversial remarks on LGBT people, in which he labelled homosexuality and bisexuality mental disorders. A renowned physician and member of the Indonesia Psychiatrists Association (PDSKJI), Fidiansjah made a statement that have been widely criticized by international medical circles as he paraphrased diagnostic guidelines to support his statements.

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