China Exclusive: Worries Over Plummeting Premarital Health Checkup Rate
Xinhua - Beijing, China, 4/30/2016
As marriage registration offices in China brace for the usual holiday rush ahead of May Day, health authorities are worried about a drastic decline in numbers having premarital physical checkups. Since China made these checks of reproductive health non-compulsory in 2003, fewer and fewer people have been choosing to have them, with many regions reporting a corresponding increase in birth defects.
Colombia Legalises Same-Sex Marriage
The Hindu, Colombia, 4/29/2016
Colombia became the fourth South American country to allow same-sex marriage when the constitutional court definitively legalised it on 28 April, 2016. The Catholic country follows Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay in formally recognising the rights of same-sex couples to marry. ‘The judges affirmed by a majority that marriage between people of the same sex does not violate constitutional order,’ presiding Judge Maria Victoria Calle told the court. ‘The current definition of the institution of marriage in civil law applies to them in the same way as it does for couples of the same sex,’ she said.
Much Crime Unreported in Indian Cities, Sexual Harassment Complaints Ignored - Survey
Reuters - Mumbai, India, 4/28/2016
More than half the crimes in Mumbai and New Delhi go unreported, and police in those cities refuse to register most complaints of sexual harassment, according to the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative. A public survey in the two cities showed that sexual harassment of women was the third most common crime, but most people who did not report it said they did not want to be caught up in bureaucracy or did not believe the police could help. ‘It is virtually impossible to know the true extent of how much crime is not reported due to police refusal to register complaints, but anecdotally, the problem appears widespread,’ Abhijit Sarkar and Dripto Mukhopadhyay wrote in the CHRI report.
JNU is a Den of Organised Sex Racket, Says Dossier Prepared by University Teachers
India Today - New Delhi, India, 4/27/2016
A dossier prepared by a group of teachers of the Jawaharlal Nehru University is likely to add more fuel to the fiery controversy surrounding the prestigious academic institution. The 200-page report, which has been put together by a group of 11 JNU teachers, describes the university as a ‘den of organised sex racket.’ The document, which was prepared in 2015 and released only recently to a few journalists, has been submitted to the JNU administration, The Wire reports. The report has been prepared by a group of 11 teachers, who are believed to be close to the Bharatiya Janata Party and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, the students' wing of the RSS.
Learn From Filipino Counterparts and Engage With LGBT Community, Local Police Told
Malay Mail - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 4/27/2016
A transgender rights group told local police to engage with the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Queer (LGBTQ) community in Kuala Lumpur, highlighting the Philippines police force that has undergone sensitisation training with such groups. Justice for Sisters expressed concern that Deputy Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Datuk Seri Noor Rashid Ibrahim’s statement about not allowing openly LGBT people into the force, even if they are qualified, would further perpetuate homophobia and transphobia among police officers.
Leading LGBT Activist Among Two Hacked to Death in Bangladesh
South China Morning Post, Bangladesh, 4/25/2016
Two people were hacked to death on 25 April, 2016 at an apartment in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka, police said, with a local television channel identifying one of them as a leading gay rights activist. ‘Unidentified attackers entered an apartment at Kalabagan and hacked two people to death. Another person was injured,’ Dhaka Metropolitan Police spokesman Maruf Hossain Sorder said. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack through its news agency.
Call for Collaborative Efforts to Fight Gender-Based Violence
The New Times, Rwanda, 4/24/2016
There is need for collaborative efforts to fight gender-based violence and conflicts in the Great Lakes region. The call was made at a meeting on fighting gender based violence, in Kigali organised by MenEngage Africa (MEA), an alliance of organisations working with men and boys to promote gender equality in the Africa region, and the Rwanda Men’s Resource Centre (Rwamrec). Participants called on the private sector, government institutions, the United Nations agencies, international and civil society organisations operating in the Great Lakes region and from across Africa to work together to prevent and respond to sexual and gender-based violence in the region.
Stand Up For RH, Candidates Urged
The Manila Times, Philippines, 4/23/2016
Reproductive health advocates and leaders of various sectors called on candidates seeking national and local posts to ensure the full implementation of the Reproductive Health Law. In a news conference in Quezon City, the Purple Ribbon for RH Movement urged national and local candidates to give priority to public education on sexual and reproductive health and rights, and the delivery of reproductive health services, including modern family planning methods. ‘An overwhelming majority of Filipinos say family planning is important and that the government should fund planning services. Candidates should heed the people’s voice,’ said Romeo Dongeto, Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) Executive Director.
‘Smart Picnic’ Organised to Spread Awareness on Reproductive Health
The Himalayan Times - Chitwan, Nepal, 4/22/2016
As part of the government’s campaign to spread awareness on family planning and reproductive health among the newly-weds, a ‘smart picnic’ was organised in Siddhi of Chitwan. Newly-wed couples were invited to a picnic and informed about reproductive health and family planning. Siddhi is predominantly a settlement of the indigenous Chepang community. Under-age marriage is prevalent among Chepangs and they are completely unaware of reproductive health as well as family planning.
3rd Gender Gets a New Champion in Tamil Nadu Poll Ring
The Times of India - Tamilnadu, India, 4/22/2016
Social activist Gopi Shankar Madurai, a 25-year-old, openly intersex and gender queer person, feels that the election is the best platform to raise awareness about the challenges the intersex community in India faces. Shankar, part of the Anaithu Makkal Munnetra Kazhagam (AMMK), is all set to file his nomination for Madurai North constituency. While transgenders have contested polls before, Shankar is probably the first intersex candidate to do so in the state, or even the country.
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