Mozambique to Circumcise 100,000 Men in Bid to Prevent HIV/Aids
Standard Media, Mozambique, 4/30/2018
More than 100,000 men in Mozambique are to be circumcised in a bid to help prevent sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV and AIDS. The health authorities in the central province of Zambezia said their campaign would focus on the districts of Ato-Molocue, Ile, and Gurue, where circumcision is not a common practice. Abdul Razak, a medical doctor and governor of Zambezia, is backing the campaign, because he believes that it is an effective preventive measure. According to WHO, male circumcision reduces the risk of heterosexual men getting HIV by approximately 60 per cent.
Indonesia’s Bid to Make Homosexuality Illegal Has Temporarily Been Put on Hold
Gay Times, Indonesia, 4/29/2018
The LGBTQ community in Indonesia have been granted a temporary reprieve, as the Government announced that a bill proposing the criminalising of homosexuality is being put on hold for ‘two to three months’ so that the public can have their say. The announcement of the bill in February led to a national outcry from the public over some of its demands, especially those surrounding its moral policing. And now, having sensed the resentment surrounding the bill, the government has agreed to delay its decision on it. The public outcry mirrors a nationwide survey conducted in 2016, which found that although a majority of people wouldn’t accept a LGBTQ family member, they did believe that the government should protect their rights.
Kenya Bans Lesbian Love Story Film 'Rafiki' Set to Open at Cannes
Reuters - Nairobi, Kenya, 4/27/2018
Kenyan authorities have recently banned a film about a romantic relationship two women, on the grounds that ‘it promotes lesbianism’. ‘Rafiki’, a word that means ‘friend’ in Swahili, was invited to premiere at this year’s Cannes Film festival – the first Kenyan film to receive such an invite – but the Kenya Film Classification Board announced on May 27, 2018, that anyone found in possession of a copy of the film will be in ‘breach of the law’ which criminalises homosexuality in the country. This ban is yet another illustration of how homosexuality continues to remain taboo among African countries, leading to discrimination and harassment of the LGBTQ community.
Super Runner Semenya Faces New Testosterone Limits in Sports Gender Battle
Huffington Post, South Africa, 4/27/2018
Caster Semenya of South Africa and some other top female runners from the Global South will likely have to reduce their body’s natural testosterone levels to continue to compete in international races, under new rules. The rules issued on April 26, 2018, by the International Association of Athletics Federations set strict limits on testosterone levels for female and intersex athletes in women’s races. They represent a continuing struggle over how to create fair competition amid increased sensitivity about what constitutes gender in very binary sports establishments. These new rules can slow down Semenya, who won Olympic gold in 2012 and 2016, by up to seven seconds. It can also affect her chances of competing.
Indian Guru Asaram Bapu Jailed for Life for Raping Teenage Girl
The Guardian, India, 4/25/2018
An Indian court found controversial spiritual guru Asaram Bapu guilty of raping a teenage girl in 2013, and sentenced him to life in prison on April 25, 2018. In her complaint to police in 2013, the girl – who was 16 at that time – had accused Bapu of raping her in his retreat at Jodhpur. Bapu had denied the charges, but after nearly five years, the judge has convicted him on charges of criminal conspiracy, wrongful confinement and rape. Two of his aides, who abetted the sexual violence, have also been sentenced to 20 years in prison. It is the latest high-profile rape case in India, following others that have fuelled public protests and raised questions about the safety of women.
New Law to Pave Way for Same-Sex Partnerships
The Nation, Thailand, 4/25/2018
After years of calls by sexual diversity groups, a new law that would allow registered life partnership for same-sex couples is in the making in Thailand – with supporters expecting it to be promulgated within the term of the present government. For proponents, the long-awaited legislation is viewed as the first important step towards legalising same-sex marriage in Thailand. A Justice Ministry subcommittee charged with drafting the bill is scheduled to convene on May 4, 2018 before presenting the final draft, through the justice minister, to the Cabinet for approval, said a source at the ministry’s Rights and Liberties Protection Department (RLPD).
Was There Scientific Assessment That Death Penalty is Deterrent to Rape: Delhi High Court to Centre
The New Indian Express - New Delhi, India, 4/24/2018
The Delhi High Court asked the Centre, on April 24, 2018, if it had done any research or scientific assessment before deciding on the death penalty for those who rape children below the age of 12. The High Court was responding to an ordinance passed by the Cabinet to amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Evidence Act, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act to introduce this death penalty. The Centre's decision had come in response to the rapes in Kathua and Surat, but the High Court believes that such a judgement doesn’t address the ‘root cause’ and will be ineffective.
Gay Hotelier Moves SC Against Sec 377; Top Court Seeks Centre’s Response
The Times of India - New Delhi, India, 4/24/2018
Indian hotelier Keshav Suri, who runs the Lalit Group of hotels, approached the Supreme Court on April 23, 2018 to challenge Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code and to subsequently push for decriminalising gay sex. The court agreed to hear his plea and issued a notice to the Centre. Citing recent verdicts of the apex court upholding the right of choice and right to privacy of citizens, the 33-year-old businessman, who claims to be in a committed relationship with another man, said the penal provision was discriminatory and there was no logic for declaring intercourse between two individuals of the same sex as against the order of nature.
Rights Report Criticizes Chinese Companies Over Gender Discrimination
Daily Sabah, China, 4/23/2018
A new report by Human Rights Watch, titled ‘Only Men Need Apply: Gender Discrimination in Job Advertisements in China’, has recently exposed the stark gender discrimination in the hiring processes of a series of private and public companies – from issuing ‘men only’ job ads, to requests for women applicants to be ‘trim’ and ‘aesthetically pleasing’. According to the report, this discrimination is contributing to a drop in the female workforce and a widening gender pay gap. Although gender discrimination is illegal in China, the rules are unclear and rarely enforced. Some women have succeeded in taking employers to court over discriminatory job adverts, but the fines firms are made to pay as a result are nearly negligible.
Papua New Guinea's Critical HIV Drugs Shortage Sparks Warning that People May Die
ABC News, Papua New Guinea, 4/22/2018
Papua New Guineans living with HIV may lose their lives if critical anti-retroviral drugs used to treat the virus are not restocked soon, a member of the local HIV advocacy body has warned. The amount of available drugs has fallen to low levels, and the country's medical facilities have begun eating into its emergency stock. The Health Secretary has said that the government is maintaining close contact with donor partners for help with the restocking. Papua New Guinea has disproportionately high rates of HIV for the region, comprising of 95 per cent of the cases in the Pacific, but the country’s 2018 budget allocated only 3.6 million to HIV and AIDS treatment drugs, down from 8 million in 2017.
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