Three-Child Policy: China Lifts Cap on Births in Major Policy Shift
Reuters - Beijing, China, 5/31/2021
According to an announcement by China on May 31, 2021, married Chinese couples will be able to have up to three children. Beijing scrapped its decades-old one-child policy in 2016, replacing it with a two-child limit, which failed to result in a sustained surge in births given the high cost of raising children in Chinese cities. Xinhua News Agency has stated that the policy change will come with “supportive measures” such as lower educational costs for families, housing support and clamp down on “sky-high” dowries without giving specifics. Zhang Xinyu, a 30-year-old mother of one from Henan province, said the core reason why women were reluctant to have more children was that women bore most of the responsibility for raising children.
Women in India Had Irregular Gap in Menstrual Cycle During Covid-19 Pandemic: Study
The Times of India - New Delhi, India, 5/30/2021
During the COVID-19 pandemic, women in India have been facing irregular gaps in their menstrual cycle due to everyday stress and anxiety brought on by the pandemic, according to the sixth annual Menstrual Hygiene Survey by Everteen, a feminine hygiene brand. The findings of the survey were released on the eve of Menstrual Hygiene Day, observed annually on May 28. Nearly 5,000 women belonging to the age group of 18 to 35, from Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata participated in the survey. It revealed that more than 41 percent of women experienced an unusually irregular gap in their period, given that only 14 percent of the women who participated said they had been infected by COVID-19 at some point.
Why Is India’s Condom Usage So Low? First ‘Condomology’ Report Notes Social Factors
The Print - New Delhi, India, 5/29/2021
According to India’s first ever ‘Condomology’ report prepared by Condom Alliance, an increasing number of unplanned pregnancies, unsafe abortions and the rise in the number of STIs serve as a significant barrier for achieving the nation’s goal of sustainable development for the youth. Despite government led campaigns to spread awareness about contraceptives, India’s condom market has seen an annual growth rate (CAGR) of just 2% over the last few years, the report stated. Questions over the need of a condom, the correct way to use it, and how to buy it, emerged as key reasons behind the hesitancy for condom use. Vithika Yadav, a member of Condom Alliance and founder, Love Matters, has stressed on the need for open and engaging communication around contraception.
Namibia Considers Scrapping Colonial Era Gay Sex Ban
Reuters - Johannesburg, South Africa, 5/28/2021
Namibia could soon scrap a colonial-era law that criminalises gay sex between men, Justice Minister Yvonne Dausab said on May 28, 2021. There were 115 reported cases under the law between 2003 and 2019, according to a report by the Law Reform and Development Commission, which works to repeal outdated legislation dating from South African colonial rule. Rights campaigners said that while convictions were relatively rare, the law perpetuated discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community and meant gay men lived in fear of arrest. The law allows police to use “deadly force” when arresting men suspected of having sex with other men, without using a warrant.
Miss South Africa Pageant to Accept Trans Women Entrants
Manila Bulletin, Thailand, 5/27/2021
For the first time, the Miss South Africa beauty pageant will allow transgender women to compete in the premiere contest. Trans women are eligible to enter the Miss South Africa pageant, read the Miss South Africa organization announcement on its website. However, in order to be eligible to compete internationally, the contestant must be in possession of a valid South African ID document reflecting that their amended sex is female. The search for Miss South Africa opened on May 25, 2021. South Africa is only the second country to open its national search to trans women. The first country to allow trans women to compete in a beauty pageant was Spain.
Women's Groups Call for Immediate Release of Detained Women, LGBTQ+ Human Rights Defenders in Myanmar
Manila Bulletin, Myanmar, 5/26/2021
In the months since Myanmar’s military coup in early February 2021, at least 800 women, including young LGBTQIA+ activists have been arrested since the military junta took power. The women-led human rights network of activists Just Associates (JASS) said those arrested were beaten, abused, sexually harassed, and denied healthcare. As of April 30, 2021, 47 women have been killed by state forces in Myanmar. In a joint statement, women’s groups expressed outrage at the political killings and the impunity committed by the police and the military. The statement condemned the neglect of ailing political prisoners being denied medical attention, and the unjust arbitrary arrest and detention of women and LGBTQIA+ protesters in Myanmar.
One-Stop Centres to Provide Legal, Medical Support for Indian Women to Be Set Up Across 9 Countries
The Times of India - New Delhi, India, 5/25/2021
In order to assist Indian women facing violence or any kind of distress when they are visiting overseas or living there, the Indian government has decided to set up one-stop-centres (OSC) to provide legal, medical and emotional support across 10 missions in 9 countries to begin with. The Ministry of External Affairs will set up and operate these OSCs in the mission aboard with support from the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development. While OSCs across states provides support to survivors of rape and assault, Women and Child Development (WCD) has also decided to provide additional support through Nirbhaya Fund for minor survivors of rape who are abandoned by families including survivors who are pregnant.
‘Don’t Need Marriage Certificate for Hospitals’: Centre Pans ‘Urgency’ of Same-Sex Marriage Pleas
The Wire - New Delhi, India, 5/24/2021
The Centre has told the Delhi high court that an urgent hearing of pleas seeking recognition to same-sex marriages was not warranted under current conditions. “You don’t need marriage certificates for hospitals. Nobody is dying because they don’t have marriage certificates,” Solicitor General Tushar Mehta has said reportedly. This comment came after senior advocate Maneka Guruswamy told the court that admission in hospitals and treatment for COVID-19 were proving hurdles without valid marriage certificates for same-sex couples. The Centre has submitted a letter asking for adjournment of the hearing to July 6, 2021 and said that the court was hearing cases that were “extremely urgent”.
Iran Names Squad for Asian Women's Volleyball C’ship
Tehran Times - Tehran, Iran, 5/23/2021
Head of Iran’s women’s volleyball team, Fariba Sadeghi, has named her 22-player squad for the 2021 Asian Women's Volleyball Championship. The players will participate in the training camp which will start in Tehran on May 27, 2021 to prepare for the Asian Women's Volleyball Championship. The competition will be held in the Philippines from August 29, 2021 to September 5, 2021. The tournament serves as part of Asian qualification for the 2022 FIVB Volleyball Women's World Championship, with the top two nations including winners and runners-up advancing to the qualifying tournaments.
First Oxygen Express Run by Women Pilots Clock High Speed of 80 Kmph
The Times of India - New Delhi, India, 5/22/2021
An Oxygen Express train carrying 120 metric tonnes of Liquid Medical Oxygen (LMO) from Jharkhand, has arrived in Bengaluru. The train was piloted by an 'All Female Crew' from Jolarpettai in neighbouring Tamil Nadu to Bengaluru. This Oxygen Express train will ensure continued supply of Oxygen for COVID-19 patients in the state, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal tweeted. An all-women crew piloting an Oxygen Express is rare because we don't have many women loco-pilots in Railways, said Chief Public Relations Officer of South Western Railways Aneesh Hegde. Meanwhile, the eighth consignment of the lifesaving gas weighing 109.2 metric tonnes reached the city from Jamnagar, Gujarat.
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