Saudi Arabia Joins G20 Women’s Empowerment Initiative
Arab News - Osaka, Japan, 6/29/2019
Saudi Arabia joined an initiative on women’s empowerment at the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan – which is a renowned international economic summit where representatives various nations across the world take part. The Kingdom signed a pledge to promote participation of women in the workforce, enhance women’s education and stimulate involvement of women in the small to medium business sector. Saudi Arabia is now one of the members of the ‘troika’ that organises the summit’s activities to promote female participation in economics and politics. Though Saudi Arabia gave women the right to drive in 2018 – which was a significant women’s rights victory – the kingdom has been often criticised for its suppression of women’s agency and voices, and the various other social barriers it places on women.
Dalai Lama’s Remark That a Female Successor ‘Should be More Attractive’ Irks Many
Indian Express, India, 6/28/2019
A statement by the spiritual leader Dalai Lama on a potential woman successor ended up stirring a debate and upsetting many. In the interview conducted by BBC News, the Dalai Lama talked at length about issues like growing intolerance in the world, but when asked about a woman successor, he replied, ‘If a female Dalai Lama comes, she should be more attractive.’ Though the spiritual leader also went on to talk about equality and women’s rights, his comment about ‘attractiveness’ was called out online for being sexist. The Dalai Lama had made a similar comment in 2015, when he had said that a future Dalai Lama certainly could be a woman, but would be “not much use” if she wasn’t good looking.
Goa: Government Approves Amendment to Factories Act to Allow Women to Work Night Shifts
The Times of India - Goa, India, 6/27/2019
An amendment proposed in the Factories Act, 1948 will facilitate women to work in night shifts from 7 pm and 6 am in Goa. The cabinet on June 26, 2019 approved the amendment and introduction of the same in Goa legislative assembly. The amendment, while allowing women to work in night shifts, further states that conditions for ensuring the safety of women who work in any factory or manufacturing process on the night shift be specified by employers. Deputy chief minister Vijai Sardesai said the amendment was necessary to make more job opportunities available and end discrimination against female factory workers. The previous specific provisions restricting the employment of women at night had had a deterring effect on the employment of women.
Nakuru Sex Workers Protest Harassment by Police
Daily Nation - Nakuru, Kenya, 6/26/2019
Commercial sex workers in Nakuru are up in arms over alleged harassment by county askaris and police. Their protest comes a day after the law enforcers, acting on instructions of Governor Lee Kinyanjui, arrested dozens of sex workers and kept them in lockup for 48 hours. Sex work, like gay marriages and abortion, remain illegal in Kenya despite the strides Nairobi has made in its human rights record. Ms Daisy Achieng, the chairlady of Smart Ladies, the sex workers’ lobby, asked law enforcers to respect their work and treat them like other Kenyans. According to Ms Achieng, more than 100 commercial sex workers had been mistreated in police cells when they had been arrested, many of whom reported being brutally attacked.
Non-Marriage Very Rare in India but Divorces Doubled in Past Two Decades: Report
Livemint - New Delhi, India, 6/25/2019
While non-marriage remains extremely rare in India, where less than 1% of all women aged 45-49 have never been married, the number of divorcees has doubled over the past two decades, revealed a report from United Nations released on June 25, 2019. The report titled ‘Progress of the World’s Women 2019-2020: Families in a Changing World’ highlighted that despite increasing rates of divorce, only 1.1% of women are divorced, with those in urban areas making up the largest proportion in India. The report said that as the women’s rights have advanced over the past decades, families around the world have become a place of love and solidarity but also one where fundamental human rights violations and gender inequalities persist.
The Forum Says ‘Tis Time to Address LGBT Issues
Manila Standard, Philippines, 6/24/2019
Amidst celebrations of Pride Month in the Phillippines, an advocacy organisation said it was time to beef up the welfare of the LGBT community, who have unique sexual and reproductive health needs. ‘They must be equal before our laws and must be able to access opportunities and services among others just like any and all Filipinos,’ said The Forum for Family Planning and Development (The Forum), a key advocacy organisation that works in communities to advance reproductive and sexual rights. Representatives of The Forum said the efforts of local governments to implement ordinances that prevent and prohibit abuse, exploitation, bullying and acts that limit employment, education and other opportunities for LGBTQ people should set precedents for more political leaders to formulate similar laws.
Health Dept to Conduct ‘Biological Survey’ to Curb Spread of HIV in Sindh
The Express Tribune - Karachi, Pakistan, 6/23/2019
In a bid to control the rapid spread of HIV in Sindh, officials from the Sindh health department and the Sindh AIDS Control Programme have announced that it will conduct a biological and behavioural survey across the province, starting July 2019. Sindh has been hit hard by an HIV outbreak, reports of which first surfaced in Larkana during April 2019. Following this, government bodies have attempted to control the worsening crisis. The survey is one in a string of multiple HIV prevention measures taken by the provincial health department since the breakout. The survey results will reveal details about communities most vulnerable to HIV and the number of people already affected by it, which will help the government formulate further preventive measures.
Trafficking of Nepali Women, Girls Continues Unabated, Says Report
The Himalayan Times - Kathmandu, Nepal, 6/22/2019
Human traffickers have been exploiting Nepali women and girls through sex trafficking and forced domestic work in Nepal, India, and the Middle East; especially in Gulf countries, Asia, and East Africa, says a 2019 Trafficking in Persons Report released on June 21, 2019. The report has classified Nepal as a Tier 2 country, which means that the Government of Nepal does not fully meet the minimum standards for elimination of trafficking, although it is making significant efforts towards this end. According to the report, some Nepali women, who agree to arranged marriages through Nepali companies to men in China and South Korea, often face fraud and are forced into domestic work or sex work. Transgender people in Nepal are also vulnerable to sex trafficking.
Move to End Sexual Harassment at Work Hailed as 'Milestone for Women's Rights’
The Guardian, 6/21/2019
Millions of women around the world, from domestic workers to CEOs, could soon be legally protected against sexual harassment and violence in their places of work. After the adoption of a ‘milestone’ treaty by the International Labour Organisation, sparked by the #MeToo movement, a global set of standards has been established to prevent, identify and provide redress in cases of gender-based violence and harassment. The convention, which is the first of its kind and will be binding on governments that ratify it, will require states to develop national laws prohibiting workplace violence and provide protection measures and victim services to combat potential retaliation. There has been no international standard on workplace violence and harassment until now.
LGBT Campaigners Call for Rights Panel
Bangkok Post, Thailand, 6/20/2019
LGBTQ rights campaigners and activists in Thailand have petitioned a parliamentary committee to usher in a panel that monitors protections for LGBTQ people. The petition was submitted to Thanikan Ponpongsaroj, spokeswoman of a committee responsible for drafting the rules governing the meeting of the House of Representatives. Submitted by Kittinan Tharamathat, president of the Rainbow Sky Association of Thailand, an LGBTQ-rights group, and human rights activists Nada Chaijit and Sirisak Chaithet, the aim behind the petition was to advocate for a greater awareness of gender and sexual diversity within policy-making so as to help create both awareness and policies that promote LGBTQ equality. LGBTQ people still face multiple social barriers in Thailand because there is no law or policy that protects them from being treated unfairly.
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