Women’s Body Writes to Meghalaya Over Death of Newborns, Pregnant Women
NDTV - New Delhi, India, 8/31/2020
The National Commission for Women (NCW) has written to the Meghalaya Chief Secretary over the death of 877 newborns and 61 pregnant women in the state in the four months starting from April, 2020 for want of medical attention and admission to hospitals. The fatalities were due to diseases other than from Covid-19. Director of Health Services, Aman War, said most women died because they were not admitted to hospitals or health centres for delivery, while newborn deaths were due to lack of medical attention, care, pneumonia and birth asphyxia. He added that the health department has urged hospitals and health centres not to refuse admission to patients including pregnant women even if they come from Covid-19 containment zones.
Fathers Working in UAE’s Private Sector Given Parental Leave for the First Time
The National, United Arab Emirates, 8/30/2020
According to a new law passed on August 30, 2020, private companies should give men and women employees five days of paid parental leave, within six months of the child’s birth. Previously, UAE law did not require private sector companies to provide the leave to male staff, although companies could include paid paternity leave at their discretion. The new law provides women employees five days of paid parental leave, in addition to the 45 days of maternity leave they are entitled to. This move is meant to ensure retention of female staff in the workplace. Middle-eastern countries including Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq and Syria do not provide paternal leave, while Iran gives father two weeks paid leave.
Brazil Expands Requirements for Abortions in Rape Cases
The Straits Times - Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, 8/29/2020
Brazil introduced new regulations on August 28, 2020 for women affected by rape seeking an abortion, which stipulate that the rape must be reported to police regardless of the woman’s wishes, that the woman must give doctors a detailed account of what happened, and that she must be warned of being persecuted for fraud if she is unable to prove her claim. The new rules came on the heels of an outcry earlier in August, 2020 over the case of a 10-year-old girl who was raped by her uncle and refused an abortion. The new regulations triggered immediate outcry from abortion rights activists. Lawmakers have written a letter to UN human-rights chief Michelle Bachelet urging her to intervene against the decree as a matter of protecting women’s rights.
House Panel OKs Bill Raising Statutory Rape Age
The Phil Star - Manila, Philippines, 8/29/2020
A House panel approved a bill seeking to expand the coverage of statutory rape law in Philippines on August 28, 2020. The bill proposes raising the maximum age covered by statutory rape from the current 12 years old to 16 years old and imposes 40 years imprisonment for guilty child sexual abuse offenders. Panel co-chair, Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez, said the measure would penalise any adult who has sexual intercourse with a minor below 16 years old regardless of consent. Romualdez added that the current age of 12 years old for determining the crime of statutory rape is not compliant with the international average as evidenced by a 2015 report released by the United Nations International Children’s Fund East Asia and Pacific Region.
Sexual Harassment in Public Transportation is Rampant, but Few Victims Speak Out
My Republica - Kathmandu, Nepal, 8/27/2020
According to the Metropolitan Police Office, sexual harassment in public spaces is rampant, and more so in public vehicles. In the last fiscal year alone, police filed cases against 312 individuals in the Valley for improper acts in public spaces; a majority of them targeted women in public vehicles. Even though the police ran safety campaigns in the past however, it was not effective. The police again plan to run another campaign post the pandemic. Nirmala Dhital, former chairperson of Nepal Disabled Women Association (NDWA) said, "And it goes without saying that women with physical disabilities are more vulnerable. If a visually impaired or women with other problems take public vehicles, they are most insecure."
Saudi Arabia: Ahlam Bint Abdulrahman Yanksar Becomes Foreign Ministry’s First Female Director-General
Gulf News, Saudi Arabia, 8/26/2020
The Saudi Foreign Ministry has appointed Ahlam Bint Abdulrahman Yanksar as director-general of the ministry’s department of cultural affairs, becoming the first woman to hold such a senior post in Saudi Arabia. Ahlam holds a master’s degree in international business administration from the University of London, the ministry said on its official Twitter account. She previously worked as a member of the team of the office of the ministry’s undersecretary for political and economic affairs and deputy head of the economic and cultural section at the Saudi embassy in London. In February 2019, Princess Reema Bint Bandar was appointed as the first female Saudi ambassador to the US.
Egypt Orders Arrests after Instagram Account Exposes Gang Rape
The Jerusalem Post, Egypt, 8/25/2020
Egyptian authorities have ordered the arrests of a group of men accused of being involved in a gang rape at a Cairo hotel amid a rare debate about sex crimes that started on social media and has fueled a growing #MeToo movement. Reportedly, the Instagram account that exposed the two cases closed after its administrators received repeated death threats but it has since been reactivated. Lack of action over the 2014 incident, that was reported to have involved six men from powerful families, caused an uproar after being disclosed in July, 2020 by an Instagram account with more than 180,000 followers that aims to expose sex attackers.
Tech Mahindra, Niti Aayog's WEP Partner to Support Women Entrepreneurs in India
The Economic Times - New Delhi, India, 8/24/2020
IT services major Tech Mahindra on August 224, 2020 said it has collaborated with the Niti Aayog's Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) to support women entrepreneurs across the country. As part of the collaboration, Tech Mahindra has partnered with the winners of Women Transforming India (WTI) Awards, an initiative of the Niti Aayog, to recognise women leaders in entrepreneurship across various sectors like healthcare and life sciences, agritech and education, among others. Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said the next-big disruption in the Indian start-up ecosystem will be driven by women-led entrepreneurs, with digital platforms being the biggest enabler.
Study: 24% of Female Online Entrepreneurs Shut Down Their Businesses in June
Dhaka Tribune, Bangladesh, 8/23/2020
A study titled "Knocked Down, but Up Again: The Case of Female Online Entrepreneurs in Bangladesh" has revealed that around 24% of female online entrepreneurs shut down their businesses in June, 2020 amid the pandemic. The study was conducted by the Brac Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD). Senior Fellow of Practice at BIGD Maheen Sultan mentioned how the 5% allocated for women entrepreneurs in the Tk 2,000 crore stimulus package by Bangladesh Bank, was clearly not being translated or communicated with commercial banks. As per the study, staying indoors resulted in most of them spending a significant amount of time in household chores. This has cut down the time spent in running businesses or office related-work.
Woman’s Ordeal Highlights Newly Identified Sex Trafficking Routes
The Standard - Kenya, Africa, 8/22/2020
In the past year, the International Organization of Migration (IOM) repatriated 12 Kenyan women who had been trafficked to India, the first time it said it had been asked to help Kenyans in India. Most Kenyans who have been trafficked end up in the Middle East, especially Saudi Arabia, according to Kenya's National Crime Research Center, which did not have a more specific country-by-country breakdown available. Sharon Dimanche, head of the IOM in Kenya said, "With the economic losses that we are experiencing as a result of the pandemic we are potentially going to see more cases (of people) being trafficked or re-trafficked."
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