Three Ex-Afghan Women MPs Leave India for Europe
The Hindu, Afghanistan, 9/30/2021
Three women Afghan political leaders, who had taken refuge in India after the fall of Kabul, have left for Europe. The Hindu was urged not to reveal the identity of the three former MPs who were known for their fierce criticism of the Taliban. The three former MPs were being assisted by Vital Voices, an international group also known for assisting Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai. The MPs travelled via Dubai where they boarded a connecting flight to a European country. “Once we are settled in the west, we will restart our political campaign for freeing Afghanistan,” said one of the MPs who pointed to the heightened risk that their families continue to face under Taliban rule.
Most Women in Managerial Posts in Northeast, AP & Punjab
The Times of India, India, 9/29/2021
The Indian north-eastern states generally have the highest ratio of women workers in managerial positions, with Meghalaya topping the chart with 34.1% followed by Sikkim and Mizoram, according to the annual bulletin of the Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS). Andhra Pradesh (32.3%) and Punjab (32.1%) are also among the states with a larger representation of the women in the managerial positions, while Assam has the lowest ratio (6.9%). At the all-India level, the ratio of female workers in managerial positions is at 18.7%. It is at 21.4% in rural areas and 16.4% in urban areas. Women’s participation in the workforce has emerged as an area of concern in recent years as the share has dipped.
Women Across Latin America March in Favour of Abortion Rights
Reuters - Mexico City, Mexico, 9/28/2021
Thousands of women demonstrated in several Latin American cities to commemorate the Global Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion, in a region where the procedure is fully permitted only in a handful of countries. In Mexico City, women marched to the historic center under the gaze of police with shields and riot helmets. Authorities put up protective fences on some major buildings and monuments that in the past have been spray-painted during demonstrations. Mexico's Supreme Court recently declared it unconstitutional to criminalise abortion and, shortly after, the government said that those jailed on accusations of having terminated their pregnancy would be released.
China to Reduce Abortions as Part of New Guidelines for Women
Business Standard, China, 9/27/2021
China will reduce the number of abortions for non-medical purposes while at the same time provide more support to women to raise children as the country tries to halt a declining birthrate. The State Council, the equivalent of a government cabinet, released comprehensive guidelines on September 27, 2021 on women’s development from 2021 to 2030, with wide-ranging targets from reducing abortions to increasing women’s access to nutrition, education, employment and higher ranking posts in the government. The guidelines didn’t elaborate on what constitutes a non-medical abortion. The aim to reduce abortions is to improve women’s reproductive health, with the government also pledging to improve sex education and awareness to prevent unwanted pregnancies, it said.
Justice Ramana Calls for 50% Reservation for Women in Indian Judiciary
The Telegraph, India, 9/26/2021
Chief Justice of India N V Ramana exhorted women lawyers to strongly raise their demand for 50% reservation in the judiciary while assuring them of his "total support". Speaking at a felicitation function organised by Lady Advocates of the Supreme Court for the nine newly appointed judges, including three women judges, the Chief Justice of India said that he believes in “mixing with people” and said that out of 1.7 million advocates in the country, only 15% are women and only 2% elected representatives in the state bar councils are women. In addition, he shed light on the need for a Judicial Infrastructure Corporation, citing that in 6,000 courts across the country, 22% of them do not have separate toilets for women.
Feminist Rights Activist Kamla Bhasin Passes Away at 75
The Times of India, India, 9/25/2021
Women’s rights and peace activists from across countries in South Asia, are taking to social media platforms to mourn the demise of the feminist activist Kamla Bhasin. 75 years old Kamla Bhasin was a familiar name in rights and peace circles especially in India and Pakistan. She was a regular in peace conferences and despite suffering from cancer she used to appear at various platforms virtually. She was a big votary of easing of relations and advocated that peace be given a chance apart from raising issues of women rights. Activists including Beena Sarwar and Prashant Bhushan and many more from India and Pakistan wrote obituaries and recalled their shared memories with Kamla Bhasin and paid tribute to her contributions in diverse fields.
Indian Women Journalists' Group Organises Fundraiser for Afghan Counterparts
The Wire - New Delhi, India, 9/24/2021
The Network of Women in Media, India, in solidarity with the “journalists and all other beleaguered civilians in Afghanistan, especially women” had started a fundraiser for Afghan women journalists on September 9, 2021. Within two weeks, the group has raised US$ 50,000, roughly about Rs. 37 lakh. The money raised will be donated directly to the cause after taking care of minimal expenses. “It is a tiny drop in an ocean of need. Funds are required for flight tickets, visas, and even for daily subsistence and milk for children. So we hope to raise much more,” Laxmi Murthy, a journalist based in Bengaluru and member of the Network of Women in Media, India, said.
Kenya Bans Gay Documentary Film ‘I Am Samuel’
All Africa - Nairobi, Kenya, 9/23/2021
Kenyan authorities on September 22, 2021 banned a documentary film about two gay partners, ‘I am Samuel’, produced by Peter Murimi and Tony Kamau. The film portrays what they describe as resilience among LGBTQIA+. Chris Wambua, the Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Film and Classification Board (KFCB) said the film’s content attempted to normalise same-sex marriage, violating Article 165 of the Penal Code and the Films and Stage Plays Act Cap 222, which outlaws homosexuality. The KFCB said the documentary sought to propagate “values that are in dissonance with our constitution, culture values and norms.” Homosexuality is taboo across much of Africa, and LGBTQIA+ people often face discrimination or persecution.
NHRC’s Notice Over Welfare of Transgender People
The Times of India - New Delhi, India, 9/22/2021
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the secretary of Delhi government’s social welfare department on the basis of a complaint against not initiating proposed welfare measures for transgender people in the capital. NHRC has sought an ‘action-taken’ report from the department within six-weeks. The complainant, Dr. Aqsa Shaikh, said that the social welfare department had conducted meetings for implementation of the welfare schemes for transgender people under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2019, but no action had been taken since the last meeting in February, 2021. At the meeting, it was proposed to issue an order for the formation of a transgender welfare board, added Dr. Shaikh.
South Sudanese Officials Intimidate Sex Worker on Camera
All Africa, Sudan, 9/20/2021
A video posted on social media by the Office of the Mayor of Juba City Council, has shown a group of male officials and armed police officers harassing a woman sex worker. The video also announced that 40 other people, mainly women accused of witchcraft or sex work, had been arrested. The video, intended to stigmatise sex work, demonstrates yet again how criminalisation of sex work in South Sudan exposes workers to abuse and exploitation. In South Sudan, sex work, along with running or owning a brothel, living off the earnings of sex work, and “enticing a woman into ‘prostitution’” are criminalised.
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