The last two rural abortion providers in Texas have closed, following the state’s passing of an anti-choice law last summer, known as HB2. This law requires abortion doctors to obtain admitting privileges at a local hospital. The two clinics, both outposts of a network of abortion providers called Whole Women’s Health, stayed open with drastically…
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A Kenyan pastor has banned women from wearing underwear in his church, as he believes it prohibits them from feeling close to god. According to the Kenyan Post, Reverend Njohi said that women attending his services are forbidden from wearing bras and underwear. He believes that those attending The Lord’s Propeller Redemption Church in Nairobi…
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Saudi Arabia imposes a strict interpretation of Islamic Law, particularly concerning women citizens and their rights. This law forbids women to work or travel without the authorisation of their male guardians. It is also the only country in the world which bans women from driving, and a woman cannot obtain an identification card without the…
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New anti-pornography legislation passed by the Ugandan government has been criticised by activists for its impact upon women. The new legislation covers a range of issues related to pornography, including child pornography, pornographic publications and even suggestive music videos. However the main controversy to arise from the changes was the provisions surrounding dress code. According…
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In Spain, abortion has been legalised since 1985. However a current Bill being debated in the Spanish Parliament looks set to change that. The new legislation being considered bans the procedure in most cases, allowing only for exceptions regarding a mother’s health and where the pregnancy was induced as a result of rape. Serious birth…
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US Secretary of State John Kerry announced last Tuesday that the United States will ban any perpetrators of sexual violence from obtaining US visas. The ban was announced during discussions on sexual violence in war zones. As part of these talks, Secretary Kerry met with British Foreign Minister William Hague, the US Ambassador at large for…
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In January 2014 I went on a volunteer trip to Nepal with an organisation called Student Volunteer Placement’s International (SVPI). SVPI is a relatively new organisation that was founded a few years ago by Neville and Banita, an Australian couple. On a visit to Nepal, the couple met Keshab, the manager of the Children’s Welfare…
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Ugandan President, Yoweri Museveni, has signed a bill that will toughen the penalties for LGBT people, including life sentences for gay sex and same-sex marriage. While a proposed sentence of up to 14 years for first-time offenders has been removed, homosexual acts are already illegal in Uganda. President Museveni had previously agreed to hold the…
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A step in the right direction for Libya this week: the creation of a law acknowledging and compensating the women raped in the 2011 uprising which removed Muammar Gaddafi from power. Hundreds of women may have been raped during the eight-month conflict (exact numbers have not been confirmed) according to the International Criminal Court, which…
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On Sunday, the women of Kazakhstan took to the streets to protest the impending ban on lace underwear. ‘Freedom to Panties’ was yelled as women gathered under the ‘Panties for the President’ protest, for the right to have access to lace underwear. Valery Koreshkov, minister for technical regulations in the Eurasian Economic Union, the planned successor to the Customs…
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The Federal government will put $4.2 million into two programs aimed at helping empower the women of Vietnam. Foreign Minister, Julie Bishop announced during her visit of the country that the money will be distributed equally between Vietnamese Women’s Union projects to end gender-based violence and for agricultural development. The funds for ending gender-based violence…
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Feminist punk rockers, Pussy Riot have been attacked in Sochi by the region’s Cossack militia. Video footage clearly shows members beginning to perform a song, when Cossacks cover singer Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (blue balaclava) with pepper spray and then proceed to whip, shove and unmask members. It additionally shows the militia – utilised by local police…
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Somayya Jabarti has made Saudi Arabian history as the nation’s first female newspaper editor, after being appointed to the top job at the national daily Saudi Gazette. English language broadsheet’s departing editor, Khaled Almaeena chose Jabarti for her strong work ethic. ‘It was not a question of gender but of merit that decided and earned…
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Thirty-five asylum seekers escaped from Manus Island detention centre on Sunday, after a violent clash with security forces. Following a meeting on Sunday evening, asylum seekers attempted to shatter windows and created weapons out of their beds and fencing, before fleeing the compound. The asylum seekers had been told by immigration officials that if they…
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