A new legislation has been passed by the Afghanistan parliament, which ‘will allow men to attack their wives, children and sisters without the fear of punishment.’ The law makes it impossible for anyone to testify against relatives and for evidence to be brought against those who are related to domestic violence victims. Lastly, those…
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With the world gearing up for the Sochi Winter Olympic Games, Russian media are showcasing their nation’s female athletes with their gear off. Russian website AdMe.Ru has posted a series of photographs, believing ‘Russian sportswomen are the best campaigners for [their] team in Sochi*’, albeit for the wrong reasons. The photographs depict the medal-winning Russian…
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Today, Scotland has become the 17th country to legalise same-sex marriage! The first Scottish same-sex weddings can now take place in October, after the vote passed parliament 105 to 18. The parliament also voted down several attempts to amend the bill to protect the rights/interests of religious celebrants who opposed the law. Scottish health secretary,…
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At a press conference on Thursday, 12 Democrat female Senators spoke up in favour of U.S. President Barack Obama’s State of the Union remarks about ‘income equality, in which he committed to issuing an Executive Order raising the minimum wage for new federal contractors to $10.10.’ The current minimum wage in America is $7.25. The…
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Last week, the Obama administration released a report and launched a new initiative to combat, and hopefully end rape and sexual assault on college campuses in the US. The President has requested that those schools that receive federal funding are held accountable for accurate reporting. Obama said, “’sexual assault is an affront to our basic…
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You may not have known that, until this week, in Italy, children of married couples were required by law to take their father’s surname. Required. By. Law. None of this ‘aww it’d be a nice nod to tradition for the kids to have his name’/ ‘his name sounds all sexy and Germanic and we’d obvs…
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Collecting clean water in India will soon become an easier process as the WaterWheel is set to be made available to citizens of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat states. The 50 litre rolling plastic drum manufactured by US social venture Wello will mainly help women – who traditionally collect water for their families – navigate…
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Iran is ditching free condoms and government-backed vasectomies in an effort to address the country’s aging population and low birth rates. For two decades the nation has successfully lowered their birth rate. But larger families are now being preached in an effort to promote a baby boom. The Iranian government are even offering gold coins…
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Saudi Arabia’s first female licensed attorney, Bayan Mahmoud Al-Zahran, has established an all-women law firm seeking to give women fair representation under the legal system. The firm is the first of its kind, coming just shortly after Saudi Arabia allowed women to serve in court at all. Al-Zahran’s vision for the firm is to explicitly fight for…
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Russian Feminist punk rockers, Pussy Riot are finally set to be released from prison after a year in Siberian prison camps and global outcry. Thanks to a new, PR-friendly change to Russia’s laws, the remaining two band members Nadezha Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina still behind bars are to be freed. A third Pussy Riot member,…
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Women enlisted in the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) are facing routine abuses, including sexual slavery, forced abortions and infanticide. FARC’s female soldiers are reportedly subjected to the sexual whims of commanders and all are given routine contraceptive injections. The Marxist rebel forces lure in girls with the promise of a better quality of…
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As the Philippines struggles to deal with the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan, which ripped through the country two weeks ago, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is focusing on re-establishing women’s health and safety services. The nation’s death toll stands at 5,200 people and is expected to rise. Millions of others have been displaced, resulting…
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A teenager from Massachusetts recently discovered on her MacBook that Apple had defined the word “gay” as ‘foolish, stupid or unimpressive’. Stating that she was ‘in disbelief’, Becca Gormon immediately sent an email to Apple chief executive Tim Cook, who is openly gay and frequently lobbies for equal work rights for homosexuals. While the entry…
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You may remember the news headlines earlier this year about Russian punk-rock band ‘Pussy Riot,’ if not, here’s an update about what’s going on: Pussy Riot made headlines worldwide with their fluorescent, flash-mob performances of noisy free speech, which nevertheless were harmless. The band, consisting of three young women in their twenties, two of them…
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