Accusations of blasphemy are being used by conservatives in Pakistan to discredit the organizers of the annual “Aurat Azadi March” (Women’s Freedom March). The Pakistan Penal code treats blasphemy as a criminal offence punishable by fines, incarceration or death. The law is frequently exploited to persecute minorities and groups perceived
On March 22nd, Honduran environmental defender Carlos Cerros was shot and killed in front of his children near the city of San Antonio, Intibucá. Cerros was a representative of the Indigenous Lenca people and the president of a local advocacy group, United Communities. His murder is the latest in a
Turkey has withdrawn from the landmark Istanbul Convention on women’s rights that it was the first to sign over a decade ago. Political contention over the treaty’s impact on the conservation of ‘traditional family values is thought to be the cause, although no official rationale has been given. The accord
On March 10, Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul’s attempt to appeal her sentence was denied by Saudi courts. Hathloul was sentenced to six years imprisonment in December for charges related to national security, although critics argue that the charges were politically motivated. She was released in mid-February but is
Switzerland is set to pass a new ban on face coverings following a 51.2 per cent majority on Sunday’s referendum, joining Germany, Austria, Denmark, France, Belgium, Latvia and Bulgaria. The ban was championed by the Swiss People’s Party (SVP), a right-wing populist political party whose alleged aim was to ‘stop
The recently formed Council for Inclusive Capitalism with the Vatican seeks to foster a more equitable financial system. The Council was announced in December of 2020 and comprises a group of CEOs and global leaders in collaboration with Pope Francis. The group hopes to realise a model of capitalism which
Saudi women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul was released from Saudi jail on February 10, 2021. Hathloul spent a total of almost three years in prison and was allegedly tortured, although the Saudi government has denied these claims. Hathloul was convicted of posing a threat to state security just six weeks
A group of Honduran migrants attempting to travel from San Pedro Sula to the United States was disbanded at the Guatemalan border on January 15th. The group consisted of approximately 8,000 Hondurans, many of whom had been internally displaced due to the devastating impact of hurricanes Eta and Iota in
On the 28th of January, President Biden released a memorandum intended to reverse the harm to women’s reproductive healthcare inflicted by the Trump administration. Among other things, the memorandum ordered the withdrawal of the U.S’s signature and sponsorship of the Geneva Consensus Declaration, a controversial international anti-abortion declaration. The declaration
A new bill protecting women against domestic violence has been drafted and approved by Iran’s cabinet as of January 3rd. The bill, named the Protection, Dignity and Security of Women Against Violence Bill, has been in progress for over a decade and is largely attributable to the work of women’s
