Stories about Women & Gender from August, 2019
In Nigeria, disability activists say social stigma is greatest obstacle to human rights
“Many people see disability as a charity issue rather than a human rights issue, says Ekaete Umoh, a disability rights activist in Nigeria.
In São Paulo’s outskirts, mothers’ face challenges to access ‘humanized childbirth’
Obstetric violence, absence of birth centres, professionals without training in humanised delivery: how can women have a safe and humanised birth in the outskirts of Brazil's biggest city?
Cinema and new laws bring greater acceptance and visibility for Vietnamese transgenders
LGBTQ+ identities are gaining legal and social recognition in Vietnam, as a documentary illustrates.
In Pakistan, it's an uphill battle for women who report sexual harassment
In the past few years, Pakistan saw an increasing number of harassing women on the street by means of indecent exposure or exhibition. Police already arrested three men.
Vitriolic response to art exhibit tests the limits of freedom of speech in Japan
A controversial art exhibition at an arts festival in Japan has led to government criticism, threats, at least one arrest, protests by artists and questions about freedom of expression.
Malaria has affected over 5 million people in Burundi so far this year
In Burundi, so far this year, malaria has affected 5,738,661 million people — that's about half its population. Yet, the government hesitates to declare an epidemic.
Tokyo Interlopers provides a glimpse of life in Japan from a foreign perspective
The full archive of Tokyo Interlopers profiles provides a fascinating glimpse of life in the Japanese metropolis from a foreign perspective.
#MeToo catches on in Pakistan's entertainment industry
Amidst the #MeToo movement, Pakistani showbiz has been caught up in a hurl with accusations of sexual misconduct, domestic violence and much more.
Kenyan MP and her baby ordered out of parliament: ‘What was I supposed to do? Miss my duties?’
"I had an emergency, so what was I supposed to do? Miss parliament and my duties — just because I have a baby?"
Mozambique criminalizes child marriage
According to one study, Mozambique is the 11th country in the world with the highest rate of child marriages.
Witch-hunting still claims lives in rural India
Witch-hunting is a practice that still exists in some parts of India where people, mostly women, are branded witches and treated inhumanly often leading to mob-lynching.
Sentencing of Turkish social media influencer sparks debate on free speech
A Turkish Twitter celebrity is being sued for allegedly advocating drug consumption, reigniting the debate about online freedom of expression
Mozambique, Cote d'Ivoire make legal strides for women and children’s rights
In July 2019, Mozambique and Cote d'Ivoire were the latest countries in sub-Saharan Africa to strengthen marriage laws to empower girls and women. But implementation and enforcement remain a challenge.
Ugandan feminist Stella Nyanzi deploys nude protest to challenge free speech sentence
Feminist scholar Stella Nyanzi, known for "radical rudeness" as protest, flashed her breasts and shouted obscenities in protest in court after receiving 9 more months in prison for cyber harassment.