All posts tagged: women’s rights

Indian doctors call nationwide strike over rape and murder of Kolkata medic | Protests News

Indian doctors call nationwide strike over rape and murder of Kolkata medic | Protests News

Hospitals to suspend non-essential services and medical procedures on Saturday as public fury over brutal attack grows. Indian doctors have called for a nationwide shutdown of hospital services as public fury over the rape and murder of a trainee medic in the eastern city of Kolkata last week mounts. The Indian Medical Association (IMA), the country’s largest grouping of medics with 400,000 members, said the 24-hour shutdown would be implemented on Saturday, affecting most hospital departments except for essential services. The shutdown comes after thousands of people took to the streets in several cities to express their outrage at the rape and murder of a 31-year-old trainee doctor, whose brutalised body was found on August 9 at Kolkata’s state-run RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. On Friday, large protests were held in various cities – including Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal state, Mumbai in the west and Hyderabad in southern India – demanding justice and better security at medical campuses and hospitals. “We want justice,” doctors chanted in Kolkata, waving handwritten signs that read, …

Taliban ‘deliberately deprived’ 1.4 million girls of schooling: UN | Education News

Taliban ‘deliberately deprived’ 1.4 million girls of schooling: UN | Education News

As Afghanistan’s rulers mark three years in power, the future of an entire generation of girls is ‘in jeopardy’, UN says. Afghanistan’s Taliban government has “deliberately deprived” at least 1.4 million girls of their right to an education during its three years in power, according to the United Nations. About 300,000 more girls are missing out on school since UNESCO last carried out a count in April 2023, it said on Thursday and warned that “the future of an entire generation is now in jeopardy”. Taking into account the number of girls not going to school before the Taliban came to power in August 2021, the UN’s educational and cultural agency said 80 percent of Afghan school-age girls – a total of 2.5 million – are now being denied their right to an education. “UNESCO is alarmed by the harmful consequences of this increasingly massive drop-out rate, which could lead to a rise in child labour and early marriage,” it said in a statement. Afghanistan is the only country in the world to stop girls …

Nika Shakarami: The Unveiling of a Tragedy

Nika Shakarami: The Unveiling of a Tragedy

In September 2022, a young voice spoke out against Iran’s rulers. Nika Shakarami, just 16, walked the streets dreaming of freedom. Her story, filled with defiance and suffering, inspires a nation eager to be free from oppression’s grasp. Nika’s brief life showed the energy of youth. While her personal life remains mostly unknown, her bravery on a critical day reveals her character. Mahsa Amini’s death, due to police treatment over wearing a so-called improper hijab, sparked outrage in Iran. Nika, like many, couldn’t stay quiet. She joined others in demanding change, armed with only water and a towel for protection from tear gas. In the last known photo, Nika stands bravely among protestors. Yet, on September 20th, 2022, she vanished. Ten agonizing days followed as her family searched desperately. Their worst fears came true when authorities reported finding a body resembling Nika’s during investigations. The official story claimed Nika died by suicide from a fall, but inconsistencies raised doubts – a strange photo of her body, the lack of a proper farewell. Nika’s family, grieving …

Alabama Groups Can Sue Over Threat of Prosecution for Helping With Abortion Travel

Alabama Groups Can Sue Over Threat of Prosecution for Helping With Abortion Travel

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge on Monday said abortion rights advocates can proceed with lawsuits against Alabama’s attorney general over threats to prosecute people who help women travel to another state to terminate pregnancies. U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson denied Attorney General Steve Marshall’s request to dismiss the case. The groups said Marshall has suggested anti-conspiracy laws could be used to prosecute those who help Alabama women obtain an abortion in another state. The two lawsuits seek a legal ruling clarifying that the state can’t prosecute people for providing such assistance. Alabama bans abortion at any stage of pregnancy with no exceptions for rape and incest. While Thompson did not issue a final ruling, he said the organizations “correctly contend” that the attorney general “cannot constitutionally prosecute people for acts taken within the State meant to facilitate lawful out of state conduct, including obtaining an abortion.” “Alabama can no more restrict people from going to, say, California to engage in what is lawful there than California can restrict people from coming to Alabama …

Saudi court ‘secretly’ hands 11-year sentence to women’s rights activist

Saudi court ‘secretly’ hands 11-year sentence to women’s rights activist

A Saudi court has recently sentenced women’s rights activist Manahel al-Otaibi to 11 years in prison in a “secret hearing”, according to two human rights groups who denounced the ruling as contradictory to the kingdom’s “narrative of reform and women’s empowerment”.   Over the past few years, Saudi Arabia has carefully crafted an image of an open, transformed and glamorous society where women can now drive, female dress codes have been relaxed and the government has invested hugely in sports and entertainment.  But over the last two years the government has convicted and sentenced dozens of people for expressing their views against the authorities online, according to a statement published Tuesday by human rights groups. In the statement, Amnesty International and ALQST, a London-based Saudi rights organisation, called for the immediate and unconditional release of Manahel al-Otaibi, a 29-year-old fitness instructor and women’s rights activist who was sentenced to 11 years in prison by a Saudi court on January 9.  The court’s decision only emerged publicly in Saudi Arabia’s formal reply to a request from the United Nations human …

‘There’s Still Tomorrow’ Director Paola Cortellesi Talks Success, Toxic Relationships and Hope

‘There’s Still Tomorrow’ Director Paola Cortellesi Talks Success, Toxic Relationships and Hope

LONDON (AP) — Actor Paola Cortellesi has long been a staple on the Italian pop culture scene, mostly known for her work as a comedian. Then she turned to directing and her first feature movie, “There’s Still Tomorrow,” took Italy by storm. After its whirlwind success at home, the movie launched internationally and opens in the United Kingdom on Friday. Cortellesi was in London earlier in the week to promote “C’e’ Ancora Domani,” as the movie is titled in Italian, in which she also stars in the lead role. With a bright smile contrasting her elegant black suit, white shirt and hoop-like black glasses, Cortellesi, 50, stopped by The Associated Press to chat about her unexpected success. “Thankfully, the camera is high, so you don’t see my double chin,” she joked as she sat down. Her signature mix of fun and serious talk soon became apparent as Cortellesi confessed she didn’t have high expectations for the film — monochrome cinematography and old-fashioned storylines are not popular at the box office these days. Photos You Should …

Cass Review: A victory for women, children and common sense | Women’s Rights

Cass Review: A victory for women, children and common sense | Women’s Rights

In England, a landmark independent review into gender care services for young people has exposed one of the biggest medical negligence scandals of recent times and vindicated those who have been accused of engaging in malicious “culture wars” and branded as unkind bigots for opposing unnecessary medicalisation of children. The review, conducted by respected paediatrician Hilary Cass, found that some of the most vulnerable members of society – children presenting with “gender dysphoria” which, in many cases, masks autism, sexual abuse, trauma and confusion over same-sex attraction, among other conditions – have been let down by a lack of research and “remarkably weak” evidence on medical interventions in England’s gender care clinics. The National Health Service (NHS England) said it commissioned the review, published on April 10, to ensure that “children and young people who are questioning their gender identity or experiencing gender dysphoria receive a high standard of care, that meets their needs, is safe, holistic and effective.” The review’s intentions, and thus its conclusions, are of course disputed by those who insist that …

Violent arrests seen in Iran as ‘morality patrols’ resume in nationwide crackdown

Violent arrests seen in Iran as ‘morality patrols’ resume in nationwide crackdown

A year and a half after the start of the “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests, police in Iran have resumed “morality patrols” to crack down on women violating the Islamic Republic’s strict hijab rules. Patrols consisting of uniformed male officers and female officers in black chadors have been seen in the capital Tehran and other cities, along with the notorious white vans used to transport arrested women to police stations. The FRANCE 24 Observers spoke to one woman arrested in Tehran shortly after the crackdown was announced on April 11.  Iran’s supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, has made pointed remarks about hijab in two recent speeches. On April 3, he said: “Hijab is a Sharia-based obligation that must not be abrogated […] Hijab is also a legal obligation, and everyone must respect the law.” A week later, on April 10, he repeated in another speech: “We do not want to impose religion on anyone, but we will fight non-conformism”. These speeches were apparently the cue for Ahmad-Reza Radan, the Islamic Republic’s national police chief. A former military …

The Ongoing Battle for Women’s Rights: A Chronicle of Resistance Against Mandatory Hijab in Iran

The Ongoing Battle for Women’s Rights: A Chronicle of Resistance Against Mandatory Hijab in Iran

Since March 8, 1979, Iran has been a battleground against the enforced wearing of the hijab. However, the recent uprising sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini in opposition to mandatory hijab laws signifies a significant shift. This generation of Iranian women and girls has shattered the taboo surrounding Islamic hijab, marking the beginning of a larger and more challenging battle. This battle aims not only to reclaim all civil rights and freedoms lost since the 1979 revolution but also to dismantle the misogynistic ideology entrenched in Iran’s governance, along with its supporting laws and regulations. Iranian women had the liberty to decide whether or not to wear the hijab before the revolution of 1979. One facet of the civil liberties recognized in the nation was the freedom of dress, which promoted harmony among people who have different fashion preferences. An important turning point was the historic event that took place in Tehran on March 8, 1979, International Women’s Day, following the Islamic revolution in Iran. This demonstration, which was mostly against the obligatory wearing …

France-based Begum TV channel offers a lifeline to Afghan women

France-based Begum TV channel offers a lifeline to Afghan women

In a tiny television studio in the French capital, two unveiled Afghan women face the camera on a mission to provide a lifeline to their fellow countrywomen back home.  Issued on: 20/03/2024 – 07:25Modified: 20/03/2024 – 07:53 4 min “Tonight we’ll be discussing the different forms of violence against women in Afghanistan,” says 25-year-old Diba Akbari, speaking in front of a green screen. A new France-based satellite television channel called Begum TV is beaming educational programmes and a little light relief to women stuck at home in Afghanistan. “They wed a woman and put her in a corner. She’s reduced to household chores and her only aim in life is to breed children,” says Akbari. “But preventing her from continuing her studies and training, that’s violence.” Taliban authorities have tightly restricted women’s access to education since they seized power in 2021, imposing a strict interpretation of Islamic law that means all women must be veiled and largely excluding women from public life. Teenage girls and women are barred from schools and universities, and thousands of …