Spain’s Alarming Abortion Debate

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy’s proposal to enact some of the toughest abortion restrictions in Europe has exposed his already unpopular government to a building political backlash and criticism from the European Parliament, while reinvigorating his Socialist opponents and opening divisions in his own conservative Popular Party.On Sunday, demonstrators gathered in downtown Madrid to protest the government’s...

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STATEMENT FROM SOUTH SUDAN WOMEN TO THE AFRICAN UNION (AU) & INTERGOVERNMENTAL AUTHORITY ON DEVELOPMENT (IGAD)

24 JANUARY 2014, ADDIS ABABAWe, the women of South Sudan are shocked and disappointed by the recent outbreak of armed conflict in South Sudan, and are also concerned by the wide spread violence that has led to a continuous loss of numerous lives and displacement of women, men, youth and children.    South Sudan women met at the SPLM secretariat in Juba on the 20th December 2013 to deliberate on how...

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GUIDELINES FOR REPORTING ON SEXUAL VIOLENCE

According to the Dart Centre for Journalism and Trauma, "reporting on sexual violence demands special care and increased ethical sensitivity. It requires specialised interviewing skills, understanding of the law, and basic awareness about the psychological impact of trauma.” On all levels and topics of reporting, a special awareness is required to offer ethical journalism that challenges stereotypes and begins...

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“Holiday Brides”

India - Saving Trans-Border Brides Abandoned in "Holiday Marriages" to Non-Resident Indian MenLondon (Women’s Feature Service) – The phenomenon of “holiday brides”, mostly poor unsuspecting India women who are married off to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) only to be abandoned by their ‘grooms’ even before they can settle into their new lives, has been growing steadily. This concern, however, has been long recognised....

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Learning about and integrating the meaning of human rights in our lives for the future of humanity

Closing the Dignity gap! Closing the gap of unfulfilled dignity: --The most important initiative/challenge for the 21st century is for all women and men, youth and children to learn, know and own human rights as a way of life so as to plan and carry out their lives guided by the holistic, comprehensive, interconnected and interrelated world view of human rights. In a way, human rights are a secular religion...

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Forced Marriage

A forced marriage is where one or both people do not (or in cases of people with learning or physical disabilities, cannot) consent to the marriage and pressure or abuse is used.The pressure put on people to marry against their will can be physical (including threats, actual physical violence and sexual violence) or emotional and psychological (for example, when someone is made to feel like they’re bringing...

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CULTURE, CUSTOMS, OR TRADITIONS PREVENT FULL CEDAW IMPLEMENTATION

 "Many States parties to the CEDAW Convention assert that they cannot fully implement CEDAW because it is in conflict with Shari'ah, or that laws or practices cannot be changed because they are divine or based on the Qur'an.""Musawah submits that full implementation of CEDAW is possible, as the principles of equality, fairness, and justice within CEDAW and Islam are fully compatible, and reform of laws...

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