Exploring the challenges of achieving equal political representation and the impact of laws that specifically affect women. https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/politics-and-policy/rss en Health Politics and Policy Reproductive Rights Mon, 22 Jan 2018 10:20:00 +0000 Rodrigue Rwirahira https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2018/01/22/rwandas-proposed-abortion-amendment-takes-procedure-out-of-the-courts https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2018/01/22/rwandas-proposed-abortion-amendment-takes-procedure-out-of-the-courts Rwanda’s current penal code says the final decision over whether a woman can have an abortion lies with courts. Often women have to wait weeks or months for a ruling. Now, a new amendment would allow most abortions to go through with the consent of the woman and her doctor. Education Politics and Policy Tue, 02 Jan 2018 09:30:00 +0000 Melissa Lyttle, Irene Caselli https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2018/01/02/babies-behind-bars https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2018/01/02/babies-behind-bars In the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, mothers serving prison sentences are allowed to keep children under 4 with them as they serve their sentence. They say having the kids there helps, but some worry it’s sending the wrong message. Health Politics and Policy Mon, 18 Dec 2017 13:06:23 +0000 Sutirtha Sahariah https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/12/18/abused-and-imprisoned-in-indias-state-run-care-homes-for-women https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/12/18/abused-and-imprisoned-in-indias-state-run-care-homes-for-women Women’s care homes in India are meant to offer protection for those who have nowhere else to go. But activists, authorities and former residents accuse the overcrowded, understaffed homes of trapping women in a cycle of abuse. Politics and Policy Mon, 11 Dec 2017 11:42:03 +0000 Dr. Kate Grantham, Dr. Bipasha Baruah https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/community/2017/12/11/womens-ngos-are-changing-the-world-and-not-getting-credit-for-it https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/community/2017/12/11/womens-ngos-are-changing-the-world-and-not-getting-credit-for-it In contemporary global development circles, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are now performing many more roles and activities than they did a few decades ago. Health Politics and Policy Thu, 07 Dec 2017 11:34:35 +0000 Skye Wheeler https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/community/2017/12/07/the-devastating-domino-effect-of-the-global-gag-rule-in-kenya https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/community/2017/12/07/the-devastating-domino-effect-of-the-global-gag-rule-in-kenya State-run clinics are exempt from the ban on U.S. funding going to groups that provide abortion services. But many government clinics rely on essential support from NGOs, who can no longer afford to offer it, says Skye Wheeler of Human Rights Watch. Politics and Policy Wed, 06 Dec 2017 10:43:28 +0000 Tendai Marima https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/12/06/after-mugabe-zimbabwes-women-push-for-more-political-visibility https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/12/06/after-mugabe-zimbabwes-women-push-for-more-political-visibility As Zimbabwe adjusts to its first new president in almost four decades, News Deeply spoke to women leaders and rights campaigners about whether they think the status of women will improve under the new regime. Gender-Based Violence Politics and Policy Fri, 01 Dec 2017 11:23:19 +0000 Sutirtha Sahariah https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/12/01/pressure-grows-to-make-marital-rape-a-criminal-offense-in-india https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/12/01/pressure-grows-to-make-marital-rape-a-criminal-offense-in-india The Delhi High Court is hearing petitions on whether to criminalize marital rape in India, a country where acts of sexual violence by husbands are 40 times more common than those committed by anyone else. Politics and Policy Fri, 01 Dec 2017 07:39:46 +0000 Nuba Reports https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/12/01/courts-target-poor-sudanese-women-with-extortionate-morality-fines https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/12/01/courts-target-poor-sudanese-women-with-extortionate-morality-fines Penalties handed down by Sudan’s Public Order Courts, whose role is to ‘uphold moral order,’ mean vast sums of money are going into the state treasury and judges’ pockets – and 70 percent of such cases involve women. Politics and Policy Mon, 27 Nov 2017 11:17:56 +0000 Olivia Holt-Ivry, Miki Jacevic https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/community/2017/11/27/how-to-include-women-in-the-peace-and-security-agenda https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/community/2017/11/27/how-to-include-women-in-the-peace-and-security-agenda Inclusive Security has released a guide to implementing U.N. Resolution 1325 through national action plans. Miki Jacevic and Olivia Holt-Ivry explain what they learned through the process. Crisis and Conflict Politics and Policy Mon, 06 Nov 2017 12:37:43 +0000 Lakshmi Sundaram https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/community/2017/11/06/how-climate-change-drives-child-marriage https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/community/2017/11/06/how-climate-change-drives-child-marriage Climate change makes already vulnerable girls even more so. As world leaders gather at the COP23 climate summit in Bonn this week, Lakshmi Sundaram of Girls Not Brides says child marriage must be on the agenda. Gender-Based Violence Politics and Policy Tue, 31 Oct 2017 13:35:54 +0000 Nina Teggarty https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/10/31/without-legal-support-abused-kyrgyz-women-have-turned-to-murder https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/10/31/without-legal-support-abused-kyrgyz-women-have-turned-to-murder Most of the women jailed in Kyrgyzstan for murder are survivors of long-term domestic violence. A new law offers hope that more women will see their abusers brought to justice long before they are pushed to the breaking point. Gender-Based Violence Politics and Policy Mon, 23 Oct 2017 13:23:09 +0000 Krithika Varagur https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/10/23/women-still-face-abuse-after-indonesias-ban-on-migrant-work-in-gulf https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/10/23/women-still-face-abuse-after-indonesias-ban-on-migrant-work-in-gulf Indonesia has banned its citizens from migrating to 21 Middle Eastern countries for work. But the women of Lombok are still heading to the Gulf in search of jobs, and may be even more vulnerable than before. Health Politics and Policy Mon, 23 Oct 2017 10:52:26 +0000 Sharmila Rudrappa https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/community/2017/10/23/india-outlawed-commercial-surrogacy-but-clinics-are-finding-loopholes https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/community/2017/10/23/india-outlawed-commercial-surrogacy-but-clinics-are-finding-loopholes India’s restrictions on commercial surrogacy have pleased some ethicists and advocates who argue that foreign couples should not be allowed to use surrogates in poorer countries. But Sharmila Rudrappa argues that bans have just made the practice more dangerous. Gender-Based Violence Politics and Policy Wed, 11 Oct 2017 12:12:35 +0000 Jihii Jolly https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/community/2017/10/11/fgm-campaigner-leyla-hussein-on-why-genital-cutting-is-a-global-problem https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/community/2017/10/11/fgm-campaigner-leyla-hussein-on-why-genital-cutting-is-a-global-problem Campaigner Leyla Hussein spoke with News Deeply about her work to end FGM in the U.K., her concerns for the U.S., and how working with families can change the root cause of oppression against girls. Politics and Policy Tue, 10 Oct 2017 09:16:03 +0000 Katherina Thomas https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/10/10/as-liberia-bids-farewell-to-johnson-sirleaf-womens-rights-lag-behind https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/10/10/as-liberia-bids-farewell-to-johnson-sirleaf-womens-rights-lag-behind Liberians will vote today to elect Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s successor. But progress on women’s political representation has been slow under the country’s first female president, and justice remains elusive for women who have suffered sexual violence. Politics and Policy Fri, 06 Oct 2017 11:03:46 +0000 Rumbi Chakamba https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/10/06/in-malawi-it-costs-women-25-percent-less-than-men-to-run-for-election https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/10/06/in-malawi-it-costs-women-25-percent-less-than-men-to-run-for-election Ahead of the upcoming by-election, Malawi has made it cheaper for women candidates to run. But in past elections, while the fee reduction helped get more women on the ballot, it did nothing to get more of them into parliament. Politics and Policy Fri, 29 Sep 2017 11:25:50 +0000 Rothna Begum https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/community/2017/09/29/the-brave-female-activists-who-fought-to-lift-saudi-arabias-driving-ban https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/community/2017/09/29/the-brave-female-activists-who-fought-to-lift-saudi-arabias-driving-ban Saudi Arabia has lifted its ban on women driving, after 17 years of protest from committed women’s rights activists. Now the government must make sure they have exactly the same driving rights as men, says Rothna Begum of Human Rights Watch. Politics and Policy Mon, 25 Sep 2017 11:11:15 +0000 Sally Nyakanyanga https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/09/25/women-cut-out-of-election-by-zimbabwes-proof-of-residence-rule https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/09/25/women-cut-out-of-election-by-zimbabwes-proof-of-residence-rule Rights activists are calling for Zimbabwe’s government to withdraw a proof of residence requirement for anyone who wants to register to vote, saying it disenfranchises thousands of women who don’t have permanent addresses or property of their own. Crisis and Conflict Politics and Policy Fri, 22 Sep 2017 07:46:55 +0000 Megan Clement https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/09/22/seventy-percent-of-victims-of-modern-slavery-are-women-and-girls https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/09/22/seventy-percent-of-victims-of-modern-slavery-are-women-and-girls A new report provides the first comprehensive estimate of the extent of modern slavery worldwide. In most contexts, women and girls are especially vulnerable to exploitation. Politics and Policy Fri, 15 Sep 2017 10:57:45 +0000 Sophie Mbugua https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/09/15/meet-the-male-champions-supporting-kenyas-new-women-politicians https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/09/15/meet-the-male-champions-supporting-kenyas-new-women-politicians More women than ever before were elected in Kenya’s disputed poll. While the presidential candidates prepare for a rerun, female representatives are getting ready to serve in their new roles across the country, with the help of supportive men. Gender-Based Violence Politics and Policy Fri, 01 Sep 2017 09:42:44 +0000 Jihii Jolly, Megan Clement https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/09/01/deeply-talks-ending-marry-your-rapist-laws https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/09/01/deeply-talks-ending-marry-your-rapist-laws Women & Girls speaks with Lina Abirafeh of the Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World and Jordan-based reporter Elspeth Dehnert on recent battles won by campaigners against gender-based violence in the Middle East and North Africa. Health Politics and Policy Mon, 28 Aug 2017 03:00:12 +0000 Rumbi Chakamba https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/08/28/debate-rages-over-legal-status-of-sex-workers-in-south-africa https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/08/28/debate-rages-over-legal-status-of-sex-workers-in-south-africa In South Africa, many activists and health workers argue that prostitution should be decriminalized to improve the lives of sex workers – and they are sorely disappointed by a long-awaited report that recommended keeping the practice illegal. Health Politics and Policy Reproductive Rights Fri, 25 Aug 2017 10:55:32 +0000 Dánae Vilchez https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/08/25/raped-children-forced-to-give-birth-life-under-nicaraguas-abortion-ban https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/08/25/raped-children-forced-to-give-birth-life-under-nicaraguas-abortion-ban Nicaragua’s total ban on abortion puts women and girls’ lives in danger, and forces raped children to have babies of their own. Yet the Central American country recently ranked 10th in the world for gender equality. Politics and Policy Fri, 25 Aug 2017 09:47:00 +0000 Holly Robertson https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/08/25/under-threat-of-jail-women-activists-fight-cambodian-lake-land-grab https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/08/25/under-threat-of-jail-women-activists-fight-cambodian-lake-land-grab Women activists in Cambodia are demanding justice after residents were displaced by the development of Boeung Kak lake – and are persevering despite the imprisonment of their movement’s leader. Health Politics and Policy Reproductive Rights Solutions Thu, 24 Aug 2017 04:46:30 +0000 Megan Clement https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/08/24/four-ways-the-world-got-better-for-women-and-girls-this-month https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/08/24/four-ways-the-world-got-better-for-women-and-girls-this-month In the month of August alone, India has banned instant divorce, Jordan and Lebanon have ended “marry-your-rapist” laws, Chile has lifted its total abortion ban and Nepal has outlawed menstrual discrimination. Politics and Policy Tue, 22 Aug 2017 08:56:36 +0000 Elspeth Dehnert https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/08/22/as-lebanon-jordan-tunisia-end-marry-your-rapist-laws-where-next https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/08/22/as-lebanon-jordan-tunisia-end-marry-your-rapist-laws-where-next Activists are hopeful that other countries will follow Lebanon, Jordan and Tunisia in abolishing the laws that let rapists walk free by marrying their victims. But they say more needs to be done to end the practice for good. Gender-Based Violence Politics and Policy Thu, 17 Aug 2017 08:41:25 +0000 Lina Abirafeh https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/community/2017/08/17/lebanon-repeals-marry-your-rapist-law-but-equality-is-a-long-way-off https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/community/2017/08/17/lebanon-repeals-marry-your-rapist-law-but-equality-is-a-long-way-off Lebanon is the latest country to close a legal loophole allowing rapists to escape punishment by marrying the women they raped. But more work needs to be done on legislating for women’s rights, writes Lina Abirafeh of the Institute for Women’s Studies in the Arab World. Politics and Policy Wed, 16 Aug 2017 09:47:16 +0000 Tendai Marima https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/08/16/rwanda-world-leader-for-women-in-politics-unless-they-oppose-kagame https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/08/16/rwanda-world-leader-for-women-in-politics-unless-they-oppose-kagame With a higher proportion of women in Parliament than any other country, Rwanda seems to be a model of equal representation and empowerment. But politicians and rights campaigners say the nation’s women still struggle to be heard. Health Politics and Policy Mon, 14 Aug 2017 12:45:33 +0000 Amy Fallon https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/08/14/fired-after-forced-hiv-tests-ugandan-women-head-to-court https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/08/14/fired-after-forced-hiv-tests-ugandan-women-head-to-court Uganda has made progress on HIV/AIDS, but activists say discrimination is still rampant. Now, two women who say they were fired after forced testing revealed them to be HIV positive are fighting back. Politics and Policy Mon, 14 Aug 2017 12:34:29 +0000 Yenni Kwok https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/08/14/hong-kong-imprisons-more-women-per-capita-than-any-other-country https://www.newsdeeply.com/womenandgirls/articles/2017/08/14/hong-kong-imprisons-more-women-per-capita-than-any-other-country One-fifth of Hong Kong’s prison population is female, the highest proportion of any major country in the world. Activists say local laws are stacked against women, in particular foreign women.