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Welcome to the archives of News Deeply’s Women & Girls Hub. While we paused regular publication of the site on January 22, 2018, and transitioned our coverage to Women’s Advancement Deeply, we are happy to serve as an ongoing public resource on the Arctic. We hope you’ll enjoy the reporting and analysis that was produced by our dedicated community of editors contributors.
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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.
As part of our ‘Experts to Watch’ series, we meet six campaigners who are advancing research, policy and action on the ground to bring an end to female genital cutting.
Rothna Begum Women’s rights researcher for the Middle East and North Africa region at Human Rights Watch
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.
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.
The state of Assam in northeast India is synonymous with high-quality tea. But the much-loved brew comes at a cost: unfair wages, malnutrition and the highest maternal mortality rate in the country.
Sandra Moran realized she was gay at a young age, but chose to hide her identity for fear of retaliation. Today, as Guatemala’s first openly gay member of Congress, she is helping to bring conversations about LGBT rights into the spotlight.
At Laos’ first-ever national conference on family planning, attendees presented the issue as vital not only for women’s health, but also for the country’s economic development.
Caste-based discrimination is illegal in India, but members of the Dalit community are often still treated as ‘untouchables.’ Documenting the lives of Dalits across South Asia, photojournalist Sara Hylton meets women who endure daily humiliations with dignity.
In Rio de Janeiro, councilwoman Marielle Franco is trying to make sure women can get abortions. While the procedure is legal in certain cases in Brazil, the reality of accessing abortion services is another matter.
In Angola, women’s rights activists are fighting against proposed changes to the country’s laws that will remove exceptions that allow for abortions in certain cases and prescribe sentences of up to 10 years for offenders.
Women are dying from botched backstreet abortions in Liberia, a country where access to terminations is severely restricted. Because of the stigma associated with abortion, they often refrain from seeking out medical help until it’s too late.
Sarah Taylor Advocate of the Women’s Rights Division, Human Rights Watch
As Burma hosts the five-day Panglong Conference aimed at ending the fighting between the country’s military and rebel groups, Sarah Taylor of Human Rights Watch says now is the time to finally recognize that women’s participation is essential to achieving peace.
In a country where almost two in every five girls are married before they turn 18, activist Rebecca Gyumi was hoping only for clarity on the law when she petitioned the Tanzanian high court. Instead, she got a total ban and a victory for child rights.
In March, Nigerian senators rejected a bill proposing a new gender equality law, citing religious reasons. Author Lola Shoneyin says the move is a blow to women’s rights, but the younger generation could turn things around.
The World Health Organisation advises people living in Zika-affected areas to avoid getting pregnant. But some experts say that suggestion is unrealistic in a region where women’s reproductive rights are severely limited by law.
With his popular TV talk show, Jaafar Abdul Karim brings controversial topics into the homes of millions of young Arabs every week. The younger generation can change attitudes towards women, he says, but only if the media leads the way.
When Ji-hyun Park fled North Korea for China, she was forced into marriage, separated from her child and imprisoned in a labor camp. Today, she uses her story to raise awareness of human rights abuses back home.
Can marginalized art stand up for marginalized people? Renowned Brazilian graffiti artist Panmela Castro is using paint to reclaim public spaces for female bodies – and training a generation of feminist activists to demand respect.
Mabel van Oranje is the chair of Girls Not Brides, a partnership of organizations around the globe dedicated to ending child marriage. She tells Women and Girls Hub why education is key to ending this harmful practice.
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