07 Apr 2020 - NPWJ New Digest on FGM and Women's Rights

Articles

New report on GREVIO’s first four years of work
Council of Europe, 06 Apr 2020

GREVIO published its 1st General Activity Report today, accounting for its first four years of monitoring work (2015-2019). This report is the first to offer insights into the trends and challenges in the implementation of the Istanbul Convention. Explaining its mandate, composition and working methods, the report demonstrates how, as an independent monitoring body, GREVIO has joined the ranks of other global and regional women’s rights monitoring bodies and mandates. It has become an important voice in the area of preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.
 

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Sierra Leone: "I did not imagine that my parents would want me to go through FGM to get around their economic struggles."
AllAfrica, 06 Apr 2020

Sierra Leonians are well known for their exuberant celebrations to mark the big occasions in their lives. People love to come together to celebrate momentous events such as anniversaries or achievements. 16-year-old Mary has always loved these parties, especially weddings. “Weddings are lovely because I get to see my cousins and enjoy the music, dancing, and of course all the food.” Mary has seen many parents hosting celebrations of their daughter’s passage into womanhood following female genital mutilation (FGM), but she did not think that it would ever happen to her.

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UN chief calls for domestic violence ‘ceasefire’ amid ‘horrifying global surge’
UN News, 05 Apr 2020

UN chief António Guterres is calling for measures to address a “horrifying global surge in domestic violence” directed towards women and girls, linked to lockdowns imposed by governments responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. In a reference to his repeated appeals for a ceasefire in conflicts around the world, to focus on the shared struggle to overcome the virus, the Secretary-General pointed out that violence is not confined to the battlefield, and that “for many women and girls, the threat looms largest where they should be safest: in their own homes”. 

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Panama’s Gender-Based Quarantine Ensnares Trans Woman
Human Rights Watch, 02 Apr 2020

When Panama announced it would implement a gender-based quarantine schedule in response to COVID-19, transgender activists were alarmed. And with reason: on April 1, police detained a transgender woman alleging that she was male and out on “the wrong day.” The Ministry of Health’s quarantine measures allow women to do essential shopping on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while men are only permitted on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. 

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Coronavirus: 9 ways you can support gender equality from your home
World Economic Forum, 02 Apr 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the way societies function. Social distancing measures have presented physical barriers to activism, but UN Women suggest 9 ways that you can keep up your support for gender parity from the safety of your own home. The COVID-19 pandemic is not just a health issue. It’s a profound shock to our societies and economies. It has drastically altered everyday life as we know. And while we are all in it together, as it happens in any crisis or pandemic, women are being impacted by COVID-19 in different and less visible ways. 

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