15 December 2020 - NPWJ News Digest on FGM & Women's Rights

Articles

France Should Act to End Violence, Harassment at Work
Human Rights Watch, 15 Dec 2020

On December 15, 2020, Human Rights Watch opened a campaign urging France to fight sexual harassment and violence at work by hastening its ratification of the 2019 International Labour Organization (ILO) Violence and Harassment Convention and by carrying out related domestic reforms. The French government should work in close consultation with workers’ organizations and employers to review national protections and identify reforms needed.

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Avert ‘dire consequences’ for women's health, UNFPA urges in appeal to prevent maternal deaths
UN News, 14 Dec 2020

As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) announced the next phase of its Supplies Partnership to secure essential contraception and maternal health medicines for millions of women and adolescent girls over the next decade. With an estimated investment of $2.5 billion by 2030, the renewed Partnership has the potential to prevent 141 million unintended pregnancies, 328,000 maternal deaths and 42 million unsafe abortions by that time.

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NGOs sue Mali for authorizing female circumcision
Franceinfo, 14 Dec 2020

This is a first in Mali. Four women's rights organizations have filed a complaint with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court of Justice in Abuja, Nigeria, against the Malian state, which does not prohibit female genital mutilation (FGM), according to information reported by the Maliactu site.

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‘We are more united’: Women lead calls for change in Guatemala
Aljazeera, 12 Dec 2020

Guatemala’s Congress passed a contentious budget bill overnight last month, increasing legislators’ own meal stipends and axing $25m destined to combat malnutrition. After the move drew quick and widespread condemnation, the politicians quickly restored the funds, but it was too late: years of simmering discontent over corruption and governance were thrust to the surface. People took to streets and plazas around the country four weeks ago and they have held rallies every Saturday since. Congress repealed the budget bill, but most protesters were already calling for the resignations of Giammattei, Congress leaders, and the attorney general.

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'It's not a grave we must fit in': the Kashmir women fighting for marital rights
The Guardian, 09 Dec 2020

“We come across so many women who are asked to give up work after marriage. It is an unspoken rule that this is a reasonable thing to say, which it is not,” she says. “In Kashmir very few women are upfront about their rights – religious or legal. As an organisation, we believe that they should be” says Shehryar Khanum, a founding member of Mehram, a charity to help struggling brides.

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