21 September 2021 - NPWJ News Digest on FGM & women's rights

Articles

FAILINGS IN INVESTIGATIONS OF FEMINICIDES IN THE STATE OF MEXICO VIOLATE WOMEN’S RIGHTS TO LIFE, PHYSICAL SAFETY AND ACCESS TO JUSTICE
Amnesty International, 20 Sep 2021

Investigations by the State of Mexico Attorney General’s Office into feminicides preceded by disappearances are seriously flawed due to the inaction and negligence of the authorities leading to evidence being lost, all lines of inquiry not being investigated, and a gender perspective not being applied correctly. These shortcomings hamper the judicial process and increase the likelihood that cases will remain unpunished, said Amnesty International in a new report released today.

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San Marino abortion debate heats up ahead of historic referendum
Reuters, 20 Sep 2021

One of Europe's staunchest opponents to legal abortion could fall on Sunday when San Marino, a tiny and deeply Catholic republic landlocked in Italy, holds a referendum to overturn a law dating back to 1865. A "Yes" vote will bring some relief for pro-choice supporters further afield who have been dismayed as authorities in countries like Poland and in the U.S. state of Texas have tightened laws.

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Updated Submission to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women
Human Rights Watch, 20 Sep 2021

In its eighth periodic report, the Indonesian government stated, “The equality of all Indonesian citizens as well as their rights to non-discrimination is guaranteed under various legal provisions,” namely a) the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia, in article 28I(2) on freedom from and protection against discriminatory treatment on any basis; and b) Law No. 39/1999 on Human Rights in article 3(2) on equality before the law, and 3(3) on freedom from discrimination.

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Texas anti-abortion law shows ‘terrifying’ fragility of women’s rights, say activists
The Guardian, 18 Sep 2021

The new anti-abortion law in Texas is a “terrifying” reminder of the fragility of hard-won rights, pro-choice activists have said, as they warn of a “more aggressive, much better organised [and] better funded” global opposition movement. Pro-choice campaigners have seen several victories in recent years, including in Ireland, Argentina and, most recently, Mexico, where the supreme court ruled last week that criminalising abortion was unconstitutional.

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Taliban replaces ministry for women with ‘guidance’ ministry
Al Jazeera, 18 Sep 2021

Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers have set up a ministry for the “propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice” in the building that once housed the Women’s Affairs Ministry, escorting out World Bank staffers on Saturday as part of the forced move. It was the latest troubling sign that the Taliban is restricting women’s rights as they settle into government, just a month since they overran the capital Kabul. 

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UN rights chief: Taliban contradicting public promise of women’s rights
Jurist, 15 Sep 2021

Taliban leaders have contradicted their promises of women’s rights rights, according to a statement from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet on Monday. The High Commissioner expressed concern over the increasing restrictions on women’s movement, stating that women are “progressively [being] excluded from the public sphere.” 

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Kenya: Focus On FGM War to Beat Presidential 2022 Deadline
All Africa, 15 Sep 2021

 Mention of 2022 immediately leads Kenyans to the forthcoming general election, the anxiety about it notwithstanding. But there is a more critical event than the polls. On June 4, 2019, President Kenyatta gave a firm assurance to the largest global convention for gender equality, wellbeing of women and health rights that he would bring to an end the problematic female genital mutilation/cut (FGM) at the end of his term in August next year.

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