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

Articles

Lebanon passes law criminalizing sexual harassment
Al-Monitor, 21 Dec 2020

Lebanon's parliament on Monday passed a landmark bill criminalizing sexual harassment that puts the worst offenders behind bars for up to four years — but activists say it doesn't go far enough to end discrimination against women.

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Meet the women behind the Indian farmers’ protests
Aljazeera, 21 Dec 2020

The farmers worry that the three laws, designed to deregulate the agricultural sector, do not include a Minimum Support Price (MSP), a minimum price guaranteed by the government at which farmers can sell their crops. Without this safety net, farmers fear they will have to participate in contract farming with private corporations, where these companies determine what the farmer grows and the price they sell at. The laws also remove restrictions on companies buying land and stockpiling goods.

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Letter: Concerns regarding the rule of law and human rights in Poland
Human Rights Watch, 18 Dec 2020

 […] Dear Vice-President Jourová, Commissioner Reynders and Commissioner Dalli,
We are writing to raise our longstanding and grave concerns concerning the deterioration of the rule of law and fundamental rights in Poland. In light of recent developments and continued and persistent attacks against the rule of law and human rights in Poland, we believe it is critical for the European Commission to issue an update to its Reasoned Proposal under Article 7(1) of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) expanding the scope of the ongoing procedure to include violations of EU values as set out in Article 2 TEU. […]

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Denmark: Historic victory for women as law changes to recognise that sex without consent is rape
Amnesty International , 17 Dec 2020

Responding to the passing of a bill in Denmark’s Parliament today that, once law, will finally recognise that sex without consent is rape, Amnesty International’s Women’s Rights Researcher, Anna Błuś, said: “This is a great day for women in Denmark as it consigns outdated and dangerous rape laws to the dustbin of history and helps to end pervasive stigma and endemic impunity for this crime.

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Saudi prosecutor seeks maximum jail sentence for women's rights activist
The Guardian, 16 Dec 2020

The state prosecutor’s office in Saudi Arabia is seeking the maximum possible jail sentence for the women’s rights activist Loujain al-Hathloul, raising the possibility that the campaigner could face 20 years behind bars after a verdict in her case is announced next week.

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