Migration Category: Global Old Site

Henry Morgentaler, a lynchpin figure in the history of legal abortion in Canada, passed away on Tuesday from a heart attack. Dr. Morgentaler was 90 years old.

Born in Poland and a Holocaust survivor, Dr. Morgentaler arrived in Canada in 1950. After graduating medical school and becoming a Canadian citizen, he opened Canada’s first independent abortion clinic in 1969 when abortion was still illegal. He was tried multiple times for violating abortion laws, but was acquitted in each case. One acquittal was overturned on appeal and he spent 10 months in jail. However, Morgentaler continued to perform abortions and open abortion clinics. After facing another overturned acquittal in Ontario, Morgentaler appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada. In 1988, the Supreme Court ruled in Morgentaler’s favor, determining that the country’s abortion laws were unconstitutional and legalizing abortion in Canada. However, provincial rules on abortion varied, and Dr. Morgentaler continued to challenge them as he encountered them. He also continued to perform abortions into his 80s despite clinic bombings, death threats, and health issues. In 2008, Dr. Morgentaler was awarded the Order of Canada, one of the highest civilian honors in the country.

National Abortion Federation’s president Vicki Saporta spoke with reporters about the doctor’s death. “Canadian women owe Dr. Morgentaler a tremendous debt of gratitude for standing up for their lives and health at great personal sacrifice and risk. He survived numerous threats on his life, a clinic bombing, and aggressive protests,” she said.

Catherine Ford, former editor at the Calgary Herald, wrote in a memorial piece, “Morgentaler leaves a legacy of freedom that to this day is unique in the world: the untrammelled and unrestricted choice of every Canadian woman to decide for herself whether to bear a child… Every woman in Canada owes him thanks for facing down the draconian laws of yesterday.” She concluded, “How successful was Henry’s single-minded determination that all women are capable of making up their own minds? Very few young women would recognize his name today and what essential part he played in allowing them the freedom to choose. Henry would see that as a resounding success.”

In 2008, Dr. Morgentaler spoke about his controversial life with an interviewer. He said, “I became the target of people who were opposed to abortion, and it was something I had to live with, but I am tremendously satisfied that my life was not in vain and that I was able to help a lot of people.”

In a landmark victory, the High Court in Meru, Kenya ruled Monday that local police had failed to properly investigate hundreds of rape cases over the past several years. In his ruling, Justice Makau ordered the Inspector General of Police, as well as their agents, delegates, and subordinates, to re-investigate multiple rape cases as part of a lawsuit filed on behalf of over 264 girls between 3 and 18 years of age who were raped and received no assistance from police at the time of reporting.

Mercy Chidi, an activist who runs the Meru-based shelter Ripples International, often works with girls who need shelter and assistance following rape. She filed the suit with a representative group of 11 girls, all of whom will now receive proper investigation into their rapes. Legal resources for Chidi and the girls were provided by Canadian non-profit The Equality Effect.

One in five women and girls in Kenya are victims of sexual violence, and rape is rarely reported despite strong laws against sexual crimes. When cases are reported, police officers sometimes fail to investigate the crime at all and harass victims. In the cases brought forward to the High Court, police locked girls in cells, demanded bribes for investigations, and even told victims they had consented to intercourse. By failing to act, Makau ruled that officers had created “a climate of impunity” where perpetrators no longer feared repercussions for sexually violent crimes; this climate, he said, made police “directly responsible” for the damage suffered by rape victims in the case. Officers who engaged in that behavior are now liable for arrests, fines, and imprisonment themselves.

Chidi described the ruling as a “glorious victory” to the Daily Nation. “I want defilement of girls to stop,” she continued, “and now [police] must hold perpetrators of horrific crime accountable.” The Equality Effect intends to pursue suits like these across Africa to achieve broader change in the region.

On Tuesday, Italy’s lower house of parliament unanimously approved a European treaty to end violence against women while the country mourned a 15-year-old victim of intimate partner violence.

The lower house of parliament ratified the Council of Europe’s Istanbul convention, which would create and reinforce legal measures to prevent and prosecute gender-based violence. The treaty now goes before Italy’s upper parliament, or Senate, for final ratification. If approved, Italy would become the fifth nation to ratify the treaty, which needs at least 10 nations to ratify before taking effect. It is expected that the Senate will also approve ratification in light of recent horrific attacks on women in the country.

One such case is the story of Fabiana Luzzi, a 15 year old student who was brutally murdered by her 17-year-old boyfriend last week. The boyfriend stabbed Fabiana 20 times and then set her on fire while she was still alive. Her remains were discovered the next day. That same week a 35 year old woman in a different part of the country was stabbed to death by a former partner and a 50 year old woman was shot in the head by her husband, who then committed suicide. Fabiana’s funeral, which was attended by thousands of supporters, was held the same day as the vote.

Josefa Idem, the Italian Equal Opportunities Minister, was one of the people in attendance at the funeral. She told reporters, “Faced with Fabiana’s death, I reaffirm the commitment of all the government and my ministry to make the fight against gender-based violence a key point of this legislature… I feel the need to ask forgiveness from her and from all women killed by the hand of those who abuse the word love. The state must be more effective in its commitment [and] be even closer to the victims.”

According to the women’s organization Casa delle Donne, there have been 51 gender-based murders in Italy already this year. However, Telefono Rosa, a domestic violence support group, estimates there have been 38 murders. Both organizations cite a lack of official statistics as a major barrier to seeing the true extent of gender-based violence in Italy. In addition, underreporting presents a major barrier, with a 2012 UN report finding that 90% of instances of rape and abuse in Italy were not reported.

Today is the opening day of the 2013 Women Deliver Global Conference, the largest conference on women’s health, maternal health and maternal mortality in the world.

The third annual conference is being held this year in Malaysia’s capital city of Kuala Lumpur. Activists, lawmakers, UN officials, and business leaders from around the world will gather for the three day conference to discuss what health challenges women are facing and what steps can be taken to reduce maternal mortality. Over 7,000 people will be in attendance this year. Many international organizations, such as the World Bank, will be releasing new research on women’s reproductive health worldwide.

Jill Sheffield, President of Women Deliver, wrote in an welcome letter, “When we meet in 2013, we will be nearing the 2015 deadline of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). While much progress has been made, there is still a long way to go. This conference will be an opportunity to strategize about the way to 2015 and beyond, highlighting success stories and ongoing challenges to improve the health and well-being of girls and women.”

The Asia Director of Women Deliver, Dr. Raj Karim, said in a welcome letter, “Women Deliver recognizes that eradicating HIV and AIDS, improving education, promoting human rights, working towards environmental sustainability, and ensuring economic empowerment and gender equality are all necessary parts of the solution to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity for girls and women. We are all in this together, and we need to build on each other’s work to create synergy.”

A new report by the Human Rights Watch shows that in the past 18 months the number of women in Afghanistan incarcerated for ‘moral crimes’ has increased from 400 to 600, a 50% growth.

Many of the women imprisoned for moral crimes were arrested running away from forced or abusive marriages and families, even though there is no law against leaving. Others are imprisoned for rape, as it is considered “forced adultery.” Many of the women imprisoned were also forced to have “virginity tests,” an invasive and medically inaccurate exam. Of the female prison population in Afghanistan, 95% of girls and 50% of women are in jail for moral crimes.

In a statement by the Human Rights Watch, the organization stated, “While several high-level Afghan government officials, including from the police and Justice Ministry, have in the past year publicly confirmed that ‘running away’ is not a crime under Afghan law, such statements have yet to translate into policy, [the report found]. Some legal experts have suggested that a growing view that women and girls should not be charged with ‘running away’ has merely resulted in a shift toward charging them with attempted zina. A charge of attempted zina unjustifiably assumes that women outside of the supervision of their male relatives must have attempted to have sex.”

Heather Barr, the Afghanistan researcher for the Human Rights Watch, told reporters “I think it’s possible that as everyone anticipates the departure of foreigners [foreign soldiers], there is a feeling that in a sense things can go back to normal, and… people will be free to ignore [women’s rights] in the future. If that’s true, that’s really is a tragedy, because these ideas didn’t come from foreigners. These ideas came from Afghan women’s rights activists.”

The report comes days after the Afghan parliament failed to ratify a law that would help strengthen anti-violence measures in the country. On Saturday, the Speaker of the Lower House of Afghan Parliament delayed a vote on the Elimination of Violence against Women law after two hours of vociferous debate between conservative religious and more liberal members of Parliament. The Speaker did not specify when the measure would be placed on the floor for a vote again.

On Saturday, the Speaker of the Lower House of Afghan Parliament delayed a vote on the Elimination of Violence against Women law after two hours of vociferous debate between conservative religious and more liberal members of Parliament. The Speaker did not specify when the measure would be placed on the floor for a vote again.

A number of conservative members of Parliament (MPs) raised their voices against the measure, deeming it un-Islamic. Although the EVAW law was issued by the executive decree of President Hamid Karzai in 2009, women’s rights activist Fawzia Kofi, who also heads the women’s committee of the Lower House, decided to introduce the EVAW in Parliament. Kofi was concerned that without the EVAW being approved by Parliament, the decree might be reversed by a newly elected President in 2014. Karzai is term limited and cannot run again in 2014. Some Afghan women’s rights leaders opposed introducing the EFAW in Parliament for fear of having it defeated or repealed by conservative members.

According to the TOLO News “The parliamentarians who opposed the law call 6 of its articles to be against Islamic values.” These articles include criminalizing child marriage and forced marriage, banning the traditional “BAAD” practice of exchanging girls and girls and women to settle disputes between families, making domestic violence punishable up to three years in prison, protecting rape victims from prosecution for adultery or fornication, limiting the number of wives a man can have to two, and established shelters for battered women.

One of the conservative MPS suggested that the article to eliminate prosecution of raped women for adultery would lead to more extramarital sex, with women claiming they had been raped just to escape punishment. Others claimed that a husband has the right to discipline his wife.

“There’s a real risk this has opened a Pandora’s box, that this may have galvanized opposition to this decree by people who in principle oppose greater rights for women,” stated Heather Barr, a researcher for Human Rights Watch.

Yesterday the Supreme Court of El Salvador heard open arguments in a case where they will determine if doctors can administer a medically necessary abortion for a woman who could die as a result of her pregnancy.

“Beatriz”, who is currently 22 and is already the mother of a young infant, was diagnosed with multiple severe illnesses including kidney failure and lupus and is now 23 weeks pregnant. In addition, the fetus will not survive more than a few days outside the womb (if at all) due to a severe fetal abnormality where part of the brain does not develop. Doctors fear that if she continues with the pregnancy, Beatriz could lose her life. However, abortion in any circumstance is illegal in El Salvador and if Beatriz and her doctors proceed with the abortion without approval from the Supreme Court they could face up to 30 years in jail for aggravated homicide.

Yesterday, Beatriz and her mother pleaded before the Supreme Court to allow the abortion. Beatriz reiterated a statement that was released last week, “This baby inside me cannot survive. I am ill. I want to live.” Her mother, Delmy, told the court, “My daughter wants to live for her one year old baby. She doesn’t want it to be left alone. Therefore I ask you, like the mother that I am, I don’t want my daughter to die. My daughter’s life is your hands” [Spanish translated by FMF].

This week, major Western clothing retailers announced their support of new safety regulations in Bangladesh garment factories following the eight story building collapse that kill over 1,100 people. The Swedish retailer H&M, Spanish Inditex (Zara), British Primark and Tesco, Dutch C&A, and others all announced their commitment to pay for fire safety and building improvements as part of an agreement with the global labor union IndustriALL. The agreement, called “Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh,” also requires independent safety inspections with public reports. Companies also agree to terminate business with any factory that does not complete required upgrades. H&M is the largest clothing retailer that manufactures their products in Bangladesh and is the second largest worldwide. The largest worldwide retailer is Walmart. Walmart, along with other major US retailers, have announced that they will not participate in the accord. Instead Walmart has decided to perform its own review of factory safety standards, arguing that it will produce results more quickly. The Gap has announced that it would be willing to sign the agreement if a change could be made to its arbitration clause. U.S. retailer PVH which makes Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, and Izod, announced that they will sign the accord. The decision to improve standards is the result of an eight story building collapse that killed over 1,100 workers at the end of April, and a small factory fire that killed eight last week. On Monday, rescue efforts for the building collapse ended making the official death toll 1,127.

Pharmaceutical companies Merck and GlaxoSmithKline will provide cervical cancer vaccines for as little $4.50 a dose in poor countries to fight high rates of deaths from cervical cancer.

The drugs Gardasil and Cervarix, made by Merck and GlaxoSmithKline respectively, prevent human papillomavirus (HPV), which is a leading cause of cervical cancer. In developed nations deaths caused by cervical cancer are uncommon, but cervical cancer is the most fatal form of cancer in women in poorer nations. On average 275,000 women die from cervical cancer a year and 85% are from poor nations.

Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunizations (GAVI) will be purchasing and distributing the vaccines. The executive director said in a statement, “By 2020 we hope to reach more than 30 million girls in more than 40 countries.” GAVI board member and former Health Minister of Rwanda told reporters, “Developing countries bear an increasing burden of cervical cancer and it is only right that our girls should have the same protection as girls in other countries.”

On Friday rescuers in Dhaka, Bangladesh saved a woman who is still alive after the eight story building collapsed on April 24. The woman was discovered as a rescuer was cutting away iron rods and heard her cries for help.

The woman, identified as Reshma, was in the building’s prayer room at the time of the collapse. The debris formed a space around Reshma with enough room for her to stand, and she was able to locate food and water nearby that lasted until two days ago.

Reshma’s miraculous rescue comes as the death toll from the collapse surpasses 1,000, making it the world’s worst industrial disaster since the 1984 Bhopal disaster in India. 2,500 people were rescued with 1,000 suffering serious injuries. There is no estimate of how many people remain missing. The majority of those dead are female garment workers from the building’s five garment factories.

Thursday night, a fire broke out in a garment factory in the Mirpur area of Dhaka, Bangladesh, that killed eight people. No workers were in the building at the time. Officials say that the building owner, four of his staff members, and a senior and low-level police officer died when they were overcome by toxic fumes from the burning clothes as they tried to escape down a stairwell. There is no word about what caused the fire, and fire fighters were able to keep the blaze contained to a single floor. The government closed 18 garment factories out of safety concerns on Wednesday. Six have been cleared to reopen.

The fire comes as rescue officials announce that the death toll from the Savar Building collapse on April 24 has reached 912. More bodies are expected to be uncovered when rescue workers begin to search the basement of the building. Nine people have been arrested in connection with the collapse. An initial investigation found that the top four floors of the eight story building had been constructed illegally without permits. The factories also opened despite a crack discovered in the building. Approximately 80% of the garment factory workforce in Bangladesh are women who are often responsible for providing for their families. Under grueling working conditions, workers in garment factories can make as little as $26 a month.

The official death toll from a building collapse in Dhaka, Bangladesh has surpassed 700 as more bodies were recovered on Tuesday.

Officials said that the death toll had climbed to 705. It is the country’s worst industrial disaster and the worst disaster in the history of the garment industry. Survivors of the eight story building collapse that housed five garment factories and other garment workers blocked a major highway to demand compensation and better working conditions.

Nine people have been arrested in connection with the collapse. An initial investigation found that the top four floors of the eight story building had been constructed illegally without permits. The factories also opened despite a crack discovered in the building. Approximately 80% of the garment factory workforce in Bangladesh are women who are often responsible for providing for their families. Under grueling working conditions, workers in garment factories can make as little as $26 a month.

The Supreme Court of El Salvador has still not issued a decision about whether or not it will allow a woman in El Salvador to terminate a life-threatening, non-viable fetus.

“Beatriz”, who is currently 22 and already a mother of a young infant, was diagnosed with multiple severe illnesses and is 18 weeks pregnant. In addition, the fetus will not survive more than a few days outside the womb (if at all) due to a severe fetal abnormality where part of the brain does not develop. Doctors fear that if she continues with the pregnancy, Beatriz could lose her life. Abortion in any circumstance is illegal in El Salvador and if Beatriz and her doctors proceed with the abortion without approval from the Supreme Court they could face up to 30 years in jail for aggravated homicide. While the Supreme Court has agreed to hear her case, the Court has not released anything related to the case in the month since the hospital sought permission to treat Beatriz.

Over 45,000 people from around the world have signed a petition urging Salvadorian President Mauricio Funes to authorize the procedure. The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights have also pressured the government to intervene. The UN experts on the right to health; torture; and violence against women issued a joint statement saying, “We urge the Government of El Salvador to take all necessary measures to ensure the protection and full enjoyment of the right to life, and to the highest attainable standard of health for Beatriz, in accordance with international human rights law.”

Since a total ban on abortion was passed in 1998, 628 women have been imprisoned for their abortion, miscarriage, or stillbirth. Of those, 24 were charged with “aggravated murder,” which can mean a penalty of up to 30 years in jail.

The death toll from the eight story building collapse in Bangladesh last Wednesday has passed 500, making it the worst industrial disaster in the country’s history.

Nine people have been arrested in connection with the collapse. An initial investigation found that the top four floors of the eight story building had been constructed illegally without permits. The factories also opened despite a crack discovered in the building.

No survivors have been recovered from the debris in the last four days, yet many families and relatives are still waiting near the wreckage for any news. Bodies that had begun decomposing or were too damaged to identify have already been buried.

Approximately 80% of the garment factory workforce in Bangladesh are women who are often responsible for providing for their families. Under grueling working conditions, workers in garment factories can make as little as $26 a month.

Outrage over the conditions of garment factories in Bangladesh gained international headlines in November of 2012 when 112 workers died during a fire in a factory that was producing clothes for Walmart and other Western retailers. An official investigation ruled that the fire was deliberately started and determined that up to nine officials prevented workers from leaving the building and even padlocked exits.

On Wednesday, the Irish parliament unveiled the Protection of Life In Pregnancy Bill which clarifies when a woman can have a life-saving abortion.

Under the new bill, women can terminate a pregnancy when there is a significant threat to her life, including suicide. In the case of an emergency, a single doctor can approve and perform the abortion. In non-emergency cases, a woman would have to get the approval of two doctors that the pregnancy poses a significant threat to her life and abortion is the only option. In cases where a woman is suicidal, she must have the approval of a doctor and two psychiatrists that the threat of suicide is legitimate. The bill will now be debated in committee.

Prime Minister Enda Kenny, was quick to clarify that the bill would not alter Ireland’s current laws on abortion. “This bill restates the general prohibition on abortion in Ireland,” he said at a press conference. “The law on abortion in Ireland is not being changed.” Currently abortion in all cases is prohibited, including rape, incest, or severe, non-viable fetal abnormality. The only except is when a woman’s life it at risk as a result of the 1992 Irish Supreme Court decision, known as the X Case.

The barriers to terminating a life-threatening pregnancy in Ireland gained international attention last year when a woman died after being denied an abortion. Savita Halappanavar was 17 weeks pregnant when she arrived at University Hospital Galway complaining of severe back pain in October 2012. Hospital staff determined she was miscarrying, however doctors refused to remove the pregnancy until three days later. After the pregnancy was removed, Savita was transferred to intensive care where she died three days later of what was determined to be septicaemia (similar to blood poisoning).

Yesterday, Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury was sworn in as Bangladesh’s first female Speaker of the Parliament. She was unanimously elected by the Parliament earlier Tuesday to fill the vacant seat.

Previously, Chaudhury, a member of the majority Awami League party, was the state minister for women and children affairs. In addition to advancing women’s equality through her “Women’s Development Policy” legislation, the new Speaker has declared ending violence against women a top priority. She told reporters, “We have enough laws. But there are [still] incidents of violence. It is not only the law that can change the situation. There is a need to change the mindset. Obstacles have always been there. But despite the obstacles, women have been able to come far and will go further.”

Her rise to Speaker and policies for advancing the rights of women have drawn opposition from conservative religious leaders. With Chaudhury as speaker, women hold three of the four most powerful political positions in the Bangladesh government (Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and leader of the opposition Khaleda Zia of the Bangladesh National Party) in addition to many other leadership positions. Chaudhury is also the first woman elected to Speaker who has come from one of 50 seats in Parliament specifically reserved for women.

Chaudhury’s oath comes a week after Bangladesh faced the tragedy of a building collapse in Dhaka that killed more than 400 people, mostly young women. The building housed garment factories, a bank, and a shopping center. An initial investigation found that the top four floors of the eight story building had been constructed illegally without permits. The factories also opened despite a crack discovered in the building the day before. Many of the factories in the building have connections to multiple Western retailers such as Walmart, Benetton and Cato Fashions, the Dutch C & A, British Prismark, and Spanish Mango, among others. Protests and strikes have erupted in Dhaka in response to the tragedy.

80% of the garment factory workforce in Bangladesh are women who are often responsible for providing for their families. Under grueling working conditions, workers in garment factories can make as little as $26 a month.

The King Khalid Foundation (KKF) in Saudi Arabia has launched the first advertising campaign to combat violence against women in Saudi Arabia.

The advertisement features a woman in a niqab with a black eye and a caption that reads “Some things can’t be covered – fight women’s abuse together.” Other versions of the poster feature the slogan “What is hidden, is worse.” The foundation also released a report on the extent of violence against women and children in the country. In the report KKF said, “It’s a phenomenon that is still shrouded in darkness. Anyone who works in security forces knows about it and those who work in social organizations and charity centers can see a part of it… Also, people who work in hospitals and schools can see a fraction of it, but no one knows the exact amount or how much it has spread or the real reasons or actual impact in total.”

Despite advancements, women in Saudi Arabia face limited public involvement. In 2012, the first female members were sworn in to the Shura Council and in 2011, the King granted women the right to vote and run for public office as early as 2015. Despite gaining the right to vote, Saudi women still have to rely on male relatives or paid drivers to travel by car due to a religious edict issued by Muslim clerics. Saudi women are also being tracked by text message.

Six days after the deadly building collapse outside of Dhaka, Bangladesh, rescuers are still working to recover any remaining survivors and locate bodies of the deceased. 385 people have been confirmed dead as a result of the collapse. 2,437 have been rescued alive.

Efforts were delayed on Sunday when a spark from a metal grinder caused a fire that injured six workers as they desperately and unsuccessfully tried to save a woman trapped beneath the rubble. On Monday, rescuers began using heavy machinery and hydraulic cranes to remove concrete slabs weighing anywhere between three and 12 tons. The Special Work Organization (SWO) of the Army Engineering Corps, told reporters it will take at least 15 days to remove the debris.

Building owner and local politician, Mohammed Sohel Rana, was taken into police custody on Sunday as he attempted to flee the country into India. Seven others have been arrested in relation to the collapse: four factory bosses, two engineers, and Rana’s father. A fifth factory boss is at large. Rana wore a bullet proof vest and helmet as he brought into the Dhaka courthouse while onlookers chanted “Hang him, hang him.”

80% of the garment factory workforce in Bangladesh are women who are often responsible for providing for their families. Under grueling working conditions, workers in garment factories can make as little as $26 a month.

Outrage over the conditions of garment factories in Bangladesh gained international headlines in November of 2012 when 112 workers died during a fire in a factory that was producing clothes for Walmart and other Western retailers. An official investigation ruled that the fire was deliberately started and determined that up to nine officials prevented workers from leaving the building and even padlocked exits.