Niloofar Rahmani, the first woman to serve in the Afghan military since the fall of the Taliban, was honored by the US State Department with the International Women of Courage Award.
US Ranks 16th Worldwide on 2015 Social Progress Index
The 2015 Social Progress Index assesses and scores countries worldwide across three categories: Basic Human Needs, Foundations of Wellbeing, and Opportunity.
Iranian Women Can Now Attend Major Sporting Events
Although the new policy still holds barriers for women attending specific sports—those considered to be more “masculine” such as wrestling or swimming—this announcement reverses an antiquated rule that forbid women to watch matches attended by men.
Brutally Murdered Afghan Woman Becomes Symbol for Women’s Rights
27-year-old Farkhunda was falsely accused of burning the Koran then brutally murdered. She’s now being held up as a champion of Islam and women’s rights.
Malta Passes Law to Ban ‘Normalization’ Surgery on Intersex Infants, Allow Self-Determination of Gender
The new law also allows people to change their gender identity on documents by simply filing an affidavit with a notary, which ends the requirement for surgery in order to legally identify as a gender other than the one assigned at birth.
“No Ceilings” Report Shows Major Gains and Gaps in Women’s Equality
The Clinton Foundation “No Ceilings” report reveals data measuring women and girls’ participation worldwide over the past twenty years. In many ways, there have been significant increases for women and girls, but there are still massive gaps to be filled and progress to be made.
New Law Cracks Down on Domestic Abusers in Brazil
Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff signed a new law this week creating harsher penalties for the murder of women and girls connected to domestic violence.
International Women’s Day Ushered in Activism and the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women
International Women’s Day this year marked a march for women’s rights attended by thousands of people and the beginning of a two-week long UN Commission on the Status of Women.
Tell President Obama: Afghan Women and Girls Need Our Continued Support!
We must stand shoulder-to-shoulder with these courageous women.
This Courageous One-Woman Protest Challenged Gender-Based Violence in Afghanistan
Kubra Khademi designed and wore an exaggerated breast and buttock armor in a crowded street of Kabul to condemn violence against women.
Iranian Activist Wins International Human Rights Award for Hijab Campaign
Journalist Masih Alinejad was awarded the Women’s Rights Award at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy last week for her activism supporting Iranian women who choose not to cover their heads in a hijab.
Malawi’s Parliament Voted Unanimously to End Child Marriage
An estimated 50 percent of Malawian girls becoming child brides, and approximately one in eight girls are married by 15.
Feminist Activists Protest TPP and Brunei’s Brutal Penal Code Outside Beverly Hills Hotel
Activists gathered across the street from the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles yesterday to call on Congress to exclude Brunei from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).
Irish Women Speak Out Against Brutal Childbirth Operations
Between 1942 and 1990 in Ireland, more than 1,500 pregnant women in childbirth endured an operation that involves breaking the pelvis or having their pubic bone sawed through. Others claim their wombs were removed entirely.
Worldwide Attacks Against Schoolgirls Are on the Rise
Despite legal protections for gender equality, around 3,600 attacks against schools, students, and teachers were recorded in just the year 2012 alone.
John Legend Drops Performance at Beverly Hills Hotel in Response to Brunei’s Anti-Gay, Anti-Woman Penal Code
John Legend announced that he would not be performing at the coveted L.A. Confidential party hosted at the Beverly Hills Hotel in protest of the new penal code introduced by the Hotel’s owner, the Sultan of Brunei.
The World Future Council Calls on Governments to End FGM
Today, on International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, dozens of activists, writers, and leaders are releasing a statement calling for a global increase in action to end FGM worldwide.
Women in Afghanistan Protest Lack of Representation in Cabinet
Women activists and civil society groups therefore walked the streets of Kabul yesterday, demanding that women’s voices be represented within the country’s cabinet.
Northern Ireland’s Human Right Commission To Review Abortion Ban
Currently, abortion law in the area has abortion illegal in all cases except when a pregnant person’s life is at risk or when there is the risk of permanent or serious damage to the pregnant person’s mental or physical health.
Women Who Protested Saudi Arabia’s Driving Ban Remain in Prison
Loujain al-Hathloul, 25, and Maysa al-Alamoudi, 33, were arrested while they were crossing into Saudi Arabia on November 30.