Ashraf Ghani, President of Afghanistan, announced that at least four women will be appointed as foreign diplomats, as well as made other promises for appointments of female government officials at varying levels of Afghanistan’s government. Last week, the Office of the President of Afghanistan tweeted that “at least four women ambassadors will be appointed to represent […]
UN Conference for Climate Change Features Workshops on Gender and Climate
The annual United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change began yesterday in Bonn, Germany to discuss how to manage the scientific phenomenon of a changing climate and the effects it has on the Global South and women. The conference will feature a multitude of meetings and workshops ranging from early warning systems in relation to […]
Murder Charges in Rana Plaza Garment Factory Collapse
Bangladeshi officials have charged 41 people with murder for the April 2013 Rana Plaza factory collapse that killed at least 1,127 workers, many of whom were young women. Those charged include Sohel Rana, the owner of Rana Plaza, as well as at least a dozen government officials. Another individual was charged with building code violations. The multi-story […]
High School Student Wins International Award for Creating HIV Test
Nicole Ticea, a teen from Vancouver, Canada, won a top prize at the Intel International and Engineering Fair, the world’s largest high school science research competition for her invention of a simple and low-cost HIV test. Ticea, who is just 16, created a simple and inexpensive HIV test that can be sold over-the-counter at very […]
Ireland Votes Overwhelmingly to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
Ireland became the first country in the world to pass marriage equality through popular vote on Friday.
Pregnant Women Left Vulnerable After Devastating Nepal Earthquake
About 14,000 women are expected to give birth in the coming weeks, and thousands of them are at risk of complications that require emergency care.
Afghan Girls Win Gold at International Science Competition
Three schoolgirls from Afghanistan won gold in biology at an international science competition hosted in Kenya last week.
Four Sentenced to Death, Eight to Prison for Brutal Murder of Afghan Woman
The verdict for the 49 men charged with the murder of 27-year- old Farkhunda came yesterday, following a highly publicized and televised week-long trial and public outrage for violence against women in Afghanistan.
Sen. Reid Promises to Filibuster “Fast Track” for the Trans-Pacific Partnership
Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid has promised to delay efforts to push through the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal until the Senate first deals with two stalled bills that may soon expire.
400 Women and Children Have Been Rescued From Boko Haram in Nigeria
On Tuesday, Nigerian troops announced they rescued 200 girls and 93 women from Boko Haram – and today news has come out that troops rescued another 160 women and children.
Human Rights Group Seeks Pardon for Salvadoran Women Imprisoned for Miscarriages
Human rights groups are calling for the pardon of 15 women imprisoned in El Salvador for suffering a miscarriage.
We Need to Talk About Gender On Earth Day
As climate change becomes increasingly an important issue, it’s also crucial to discuss how climate change disproportionately affects women.
Four Women Were Just Approved to Join the Cabinet of Afghanistan’s Unity Government
President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah of Afghanistan held their promise to appoint four women in the new cabinet, and the nation’s lower house of Parliament approved them Saturday.
One Year Since the Kidnappings, #BringBackOurGirls Still Matters
In April of 2014, almost 300 Nigerian schoolgirls were kidnapped by the terrorist group Boko Haram. It’s been one year, and 219 of them are still missing.
Afghan Woman Awarded International Women of Courage Award
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.