Around The World In 5
Around the World in 5 is an ongoing series that highlights news related to women in five countries, updated every week. This week's post covers March 18 — March 24.
Global
In its latest study, 'Women, Business, and the Law', the World Bank Group shed light on a troubling reality: globally, women only have access to around two-thirds of the legal rights that men have.
This discovery stands in sharp contrast to previous estimates that indicated women had 77% of the legal rights. There is a further reduction in women's rights, to only 64% of men's, when issues like abuse and childcare are taken into account.
The Democratic Republic of Congo
A recent report by the UK-based human rights group Rights & Accountability in Development (Raid) and the Kinshasa-based NGO Afrewatch highlights a concerning increase in reproductive health issues among women and girls in cobalt-mining communities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The report reveals a significant surge in miscarriages and birth defects, with interviews conducted among 144 individuals residing in 25 nearby communities near five industrial cobalt mines.
A pediatrician, documenting patient data since 2016, notes a sharp rise in genital infections and skin conditions among female patients, attributing this trend to their reliance on contaminated water sources, which heightens their susceptibility to diseases.
Bangladesh
Transgender individuals in Bangladesh are urging social media platforms to take stronger action against hate speech, citing concerns that the rise in online transphobia could jeopardize their safety offline and hinder progress in securing their rights.
Initially, platforms like Facebook provided a vital space for trans Bangladeshis to connect, but recent surges in anti-trans content have sparked alarm among advocates. Activist Shaikh Md. Mominul Islam, who identifies as non-binary, highlights the shift from an empowering digital space to one fraught with danger for gender-diverse individuals.
Despite legal recognition of hijras and trans people as a third gender in 2013, they continue to face marginalization in Bangladesh, where same-sex activity remains illegal.
Afghanistan
Human rights groups are condemning the Taliban's decision to resume publicly stoning women to death, attributing it to the silence of the international community.
Safia Arefi, a lawyer and leader of the Afghan human rights organization Women’s Window of Hope, lamented that this announcement signals a return to the oppressive era of Taliban rule in the 1990s, plunging Afghan women into despair and isolation.
With this resurgence of brutal punishments, Afghan women face a grim reality reminiscent of the darkest days of the past.
Fiji
In a move aimed at empowering rural women and promoting agricultural sustainability, the Ministry of Agriculture has provided a cassava processing machine to a women’s group in Ba. Minister for Agriculture Vatimi Rayalu views this initiative as a significant stride towards harnessing technology to revolutionize cassava production and generate economic prospects for local farmers.
Rayalu stressed the importance of investing in women and sustainable agricultural practices, highlighting the machine's potential to streamline cassava processing, minimize post-harvest losses, and boost farmers’ incomes.
Rayalu noted that the processing machine marks a step forward in the cassava production value chain in Fiji and the region, aligning with the government's commitment to enhancing food security and fostering economic development in the community.