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 October 1 to October 7.
Greenland
Indigenous women in Greenland are pursuing compensation from the Danish government for the non-consensual insertion of intrauterine devices (IUDs) by government-affiliated doctors during the 1960s and 1970s.
In their formal complaint, which may go to court if required, these women assert that the procedure amounted to a violation of their human rights, resulting in enduring physical and psychological harm, including issues such as bleeding, abdominal pain, and infections.
Iran
Photographs showing an unconscious teenage girl in a coma in Iran has ignited fresh anger directed at the Iranian government and the controversial morality police.
In widely circulated footage, sixteen-year-old Armita Geravand is observed boarding a train without wearing a head covering. Shortly thereafter, she is forcibly removed from the train while unconscious and tended to by a group of women.
According to Hengaw, an Iranian Kurdish rights organization based in Norway, Geravand was subject to an assault by authorities enforcing the compulsory hijab rule.
Vatican City
During Pope Francis' commencement mass for a three-week-long gathering on the future of the Catholic Church in St. Peter’s Square, a small group of demonstrators convened to advocate for the ordination of women.
Before the commencement of the opening Mass, they displayed a sizable purple banner in a nearby piazza bearing the message "Ordain Women."
Women have expressed long standing grievances about their treatment as second-class citizens within the church, where they are excluded from the priesthood and the highest echelons of authority. Yet, they bear the primary responsibility for a substantial portion of church activities, including teaching in Catholic schools, managing Catholic hospitals, and passing down the faith to future generations.
The United States of America
Simone Biles has achieved a remarkable milestone by becoming the most decorated gymnast in history, securing her 21st world title in the women's all-around event at the World Gymnastics Championships.
With a dazzling performance that showcased her extraordinary talents and unyielding resolve, Simone Biles thoroughly dominated the competition in Antwerp, the very city where she claimed her first world title a decade ago.
Gambia
Last Monday, Gambian President Adama Barrow and Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, the President of the African Development Bank Group, committed to collaborate in enhancing rice production and supporting the thriving youth and women entrepreneurs in the country.
Apart from backing women and youth entrepreneurship in a nation where approximately 65% of the populace is under the age of 25, Barrow also pinpointed infrastructure, particularly road development, as a crucial sector in which the African Development Bank's assistance is essential.