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The Transgender Bill Doesn’t Amend Rights, It Erases Us – Article 14 Architecture of Erasure: How the Transgender Amendment Bill 2026 erases those it claims

English Statements and resources The International Olympic Committee polices women and girls and fails them – Ilga Olympics: Sex Testing Harms All Women and Girls

Since we released our second 2025 bulletin, last December, the world has gotten worse. What happened in Venezuela on January 3, with the capture of Nicolás Maduro by US military forces in Caracas and his imprisonment on US territory, has radically altered the world order, with effects far beyond Latin America.

Patton for Dummies – The Dispatch The Nuremberg Clown Rally – Discourse Blog Pete Hegseth’s “Warrior Ethos” Is Just the Closet in Camouflage – Them

Scenes From Saturday’s Nationwide ‘No Kings’ Protests – Wired ‘No Kings’ protests against Trump bring a street party vibe to cities nationwide – AP Were

Photo: Rudolf Karancsi/AP Hungary Banned Pride Events. Thousands Marched Anyway. – Mother Jones Budapest Pride draws huge crowds in defiance of Orban legal threats –

Democracy promotion The emotional fallout of mass USAID and NGO layoffs – Devex What cutting USAID could cost the U.S. — and how China, Russia

Gender and sexual politics The Supreme Court Has Dealt Another Devastating Blow to Women – The Nation What to know about the Supreme Court’s ruling

Trump’s First 100 Days: 5 Attacks on Reproductive Rights You Might Have Missed – Center for Reproductive Rights The Supreme Court Just Made It Easier

Image: Angelica Alzona/Guardian Design The Far Right’s Campaign to Explode the Population – Politico The push for women to have more children has a powerful

Image: Wikipedia President Trump’s war on higher education – NPR Trump Has Targeted These Universities. Why? – NY Times Inside Trump’s Pressure Campaign on Universities

The Right Reads Gramsci: Project 2025 and Neo-Fascism Convergence – Academia Mapping the Ideological Core of Far-Right Movements Globally – Center for the Study Of

Analysis The Constitutional Crisis Is Here – Atlantic How Trump’s immigration policies compare to those of America’s past – Berkeley News We Study Repression in

Analysis The Targeted Chaos of Trump’s Attacks Against International Human Rights Law and Justice – American Civil Liberties Union What do the Trump administration’s sanctions

Analysis The Anti-Trans Executive Orders – Signs Journal The Human Toll of Trump’s Anti-Trans Crusade – American Civil Liberties Union Trump on DEI And Anti-Discrimination

The ridiculous real story behind the tariff plan that turned Donald Trump into a global disaster – Rachel Maddow Show The Trump Tariffs Just Got

Analysis DOGE Has Achieved Its Final Form – Wired What Did Elon Musk Accomplish at DOGE? – New Yorker DOGE Is Busier Than Ever—and Trump

European CPACs show the growing unity of the global far-right – NPR Foro Madrid and the Transnationalization of the Far-Right – Cambridge University Press Orban,

Image: Getty Image USA There Was a Record 5 to 6 Million People Who Took to the Streets to Stop Trump on Saturday! — And

News Israel kills a Palestinian woman every hour in the Gaza Strip, including 7,920 mothers so far – Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor UN Women estimates

English Pope Francis put women on a pedestal, where they could do no harm – Irish Times Pope Francis opened the door to the LGBTQ

When Trump was elected for the first time, in 2016, we published a compilation of articles that predominantly analyzed the astonishment that the election result

Torreciudad, Opus Dei’s Shrine El Papa toma el control de Torreciudad, el ‘santuario’ del Opus Dei fundado por Escrivá de Balaguer – El Diario Conflict

English One map to visualize one year of destruction in the Gaza Strip – Le Monde Gaza in Ruins After a Year of War –

English Harris steps up – The Nation August 2024 Issue  The Kamala Show – The New Yorker Kamala Harris’s Gamble – New Yorker Where Kamala

Misinformation campaigns and the future of Bangladesh-India relations – The Daily Star Hasina fled Bangladesh, leaving behind a ‘beaten’ Indian security establishment – Nenews Cannot

English Post-election EU elections: earthquake in France and a rightward policy lurch? Our panel responds – The Guardian 5 things to know about the EU

English If Trump Wins – NY Times Why Trump’s Second Victory Would Be Worse – The Nation The Theocratic Blueprint for Trump’s Next Term –

‘A.N.C. Has Been Humbled’: a Couple’s Vote Explains Why – NY Times South Africa’s ANC wants a national unity government: What is it? – AlJazeera

English Post-election A Non-BJP Government Will Be Unstable, But It is Our Only Hope to Save the Constitution – The Wire To Deal With His

English PM Donald Tusk faces uphill battle on reforming Polish abortion rights – France 24 Letter From Poland – The Nation Taking back Polish democracy

LGBTQ Iraqis fear dark days ahead after anti-gay law – France 24 Comment by UN Human Rights Office spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani on Iraq – UN

Ghana’s parliament passes anti-LGBTQ bill – AlJazeera Ghana’s top court postpones hearing on challenge to anti-LGBTQ bill – Reuters LGBT Ghanaians await court ruling on

What’s wrong with the Cass Review? A round-up of commentary and evidence – Ruth Pearce American Academy of Pediatrics’ response to Dr. Cass NY Times’

EnglishModi’s Power Keeps Growing, and India Looks Sure to Give Him More – NY Times Simultaneous Elections Will Be a Blow to India’s Popular Sovereignty

Hate Crimes Against Queer and Trans Students Quadrupled in States With Anti-LGBTQ+ Laws – Them A Terrifying 300 Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills Have Already Been Introduced in

Senegal elections: President-elect Bassirou Diomaye Faye to lead with ‘humility’ – BBC Senegal election: Voters choose new president after political crisis – BBC Election Delay

At highly charged session, Spain’s PM justifies amnesty as only way to stop the far right – El País Spain: The investiture of the amnesty

Niger coup: What is Russia’s role? – DW Russia uses social media channels to exploit Niger coup – The Guardian Prigozhin celebrates Niger coup, says

Run-off The Free-Market Fundamentalism of Argentina’s Javier Milei – New Yorker Why these Argentines voted for Javier Milei – BBC Argentina’s new leader is a

English Momentous Shift Looms for Poland as Governing Party Looks Set to Be Ousted – NY Times ‘Emotional and proud’: Voters on Poland’s landmark election

One Year, 61 Clinics: How Dobbs Changed the Abortion Landscape – NY Times  The Hell of Providing Health Care in a Post-Dobbs America – Mother

Senegal’s Macky Sall rules out third term after deadly protests – AlJazeera The sexual assault case behind Senegal’s unrest – AlJazeera Senegalese women fear rights

  Maping and tracking Mapping Attacks on LGBTQ Rights in U.S. State Legislatures – American Civil Liberties Union 2023 anti-trans bills tracker – Trans Legislation

Tunisia: Rached Ghannouchi sentencing part of ‘aggressive crackdown’ by Kais Saied – Middle East Eye Rached Ghannouchi arrest ‘tragic loss’ for Tunisia and region, academics

  How Recep Tayyip Erdogan became Turkey’s most powerful leader – NPR Türkiye election result – why do people vote for authoritarian leaders? – IDS

Child rights body NCPCR asks states not to work with UNICEF — ‘involved in activities out of its purview’ – The Print Rahul Gandhi disqualification:

  English How foreign aid supported anti-LGBTQ+ advocates in Uganda – Devex Calls for US anti-rights groups to face action over Uganda anti-gay law –

English Iranian woman dies ‘after being beaten by morality police’ over hijab law – The Guardian  Iran unrest: Women burn headscarves at anti-hijab protests –

As Brazil was stunned by January 8th storming rioters against the buildings of Federal Administration, Congress and Supreme Court, we collected analysis to better understand the roots, circumstances and outcomes of the “infamous Sunday”.

English US midterm elections: Democrats retain control of Senate as House race still undecided – as it happened – The Guardian Red Tsunami? More Like

The case of the 11-year-old girl raped and barred by a female judge from having a legal abortion in Santa Catarina had wide repercussions in

If the LGBT+ population is already under attack in the legal and policy realms, this year we have observed a new and worrying trend: the

English Pride Month in Turkey Showcased Homophobia, Resistance – Human Rights Watch This could be one of the most dangerous Pride months ever – openDemocracy

As predicted since December, when a public hearing on the Dobbs case took place, on June 24th 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court, overturned the right

English As elite sports think again about trans participation, our only demand is for fairness – The Guardian International Federations’ bans targeting trans and intersex

English The Johnny Depp–Amber Heard Verdict Is Chilling – The New Yorker The Amber Heard-Johnny Depp trial was an orgy of misogyny – The Guardian

English 100 Days of War: Death, Destruction and Loss – NY Times Ukraine round-up: 100 days of war and some Russians refuse to fight –

Macron reelected but Le Pen’s big score shows France increasingly divided – Politico France elections 2022: Macron reelected as far-right vote and abstentions surge –

Philippines: Elections point to ominous moment for human rights – Amnesty International The Philippine election is the latest example of illiberalism’s popularity – Vox How

Last monday (May 2), an initial draft majority opinion, written by US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and leaked by Politico, unveiled what has long been considered credible: the Court has voted to overturn Roe v. Wade 1973 landmark ruling, that granted constitutional ground to the right of abortion. SPW is gathering – in English, Spanish  and Portuguese – assessments and analysis on the background and implications of the draft.

Sri Lanka In Sri Lanka, a people’s uprising for system change – Global Voices Thugs attacked peaceful protesters, Sri Lanka in turmoil – Global Voices

English The situation of Ukrainian trans people during the war – Insight ‘Lawful transphobia’ stopping Ukraine’s trans community from fleeing – Euronews ‘Danger everywhere’: War

Anti-abortion trend: macro and political analysis If Roe v. Wade Is Overturned, What’s Next? – New Yorker 2022 State Legislative Sessions: Abortion Bans and Restrictions

English Putin’s ‘macho doctrine’: Implications for Ukraine – AlJazeera How Putin Converted Russia into a ‘World Male Power’ and Inspired Leaders Like Trump and Bolsonaro

Landmark Decision on Colombia Abortion Rights – Human Rights Watch Statements from the Center for Reproductive Rights on the Constitutional Court Decision Decriminalizing Abortion in

Since 2020, intense controversies against “gender” and trans rights have been unfolding that are mobilized by “gender-critical” feminist strands. As mentioned in previous issues, these

Since our first special, we have read the pandemic through the lenses of biopolitics, as to analyze how its management has activated and even updated

Rough Night for Democrats Exposes the Party’s Weakness – NY Times Were the Ultra-Conservative “Mama Bears” Youngkin’s Secret Weapon? – Mother Jones Lessons From Virginia:

Is Trump’s power over Republicans starting to slip? – BBC All the Republicans Who Won’t Support Trump – NY Times A Prominent Anti-Trump Republican Says

The Tokyo Olympics’ Indelible Moments of Loss and Solidarity – New Yorker Olympic magic cut through the pandemic gloom, but the Tokyo Games’ legacy is

LGBT hate crime bill polarizes Italy – Politico Vatican urges Italy to stop proposed anti-homophobia law – The Guardian Vatican defends intervention over Italy anti-homophobia

Is Cuba’s Communist Party Finally Losing Its Hold on the Country? – New Yorker ‘I’m surprised it took so long’: Cubans find anger in their

Title  Vehicle / Author Pedophilia – more of the same? SPW Monsters Under The Bed SPW How Covid-19 myths are merging with the QAnon conspiracy

Derechos en riesgo: la cruzada antigénero en América Latina y el Caribe Línea del tiempo de las políticas antigénero – Wambra Telemedicina: la última tensión

The 2020 US presidential election in data: how Joe Biden won – New Statesman How Homegrown Disinformation Could Disrupt This U.S. Election – NY Times

2013 SPW Newsletter N.13 – July, 2013 – SPW 2014 Vatican Document: Gays Have ‘Gifts and Qualities to Offer’ Church – NBC News Catholic bishops

Argentinian MP Ofelia Fernandez: ‘Being a feminist means being on the side of history’ – France 24 Argentina moves closer to historic abortion legalization –

In the Battle Over Abortion, Polish Feminists with Disabilities Are Claiming Their Rights – Ms. Magazine “They’re uncompromising”: How the young transformed Poland’s abortion protests

A 10-Year-Old Girl’s Ordeal to Have a Legal Abortion in Brazil – HRW Brazil 10-year-old rape victim name anti-abortion activist put online make pipo vex

EFZ CALLS FOR THE IMMEDIATE WITHDRAWAL OF THE COMPREHENSIVE SEXUALITY EDUCATION FROM THE ZAMBIAN EDUCATION CURRICULUM – Phoeniz FM News American Christian right group hosts anti-LGBT

Paul B. Preciado: The Hot War – e-flux Pompeo’s Legacy Of Partisanship And Wading Into Political Waters – NPR Brazil Joins Egypt, Indonesia, Uganda, Hungary

Pedophilia – more of the same? – SPW Monsters Under The Bed – SPW How Covid-19 myths are merging with the QAnon conspiracy theory –

Berlin protests against coronavirus rules divide German leaders – The Guardian Neonazistas, conspiracionistas e antivacinas marcham an Alemanha pelo fim do isolamento – El País

From insight to action: gender equality in the wake of covid-19 – UN Women Recession With a Difference: Women Face Special Burden – NY Times

Biopolitics mainstreamed Meet the Philosopher Who Is Trying to Explain the Pandemic – NY Times Power and perversity – The Telegraph India COVID 19: A

COVID-19 to Add as Many as 150 Million Extreme Poor by 2021 – World Bank What crisis? Billionaires rack up record fortunes, survey shows –

Brazil Hits 7 Million Cases With Infections Picking Up Speed – Bloomberg Brazil’s president rejects COVID-19 vaccine, undermining a century of progress toward universal inoculation

Offline: COVID-19 is not a pandemic – The Lancet The COVID-19 syndemic is not global: context matter – The Lancet One stillbirth every 16 seconds,

The Council for Inclusive Capitalism with the Vatican, A New Alliance Of Global Business Leaders, Launches Today – PR Newswire Council for Inclusive Capitalism launches

Vatican says Pope’s comments on same-sex civil unions were taken out of context – CNN Vatican clarifies pope’s comments on homosexual unions – DW Vatican

Proposition Number Year Author Party Federative Unit PL 478/2020 478 2007 Luis Bassuma PT BA PL 3406/2019 3406 2019 Eduardo Girão PODE CE

CONGRESS Proposition Number Year Author Party Federative Unit PEC 164/2012 164 2012 Eduardo Cunha and others PMDB RJ PEC 181/2015 181 2015 Aécio Neves PSDB

Proposition Number Year Author Party Federative Unit Object INC 443/2020 443 2020 Chris Tonietto PSL RJ Recommends the Supreme Court to dismiss the bill that

Majority says winner of presidential election should nominate next Supreme Court justice, Post-ABC poll finds – Washington Post Trump’s Selection of Amy Coney Barrett for

July, 2019  Isabela Kalil: Políticas de direita criam ‘Bolsonaro protetor de mulheres’, diz estudiosa – Universa  Isabela Kalil: ‘O bolsonarismo é maior que Bolsonaro’: projeto

Giorgio Agamben: The Plague was Already Present – Critical Legal Thinking Giorgio Agamben: Contagion – Enough 14 COVID-19 and the neoliberal state of exception –

PROTECTING THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF LGBTI PEOPLE DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC – Amnesty International LGBTQ Inequality and Vulnerability in the Pandemic – HRW COVID-19 pandemic

US Supreme Court LGBT worker ruling has a giant loophole – Al Jazeera Devil in the detail of SCOTUS ruling on workplace bias puts LGBTQ

North America US The Coronavirus Crisis Inside Prisons Won’t Stay Behind Bars – NY Times Stop Unnecessary Arrests to Slow Coronavirus Spread – NY Times

Logistics Firms Have Used the Pandemic to Boost Profits and Make Workers More Precarious – Jacobin The real cost of Amazon – Vox Explosive resignation

Six ways capitalism spreads the crisis – Corporate Watch Precarity in Times of Pandemic:Covid-19 and the crisis in India’s informal labor markets – Bot Populi

World Indigenous groups in Canada, Australia, Brazil brace for coronavirus – Washington Post US Why has Navajo Nation been hit so hard by the coronavirus?

The need for universal basic income – UNDP Sailing through a perfect storm of COVID-19 with universal basic income for Indonesia – The Conversation Could

Yuval Noah Harari: ‘Will coronavirus change our attitudes to death? Quite the opposite’ – The Guardian Yuval Noah Harari on COVID-19: ‘The biggest danger is

What’s Really Behind the Gender Gap in Covid-19 Deaths? – New York Times India’s coronavirus pandemic shines a light on the curse of caste –

EUROPE Crisis and Resistance at the Periphery: Bosnian responses to COVID -19 –  Critical Legal Thinking Coronavirus: Hungary bid to end emergency powers ‘an optical

Sex workers must not be left behind in the response to COVID-19 – Unaids ‘Sex workers say they’re at risk, have been left out of

On 5 June 2020, the Interim Minister of Health, General Eduardo Pazuello, dismissed Flávia Andrade Nunes Fialho, Coordinator of Women’s Health, and Danilo Campos da

 GENDER UNDER ATTACK Europe Romania International Call Against the Teaching of Gender Ban in Romania – The Gender International Controversies Over Law Banning Any Reference

MAY / JUNE EUROPE Germany Germany unveils first national strategy for gender equality – DW Germany is 5th country to ban conversion therapy for minors

US stocks surge as NYSE trading floor reopens – Al Jazeera Latin America’s Virus Villains: Corrupt Officials Collude With Price Gougers for Body Bags and

English Black Lives Matter The Souls of White Folk – Verso Books Illiberal Racisms, Extremism and the Discursive Reconstruction of the Far Right – Verso

English Germany Politicians worry about radicalization at anti-lockdown protests – Deutsche Welle US Tea Party 2.0: What the Reopen Protest have in common with the

Covid-19 Backlash Targets LGBT People in South Korea – HRW Authorities warn against homophobia hindering virus containment efforts – The Korea Herald ‘No one wants

Indonesia Indonesia’s Intelligence Service is Coming Out to Counter COVID-19 – The Diplomat Myanmar In Myanmar, the Coronavirus Gives Nationalists an Opening – Foreign Policy

MAY / JUNE  Domestic violence It is ‘all men’, to varying degrees: men’s violence against women is a systemic crisis – The Guardian Can domestic

MAY / JUNE English Laid Off and Locked Up: Virus Traps Domestic Workers in Arab States – NY Times A FAMILY SEPARATED BETWEEN EL SALVADOR

MAY / JUNE Global report: South Africa records biggest jump in Covid-19 cases since pandemic hit – The Guardian African countries are struggling to keep

Gaza/Palestine Domestic Violence in COVID-19 Lockdown: Palestinian Women Are Dying at an Alarming Rate – Egyptian Streets COVID-19 in Palestine: Living between hope and fear

MAY / JUNE Hospital’s COVID-19 Policy Separated Native American Mothers From Their Newborns – Truthout Denied beds, pain relief and contact with their babies: the

English Trump, Bannon y Cañizares: los lobbies ultrarreligiosos alimentan la teoría de la conspiración abortista del coronavirus – el diario The Coronavirus Is Cutting Off

English Securing Data and Labor Rights in the Post-Covid Digital Era – Bot Populi Big Tech Is Using the Pandemic to Push Dangerous New Forms

The Agamben Debates Giorgio Agamben: Contagion – Enough 14 Philosophy and Pandemic in the Postdigital Era: Foucault, Agamben, Žižek –  Post Digital Science and Education

Use of UAPA Against Journalists is Last Nail in Coffin for Press Freedom in Kashmir – The Wire ‘Third World Region of a Third World

English Policy Brief: The Impact of COVID-19 on Women – UN Interim Guidance – Clinical management of severe acute respiratory infection when COVID-19 is suspected

English States must combat domestic violence in the context of COVID-19 lockdowns – UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women, endorsed by other UN rights

Mena countries COVID-19: Impact on MENA Countries – Arab Reform Initiative COVID-19 in the Middle East: Is this pandemic a health crisis or a war?

English COVID-19: States should not abuse emergency measures to suppress human rights – UN experts COVID-19: Who is protecting the people with disabilities? – Special

English COVID-19 fears should not be exploited to attack and exclude minorities – UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues “Unacceptable”: UN expert urges better protection of

Delhi Progrom Victims Getting No Treatment Due to COVID-19 – National Herald FIR against Scroll’s Supriya Sharma for story on Varanasi woman’s lockdown ‘misery’ –

Iran ‘Armageddon’: When coronavirus struck a Tehran hospital – Middle East Eye Iran’s corona-diplomacy – Brookings Politics in the Time of Corona: Tehran (Hosted by

Hungary Hungary rolls back legal protections, puts trans and intersex people at risk – Ilga Europe Hungary votes to end legal recognition of trans people

March – April The fragile existence of sex workers during the pandemic – New Yorker Can the world’s oldest profession survive the age of social

MAY / JUNE Contesting science and misinformation Ofcom: Christian TV network aired Covid-19 conspiracies – The Guardian Nigerian pastor spread covid-19 conspiracies and disinformation –

MAY / JUNE Hunger, infection and repression: Venezuela’s coronavirus calamity – New Yorker Contact-Tracing Apps: No Substitute for Public Healthcare Interventions – Bot Populi Spread

MAY / JUNE LGBTQ Inequality and Vulnerability in the Pandemic – HRW LGBT: Covid-19 forced me back home where I’m ‘unwanted’ – BBC LGBT Nonprofits

Politics in the Time of Corona: Anti-Asian Racism: A Feature of the COVID-19 Pandemic (Hosted by Jadaliyya Co-Editors Noura Erakat and Bassam Haddad) – Jadaliyya

Navigating the Heteronormative Household: Rabenmutter, Racism and Covid-19 – Feminist Review ‘Calamitous’: domestic violence set to soar by 20% during global lockdown – The Guardian

HIV/Aids What Lessons Does the AIDS Crisis Offer for the Coronavirus Pandemic? – Masha Gessen – The New Yorker Larry Kramer had the courage to

MAY / JUNE English Information warfare: COVID-19’s other battleground in the Middle East – Global Voices Nearly half of all tweets on coronavirus likely came

MAY / JUNE Precarity in Times of Pandemic:Covid-19 and the crisis in India’s informal labor markets – Bot Populi Pandemic Meets Precarity: The Case of

Abortion Your Questions About Reproductive Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Answered – Rewire Abortion and COVID-19: why we need to support women’s right to abortion

International Women’s Day – a spotlight on gender and development – IDS Why I’ll be striking for International Women’s Day – OpenDemocracy In Kazakhstan, women

India’s New Laws Hurt Women Most of All – Foreign Policy We Are Seeing, for the First Time, a Sustained Countrywide Movement Led by Women

Full Coverage: Harvey Weinstein Is Found Guilty of Rape – New York Times ABC’s coverage of Weinstein affair  We Didn’t Expect Weinstein to Be Convicted,

“The violence unleashed against Muslims in Delhi by armed Hindu mobs during President Donald Trump’s visit to India is a portent and a lesson. […] More than an echo of the past, the recent violence in Delhi is a lesson”. Read SPW’s compilation.

International Conference on Population & Development+25 – International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion Conservative protests against global development conference in Kenya fail to

Brazilian outlet AzMina faces criminal complaints, online harassment over abortion article – CPJ Jornalistas são alvos de ataques em redes sociais após publicação de reportagem

Bolsonaro Threatens Brazil’s Central Film Fund with Censorship or Closure – Variety Bolsonaro: ‘Não posso admitir filmes como Bruna Surfistinha com dinheiro público’ – O

The Resentful and the Damned – Jacobin The Dangers of Detoxification – Jacobin Nigel Farage’s Populist Brexit Party Wins Big in European Parliament Elections –

‘Criminalizar não é solução’, escreve Jean Wyllys sobre homofobia – O Globo A HOMOFOBIA PODE VIRAR CRIME. E ISSO É UM TIRO NO PÉ. –

Transgender Rights Bill India’s transgender rights Bill faces ‘unanimous opposition’ from trans people – RNZ India’s Trans Community Faces Continued Discrimination – The Diplomat Regressive,

Angola Decriminalizes Same-Sex Conduct – Human Rigths Watch As Angola decriminalizes homosexuality, where does the African continent stand? – DW Angola: Decriminalising same sex relations

India’s protests against citizenship law – Al Jazeera Why are so many Indians protesting against the citizenship law? – Al Jazeera As Protests Rage on

Indian police have shot dead four men suspected of raping and killing a young female vet in Hyderabad last week. The men were in police

All states must ensure access to safe and legal abortion as a matter of human rights, say UN experts – OHCHR Demanding Reproductive Rights on

Historic Second Annual Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom – US Department of State Pence Praises Alliance Defending Freedom for Being with Trump ‘Every Step of

Damares in Wonderland – Folha de São Paulo Civil society criticizes gap of government human rights report to UN – Câmara dos Deputados

Leaked documents show Brazil’s Bolsonaro has grave planes for Amazon rainforest – openDemocracy The Amazon Fire Isn’t Just Climate Change—It’s Political Violence – Bitch Media

May 2018 Monthly briefing Sexual politics in May 2018 – SPW Original articles Political mythology on abortion and trans men | Blas Radi – SPW

Itamaraty instructs diplomats to stress that gender is only biological sex – Folha de São Paulo Eleonora Menicucci: Women will not bow to the delay of

‘People of faith against LGBTphobia’ in São Paulo Pride The group of Freaks in the São Paulo pride Millions celebrate LGBTQ pride in New York

Vatican Issues Document During Pride Month Denying Concept Of Gender Identity – NPR LGBTQ Catholics denounce Vatican’s document on gender identity – PBS Vatican rejects

IWHC Statement on Universal Health Coverage  at WHA72 – IWHC Snakebites and kissing bugs among surprise items on World Health agenda – NPR Opinion: Gender

Euro-election results 2019: a wake-up call to traditional parties – openDemocracy The path to electoral victory in Salvini’s Italy: Open opposition to the pope –

Walking toward the cliff – Inside Higher Ed Bolsonaro’s budget cuts in Universities – Inside Higher Ed In Brazil, a Hostility to Academe – Inside

Rainbow wave: record number of LGBTs running for office in India – The Times of India Riding the rainbow: first Lok Sabha elections since Section

Alabama’s abortion ban is about keeping poor women down – The Guardian Trump fulfills his promises on abortion, and to Evangelicals – The New York

Caster Semenya ruling ‘tramples on dignity’ of athletes, South Africa says – The Guardian Statement on the CAS/IAAF discriminatory ruling against Caster Semenya – IRANTI

India chief justice Ranjan Gogoi’s accuser quits sexual harassment inquiry – BBC Woman who alleged sexual harassment by CJI Ranjan Gogoi withdraws from committee proceedings

Full text Pope vs. Pope: How Francis and Benedict’s Simmering Conflict Could Split the Catholic Church – Vanity Fair Pope Francis Under Siege by Bannon,

Will second Arab Spring go away first? – National Interest What revolutionaries in the Middle East have learned since the Arab Spring? – Counter Punch

The Sultan of Brunei: opulence, power and hard-line Islam – The New York Times Will Brunei’s anti-LGBT Sharia law spread across Southeast Asia? – CNN

Christian right summit in Verona draws massive protest – The Guardian Women cross borders to confront the far right in Italy – openDemocracy International anti-LGBT,

Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro meets with Donald Trump to consolidate their far-right alliance – The Intercept Right-wing movements merge as Bolsonaro visits Trump – Politico Trump

GIFTS Statement on the World Congress of Families – Politesse Feminist resistance against the 2019 WCF: compilation World Congress of Families in Verona: An international

What happened in New Zealand is no coincidence – openDemocracy Jacinda Arden is leading by following no one – The New York Times The Myth of

Police Stop Women’s Action against Domestic Violence in Baku, Azerbaijan. March in Istanbul, Turkey Amnesty International praised the Ukrainian police efforts in seven cities across

We Can’t Let the Trump Administration Dismantle Women’s Rights Around the World – Rewire Trump Administration Fails to Roll Back Support for Landmark Women’s Rights

The President and the Golden Shower – New York Times Bolsonaro Tweets Explicit Video To Criticize Brazilian Carnaval – Folha de São Paulo Brazil’s Bolsonaro

SPW has compiled news, articles and assessments on the first two months of Brazilian far-right new administration and its setbacks and worrying moves, in various fronts such as Education, Foreign Affairs, Health, Human Rights and corruption scandals.

Sexual Scandals Sexual abuse summit Pope Francis describes feminism as ‘machismo with a skirt’ – The Irish Times Pope Francis Disappoints Sex Abuse Victims With

The Trump administration is launching a global campaign to end the criminalization of homosexuality in dozens of nations where it’s still illegal to be gay.

Supreme Court Halts Closure of Abortion Clinics in Louisiana – Center for Reproductive Rights We Can Thank Kavanaugh for Roberts’ Decision to Temporarily Block Louisiana’s

Supreme Court Allows Challenges to Trump’s Transgender Military Ban to Continue in Lower Courts – National Center for Lesbian Rights Supreme Court Declines Transgender Military

More than 200 women accuse Brazil ‘spiritual healer’ of sex abuse – MSN Famed Brazilian medium accused of sex abuse surrenders – Channel News Asia

Thousands march in Taiwan gay pride parade for referendum vote – Al Jazeera Anti-gay marriage groups win Taiwan referendum battle – Yahoo Same-sex marriage advocates

On 14 November 2018, the Human Rights Council Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice issued a statement sharing

A specter of Dictatorship in Brazil – NACLA Brazil’s election of far-right Bolsonaro leaves researchers reeling – Chemistry World Bolsonaro poses a serious threat to

Statement of the German Sociological Association We are not an empty line – Statement from the University of Gothenburg faculty Statement from ELTE CEU Reiterates

As done in other similar occasions, such as in the 2016 Trump elections, SPW has collected and selected the largest possible number of news, opinions

Articles Escalating global effort for safe legal abortion – HRW Joint Letter read at the 39th Session of the Human Rights Council – AWID How To

Kavanaugh and #MeToo – The Economist McConnell and Grassley Have Prevented Proper Scrutiny of Kavanaugh. That Has to End, Now. – The Nation Grassley Knows

After the Pennsylvania Report release Faithful Catholics Respond After Abuse Scandals: Commitments to Change and Belief in Pope Francis – The New York Times Why Changes

I Worked With Avital Ronell. I Believe Her Accuser. – The Chronicle of Higher Education Another professor backs off earlier defense of feminist prof who

Supreme Court judgement – Supreme Court of India Supreme Court Refuses to Delay Section 377 Hearing – The Wire Indian Supreme Court Considers Decriminalizing Homosexuality

4 ways Pedro Sánchez is copying the Trudeau playbook – Politico Spain: Pedro Sanchez promises to remove Franco’s remains from Valley of the Fallen mausoleum

Trump ‘Very Close’ to Supreme Court Decision, but May Wait Till Final Hours – The New York Times In Making His Second Supreme Court Pick,

Pope Calls Abortion ‘White Glove’ Equivalent of Nazi Crimes – The New York Times Argentina’s top bishop says abortion is ‘not a right, but a tragedy’

The World Health Organization will stop classifying transgender people as mentally ill – CNN Being Transgender Is No Longer Considered A Mental Disorder By World

New York’s Sex Workers rally to take back International Whores Day: ‘Let us survive’ – The Daily Beast Puta Dei in NYC and New Jersey

Several hundred people danced, marched and raised slogans on the Chennai 10th Rainbow Pride March with banners and flags celebrating the date on June 24.

Repeal Of Abortion Ban In Ireland Sets Off Calls For Change In Northern Ireland – National Public Radio As Ireland Joins Europe’s Sprint From Catholic

IDAHO Event Country Map Charter – DayAgainstHomophobia.org Brazil Establishes National Pact Against LGBT Violence on IDAHOTB eve Same-sex couples tie the knot in Cambodia in a

Español Articles in the news Informe preliminar CIDH, documenta el uso desproporcionado de la fuerza durante las manifestaciones de abril 2018, en Nicaragua – Iniciativa Mesoamericana

Pro-Lifers Dismiss Pope’s Declaration that Protecting Migrants Is Just as Important as Abortion – Slate Pro-life leader: Pope Francis’ new exhortation ‘causes confusion’ on gravity

Papers and articles Just as U.S. Media Does With MLK, Brazil’s Media Is Trying to Whitewash and Exploit Marielle Franco’s Political Radicalism – The Intercept

English Costa Rica Election Hands Presidency to Governing Party Stalwart – The New York Times Costa Rica’s Election Day: They all thought they’d win, and so

On Wednesday, February 14, Parkland suffered a violent episode of mass shooting at the Stoneman Douglas High School depicted by 19-year-old Nikolas Cruz, who was

Sex Abuse Case Shadows Pope Francis’ Visit to Peru – The New York Times Pope Francis arrives in crisis-hit Peru – BBC News Why Pope

Argentine Women Demand Legalization of Abortion at Congress – TeleSur Argentine Protesters Demand Free, Legal and Safe Abortions – TeleSur Argentina president urges Congress to

Sexual Harassment in the Academia – What the Hitlist Misses: Debaditya Bhattacharya and Rina Ramdev – Kafila #MeTooInChina Media Highlights – Feminism for China #MeToo

On February 15, Oxfam entered the role of sexual abuse scandals after the #MeToo movement swept over Hollywood and other organizations, reaching further spheres, such

On February 5 of 2018, Senator Magno Malta (PR) proposed to archive the draft bill (SUG) N. 15/2014 on the Commission of Human Rights and

One year ago, in the preamble of March 8 when we celebrate International Women’s Day and women around the world historically articulate and promote strikes,

Montevideo (Uruguay) was the stage of the 14th Latin American and Caribbean Feminist Gathering (EFLAC in Spanish), where women gathered from the 23 to 25 of

The #MeToo movement erupted in October 2017  after several sexual harassment accusations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein became public. It is worth noting, however, that

Crackdowns have been reported in Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan and, once again, in Egypt. In India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Government presented the

Brazilian male MPs chant ‘abortion no’ after voting to ban terminations for pregnant rape victims – The Independent Brazilian Congressional committee votes to ban all abortions –

Philosopher Judith Butler visited Brazil to launch two books and participate in the International Colloquium on the Ends of Democracy at SESC Vila Mariana in

Turkey introduced a draft bill allowing religious leaders to perform civil marriage ceremonies. Women’s rights activists claim it will only make it harder to monitor the ceremonies

Update: 7 arrested for ‘promoting sexual deviancy’ after raising rainbow flag at Mashrou’ Leila gig – Mada Masr – September, 26 At least 22 arrested

Joint Statement on Access to Safe and Legal abortion globally – HRC36: General Debate Item 8 September 28, 2017 Theme: Resist & Persist! Our Bodies, Our Abortions, Our Rights

The report of the APF-UNDP Conference on Yogyakarta Principles: What have we learnt and where to now? held in Bangkok from 25-26 April 2017 has been launched.

Inquiry into the Commonwealth Government’s Exposure Draft of the Marriage Amendment (Same-Sex Marriage) Bill – Australian Human Rights Comission Marriage Equality around the world –

In Chile, the processing of a bill aimed at legalizing abortion in three cases — when the woman’s life is at risk, when the fetus

The Supreme Court decision expanded the interpretation of the right to privacy to also address cultural diversity, plurality and more importantly, to recognize it as

Brazil: New Amnesty campaign will fight back as Congress considers legal changes that flagrantly attack human rights Amnesty International defending rights at risk in Brazil

France’s newly elected president, Emmanuel Macron, when asked in a press conference at the G20 summit in Hamburg why there was no Marshall plan for

Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would not allow transgender individuals to serve in the US military in any capacity, reversing a policy put in

German Parliament Approves Same-Sex Marriage – New York Times At long last, Germany’s bells are ringing for same-sex marriage – The Guardian All of Germany’s

How Cardinal Pell Rose to Power, Trailed by a Cloud of Scandal – New York Times Australian Cardinal and Aide to Pope Is Charged With

Anti-occupation LGBTQ activists block Tel Aviv pride parade – 972 The Latest: Tear Gas, Checkpoints Greet LGBT Pride in Turkey – U.S News The Baltic

Operation Car Wash: Is this the biggest corruption scandal in history? – The Guardian  The Guardian view on Brazilian corruption: the public deserve a voice

Donald Trump is dramatically expanding the federal government’s support for healthcare organisations that agree to not provide abortion services. Read more on the Independent. The

News and Events By Country -Idahot Committee Chapter Four Uganda Statement on IDAHOT 2017 African Men for Sexual Health and Rights – IDAHOT Press Release

They Have Long Arms and They Can Find Me’: Anti-Gay Purge by Local Authorities in Russia’s Chechen Republic – Human RIghts Watch report News Update:

In March and early April, two grave cases of crackdowns against women’s rights activists have been registered worldwide. In Jamaica, activist Latoya Nugent was detained

In February, in Curitiba,  a woman was arrested when searching for care for incomplete abortion in an Evangelical hospital. In early March, in Pauí, a

LBT Women’s Economic Empowerment: Reflections on the Successes and Struggles from the CSW – ARC International CSW 61 marred by US travel bans – AWID

The Nigerian feminist and writer Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was plunged into a noisy row after remarks that distinguish experiences of transgender women from those who are

President Trump on Wednesday rescinded protections for transgender students that had allowed them to use bathrooms corresponding with their gender identity, overruling his own education secretary and placing his administration firmly in the middle

Center for Reproductive Rights Statement on Nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court Trump Nominates Birth Control Benefit Foe Neil Gorsuch to

Massive and global women’s protest raged through the world and stormed the headlines in a historical action to protest and mark a clear standpoint against

In one of his first acts as president, Donald Trump has reinstated a federal ban on U.S. funding for international health organizations that counsel women

When it comes to Chelsea Manning, the former Army intelligence analyst who was sentenced to prison after leaking a trove of classified government data to

From the SPW perspective, Trump arrival to power is just another chapter in a chain of conservative restorations sweeping world politics in recent years of which the demise of the Arab spring in vortex of wars and dictatorship followed by the 2014 election of the BJP in India can be eventually considered the starting points.

Donald Trump, after defeating Hillary Clinton in an extremely polarized election, will be the  45th President of the United States. This result prompted visceral and

The United Nations has chosen Wonder Woman as its honorary ambassador for “the empowerment of women and girls” on the 75th anniversary of her first

To celebrate both International Day of Action for Trans Depathologisation (22 October) and Intersex Awareness Day (26 October), SPW shares articles, news and campaigns aimed at

How relevant is BRICS today? – AlJazeera BRICS fantasies and unintended revelations – Pambazuka

The government said that protests against the bill had given ministers “food for thought”. Poland already has among the tightest abortion laws in Europe, and

To celebrate the Global Day for Safe and Legal Abortion, SPW has collected news, analysis and actions from around the globe. Reflections from Our Countries

Visioning Feminist Futures: Opening Plenary at the 13th AWID Forum – Awid Building Alliances to End Gender-Based Violence at Work – Awid Glass ceilings and

Burkini beach row puts French values to test – BBC Cannes ‘burkini’ ban: What do Muslim women think? – BBC Rights group to take action after Cannes

Pride Uganda raided by police as LGBT activists arrested – Pink News Gay and Lesbian Coalition of Kenya (GALCK) Statement on State-Sanctioned Disruptions of Pride

The problem is ‘criminal law’ by Sonia Corrêa Using media and legal services for the defense of LGBT rights in Mexico   by Alejandro Brito Crosstalk:

Crosstalk: HIV and linking across areas of criminalisation – Susana T. Fried – openDemocracy

Between May 2015 and September 2016, Sexuality Policy Watch has produced monthly brief reports on the Brazilian politics of abortion and sexuality in its connections

On June 30th the Human Rights Council, after a complex and difficult negotiation has voted a resolution that establishes the mandate of and Independent Expert

A Major Victory for Abortion Rights – New York Times The Facts Win Out on Abortion – Linda Greenhouse – New York Times The Supreme

Solidarity with the LGBTQI community – Frida Mourning Orlando’s Loss from Kabul – Open Society India vigils in memory of Orlando shooting victims – Orinam

The mass shooting at the Pulse, the nightclub in Orlando, took over the media screens and pages on the third week of June 2016.  The

The Paternalistic Fallacy of the “Nordic Model” of Prostitution – Huffington Post France passes law making it illegal to pay for sex – The Guardian

Poland considers complete ban on abortion – The Independent Polish women walk out of church service in protest against abortion ban – video – The

In recent weeks, the Egyptian authorities have summoned human rights workers for questioning, banned them from travel and attempted to freeze their personal funds and

Indonesian Psychiatrists Classify LGBT People As Mentally Ill In Order To ‘Treat’ Them – Think Progress The Next Big LGBT “Propaganda” Ban Is Being Written

The Zika Virus Could Force Women To Have Unsafe Abortions – Huffington Post El Salvador’s Advice on Zika Virus: Don’t Have Babies – New York

The rights of intersex persons gained visibility between October 26th (Day of Intersex Awareness) and November 8th (Intersex International Day). During this period a number

Civilians, Police Injured in Shooting Near Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood (Updated) – Reality Check Anti-Choice Leaders’ Response to Colorado Violence Reveals Tension Between Rhetoric and

This Orchid image drawn by Brigitte Ritcher was used in the materials of Inter Visibilidad, Visibilidad Intersex Forum, held at the Human Rights Commission of the

Statements ILGA: ILGA mourns the loss of Diana Sacayán, Argentinian Trans activist Outright – Action International: Argentinian Trans Rights Activist, Diana Sacayan, Found Dead in her

The Synod on Family has ended in October 24 with a final document produced by the bishops gathered at the Assembly called by Pope Francis

Pope Francis’s meeting with Kim Davis disappointed the liberals he courted – The Guardian Vatican: Pope Francis Barely Knew Who Kim Davis Was When He

After prompting a major flare of global controversies, Amnesty International’s draft policy supporting the decriminalization of sex work was voted and approved at organization’s International

In English Global Advocates Issue a Call to Amnesty International in Open Letter – Coalition Against Traffickin in Women ICRSE, 1100 organisations and individuals ask

As we know June is always important for LGBT rights. But this year the month has been especially productive in respect to the same marriage

One political event to be noted as relevant from a gender and sexuality perspective was the electoral defeat of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, on

Any critical revisiting of 2015 will inevitably address the tragic episodes of Paris that left behind 17 dead people, including the journalists and cartoonists from

June 3rd marked International Sex Workers Day. In Brazil the date was commemorated in many places. In Belém do Pará it also marked the anniversary

The French Army was plunged into a scandal after a UN report came into public in the last few weeks. While French prosecutors announced a criminal investigation to punish peacekeeping troops at Central African Republican accused of raping children and exchanging food for sex, the investigator nominated by the UN to review the case was suspended.

An Indian Court has banned a movie in which one of the men convicted in the murder of a woman victim of a gan rape

A Cairo court acquitted 26 men of charges of participating in a gay “sex party” at a public bathhouse in December. Click here, here and here

SPW joins forces with other networks and organizations engaged in the Global Day of Action for Access to Safe Abortion.  We recall that the date

International Campaign for Womens Right to Safe Abortion When abortion is a crime – Center for Reproductive Rights. Take action for the September 28 Campaign

Caso Jandira e aborto no Brasil: crime com pena de morte – Pragmatismo político Coragem para enfrentar o preconceito – Observatório da Imprensa Sobre princípios,

Brazil’s Criminal Abortion Laws Are Killing Women – Reality Check Aborto clandestino en Brasil provoca muertes trágicas – Diário Rotativo (México) Stigma of Brazil abortions

A Ugandan court struck down a punitive antigay law that has strained Uganda’s relations with the West but the court ruled on narrow technical grounds,

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling allowing private companies to deny their employees insurance coverage for birth control under the Affordable Care Act’s preventive

In Brazil, not surprisingly, abortion has once again flared up in the path towards the next Brazilian presidential election campaign. The presidential candidate of the

The kidnapping of more than 200 girls by the extremist Islamic group Boko Haram in Nigeria has prompted a worldwide campaign for their release, in

The Vatican was questioned this week at the UN Committee against Torture in relation to cases of sexual abuse and violence that have been reported

Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) has launched analysis on the role and coordinated actions that Conservative forces played during the 58th Commission on the

Nigerian Senate has passed the HIV Bill 2013, which stipulates that every person living HIV and AIDS shall be assured of freedom from unlawful termination

SPW gathered news, results and assessments from the 47th session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD). Below, some of them released by now. RESURJ

The Philippines Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a family planning law but ruled out provisions to punish health workers who do not inform people about

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court of India allowed a transgender people to identify as a third gender and directed the central and state

Since December Uganda and Nigeria have approved draconian laws under debate for many years that drastically curtail the freedom and rights of persons whose gender

In mid February, the Chinese government launched  a policy offensive against activities deemed as vices such pornography and prostitution. The operation took place in the

In december, Nigeria’s Senate approved a law that criminalizes displays of affection, people in same-sex marriage (including tourists) and even those who argue in favor

India Supreme Court has decided to re-criminalises same sex sexual activities between consenting adults, bringing the legacy of the British Empire back to life with

France’s Parliament approved a law that punishes clients who buy sexual services from prostitutes. SPW is following the debate. The case has turned a big

The death of Gabriela Leite, on October 10, meant a great loss for the struggle for the rights of prostitutes, and sexual rights brodaly speaking,

On this 28 September, the SPW publishes report developed by the International Campaign for Women’s Rights to Safe Abortion in which it shows the effects

Pope Francis, once more, came with new remarks on issues related to sexual and reproduticve rights. His messages prompted reaction all over the world. What

Read more on Vatican’s financial scandal.

Read some information on the recent Brazilian context on regressions in sexual and reproductive politics.

El Salvador: Following an Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ determination, Salvadoran woman who sought abortion delivers baby after a C-section. Read more.

El Salvador: Supreme Court has denied a sick woman an immediate abortion, despite warnings from doctors that her life is at risk and the foetus is likely to survive only a few hours after birth. Read more.

Brazil: The Commission for Human Rights and Minorities in Brazil’s lower house of parliament elected an evangelical pastor from the Christian Social party to be the president. The Congressman Marco Feliciano is accused of homophobia and racism and outcries has spread to street around the country. Read more.

Global: To mark the World AIDS Day 2012, celebrated on 1st December, we present a series of contents , like the special World AIDS Day edition of the Alliance newsletter, a statement from the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission and more. Read now.

India: Though sex workers weren’t even permitted to participate, they managed to take a stand at the International AIDS Conference, which took place in USA, in july 2012. Besides, more than 1,000 sex workers from India and other nations convened in Kolkata for the “Sex Worker Freedom Festival”. Read more.

Global: Gender equality and women’s human rights have continuously been a challenge and sexual and reproductive rights were not included in the Rio+20 document, which was a giant leap backwards. Read a series of contents on this issue.

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) will take place in, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 20-22 June 2012. Check more information on the agenda regarding the women’s rights and sexual and reproductive health at the Rio+20 Summit.

Turkey: Prime Minister Erdogan’s statements in the last week of May 2012 have revealed that plans to ban abortion have been underway for some time now. Experience from the global arena illustrates that this lethal attempt, which has no scientific backing, will not reduce abortion rates; instead it will only lead to unsafe abortions and increase maternal mortality. Read more.

Sweden: On 15 April 2012, images above showing Sweden’s Minister of Culture, Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth, cutting into a cake in the shape of a naked black woman have led to an outcry across the country and online. Read more.

Global: To mark the International Women’s Day and to highlight backs and forwards in terms of women’s current condition, SPW has gathered a series of articles, studies, news and arts in a special bulletin.

Brazil: President Dilma Roussef signed an act that regulates the obligatory registration of pregnant women. The text includes language that treats the fetus as a person. Read more.

Sexuality Policy Watch (SPW) and the Brazilian Interdisciplinary AIDS Association (ABIA) were involved in the production of reports on the status of human rights in Brazil for the second Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council, which will be held in June 2012. Read the reports.

Nigeria: The Senate passed the Same-Gender Marriage Prohibition Bill. Nigerian Human Rights Defenders have condemned the Bill and the Coalition for the Defense of Sexual Rights in Nigeria circulated a call for action. Read more.

December 1st is the World AIDS Day. Despite recent advances on treatment and prevention projects, women are still missing in policies to fight and prevent

Russia: On November 11, 2011, St. Petersburg Legislative Assembly approved a bill to ban the so-called propaganda of “sodomy, lesbianism, bisexualism and transgenderism, and pedophilia to minors”. The second reading of the bill has been temporarily postponed until 30 November, 2011. Read more.

Global: On October 24th, 2011, Anand Grover, UN Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, presented a report before the UN General Assembly, calling on all countries to abolish or suspend any criminal laws that seek to control women’s sexual and reproductive rights. Read the NGO statement supporting the report and more.

USA: A remorseless House of Representatives returns to Capitol Hill, armed with a grim anti-woman agenda, in the form, once again, of the Global Gag Rule, a presidential order that declares that U.S. international family planning funds cannot go to organizations that use non-U.S. funds for abortion services, counseling, or referrals. Read more.

Uganda:A number of violations based on sexual orientation and backlashes are also to be reported in Uganda, starting with the murder of David Kato, in Kampala, in January 2011, and more recently the suspicious ‘burglary’ at FARUG (Freedom and Roam Uganda), which has posed threats to the lives of other Ugandan activists.

Turkey: read a series of news on recent cases of violance against LGBt people in this country.

> UN endorses gay, transgender rights, Boston.com > Bahamas backs UN resolution on gay rights, Caribbean News Today > Nigeria oppose UN gay rights resolution, Next.com > U.N. rights

Global: Women from Toronto started to organize the Slut Walk against all expressions of sexist violence as a response to a policeman statement that “women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimized”. Brazil, UK, US, Australia and India joined the movement. Read more.

Uganda: Sub committee that has been discussing the “Kill the gays” bill decided to suspend it as most of the provisions in the bill are already catered for in Ugandan penal code. Read more.

Global: Read and follow up on the joint declaration on sexual orientation and gender identity, read by Colombia on behalf of 85 member countries during the UN Human Rights Council 16th session.

Egypt: In the recent mobilizations for freedom and democracy in the country, the force of organisations consisting of women and youth was decisive. Read the articles Why Egypt’s progressives win, by Paul Amar, Imperial Feminism, Islamophobia, and the Egyptian Revolution, by Nadine Naber, analyzing this Egyptian context, and more.

UK: Ugandan lesbian Brenda Namigadde’s request for asylum to be reviewed on February 7th by UK Border Agency. Read more.

Uganda: After the High Court prohibited Rolling Stone local magazine to campaign against LGBTI community, gay activist David Kapo was murdered in his home. Read more.

Mexico: Susana Chavez, a human rights activist best known for her poetry and actions to help raise awareness of the violence towards women, was murdered in Ciudad Juarez, a gritty border metropolis that has become Mexico’s most violent city. Read more.

Uganda: Uganda’s high court released a ruling permanently prohibiting the tabloid Rolling Stone (no relation to the venerable U.S. publication by the same name) from continuing its public vigilante campaign against that country’s LGBT community.

Global: On 21 December, 2010 the United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of restoring reference to “sexual orientation” in a high-profile resolution condemning extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. Read more.

Brazil: On December 1st, 2010 was celebrated the World AIDS Day and, to mark this date, representatives of Brazilian NGOs, including the SPW’s Co-chairs Richard Parker and Sonia Corrêa, participated in a meeting with an UNAIDS mission that visited Brazil. Read more on it and other HIV/AIDS issues.

Africa: The African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights denied observer status to the Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL). CAL and other lesbian feminist activists rapidly reacted. Read more.

Global: For 79 votes for and 70 votes against the amendment proposed, and 17 countries abstaining, governments remove sexual orientation from UN Resolution condemning extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions.

Read a series of articles on various aspects of unsafe abortion in Africa published at RH Reality Check website in partnership with Ipas.

USA: The recent spate of gay teen suicides has captured the attention of the US nation to confront the issue of anti-gay bullying and the vulnerability of gay adolescents. Barack Obama has released a video to draw attention to the pressures facing gay teenagers. Read more.

Spain: A controversial exhibition titled “Invisible: transgressive nature” (in Spanish, Invisibles: Naturalezas transgresoras) organized by Decide-T at the University of Alicante, Spain, presented Trans Barbie dolls.

Global: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon announced in September, 14th that former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet will head UN Women, an agency formed in July to pull together four existing U.N. bodies dealing with the advancement and welfare of women.

Since the African Regional Dialogue on Sexuality and Geopolitics will take place next week in Lagos, Nigeria, we have selected a series of articles related to sexuality and gender issues in Africa, published in the last months for the SPW’s newsletter n.9. See below.

In 2010, June 19th, Judith Butler refused the Civil Courage Award of the Christopher Street Day Parade in Berlin, Germany, at the award ceremony, arguing that the parade had become too commercial, and was ignoring the problems of racism and the double discrimination suffered by homosexual or transsexual migrants. Read more.

Global: The United Nations General Assembly voted unanimously on July, 2nd to create a new entity to accelerate progress in meeting the needs of women and girls worldwide, establishing the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women — the new gender equality entity at the UN.

> Judith Butler refuses Berlin Pride Civil Courage Prize 2010 (No Homonationalism) > Judith Butler 1 – Homonationalism 0 (Bully Bloggers) > Judith Buter turns

The UN Special Rapporteur to health, Anand Grover, has dedicated his thematic report at the 14th session of the UN Human Rights Council to issues

Zimbabwe: Two employees of Gays and Lesbians Association of Zimbabwe (GALZ) were arrested on Friday May 28, 2010 after a police raid on their offices. Police alleged to have found pornographic material. The activists complained they had been tortured. Read more.

Malawi: A gay couple is facing a possible 14 years in prison with hard labour after becoming the first one to declare their commitment in a public ceremony.

> To Sinead O’Connor, the pope’s apology for sex abuse in Ireland seems hollow, by Sinead O’Connor at The Washington Post > Should There Be

Indonesia: Indonesian police ordered the cancellation of the ILGA Asia conference due to be held from Friday 26 till Monday 29 March, 2010, in Surabaya, East Java’s capital. See the communication from the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) and read more and see some photos at Fridae’s, the Gay City News’ and the Associated Press’ websites and other news on the episode by clicking here.

USA: On March 21, 2010 the President Barack Obama announced that he will be issuing an executive order after the passage of the health insurance reform law that will reaffirm its consistency with longstanding restrictions on the use of federal funds for abortion. See a series of opinions regarding this issue.

Nicaragua: On 2 February, 2010 a 27-year-old woman was admitted to a hospital in Leon, the second largest city in Nicaragua. She was diagnosed with an advanced case of cancer, which had metastasised and may have spread to her breasts, brain and lungs. She was told she couldn’t be prescribed an aggressive chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment because she was pregnant and, under Nicaraguan law, any medical procedure to save the life of a mother is banned if it jeopardises the life of the foetus.

USA: Read about the stand taken by one brave catholic priest against Prop-8, the California referendum on gay marriage.

Australia: On March 8th, 2010, Australia may have made gender history, as the New South Wales government lays claim to being the first in the world to recognise an individual’s sex as officially “not specified”.

France: In February 2010, France became the first country in the world to remove transsexuality from its official list of mental disorders.

Spain: The Spanish Senate voted to ease the country’s restrictions on abortion, rejecting the opposition of the Catholic bishops and the Vatican over access to safe and legal abortion in that country.

USA: On December 18th 2009, the SPW website posted an article written by Natalie Wittlin about the retention of the ‘prostitution pledge’ in the new proposed US HIV/AIDS policy guidelines announced by the Obama Administration on November 23rd. On December 29th, the Brazilian newspaper O Estado de São Paulo published an article entitled The United States will provide funds to prostitutes, which the content contradicted SPW’s analysis of PEPFAR.

Mexico: In 2009, December 21, the Mexican capital became the first in Latin America to allow same-sex marriage with a groundbreaking law which could set a precedent for gay rights across the region.

The Philippines: Read more about COMELEC’s decision to deny accreditation to Ang Ladlad. > Full resolution by COMELEC, promulgated on November 11, 2009 > Ang

Uganda: The draft “Anti-Homosexuality Bill” introduced on October 14, 2009 in Uganda’s parliament would violate human rights and should be withdrawn immediately, a group of local and international human rights organizations.

USA: A restriction on abortion coverage was added in November 7th, 2009 to the health care bill. The provision would block the use of federal subsidies for insurance that covers elective abortions. The Obama White House is refusing to weigh in on an amendment that represents perhaps the most restrictive anti-abortion measure introduced in a generation. Read more.

USA: President Obama announced in October 30, 2009 the end of a 22-year ban on travel to the United States by people who had tested positive for the virus that causes AIDS. At a White House ceremony, he announced that a rule canceling the ban would be published in November 2, 2009 and would take effect after a routine 60-day waiting period.

A series of regional meetings has been organized by the United Nations regional commissions — ECA, ECE, ECLAC, ESCAP, ESCWA — in preparation for the fifty-fourth session of the Commission on the Status of Women, from 1-12 March 2010, in New York. See the agenda.

India: The New Delhi High Court decriminalized homosexual intercourse between consenting adults, by striking down section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.

May 17th has become the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) since the WHO Assembly declared as invalid the code 302.0 of the International Diseased Classification, in 1990. Almost 20 years later, IDAHO was celebrated in a wide range of creative ways all over the globe. Some of the initiatives can be seen here.

Afghanistan: Taliban shoot dead Afghan politician who championed women’s rights

Ireland: For decades, thousands of Irish children suffered soul-crushing lives of forced labor, beatings and molestation in institutions run by Roman Catholic religious orders.

The Pink Chaddi Campaign in India has recruited more than 21 thousand people. Read more about the campaign here.

The UN Conference against racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, held in Geneva during April 2009, was a follow up to the Conference in Durban, South Africa, in 2001, and its Declaration and Plan of Action (DDPA).

Nigeria: Same Gender Marriage (Prohibition) Bill violates Constitution

Documents for the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Second Cycle – Brazil In May 2012, the second cycle of the Brazilian UPR took place at the

CSW67 opening statement: Digital rights are women’s rights – UN Women EU statement at the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women

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