TAG: asia

A First in Asia: Taiwan to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage

Taiwan’s constitutional court this week paved the way for marriage equality in the country by striking down the legal definition of marriage as “between a man and a woman.”

An open apology to sex workers in South Africa

Marlise Richter I am writing to you now that my fingers can type again after feeling numb with disbelief at the South African Law Reform Commission’s recommendations released just before the weekend. Dear Sex Worker friends and colleagues and allies, There were rumours late on Thursday afternoon that the Department of Justice and Correctional Services […]

Sexual Politics in April and May 2017

In April and May, Brazilian crisis has deepened further more, prompting colossal political chaos which reverberated in sexual politics. Sonia Corrêa, SPW co-chair, assess the deep connections within the crisis regarding threats to abortion rights. Celebrations and good news came from around the world. In Bangkok, researchers and activists gathered

Sexual Politics in March and early April 2017

In March and early April, the abortion frontline in Latin America has been remarkably eventful, in positive ways. In Bolivia, the proposed revision of abortion law, which is part of the broader reform of the country’s Penal Code, ignited an intense public debate. More relevant yet, in El Salvador, where the criminalization of abortion is […]

Annual news release about LGBT situation in Kyrgyzstan

The Constitution of the Kyrgyz Republic states «individual, her/his rights, freedoms and guarantees for their implementation are the highest value and purpose of the society and the state», despite the fundamental statement in the country’s main legal document, representatives of the LGBT community are systematically discriminated and face all kinds of violence from the side […]

Sexual Politics in February and early March 2017

There are many events to be reported in regard to abortion rights in February and early March 2017. The most important comes from Brazil where potential regressions on abortion rights have been registered in recent years. A lawsuit was filed at the Supreme Court, on March 7th, by a political party (PSOL) and the feminist […]

Nepal’s Civil Service Increasingly Transgender-Inclusive

More than 600 transgender people applied for civil service jobs in Nepal last year, according to a government report released last week. LGBT rights activists hail the announcement as practical progress toward implementing Nepal’s identity-based legal third gender category. A reveller gets ready to take part in a LGBT pride parade to mark Gaijatra Festival, also […]

Women’s Resistance in Kashmir

In 2016, the Indian-occupied state of Kashmir once again erupted in valley-wide protests, in collective expression for freedom, after the killing of a hugely popular militant commander Burhan Wani. The protests continued for over six months and resulted in the killing of around 100 civilians. Some of the most overpowering moments during that period were […]

Abortion incidence and unintended pregnancy in Nepal

Despite legalization of abortion and expansion of services in Nepal, unsafe abortion is still common and exacts a heavy toll on women. Programs and policies to reduce rates of unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion, increase access to high-quality contraceptive care and expand safe abortion services are warranted.

Defending LGBT rights in South Asia: Stories of Survival and Justice

Six countries in South Asia (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) have established a national human rights institution (NHRI), all of which include complaint mechanisms. The establishment of these NHRIs has provided LGBT people with access to complaints mechanisms that can help resolve human rights violations these marginalised communities often face. However, several […]

Missing Frameworks in the Gender Equality Movement in Indonesia?

I attended an event by UN Women Indonesia called “16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence” in Jakarta after I left my wonderful academic year at IDS. It was series of seminars and workshops by feminist organisations to celebrate International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and Human Rights Day. The event helped […]

Sexual Politics in January 2017

In January, the first and foremost events to be reported are avalanche of draconian and regressive policy measures adopted in the chaotic first two weeks of the Trump administration. Though buried beneath the impact of outrageous closure of borders and decisions about trade agreements – which are subject to contradictory interpretations — gender and sexuality […]