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In June 2019, we published a special issue on the first 180 days of the Bolsonaro administration. Six years later, we take on the challenge

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

Introduction Once again, our newsletter brings you news and analysis about the current times, which are more somber than bright: authoritarian trends, the continued expansion

>> Download and read in PDF << First Words This edition of the SPW newsletter covers the main events in sexual politics since July, roughly

A Meditation on Death, Killing, and Possibility I knew my body was healing from the surgery when I found myself ready to engage with the

By Françoise Girard On November 13, 2023, in New York City, I had the privilege of interviewing the brilliant Rosalind P. Petchesky, professor emerita of

By Sonia Corrêa I took many meanders before writing this brief note about the enchantment – as the Brazilian writer Guimarães Rosa described death –

>>> Read/download in PDF <<< Opening Words This newsletter describes and seeks to contextualize the developments in sexual politics since February 2023. In times of

>> Read in PDF << First words In 2022, we adjusted our perspective for monitoring and analyzing sexual politics. In the previous two years, our

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

>>> Read in PDF  First Words Since April 2020, SPW newsletters have been tracking and analyzing sexual politics in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Carmen Barroso I first met Adrienne when she went to Brazil in 1974 as a young Ford Foundation program officer.  I knew right away

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

>>> Download the PDF version here. First Thoughts The last 2020 SPW special hypothesized that during 2021, because of vaccines, Covid-19 would no longer be

In 2010, Sonia Corrêa wrote on how the concept of “empowerment” is not reduced to a binary between men and women, where men have all

Since July, when we published our last Special Edition, as you will see in this issue, a lot has happened in the pandemic and in the field of sexual politics. Once again, the pages that follow are quite dense, but we remind you that the sections are relatively autonomous.

First Words  In the last 2020 edition of Sexual Politics in Times of Pandemic Special of 2020, we hypothesized that throughout 2021, with the arrival

After more than two years in the making, the first volume of “Nossos Corpos por Nós Mesmas,” has arrived! The book, a Brazilian Portuguese adaptation of “Our Bodies, Ourselves,” covers topics including anatomy and sexuality, birth control, abortion, body image, safer sex and violence against women.

A 33-meter open red vulva was dug in the lands of the Usina de Arte, a gallery located in the South Forest of Pernambuco. According

Preliminary comment In 2020, in order to adjust our lenses to COVID-19 world conditions, we suspended our regular monthly announcements and started a series of

ANTI-GENDER POLITICS IN LATIN AMERICA Country Case Studies Summaries ABSTRACTS (Download here: https://sxpolitics.org/GPAL/ )   “Gender Ideology”, Catholic Neointegrismo, and Evangelical Fundamentalism: The Anti-Democratic Vocation

Journal Social Science & Medicine Volume 270, February 2021 by Clare Wenhama, Camila Abagarob, Amaral Arévaloc, Ernestina Coasta, Sonia Corrêad, Katherine Cuéllare, Tiziana Leonea, Sandra

Go to the conference website

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

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

Editors’ Note We apologize to our readers and partners for the delay in making our last Special Issue on Sexual Politics in the Pandemic available.

Contributions to the List of Issues Prior to Reporting of the review of Brazil by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)

AlyneCASE CEDAW AD HOC report  

The SPW is pleased to offer the part-time report produced by civil society regarding the country’s assessment in the UN Universal Periodic Review 2017. The

  Sylvia Tamale, author of Decolonization and Afro-Feminism, will be discussing her new book with Charmaine Pereira, writer and feminist scholar in Abuja, Nigeria. Host:

In May 2020, Katherine Cuellar Bravo, a young Colombian researcher from the public health field, has passed away. She was responsible for the Colombian case

Since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in early 2020, SPW has been reporting on the events, trends and dynamics triggred by Sars-Cov-2. In order to

Since January, when the Chinese government adopted extreme confinement measures in Wuhan,  the pandemic sparked the worldwide spread of questionable war semantics.  It also provided

The global scenario of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed since April, but the crisis is still far from over. Only eight countries are listed as

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 –

The SPW Announcement for May and early June 2020 will have the same format adopted in March-April 2020, it will organize the newly compiled information

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

March and early April 2020 It has been very challenging to prepare the  SPW announcement for March/April 2020 due to the abnormality, risks, and losses

By Sonia Corrêa[1] But, people die, don’t they? Yes, indeed. However, the current naturalization of death erases thinking – Santiago López Petit In the first week of

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 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

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

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

Anti- gender politics in Latin America – SPW is pleased to announce the collection Anti-gender Politics in Latin America, which encompasses  nine case studies from

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

“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.

The year of 2019 has finished and, as traditionally, SPW offers our readers and followers a compilation of the main facts, trends, setbacks and victories

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

HIGHLIGHTS Latin America: Politics in Trance In the period covered by this newsletter, Latin America has been the scene of three simultaneous elections – in

September 28 – “Abortion is a Health Issue” was the theme of this year’s International Safe Abortion Day, widely celebrated around the world (see compilation).

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

We start this announcement recalling that, before May 2019, two major antigender events have taken place that are worth revisiting because of their potential subsequent

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

#StopTheBans – Thousands of demonstrators marched in more than 500 cities across the US on May, 21th to protect abortion rights after Alabama state house passed,

Lena Lavinas is an economist and full professor at the Economics Institute of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. In 2017, she published the

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

Buenos Aires, July 31th, 2019 Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary, and good afternoon to all. We very much celebrate this space and hail the

Highlights Algeria and Sudan: A revived Arab Spring? –  Almost six years after the Arab Spring waned under the shadows of the Sissi regime, political

Access all e-books and working papers of this project at: https://sxpolitics.org/trendsandtensions/ Sexuality Policy Watch (SPW) would like to re-launch the fourth publication of its most

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

About the publication The right to found a family is a fundamental right recognized by many international treaties and conventions. This is an evolving right, indicating

The Christchurch attack In Christchurch, New Zealand, a solitary white male Australian sniper killed fifty people who were praying in two mosques. Prime Minister Jacinda

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

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

It has come to our attention that the facilitator of Agreed Conclusions for the 63rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW),

  In Tokyo, Japan during the Women’s March Source: Elika Takimoto on Twitter In Brasilia Source: Mídia Ninja In Natal, RN Source: @jptrindaade on Twitter

On Friday 8 March, millions of people around the world celebrate International Women’s Day, paying tribute to women’s achievements in the ongoing fight for equality.

#Hail International Women’s Day 2019: struggle, endurance, resistance! #Eyes on Brazil From an insider´s point of view, observing Brazilian politics after January 1st is like being caught

On February 25th, Michel Forst, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders has delivered his report on the situation of human rights defenders. The

Call for Papers for a session at the Annual International Conference of the Royal Geographical Society with Institute of British Geographers (RGS-IBG), London 28-30 August

As 2018 reaches its end, SPW publishes a recollection of main events, trends, discoveries and challenges as we start 2019 and prepare for all the

As SPW has been reporting monthly on how the Nicaraguan crisis develops, we report another sad event that targets feminist activists on 23 November. Activities

Read Sonia Corrêa’s article on the antecedents, outcomes and meanings of the 2018 Brazilian presidential elections.

The Brazilian perfect storm We apologize for the delay in the circulation of SPW’s October 2018 monthly announcement due to the stormy process and result

This fact sheet present figures of the results of the second round of the 2018 Brazilian presidential elections. The data comes from different sources: Items

We share GATE’s Mauro Cabral personal note on this historic achievement: “Today, for the first time since the gender identity law in Argentina was passed

September is the key moment of the year in the global struggle for abortion rights, as the 28th marks the International Safe Abortion Day. In

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

#MourningMuseuNacional: As this announcement was being finalized, the Brazilian National Museum burned in flames. A singular and irrecoverable collection of the country’s historical and cultural

By Angela Freitas Feminists, networks and organizations engaged in the struggle for the right to abortion in Brazil had two months to prepare a mobilization

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

Global Philanthropy Project and Funders for LGBTQ Issues are pleased to present the 2015-2016 Global Resources Report: Philanthropic & Government Support for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender,

By Marco Aurélio Máximo Prado “I contend that these values all derive from important Jewish sources, which is not to say that they are only

22nd International AIDS Conference:  On July 22, Pedro Villardi, from GTPI-ABIA, participated in the  Challenging Criminalization Globally Pre-Conference, one of the more important satellites events

Main global trends  ICD Reform – On June 18, the Working Group set up by the World Health Organization (WHO) released the final version of

By Fábio Grotz and Sonia Corrêa A new chapter of the ongoing institutional debate on abortion rights in Brazil is scheduled for August 3rd and

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,

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.

Nicaragua:  SPW calls attention to the violent political crisis sweeping through this small Central American country and expresses its solidarity with the Nicaraguan society that

On March 14th, 2018, Marielle Franco and her driver Anderson Gomes were brutally assassinated in a shootout a week after Women’s International Day.  Marielle was

I once asked a Guatemalan public defender how she knew when a woman’s murder was the result of gender-based violence and not a simple homicide.

Can a subaltern speak? No, is the response of the feminist philosopher Gayatri Spivak, when she realizes that to “have the right to a voice” the place of the subaltern must be subverted.

Main global trends Another mass shooting in Parkland (Florida) shocked the US and the world. Research findings that gained visibility after the tragedy reveal that

By Sonia Corrêa Brazilian abortion and sexual politics continue ensnarled by the uncertainties of the overall political environment. On February 16th, a presidential decree determined

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

“Reject RKUHP that Criminalizes Women, Children, Indigenous Peoples and Marginalized Groups”  We are women, housewives, workers, students, students, activists, and survivors of sexual violence who

In the 10th anniversary of the first issue of the International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education, UNESCO launches a revised edition. “Based on the latest

By Sonia Corrêa In late January 2018, three people departed whose voices, or better said whose writings, inhabit very special places in my memory and

Remembering Teresita De Barbieri who passed away on January 21, 2018. By Ana Laura de Giorgi Uruguayan, feminist and academically committed. First exiled in Chile, then

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,

By Magaly Marques Los Angeles, January 21st, 2018 The best part of a protest or demonstration is to witness the creativity with which people express

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

By Peggy Antrobus On 21 October 2017 Today is the 43rd anniversary of the murders of my two younger sisters, Jenny and June. They were

October began with the International Day of the Girl on the 11th when the media attention was towards highlighting how access to education, especially in some

Below you will find the summary for the report of the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity,

Table of Contents Special Section: Abortion and Human Rights GUEST EDITORS Alicia Ely Yamin, Paola Bergallo, and Marge Berer EDITORIAL Narratives of Essentialism and Exceptionalism:

September 28 has been a regional campaign for the decriminalization of abortion in Latin America and the Caribbean for over twenty years before being taken

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.

Two outstandingly positive news are to be reported in sexual politics worldwide in August 2017. In India, the Supreme Court issued a groundbreaking decision on

NHRI Guidelines for Mainstreaming Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity and Sex Characteristics Work: APF resource sets out the practical steps NHRIs can take to ensure there

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

By Arnika Fuhrmann Through an examination of post-1997 Thai cinema and video art Arnika Fuhrmann shows how vernacular Buddhist tenets, stories, and images combine with sexual politics

The 26th issue of Sexuality, Health and Society – Latin American Journal, organized by the Latin American Center of Sexuality and Human Rights (CLAM/IMS/UERJ) is out

Originally posted at Human Rights Watch, on August 21, 2017. Available here. August 17, 2017 Malawi Human Rights Commission Off Paul Kagame Road Private Bag

In July, once again, contradictory trends were registered in the abortion frontline. In Chile, the processing of a bill aimed at legalizing abortion in three cases

Illicit Financial Flows: Why we should claim these resources for gender, economic and social justice Click here to download the brief The growing dominance of

A global coalition of civil society organizations and trade unions launched last weeek at the United Nations in New York the report “Spotlight on Sustainable

June is LGBTIQ Pride month worldwide. This SPW brief highlights events around the world, prioritizing parades and other demonstrations that are not captured by mainstream radars. In that regard, we also recommend the readers who read Spanish to peruse the new blog Orgullos Críticos which examines trends and traps implied in the growing normalization and pinkwashing of pride parades

Women’s Health and Equal Rights Initiative (WHER) has launched its second issue of Empower newsletter. “We are hoping that our work will be a challenge

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

An advance edited version of the 1st report (A/HRC/35/36) by the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity

Post by Sarah Ather* originally published at Kafila on May 05, 2017. Available here. My life has revolved around the concept of God. I have

How do we create new men in Africa? A process of consciousness raising, or the journey of men increasing their self-awareness of patriarchy or male domination, is required. The new man should be able to experience empathy, to care for others, show compassion and to discuss their emotions openly.

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 March and early April, the abortion frontline in Latin America has been remarkably eventful,  in positive ways. In Bolivia, the proposed revision of abortion

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

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

Originally posted at International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion, on Mar 3, 2017. Available here. A judge in the city of Mercedes, Soriano, has

by Gloria Careaga* Differently from other Mexican states, Mexico City, the Federal District of the Republic, did not have its own Constitution until February 5th,

Originally published at Institute of Development Studies (IDS) by Priliantina Bebasari, on February 6, 2017. Available here.  I attended an event by UN Women Indonesia

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

With endorsement of the Republican Party, the Trump campaign openly disrespected and insulted more than half of the US population and this led to what can be described as a “pressure cooker effect”. After months of an unprecedented election season when Hillary and all women were mistreated by the candidate — who felt entitled to abuse his position– and sometimes also by the press; after outrageous remarks and threats to attack immigrants, Muslims, Mexican-Americans and the entire American population of African descent, the build up of outrage was steaming from coast to coast.

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

Supreme Court on Monday issued a verdict requesting to provide citizenship to gender and sexual minority under the Others (O) category. The Ministry of Home Affairs has already begun providing citizenship on the basis of identity but there are still obstacles in the districts.

Once more, Happy New Year! There have been so many things we have been working on during the last months of 2016 that we want

Barbaros Şansal, a Turkish fashion designer and LGBTI activist, is being held in pre-trial detention, as his request of appeal has been rejected. According to Amnesty International, which has launched an urgent action appeal, he is accused of ‘inciting the public to hatred or hostility’ for a video message and tweet he shared on social media on New Year’s Eve. In this clip, Şansal reportedly criticized people for celebrating the New Year at a time of large scale detention of journalists and widespread corruption.

As 2017 begins, SPW highlights the main events and trends as well as tensions and challenges traversing sexual politics worldwide. January In January, the Zika

What are the relationships and interdependencies influencing the promises of being online: voice, visibility, and power? This ARROW for Change (AFC) issue on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and the internet documents some of these dynamics.

Text by Nadje Al-Ali, Zahra Ali and Isabel Marler, originally published by Jadaliyya, on Dec 9, 2016. Avaliable here. After a long delay, the United

In the midst of the conservative restoration that has swept Brazil in 2016, on November 29th, the First Chamber of the Brazilian Supreme Court – in which five of the eleven judges have a seat – has issued, an unexpected decision arguing in favor of decriminalization of abortion

In September 2016, psychologist and blogger Letícia Bahia and photographer Julia Rodrigues launched the campaign Mamilo Livre (Free Nipple), featuring print portraits of both men and women with bare chests, aiming to challenge objectification of women’s breasts and advocate individual sovereignty over one’s body. As the campaign encouraged people to print photos from the campaign’s website and post them in public spaces, the posters were seen in many Brazilian cities.

Does Ethiopia have an organized feminist movement? Yes. But its performance has been mixed. Unless deliberate, consciously sustained and strategic steps are taken at the level of institution building, resource allocation and leadership, gender equality may take another 100 years to be achieved. A strong women’s movement is indispensable to catalyze change.

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

Kerala is an enigma. With its high social indices of literacy, sex ratio and low female infanticides, it projects the image of a progressive state, one way ahead of the others. But ask the women who actually live there and they will have a different story to tell.

Talking about migration would be talking about what happens with the crossing of boundaries. Boundaries of culture and climate, and boundaries of visibility, where a change in semantics can come to render what was invisible visible (an accent, perhaps a way of dressing, one’s values and ideas, the experience of being surveilled as an alien), while also allowing the migrant certain new freedoms to be invisible (anonymity where ‘nobody knows your name’, and certain kinds of agency one may not have enjoyed back home).

The study findings point to the need for a nuanced understanding of gender among medical educators and students. The introduction of gender could pave the way for an opening up of medicine to delve deeper into how signifiers such as class, caste, gender etc. have a bearing on health. The medical curriculum and training must undergo fundamental changes to integrate gender so as to ensure the creation of a gender-sensitive and socially-relevant medical force in the country.

China’s interactions with the global South have been the subject of much attention and study from both inside and outside the country. Yet issues of gender and sexuality have been largely ignored.

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

In August, the Rio Olympic Games provided a privileged stage for the critical observing of gender and sexuality performances. Several SPW partners positively and generously

Guest-edited by Tactical Tech, the 2016 AFC bulletin includes contributions from 16 sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and tech activists, researchers, and writers, who explore the relationships and interdependencies influencing the promises of being online: voice, visibility, and power; and look at the possibilities offered by technologies to SRHR work, amidst challenges related to access, the corporatisation of the internet, collusion between governments and technology companies, censorship, violations of privacy, sexism, and violence, amongst others.

Counting money on a bed is taboo in my family. Growing up, I never fully understood why but I suspected it was another one of our countless every day South American customs that ensured we were in right relationship with the spirit world.

As the women’s 800m approaches, headlines about Caster Semenya proliferate — once again, seven years after she won the World Championship in the 800m and became a news headline, we have been saturated with “debates” about her presence on the track. This year, these stories unfold in striking contrast with those celebrating other athletes who dominate their events.

The Independent Women’s Forum has leveraged its “non-partisan” brand to become an aggressive player in Republican politics. Read the full article on The Nation.

UN agencies supporting women’s rights have been asked today to send “a strong signal” to governments around the world by passing a resolution at this year’s UN General Assembly in September to make International Safe Abortion Day an official UN day. An Open Letter was sent to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the heads of UN Women, UN Development Programme, World Health Organization, UN Population Fund, UN Children’s Fund, UNAIDS, and UNESCO today.

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

Originally by Human Rights Watch, posted on 15/08/2016. Available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/08/15/sri-lanka-challenging-gender-norms-brings-abuse  (New York) – Transgender people and others who do not conform to social expectations about

The IACHR just launched the English version of the report “Violence Against LGBTI Persons”.  In this Report, the Commission focuses on violence against LGBT persons

Ending AIDS by 2030 is redundant rhetoric. It is meaningless without investment in community participation. Code red for action.

Women, girls and femme-presenting people are more than flamenco dancers and brides. And thanks to a a new update by Apple and a freshly-approved emoji proposal from Google, they may finally

The most recent issue of differences, “Transatlantic Gender Crossings,” edited by Anne Emmanuelle Berger and Éric Fassin, addresses French and US feminism, gender, and queer

From the start of the coup attempt by military officials on Friday through to the government’s crackdown in response, women’s voices have been almost entirely absent. Images

The Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice has launched the report We Are Real: The Growing Movement Advancing the Human Rights of Intersex People.  Available in English,

  Between July 12th and 15th, right before the Durban International AIDS Conference, SPW organized a seminar in Umhlanga, the Northern District of the City.

The on-going political conservative trends that has brought us the Brazilian “soft coup”, BREXIT and the candidacy of Donald Trump has also resulted in an increase in reactionary politics across the political spectrum, even among “radicals” and “progressives”. In Brazil, this has been recently manifest in attacks against

Originally posted by Melissa Fischer at Open Democracy on 20/07/2016. Available at: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemocracyuk/performing-beyond-gendered-zombie-economy/ Contemporary performance can provide a way of understanding as well as re-imagining

The proposal launched in May by the LAC 5 countries for the creation of a Special Mandate on Human Rights and Sexual Orientation and Gender

In June, 2016, as the impeachment of Dilma Roussef followed its course, it became increasingly evident that one of the strongest motivations of the power maneuvering that led to the April parliamentary coup was the interest of many of those supporting this move to strangle the ongoing investigations on corruption.

Originally posted at GATE’s website on 04/07/20216. Available at: http://gate.ngo/gate-statement-on-the-un-sogi-mandate/  On June 30, 2016, the United Nations Human Rights Council approved a historic resolution creating

A Development Agenda for Sexual and Gender Minorities, by Andrew Park, International Program Director, The Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law is grounded in current research literature regarding important development outcomes for sexual and gender minorities, such as health, employment, family formation, education and civil participation.

With Assisted Reproductive Technologies, science has managed to use technology to prise apart previous associations between reproduction and sex. With gender, class and queer theory, the social sciences have prised apart previous associations between gender and sex. We have found that knowledge through science, like knowledge of sexuality, can’t be pinned down to absolutes. “The more you know, the more you know you don’t know,” said Aristotle. While science may value the systematic and objective, it cannot escape the baffling convolutions of lived experience. How does life influence knowledge, and knowledge influence life?

On July 13-15th, Sexuality Policy Watch (SPW) is organizing, in Durban, South Africa, the seminar/workshop ‘SexPolitics: Mapping Key Trends and Tensions in the Early 21st

The ‘natural’ separation of men and women in these spaces arose less than 200 years ago, as part of a pervasive ideology of separation and dominance.

In a defining vote, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on “Protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation, and gender identity”, to mandate the appointment of an Independent Expert on the subject.

The person appointed to this new role will be responsible for monitoring “violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.”

This issue of East Asia Forum Quarterly brings together prominent scholars of gender studies from various countries and disciplines to explore the diversity and complexity of issues of gender and sexuality in contemporary Asia. The essays touch on major developments that have caused shifts in gender relations. They illustrate the tensions between structural violence against women and women’s own agency in coping with male-dominant social arrangements.

The Passport Administration at Cairo International Airport banned this morning feminist activist and woman human rights defender (WHRD) Mozn Hassan from traveling during completion of her departure procedures from Cairo to Beirut, and she was informed verbally that the travel ban had been issued by the Egyptian General Prosecutor based on the request of the investigative judge.

The Feminist Principles of the Internet arose from the first Imagine a Feminist Internet meeting in 2014 in Malaysia. The meeting brought together 52 women’s rights, sexual rights and internet rights activists from six continents to discuss one question: “As feminists, what kind of internet do we want, and what will it take for us to achieve it?”

On 13 June over 150 feminist activists mourned the murder and erasure of artist Ana Mendieta. We were there for our sisters who did not survive.

To the development community on International Day of Action for Women’s Health: don’t curtail our rights by legitimising conservative religious ideologies.

Mainstream activism engaging with the politics of gender and sexual-identity tends more often than not to be labelled LGBT, homosexual, gay or queer activism. This

In June 2011, the South African government, with support from Brazil and Norway, led in the adoption of a historic resolution on sexual orientation and

This essay looks at the complex relationship between the personal and the political in queer/LGBTIA+ organizing in Africa. It considers how current modes of organizing impact the connection between professional activism and grassroots participation and explores some of the consequences of these two intersecting factors for activist praxis.

DAWN is happy to make available these Regional Advocacy Tools on sexual and reproductive health and rights that have been part of our contribution to feminist mobilization for the 20th year review of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). We engaged in this important review process at regional and global levels, through analysis and advocacy, and working with partners and colleagues in civil society and governments.

In this interview with STATUS/الوضع host Katty Alhayek, journalist and author Rafia Zakaria discusses her articles on ISIS and women, and the challenges that she faces when sharing her perspective on these issues with a wider audience.

Since our reports of early 2015, SPW has always linked developments in the abortion debate to the on-going Brazilian political and economic crisis. On April 17th, 2016, this crisis reached an initial point of culmination when the House of Representatives voted for and approved the admissibility of the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff.

The Colombian Constitutional Court ended years of uncertainty for same-sex couples and bolstered the rights of LGBT people when it upheld the validity of same-sex marriage on April 28, 2016, Human Rights Watch said today.

rganization for Refuge, Asylum & Migration (ORAM), a leading international non-profit organization devoted to advocating on behalf of the world’s most vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers, has released a first-of-its-kind glossary of terminology to assist humanitarian professionals to communicate with people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.

In an interview a few years back, Canadian feminist and pro-choice activist Joyce Arthur drew a convincing parallel between the movement for women’s right to access safe and legal abortion and sex workers’ movements for their rights and decriminalisation of sex work.

The Observatory on the Universality of Rights (OURs) aims to monitor, analyze, and share information on initiatives that misuse religion, culture, and tradition to undermine

Across the globe, religion plays a critical role in shaping attitudes about gender norms and sexuality, which in turn have a profound effect on people’s everyday lives. A new Faith, Gender & Sexuality Toolkit launched today seeks to build knowledge and provide crucial support for faith communities and leaders working to promote social justice in relation to gender and sexuality.

We have the great pleasure to inform that our Spanish page has been re-launched. In this opportunity Alejandra Sardá from Akahatá has written an update

The world is talking about tax this week, so here’s another tax story for you. Asana Abugre has a small shop in Accra, Ghana where she makes and sells batiks and tie-dyed textiles. Asana pays her taxes regularly. Women like her, working in markets across the city, sometimes pay up to 37% of their income in tax.

During 2015, as previously reported by SPW, Brazilian abortion politics continued to evolve under pressures created by the unsettled intersection of regressive policy trends (which have been gaining strength since the mid 2000’s) and the macro-political crisis which has overtaken the Brazilian res publica.

Colombia’s highest court on Thursday ruled that same-sex couples have the right to marry.Colombia’s constitutional court issued its 6-3 ruling nearly nine months after it held a hearing on whether to extend nuptials to gays and lesbians.

Arabic media training position is a 12- month, part-time staff position, with the possibility of renewal of contract for another year and/or increase in work hours. The position is responsible for leading OutRight’s Arabic media sensitivity program, which aims at reaching out to Arabic media outlets and journalists to provide them with a better understanding around sexual orientation, gender identity, and LGBTI rights violations in the Middle East and North Africa.

Today the Equal Rights Trust has published volume sixteen of its biannual Equal Rights Review, an interdisciplinary journal offering analysis, insight and ideas to those promoting equality. This issue has a special focus on intersectionality.

Originally published by Amnesty International on 18/03/2016. Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2016/03/norway-historic-breakthrough-for-transgender-rights/ Key legal reforms proposed by the Norwegian Ministry of Health today mark an important breakthrough

Originally posted on Open Democracy by Susana T Fried and Alice Welbourn on 29/02/2016. Available at: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/confinement-of-eve-resolving-ebola-zika-and-hiv-with-women-s-bodi/ There are parallels between three major newsworthy viruses,

Rightwing groups surrounded hotel in Lviv where about 70 participants in the equality festival had gathered.

Originally posted on QZ on 15/03/2016. Available at: https://qz.com/africa/639763/nigerian-lawmakers-voted-down-a-women-equality-bill-citing-the-bible-and-sharia-law Nigerian lawmakers on Tuesday (Mar.15), voted against a gender and equal opportunities bill (pdf). The bill,

In a new report launched in the European Parliament today, the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA) highlights that prevailing negative attitudes towards LGBT people endanger their fundamental rights and hamper efforts to counter discrimination and hate crime.

Every month RESURJ – a global alliance of feminists – members share and reflect on some news highlights affecting sexual and reproductive, environmental and economic

The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has published this week two General Comments: General Comment 22 on sexual and reproductive health and

Originally published on IDS. Available at: https://www.ids.ac.uk/news/connecting-perspectives-on-women-s-empowerment Worldwide, women continue to contribute to social, economic, cultural and political achievement. And we have much to celebrate

GENEVA (8 March 2016) – The right to sexual and reproductive health is not only an integral part of the general right to health but fundamentally linked to the enjoyment of many other human rights, including the rights to education, work and equality, as well as the rights to life, privacy and freedom from torture, and individual autonomy, UN experts have said in an authoritative new legal commentary.

The present report, by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), is submitted pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 29/22.

In February, there were good news to report from both Haiti and Europe. In the case of Haiti, the Penal Code reform is underway and

This Collection offers multiple routes to sexuality and gender justice and numerous suggestions of what sexuality and gender justice could be in a plurality of contexts. It also suggests that there are many potential pitfalls and barriers to justice or progress. What this Collection highlights, however, is that by listening carefully to each other and by paying careful attention to the needs of those working on the ground, we give ourselves the best chances of success, individually and collectively.

In July 2015, during the 29th Session of the Human Rights Council, as reported by SPW and many other sources, a Resolution on the Protection

The book, by Andrew Park, is about the American political context, so the audience is mostly in the US.  It advocates using international human development

Writing for the first time about being a sex worker, the author says the industry has taught her feminism and empowerment.

Originally published on Catholics for Choice. Available at: https://www.catholicsforchoice.org/news/pr/2016/PopeandPatriarchMisrepresent.asp On his way to Mexico, Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic church, met with Russian

The article examines the issue of gender inequity in the exercise of the right of access to information by exploring the legislative framework underpinning the right for women, detailing the value of information for women, describing the principal obstacles that propagate information asymmetries, and exploring potential responses to advance a more universal right to information.

Originally published on The Guardian on 11/02/2016. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2016/feb/11/guatemala-feminist-lesbian-sandra-moran Sandra Moran, the first openly gay member of Congress in Guatemala, says LGBT rights don’t

This article is based on some of the research that I have conducted over the past two years on women’s activism in Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan, from independence until the Arab uprisings. I collected over one hundred personal narratives from middle class women activists of different generations.

AWID is an international, feminist, membership organisation committed to achieving gender equality, sustainable development and women’s human rights.

Women were at the forefront of the pro-democracy protests in Libya in 2011, which, after escalating into civil war, culminated in the ousting of dictator Muammar Gaddafi. But in the years that have followed, as state institutions have crumbled and insecurity prevails, women have struggled to have their voices heard.

Are you a women’s human rights defender?  Do you want to increase your understanding of women’s human rights, and learn how to use the UN

A new report published by the Equal Rights Trust exposes the extent of discrimination and inequality experienced by groups including women; persons with disabilities; lesbian, gay and bisexual persons; and persons living with HIV in Solomon Islands.

As the year heads toward its end, SPW recollects main trends and facts in sexual politics worldwide. January Pope Francis drew global attention after urging

This tribute is to Fatema Mernissi: mentor, insightful teacher, organic intellectual, incisive feminist, powerful voice, charismatic presence, craftswoman, generous host, and friend.

Partners for Law in Development have compiled the rich, vibrant discussions from the Roundtable on Exploring the Continuum between Sexuality and Sexual Violence on April

I will critically discuss the campaign for (full) criminalisation of marital rape to call attention to ways by which this campaign reduces a potentially tranformatory agenda on gender, sexuality and marriage, to one of law, crime and punishment.

October and November 2015 will be marked in the Brazilian calendar as a colorful time of feminist occupations. Feminist bodies, voices, lemmas, writings, images have invaded the streets, social networks, the male writers op-ed spaces in the mainstream press. Feminist voices of all ages and social strata arose everywhere to make clear that we have had enough.

In the end of October, seven million young people had to sit and think about the persistence of violence against women in Brazil. This was the essay theme of the National High School Exam (ENEM) — a Brazilian standardized test that is mandatory to compete for a place in the country’s public universities.

The Partners for Law in Development has launched the Feminist Law Archives (FLA) to celebrate the rich and vibrant history of feminist engagement with law in India.

Originally published on The Guardian on 02/11/2015. Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/nov/02/myanmar-womens-fight-against-verbal-taboo-symbolises-wider-rights-battle Lack of sex education for women perpetuates gender inequality in Myanmar but activists addressing such

Global Action for Trans Equality (GATE) met with Dainius Pūras, the United Nations  Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the

Originally published on Equal Rights Trust on 2015. Available at: http://www.equalrightstrust.org/news/call-papers-16th-equal-rights-review-special-focus-intersectionality-promoting-equality The Equal Rights Trust is accepting papers for the sixteenth edition of its Equal

Sexual Rights Initiative presents an overview from the 30th session of the UN Human Rights Council. It includes resolutions, panels and discussions, statements and parallel

Originally published on Daily IO on 30/09/2015. Available at: http://www.dailyo.in/politics/modi-us-visit-mark-zuckerberg-silicon-valley-facebook-digital-india-democracy-vhp-rss-branding/story/1/6529.html Shiv Visvanathan @ShivVisvanathan   If Facebook has face value, Modi’s interview with Mark Zuckerberg at

The Arab Foundation for Freedoms and Equality is happy to announce its call for applications to its Social Change Program. The Program aims to develop the

Originally published on The BMJ. Available at: http://www.bmj.com/content/women%E2%80%99s-children%E2%80%99s-and-adolescents%E2%80%99-health-0 The year 2015 marks a defining moment for the health of women, children, and adolescents. It is

Originally published on IDS in 2015. Available at: http://www.ids.ac.uk/news/vital-new-resource-on-sex-work-law-will-help-sex-workers-globally-to-realise-their-rights A new Sex Work Law Map, developed by the Sexuality, Poverty and Law Programme at the

Preamble This Agenda is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. It also seeks to strengthen universal peace in larger freedom. We recognise

With his latest comments, Pope Francis has built a shiny new smokescreen to distract from the grave and immoral harms caused by the Vatican’s opposition to abortion and women’s equality.

Pope Francis once more gained global visibility by allowing priests to forgive women who have had an abortion. His speech — delivered on September first

Distinguished Committee Members: I wish to thank the Committee for the opportunity to deliver this brief statement on behalf of over fifty human rights organizations

The Brazilian academic institution and civil society organizations listed below offered a contribution to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Report on the impact

Originally published on IDS. Available at: https://www.ids.ac.uk/opinion/intersectionality-of-sexuality-inequality-and-poverty I recently had the pleasure (and challenge) of being part of a team of Research Assistants working for

The Young Feminist Fund is the only youth-led fund focused exclusively on supporting global young feminist activism to advance social justice movements and agendas. FRIDA

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

by Sebastian Kohn July 28th, 2015, published originally at Open Society.  Amnesty International seems poised to support the decriminalization of sex work—a move that would improve

With great sadness as SPW we mark the departure of Gigi Francisco – activist, scholar, teacher and for a long time a working partner and wonderful friend of many of us. Gigi’s departure is a major loss for global feminisms and social justice movements.

Capturing voices and experiences from around the world, Women and Girls Rising – Progress and resistance around the world, edited by Ellen Chesler and Terry McGovern,

After living in the shadows, thousands of Nicaraguan sex workers have broken their silence, won support from state institutions and gained new respect for their rights.

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

Originally published on Rewire on 28/05/2015. Available at: http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2015/05/28/taking-action-combat-state-sanctioned-violence-women-worldwide/ by Leila Hessini, Ipas / Global Fund for Women and Beatriz Galli May 28, 2015 –

_______________________________________________________ Relevant meetings The V Conference of ILGA-LAC was held in Curitiba, Brazil, from January 26th to 30th, 2010. Regional highlights > Read these information

by By Manuela L. Picq* A debate on abortion suspended the voting on the new penal code in the Ecuadorian Congress this week. Congresswoman Soledad Buendía,

Originally published on Rewire on 30/04/2015. Available at: http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2015/04/30/pope-francis-call-equal-pay-equal-work-toothless-promising/ by Erin Matson Sadly, the more Pope Francis speaks, the more things stay the same. (Philip Chidell

Originally published by Amnesty International. Available at: https://www.amnesty.org/en/articles/news/2015/04/china-release-on-bail-of-five-womens-rights-activists-an-incomplete-step 13 April 2015, 18:28 UTC The Chinese government must drop all charges against each of the five

Originally published on The New York Times on 05/04/2015. Available at: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/06/world/asia/chinese-womens-rights-activists-fall-afoul-of-officials.html By ANDREW JACOBS APRIL 5, 2015   BEIJING — The young Chinese feminists shaved their

Women’s, Feminists and other civil society NGOs from Latin America and the Caribbean launched a statement criticizing the Political Declaration approved by Members States Monday

Organizations of the International Sexual and Reproductive Rights Coalition (ISRRC) launched a statement highlighting that, despite progress achieved toward gender equality and the realization of

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

Unicef has launched a position paper against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Click here to read it..

In late 2009, the World Economic Forum (WEF) launched its new report on the Global Gender Gap Index, which gained immediate visibility in both global

April – In a landmark decision, Indian Supreme Court allowed transgender people to identify as a third gender and directed the central and state governments

Among the main events in November, we highlight the Men Engage Symposium, held in Delhi, in which SPW was present with the participation of our

Equal Rights Trust published the Volume Thirteen of The Equal Rights Review (ERR), an interdisciplinary biannual journal intended as a forum for the exchange of legal,

By Laurie Essig California’s enacting on Sunday of the “yes means yes” law is a victory for some campus feminist activists but an ill-conceived detour

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,

Jandira Cruz and Elisângela Barbosa died after resorting to unsafe clandestine abortion clinics. Their deaths are now inevitably interwoven with the 2014 intense and complex

The Spanish government has decided to withdraw a bill that would only allow abortion in cases of rape or significant health risk to the mother or fetus. Read

The Center for Reproductive Rights has launched The World Abortion Laws Map 2014,  in celebration of the 20-year anniversary of the International Conference on Population and

SPW co-chair Sonia Corrêa spoke at the panel on sexual and reproductive rights of the Women and Girls Rising Conference, held in New York on

The Center for Reproductive Rights has published its September 2014 edition of the Reproductive Rights Rundown, highlighting reproductive rights developments in UN Treaty Monitoring Bodies

In August, the Sexuality Policy Watch (SPW) published the outcomes from the three Regional Dialogues organized in Asia (2009), Latin America (2009) and Africa (2010)

BRIDGE – development and gender has launched the guide Supporting social movements to advance women’s rights and gender justice – an approach for donors. Read

By Ximena Casas, Planned Parenthood Global August 19, 2014 – 9:59 am In 2007, a 13-year-old Peruvian girl became pregnant as the result of being

KARACHI, Pakistan On Feb. 12, 1983, 200 women — activists and lawyers — marched to the Lahore High Court to petition against a law that

The English version of the Federation for Women and Family Planning (Poland) report summarizing 20 years of Poland’s strict anti-abortion law is now available. It

In 2013, Sexuality Policy Watch began a new line of work aimed at critically examining how sexuality, gender and human rights  can be located in

Every morning we wake up to an updated butcher’s bill: one hundred, two hundred, four hundred, six hundred Palestinians killed by Israel’s war apparatus as of

By Rashika Rakibullah Staff Writer Early last week, Indian authorities began preparations for the country’s 2014 general elections, a nine-phase, month-long event that will break

Read the joint statement delivered at the 13th session of the Open Working Group on the Sustainable Development Goals on behalf of 58 countries, focusing

At the International Conference on Human Rights (7 to 10 July 2013), the main outcome was the final report, which represents a unique platform to

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

The SPW report, “Bracting Sexuality: Human Rights and Sexual Orientation”, written by Ignacio Saiz, analyzes the recognition of rights relating to sexual orientation within the

Posted on 24 June 2014 Why is the Human Rights Campaign hanging out with the friends of homophobe Gary Bauer? Some background: HRC, the richest US

Read New York Times article about a fierce battle raging in Egypt beyond that one between Islamists and military rulers: the battle “between the patriarchy

Sonia Corrêa and Rosalind Petchesky, members of SPW Steering Committee participated at the Orientations and Identities: Sexuality and Human Rights on the Global Stage Conference organized by

Brazil In May and early June the Brazilian sexual politics scenario has winessed setbacks and authoritarian measures, particularly with regard to women’s rights. At the

LGBTTTI Coalition celebrates tha approval of the seventh resolution on human rigths, sexual orientation and gender identity and expression at the OAS 44th General Assembly.

Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) has announced the online publishing of Women’s Charters and Declarations: Building Another World written by Rashida Manjoo, the UN’s

As the pace of Brazilian presidential election campaign accelerates once again abortion rights are caught into the eye of the storm. Last week, the Ministry

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

On May 28th, Sonia Corrêa, SPW co-chair, spoke at the panel on Human Rights at the Global Stage, organized by the City of West Hollywood.

Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID) has launched a new manual for rights activists facing religious fundamentalist opposition to their work. Click here to

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

Preliminary list of signatories and the statement in English and Spanish.

S.H.E social, health and empowerment feminist collective of Transgender and Intersex Women of Africa has launched its first newsletter, which brings news about trans activism

Africa Regional Sexuality Resource Centre has published ICPD Beyond 2014 Global Report, which is the culmination of a landmark UN review of progress, gaps, challenges and emerging

Click here to read it.

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

Governments at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) ignored evidence of and regional support for key elements of sustainable development in

Click here to read the statement delivered in the 58th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW58) which defends sexual rights, sexual

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, at its recently concluded session, issued a statement on sexual and reproductive health and rights, which

Dear friends, Around the World During January and February 2014, SPW has watched the development of anti-homosexuality bills in Nigeria and Uganda, as well as

The ICPD Beyond 2014 Global Report is the culmination of a landmark UN review of progress, gaps, challenges and emerging issues in relation to the

Read article “Does Pope Francis Have a Woman Problem?”, from the Daily Beast, which points that pope Francis is undoubtedly forward-thinking—except for when it comes

Reality Check brings Adele M. Stan’s article about how Pope Francis “when it comes to inequality of the sexes, enthusiastically embraces Rome’s status quo, using

Between 29 November and 1 December 2013, the Third International Intersex Forum, supported by ILGA and ILGA-Europe, took place in Valletta, Malta. This event brought

Read article “Two Women, Different Outcomes: How U.S. Foreign Assistance Policy Harms Women”, by Elizabeth Maguire in “RH Reality Check”, in which the author tells

IDS Sexuality and Development November Newsletter is on the web and brings discussions about heteronormativity and patriarchy as well as other issues. Learn more.

In a case that has the potential to break the binary gender norms of male and female in law and administrative practices in India, the

Read article on The Guardian about how a movement that started out as a critique of capitalist exploitation ended up contributing key ideas to its

“If a person does not fit in a neatly packaged place within the straight-gay binary, some people won’t believe them, a fact that led me

The 6th Asia Pacific Population Conference (APPC) took place at the end of September in Bangkok. The final document brings recommendations on  gender equality and

Read the report of the 24th session of the Human Rights Council which concluded last week. Among the issues discussed, gender integration was one of

In what organisers suggest is a ‘first of its kind’ move, an informal coalition of over 150 trans* and cis feminist activists, academics, writers and

The Universal Access to Female Condom Joint Programs has just published an up-date report on Female Condoms now available in the global market or yet

Read “Bradley Manning, Bayard Rustin, and the perversion of Pride”, an article by Scott Long on A paper bird blog.

United Nations has just released a video stating that LGBT rights are human rights, starring Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon and the High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay.Watch it now.

With the recent release of the US State Department’s Human Rights Reports for 2012, the Council for Global Equality has compiled information from the reports on areas ranging from police/state violence to transgender and lesbian-specific incidents. Download the compendium here.

Show your support to the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia by changing your profile picture on social networks. Click here for some suggestions.

May 17th is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO). In 2013, some 100 countries have reported activities to be held in remembrance of the Day and of the victims of homophobia and transphobia. We selected some of the amazing initiatives, which you can see here and get inspired to take part in this movement.

Global: 28th September 2012 is the Day of Decriminalization of Abortion and advocates around the world are organizing events to raise awareness about the need to ensure access to safe, legal abortion. Click and sign an international open letter for the right to abortion, support a campaign and read more.

Read the article “Provisional Measure 557 (MP 557) has been archived, but the matter is not resolved,” written by Ana Maria Costa and Luís Bernardo Delgado Bieber, on the creation of the National System of Registration, Tracking and Follow-up of Pregnant and Puerperal Women for the Prevention of Maternal Mortality.

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.

Endorse the statement “Rights must be at the Centre of the Family Planning Summit”, prepared by Amnesty International, the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), DAWN, the International Women’s Health Coalition and RESURJ regarding the new global family planning initiative led by Gates and DFID, which will be held in London on 11 July 2012. Read more.

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.

Global: Read the IDAHO Committee team balance about the global mobilization worldwide celebrating the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, on May 17th. According to IDAHO Commmittee, new countries joining celebrations for the first time.

Argentina: On May 9, 2012 the Senate passed the first ever gender identity law in the country. With 55 votes in favor, 1 abstention and no votes against the law passed is for now the most progressive disposition on transgender people rights in the world. Read the note published by GATE and more.

UK: The Equal Rights Trust and the Human Rights Lawyers Association invite to the panel discussion “Advancing Sexual Rights in the ‘Developing World’: The Politics of Human Rights Interventionism”, which will take place in London, on 10 May 2012. Read more.

Argentina: On April 24, 2012 the Senate Committees on General Legislation and on Population and Development signed in Buenos Aires an agreement that authorizes the discussion on the Gender Identity Law at the Argentine Senate to proceed. Read more.

Starting with the issue No. 11, SPW Newsletters no longer provide detailed links to posted material, as they will have already been circulated through the announcements of new website postings. The newsletter will mainly focus on one or two pieces of substantive analysis addressing one key debate and, eventually, one key event that we consider to be have been critical in the global sexual politics landscape in the period immediately preceding the publication. Partners and collaborators are invited to share their views on these topics and the Newsletter No 11 is devoted to two key topics: the ongoing debate around the validity of aid conditionality as an instrument to protect LGBT rights and the current state of affairs of abortion reform in Uruguay. Good reading!

For the SPW Newsletter No 11, Lilián Abracinskas, director of Mujer y Salud en Uruguay (MYSU), wrote the article “Abortion law reform in Uruguay: The state of art”, presenting the current state of affairs of abortion reform in Uruguay. Read more.

Hakima Abbas, the Executive Director of Fahamu Network for Social Justice, wrote for the SPW Newsletter n. 11 the article “Aid, resistance and Queer power”, on the effects of the aid conditionality to the LGBTIQ issues in Africa.

Read the article Aid conditionality and respect for LGBT people rights, written by Luis Abolafia Anguita, from Fundación Triángulo, a Spanish LGBT organization wich works with development cooperation. The article debates the threats, reactions and effects of the recent initiative to reduce the development aid to countries that criminalize homosexuality.

Read the interview with Radhika Balakrishnan, the Executive Director and a Professor at the Center for Women’s Global Leadership, about aid conditionalities to developing countries and its impacts on national human rights agenda.

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.

Interview: Conceição Lemes A protest movement against the Provisional Measure 577 (MP 577) creating the National System of Registration, Tracking and Follow-up of Pregnant and

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.

Endorse the “Our Rights, Our Lives: Women’s Call to Action toward the 20-year review of the Cairo conference in 2014”. It was developed by an inter-generational group of over 30 feminists convened by Realizing Sexual and Reproductive Justice (RESURJ), International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC) and Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN). Read the call.

The Brazilian Association of Studies on Homoculture (ABEH) released the first version of the schedule, the menu of group themes, and the composition of the scientific commission of the VI International Conference of Studies on Sexual and Gender Diversity that is going to take place at UFBA (Federal University of Bahia) in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, on August 1st, 2nd and 3rd, 2012.

In the The Equal Rights Review (Volume Seven), it is debated human rights violations. Some people are at higher risk of having their rights violated. When the higher risk is associated with more or less stable personal characteristics such as gender, religion, race, disability, sexual orientation, etc., and materialises in a less favourable treatment or a particular disadvantage, the result may amount to discrimination: a violation of the fundamental right to equality.

In the Volume Six of The Equal Rights Review, The Equal Rights Trust searches for answers to questions like: If equality is understood as a fundamental human right and a basic principle of social justice (this is how it is described in the ERT mission statement), what does it mean in respect to health? How is health equality thinkable? While there is a wealth of literature in political theory, health care policy, economics, social medicine and medical law addressing the central issues of relevance to health equality, an equality and human rights law approach is underdeveloped.

Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Justice: A Comparative Law Casebook, by the International Commission of Jurists is the first book of its kind. It collects and analyzes judicial decisions from more than 100 courts around the world. The Casebook showcases the role of international and comparative law in litigation seeking to vindicate the human rights of LGBT individuals. It is organized into fourteen chapters, each consisting of an introduction to the main legal issues and arguments followed by detailed case summaries.

A number of factors hampered our ability to deliver the 10th SPW Newsletter in early 2011, as planned. On the one hand, we regret and apologize for this delay. On the other, it is rather striking to note that how, in such a relatively short period of time, the world scenario has been swept by a sequence of outstanding events and trends, whose meaning and effects can not yet be fully grasped. So, in this issue you can find information on the cycle of “Regional Dialogues on Sexuality and Geopolitics”, that is finalyzing in late September 2011, with an inter-regional meeting which will take place in Rio de Janeiro to share and process the outcomes of the three dialogues and to prepare the foundation for a global publication, planned for 2012. In the section “Around the world”, you can read reflections on how sexual politics intersect with a shifting landscape, as well as on the relevants global meetings in terms of the intersections between sexuality and politics. Find also the sections “Advocacy: keep an eye”, “Sexuality in Art”, “Check it out” and “We Recommend”, with suggestions of publications, resources, papers, articles, and relevant links.

APC launches the final reports of the EroTICs: Sexuality and the Internet – an exploratory research, with the full research findings from Brazil, India, Lebanon, South Africa and United States, that delve into the complexities of policy and legislative trends on internet content regulation, map key actors and processes, and document how sexuality figures as a central theme in this debate. Read more.

The UN resolution on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity is available in all 6 UN languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

EU: On 30 June 2011, the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights held a hearing on LGBTI rights in the world. Read more.

Argentina: Read the press release written by AMMAR – Sex Workers Argentina repudiating the Presidential Decree that prohibits publicity that promotes sex services.

The EroTICs: Sexuality and the Internet – an exploratory research, lauched by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC), looks at how the internet plays host to critical information about sex education, health, fighting sex discrimination and defining one’s own sexuality. It debunks the commonly-held view that sexuality online is just about pornography. The EroTICs project took place between June 2008 and June 2011 and was funded by The Ford Foundation. Sexuality Policy Watch (SPW) and the Latin American Center on Sexuality and Human Rights (CLAM) developed the Brazilian EroTICs research.

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.

Global: The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) was celebrated on May 17th 2011 with hundreds of events taking place all around the world and on every continent. Read more.

Read What are the connections? Overview and Literature Review, launched by Sida. This publication illustrates the necessity for economic policies and poverty reduction efforts to take account of sexuality. If they don’t, they risk exacerbating exclusions and inequalities, and becoming less effective. It is hoped that this paper will support the work of donors, policy makers and activists in the areas of economic policy and poverty reduction, as well as in struggles for sexual and economic justice more broadly.

The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) launched State-sponsored Homophobia – A world survey of laws criminalising same-sex sexual acts between consenting adults, a research by Eddie Bruce-Jones & Lucas Paoli Itaborahy, Birkbeck College School of London, United Kingdom, which was updated in May 2011.

Sylvia Tamale launched the book African Sexualities – A Reader, a groundbreaking volume which provide a critical mapping of African sexualities, informing readers about the plurality and complexities of sexualities on the continent. Click here to read more.

The Queer Bangkok – 21st Century Markets, Media, and Rights, edited by Peter A. Jackson, traces Bangkok’s emergence as a central focus of an expanding regional network linking gay, lesbian, and transgender communities. Read more.

Read Where have India’s baby girls gone?, published recently by The Economist presenting the data from the 2011 Indian census, which shows that there are now 914 girls aged 0-6 years old for every 1,000 boys of the same age.

This document, organized by Amnesty International, identifies how the crimes of rape and sexual violence must, as a requirement of its own statute and a matter of international human rights law, be interpreted and applied with equality between men and women by the International Criminal Court (the Court). The Court has yet to rule on this matter in its jurisprudence. Such incorporation of human rights law and standards in the prosecution of rape and sexual violence should be undertaken by other international courts, as well as national courts, in order to discharge states’ duties under treaty and customary law.

USA: Read the statement by the White House’s Press Secretary on Ending Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.

Watch the series of interviews made by Rachel Maddow with David Bahati, the parliamentarian who proposed the so called “kill the gays” bill in Uganda.

UN – Joint statement on ending acts of violence and related human rights violations based on sexual orientation & gender identity 1. We recall the

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.

Read Are Women’s Rights on Obama’s Agenda in Latin America?, an article by Luisa Cabal and Lilian Sepúlveda on RH Reality Check.

As part of the EroTICs: Sexuality and the Internet – an exploratory research project, SPW and CLAM have prepared an Executive Summary for the Brazilian chapter of the research, that is available at the last issue of the electronic magazine genderIT.org.

Read Towards a Future Without Fundamentalisms and Feminists on the Frontline: Case Studies of Resisting and Challenging Fundamentalisms, two reports by AWID.

Brazil: Brazilian Human Rights and gender equality activists send a manifesto against the way abortion was treated during the last election period in Brazil to the President Dilma Rousseff and Ministers. Read more.

The issue Struggle for Equality – Sexual orientation, gender identity and human rights in Africa of the publication Perspectives – Political analysis and commentary from Africa, supported by the Heinrich Böll Foundation, gathers articles that despite the myriad of challenges and hostile environmen, show that there is an ongoing engagement and growing movement towards equality for LGBTI people throughout the continent. Read the publication.

Cuba: Read the statement of SOCUMES and CENESEX on the Cuban vote at the Third Committee of UN General Assembly in support of the amendment which removed the explicitly mention of “sexual orientation” at the periodic resolution condemning the extrajudicial, arbitrary or summary executions.

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.

Egypt: Civil society has warned of adverse social and health consequences after the Egyptian government ordered the removal of content related to male and female anatomy, reproductive health and sexually transmitted diseases from the school curriculum.

Click here to read a great editorial piece in which the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay denounces homophobia and calls for concerted action to better protect individuals from violence and discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Venezuela: The postulation of a transexual lesbian feminist woman, activist of human rights, to become a Judge for the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice Venezuela causes call to mind in Venezuela. Read more.

Brazil: Brazilian human rights defenders launched a manifesto against the way the abortion issue is being exploited in the current electoral period in Brazil. Support the online petition and, if you want to know more about this context, read the article Brazil: abortion at front line, written by Sonia Corrêa, SPW’s Co-chair, and a complete coverage (in Portuguese) on this issue. Read more.

In this issue, you find information on the main activities which SPW has been involved in the last months, like the African Regional Dialogue on Sexuality and Geopolitics, that will be held in Lagos, Nigeria from October 4th to 6th, 2010, as part of the series of Regional Dialogues on Sexuality and Geopolitics. We also highlight in “Around the world” a series of global meetings that are relevant in terms of the intersections between sexuality and politics, mainly the Vienna XVIII International AIDS Conference (July). You also can find in this issue other updates on regional highlights and more in the sessions “Advocacy: keep an eye”, “Sexuality in Art”, “Check it out” and “We Recommend”, with suggestions of publications, resources, papers, articles, and relevant links.

In the article “Abortion and Human Rights in Brazil – Part 2” SPW’s Co-chair Sonia Corrêa analizes that the debate on abortion has continued to interweave with the complex political dynamics of the electoral period in Brazil. As she highlighted, even before the campaign was in its full fledge mode after August, abortion had already become one main issue.

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.

Read “Internet and sexuality from IGF 2010”, written by Marina Maria, project assistant of the Sexuality Policy Watch. In this article, Marina describres her experience participating in the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) 2010, that took place in Vilnius, Lithuania, from September 14-17, analysing some aspects on gender and sexuality issues debated during this meeting.

SPW has just concluded the Brazilian stage of the EroTICs: sexuality and the internet – an exploratory research project, sponsored by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC). Soon, a final report presenting the observations, analysis, and findings of the study will be published, in which it was tried to map and analyze recent initiatives and debates concerning internet regulation.

If you would like to be kept updated with information from the MDG Summit on sexuality issues, visit IPPF’s MDG Blog – Sex and the Summit.

> Visit the IFG 2010 website > Read “Internet Governance Issues on Sexuality and Women’s Rights” at GenderIT.org > Follow @apc_news live streaming on Twitter.com

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.

IDAHO: The International Day Against Homophobia, held on May 17 every year, is a rallying event offering an opportunity for people to get together and reach out to one another. Fondation Émergence promotes the International Day Against Homophobia and encourages organisations and individuals to highlight this event in their environment. Get involved.

Check out The International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC) AKIMBO blog. IWHC leads global and local actions to secure every woman’s right to a just and healthy life. The blog Akimbo is where IWHC publishes perspectives on world events and policies affecting women’s health and rights. Visit it now!

Europe: The Secretary General of the Council of Europe welcomes the decision of the Committee of Ministers on Wednesday 31 March, 2010 to adopt a recommendation to member states on measures to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

During the 54th UN Commission on the Status of Women, held in New York, in March, 2010, Ipas, IPPF and the Government of The Netherlands

CONTENTS I. SPW ACTIVITIES / EDITORIAL Since late September 2009, the SPW executive team has been engaged in a wide variety of activities. First and

2.6 Human Rights violations Turkey: Multiple Murders of transgender people highlight inadequate state protection Jamaica: British Honorary Consul John Terry murdered in his bedroom. The

The overview and short papers written for the Latin American Regional Dialogue are available on SPW’s website (in Spanish and Portuguese only), as are the summaries (also available in English). The papers, summaries and reports produced on the Asian Dialogue are also available (in English only).

Read the article “Back to the Future? Beijing +15 and the UN Commission on the Status of Women Only Partly Delivers on SRRH”, by Cynthia Rothschild, a sexual rights and human rights activist based in New York, on the 54th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) from March 1-12, 2010.

The EroTICS Brazilian case study: A short article synthesizing the findings of this first level of investigation was written by SPW and Clam and will soon published by Gender IT.

As a result of the Latin American Regional Dialogue on Sexuality and Geopolitics, the participants have written a statement to join efforts with the international campaign Stop TransPathologization 2012.

Originally planned for early 2009, the African Regional Dialogue on Sexuality and Geopolitics has been postponed to the last week September, 2010 and will be held in Lagos, Nigeria.

From 1-12 March 2010, the Commission on the Status of Women undertook a fifteen-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly. Member States, representatives of non-governmental organizations and of UN entities participated in the session. A series of parallel events provided additional opportunities for information exchange and networking. See below a complete converge.

Read the article “Abortion and Human Rights: the current Brazilian controversy”, by Sonia Corrêa, on the important setbacks in regard to abortion that Brazil has been experiencing in recent years.

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”.

Due to the larger representation of trans people in this edition of ILGA-LAC, there was a greater exchange of experiences, and more effective integration amongst

Planned preparatory meetings on the 26th and 27th of January 2010, preceded the main event, with themes directly related to the defence of LGBT rights.

As well as examples of achievements regarding public policy and LGBTI citizenship in Latin America, the conference also promoted the exchange of experiences about different

Brazil: 5th ILGA-LAC Conference brings together more than 400 LGBT activists in Curitiba, Brazil.

MANIFESTE LA TRANSEXUALITÉ N’EST PAS UNE MALADIE! POUR LA SUPPRESSION DE LA TRANSEXUALITÉ DU DSM ET DU CID! Nous, participants du Dialogue Latino-américain sur Sexualité

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.

In this issue, you find information on the main activities which SPW has been involved since June. The first one is the Latin American Regional Dialogue on Sexuality and Geoplitics that took place in Rio de Janeiro, in August, and gathered close to 50 researchers and activists to reflect on the sexual political landscape in the region. The other important activity is that SPW’s is involved in the global research EroTICs: Sexuality and the internet – an exploratory research project, organized by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC WNSP). Read also about global and local events involving sexuality, politics, as well as recent sexuality/sexual rights advocacy. See what projects and events connect art and sexuality and browse listings of upcoming events, scholarships, job opportunities and publications.

In a much anticipated decision in the General Assembly (GA), governments agreed in September to move ahead with the process of creating a stronger, more

Panama Declaration Meeting of women representing regional Networks in latin America and the Caribbean in the process of Cairo +15 Panama, 3-5 August 2009 The

By Daniel Sarmento* One of the most important human rights issues in the current world regards discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Notwithstanding

Since March 15th, 2006, when the resolution creating the Human Rights Council was adopted by the UN General Assembly, the Council have met in four sessions. The 5th session of the HRC will take place from June 11th to 18th, 2007, when it is expected that the ongoing HRC institution building process will be completed.

By Marina Maria* The 11th AWID International Forum entitled “Women’s Rights and Development” was held from November 14th to 17th 2008 in Cape Town, South

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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