Women’s rights

Women's Day Rallies: Thousands Defy Restrictions

Tens of thousands on Monday defied coronavirus restrictions, gathering worldwide on International Women's Day to denounce gender violence and inequalities.Women took to the streets in peaceful democracies and in countries gripped by conflict, though in far smaller numbers than last year, when the full force of the COVID-19 pandemic had yet to hit the world.Thousands marched in Mexico City, bringing with them photos with the names of alleged rapists, murderers and harassers of women.&quot

9 March 2021
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ASEAN’s Victim Blaming Culture

In 2020, Hollywood mogul, Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of sexual assault – including rape. At least 80 women accused him of sexual misconduct stretching back decades including Hollywood stars like Gwyneth Paltrow and Selma Hayek. The case against Weinstein prompted the #MeToo movement which encouraged victims to come forward and report sexual misconduct/harassment by powerful men. The movement started in October 2017, garnered international momentum.

30 January 2021
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Ending Violence Against Women

You might have seen a few posts from friends or organisations on social media which highlight the colour orange alongside the hashtags #OrangeTheWorld and #GenerationEquality these past few days. The campaign, “Orange the World: Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!” is the theme for 2020’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women which falls on 25 November every year.

26 November 2020
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Advancing Women’s Rights Globally

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women in China and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action 1995.

2 October 2020
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Most Unsafe Countries For Women In ASEAN

According to a study conducted by Singapore-based research company ValueChampion, Indonesia is the second-most dangerous country for women in the Asia Pacific region after India, while the Philippines is the third most dangerous. Singapore is the safest country across the region. The 2019 study also ranked Vietnam, Thailand and Malaysia as the 8th, 9th, and 10th safest countries for women, respectively, out of 14 countries in the Asia Pacific.

11 July 2020
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#MeToo Not Enough In ASEAN

Last week, Hollywood mogul, Harvey Weinstein was found guilty of sexual assault – including rape. At least 80 women had accused him of sexual misconduct stretching back decades including Hollywood stars like Gwyneth Paltrow and Selma Hayek. Reports following the verdict say Weinstein suffered chest pains and was taken to the hospital directly after.

2 March 2020
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What’s at stake for women’s rights in 2020?

From United States (US) Republicans’ effort to get the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade, the 1973 ruling that established a woman’s right to an abortion, to Poland’s increased restrictions on access to emergency contraception, to Brazil’s clampdown on sexual health education, this is a difficult time for women. But if the global feminist movement has proved anything over the years, it is that it can overcome powerful resistance to defend the rights of marginalised groups.

2 February 2020
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Thais have a sexual harassment problem

In a recent survey of 1,107 Thais by YouGov, the United Kingdom (UK)-based market research agency found that 21 percent of respondents they interviewed said they have experienced sexual harassment.Sexual assault was the most common form of sexual harassment reported by respondents (44 percent). The second most common form of sexual harassment was verbal comments of a sexual nature (42 percent) and flashing (35 percent).

29 August 2019
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Disrespectful divorce

“The most hateful thing to Allah among the lawful matters is divorce.” This hadith (record of the traditions or sayings of the Prophet Muhammad) taken from Sunan Abu Dawood explicitly says that while divorce could be considered permissible, it is highly discouraged within Islam.However, divorce seems to be the route a popular Malaysian Muslim reality TV star, Muhammad Abu Sufyan Mohd Mokhtar Rozaidi seems to be taking.

25 April 2019
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Indonesia is ASEAN’s most unsafe country for women

A recent study has painted a worrying picture of women’s safety in ASEAN, placing Indonesia as the second most dangerous country for women in the Asia Pacific region after India, and the Philippines as the third most dangerous.According to Singapore-based research company ValueChampion, all of these countries were found to have subpar access to healthcare, lax laws regarding women's safety, poor access to family planning resources and overall inequality. “Despite government inte

10 March 2019
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