Iranian Officials Cause Confusion Over Morality Police
Confusion broke out Friday as a senior Iranian official declared that Iran’s infamous morality police force had been disbanded, reports The New York Times.
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Women’s Rights
Iranian Protests Escalate Despite Government Crackdown
As these protests continue to break out across Iran, the Iranian government is intent on restoring stability. Initially, Iranian security forces only used tear gas, riot police, and batons; however, they have since begun to use metal pellets, and even lethal force, reports TIME.
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India’s Abortion Ruling: A Mirage of Rights for Indian Women
Abortion was decriminalized in India under the Medical Termination Pregnancy Act (MTPA) in 1971. According to BBC News, since 1971, the act has been amended several times as authorities aimed to combat female feticide – a practice, prevalent in India, that has skewed the gender ratio in the country.
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The Protests in Iran Mark a Turning Point for the Country
Reuters states that these protests represent the first major challenge to Iranian leaders in years. In fact, furious protestors are calling for the death of Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, chanting “death to the dictator.”
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Protests Erupt in Iran Following the Death of Mahsa Amini
Protests have erupted in at least 46 cities, villages, and towns in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini on September 16, writes NPR. Iran’s “morality police,” The New York Times states, have been in charge of enforcing the country’s conservative dress and behavior laws since the 1979 Iranian Revolution.
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Women, Peace, and Security: A Discussion of UN Resolution 1325 with Lawyer Fatuma Adan
On February 16, the School of Diplomacy and International Relations of Seton Hall University hosted Kenyan lawyer and human rights activist, Fatuma Abdulkadir Adan.
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Taliban Continue Efforts to Bar Women from Public Life Amid Worsening Crisis
The Taliban have heightened restrictions limiting women’s access to freedom and public society, prohibiting girls from returning to secondary school and women from traveling by airplane without a male companion, Reuters reports.
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Anti-Abortion, Anti-Homosexual Legislation Blocked in Guatemala
On March 15, Guatemala’s Congress reversed the decision to pass the controversial “Protection of Life and Family” law (Law 5272), which aimed to strengthen penalties for abortion, prohibit same-sex marriage, and ban discussions of sexual diversity in schools, according to The Washington Post. The decision to indefinitely table the bill came just a week after it first passed with an overwhelming majority of 101-8, with 51 legislators absent.
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Killer of Noor Muqaddam Sentenced in Pakistan
On February 24, Zahir Jaffer was sentenced to death by hanging for the 2021 high-profile rape and murder of Noor Muqaddam in Pakistan, reports The Guardian. The killing of Muqaddam has been front page news in Pakistan since its occurrence, due to the upper-class status of both individuals. Muqaddam, the daughter of former Pakistan diplomat Shakaut Ali Muqaddam, and Jaffer, the son of one of the wealthiest industrial families in Pakistan, had known each other for most of their lives, as they had grown up in high society with the same circle of friends, reports BBC News.
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Colombia Decriminalizes Abortion, Highlighting a Departure from Stigma
On February 21, 2022, Colombia’s Constitutional Court ruled 5-4 to decriminalize abortions, making the procedure legal up to 24 weeks of gestation, reports The Guardian. The historic ruling will change the lives of women and young girls who often resorted to clandestine abortions and were penalized under the healthcare system, says Al Jazeera. Many pro-choice individuals and feminists in Colombia welcomed the decision as a reaffirmation of women’s bodily autonomy, hoping the ruling will inspire other countries to push for legislation protecting women’s rights.
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