By Katie Bacharach

The Libyan Cabinet has issued a decree that would put women raped during Libya’s 2011 uprising on the same level as wounded veterans by recognizing them as war victims.  

Pro-Gaddafi forces are alleged to have used rape of women as a weapon against rebel forces during the uprising. The decree, which still would need congressional approval to go into effect, contains 12 measures, including financial assistance and physical and psychological health care. Recognizing rape victims is unprecedented in the conservative North African country, and the hope is that this will help with reconciliation efforts.

See the BBC for more details.

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February 26, 2014

By Katie Bacharach

A Thomson Reuters Foundation poll found that Egypt is the worst Arab state for women. Egypt’s place at the bottom of the ranking is attributed to discriminatory laws, a spike in trafficking, sexual harassment, high rates of female genital cutting, and a surge in violence and Islamist feeling after the Arab Spring uprisings. The poll surveyed 336 gender experts in August and September in 21 Arab League states and Syria. Questions were based on provisions of the U.N. Convention to Eliminate All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), which 19 Arab states have signed.

Complete poll results can be found here.

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November 22, 2013

By Katie Bacharach

As the 68th UN General Assembly convened on Tuesday, the UN News Centre reported that the body's new president, John W. Ashe, announced that he would ask delegations to focus on setting the stage for the post-2015 development agenda. Mr. Ashe said he would convene three high-level events, focused on women, youth, and civil society; human rights as rule of law; and South-South cooperation, triangular cooperation, and information communication technology for development. 

Reuters has an interesting article explaining why women's empowerment should remain a priority in the post-2015 development agenda. Because women account for about 70 percent of the world's extremely poor, targeting them could have the greatest impact on reducing global poverty. In addition, empowering women has broad ripple effects on general development progress, including improving family health, increasing the likelihood of child immunization, and reducing maternal mortality. 

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September 22, 2013

By Julie Inglese

CNN reported that a groundbreaking case was settled on Friday in New Delhi, India. After seven months of public outcry and uncertainty about the punishment of the allege rapists, four men were found guilty and sentenced to death, a rare occurrence in India, for the ruthless rape of a 23-year-old girl. The innocent victim was merely riding a bus when she found herself surrounded by at least five drunk men that gang raped her so brutally that she died several days after the attach. This case points to a change in India’s stance on both the death penalty and women’s rights. India has taken a large step forward in their demand for better treatment of women. 

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September 17, 2013

By Katie Bacharach

Saudi Arabia’s Cabinet passed groundbreaking legislation recognizing domestic violence as a criminal offense punishable by law. Reuters reports that the new law covers all forms of abuse, including physical, psychological, and sexual, as well as the threat of abuse. Previously, domestic abuse against women was regarded as a private matter in Saudi Arabia and it is still a relatively new concept for public discussion in the kingdom. There is some concern, though, that the new law is flawed because women remain subject to male guardians who must bring them to file abuse complaints, even though these guardians could be the abusers.

Read more at Reuters.

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August 29, 2013