The U.S. ranks as the 19th most dangerous country for women, 11th in maternal mortality, 30th in closing the gender pay gap, 75th in women’s political representation, and painfully lacks paid family leave and equal access to health care. But Ms. has always understood: Feminist movements around the world hold answers to some of the U.S.’s most intractable problems. Ms. Global is taking note of feminists worldwide.
Sudan
+ 25 million people in Darfur are struggling, faced with war crimes and ethnic cleansing
“Parents are killed in front of their children. As they cry for help, the children die too. Panicked people fleeing attacks become moving targets. Entire communities are set ablaze and destroyed. Dislocation, hunger and thirst follow, a prelude to famine and death. Abandoned, terrified, unprotected, unseen, the people despair,” writes Jon Henley of The Guardian.
This is a description of the war currently going on in Darfur, a region in Sudan. One year ago, it began as a civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Over 150,000 people have died since then. While public attention has moved on from this war, the violence and struggle continues.
On May 3, UN agencies released a statement warning of “imminent starvation risk” in Darfur. About 17.7 million people are facing “acute levels of food insecurity” and people have begun to eat grass and peanut shells for survival.
“Our calls for humanitarian access to conflict hotspots in Sudan have never been more critical” says Michael Dunford, regional director for Eastern Africa at the UN World Food Programme. “If assistance does not reach them soon, we risk witnessing widespread starvation and death in Darfur and across other conflict-affected areas in Sudan.”
Vietnam/U.S.
+ Amanda Nguyen is set to become the first Vietnamese-American woman in space after overcoming rape at Harvard
Amanda Nguyen, a civil rights activist, is set to become the first Vietnamese-American woman to travel to space aboard a Blue Origin New Shepard. This historic achievement follows her work as an advocate for sexual assault survivors.
Nguyen’s activism was spurred by her own traumatic experience of being raped during her final semester at Harvard in 2013. In response, she played a crucial role in drafting and advocating for the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act, which was unanimously passed by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on October 7, 2016. This landmark legislation enshrined rights for sexual assault survivors into federal law, impacting nearly 25 million survivors across the United States.
Nguyen was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018 by two members of Congress, including former Rep. Mimi Walters. She was also selected as one of Time’s Women of the Year in 2022.
Now, almost eight years after the passage of the Sexual Assault Survivors’ Bill of Rights, Nguyen’s journey to space is being sponsored by the nonprofit organization Space for Humanity.
“Being the first Vietnamese woman to fly to space is to let every young Vietnamese girl know that we belong,” she told ABC News.
Mexico
+ Mexico elects Claudia Sheinbaum as its first female president
The preliminary results of Mexico’s presidential election on June 2 have shown former Mexico City mayor and climate scientist Claudia Sheinbaum will win the election. Sheinbaum’s win marks the victory of the first female president in the country.
Despite this accomplishment for women internationally, 2.5 million Mexicans serve as domestic workers, and the vast majority of them are women. Despite more women in the labor force overall, domestic workers may still face “low pay, abuse by employers, long hours and unstable working conditions some equate to “modern slavery.” Workers mentioned that “they were fired from their positions after they fell ill and asked for help and time off from the family they’ve worked with for years.”
The significant disparity between men and women in the workforce is nothing new. In 2005, 80 percent of men were either employed or seeking employment, whereas only 40 percent of women were doing the same. Still, progress has been made. By the end of 2023, 75 percent of men were in the workforce, compared to 47 percent of women.
There has been a great increase in women’s representation in Mexican politics, partially due to legislation that requires that half of congressional candidates be women. Despite this, women in domestic work face heightened discrimination, which may be aided by the election of a female president.
Kazakhstan
+ Former Kazakh Minister’s femicide spurs new domestic violence law
Former Kazakh economy minister Kuandyk Bishimbayev has been sentenced to 24 years in a maximum-security prison for murdering his wife, Saltanat Nukenova, following a guilty verdict on May 13 for extreme cruelty and torment leading to her death. Bishimbayev has 15 days to appeal the verdict from the formal receipt date and will not be eligible for parole until 2040.
During the trial, the prosecution presented audio and video recordings, witness testimonies, and forensic reports, demonstrating the extent of the abuse Nukenova endured before succumbing to a traumatic brain injury. A coroner’s report detailed her injuries, which included a broken nasal bone and numerous bruises on her face, head, arms, and hands.
Saltanat Nukenova’s case is a stark reminder of the widespread issue of domestic violence in Kazakhstan, where around 80 women die annually from such violence, 150 women suffer grievous bodily harm, and more than 4,000 incur light bodily harm, as reported by Human Rights Watch.
In June, Kazakhstan will implement a new law, dubbed “Saltanat’s Law,” targeting domestic violence by criminalizing battery and light bodily harm. The law’s enforcement is critical to preventing future tragedies and protecting women from the same horrific fate as Nukenova.
Namibia
+ Namibian court will rule in June on sodomy law
The High Court of Namibia will rule in June on whether or not to decriminalize gay sex by overturning a colonial-era sodomy law. The case was argued in October.
Despite a rise in HIV/AIDS amid incarcerated men, the law is cited as a justification for not giving prisoners access to condoms. This court decision will also be crucial in fighting against the anti-gay hate crimes that have been pervasive in the country. At least six members of the LGBTQ+ community in Namibia were killed in the past year. What’s more, two anti-LGBTQ+ bills were passed through parliament and are now waiting for presidential confirmation before they become law.
“The courts (are) our last hope and our beacon of liberation,” LGBTQ+ activist Omar Van Reenen told Context. “We need some sort of validation that we exist and belong in Namibia, and that the constitution protects us too.”
Thailand
+ Women and LGBTQ+ activists in Thailand are facing state-backed digital violence
Women and LGBTQ+ activists in Thailand are facing a barrage of online abuse, including misogynistic, homophobic, and transphobic language, sexualized content, and other forms of technology-facilitated gender-based violence by both state and non-state actors in attempts to silence their voices, according to a Amnesty International report released on May 16.
Since the country’s 2014 military coup, activists have used digital platforms to advocate for human rights in an increasingly restrictive environment. However, the report reveals that digital violence has created a chilling effect, leading many women and LGBTQ+ activists to self-censor or withdraw from human rights work entirely.
“Thailand has long positioned itself as a champion of gender equality and made various pledges at the international level to protect women’s and LGBTI rights. However, the reality is that women and LGBTI activists in the country continue to face severe gender-based violence facilitated by digital technology,” said Chanatip Tatiyakaroonwong, Amnesty International Regional Researcher for Thailand.
Amnesty International urges the Thai government to take substantial measures to protect activists, ban invasive spyware, and establish a regulatory system for other types of spyware that complies with human rights standards.
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