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.
Namibia
+ Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah becomes Namibia’s first female president
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Namibia’s vice president and SWAPO party candidate, was elected as the nation’s first female president on Dec. 3. She secured 57 percent of the vote in the Nov. 27 election. This victory continues SWAPO’s 34-year rule since Namibia’s independence from South Africa in 1990.
Born in Onamutai in 1952, Nandi-Ndaitwah joined the liberation movement at 14, eventually fleeing into exile during a crackdown on activists. She organized SWAPO efforts abroad before returning home after independence in 1988, later holding key government roles in foreign affairs, tourism, and child welfare.
Known for her advocacy for women’s rights, she championed the Combating of Domestic Violence Act in 2002, overcoming resistance from male colleagues. Her pragmatic leadership style has earned her widespread respect. “I am an implementer, not a storyteller,” she once declared., according to BBC.
As Namibia’s new leader, Nandi-Ndaitwah pledges to address economic challenges while her rival, Panduleni Itula, challenges the election results, citing alleged irregularities. Despite the controversy, her election marks a historic milestone in the nation’s political landscape.
Iran
+ Iran halts enforcement of strict morality laws following global outcry
Iran’s new “chastity and hijab” laws, initially slated to take effect on Dec. 13, 2024, have been temporarily paused as of Dec. 14. These laws, comprising 74 articles, impose harsh penalties for “bad dressing” or “nudity,” including fines up to $22,000, prison terms of up to 15 years, flogging, and even execution for acts deemed as dissent against compulsory veiling.
The measures have been widely condemned by Amnesty International and global activists, who describe them as a form of gender apartheid. Protests continue in defiance of these laws, echoing the 2022 “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement ignited by the death of Mahsa Amini in custody. Women risk fines, imprisonment, and violence for rejecting the mandatory dress code.
Diana Eltahawy, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, urged the international community to act, stating, “They must not stand idly by as Iranian authorities further codify repression […] and hold Iranian officials accountable for systematic human rights violations.”
President Masoud Pezeshkian has also voiced concerns, warning that enforcing such laws will only exacerbate public unrest. Activists and organizations are calling for sustained international pressure to ensure the laws are repealed and human rights upheld.
Greece
+ Greece busts trafficking ring exploiting Colombian women
Greek authorities say they have dismantled a sex trafficking network that lured Colombian women with false promises of high-paying jobs as dancers on Dec. 4. Upon arrival, the women’s documents were reportedly confiscated, and they were forced into sex work at apartments and strip clubs owned by the ring leader.
The operation, active since at least 2019, led to the arrest of the leader and eight associates, with two additional suspects, including one in Colombia, still at large. Police say they rescued 29 women, reportedly offering them protection and support in collaboration with NGOs.
The investigation began after one victim came forward. Raids on properties connected to the ring uncovered cash, weapons, and incriminating documents. The suspects claimed the women owed debts, using this as leverage to exploit them.
Belgium
+ Belgium held accountable for Congo kidnappings in landmark ruling
A Belgian court ruled on Dec. 2 that the government must compensate five mixed-race women abducted as children during the colonial era in the Belgian Congo. The women, now in their 70’s, were taken from their Black mothers under a state policy targeting children born to Black mothers and white fathers.
Judges declared the kidnappings a crime against humanity, removing any statute of limitations, and ordered reparations for the women’s loss of family connections and identity. Each plaintiff had sought €50,000 ($52,204) in compensation, marking the first case to address the estimated 20,000 children forcibly removed during the 1940s and 1950s.
These children, often unrecognized by their white fathers, were placed in orphanages, many run by the Catholic Church, where they endured further abuse. The Belgian government and Catholic Church previously issued apologies in 2019 and 2017, respectively, acknowledging their roles in the systemic separations.
The court’s decision highlights Belgium’s colonial legacy, offering a significant step toward accountability for the harm inflicted on mixed-race children and their families.
Kenya
+ Kenyan police use tear gas to disperse anti-femicide protesters
Police in Nairobi, Kenya, used tear gas on peaceful protesters rallying against rising gender-based violence and femicide on Dec. 10. The demonstration, held on Human Rights Day, saw injuries and arrests as protesters chanted “Stop femicide.”
Activist Mwikali Mueni reported being injured by police while advocating for women’s safety. “It’s tragic to be harmed while fighting to end violence against women,” she told The Associated Press, urging President William Ruto to hold officers accountable.
Kenya has faced a surge in femicide, with police reporting 97 women killed since August, often by intimate partners. In response, President Ruto recently allocated $700,000 to combat the crisis, but activists argue that law enforcement’s handling of femicide cases remains inadequate.
Protesters criticized police for allowing suspects in femicide cases to escape custody and vowed to continue demonstrating until meaningful action is taken. “We will not stop until women are safe,” Mariam Chande told The Associated Press, .
El Salvador
+ El Salvador’s harsh abortion laws face regional reckoning
The case of Beatriz, a woman denied a life-saving abortion in El Salvador in 2013, has reignited debates on reproductive rights across Latin America. Beatriz, who suffered severe health complications, was refused the procedure despite carrying an unviable fetus. Her death in 2017 has since become a symbol of the country’s rigid abortion laws, which criminalize the procedure under any circumstances. Her case is now before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR), potentially setting a precedent for the region.
El Salvador enforces some of the harshest abortion laws in the world, with penalties ranging from eight years in prison to charges of aggravated homicide, which carry sentences up to 50 years. Activists like Morena Herrera and Mariana Moisa, who advocate for decriminalization, face growing harassment and threats. These include smear campaigns labeling them “enemies of the state” and digital attacks aimed at silencing their efforts.
Anti-abortion groups, many linked to U.S.-based organizations, have escalated disinformation campaigns, including efforts to discredit the Beatriz case as fraudulent. These groups accuse human rights defenders of promoting a foreign agenda to undermine El Salvador’s values. The government, under President Nayib Bukele, has maintained strict anti-abortion policies, while broader crackdowns on dissent have raised concerns about authoritarianism.
Despite these challenges, activists remain steadfast. “If we do not fight, more women and girls will continue to suffer,” Moisa told The Guardian. The outcome of the Beatriz case could mark a turning point, not only for El Salvador but for reproductive rights throughout Latin America.
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