Ms. Global: Haiti’s Sexual Violence Surge; Saudi Women Become High-Speed Train Drivers; Murders of Women Journalists on the Rise

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 healthcare. 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.

This month: News from Sierra Leone, Brazil, Senegal, India, China, Haiti, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, and more.

Feminists Urge Pompeo to Withdraw U.S. from G20 Summit Hosted by Saudi Arabia

Lawmakers and advocates are calling on Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Trump administration to withdraw from the Saudi-hosted “W20” women’s summit.

Led by Rep. Schakowsky, the co-signers of a Congressional letter join a growing global campaign to stand up for women who are facing torture, forced separation from their children, arbitrary detention and more in Saudi Arabia.

Fleeing Gender Apartheid

“I lost everything in one day,” Layla, who fled Saudi Arabia, says a few months later outside a refugee settlement in Germany. Her voice trembles with still-raw fear. “But only one thing mattered: For the first time, I was free.”

Innovation for Oppression

Imagine an app that tracks your movement wherever you go. Imagine that it sends notifications to a male member in your family whenever you check in at an airport. Imagine that it gives them the power, in just a few clicks on their own smartphone, of banning you from traveling altogether. This app is called Absher. You can find it at the Google Marketplace and in the Apple App Store.