Welcome to the 109th edition of The Pixel Project’s VAW e-News Digest!
This month Amnesty International voted to support the decriminalization of prostitution. The move has been met with both support and criticism. Read these different viewpoints on this issue: what is the impact of decriminalisation of sex work in countries like New Zealand? Are legal models such as Sweden’s, which criminalize buying of sex, effective?
The case of UN peacekeepers committing sexual assault in Central African Republic raises the issue of women facing sexual violence in conflict zones. At risk are also aid workers and journalists.
In Africa major milestones in removing violence against women are happening. Somalia is taking steps to outlaw female genital mutilation and Uganda has outlawed the practice of bride price. In South America, Colombia has passed a new law that specifically confronts femicide.
Every contribution matters. If you have any news you’d like to share about violence against women, please email The Pixel Project at info@thepixelproject.net. If you prefer to receive up-to-the-minute news concerning violence against women, follow us on Twitter .
It’s time to stop violence against women. Together.
Best regards,
The Pixel Project Team
General
- CANADA: Toronto Star’s view – CFL’s anti-violence against women policy welcome
- CAMEROON: Cameroonian victims of ‘breast ironing’ profiled in photography series
- COLOMBIA: Colombia’s new femicide law targets violence against women
- INDIA: India’s acid attack victims unite against the horror of their past
- MEXICO: Mexico City murders put defenders of women’s rights on high alert
- NEPAL: Supporting survivors of violence in post-earthquake Nepal
- SOUTH AFRICA: Oscar Pistorius to be released from prison two days after Reeva Steenkamp’s birthday
- UGANDA: Uganda’s bride price ruling marks women’s rights milestone, but clashes with customary laws
Domestic Violence
- AUSTRALIA: Domestic violence leave should be regular workplace entitlement, report urges
- CANADA: Ontario investing over $ 1.1 million a year to enhance services in support of survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence
- CHINA: Chinese city steps up efforts to tackle domestic violence
- MALAYSIA: Domestic violence Is a vicious cycle, says Women’s Aid Organization
- MALTA: Victims of domestic violence have no confidence in the police, report shows
- PAPUA NEW GUINEA: Free domestic violence counselling hotline launches in Papua New Guinea
- RUSSIA: Can Russia confront the horrors of its domestic violence epidemic?
- SPAIN: Spain failing to protect minors in cases of domestic abuse, say experts
Rape / Sexual Assault
- WORLD: Opinion – UN peacekeepers who rape and abuse are criminals, so treat them as such
- WORLD: The UN is not serious about its peacekeeper rape problem
- WORLD: Sexual assaults against aid workers: it’s time to take a stand
- CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC: Three peacekeepers accused of rape in CAR
- INDIA: Delhi is the rape capital, NCRB data shows rape cases up 200% since 2012
- JAPAN: Tougher penalties for sex crimes
- SYRIA: ISIS enshrines a theology of rape
- UGANDA and the UNITED KINGDOM: UK works with Uganda to prevent sexual violence in conflict
- UNITED STATES: Female truckers say they faced rape and abuse in troubled training programme
Human/Sex Trafficking
- WORLD: Amnesty votes to back decriminalizing the sex trade .
See related: - WORLD: Opinion – Stop sex trafficking by criminalizing buyers
- WORLD: Opinion – Amnesty International’s dangerous proposal to decriminalize the sex trade
- NEW ZEALAND: Decriminalising sex work in New Zealand: its history and impact
- SWEDEN: Legalising prostitution: has Sweden’s law prosecuting buyers, not sellers worked?
- ASIA and THE UNITED STATES: How American anti-trafficking policy is failing Asian migrants
- KOREA and JAPAN: WWII sex trafficking victims ask governments to ‘stop playing politics’ and apologise
- MALAYSIA: Five bishops learn about refugee abuse in Malaysia
- MEXICO: The underage girls of Mexico’s sex trade – hope amid the horror
- ROMANIA: Feature — Romania’s disappearing girls
- TANZANIA: Tanzania suspends job agencies in crackdown on sex and labour trafficking
- SOUTH AFRICA: Hope for human trafficking victims
- UNITED STATES: Child sex trafficking victims get more protection in Texas
Female Genital Mutilation
- WORLD: Female genital cutting defeated only if we talk to entire communites on profound mental and physical effects
- ETHIOPIA: Obama’s call to end female genital mutilation yet to reach Ethiopia’s villages
- KENYA: Kenyan girl reveals how she was forced to undergo FGM at 12
- NIGERIA: UNICEF laments high prevalence of FGM in the Southeast
- SOMALIA: Somalia to finally render FGM illegal
- TANZANIA: Escaping FGM and reconciling families in Tanzania
- UNITED KINGDOM: Thirty patients treated for female genital mutilation at Mid Yorkshire hospitals in just seven months
- UNITED STATES: ‘Dad is taking us to Africa’ – Reddit’s FGM scare
Forced Marriage / Honour Killing
- AFRICA: Goats, chickens and books can prevent child marriage, says research
- AUSTRALIA: Government targets ice and forced marriages
- BANGLADESH: Schoolgirl sues mother over forced marriage
- INDIA: 28 recorded cases of honour killings last year
- MYANMAR: Forced marriage tops list of trafficking cases
- MOZAMBIQUE: Mozambique’s religious leaders to join the fight against child marriage
- PAKISTAN: Harrowing tale of ‘honour killings’ in Karachi
- SOUTH AFRICA: SADC drafts model law to control child marriage
Activism
- WORLD: Policing sex trafficking in the digital age
- LATIN AMERICA: How Latin American women are changing hip hop
- CAMEROON: FCFA 138 million for fighting gender-based violence
- CANADA: How bystander intervention assisted a victim of domestic violence
- MEXICO: The graphic tale of Lucha Castro’s struggle to defend women’s rights
- RWANDA: Rwanda targets 100,000 HeforShe champions before year end
- UNITED KINGDOM: Ogilvy & Mather’s FGM awareness campaigns leads charity shortlist for Campaign Big Awards
- UNITED STATES: GameChangers reaches middle school boys with message about violence against women