Right-wing African Members of Parliament (MPs), including some of the continent’s most vociferous anti-abortion, anti-LGBTQ lawmakers, united with anti-vaxx conspiracy theorists for the first time at a conference in early May which plotted how to restrict human rights on the continent in the name of “family values”. Aside from the expected rhetoric against abortion and […] Continue reading ->
Uganda’s Constitutional Court ruled on Wednesday that the country’s draconian  Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 complies with the country’s Constitution in all but four aspects.  “We decline to nullify the Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023 in its entirety neither would we grant a permanent injunction against its enforcement,” Deputy Chief Justice Richard Buteera,  told the Kampala courtroom and a […] Continue reading ->
Global health and parliamentary leaders have offered to support The Gambia to maintain its  ban on female genital mutilation (FGM), expressing “profound concern” over a recent attempt to reverse the ban.  The business committee of Gambia’s parliament is currently contemplating whether to allow the passage of a Private Members Bill which aims to reverse the […] Continue reading ->
Poland’s right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, which championed the country’s restrictive abortion laws, was voted out of power last October, but the path to improving access to abortion is not fast or straight forward. “First of all, we need accessible abortions and we need, which is extremely important, the decriminalisation of abortion support,” activist […] Continue reading ->
WHO officials said that they are trying to expedite delivery of mpox vaccines to outbreak-stricken DR Congo through talks with the world’s only two mpox vaccine manufacturers, as well as appeals for vaccine donations and negotiations with DRC officials. But speaking at a press briefing on Thursday, WHO’s Dr Mike Ryan, Executive Director of Health […] Continue reading ->
An effort by Gambia’s parliament to reintroduce female genital mutilation (FGM) has been met with widespread condemnation by women’s and human rights organisations. Gambia’s Members of Parliament voted overwhelmingly this week to refer the Private Member’s Bill that seeks to repeal the Women’s (Amendment) Act of 2015 that banned FGM to parliament’s business committee for […] Continue reading ->
A United Nations report released Monday said there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that multiple incidents of sexual violence, including rape and gang rape of Israeli women, occurred during the Hamas-led incursion into some 22 Israeli communities near the Gaza border on 7 October. More than 1,200 people were killed in the incident, mostly civilians.  […] Continue reading ->
Ghana’s Parliament unanimously passed one of the world’s most draconian anti-LGBTIQ Bills on Wednesday, including a mandatory three-year prison sentence for a person who simply “identifies” as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex or queer. Anyone funding an LGBTIQ organisation also faces five years in prison, while LGBTIQ “advocacy” involving children will result in a 10-year […] Continue reading ->