Categoies
Asia
Turkey mulls ban on surrogacy, restrictions on other ART
The Turkish government has proposed a draft law that seeks to ban surrogacy by Turkish citizens, including abroad, and also seeks to prohibit “mediation,” “assistance,” “encouragement” or “advertisement” for the same. The draft law also seeks to outlaw in vitro fertilisation unless the couple is married and cannot reproduce biologically. Discussions around Assisted Reproductive Technology have […]
Pakistan rejects proposal to raise minimum age of marriage to 18
On the United Nations International Day of the Girl, the Pakistani Senate rejected a bill to raise the minimum age for a woman to legally marry from 16 to 18 on the basis that it was “un-Islamic” and “contrary to Islamic injunctions”. The bill was intended to combat the frequent marriages between girls as young […]
Myanmar set to introduce draft law on gender based violence, in Parliament
A new law to punish gender based violence has been drafted, and is set to be introduced in the current session of the Burmese Parliament. The law, called the Prevention and Protection of Violence against Women Bill carries a broad definition of violence, which includes domestic violence, marital rape, sexual violence, harassment and assault in […]
Saudi Arabia permits women to drive, enter stadiums; access to essentials still limited
The Saudi King has issued decrees legalizing driving of cars by Saudi women, and permitting them to enter sports stadiums. The former decree orders the creation of a ministerial body for the purposes of implementation, and stipulates the necessity of applying these changes in a manner compliant with Sharia standards. The latter decree will open […]
Indonesia accepts two UN recommendations for upholding LGBT rights, but seeks to outlaw their representation on television
Indonesia has accepted two recommendations made during its universal periodic review regarding LGBT rights. The recommendations pertain to ensuring a safe and enabling environment for all human rights defenders, and implementing freedom of expression, association, and assembly with an emphasis on non-discrimination, especially for LGBT people. Yet, a proposed draft bill seeks to outlaw the […]
Philippines House passes the SOGIE Equality Bill.
The Philippines House of Representatives approved the SOGIE Equality Bill on its second reading, advancing the legality of the measure to criminalize and penalize discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression (SOGIE). The bill cites 15 forms of discrimination action including denial of access to public, health, or education services, harassment of any […]
Supreme Court of Nepal allows Nepali citizens to change their birth-assigned sex.
The Supreme Court of Nepal issued a ruling which enables Nepali citizens to apply for their citizenship documents to reflect their gender identity rather than birth-assigned sex identity. The Supreme Court reaffirmed article 12 of the Constitution, ensuring citizenship on the basis of identity. The Court also asserted their support of individuals with different sexual […]
Nepal criminalises isolation of menstruating women
Nepal’s Parliament has voted unanimously to criminalise the practice of chhaupadi, which entails banishment of menstruating women, including after childbirth, from their homes. Practicing this custom will now invite a prison sentence of three months, or a fine of NPR 3,000. Rooted in the belief that menstruating women are unclean, the custom of chhaupadi affects […]
Transgender Chinese man wins first-of-its-kind labour discrimination case
A Guiyang court has ruled that the gender of an employee could not be treated as a ground for terminating their employment. In this case, a transgender man was fired from his job at a health services firm, after several of his colleagues told him that he “looked like a lesbian” and might damage the […]
Qatar adopts new law on Domestic Workers
The Emir of Qatar ratified Law No.15 on service workers in the home (“Domestic Workers Law”), thus adopting a law on labour rights for domestic workers for the first time in the country. The law guarantees workers a maximum 10-hour workday, a weekly rest day, three weeks of annual leave, and an end-of-service payment of […]