On August 28th, 2017, the President of Chile introduced to Congress a bill which will legalize marriage between same-sex partners. This legislation is a development from the 2015 congress approval of same-sex civil unions. The President advocated for the bill stating that it is,“not ethical nor fair to put artificial limits on love”. The President […]

The province of Quebec in Canada has passed a contentious law that would make it illegal for Muslim women, and other individuals, who cover their faces to receive public services, including riding public buses. The legislation on religious neutrality also known as Bill 52 was passed with a margin of 65-51 and will require citizens […]

The Seventh US Circuit Court of Appeals has preliminarily dismissed an appeal against the public-nudity law of Chicago, which bans women from exposing their breasts in public, except when breastfeeding. The plaintiff, woman who had gone topless during a protest, had been fined $100 for violating the law. Her challenge to the law was dismissed […]

The 5th United States Circuit Court of Appeals refused a recommendation to reconsider challenges to bill HB1523, also known as the Religious Beliefs Accommodations Act, which was passed in Mississippi and advocates for increased legal protection for three religious beliefs: marriage is between a woman and a man, non-heterosexual relations should be condemned, and gender […]

Registered child sex offenders in the US will now have to acquire passports that would identify them for their previous crimes when travelling overseas. The US State Department will revoke the passports of registered sex offenders; they will then be required to apply for a new passport which would carry a “unique identifier” of their […]

The US administration issued two rules endangering women’s access to affordable contraception. The first rule offers an exemption to employers to facilitate access to contraception based on religious beliefs (an allowance already instated for religious employers); the second provides a similar allowance to both for and non-profits organizations and universities for “moral convictions”. These rules […]

The USA has enacted the Women, Peace and Security Act, 2017, which seeks to strengthen efforts to prevent, mitigate, and resolve conflict by increasing women’s participation in negotiation and mediation processes. The Act mandates the creation of a government-wide strategy towards this end. It also requires training for diplomats, development professionals, and security personnel to […]

At the 36th session of the Human Rights Council, Tunisia accepted the recommendation to ban forced anal examinations as means of determining sexual orientation. The State Minister declared that authorities will no longer be permitted to impose these examinations without consent of the individual involved. While judges and authorities may still recommend the examination, ‘suspects’ […]

The Lobatse High Court passed a ruling in a case against the Registrar of National Registration for the refusal to change a gender marker on a man’s official documentation. The judge declared that the refusal held no ground and violated the individual’s right to expression, legal protection, dignity, and freedom from discrimination. As such, it […]

The Western Cape High Court has ruled that individuals in legally-recognized marriages may amend their gender identification and update all legal documents without dissolving their marriage. The case centered on three women and their female spouses who pursued the department of Home Affairs in court after having their applications to change their gender identities rejected. […]