A report by the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights has found that the decision of Hungarian authorities to reject the adoption application of a same-sex couple amounted to unlawful discrimination based on sexual orientation. The two women’s application to adopt a 16-month-old Roma girl was rejected on the grounds that it would infringe upon the child’s […]

Although civil partnerships have been allowed since 2010, the Constitutional Court of Austria termed the law barring same-sex marriage as unconstitutional. Same-sex marriage is likely to be legal from January 1, 2019. The ruling also allowed the couples involved in the challenge considered by the Court to marry immediately. The Court observed that “the distinction […]

The European Parliament, by 580 votes to 10 and with 27 abstentions, adopted a resolution on combating sexual harassment and abuse in the EU. The Parliament condemned all forms of sexual violence and harassment, whether it be physical or psychological, and noting the fact that these acts are too easily tolerated. The Parliament also asked […]

Civil rights activists in Tanzania accused the government of “promoting a culture of human rights violations” after the President pardoned two men who had convicted for raping ten primary school children aged between six and eight years of age, along with thousands of other prisoners. The news of their release coincided with calls for the […]

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court passed the first judgement in the case of four women who were abducted and assaulted sexually, physically, verbally and unlawfully detained at different times between January 2011 and March 2013 at the hands of the Abuja Environmental Protection Board (AEPB) and other government agencies, such as […]

Mauritania has proposed a new ‘Apostasy’ draft law that would make death penalty mandatory for the crime of “insulting” or “mocking” God, the Quran or the Prophet Muhammad. The approved draft legislation would eliminate the possibility under the current law, of substituting a prison term for death penalty if the offender repents promptly. Mauritania’s current […]

The Egyptian Parliament has passed a law guaranteeing women’s right to inheritance after over a year’s process on amending the 1943 inheritance law. Egyptian women for the longest time have been deprived of the right to inheritance due to patriarchal cultural norms and traditions, especially in the Upper Egypt region. Article 49 of the new […]

The proposed abortion ban under all circumstances (including rape and in cases where the mother’s life is in danger) is part of a constitutional amendment approved by a special congressional committee in November. The committee has to vote on the final text of the proposed amendment, before it goes to the full Chamber of Deputies […]

The state of Ohio has recently enacted a law that would make the abortion of foetuses detected with Down’s syndrome illegal. The legislation also prescribes felony charges against physicians who perform the procedure, while exempting the woman from the same. The law, said to be in consonance with the state’s Down Syndrome Non-Discrimination Act, is […]

A Canadian Court has suspended part of the controversial law that banned face coverings in the province of Quebec. The Supreme Court of Quebec suspended section 10 of Bill 62 that barred individuals from covering their faces while receiving or giving public services such as riding a public transport or visiting a doctor. The legal […]