Women in the news
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“The nation as been split,” said one of Paraguay’s leading churchmen over the case of a pregnant 10-year-old girl who was raped by her stepfather and denied an abortion. The argument over the girl has drawn unusually strong attention to the issues of child abuse and abortion, which is banned in the country. Read more here.
Paraguay senator says pregnant 10-year-old denied abortion ‘became a uterus’
A leading member of the clergy says the country is divided over ‘the killing of an innocent’ as an official says debate has ignored the girl’s own mental and physical health. Read more here from The Guardian.
Protest against sexual assault during Baishakh celebration met with police brutality
Police used brute force to crush a demonstration in Bangladesh against their failures to make any arrest over the Pahela Baishakh sexual assault on women. Read more here from The Daily Star.
A hard road for girls in Roma settlement
Women in the Roma settlement near Vidin, Bulgaria, seldom have more than two children. Tatiana Vaksberg, who lived there, says there’s a good reason for their decision – and it’s not just because money is short. Read more here.
India court acquits politician Jayalalithaa of corruption
A high court in Indian city Bengaluru has acquitted Tamil politician Jayalalithaa Jayaram of corruption. The leader was accused of amassing assets disproportionate to her income nearly two decades ago. Read more here.
The Indian matchmakers targeting divorcees
India still has one of the lowest divorce rates in the world, but marriage breakdowns are becoming more common. Most of those splitting up are members of its thriving, urban middle class whose lives have been transformed by the economic boom. This has led to a huge rise in the number of matrimonial services, some unscrupulous, targeting divorcees. Read more here from BBC.
Research lags on the health risks of women’s exposure to chemicals
Women have been expanding their roles in the workplace for decades, but gender studies on the impact of workplace hazards have yet to catch up. It is now quite normal for women to work in laboratories or as fire fighters thus bringing them into contact with chemicals which have been linked to breast cancer and other health threats for women. Read more from The Guardian here.
