In Kyrgyzstan, a young woman is abducted roughly every 40 minutes. ‘Ala kachuu’ is the name for the tradition dating from nomadic times. The old custom is becoming more and more common. Women are being kidnapped and forced to marry.

Five days ago, Sita Karki, 14, was forced into isolation in a filthy, dark and sweltering cattle shed about 10 minutes away from her home. The reason is that she is menstruating.

An incident of “mass molestation” on New Year’s Eve in Bangalore has put an ugly spotlight back on sexual assault against women in India. But some officials insist on blaming victims and western values.

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There was a time sexual harassment at work was an issue shrouded under a veil of shame. Women who were at the receiving end of unwanted sexual attention either from peers or superiors did not report it for fear of ridicule. In case they raised a voice against it, their employment could be terminated. Sexual harassment at work is one of the leading causes of attrition for women at work.

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The narrative of sex in India tends to have got stuck on the issues of violence, rape and harassment. This is not surprising considering that India is a country in which a majority of the women face sexual violence on a daily basis.

© Roheena Sajid

A few months ago some women from Islamabad (Pakistan) organized a conference to raise awareness about rape and sexual assault. This conference was organized in one of the universities in Islamabad by the collaboration of “Gender And Woman Studies” department professionals. People from different walks of life attended the conference including politicians, teachers, students and social workers. The basic purpose of this conference was to raise awareness about the rape and harassment.

The sexual assaults that happened in Cologne Germany on New Year’s Eve have become more of a political issue than a crime against women. A similar thing can be seen in the case of an alleged rape of a Russian-German girl by refugees in Berlin. Now Germany has reacted after Russia demanded an explanation over Germany’s handling of the case. Read more here!