Around the World in 5 is an ongoing series that highlights news related to women in five countries, updated every week. This week’s post covers December 11 to December 17.
India
The Kerala High Court has ruled that having a family is perfectly normal and that women should not be prevented from pursuing careers in public service because they are pregnant or have recently given birth.
Gender equality, the court ruled, must be grounded in reality, and in order to close the gender gap, situational analysis is key. Refusing to acknowledge and address situational realities might result in missed opportunities due to biological considerations.
Kenya
Four Kenyan women, living with HIV, have successfully won a nine-year legal battle, each receiving $20,000 (£16,000) in damages for undergoing sterilization without their informed consent.
The procedure, known as bilateral tubal ligation (BTL), involves altering fallopian tubes to prevent future pregnancies. The High Court protected the women’s identities throughout the case.
Malawi
Cyclone Freddy’s impact in Malawi has forced more women and girls into sex work as they struggle to provide for their families. Striking twice in six days from February onwards, this record-breaking cyclone caused widespread floods and landslides, claiming over 1,000 lives and displacing nearly 700,000 people.
The organization “People Serving Girls at Risk” in Malawi, dedicated to protecting young women and girls from sexual exploitation, has seen a notable increase in providing counseling, supporting 187 individuals in 2023 compared to 56 in 2022.
Malawi faces challenges in understanding the legal status of sex work, where it is not illegal, yet associated criminal offenses are often used to target and harass sex workers. This situation complicates reporting crimes against them to the police.
While the Malawian government, led by Pauline Kaude from the gender ministry, is working on rebuilding infrastructure and housing to assist women affected by the cyclone, the aftermath has heightened poverty. Worsening food insecurity is contributing to the surge in sex work.
United Kingdom
After initially rejecting female candidates, a church in Cornwall has now appointed Reverend Carol Edleston as a female reverend.
Despite the Church of England accepting female vicars, the Fowey Parochial Church Council previously prohibited the appointment of a female reverend at St. Fimbarrus Church in March 2023.
Following public outcry and rumors of theological objections from some congregation members, the church reversed its decision. Reverend Carol Edleston is set to replace the outgoing reverend in March 2024, ending a four-year vacancy at the church.
United States of America
The Texas Supreme Court’s denial of an abortion to Kate Cox, whose fetus had a often-fatal genetic condition (Trisomy 18), has raised concerns and caused confusion.
Despite the initial district court approval, the Texas Supreme Court reversed the decision, aligning with the state’s argument that Cox’s health and life weren’t threatened enough to warrant an exception to the restrictive abortion law.
In response, Cox has left the state for abortion, while ongoing cases, like Zurawski v. Texas, aim to clarify permissible exceptions under Texas’s stringent abortion laws.
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