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 February 19 — February 24.
Nigeria
Simidele Adeagbo is poised to make history as the inaugural African participant in bobsleigh at the BMW IBSF World Championship in Winterberg, Germany. She proudly announced her milestone on her X account, expressing her pride in representing Nigeria and Africa in the prestigious event.
“This weekend I will make history for Nigeria as the 1st African athlete to compete in bobsleigh at the BMW IBSF World Chams,” she wrote on her X account.
“This is the FIRST time ever the continent of Africa will be represented in bobsleigh at a World Champs in the 100 years since @ibsfsliding was founded.
United States of America
Assistant director of Chaparral Baptist Assembly Camp in Iowa Park, Nathan Lee McDonald, has been arrested by Wichita County Sheriff’s deputies on charges of Indecency with a Child through Sexual Contact.
The accusations stem from an underage girl associated with the camp who reported being fondled by McDonald when she was 16 years old during the summer of 2023. Sheriff David Duke described McDonald as a “violent sex offender” and stated that evidence led to his arrest. Another staff member reported observing “flirtatious behavior” between McDonald and the girl, leading to further scrutiny. McDonald denies the accusations.
Afghanistan
A recent United Nations study reveals that 67% of Afghan women are concerned that international recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) may worsen their rights situation. The study, co-authored by U.N. Women, the International Organisation for Migration, and the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, highlights over 50 decrees from de facto authorities directly curtailing women’s rights.
The report emphasizes that women fear the possibility of international recognition for the current authorities, expressing dread and anxiety. Under the current circumstances, the study warns that such recognition could intensify the women’s rights crisis and potentially reinforce existing restrictions.
St Vincent and the Grenadines
The top court in St Vincent and the Grenadines has upheld laws criminalizing gay sex, dealing a setback to LGBTQ+ activists who have long protested the violence faced by the community in the Caribbean archipelago. The ruling follows a 2019 case brought forth by two gay men from St Vincent residing in the UK and US.
They aimed to challenge colonial-era laws prescribing 10 years imprisonment for anal intercourse and five years for “gross indecency” with a person of the same sex. Cristian González Cabrera, a senior researcher at Human Rights Watch, denounced the ruling as “a travesty of justice,” asserting it signifies implicit state support for LGBTQ+ discrimination.
Austria
A man has been arrested by the police following the deaths of three women in a brothel in Vienna, the capital of Austria. The arrest came after a witness noticed traces of blood outside the establishment, situated near the Danube River, and promptly informed the authorities on Friday evening.
According to police spokesman Philipp Hasslinger, the women were discovered with “cuts and stab wounds.” A 27-year-old asylum seeker from Afghanistan was apprehended near the brothel carrying a knife believed to be the weapon used in the attacks.
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