violence against women

Tunisia: European Women go on Trial for Topless Protest

Three European women went on trial in Tunis on Wednesday for holding a topless anti-Islamic protest, and their French lawyer said he was confident they would escape prison despite the threat of jail sentences.

Saudi Arabia: "There is not one law in Saudi Arabia that regards violence toward women as an illegal activity": what's really behind Saudi's domestic abuse problem?

Saudi Arabia has introduced a campaign aimed at tackling domestic violence against women in the kingdom. The King Khalid Foundation funds the campaign, which is a royal, family-run organization with clear ties to the Saudi government.

Malaysia: Outrage After Sharia Court Allows Rapist to Marry His 13-year-old Victim

Local prosecutors are pursuing a statutory rape charge against 40-year-old restaurant manager Riduan Masmud, who allegedly had sex with the girl in a parked car outside the Sabah state capital Kota Kinabalu in February. The girl is now 13 and his defense is that he married her.

Iran: Iran’s ban on female presidential candidates contradicts Constitution

Mohammad Yazdi, a clerical member of Iran’s Council of Guardians, a constitutional body responsible for ensuring that legislation adheres to Iran’s Constitution, as interpreted by Iran’s religious scholars and Islamic law, and for vetting presidential candidates has announced that Iranian laws “do not allow women to become presidents”.

Pakistan: Leading Pakistan politician Zahra Shahid Hussain killed outside home

A senior female member of Imran Khan's Movement for Justice party (PTI) was shot dead outside her home in Karachi.

Afghanistan: Afghan protest against women's rights legislation

Hardline students protested in Afghanistan's capital, demanding the repeal of a presidential decree for women's rights that they say is un-Islamic. The protest came days after conservative politicians' vehement opposition blocked an attempt to cement the decree's provisions in law.

India: Divorce dictates dire conditions for Muslim women

Mumtaz Sheikh, 34, lives in Mumbra, a Muslim pocket situated around 30 kilometres from Mumbai. She was divorced by her husband about nine years ago but she does not receive a paisa in terms of maintenance from her former spouse although she supports their two children.

Afghanistan: $2,500: The Value of a 6 year-old Afghan Girl.

If, as seems likely, Mr. Mohammad cannot repay his debt to a fellow camp resident a year from now, his daughter Naghma, a smiling, slender child with a tiny gold stud in her nose, will be forced to leave her family’s home forever to be married to the lender’s 17-year-old son.

Pakistan: Women and Social Networks

Women in Pakistan are being harassed and are encountering hostility via social networks on the Internet. At the same time, many women's rights activists see the web as a new way to further their work.

If a Pakistani woman journalist denounces child abuse and sexual harassment on Twitter, it can happen that she is threatened with rape. "I've received vile, detailed messages from random strangers who decide to tell me my home address and then live out their rape fantasies online."

المغرب:سلسلة بشرية في الرباط احتجاجًا على العنف ضد المرأة

أقام "تحالف ربيع الكرامة"، المؤلف من 22 جمعية حقوقية ونسوية مستقلة في المغرب، سلسلة بشرية أمام البرلمان المغربي اليوم في الرباط، تضامنًا مع النساء ضحايا العنف، ولمطالبة الحكومة المغربية، التي يقودها حزب العدالة والتنمية، بمراجعة للقانون الجنائي، ليكرّس مبدأ المساواة وإلغاء كل أشكال التمييز والعنف ضد النساء.