UN investigates reports of migrant mass graves in Libya
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters UN investigators are seeking to verify reports of mass graves thought to contain the corpses of migrants at a trafficking hub in Libya, they said in a report on Monday that also documented incidents of rape, murder and torture. Libya is a major transit point for Africans seeking to make the perilous journey […]
Nigerian women take action as rape, assault cases surge during pandemic
Lagos, NigeriaReuters When Kehinde Osakede’s university closed due to COVID-19 last year, the visual arts student returned home to Lagos. A visit to a family friend nearby turned into a horrific ordeal. The friend began touching her, she said, and became violent when she asked him to stop. He then raped her, she said. “The […]
Calls for women’s shelters as Kenya reports COVID-19 surge in violence
Nairobi, KenyaThomson Reuters Foundation A sharp rise in gender-based violence in Kenya during the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted an urgent need for more shelters to help victims and awareness campaigns, women’s rights groups said on Friday. Cases of violence targeting women and girls – including rape, child marriage and murder – rose 36 per cent […]
“A source of support”: Thirty years on, women-only village inspires land equality in rural Kenya
DOMINIC KIRUI, of Thomson Reuters Foundation, reports from a village in Kenya that’s provided a refuge for women survivors of sexual assault and is now also leading the charge in providing them with land rights…
India’s top judge urged to quit for suggesting rape defendant marry victim
Chennai, IndiaThomson Reuters Foundation India’s chief justice is under pressure to resign after asking a man accused of rape whether he would marry the complainant – sparking outrage and concern that his words could legitimise the notion that rapists can make amends by marrying their victims. Chief Justice Sharad Arvind Bobde posed the question during […]
UK tribunal to hear witnesses on China genocide accusations
London, UKAP An independent tribunal in Britain aiming to establish whether the Chinese government’s alleged rights abuses against Uighur Muslims in the far western Xinjiang region constitute genocide is expected to hear dozens of witness testimonies when it holds its first public hearing in London in May. Organiser Nick Vetch said on Thursday an eight-member […]
Bangladeshi protestors say death penalty not the answer to rise in rape
Dhaka, BangladeshThomson Reuters Foundation Protesters took to Dhaka’s streets on Wednesday to demand action on rising rape cases in Bangladesh, saying a new law that expanded the use of the death penalty was not enough to bring about real change. Women’s rights campaigners are demanding a root and branch reform of the legal system and […]
Namibia weighs demands for rape crackdown after street protests
Windhoek, NamibiaThomson Reuters Foundation Street protests that led to the arrest of 25 women’s rights activists in Namibia at the weekend have prompted the government to launch an urgent review to consider their demands for tougher penalties for rape and sexual abuse. Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Windhoek, the city of Walvis […]
Rape victims “denied justice” in Ghana by costly medical fees
Accra, GhanaThomson Reuters Foundation Reporting rape is traumatic for anyone, but having to pay two months’ wages to complete the medical form prevents many in Ghana from seeking justice, said a leading actor whose campaign to waive fees has reached the presidential palace. British-Ghanaian actor Ama K Abebrese – who starred with Idris Elba in […]
UK police scrap searches of rape victims’ private data after outcry
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation British police said on Thursday they are scrapping forms that allowed prosecutors to search rape complainants’ private data, after sustained pressure to end the “intrusive” practice. The move comes after a year-long legal campaign by Britain’s Centre for Women’s Justice, on behalf of two women identified only as Olivia and Courtney […]