Levis and Wrangler vow to protect women making jeans from sexual abuse
Nairobi, KenyaThomson Reuters Foundation Three major US brands vowed to crack down on abuse in Lesotho factories making their jeans on Thursday after an investigation found women were forced into sex to keep their jobs. Levi Strauss & Co, Kontoor Brands – which owns Wrangler and Lee jeans – and The Children’s Place signed agreements […]
France fines more than 700 in first year of ‘cat-call’ law
LondonThomson Reuters Foundation French authorities have fined more than 700 men for harassing women in public since the introduction of a law a year ago to stop cat-calls, lewd comments and gestures. Those breaking the law face potential on-the-spot fines of up to €750 or €1,500 if there are aggravating circumstances such as the victim is under […]
After #MeToo, US women seen reporting less workplace harassment
LondonThomson Reuters Foundation From leering and unwanted touching to being asked for sexual favours, US women say they suffer less sexual harassment in the workplace since #MeToo brought the issue to the fore, but sexism has increased, researchers said on Wednesday. The #MeToo movement began in 2017 in the United States as a response to […]
Violator or enforcer? Philippine harassment law puts president in spotlight
Kuala Lumpur, MalaysiaThomson Reuters Foundation Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was on Tuesday accused of being the “most brazen violator” of a new law he approved that would penalise a wide range of sexual harassment, from catcalling to wolf-whistling. The 74-year-old President’s controversial remarks about women include numerous jokes about rape and have incensed women’s rights […]
Sri Lanka’s car-free day sparks debate over women’s safety
New DelhiThomson Reuters Foundation When Colombo’s mayor announced Sri Lanka’s congested capital would go car-free last Sunday to promote a “healthier” lifestyle, she might have expected a few grumbles from petrolheads. But no one appears to have anticipated the furious backlash from women in the city, who say cars offer them much-needed protection from sexual […]
Namibian women say #MeToo in new movement against sexual violence
Yaounde, CameroonThomson Reuters Foundation Hundreds of women have spoken out about sexual harassment and abuse in Namibia, sparking what activists on Friday said was one of Africa’s first major #MeToo movements. In the past fortnight more than 200 cases of sexual violence have been reported to the Namibian Women’s Lawyers Association, which is providing free […]
Chile gets tough on sexual harassment in the streets
Bogota, ColombiaThomson Reuters Foundation Chile will soon start punishing rampant street sexual harassment against women and girls with fines and prison terms but getting victims to speak up will be a significant challenge, experts said on Monday. A law passed this month and expected to come into force within weeks aims to curb street harassment […]
Rise in sexual abuse cases in aid groups as more victims speak up
Thomson Reuters Foundation Leading aid agencies received at least 539 reports of sex abuse and harassment last year, an exclusive survey showed on Monday, a 13 per cent increase on 2017 which charities said shows abuse victims are more willing to speak up. The reports have led to the sacking of 91 staff, with many […]
Majority of Australian women sexually harassed at work – survey
Thomson Reuters Foundation Two in three Australian women have been sexually harassed at work, with the majority of cases unreported, according to a survey released on Tuesday that highlighted challenges activists said prevent women from advancing in their careers. Some 64 per cent of women and 35 per cent of men said they had been […]
US Southern Baptist seminary, in #MeToo age, appoints ‘women’s support coordinator’
Louisville, Kentucky, USRNS Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has appointed its first “women’s support coordinator” to address any gender-related “difficulties or challenges” that women encounter on its campus. “In our own internal review, we determined it was not fully supportive of women to require any woman to have to describe what could be very intimate matters […]