Interview: New Niger Law Protects Girls’ Rights to Education
Human Rights Watch, 30 Aug 2022
Girls in nearly a third of African countries face significant barriers to education when they become pregnant. But this is changing. In 2019, Niger passed a law directing schools to allow pregnant girls to continue their studies and return after they have their babies. Mariama Mamadou is program director of Femmes, Actions et Dévelopement (ONG FAD) Niger. She spoke with Human Rights Watch researcher Kaem Kapalata Machozi about this law’s potential to change lives, and what other African countries can learn from Niger.
US Wildfires are a Reproductive Justice Issue
Human Rights Watch, 29 Aug 2022
Wildfires raged across the United States this summer, devastating communities and threatening reproductive health and justice, highlighting the need for accessible, comprehensive guidance for pregnant people.
US woman denied abortion wants clarity on ‘vague’ Louisiana ban
Al Jazeera, 26 Aug 2022
A pregnant Louisiana woman who was denied an abortion — even though her fetus has a rare and fatal condition — has demanded that Governor John Bel Edwards and the legislature call a special session to clarify the state’s restrictions on the procedure.
Afghan female journalist struggles for women ‘heroes’ from exile
Reuters, 26 Aug 2022
It was when the Taliban came to arrest her and her brother in October that Fawzia Saidzada, an Afghan journalist and women’s rights activist, finally decided it was time to flee.
Four more Republican-led US states ban almost all abortions
Al Jazeera, 25 Aug 2022
Four more Republican-led states will ban almost all abortions this week as yet another slate of laws severely limiting the procedure takes effect following the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade, which had enshrined the federal right to abortion.
Sierra Leone: End impunity for female genital mutilation, say UN human rights experts
UN News, 24 Aug 2022
UN human rights experts today called for stronger measures to prevent and penalise female genital mutilation in Sierra Leone, following criminal proceedings on the death of a 21-year-old student who was subjected to the brutal practice in the Bonthe District.
