Gambia lawmakers back recommendations to maintain FGM ban
Reuters, 8 July 2024
Gambian lawmakers adopted recommendations on Monday for the country to maintain its ban on female genital mutilation ahead of a vote later this month on whether to decriminalise the practice.
Sierra Leone has banned child marriage – to truly set women free it must end FGM
The Guardian, 5 July 2024
Marrying young girls may now be illegal, but lawmakers seem reluctant to put a stop to genital cutting, and the two go hand in hand.
Iran’s new president gives hope to some women and younger voters
BBC, 6 July 2024
A relatively moderate member of the Iranian parliament, Masoud Pezeshkian, has been declared the next president of Iran after beating his hardline conservative rival by a decisive margin in Friday’s run-off presidential elections.
Afghanistan dispatch: salaries of women professors and government employees reduced to discourage them from working
Jurist, 5 July 2024
A government decree was recently published aimed at reducing the salaries of women professors and other government employees to 5000 AFG, or ~70$. In Kabul, protests against the decree reportedly took place in many schools, but they were suppressed by the Talibans.
Talks with the Taliban – no women allowed
BBC, 2 July 2024
During the third round of United Nations-sponsored talks on integrating the South Asian country into the international community, no women from Afghanistan were included, prompting criticism from rights groups and activists.