-Press release by Every Woman Treaty dated September 30, 2022 Every Woman, a coalition of more than 1,700 women's rights advocates in 128 countries, including India, has developed the findings-based draft instrument (Zero Draft EWT), informed by extensive consultation with experts from all regions of the world, including survivors, frontline activists, medical specialists, practitioners, scholars, human rights attorneys, and policy-makers. This Draft of global binding norm focuses on violence prevention and...

-The Telegraph SC says meaning of ‘rape’ must be understood as including marital rape, solely for the purposes of the MTP Act The Supreme Court on Thursday declared that all women, married and unmarried, are entitled to safe and legal abortions till 24 weeks of gestation under India’s Medical Termination of Pregnancy Amendment Act, 2021. The apex court also held that the meanings of the expressions “sexual assault” and “rape” under the rules...

-Press release by International Labour Organisation dated 12 September, 2022 Latest estimates show that forced labour and forced marriage have increased significantly in the last five years, according to the International Labour Organization, Walk Free and the International Organization for Migration. GENEVA (ILO News): Fifty million people were living in modern slavery in 2021, according to the latest Global Estimates of Modern Slavery. Of these people, 28 million were in forced labour...

-The New Indian Express Experts say intervention needed as cases of abuse rose in lockdown CHENNAI: With schools shut and children confined to their houses, activists are concerned about kids’ safety. This is because the number of child sexual harassment cases in Tamil Nadu increased during the previous lockdown. Though schools are closed, teachers should regularly interact with students and enquire about their well-being, these activists say. “The number of sexual harassment cases...

-Down to Earth The focus must be on safeguarding women and girls’ reproductive health. Smaller families can be achieved by ensuring gender equality, empowering women The law proposed by the Uttar Pradesh Law Commission on July 7, 2021 on two-child policy compels couples to limit their families through a series of incentives and disincentives. There is no evidence, however, that coercive policies can truly reduce fertility. Two-child policies are known to disproportionately impact...