TAG: gender

Africa, homophobia and Western hypocrisy

Listening carefully to the at times homophobic and hateful commentary about homosexuality among Africans, a social critique of the international community and the local elite is heard. Dislike of homosexuality is used to protest at the levels of inequality and how corrupt African leaders continue to be supported by the West. The white savior complex ruins rather than helps the cause of LGBTI rights in Africa.

The Contradictions, Resilience, and Creativity of Black Feminism in South Africa

by Maneo Mohale Published on September 19, 2016 at 9:58am Maneo Mohale is the 2016 Bitch Media Writing Fellow in Global Feminism. “Just because we’re magic does not mean we’re not real.” – Jesse Williams On a chilly Johannesburg morning, I scroll through my Twitter timeline, searching for magic. Not the kind rising from the […]

To build feminist futures, suspend judgment!

As feminist thinkers and activists, we must tackle not only the systemic discrimination embedded in the world outside, but the often unconscious or invisible biases that we ourselves have internalized. Part 1. The booth from which CREA’s Suspend Judgment was launched at the 13th Annual AWID Forum in Bahia, Brazil. September 8 – 11, […]

The situation of the intersex community in Mexico

In Mexico and in Latin America the intersex community faces similar problems to those faced by intersex people elsewhere in the world, with some local quirks. Medical protocols still include genital mutilation, and these practices are justified as necessary to “normalize” genital appearance and so avoid problems in social interactions.

Subverting Love Stories

LSE’s Clare Coultas questions the portrayal of love in global sexual health promotion campaigns and argues that it is imperative that connecting love with safety and protection in sexual health needs to be rooted in subversion for such campaigns to succeed. Monogamous love is frequently used in global sexual health promotion efforts to try to […]

Vitit Muntarbhorn: new UN investigator to protect LGBT

The UN Human Rights Council has nominated its first independent investigator aimed at protecting people in regard to sexual orientation and gender idendity across the world from violence and discrimination. Vitit Muntarbhorn will have a three-year mandate to investigate abuses against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people. Mr Muntarbhorn is an international law […]

Sex work at the Olympics Games: report

Once again, Rio de Janeiro has hosted a sporting mega-event, this thime the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. And once again, the research teams of Prostitution Policy Watch went into the field (as we did during the 2014 World Cup) to acompany the changes these events would bring to our city’s commercial sexual markets. (You […]

Call for Applications: HIV, TB and Human Rights in Southern and East Africa

In an effort to ensure that ARASA partner civil society organisations (CSOs) have improved capacity to advocate and strengthen capacities of other CSOs, ARASA implements a Regional Training of Trainers (ToT) Programme. The regional training programme is held on an annual basis for a maximum of 36 participants (2 from each country in the Southern […]

Safe abortion day (28 september): News, analysis and campaigns

To celebrate the Global Day for Safe and Legal Abortion, SPW has collected news, analysis and actions from around the globe. Reflections from Our Countries Special Edition: State of Abortion in 15 Countries – Resurj Campaign Statement in Celebration of International Safe Abortion Day, 28 September 2016 – International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe […]

Emerging Powers, Sexuality and Human Rights at the AWID Forum

The session examined how the geopolitical shifts implied in the articulation of these global South countries in new blocs, especially the BRICS, has generated expectations that this emergence of “powers from the South” would eventually open up space for new platforms for the political work on sexuality, gender and human rights, that would not be caught by overlapping North-South tensions (or post-colonial effects) that perennially cross these fields of debate.

Tribute to Agniva Lahiri

With great sadness SPW informs about the departure of Agniva Lahiri, a young Indian activist from Kolkata, who was deeply engaged in local and global struggles for trans rights and sexual rights more broadly speaking. Agniva has left us too early and will be deeply missed. We share some tributes in her memory. A Tribute […]

Report on sex work activism

The International Committee on the Rights of Sex Workers in Europe (ICRSE) has launched its 2015 report that offers detailed description about its campaigns, resources, national and regional trainings. Sex workers rights organisations who would like more information about some of the activities implemented, the obstacles faced and lessons learned should contact ICRSE for discussion […]