Gender Parity in India: What a Case of ‘Accidental Feminism’ Can Offer
While post-independent India has witnessed rising gendered rates of literacy, life expectancy and schooling, these gains have not translated into better employment, health or happiness outcomes. In particular, Indian women’s...
Time to Demystify Equal Pay and Gender Pay Gaps
More than two decades ago, one of my colleagues, a well-respected lawyer, declared with conviction that in countries where seniority was a priority, equal pay was not relevant. I was...
Disability-Selective Abortions – A Double-Edged Sword? High Court of England and Wales Gives Ruling on the Conflict Between Rights of Disabled Persons and Women’s Reproductive Choice
In Crowter & Ors, R (On the Application Of) v Secretary of State for Health And Social Care [2021] EWHC 2536 the High Court of England and Wales was faced...
Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan declares the custom of Swara as un-Islamic and unconstitutional
On 25 October 2021, a three-judge bench of the Federal Shariat Court of Pakistan (FSC) headed by the FSC Chief Justice delivered the landmark judgement in Sakeena Bibi V. Secretary...
The Global Gag Rule Violates Human Rights, We Need a Permanent Solution
The Global Gag Rule (GGR or Mexico City Policy) is a regressive, harmful policy that violates the human rights of women, girls, and people of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity...
Nadia Naz v President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan: Supreme Court of Pakistan Restricts the Scope of ‘Protection against Harassment of Women at the Workplace Act 2010’
On 5 July 2021, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) delivered the judgement in Nadia Naz v. President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan and interpreted the...
Recognising ASHA Workers in India: The Need for a Legislative Revamp
Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA workers) play a key role in rural India’s public health infrastructure. Their struggle for employment equality has been long fought, and the pandemic has exacerbated...
Should the armed forces free itself of gender binary norms?
“Self-determination of gender is an integral part of personal autonomy and self-expression and falls within the realm of personal liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution of India.” –NALSA...
The Violation of Human Rights of Women in Mental Healthcare Institutions
Recently, the Supreme Court, while adjudicating upon a plea by Gaurav Bansal, took note of the human rights violations faced by women institutionalised in government-run mental health establishments across India....
Rajasthan’s Registration of Marriages Amendment: Gaps in India’s Prohibition of Child Marriage Act
India is home to the largest number of child brides, according to a UNICEF report published in 2019. Recently passed legislation in Rajasthan, the largest state in India, has once...
What Does Turkey’s Withdrawal from the Istanbul Convention Mean for the European Court of Human Rights?
In July 2021, Turkey officially withdrew from the Istanbul Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence Against Women. Thousands of women marched against the decision and holding banners that read “We...
The Exploitation of Racism and Misogyny by Twitter and the Struggle of Black People in Brazil
A year ago, here in Brazil, a ten-year-old Black girl in the state of Espírito Santo was raped by her uncle and got pregnant. Sadly, this is commonplace in a...
