What We Get Wrong About Consent: India’s ‘Promise-to-Marry’ Rape Jurisprudence
Indian criminal law, under s 69 of India’s new Penal Code (BNS), classifies ‘promise-to-marry’ sexual intercourse as a special offence. The offence is committed where a man promises marriage to...
Beyond the Surname: Why Identity Must Extend to Inheritance Rights in India
The Bombay High Court’s recent decision in ABC v State of Maharashtra has recognised a long-denied truth: a single mother is a “complete parent” in India. In doing so, it...
A Bright Future for Canadian Equality Law?
Women who are claiming refugee status in Canada are now able to access to subsidized day care. The Supreme Court of Canada in Quebec (Attorney General) v Kanyinda held that...
Trafficking Survivors Relief Act: A Significant Step Towards Improved Implementation of the Non-Punishment Principle in the U.S.
The U.S. enacted the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act (TSRA) on 23 January 2026, providing human trafficking survivors with a special affirmative defense and criminal records relief for certain federal crimes....
IACtHR Recognises the ‘Right to Care’: What it Means and Why it Matters for Women’s Human Rights
In a historic decision, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) responding to a request from Argentina, recognised the right to care as an autonomous and enforceable human right, identifying...
From Safe Spaces to Centres of Social Control: Regulating Love through the One Stop Centre in Bhopal, India (Part 4 of 6)
Women’s bodies and their choices have been a political subject and, in several matters, politically controlled by society. Retractions from the norms are met with resistance that could be criminalised...
Two children too many? Expanding maternity benefits to mothers with more than two children in India
On 23 May 2025, the Indian Supreme Court in K. Umadevi v. Government of Tamil Nadu broadened the interpretation of Tamil Nadu Fundamental Rule (‘FR’) 101(a), which only provided maternity...
Gender Indirect Discrimination at Work First Approved in Japan
The Tokyo District Court decided in the AGC Greentech case on 13 May 2024 that there was indirect discrimination based on gender in terms of welfare benefits where, under the...
Beyond Childbirth: Addressing the Rights of Commissioning Mothers in the Indian Legal Landscape
The Orissa High Court (the Court) in Supriya Jena v State Of Odisha & Ors has ruled that female employees who have become mothers through surrogacy are entitled to equal...
Does Excluding Refugee Claimants from Subsidized Childcare Violate the Right to Equality? Supreme Court of Canada Considers Appeal in Quebec v Kanyinda
Refugee claimants – and women refugee claimants in particular – are among the most vulnerable members of society. Does excluding them from access to subsidized childcare amount to discrimination based...
Implementing Imperfect Laws or Fighting for Law Reform: A Closer Look at Sexual Harassment Laws
In a 2024 report on sexual harassment laws in Africa, the inconsistency in definitions and fragmented approaches to reporting, investigations and punitive measures was found to be a significant challenge....
Silenced Voices: The Fall of Press Freedom in Afghanistan
On 3 May, World Press Freedom Day reminded governments of their duty to uphold press freedom, and honoured the journalists who risk—and lose—their lives in pursuit of the truth. It...
