Stories about Human Rights from June, 2022
Trans women in the sex industry in Azerbaijan: Is it a free choice or just the illusion of choice?
In countries like Azerbaijan, where trans women end up as sex workers, legalization of sex work is seen as a solution to the problem.
Climate change and rapid urbanization blamed for the worst flood in over a century in northeastern Bangladesh
Heavy rainfall in the hills of neighbouring India caused flash floods in the northeastern districts of Bangladesh. Various organisations and volunteers have come forward to help the flood victims.
Why gender dissent and queer sci-fi can challenge surveillance: An interview with artist Shu Lea Cheang
Cyberpunk artist Shu Lea Cheang explores the issues of surveillance through the prism of queer activism, sexual dissident history and data art installation to challenge the public's acceptance of control.
Tajik government crushes restive region amid deep economic and security concerns
The government's response to recurrent protests and riots in the region is almost exclusively confined to the use of force and coercion, totally ignoring dialogue or mutual concessions.
How the economically marginalised navigate digital adoption in India amid the pandemic
COVID-19 drove the shift to digital services in India, but this has left informal workers struggling to access basic services and protect their personal data within an incomprehensible system.
Malaysian lawyers behind ‘walk for judicial independence’ facing police probe
"The actions of the police have set a bad example for the citizenry, as it conveys the message that citizens are not free to exercise their constitutional rights ..."
The overturning of Roe vs. Wade unsettles the Caribbean, most of which doesn't have progressive abortion laws
"Apart from women deeply inculcated with religious dogma, the time cannot be far off when women throughout the Caribbean will use their voting power to demand the right to choose."
Istanbul police violently break up PRIDE March and arrest over 300 people
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Istanbul LGBT+ Pride Week. While local authorities banned all PRIDE events, protestors still took to the streets, marched, and chanted slogans.
In Sri Lanka, state-sponsored disinformation and suppression of dissent taint COVID-19 response
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sri Lankan government has used the digital space to further an authoritarian agenda, affecting the digital rights and freedoms of citizens.
I did not come to flirt, but only to buy lemons
"I hope the day comes when buying lemons is just that and the shop is not another place where individuals are treated according to what they are supposed to have under their skirts."
Ending violence against women across the peacetime–wartime continuum
In armed conflict, women are deliberately targeted with the specific intention of harming the societies they belong to, or opportunistically harmed, outside of a campaign, with no fear of sanction.
Brazilian Indigenous group Univaja demands probe into murders of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira
Ten days after they went missing while working in the Javari Valley, a remote corner of the Amazon in Brazil, the Brazilian Federal Police confirmed the murders of the two men.
Women refugee claimants are disenfranchised by gender-blind screening in Hong Kong
Refugees in Hong Kong face discrimination, a biased claimant process, and social pressure — particularly among women and vulnerable populations.
Meet the team behind the Bangkok Pride Parade
After a hiatus of nearly two decades, the Pride Parade returned to Bangkok, Thailand, on June 5, drawing crowds of LGBTQ+ community members, sex workers, feminists, political dissidents, and corporate advocates.
Four years on: Saudi's movie market is of humble local productions, massive sales and censorships
Four years after Saudi overturned a four-decade ban on cinemas as part of "a reform package", many ask how tolerant officials really are to diversity amidst tight censorships.
A Mayan spiritual guide accused of ‘witchcraft’ in Guatemala, later released
Adela Choc Cuz, ancestral authority and member of the anti-mining resistance of El Estor, was accused of witchcraft and later released.
Equality for transgender Ukrainians: A long way to go, now complicated by the war
Russia's invasion has affected the life of the Ukrainian transgender community: many have lost jobs, access to safe medical care. They are also exposed to humiliating gender questioning.
Understanding India’s Central Media Accreditation Guidelines 2022
A new guideline for media accreditation has drawn a negative response from the Indian press community, activists, and concerned citizens as it provides sweeping power to the authorities.
China's wavering position on Russia's invasion of Ukraine threatens its legacy at home and abroad
As Beijing struggles on policy in Eastern Europe, its ambiguous support of the Russian invasion is threatening peace advocates in Ukraine and China.
The Sitakunda fire tragedy and the surge of humanitarian acts in Bangladesh
The recent deadly Sitakunda fire and explosion in Chittagong saw unprecedented casualties and damages and ordinary people came forward to help the victims of the tragedy.
Croatian LGBTQ+ college student association normalizes differences at Zagreb Law Faculty
In less than two years, Croatian gay–straight alliance student association ZA-Pravo has gained the attention of LGBTQ+ students and the general public by creating a safe space for all.
