News

IN THE NEWS

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Hong Kong

Big Win

Hong Kong’s highest court granted same-sex couple spousal benefits and the right to file joint tax returns in early June. Immigration officer Angus Leung, who married Scott Adams in New Zealand, had sued the Civil Service Bureau and the Inland Revenue Department for denying his husband the benefits enjoyed by heterosexual couples. "We think that as ordinary citizens, we shouldn't be going through such a process, to fight for such basic family rights,” Leung said outside court.

Taiwan

First in Asia

Taiwan became the first place in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage this May. Lawmakers approved the legislation two years after the territory’s Constitutional Court ruled that the former law, which restricted marriage to heterosexual relationships, was unconstitutional. “We hope this landmark vote will generate waves across Asia and offer a much-needed boost in the struggle for equality for LGBTI people in the region,” said Annie Huang, acting director of Amnesty International Taiwan in a press statement.

Macao

Notable Exclusions

In June, the government of Macao proposed new minimum wage requirements, which are expected to take effect this September. The bill will increase minimum wages to MOP6,656 per month for all employees except domestic and disabled workers. Meanwhile, various domestic workers associations in Macao are demanding the introduction of a minimum monthly wage of MOP5,000, which would still be around 25 per cent less than the proposed minimum wage by the government.

US

Few Exceptions

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey signed into law a near-total ban on abortions this May. Scheduled to take effect in November, the new law pardons women with serious health problems but makes no exceptions for victims of rape and incest. It also classifies the procedure as a Class A felony – alongside murder, rape, kidnapping, arson and fraud – and punishes an abortion provider with 10 to 99 years in jail. Hundreds of people protested the law, while at least 180 CEOs across the country signed an open letter expressing concern.

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Australia

Broken Faith

Australia’s National Catholic Education Commission disinvited outspoken American nun, Sister Joan Chittister, from speaking at its 2020 conference because the archbishop of Melbourne, Peter Comensoli, had not endorsed her invitation. Chittister, aged 83, has long been an active feminist and scholar. She believes the rejection is directly linked to her women’s empowerment work. “I see it as a lot bigger than one conference … I see it as an attitude of mind that is dangerous to the church,” she told The New York Times in an interview.

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US

Chain Reaction

In New Jersey, billionaire financier Jeffrey Epstein, 66, was arrested in July on sex trafficking charges. According to a 53-page federal indictment, Epstein was accused of luring dozens of underage girls to his residence to perform nude massages, during which he would allegedly molest them. However, before the case could go to trial, Epstein was found dead in his cell in what has been deemed an 'apparent suicide'. Due to the suspicious circumstances, the Justice Department's inspector general has opened an investigation into Epstein's death. "Today's events are disturbing, and we are deeply aware of their potential to present yet another hurdle to giving Epstein's many victims their day in Court," Geoffrey Berman, the US attorney overseeing the case, said in a statement. "Our investigation of the conduct charged in the Indictment – which included a conspiracy count – remains ongoing."

Pakistan

Court Order

Ranked the world’s sixth most dangerous country for women, according to a 2018 global survey by Thomson Reuters Foundation, Pakistan announced a plan this June to set up more than 1,000 special courts dedicated to handling sexual and domestic violence cases in a safe and sensitive environment. According to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, the conservative Muslim country recorded at least 845 incidents of sexual violence against women last year.

India

A Step Forward

Women made substantial strides in India’s recent general elections. In May, the world’s largest democracy elected 78 out of 716 female candidates to the lower house of India’s bicameral Parliament, filling 14 per cent of the 545 seats. The results represent a 25 per cent increase compared with the 2014 elections, when 62 women were elected. However, India is still behind the global average of women in national parliaments, which currently stands at 23.8 per cent.

India

Ending Triple Talaq

India's parliament passed a bill on 30 July that criminalises ‘triple talaq’ (also known as instant divorce) with a penalty of up to three years in prison. The Muslim practice enabled a man to divorce his wife by repeating the word talaq (meaning ‘divorce’) three times in person – or via email or text message. While supporters such as Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi called the result "a victory of gender justice," opponents such as Indian politician Asaduddin Owaisi warned that the law may force a woman to stay with an abusive husband.

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SEXUAL HARASSMENT NEWS

World

PROTECTION FOR ALL

On 19 June, lawmakers in New York passed a bill that dramatically reforms existing state laws on workplace harassment. Under the new legislation, workplace harassment no longer needs to be “severe or pervasive” in order for employees to pursue legal recourse. In addition, the bill extends the statute of limitations for reporting offenses to three years, and bars employers from silencing workers with nondisclosure agreements. According to Assemblywoman Aravella Simotas, a sponsor of the legislation, the reforms will “empower workers and make it easier to hold bad actors accountable.”

The fight to end workplace sexual harassment and gender-based violence achieved an international milestone this June, when the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) established the first-ever global convention and recommendation to “combat violence and harassment at work.” Binding for ILO’s 187 member states when it goes into effect next year, the resolution strives to prevent gender-based violence and harassment, protect victims from retaliation, and provide appropriate redress across all sectors and strata, from factory workers to interns, domestic workers to CEOs.

New York

COMPREHENSIVE REFORMS

Hong Kong

MORE SEX EDUCATION

James Lung Wai-man, leader of ethnic minority concern group Southern Democratic Alliance, was arrested in May on suspicions of indecent assault and producing child pornography. The arrest occurred after pictures surfaced online showing Lung having inappropriate physical contact with girls, many of whom appeared to be under 10 years old and from ethnic minority groups. Expressing concern about the incidents, child protection and ethnic minority welfare groups in Hong Kong have recommended a more comprehensive sex education curriculum for young girls so they know how to identify and report sexual abuse.

ARIANA 2019