EU declared an ‘LGBTIQ freedom zone’
The symbolic resolution comes in response to discriminatory policies promoted in Hungary and Poland, specifically concerning the rollback of queer rights. Following a new vote passed in European parliament, the EU has officially been declared an ‘LGBTIQ freedom zone’ in protest against rising discrimination and anti-LGBTQ+ policies in Hungary...
Current in People
Fridays For Future returns for another global climate strike
Part of a hopeful new wave of change, the movement is preparing for a day of action this Friday, organised around the theme of #NoMoreEmptyPromises. During the last few years, the new wave of youth-led climate justice movements has introduced fresh enthusiasm and innovative tools in the fight to...
Opinion – we need a fundamental culture shift for womxn’s safety
The welling anger and frustration voiced online this week – a reflection on the persistent harassment and assault of womxn – proves more needs to be done to protect womxn everywhere. A week that began with the celebration of our resilient female population has ended on a sincerely heart-breaking...
What is happening in Myanmar?
More than 50 protestors have now been killed in violence since the general election on February 1 which saw the military seize full control of the country’s government. In a move the Biden administration has formally declared a coup, Myanmar’s military takeover of the country’s nominally democratic government has led...
The UK government is finally moving to close the gender health gap
Women and girls are being encouraged to share their UK healthcare system experiences as policymakers address gender inequalities. It's become increasingly clear that women (defined here as both female-identifying people, and people with wombs) find it much harder than men to have their bodies understood within the medical sphere. Constantly...
Mexico City’s single-use plastic ban ignores the needs of women
While the city’s environmental efforts are a progressive step towards combatting climate change, women’s groups are concerned that taking plastic applicator tampons off the shelves contributes to ‘menstrual poverty’ for those unable to afford greener alternatives. On January 1, Mexico City enforced a single-use plastic ban, making it illegal...
Coronavirus has exposed millions more to human trafficking
The Covid-19 crisis has brought light to the economic and societal inequalities that are among the root causes of human trafficking, cases of which have risen 40% since the pandemic began. Putting the world under enormous strain, the Covid-19 crisis has not only brought to light deep-rooted inequities - it has also exacerbated them. Though the unprecedented measures adopted by governments worldwide throughout 2020 may well have flattened the infection curve,...
Colombia seeks to tackle killings of human rights activists
Home to over half of the human rights activists murdered in 2020, the country’s president will boost military operations against the criminal groups responsible and send more judges to remote areas. Last year was the deadliest on record for human rights activists in Colombia. According to a recent report by non-profit Frontline Defenders, of the 331 people promoting social, environmental, racial, and gender justice killed in 2020, 177 were Colombian, with...
The pandemic has widened the chasm between rich and poor
According to Oxfam, it could take over a decade for the world’s poorest to recover from Covid-19’s impact on the economy unless governments take immediate action. It could take the world’s poorest over ten years to recover financially from the economic fallout of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new report published by Oxfam International. The anti-poverty organisation is urging governments to act fast and ‘set concrete, time-bound targets...
Black Lives Matter movement nominated for Nobel Peace Prize
BLM has been put forward for the award by Petter Eide, a Norwegian MP who recognises the movement's global impact on raising awareness about the fight for racial justice. In May 2020, protests fuelled by George Floyd’s murder went international. Fronted by the global Black Lives Matter movement, thousands upon thousands of people across the globe crammed shoulder to shoulder in demonstrations, risking their lives amidst the Coronavirus crisis to support...
