Solidaritas #140
Trans women recognised as women by an Indian High Court
Good afternoon!
Solidaritas is a fortnightly newsletter about women’s rights, feminism, and gender in Asia and the Pacific, covering the entirety of this huge region: from Afghanistan and Pakistan in the west to Kiribati and Cook Islands in the east.
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In solidarity,
- Kate
Afghanistan
Afghan fathers, brothers and husbands are under pressure to ensure the women in their families observe the country’s repressive laws. The BBC talks to men and women across the country to explain how it is affecting family bonds.
Read the story of Marjan, a young girl who was married off at 12 to a Taliban fighter.
Aotearoa New Zealand
The government is confronting a backlash from women after cancelling dozens of gender-based pay claims to make savings ahead of the budget.
Australia
The former Abbott government has been revealed to have sought advice to obstruct asylum seekers detained on Nauru from accessing abortions in Australia.
Sussan Ley, the new leader of the Liberal Party, is the first woman to lead the party. But she’s still hesitant about gender quotas for the party, even though only 20% of federal Liberal MPs are women (compared to Labor’s 50%+).
Bangladesh
A video of a Hindu woman being sexually assaulted by a local politician has caused nationwide uproar in Bangladesh, after the clip was shared widely online.
Cambodia
Technology-facilitated gender-based violence is driving women out of leadership positions and public advocacy in Cambodia.
China
China is cracking down on women who write gay erotic fiction, with over 30 women arrested since the beginning of the year.
Former PhD student Zhenhao Zou has been jailed for at least 24 years for the rape of 10 women in London and China.
India
The High Court of Andhra Pradesh has ruled that trans women are ‘legally entitled’ to recognition as women.
Japan
Two primary school teachers have been arrested for taking and sharing indecent photos of girls with online paedophile groups.
Takahiro Shiraishi has been executed for killing and dismembering eight women and one man with whom he made contact with on social media. It is the first use of capital punishment in Japan in nearly three years.
Malaysia
In 2014, the Fatwa Committee for the State of Selangor issued a fatwa against SIS, declaring them to be ‘deviant’ for subscribing to liberalism and religious pluralism, and instructed them to repent and return to Islam. Now, on 19 June, the Federal Court has partially overturned an earlier decision of the Court of Appeal, ruling that the Selangor religious authorities were unlawful to issue the fatwa.
Myanmar
How women are trying to reshape Myanmar’s future:
Amid Myanmar's unrelenting crisis, it is women who are quietly reshaping the nation's future. As the country reels from military violence, institutional collapse, and humanitarian catastrophe, women have stepped forward -- not just as survivors, but as leaders. Their courage is grounded in daily acts of resistance, care, and community-building that keep society intact.
Pakistan
As more women in Pakistan embrace self-expression on social media, they're often met with harassment, privacy violations, and violence.
Just 23% of Pakistani women are employed. DW explores the links between women’s education and formal employment in the country. (video)
Regional
The Global Taiwan Institute takes a look at differences in how World War II sex slaves are remembered and considered in Taiwan and South Korea.
Joanna Pascua, a paralegal in the Philippines working remotely for an Australian business, was fired but challenged her dismissal in the Australian Fair Work Commission. The commission has now found she was entitled to Australian workplace protections, meaning that Australian companies could face legal claims, including class actions, from offshore workers.
Taiwan
The number of women in Taiwan living near or below the poverty line has increased by 20,000 over the past 10 years, with about one-third of those being single mothers, a new report shows.
Thailand
Around 1.6 million Thai people now identify as gender-diverse, according to Thailand's first LGBTI census.
Timor-Leste
How is climate change exacerbating gender-based violence in Timor-Leste? (audio)
Vanuatu
Women soccer players are fighting for equality in Vanuatu in the face of misogyny and cultural history.