Solidaritas #40
Advocates call for tougher laws on GBV in PNG, and AP reveals the forced sterilisation of Uighur women in China
Good morning, it’s the first Friday in July. The first half of 2020 seems to have passed in a slow blur, seeming both long and short at the same time. I hope you are all doing as well as can be.
If you’re enjoying Solidaritas, paid subscriptions are available for US$5/month or much much cheaper at US$40/year. Have a lovely weekend!
-Kate
Australia
A High Court inquiry has found that former justice Dyson Heydon sexually harassed associates, and more women seem to be coming forward daily.
A coroner has found that Sydney dentist Preethi Reddy was murdered by her ex-partner.
There has been a significant increase in reports of family violence in the Northern Territory during COVID-19.
Why teenage girls are quitting sport.
Greg Jericho argues the government’s COVID-19 wage subsidy JobKeeper is failing women and young people.
Cambodia
Cambodia’s war on drugs has seen 55,000 people arrested in just a few years. How are women and children in jail for drugs charges surviving during COVID-19?
China
Uighur women are being targeted for forced sterilisation and other forms of contraception as part of China’s latest attempts to control the Uighur population.
Single women are banned from freezing their eggs in China. Teresa Xu is fighting to change this.
Hong Kong
Foreign domestic workers in HK are struggling to survive during the pandemic. Wages are being held back and even food has become a problem.
India
Splice talked to Kavita Devi, the founder of Khabar Lahariya, a news organisation where women from remote villages in north India are trained to be professional journalists.
Indonesia
Hendrika Mayora Victoria is a transgender women who has just been elected as chairperson of the village consultative council (BPD) in East Nusa Tenggara. She beat six male candidates for the role.
There has been a slightly improvement in the percentage of Indonesians who view themselves as tolerant of LGBTQ people: the rate is now at 9%, an increase from just 3% in 2013.
Wulan Kusuma Wardhani on women’s basketball and how it’s fighting to continue growing in Indonesia.
Japan
Remembering Megumi Yokota, who was just 13 when she was snatched by North Korea in 1977.
Malaysia
Child marriage continues to be a problem in Malaysia, with girls as young as 12 still getting married.
An Islamic preacher reportedly declared the gender face swap app haram.
Nepal
A subreddit sparked a huge outcry about sexual harassment in Nepal. R/Nepalibabes was shut down after news about it went viral, but the activism continues.
Papua New Guinea
After a 19-year-old mother of two was killed this week after six days of being tortured by her partner. Women and girls across the nation are now calling for tougher laws on GBV.
Anti-retroviral therapy (ART) has changed the lives of millions of HIV+ people around the world. But in PNG, the drugs have begun to stop working.
Pregnant women in PNG are reportedly being turned away from health facilities for fear they may spread COVID-19.
The Philippines
Filipinx drag queens speak out about politics, COVID-19, and representation.
This is how democracy dies: Maria Ressa, Rappler, and threats against the media in the Philippines.
A really interesting story about accusations of abuse by the Catholic Church, and how it might play out both in the Philippines and globally.
Regional
ReliefWeb takes a look at the massive increase in calls for assistance from domestic violence victims across the Pacific since COVID-19 began.
Women’s economic empowerment at a time of crisis: can COVID-19 be different?
Johnson&Johnson have announced they will stop production of skin whitening creams.
The Women in News and Sport (WINS) program has been training nine women from Fiji, Samoa, PNG, Vanuatu, India, Philippines and Indonesia in how to make their own podcasts this year. The pandemic has meant that the training, usually conducted face-to-face, had to shift online.
Taiwan
Antonia Timmerman takes a look at a new documentary film, ‘Help is on the Way’, about Indonesian domestic workers in Taiwan.
Taiwan also held its annual Pride parade last Sunday. It’s one of the few countries in the world that has been able to do so this year due to COVID-19.