Good morning!
Trawling through my photos for an image for todayโs newsletter, I remembered I shot a photo essay in Nepal in 2010 about factory workers at a shoes/clothes/jewellery factory in Kathmandu. So the header image this fortnight is of women workers sorting through old yarn to re-use. I really miss doing photojournalism.
If youโre enjoying Solidaritas, paid subscriptions are available for US$5/month or much cheaper at US$40/year. Thank you so much for your support!
-Kate
Afghanistan
How a new initiative called Talking for Harmony aims to prevent domestic violence in Afghanistan.
Two female judges have been shot dead as violence continues to explode across Afghanistan.
The countryโs first female breakdancer hopes to compete at the Paris Olympics.
Australia
Tasmanian sexual assault survivor and advocate Grace Tame has been named Australian of the Year. Read about her goals as Australian of the Year here. Domestic violence activist and former Australian of the Year Rosie Batty wrote Grace a very moving open letter with advice here.
A leading anti-domestic violence campaigner in Alice Springs has allegedly been murdered by her partner. Rest in peace.
A survivor of gang rape has spoken out about how police asked her to stay silent over alleged police failures during the investigation into the crime.
Some young Australian women know they do not want to have children. So why are doctors refusing to allow them access to permanent family planning solutions?
China
Women in China's "re-education" camps for Uighurs have been systematically raped, sexually abused, and tortured, according to detailed new accounts obtained by the BBC.
TV shows are changing how Chinese women view success: more wealth, less marriage.
India
A new political party in India says it will pay housewives salaries if elected to power. The country actually already has a method for calculating them. Really fascinating.
Erotica written by women for women is undergoing something of a renaissance in India, with authors like Sangeeta Bandyopadhyay becoming more and more popular.
I canโt wait to watch Writing with Fire, a new film about Khabar Lahariya, Indiaโs only all-women news outlet.
Something a bit lighter and definitely more delicious: meet the Tibetan woman who opened Delhiโs first ever momo stall.
Indonesia
My friend Antonia Timmerman spoke to womenโs rights activist Dhyta Caturani about helping create a feminist internet in Indonesia.
East Nusa Tenggara is one of Indonesiaโs poorest provinces. This has made the region a target for human trafficking, with women particularly suffering.
Japan
Miho Imada is one of a handful of women to be declared touji or a master brewer of the alcoholic drink sake.
Young jobseekers are beginning to push back against the institutional sexism rife during the job hunt process.
Nepal
How an air ambulance is saving pregnant womenโs lives in Nepal.
New Zealand
NZโs music scene is facing its #MeToo moment, as accusations of abuse and harassment emerge.
The Philippines
Following years of advocacy, the age of sexual consent will be lifted from 12 to 16 years in the Philippines.
Duterte says his daughter will not follow his lead and become president, because being president is โnot for womenโ.
Filipina migrant workers often face horrific conditions, and things seem to have only worsened during COVID-19.
Regional
'We had no paper, but we had our bodies': the sacred and symbolic in Polynesian tattoos and what itโs like to be a woman who wears them.
There are growing concerns about the declining number of Rohingya women in refugee camps in Aceh, Indonesia, leading to worries that they may have been trafficked to Malaysia.
How have women leaders shaped politics in South Asia?
Having lost the US election, what will be the fate of Trumpโs anti-abortion Geneva Consensus Declaration?
There will be another pandemic at some point in the women. Can women stop it?
South Korea
A South Korean court has ordered the Japanese government to pay compensation for 12 Korean former World War II sex slaves.
Persisting gender roles and career progression challenges are leading young South Korean women to decide they do not want to have children.
Sri Lanka
Some good news: The Sri Lankan government will provide free, locally made sanitary pads to about 800,000 schoolgirls. The project will prioritise children in poorer rural areas and also aims to build toilet facilities in 2,500 schools.
Thailand
More good news! Abortion has been legalised in the first trimester in Thailand.
Timor Leste
Self-professed paedophile and former priest Richard Daschbach continues to evade justice in Timor Leste.