Around The World In 5
Around the World in 5 is an ongoing series that highlights news related to women in five countries, updated every week. This week's post covers February 25 — March 2.
Pakistan
Maryam Nawaz, daughter of former Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has made history by becoming the first woman to be elected as the chief minister of Punjab, a significant province in Pakistan.
Her Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and its allies secured 220 votes out of 371 in the Punjab Assembly. However, the election was boycotted by the opposition Sunni Ittehad Council party, which is supported by imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Ghana
On Wednesday, Ghana's parliament passed a controversial anti-LGBTQ bill after months of deliberation. Among the most stringent in Africa, the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values bill amplifies existing laws criminalizing homosexuality in Ghana.
Previously punishable by a maximum of three years in jail, homosexuality now carries a potential sentence of up to five years. Moreover, the legislation extends to criminalizing the dissemination of LGBTQ-supportive content and advocating for LGBTQ rights, imposing prison terms on offenders.
United States of America
This week, Alabama's Supreme Court ruled that frozen embryos are to be legally considered children under state law.
Consequently, the embryos will be entitled to protections outlined in the 1872 Alabama Wrongful Death of a Minor Act. This landmark decision emerged following lawsuits from three couples who sought justice after their embryos were accessed and destroyed by an unauthorized individual.
Japan
Japanese women participated in the "naked festival" at a shrine in central Japan for the first time in nearly 1,250 years.
This event coincides with the government's efforts to enhance women's participation in society, prompted by concerns raised in an annual report indicating Japan's struggle to bridge the gender gap. According to the World Economic Forum's gender parity report, Japan ranked 125th out of 146 countries in 2023, a decline from 116th place in 2022.
United Kingdom
Hundreds of women participated in a march commemorating the 40th anniversary of the onset of the miners' strike. The industrial conflict, which commenced in 1984, stands as one of the lengthiest and most acrimonious in modern UK history.
In Durham, the march honoured the pivotal role women undertook during the dispute by establishing support networks and operating soup kitchens. Organized by the Association of Women Against Pit Closures, the event highlighted the significant contributions made by women throughout the turmoil.
The miners' strike of 1984-85 remains a landmark event in British coal mining history, representing the largest industrial confrontation in post-war Britain. The dispute saw thousands of miners and their trade unions facing off against Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and her Conservative government, which advocated for the closure of 20 coal pits.