News & Current Affairs

Around The World In 5

By Hillary Essien | Jul 30, 2023

This ongoing series highlights noteworthy news related to women. This week’s post covers July 22 to July 28.

 

United States of America

This week, US President Joe Biden nominated Admiral Lisa Franchetti to be the first female chief of U.S. naval operations. If confirmed, Franchetti will also become the first female member of the joint chiefs of staff.

Biden also signed an Executive Order strengthening how the US military handles sexual assault and serious offenses.

 

Iran

This week, Amnesty International called on the international community to stand with women and girls who suffer "intensifying oppression" under Iranian authorities who are "doubling down on their oppressive methods of policing and severely oppressing Iranian women and girls for defying degrading compulsory veiling laws."

Document Women had reported that Iranian authorities had made renewed efforts to enforce the country's mandatory hijab laws, and have resumed patrols by the designated morality police.

 

India

This week, a government source disclosed to India Today that the mobile phone used to record the video of two Manipur women paraded naked had been recovered by the probing officials.  

The video showed two women from one of the warring communities in the state being paraded naked by men on July 19, resulting in massive outrage across the country and condemnation from the United States, who has said it is deeply concerned by the incident.

 

Nigeria

This week, Nigeria's Super Falcons defeated Australia's Matildas 3-2 at the Brisbane Stadium.

The Nigerian female team recorded their first win in the competition and the fifth win in the history of the Women’s World Cup.

 

Italy

The Miss Italy beauty pageant said contestants must be "woman from birth," following Rikkie Kollé's win as  the first transgender woman to be crowned Miss Netherlands.

In response, Trans men are protesting this decision by entering the competition themselves. Document Women reported that Patrizia Mirigliani, patron of the pageant, thought it was "absurd" that trans women could enter beauty pageants, and said Miss Italy wasn't jumping on the "glittery bandwagon of trans activism." 

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