Women This Week: Around The World In 5
This ongoing series highlights women's news and information about foreign policy. This week’s post covers March 13 to March 19.
Poland
A Polish court has convicted activist Justyna Wydrzynska for helping a pregnant woman going through intimate partner violence access abortion pills, sentencing her to eight months of community service.
The woman Wydrzynska helped was an exceptional case as her husband had prevented her from travelling to Germany to access an abortion.
The law in Poland criminalizes abortion providers and not self-managed abortions.
Read more here.
Global
On Friday, the 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women—the UN’s largest annual gathering on gender equality, the empowerment of all women and girls and their human rights—ended its two-week-long session.
Member States have agreed and adopted resolutions to provide a blueprint for all stakeholders to promote the full and equal participation and leadership of women and girls in the design, transformation and integration of digital technologies and innovation processes that fulfil the human rights and needs of women and girls.
Read more here.
Iran
In a video posted on International Women's Day, five Iranian girls in crop tops and baggy pants with their hair uncovered are seen re-creating a viral TikTok dance to the song "Calm Down" by Rema and Selena Gomez. According to Iran International, the video was posted by their dance instructor on Instagram.
These women have reportedly been detained. Women in Iran are not allowed to dance in public and are required to wear headscarves and loose-fitting clothes.
Read more here.
Kenya
On Friday, the Alliance for Science and Network for African Women Environmentalists hosted Kenyan women who empower their communities in 47 counties, for locally-led climate action.
Kenya is amongst the leading countries on the African continent embracing biotechnology and applying frontier innovations to increase productivity and improve food systems.
Read more here.
Ghana
Four young women from across Ghana were chosen as ambassadors for a Day as part of the British High Commission’s ‘Africa Gender and Equalities Month’. Each winner has the opportunity to spend a day with a full-time Ambassador, to learn from them and their government. Each winner will also receive long-term mentoring and care from the Mission they work with.
Read more here.