Indigenous Femicide: The Neglected Horror
Indigenous women in the USA and Canada face alarming femicide rates. These sixteen days of “Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” should serve to shine a spotlight upon the marked terror they face. Recently, Wendy R. Sherman, the USA’s Deputy Secretary of State, made remarks for International Day of the Girl, which took place on October 11th, 2022,…
Major Drivers of Femicide, A Global Pandemic
Femicide is the systematic killing of women and girls because of their gender. The word “femicide” was first coined in the 1970s by Diana Russell, and is defined as “the killing of women because they are women.” This definition includes all forms of gender-based violence against women, including domestic violence, honor killings, acid attacks, and forced marriage. It is…
Sexual and Gender Based Violence in Spain: Consent is Key
Consent is key. While a purportedly obvious statement, on the other hand, the explicit nature of the phrase appears lost on certain people. For the purposes of this article, I refer to certain parties in the Spanish Judiciary. The Wolf Pack In 2016, an 18 year old woman was raped by five men in the…
Women and War: Abandoned Figures
What is the first thing we think about when we hear something about war? Most likely, thoughts about weapons, soldiers, explosions, blood, and death pop into our heads. War is a ‘traditionally’ male occupation. Men defend their own lands or attack others. They protect their families, mothers, wives, daughters, and sisters. They might fight for…
Lola Ibrahim: Gender Equality Activist and Founder of #StopTheCut Campaign
Lola Ibrahim is a Registered Architect turned gender equality activist from Nigeria. Her organization, Wo-Men Against Violence and Exploitation [W.A.V.E] Foundation is committed to ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and all forms of violence against women and girls in Nigeria. Born in Gusau, Northern Nigeria to Yoruba parents. She speaks, reads, and writes…
November 25th: Turkish Women’s Blood Flows, Resistance Spreads
On this International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, a taste of struggle and a taste of equality is imprinted on every screaming lip! We are in Kizilay, in the hyper center of Ankara, Turkey. Women of all ages are singing to the rhythm of the violations of their rights. They screech in the…
16 Days of 365 days? Let’s Talk about Economic Violence
Every year from 25 November to 10 December the world commemorates 16 days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence. For the last 15 days, the world is buzzing with webinars, Twitter chats, TikTok challenges, Instagram reels, talking against all forms of violence perpetrated against girls and women. Does this make me happy? Yes! Is…
Alternative Forms of Justice for Victim-Survivors of Sexual Violence
Seeking justice after experiencing sexual violence can be a complex process for victim-survivors. For many, seeking conventional justice (through a criminal justice system) can provide a strong sense of reclaimed physical space in their lives. However, for some this may not be the right decision. Indeed, for many victim-survivors around the world, turning towards a justice…
Empowering Survivors Of Domestic Abuse
Domestic abuse or violence is a pattern of threatening behavior, violence or abuse (psychological, stalking, physical, harassment, online or digital abuse, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of gender or sexuality. Domestic violence can be a single act or a pattern of controlling and toxic…
Widowhood Practices In Nigeria And Abuse Of Women’s Right
In many cultures, widowhood in women is considered a stigma, and widows as inauspicious. Various tribes and cultures in Nigeria have diverse ways of practicing rites pertaining to burial, but traditions are particularly hard on women. Culturally widowhood burial rites involve varying degrees of physical hardship, deprivation, ritual contamination, emotional instability, and socioeconomic and psychological trauma.…
