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Regional News
Kang Kyung-wha’s legacy for South Korean women
(East Asia Forum, 8 April 2021) Kang Kyung-wha said goodbye to her role as South Korea’s foreign minister in February as Chung Eui-yong assumed the post. Kang leaves behind a legacy of achievements in a particularly thorny period in South Korean diplomatic history.
What Asia’s LGBTQ+ Movement Can Learn From Japan
(TIME, 30 March 2021) On Mar. 17, a district court in Sapporo, Japan ruled that the government’s failure to recognise same-sex marriage was “unconstitutional'. The court also found that the official view of marriage—as exclusively a union between “both sexes”—contravened constitutional commitments to equality for all Japanese.
Taipei pilot project to give students free menstrual pads
(Taipei Times, 4 April 2021) To tackle the issue of “period poverty,” the Taipei Department of Education is considering offering free menstrual pads to female junior-high school students.
Since When Was Gender Equality a Term for a Particular Party?
(The Kyunghyang Shinmun, 25 March 2021) On March 9, about a month before the April 7 by-elections, a civic organization, Joint Action Against the Power-based Sexual Violence by the Seoul Mayor, consulted the Seoul City Election Commission on violations of the Public Official Election Act in order to hang placards with the words, “Why Are We Having the By-Election?”...
Women speak out about sexual violence after Great East Japan Earthquake
(Japan Today, March 8 2021) NHK rebroadcasted the documentary "Buried Voices 25 Years of Truth-Sexual Violence in the Event of a Disaster". The documentary featured interviews of sexual violence victims from disaster shelters during the Great East Japan Earthquake.
China wants more babies; China’s women have other plans
(South China Morning Post, 8 March 2021) The Chinese labour force population of people aged between 16-59 has fallen for 8 years. Beijing has been trying to encourage population growth. Observers say examining gender balance among core leadership might be a starting point.
A Harvard Professor Called Wartime Sex Slaves ‘Prostitutes.’ One Pushed Back.
(The New York Times, 26 February 2021) The students and the survivor were divided by two generations and 7,000 miles, but they met on Zoom to discuss a common goal: turning a Harvard professor’s widely disputed claims about sexual slavery during World War II into a teachable moment.
7 Female Poets From Hong Kong To Know
(Hong Kong Tatler, 23 February 2021) As International Women's Day approaches on March 8, we shine a spotlight on Hong Kong's leading female poets.
Card News
Prosecution of Uyghur Women
Abuses against minority women in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region are growing amid ongoing reports that up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities have been detained in a vast network of internment camps since early 2017. Our intern Minju Kim explores this issue in her card news.
Female unemployment rate heavily affected by COVID-19
Women and youth were hit the hardest by COVID-19 in 2020. Our intern Minju Kim reports why and how female unemployment increased so much over the past year and what measures the international society can take to resolve the current socioeconomic crisis. #covid19 #femaleunemployment #womensrights #humanrights #genderequality #covid19women
Thai Women Lead Democratic Protests
Young women are at the forefront of the pro-democracy protests in Thailand demanding reform of the country’s monarchy.⠀ ⠀ Our intern Yejin Son takes a look at the role of women and female students in these events and explores how the protests are being used to call for greater gender equality in Thailand.
A True Champion of Gender Equality- Ruth Bader Ginsburg
USA Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg died on September 18, 2020 at the age of 87. See the card news below for more information.
Seoul Mayor Accused of Sexual Harassment Found Dead
On 10 July 2020, Seoul mayor Park Won-soon - who had been accused only the day before of sexual harassment - was found dead. He had been one of South Korea's most influential leaders and seen as a possible presidential candidate. Yet after his former secretary accused him of sexually harassing her for four years, his body and a suicide...
Female Migrant Domestic Workers in Hong Kong
Did you know that there are over 385,000 migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong? The mostly female migrant workforce in Hong Kong is employed largely in childcare and housekeeping. They added a staggering $12.6 billion to the economy in 2018. Our intern, Jeeeon Lee, explores some of the human rights issues for female migrant domestic workers living in Hong Kong...
Digital Sex Crime in South Korea: Nth Room
South Korea has been reeling from a number of shocking digital sex crimes in the last few months. Sentences for convicted perpetrators remain questionably short.⠀ ⠀ These incidents demonstrate the importance of constant attention and advocacy on gender issues and sex crimes. To explore more on this topic, check out "Dreaming of a Society Free from Digital Sex Crimes" by Hyeonjeong...
Gender & Coronavirus
Prosecution of Uyghur Women
Abuses against minority women in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region are growing amid ongoing reports that up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities have been detained in a vast network of internment camps since early 2017. Our intern Minju Kim explores this issue in her card news.
Female unemployment rate heavily affected by COVID-19
Women and youth were hit the hardest by COVID-19 in 2020. Our intern Minju Kim reports why and how female unemployment increased so much over the past year and what measures the international society can take to resolve the current socioeconomic crisis. #covid19 #femaleunemployment #womensrights #humanrights #genderequality #covid19women
Generations of progress for women and girls could be lost to COVID pandemic, UN chief warns
(UN, August 13) In an address to a virtual town hall with young women from civil society organizations, the Secretary-General said that the global pandemic has already reversed decades of limited and fragile progress on gender equality and women’s rights.
‘I faced miscarriage alone – my partner had to wait in the car park’
(BBC, September 4) Pregnant women are often now attending hospital appointments on their own. Covid-19 safety measures in hospitals mean loved ones must sit in the car or pace outside. It means some are being given the heartbreaking news of miscarriages on their own. Four women tell their stories of miscarriage during the coronavirus pandemic.
[Ilda] In the Era of COVID-19, Inquiring after Sexual Minorities
*Human Asia received permission from the affiliated organisation to post the below translation (1/09/2020). Author: Juyeon Park Original article: http://ildaro.com/8727 Translator: Jiyun Kim I feel more and more that we cannot go back to the days before COVID-19. We are becoming more fragmented in a society today that demands that people avoid one another. In this status quo, the most vulnerable groups are...
Millions of women lose contraceptives, abortions in COVID-19
[AP, 19 August 2020] Millions of women and girls globally have lost access to contraceptives and abortion services because of the coronavirus pandemic. Now the first widespread measure of the toll says India with its abrupt, months-long lockdown has been hit especially hard.
Covid-19 crisis exacerbating mental health issues in LGBT community – study
[Hong Kong Free Press, 12 August 2020] A lack of social connections within Hong Kong’s LGBT community during the Covid-19 pandemic is exacerbating existing mental health problems and worsening family conflicts, a study has found.
Pandemic leaves Hong Kong women stressed by caregiving, household chores and husbands who say ‘that’s your job, not mine’,
[South China Morning Post, 4 July 2020] Housewife Amy Leung, 38, has found herself overwhelmed during the Covid-19 pandemic, taking care of two young children, cooking, cleaning and disinfecting.