9. Wrapping up Women's History Month: March updates ????
Maria Luísa Moreira
Award-winning founder of The Gender Diplomat ? Foreign affairs analyst ? GLOBSEC fellow ? Into telling stories about global security and inequality ??
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To mark the end of March (also known as Women's History Month), I’m drawing attention to the stories and main updates on the situation of human rights and equality in general in recent weeks. I will certainly continue 2024 with a strong sense of urgency and fear of what lies ahead.
Also, welcome, April! On 25 April, Portugal celebrates the 50th anniversary of its Carnation Revolution . In April, I'll be focusing mainly on issues related to freedom, democracy and human rights in the transition from dictatorship to today's democracy. I'll be inviting experts in politics, human rights, etc. to tell us a bit more about what has changed in 50 years and what might change now that we have 50 far-right MPs in parliament. ??
?? The status of women in March
???? The far-right is swiftly taking over the EU
With the looming EU elections and far-right threat, Brussels-based politicians have begun advocating for legislative reform to prevent a pushback on women’s rights in the next term. Far-right populists have made “woke ideology” their favourite target, and local and national movements have been erasing fundamental rights since taking power (abortion in Poland and Hungary ; gender ideology in Spain ; same-sex couples in Italy ; etc.). In this context, representation is important (von der Leyen was instrumental in making gender equality a central element of her mandate) and we also need more women in politics and more male politicians as allies. We need strong, equality-driven MEPs to prevent further setbacks at EU level after June.
???? France makes abortion a constitutional right
Small steps and big victories in France, with abortion now being considered a constitutional right and freedom for the first time anywhere in the world. Plus, President Macron has promised to push for abortion to be included in the European Union's Charter of Fundamental Rights, which would require political pressure from other EU Member States as well. This development in France is also a symbolic victory at a time when abortion is becoming increasingly restricted in the United States (the so-called land of the free, where women's bodies are quite literally imprisoned in 2024), since the Supreme Court, in 2022, annulled the national right to the procedure, leaving the decision up to the preferences of each state.
???? Saudi Arabia heads top UN mission on gender equality
How should we rate the irony of Saudi Arabia, one of the least women-friendly countries in the world, acting as Chair of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)? Countries are elected for a period of two years, on a rotating basis from one of five regional groups, and the departure of the Philippines allowed Saudi Arabia to take over the presidency. It is worrying that none of the member countries opposed the Saudi candidacy , despite its abysmal and oppressive human rights record, particularly flagrant with regard to women. It is also particularly worrying that the most important multilateral institution would allow this to happen and jeopardise the advances in women's rights to this point.
???? Reverting women’s rights in Gambia
Although the practice was banned almost a decade ago in the country, lawmakers are now debating the possibility of reversing it and making female genital mutilation (FGM) legal again. This means that Gambia could become the first country to reverse such a major advance in women's rights, since FGM is widely recognised as illegal and a threat to women's sexual and reproductive health. Unsurprisingly, the Gambian’s lawmakers move is underpinned by the desire to “uphold religious loyalty and safeguard cultural norms and values”. This is also why more political and legal frameworks are needed at multilateral level, to prevent national parliaments from cancelling women’s rights and life-saving legislation as they see fit.
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