South Asia | Pakistan | Crimes

Woman Stabbed 23 Times in Pakistan Wins Appeal Against Assailant’s Acquittal

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The Pakistan Supreme Court on Wednesday overturned the acquittal of a man accused of stabbing a woman 23 times, nearly three years after the attack prompted a national debate on violence against women. Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, leading a three-member panel, reinstated the conviction of Shah Hussain, accepting an appeal from Khadija Siddiqi, who survived the attack in Lahore in May 2016. Ms. Siddiqi said that Mr. Hussain, a former classmate, had attacked her after she rebuffed his romantic overtures. Mr. Hussain was rearrested in the courtroom on Wednesday. Ms. Siddiqi, a 24-ye
North America | United States | Business

The CIA’s Top Directorates Are All Women — Reportedly For The First Time Ever

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CIA Director Gina Haspel — the first woman to ever head the intelligence agency — has appointed Cynthia "Didi" Rapp as the agency's deputy director for analysis. While Rapp isn't the first female to serve as deputy director of the CIA's Directorate of Analysis, her recent appointment has helped women break a major barrier at the CIA. According to NBC News, three of the CIA's top directorates are now headed by women — reportedly for the first time ever. Rapp's appointment follows Elizabeth Kimber's appointment as deputy director for operations in early December. According to The Hill
Africa | Zimbabwe | Crimes

These women survived domestic abuse, now they’re sharpshooters protecting animals from poachers

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Abused and disadvantaged women have become Zimbabwe's hidden weapon against poachers who kill elephants and rhinos for their tusks and horns. The Akashinga squad, or "The Brave Ones," is Zimbabwe's first all-female anti-poaching team that has quickly earned a top reputation as sharpshooters. They've arrested 80 armed poachers in the past year. Petronella Chigumbura, the star sniper of the squad, wears a full camouflage suit for solo night patrols. "When I wear this suit no one can see me, and I can hide from the poacher," Chigumbura told CBS News foreign correspondent Debora Patta in a
Latin America | Brazil | Crimes

Here’s The Viral Photo Of The Bloodied Man Female UFC Fighter Allegedly Beat Up For Attempted Robbery

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A female Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) fighter allegedly beat a would-be robber on Saturday after the man threatened her and tried to steal her phone in Rio de Janeiro. Twenty-six-year-old UFC fighter Polyana Viana told MMAjunkie on Sunday that she was approached by a man while she was waiting for an Uber driver. After asking her for the time, he demanded she give him her cellphone and told her he was armed. Making a split-second decision, Viana decided the "gun" he claimed to have was likely "too soft" to be an actual gun and deployed two punches and a kick to the man, and as he
North America | United States | Crimes

In Chicago, women worried about violence join gun club

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Her hands slowed by rheumatoid arthritis, 71-year-old Marietta Crowder stands in front of her paper target, steadies her gun and pulls the trigger. Shots are fired in quick succession. Crowder is perhaps not the typical patron of a gun club. But she is one of seven women learning to safely handle firearms at a shooting range in a suburb of Chicago, a city wracked by gun violence and a soaring murder rate. "My husband influenced me and we thought about it a long time. Maybe you need a gun these days, in your house at least," said Crowder, who lives in a gated community with her retired
Africa | South Africa | Crimes

The all-female patrol stopping South Africa’s rhino poachers

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As rhino deaths have soared across South Africa, in Balule reserve the Black Mambas patrol of local women has achieved a 76% reduction in poaching since 2013. Now there are plans to extend the award-winning scheme. “The Black Mambas are winning the war on poaching,” insists Siphiwe Sithole. “We have absolutely zero tolerance for rhino poaching and the illegal wildlife trade. The poachers will fall – but it will not be with guns and bullets.” Sithole and Felicia Mogakane are members of South Africa’s Black Mambas, the world’s first all-female anti-poaching unit that has capt
Europe | Portugal | Crimes

Portugal makes harassing women in the street a crime

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Anumber of countries have taken steps to make street harassment illegal. Portugal’s Social Democratic party has made verbal sexual abuse a crime, with offences incurring a fine of up to €120 (£95) or a year in prison. In Peru, a recently passed bill defines harassment as any act impacting the freedom and dignity of movement or another person’s right to physical and moral integrity, with such offences in public spaces carrying a maximum sentence of 12 years. And in Belgium, a law passed in 2014 introduced considerable fines and imprisonment of up to one year for street harassment crimes.
South Asia | Pakistan | Crimes

Pakistan province passes landmark law protecting women against violence

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Lawmakers in Pakistan's largest province on Wednesday gave unprecedented protection to female victims of violence, in a bid to stem a rising tide of gender-related abuse in a country ranked as the world's third most dangerous place for women. The new law criminalizes all forms of violence against women, whether domestic, psychological or sexual, and calls for the creation of a toll-free abuse reporting hot line and the establishment of shelters. Muslim-majority Pakistan, home to roughly 190 million people, sees thousands of cases of violence against women every year, from rape and acid a
Latin America | Colombia | Crimes

Colombia finally cracks down on a horrific wave of acid attacks against women

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Colombia is finally taking action against what may be one of the most intense waves of horrific acid attacks on women anywhere in the world. President Juan Manuel Santos this week closed a legal loophole that often allowed attackers to get away scot-free. Official figures acknowledge 628 victims, but women’s rights activists believe the true toll may be far higher. Under the new law, signed Monday, anyone using any kind of “chemical agent” to physically harm another person will receive a minimum sentence of 12 years behind bars. If the victim is permanently disfigured, the
Middle East | Palestine | Crimes

New hotline offers support to Gaza’s blackmail victims

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The all-female police unit in Gaza launched a campaign in October dubbed “We Are With You” to protect girlsof high school age and older from blackmail by men. Lt. Col. Nariman Adwan, chief of Gaza's all-female police unit, told Al-Monitor, “The campaign’s primary objective is to provide women with a safe haven if ever blackmailed. We have established a free hotline and held awareness and guidance lectures that targeted schools, universities, wedding halls and workplaces such as hospitals and factories. The main problem that women face is the lack of a safe haven and confiden
Latin America | Mexico | Activism

Leading Mexico City women draw up ‘manifesto’ to improve the city

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Tackling gender-based violence and unsafe public spaces are the main priorities for women in Mexico City, according to a diverse group of distinguished women who were invited to take part in a special discussion by the Guardian. The group – which included actors, singers, political analysts, human rights activists, journalists and students who live and work in Mexico City – debated the biggest issues and challenges facing women in 2015. The event was held in the garden of Casa Azul where Kahlo, arguably one of the world’s most influential feminists and female artists, lived and create
Latin America | Brazil | Activism

Brazilian women react after sexual comments are directed at a 12-year-old girl

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Women in Brazil are reflecting on their own childhood experiences - and sharing these stories on the internet in big numbers. It begun with a sordid episode on Twitter as the nation watched the junior version of Masterchef, the globally popular TV cooking competition. One of the contestants on the programme was 12-year-old Valentina Shulz and during one episode, several men started tweeting suggestive messages about her online using the show's hashtag. "Does anyone know the Twitter of Valentina? She will date me if she wants it or not," wrote one user. "If she wants it, it's not paedophilia
North America | United States | Crimes

Nevada lawmaker wants study of medications prescribed to mass shooters

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As the nation learns more about the mass-casualty shooter at a rural Oregon community college, a state lawmaker would like to learn more about drugs used to treat mental illness while one of Nevada's federal lawmakers says it is time for lawmakers to act to try to end mass shootings. Local Republican Assemblywoman Michele Fiore says that while a lot of people want to blame guns for mass shootings, she believes we need to take a look at psychiatric drug treatments prescribed to those struggling with mental illness. Fiore says with some drugs known to cause violence, suicidal and homicidal
Asia | Cambodia | Activism

Cambodian women turn to tech in hope apps can turn tide of gender violence

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In Phnom Penh’s bustling cafes, hip-looking young people hunch over their mobile devices. According to Dany Sun, a women’s rights activist likewise armed with a smartphone, this relatively new trend is representative of modern Cambodia. But the technological progress, Sun observes, has not been accompanied by advances on gender equality. Traditional attitudes and cultural norms, which portray women as subservient and inferior to men, continue to underlie the country’s harrowing statistics on violence against women. Sun is one of three women who have been supported by the Asia Found