On 30 July 2014, human rights defender Ms. Leyla Yunus and her husband, Arif Yunus, were detained in front of their home in Baku, Azerbaijan. Ms. Yunus is being held in pre-trial detention despite having a serious health condition. According to the U.S. Department of State, Ms. Yunus and her
Urgent Action Fund partners, Bishkek Feminist Collective SQ, were attacked during an International Women’s Day event in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan on March 6, 2014. Below is their account of the attack.
On March 5th from 15 to 19 PM an activist team of Bishkek Feminist Collective SQ was carrying out a planned
In recent years, there’s been an increase in sexual violence and discrimination against women, girls and LGBTQ people in Ukraine, including legislation seeking to ban the exchange of information on sexuality, sex education and homosexuality in the country.
Against this backdrop, in November 2013 the Ukrainian government chose to abandon closer relationships with the European Union in favor of stronger
An esteemed feminist lawyer, Canan Arin, gave a speech to the Antalya Bar Association in which she denounced the President of Turkey for failing to protect girls and to stop child marriage.
While marriage before 17 is illegal in Turkey, the law is not enforced. According to the Istanbul Bar Association, one in every four marriages in Turkey includes a
In Kyrgyzstan, a remote mountainous country in Central Asia, there are strong social and cultural stereotypes that prevail in regards to sex workers. Many believe that sex workers are to blame for spreading HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases. There is a widespread conviction that prostitution is synonymous with criminal activities, drug addiction and alcoholism. Sex workers in Kyrgyzstan experience
LGBTQI activist organization Identoba encountered a wave of harassment from extremist and fundamentalist groups in its home country of Georgia for its participation in the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) on May 17, 2012.
On the day of the event, violence erupted as religious extremists confronted protestors, leading to physical and verbal abuse, as well as the arrest
On May 17, Georgian LGBTQI activists were assembling in the country’s capital, Tbilisi, for a peaceful rally to mark the International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) when the event was cut short by a violent crowd of counter-protesters reported to number in the thousands. Clashes resulted in 17 people being injured, 12 of whom were hospitalized, including three
LGBTQI activist organization Identoba encountered a wave of harassment from extremist and fundamentalist groups in its home country of Georgia for its participation in the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) on May 17, 2012.
On the day of the event, violence erupted as religious extremists confronted protestors, leading to physical and verbal abuse, as well as the arrest
Farida is a leading social media activist in Kyrgyzstan who runs a popular blog speaking out for sexual rights and against violence against women. Through her blog, Farida has become an important voice for young women in Kyrgyzstan who have traditionally been excluded from discussing these issues in public.
Women in Kyrgyzstan, a country in Central Asia, are traditionally expected
Farida is a social media activist and runs a popular blog speaking out for sexual rights and topics important to youth in Kyrgyzstan. Her outspoken stance on women’s rights caused her to face physical and verbal threats in her community. As a result Farida sought UAF support.
In 2011, a local organization working with Farida, the Kloop Media Public Foundation
