The lead singer of a Lebanese rock band, Hamed Sinno, has called men to champion women’s rights in the Middle East. He also called for more women in politics and for discriminatory laws to be repealed. “No one is saying that we should arbitrarily just get rid of all men in power and substitute them with women, but there is a question about … why it is that we still have this many issues with women’s representation, with women in government and other rights,” he said. The Mashrou’ Leila band which is on a world tour, has made headlines for singing about subjects that are largely taboo in the Arabic pop scene, including politics, religion, social justice, and sexual freedom. The group has garnered a loyal following in the Middle East but has also received death threats on social media and was banned from playing in Jordan last…

The deputy of the Verkhovna Rada, Nadezhda Savchenko, has said that she would take part in the presidential elections in Ukraine and intends to hold representatives of her own party in the parliament following her party registration a week ago. “To participate in the presidential campaign, in fact, you need a little – 2.5 million USD to register. The fund is being opened, and it is honestly said: I am collecting money for the presidency. I will take part, but as it will be seen later”. Savchenko said in response to a question on her intention to run for the presidency of Ukraine. Earlier, on July 19, Savchenko registered her party in the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine – The Social and Political Platform of Nadezhda Savchenko. She stressed that the party is not a specially created “political force” for it, but “aims to change the political system…

South Korea plans to establish a national memorial day to remember the country’s “comfort women,” victims of sex crimes committed by Japan during the Second World War, according to a state policy blueprint. The government said it has approved a plan by the State Affairs Planning Advisory Committee to designate an official Remembrance Day for the country’s hundreds of thousands of women forced to work in front-line brothels for Japanese soldiers during the war. It is expected to fall on Aug. 14, the anniversary of when Kim Hak-sun, former comfort women, first publicly testified in 1991 about Japan operating an organized military brothel program during World War II. International Memorial Day for Comfort Women, introduced in 2013, also falls on Aug. 14, the eve of South Korea’s Independence Day. Korea was under Japanese colonial rule from 1910-45. The announcement is in line with President Moon Jae-in’s pledge…

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority has vowed to take a stronger stance on gender stereotypes in ads. After releasing the ‘Depictions, Perceptions and Harm’ report, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) argues that gender stereotyping in commercials is harmful and will begin enforcing new restrictions and standards in 2018. Responding to evidence in the report, ASA’s sister body, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP), will develop new ad standards to address these gender stereotypes. ‘Depictions, Perceptions and Harm’ found that gender stereotyping in ads can restrict the choices, aspirations and opportunities of children, young people and adults, as well as playing a part in the economic and social effects of unequal gender outcomes. According to the ASA’s release, examples of ad content that will be considered problematic under the new rules include: Ads depicting an entire family creating household mess while a woman has sole responsibility of…

President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca has recently embarked on the first state visit by a Maltese head of state to the Republic of Chile. At the La Moneda Palace, in Santiago, President Coleiro Preca was welcomed by Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, with whom she later had a private meeting. President Coleiro Preca and President Bachelet recently met during an event, which focused on the empowerment of women and issues of gender-based violence. The event was organised by the Council of World Women Leaders, of which President Coleiro Preca is a member. The Maltese leaders said she was proud and reassured that both presidents “stand in solidarity with all peoples who are experiencing exclusion, violence, and precarity, simply because of their gender,” and she was even more proud to have President Bachelet as a committed ally in the work which had to be done, “to ensure that equality…

The Gender Balance Council’s new move aims to achieve the UAE’s target of a 20 per cent female presence in corporate boardrooms. The UAE Gender Balance Council recently held its second meeting for 2017 to discuss a variety of topics, including the preliminary results of the Gender Balance Index (GBI) across federal government entities, pension entitlements for the families of deceased female employees, the Council’s brand identity, and updates on the UAE Gender Balance Guide. In a key move – taken in line with the UAE Cabinet’s decision to make women’s representation on companies’ boards of directors compulsory – the Council have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) to enhance the participation of women on the boards of listed companies. This move will support the UAE’s National Key Performance Indicators and is aimed at strategic partnerships to enhance female participation in…

South Africa’s human settlements minister Lindiwe Sisulu has recently accepted the nomination of some African National Congress (ANC) branches to lead the ruling party, she told local media. Sisulu, a veteran cabinet minister and a member of a family that along with the Mandelas were among the most prominent in the struggle against apartheid, joins a crowded race to succeed scandal-plagued President Jacob Zuma as ANC leader in December. At least six branches of the ANC have nominated Sisulu as a leader and she has publicly accepted, the state broadcaster SABC reported. “I have agreed,” Sisulu told the eNCA news channel in an interview on Sunday, adding that she had a daunting task ahead to return the “dignity” of the ruling party and securing a majority in the 2019 general election. Sisulu and the ANC could not be reached for comment. Zuma’s government has been dogged by allegations of corruption…