One in three women have suffered physical or sexual violence. With contributions from Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America, we look at how this shadow pandemic affects every corner of the world.
Gender
Ignorance is not a virtue. Barack Obama’s lesson to Rutgers University graduates
Barack Obama delivered the commencement speech at Rutgers University. He pointed out what the real values in life and politics are. And ignorance isn’t one of them.
“Let me be as clear as I can be. In politics and in life, ignorance is not a virtue,” US President Barack Obama said during his commencement address to the graduates of 2016 of the Rutgers University, New Jersey. The university this year marks its 250th anniversary. “It’s not cool to not know what you’re talking about. That’s not keeping it real or telling it like it is. That’s not challenging political correctness. That’s just not knowing what you’re talking about”.
This seems to be a clear reference to the electoral campaign of the Republican nominee, Donald Trump. Indeed, Hillary Clinton, who is likely to become the Democratic candidate, quoted and supported part of Obama’s speech.
“In politics and in life, ignorance is not a virtue.” —@POTUS https://t.co/3MGECPKU2e
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) May 16, 2016
These words are very telling about the political situation the United States is witnessing. However, they could be inserted in many western country’s social and political contexts. Politicians have been taking the political language to the extreme for months, due to the current communication, which has become quick and characterised by images, doesn’t allowing further considerations. It is a politics that is rediscovering populism and demagogy.
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The Istanbul Convention against gender-based and domestic violence marks its tenth anniversary. We look at what it is, who its signatories are, and what the future might hold.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reminded us of the gravity of violence against women around the world, and of the Istanbul Convention’s utmost importance.
President Erdoğan has pulled Turkey out of the Istanbul Convention, key in the fight against gender violence, claiming that it favours the LGBT community rather than family values.
Violence against women in Peru has increased as a result of Covid-19 lockdowns as they have been confined to abusive households.
The family of Joys Estefani Qqueccaño, a disappeared woman in Peru, struggle to find her.
Costa Rica celebrated its first same-sex marriage when two women, Alexandra Quiros and Dunia Araya, celebrated their wedding: an “extraordinary moment”.
The pandemic and its restrictions are affecting everyone, without exceptions. However factors like housing, income inequalities, gender, access to technology and working conditions are influencing how people experience the health crisis.
Time magazine’s 100 Women of the Year project sheds light on influential women’s stories, from Amelia Earhart to Greta Thunberg. A selection of some of the greats for International Women’s Day.