Nigeria
Nigerian senators today rejected a bill aimed at improving gender equality. It was the third time in five years that the legislation, which would have criminalized discrimination on the basis of gender or marital status and improved enforcement of existing laws against gender-based violence, was defeated. The bill was voted against mostly by Muslim representatives, who argued it was not in keeping with their interpretation of Islam. Only seven percent of senators in Nigeria are women.
More from AP here.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh today celebrated 50 years of independence from Pakistan with a huge military parade in the capital Dhaka and other cities across the country. The war for independence went on for nine months and killed up to three million people before Pakistan surrendered to Bangladeshi and Indian forces on December 16th, 1971. Bangladesh was last month moved from the UN’s least developed countries category to the developing country grouping, a recognition of the very significant economic strides the country has made in recent years. Rights groups, however, warn that its government is becoming more authoritarian.
More from Al Jazeera here.
Ethiopia
Another day, another report into atrocities in Ethiopia. A joint report by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch alleges that people from the Tigrayan ethnic group have been rounded up by forces from the country’s Amhara region and killed. “The new onslaught of abuses by Amhara forces against Tigrayan civilians remaining in several towns in Western Tigray should ring alarm bells,” Amnesty’s Joanne Mariner said. “Without urgent international action to prevent further atrocities, Tigrayans, particularly those in detention, are at grave risk.”
More from Human Rights Watch here.