Tag Archives: gender-based violence

‘Love Wins’: Thailand Set to Be First Southeast Asian Nation to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage

“While there is no doubt that the legalization of marriage for LGBTI couples is a key milestone for Thailand, much more must be done to guarantee full protection,” said one campaigner.

By Brett Wilkins. Published 6-18-2024 by Common Dreams

LGBTQ+ activists celebrate the Thai Senate’s passage of a bill legalizing marriage equality outside the Government House in Bangkok on June 24, 2024. (Photo: Irish Embassy Thailand)

LGBTQ+ advocates around the world on Tuesday cheered the Thai Senate’s passage of a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, a move that—if approved by the country’s king as expected—would make Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia to do so.

The Bangkok Post reported Thai senators voted 130-4, with 18 abstentions, in favor of a bill to legalize same-sex marriages in the country of 72 million people. The Thai House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the legislation in March. The legislation would become law if it passes further review by the Senate and the Constitutional Court and is approved by King Rama X. Royal assent is a formality that will almost certainly be granted.

Continue reading
Share Button

Tens of Thousands of Women Strike in Iceland Over Pay Gap, Gender-Based Violence

“An ‘equality paradise’ should not have a 21% wage gap and 40% of women experiencing gender-based or sexual violence in their lifetime,” said one organizer.

By Julia Conley. Published 10-24-2023 by Common Dreams

Icelandic Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir is seen at a conference. (Photo: Herve Cortinat/OECD via flickr)

Schools, health systems, and television broadcasters in Iceland were among the businesses that said they would have to close or reduce services on Tuesday due to the country’s first full-day women’s strike in nearly 50 years—potentially helping to prove the point that tens of thousands of women and non-binary workers are hoping to make by demonstrating that their labor is vital and must be paid accordingly.

Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir is among the women taking part in the kvennafrí,” or “women’s day off,” and told reporters she expects women in her cabinet to strike as well, as organizers push to close Iceland’s gender pay gap and end gender-based violence.

Continue reading
Share Button