Gender and the Law Association (GALA)
Western Law London, ON, Canada

"What would halt the protests short of a revocation of the law by the Supreme Court, where it has been challenged in nearly 60 petitions is unclear. But there is no indication the women will up and leave anytime soon. Leaders from Modi’s party have blamed the protests on provocateurs deliberately misleading poor, uneducated people. The women braving unusually cold winter nights seem undeterred.... Modi’s actions have stirred our blood, said Asma Khatoon, an octogenarian. We don’t feel cold anymore. ___ Associated Press journalists Rishi Lekhi and Rishabh R. Jain contributed to this report."

'This historic decision marks a milestone for LGBTQ rights in Chile and in South America, said former HRC Global Director Ty Cobb. We commend the efforts of all the LGBTQ advocates involved, including our Chilean partners at Fundación Iguales, who worked tirelessly for five years to achieve this victory. While this legislation removes roadblocks for many trans people, there is still important progress to be made -- especially for transgender youth.'

"In Spain, protesters condemned the position of the nationalist-populist Vox party, which says that no specific law should exist to protect women against men’s violence but just one to punish all domestic violence, including the mistreatment of men. The party also wants to scrap public funding for associations supporting female victims of domestic or sexual abuse because they consider them ideologically biased. Vox’s presence in the Spanish parliament the first time for a far-right party in nearly four decades has galvanized the country’s fervent feminist movement. In recent months, women’s rights activists have also rebelled against recent judicial decisions widely seen as unfair for women who have been abused or raped."

"ERA advocates argue that the amendment would have the greatest effect on the way gender-based violence is litigated in court. While currently, victims of domestic violence and sexual assault can appeal their cases through legal system, they can only go so far: In 2000, the Supreme Court struck down a provision of the 1994 Violence Against Women Act, which allowed victims of gender-based crimes to sue their attackers in federal court. The ERA could help fill in this gap in th...e law and give women one more avenue for seeking justice under the law. The ERA may also have a positive effect on pay inequity and pregnancy discrimination. On paper, both are illegal, but experts say hidden loopholes have made the law easy to skirt. There are laws that provide everyone should be given equal pay for equal work, Neuwirth explained. But one legitimate factor that can legally affect your pay is what you were paid at your last job. Well, who gets paid less? Neuwirth said the ERA could help break women out of this vicious circle that allows companies to lawfully pay them less for the same job." https://www.vice.com//what-is-the-equal-rights-amendment-e