- A judge in New York City absolved thousands of prostitution-related cases dating back decades at the request of the Manhattan district attorney, as part of an ongoing move to decriminalize victims of trafficking.
- The murder of a woman in Kuwait sparked outrage on social media with calls for implementing stronger protections for women against male violence. Farah Hamza Akbar had lodged two previous complaints for harassment against a man whose marriage proposals she rejected. The accused was released on bail when he abducted and killed her.
- Women in Ethiopia’s western Tigray region report rape and torture at the hands of militiamen invading their neighborhoods. Medics have removed nails, rocks and pieces of plastic from inside the bodies of rape victims. The United Nations said women and girls of Tigray are being subjected to sexual violence “with a level of cruelty beyond comprehension”.
- A report by international women’s rights organizations reveals how laws regarding rape in six South Asian countries place women and girls at increased risks, encourage further victimization, and discourage reporting by survivors.