What’s Current: World Health Organization staffers sexually abused women and girls in Congo during Ebola outbreak

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  • More than 80 cases of sexual abuse perpetrated by men employed by the World Health Organization have been identified in a new report uncovering sexual exploitation by aid workers during the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ebola outbreak.
  • A Tokyo court ruled it was lawful for a man to film women without their knowledge, as long as they were clothed. A man who was caught secretly recording women in public admitted to using the content for sexual purposes but was found to not qualify as a punishable voyeurism offense.
  • Labour leader Keir Starmer faced criticism for his comments regarding the gender identity debate. On The Andrew Marr show, Starmer said it was wrong to say “only women have a cervix”. Health secretary Sajid Javid responded, saying this was a “total denial of scientific fact”.
  • A bronze statue of a nearly nude woman from a 19th-century poem sparked outcry in Italy. Laura Boldrini, a deputy with the Democratic party, called it “an offense to women and the history it should celebrate” and female politicians in Palermo demanded its removal.
  • Gaming company Activision Blizzard settled a sexual harassment suit for $18 million. The case was brought forward by U.S. federal watchdog, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which has also accused the company of sexual discrimination.
Genevieve Gluck

Genevieve Gluck is a writer and advocate for women's sex-based rights and creator of Women's Voices, an audio library dedicated to bringing awareness to feminist texts and speeches.