Gambia could become the first country to reverse a ban on female genital cutting

ERREKUNDA, Gambia — Lawmakers in Gambia will vote Monday on legislation that seeks to repeal a ban on female genital cutting, which would make the West African nation the first country anywhere to make that reversal. The procedure, which also has been called female genital mutilation, includes the partial or full removal of external genitalia, … Read more

Japanese table tennis star reaches an agreement with ex as parliament considers a joint custody bill

TOKYO — A once-beloved Japanese table tennis star said Friday she has reached a settlement with her ex-husband, a Taiwanese star in the sport, ending a high-profile battle over custody of their 4-year-old son. The move comes at a time when Japan’s parliament is discussing legislation to introduce a dual custody system following similar high-profile … Read more

Vice President Harris will visit a Minnesota clinic that performs abortions

WASHINGTON — Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday plans to tour a Minnesota clinic that performs abortions and provides other reproductive care as Democrats play up their opposition to the rollback of abortion rights in an effort to help reelect President Joe Biden in November. It will be the first time that a president or … Read more

Duchess of Sussex, others on SXSW panel discuss issues affecting women and mothers

AUSTIN, Texas — A panel featuring Meghan the Duchess of Sussex came together on International Women’s Day to discuss how women and mothers are portrayed in traditional media and across social media, among other issues. The panel was part of the annual SXSW (South by Southwest) being held through March 16 in Austin, Texas, and … Read more

France becomes the only country to explicitly guarantee abortion as a constitutional right

PARIS — French lawmakers on Monday overwhelmingly approved a bill to enshrine abortion rights in France’s constitution, making it the only country to explicitly guarantee a woman’s right to voluntarily terminate a pregnancy. The historic move was proposed by President Emmanuel Macron as a way to prevent the kind of rollback of abortion rights seen … Read more

A West Virginia ‘Women’s Bill of Rights’ is an effort to suppress transgender people, critics say

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Legislation in West Virginia to narrow the definitions of gender would give women no further rights and is a way for Republicans to suppress transgender people, speakers at a public hearing said Thursday. Dozens of speakers condemned the “Women’s Bill of Rights” while a handful spoke in favor of it during the … Read more

US porn actor who advocates for Palestinians visits Iran on trip unacknowledged by Tehran

JERUSALEM — An American porn actor who has advocated for Palestinians online during Israel’s war on Hamas traveled to Iran and visited the former U.S. Embassy in Tehran, which was abandoned after the 1979 hostage crisis. The visit by Whitney Wright as Iran imprisons Nobel Peace Prize laureate and women’s rights activist Narges Mohammadi sparked … Read more

Ohio woman who miscarried at home won’t be charged with corpse abuse, grand jury decides

COLUMBUS, Ohio — An Ohio woman facing a criminal charge for her handling of a home miscarriage will not be charged, a grand jury decided Thursday. The Trumbull County prosecutor’s office said grand jurors declined to return an indictment for abuse of a corpse against Brittany Watts, 34, of Warren, resolving a case that sparked … Read more

France’s president is accused of siding with Depardieu as actor faces sexual misconduct allegations

PARIS — Women’s rights activists criticized French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday for appearing to take sides with actor Gérard Depardieu by saying the film star who is facing sexual misconduct allegations “makes France proud.” Speaking on Wednesday night on TV channel France 5, Macron described himself as a “big admirer” of a “great actor.” … Read more