world
14 Human Rights Wins To Celebrate In 2025
Here’s to another year of fighting for the world we want to see.
Impact
world
The EU’s Top Court Has Ruled All Member Countries Must Respect And Recognize Same-Sex Marriages
The ruling came after a same-sex Polish couple sued the Polish government for not recognizing their same-sex marriage.
world
Italy Has Officially Made Femicide A Crime With Life Imprisonment As Punishment
The law legally defines femicide as "an act of hatred, discrimination, domination, control, or subjugation of a woman as a woman."
Impact
After Indigenous Protests For Land Protection At COP30, Brazil Will Create 10 New Indigenous Territories
The move will allow Indigenous people to stop mining, logging and commercial farming on their lands, protecting the forests from deforestation and preserving Indigenous culture.
world
South Korea Has Officially Recognized Same-Sex Couples As Spouses In National Census
Starting from Oct. 22, the Census has been updated to allow “spouse” or “cohabiting partner” as valid responses for same-sex household members.
world
The Maldives Has Become The First Country To Ban Smoking For Future Generations
The ban, which came into effect on Nov. 1, bans anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2007 from using, buying or selling tobacco in the country.
world
Austria Has Made It A Crime To Send Unsolicited Genital Images Or Dick Pics
The law cover all forms of electronic communication, including text, email, social media, even AirDrop and Bluetooth.
Impact
France Has Passed A "Only Yes Means Yes" Law That Clearly Defines Rape As Sex Without Consent
The law says that "silence or lack of reaction” is not considered consent and that consent must be "free and informed, specific, prior, revocable" and evaluated according to the circumstances.
Women
This New Zealand Māori Woman MP Gave A Powerful First Speech, Leading To A Haka That Suspended Parliament
Kaipara spoke first in te reo Māori before switching to English, starting her speech by saying she does not identify herself “as a survivor of colonization” but “as the product of Māori resilience.”
Impact
Japan Will Now Allow Women To Buy The Morning-After Pill Over The Counter Without Prescription For The First Time
Previously, women in Japan had to go to a clinic or hospital in order to get a prescription for emergency contraception, even if they have been sexually assaulted
LGBTQ
The Church Of Norway Has Formally Apologized To The LGBTQ Community For Decades Of Discrimination
The church's presiding biship Olav Fykse Tveit said that the church’s words and actions have caused “shame, great harm and pain”, adding that this “should not have happened.”
world
Uruguay Has Become The First Country In Latin America To Legalize Euthanasia
The law makes Uruguay the first country in Latin America, which is majority Catholic, to legalize euthanasia through law instead of supreme court rulings.