Here’s What Happened Around The World In March 2023
Take a look back at some of the biggest stories that happened around the world in March 2023.
March has been a whirlwind.
Here’s a look back at some of the biggest stories that happened around the world in March 2023.
1. Hundreds of girls in Iran were poisoned allegedly to prevent them from going to school
Iran’s government has admitted that hundreds of girls from across Iran have been poisoned since November in an attempt to prevent them from going to school.
Around 700 girls have been exposed to toxic gas, with some being hospitalized as a result, according to BBC.
The case come as widespread unrest continues in Iran following the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, who died after she was detained by “morality” police over allegedly breaking the hijab law.
2. Honduras’ first woman president finally overturned a longtime ban on the morning-after pill
Honduras’ woman president, Xiomara Castro, has lifted a longtime ban on the morning-after pill.
She signed an executive order on Wednesday March 8, International Women’s Day, to overturn the ban that was instituted in 2009.
Honduras, which is largely Catholic, had been the only country in the world that banned all emergency contraception pills.
After signing the order, Castro tweeted that according to the World Health Organization, emergency contraceptive pill was “part of women’s reproductive rights and not abortive”.
3. Michelle Yeoh made history as the first Asian woman to win a Best Actress Oscar
Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh has made history as the first Asian woman to win the Best Actress award in the Oscars’ 95 year history.
The 60-year-old took home the award for her portrayal of Evelyn Wang, a Chinese-American mother in “Everything Everywhere All At Once” at the 95th Academy Awards on Sunday March 13 at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
This is Yeoh’s first Oscar nomination, and her win makes her the second woman of color to have won Best Actress after Halle Berry for “Monster’s Ball” in 2002.
4. More than 200 people died in Southern Africa after it was hit by one of the longest storms in history
Cyclone Freddy, one of the longest cyclones in history, has devastated Southern Africa and killed at least 200 people.
The storm has affected the southern African countries of Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, France’s Réunion and Zimbabwe, according to the United Nations’ Relief Web.
The total death toll has hit at least 220 in Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar as of Wednesday March 15.
Authorities expect it to rise as many regions remain inaccessible to relief operations. In Malawi alone, the disaster agency has estimated around 19,000 people have been displaced.
5. Uganda passed a bill that makes it a crime to be LGBTQ with life imprisonment as punishment
On Tuesday Mar. 21, the Ugandan parliament passed a bill, which if approved by the president, will make it a crime for people to identify as LGBTQ.
Homosexuality is already illegal in Uganda, but the law further cracks down on being LGBTQ in the deeply conservative and religious country.
Those who are found guilty of having gay sex could face life imprisonment, while attempting same-sex relations could result in seven years in prison.
People who commit “aggravated homosexuality”, which involves having gay sex while being HIV positive or with people under the age of 18, could face the death penalty.
People under 18 who are found to be LGBTQ could be jailed for three years and have to undergo a period of “rehabilitation,” according to the New York Times.
6. Scotland got its first Muslim and person of color leader and woman-majority government
After being sworn in as Scotland’s first Muslim and person of color leader, Humza Yousaf, has named a new woman majority government.
For the first time ever, six out of nine cabinet members in Scotland are now women, and half of the members are aged below 40.
Women now lead the ministries of finance; education and skills; net zero and just transition; rural affairs, land reform and islands; social justice, justice and home affairs.
“I have made clear my belief Scotland’s government should look as much as possible like the people we represent,” Yousaf said after unveiling his cabinet on Wednesday March 29, according to Sky News.
He said that the team reflects the priorities of his government, which include “tackling child poverty, improving public services and building a fairer, greener economy,” according to Sky News.
7. After these Pacific Islands students’ work, the UN asked the world’s top court to examine climate change
In a historic moment for climate justice, the United Nations has passed a resolution calling for the world’s top court to examine climate change.
On Wednesday March 29, the UN passed a resolution calling on the International Court of Justice – or ICJ – to issue a legal opinion on climate change and human rights.
The resolution was spearheaded by the Pacific Island of Vanuatu, after a group of students across the Pacific Islands launched a campaign for an ICJ advisory opinion on climate change.
“Climate change is not an abstract issue but a reality for us [in the Pacific Islands,” Cynthia Houniuhi, the president of the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, which started the initiative, told Almost.
8. Paris’ streets are completely filled with garbage due to protests against the president raising the pension age
The streets of Paris, France, are completely littered with garbage due to mass protests and strikes against the president raising the retirement age for pensions.
The legal retirement age was raised from 62 to 64 after president Emmanuel Macron invoked a special constitutional power, which allowed him to side-step the lower house of Parliament and pass the bill without a vote.
Parliament still had the ability to set about a no-confidence vote but was unable to reach a majority of votes to halt the reform.
Macron has argued that raising the retirement age is essential to decreasing pension costs as life expectancy rises and the number of retirees increases compared to workers.
Thousands of protestors have taken to the streets for weeks, and unions from different sectors have also gone on strike to oppose the new pension reform.
9. Japanese men are groping and upskirting underage girl characters at Ghibli Park and It’s disgusting
Photos of men sexually harassing statues of underage girl characters at the newly opened Ghibli Park in Japan have gone viral on social media, sparking anger.
The photos showed different men taking upskirt photos of a statue of 12-year-old Marnie from “When Marnie Was There” and groping the breast of Therru, a 17-year-old girl character from “Tales from Earthsea”.
The indecent photos have since been deleted, but Aichi authorities say they will take legal action if the men are identified.
