In 2024, women across the world continued to remain engaged in a fight for their rights and freedoms. From Donald Trump's re-election in the United States coming as a setback for the women's movement to the Taliban's increasing control on women and girls in Afghanistan, it seems that women all across the world are being pushed back to regressive times.
Iraq and Libya seem to have taken a page out of the Taliban's playbook when it comes to clamping down on women's rights and liberties.
In the latest attempt to clamp down on women's rights, Iraq announced it would be working towards lowering the age of consent for girls eligible for marriage from 18 years to nine years. This law, if amended and passed, will allow men to marry nine-year-old girls, raising major concerns with human and women's rights activists across the globe.
Meanwhile, in Libya, the government has introduced the concept of morality police in the country's capital to ensure women are practicing "modesty".
Iraq On The Verge Of Stripping Women Of Rights
In Iraq, the amendment to lower to the age of consent has been pushed by dominant Shia Muslim parities in the parliament. With changes to the country's "personal status law", the world will be witness to another Taliban-style setback to women's rights.
Apart from lowering the age of consent, if this law is passed by the Iraqi parliament, it will also strip women of the right to divorce, child custody and inheritance.
Dr Renad Mansour at UK's Chatham House states that not all Shia parties in Iraq are in support of this bill, but the ones who remain in power are the ones responsible for the push to clamp down on women.
Libya Ceases 'Personal Freedom', Introduces Morality Police
Libya on the other hand, has taken a page out of Iran's book and introduced morality police in the country's capital.
With the deployment of morality police, Libya will now work towards reversing the influence of "imported" European fashion and trends ranging from clothes to "strange haircuts".
As per a report by The Telegraph, the morality police will also have the power to shut down barbershops and shisha bars which do not comply with the interior ministry's new regulations.
As far as women's rights are concerned, from the age of nine, girls will be required to wear veils and women will not be allowed to step out in public without a male companion, a law which is also seen in Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
Women will also be forbidden from sitting "inappropriately" with men in public once the new rules are set in action.
The rules and regulations of the Libyan government are set to be implemented and come into force from December onwards.
Emad Al-Trabelsi, the interior minister for the African nation has stated that "personal freedom does not exist in Libya,” adding that those who wish want such freedom "can seek them in Europe".
War On Women
In the United States, Donald Trump's re-election as the 47th President as sparked fears among women in the leading country. With abortion rights already in a poor state across the 50 states and Washington DC, women across America continue to remain engaged in a fight for their rights.
Since the overturning of Roe v Wade, women have fought for the restoration of abortion rights and the right to reproductive healthcare. However, with Trump 2.0 and a Republican sweep of the Senate and House, women's rights remain in a dangerous state.
In South Korea, women continue to fight for equal pay and an end to gender-based violence. Seoul's '4B Movement' - which is a strike against marriage, childbirth and heterosexual relationships - made waves across the globe and has now reached the US, where women have declared a sex strike.
In France, the government passed a law banning women from wearing hijabs. While many viewed this move as "liberating", it reflected the double standard in Western countries when it comes to women's rights. The hijab ban, which had been enforced for the Paris Olympics had been condemned as discriminatory by Amnesty International and UN officials
Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, women continue to be suppressed in the name if "Islamic values". The Taliban has already banned the right to education and jobs for Afghan women since its takeover in 2021. Three years later, the extremist government has now banned women's from speaking out in public.
With women being suppressed across the globe and being pushed back in time, it's safe to say a war on women has been declared.
