This file photo taken on June 11, 2019 shows a demonstrator holding a placard during a protest against the lack of substantial legal protection for sexual assault victims in Tokyo. AFP / Charly Triballeau
LONDON: Women in India have taken to the streets to oppose sexual violence after the gang rape and murder of a young vet shocked the country, crowning a year of high-profile protests around the world.
More than one in three women will be a victim of violence in their lifetime, according to the United Nations.
As the world marks Human Rights Day on Tuesday to commemorate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, here are five ways women campaigned against sexual abuse in 2019.
1. Footage of a lawmaker allegedly masturbating outside a school in Tunisia sparked the country's #MeToo or #EnaZeda movement, with women sharing their experiences of sexual harassment on social media.
Stigma about sexual assault is rife in Tunisia, with the blame often placed on the victim.
2. The Chilean feminist chant "A Rapist in your Path" has spread around the world, with activists performing it in countries including Mexico, France and Turkey.
The lyrics criticise the state for not doing enough to stop rapists and denounce the idea that women are responsible for assault.
3. After a leader of Spain's far-right party Vox refused to sign a declaration condemning violence against women, protesters gathered in the streets of Madrid, bringing traffic to a halt.
Activist Nadia Otmani confronted party member Javier Ortega Smith, saying, "You cannot play politics with gender violence".
4. A group of professors and university students in Japan are campaigning for an end to sexual harassment in graduate job searches.
The power imbalance between employers and job seekers means they can be easily taken advantage of, they said, and young people are often too intimidated to speak up.
5. In Russia, where there is no law against domestic violence, a draft bill has been resubmitted after failing to pass three years ago.
The new legislation has been criticised by women's rights activists in the country who are pushing for stronger protections for women than it contains.
Sources: Human Rights Watch, Reuters, United Nations, Amnesty International
