The most comprehensive compilation of information on the status of
women in the world.

Latest items for LRW-LAW-1

March 28, 2025, 6:01 p.m.
Countries: South Korea
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"At the heart of the controversy is a 1953 law that defines rape on the basis of physical violence, not lack of consent. The switch from coercion-based to consent-based rape law has been adopted in recent decades by several countries, mostly in Europe, reflecting United Nations guidelines that favor the latter. Feminists in South Korea have been trying to reform the law for years, but their efforts have created a sense of panic among some men who believe it would result in a flood of false allegations of rape" (para 10). "During his campaign, Yoon promised to dismantle the country’s gender equality ministry, which is highly controversial with the men’s...more
March 28, 2025, 2:19 p.m.
Countries: Peru
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"The Committee welcomes... the adoption of the following… Legislative Decree No. 1386 (2018), which explicitly recognizes the obligation to provide specialized care to victims of sexual violence" (2).
March 27, 2025, 7:22 p.m.
Countries: Cambodia
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"[T]he law establishes the age of sexual majority as 15, so there is no statutory rape of 15 to 17-year-olds" (5).
March 21, 2025, 4:01 p.m.
Countries: Guyana
Variables: LRW-LAW-1, IRP-LAW-1

"Prostitution is illegal in Guyana, and the age of consent is 16 years, but there is little enforcement in remote areas" (para 22).
March 21, 2025, 3:28 p.m.
Countries: Switzerland
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"The Swiss Criminal Code, however, defines rape (Art. 190) on the basis of the force used by the perpetrator or the resistance by the victim, rather than on the basis of a lack of freely given consent. Indeed, Article 190 (rape) of the Swiss Criminal Code reads as follows: 'Any person who forces a person of the female sex by threats or violence, psychological pressure or by being made incapable of resistance to submit to sexual intercourse is liable to a custodial sentence of from one to ten years.' Article 189 (indecent assault) which criminalises ‘sexual acts similar to intercourse or any other sexual act’ such as forced oral and...more
March 21, 2025, 3:12 p.m.
Countries: Finland
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"Rape continues to be defined through the presence of physical violence rather than the lack of the victim’s consent. Situations where a person abuses a position of authority are automatically defined as sexual abuse, not rape, and carry a lesser sentence. A working group appointed by the Ministry of Justice published its recommendations for legal reform in July 2020 and proposed that rape should be defined as: 'sexual intercourse with a person who does not participate voluntarily.' However, under the new proposals, abusing a position of authority would continue to be defined as sexual abuse, not rape. In addition, sexual abuse of a child aged 12-15 would be defined as...more
March 20, 2025, 1:55 p.m.
Countries: Mauritania
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"Domestic violence, rape (as well as marital rape), and other forms of harmful practices against women remain highly prevalent and there are still no specific laws nor policies in Mauritania which to combat this scourge" (1). "The government of Mauritania in the last few years has made several progressive moves towards improving the policies and regulations for the safety and security of women and girls. In March 2016, the government approved a draft law on gender-based violence, which would define and punish rape and sexual harassment, create specific sections in criminal courts of first degree to hear sexual violence cases, consolidate criminal and civil court proceedings to favor prompt compensation...more
March 15, 2025, 11:45 a.m.
Countries: Lebanon
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"The Committee welcomes the initiatives taken by the Parliamentary Committee on Women and Children, in particular the proposals and draft laws relating to the amendment of the Penal Code to broaden the definition of rape" (4).
March 14, 2025, 7:59 p.m.
Countries: Indonesia
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"In Indonesia, legal protection for survivors of violence is still very weak and weaker still for WUD [women who use drugs]. There is no specific policy that protects victims of sexual violence. Cases of violence against women are only regulated in the General Criminal Code (KUHP) which specifically prohibits rape in the form of penetrative sex. Other forms of sexual violence are regulated in the Domestic Violence Law (KDRT), which only applies to victims and perpetrators who are categorized as family. As a result, violence in any form other than penetration, and committed by outside family members, such as intimate partners, escapes justice" (11-12).
March 5, 2025, 8:35 p.m.
Countries: Ecuador
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"The Comprehensive Organic Criminal Code defines and establishes penalties for offences against sexual and reproductive integrity. The commission of such offences against children and adolescents is an aggravating circumstance. The Code also punishes the crimes of statutory rape, distribution of child pornography and the sale of sexual services" (23). "While the Comprehensive Organic Criminal Code does not consider incest to be a crime, it criminalizes rape" (30). "Article 46, paragraph 4, of the Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador enshrines minors’ right to protection and care in relation to all types of violence, abuse, sexual exploitation or any other form of exploitation, or negligence leading to such situations. In article...more
March 3, 2025, 9:03 p.m.
Countries: China
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"The Committee notes Amendment IX to the Penal Code, adopted in 2015, assimilating the offence of 'soliciting underage prostitutes' to the crime of rape, with equivalent penalties" (Page 8). "[T]he new Regulations on the Protection of Minors at Schools, adopted in 2021, which include provisions against sexual harassment and cyberbullying, and monitor the establishment of zero-tolerance handling mechanisms for bullying, sexual assault and harassment against students" (Page 10). "The Committee notes the work of the Law Reform Commission in Hong Kong, China, and various proposals for the reform of legislation that governs sexual offences, including the definition of rape. The Committee is, however, concerned that Hong Kong, China, has not...more
March 3, 2025, 5:06 p.m.
Countries: United Kingdom
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"Last month, the Government unveiled planned legislation to make spiking (both with needles and the covert spiking of drinks) a specific criminal offence. At present it falls under several laws, including the Offences Against The Person Act 1861 and the Sexual Offences Act 2003, but campaigners have long argued this leads to under-reporting of spiking and muddies police data on it" (para 8-9).
Feb. 26, 2025, 10:15 p.m.
Countries: Kazakhstan
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code continues to provide an inadequate and limited definition of sexual violence crimes leaving many of the coerced and non-consensual acts of a sexual character without any punishment, as was underlined in the Committee’s 2014 Concluding Observations. In addition, classifying such offences as less serious serves to obstruct proper justice for victims of sexual violence. Article 120 defines rape as sexual intercourse with the use of violence or threats of violence, of a female victim or other persons or abusing the 'helpless state of the victim', while Article 121(1) criminalises 'pederasty, lesbianism or other actions of a sexual character committed with the use of violence or with a...more
Feb. 26, 2025, 8:27 p.m.
Countries: Dominican Republic
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"In article 396 of Act No. 136-03, sexual abuse is defined as relations between a minor and another person five or more years older" (12).
Feb. 20, 2025, 3:56 p.m.
Countries: Nigeria
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"Despite a countrywide state of emergency on rape being declared in 2020, the number of rape incidents has increased every year since" (para 8).
Feb. 19, 2025, 6:02 p.m.
Countries: India
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"1860: India's colonial leaders enact the Indian Penal Code criminalizing rape except in the case of married couples where the wife is over 10 years old" (para 81).
Feb. 11, 2025, 9:54 p.m.
Countries: Iraq
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"Iraqi judges have told Human Rights Watch that provision 4 is all-encompassing and indirectly includes crimes such as rape and other crimes committed by ISIS members" (1). "Even in cases in which defendants have admitted to subjecting Yezidi women to sexual slavery, prosecutors have still neglected to charge them with rape, which carries a sentence of up to 15 years" (2).
Feb. 8, 2025, 12:26 p.m.
Countries: Somalia
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"Members of parliament decried the killings during a debate Saturday and called for the offenders to be prosecuted. Despite the condemnations, Somali lawmakers have yet to pass the UN-backed Sexual Offenses Bill that the Council of Ministers approved in 2018. Female MP Gobsan Muhumed was among those who spoke during the session" (par. 10-11). "Prosecutors in Somalia rely on provisions of the 1970s penal code to charge perpetrators of sexual and other gender-related offenses. Critics say this law is not tough enough and have called for the government to adopt harsher penalties" (par. 14).
Feb. 7, 2025, 6:41 p.m.
Countries: Australia
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"Consent laws do not require a person to physically fight off unwanted sexual contact" (para 10).
Feb. 6, 2025, 10:26 p.m.
Countries: Australia
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"One Australian state has introduced new sexual consent laws, which now includes defining the act of 'stealthing' as rape and tougher sentences for offenders. Queensland's revised laws came into force on Monday, which aim to improve 'the experience' of victims of sexual offences when they're ready to make the brave decision to come forward and file a complaint. Among the reforms is that the act of 'stealthing' is now a criminal offence - which can result in a maximum sentence of life behind bars, Yahoo reported. 'Stealthing' is when a sexual partner secretly removes a condom during sex without the knowledge and consent of the other party involved. The recognition...more
Feb. 6, 2025, 7:05 p.m.
Countries: Morocco
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"Paragraph 2 of article 475 of the Criminal Code has been amended to allow the criminal prosecution of anyone who rapes a minor girl and prohibit him from marrying her" (3). "The penalty for abducting or luring minors has been increased. The prison sentence for luring or abducting for the purposes of sexual relations, even if consensual, is now 10 years. If the act results in sexual assault, it is 20 years. In the case of luring or kidnapping resulting in rape, the sentence is 30 years" (3). "With regard to paragraph 21 of the Concluding Observations, there is a draft criminal act before Parliament containing a set of requirements...more
Feb. 4, 2025, 8:26 p.m.
Countries: France
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"France should update its rape law to add a clear reference to consent, a parliamentary report has found, months after French society was shaken by the trial of 51 men over the repeated drugging and rape of Gisèle Pelicot. The report, to be presented on Tuesday, said action must be taken urgently to update the law. 'Almost 10 years after the start of the #MeToo movement, and as the [Pelicot] trial showed once again, the fight against rape culture must be a priority: the fight against rape culture needs a law that is clearer,' it found. Two MPs – Véronique Riotton from Emmanuel Macron’s centrist group, Ensemble pour la République,...more
Feb. 4, 2025, 8:25 p.m.
Countries: Germany, Spain, Sweden
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"Consent-based rape law already exists in Sweden, Germany, Spain and more than a dozen other European countries" (para 8).
Feb. 4, 2025, 7:52 p.m.
Countries: Taiwan
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"In December of 2015, Taiwan passed the Sexual Assault Crime Prevention Act. The purpose of the act is to prevent sexual assault and to protect the rights of victims. This act provides sexual assault prevention education at every level of school, provides a legally competent authority to investigate sexual assault crimes, provides corrective measures and medical treatment to perpetrators within prison, and provides support for victims and punishments for offenders" (para 8).
Jan. 30, 2025, 4:08 p.m.
Countries: Mauritania
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"A draft law on gender-based violence, supported by the Ministry of Justice, has been twice rejected by parliament and remains pending at time of writing. The law would define and punish rape and sexual harassment, create special criminal court chambers to hear sexual violence cases, and allow nongovernmental groups to bring cases on behalf of survivors. While a step in the right direction, the current draft falls short in several respects, including by maintaining criminal charges for consensual sexual relations outside marriage and restrictions on abortion. Moreover, rape and sexual assault are defined too narrowly, and the Penal Code maintains references to forms of punishments degrading treatment, such as death...more
Jan. 29, 2025, 7:35 p.m.
Countries: Costa Rica
Variables: LRW-LAW-1, CBMC-DATA-1

"It is concerned, however, about the high percentage of births to girls and adolescents in which the father is not declared or his age is not registered, suggesting a problem of sexual abuse or acts by adults with children, criminalized in Law No. 9406 on improper unions" (13).
Jan. 28, 2025, 8:03 p.m.
Countries: Denmark
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"It should also be noted that the digital violence continues to fall through the cracks in the legal framework which do not offer sufficient protection against digital sexual violence in the form of harassment and abuse of women. Digital sexual harassment is not limited to young people and it is established that it predominantly affects women" (2).
Jan. 28, 2025, 7:59 p.m.
Countries: Costa Rica
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"Between 2017 and 2020, 40 laws were passed on the protection of rights in relation to human trafficking, violence, sexual harassment in the street, employment, vulnerable populations, family relations, international conventions, the sharing of family responsibilities, statutory limitations on criminal prosecution for sexual offences, and equal pay, among others" (4).
Jan. 24, 2025, 8:43 p.m.
Countries: Somalia
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"In 2018, a comprehensive UN-backed sexual offences bill was introduced but it has not yet been passed by parliament. In 2020 a new sexual intercourse related crimes bill was proposed, which relaxed current age restrictions to allow for marriage at puberty and legalise forced marriage as long as there is family consent" (para 21).
Jan. 24, 2025, 7:30 p.m.
Countries: Iraq
Variables: LRW-LAW-1

"Iraq’s Penal Code Article 393 defines rape as 'sexual intercourse with a female without her consent or…buggery with any person without their consent.' Article 393 is not gender-neutral and is limited only to acts of 'sexual intercourse'—leaving out Daesh’s serious violent and invasive sexual crimes that were beyond 'sexual intercourse or buggery' (e.g. by including penetration by objects and other body parts). 'Consent' is central to Iraq’s definition of rape (rape only occurs where there is lack of consent). However, the term 'consent' is not defined, clarified, or otherwise described anywhere in the Penal Code’s rape provision. Prosecutions focusing on 'consent' inherently focus on semantics about the victims’ words or...more