Author: unitedfamilies

Protesters called for femicide to be legally recognised as a crime, saying that its conflation with murder did not account for the unique circumstances under which the killings are committed, which are defined by unequal power relations between men and women, or harmful gender norms.

“Many people don’t understand what femicide is,” said Maria Angela Maina, 26, a lawyer and gender equality advocate who took part in the protests. “The circumstances of these murders are different from normal homicides … so the fact that people are now more aware and they are speaking about this issue and even going to the streets to protest is so powerful.”

Germany is set to introduce fines up to €5,000 ($5,500) for expressions deemed to be ‘disturbing’ or ‘confusing,’ in a controversial bill targeting peaceful protests around abortion centers. The move by Germany’s Federal Family Minister Lisa Paus was announced last week and has been framed as criminalising activities that could infringe on the experiences of those seeking abortions. While harassment is already illegal, this legislation intends to create nationwide censorship zones, restricting peaceful expression and potentially infringing on freedom of assembly and expression.