What’s happening in the world?

At a time when women are advocating for gender equality worldwide, some governments are denying women their rights. Women’s groups are championing for women empowerment and gender equality at the workplace and even in parliament.

Picture by Fatemeh Bahrami / AA / Abaca Press / Polaris

Many countries have noted an increased number of women in the workforce, whilst others are denying women that opportunity, infringing on their rights.  The Iranian government has drafted laws that will restrict the use of contraceptives and family planning methods.

According to an article published in America Aljazeera (online), the laws are meant to increase birthrate in the country as the country has witnessed a downward birth trend since 2012.

“The proposed laws will entrench discriminatory practices and set the rights of women and girls in Iran back by decades,” Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, the deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, said in a statement. “The authorities are promoting a dangerous culture in which women are stripped of key rights and viewed as baby-making machines rather than human beings with fundamental rights to make choices about their own bodies and lives.”

They say the low birth rate is resulting from women who are keen on studying yet their place is at home with the children. This is a violation of women’s rights and also hinders working women from advancing their studies as well as developing their careers. Read the full story here http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/3/11/amnesty-decries-iran-draft-law-to-boost-population.html

Is this fair treatment to women especially at a stage where the world is championing for women empowerment? What impact does it have on working women as they have to venture into childbearing?

Imagine if our government would formulate such laws and implement them, what impact would it have on Zimbabwean working women? Readers have your say on this matter.