Switzerland amends law to legally recognize that sex without consent is rape
The amendment follows similar rulings in Denmark and Spain, where the law was recently changed to define rape as sexual assault without explicit consent.
Sexual assault & domestic violence
Progress on sexual assault and domestic violence is hard-won and often underreported. This archive tracks legal reforms, survivor support breakthroughs, policy advances, and community-led interventions that are reducing harm and expanding justice for survivors.
Uzbekistan adopts landmark legislation on domestic violence
Under the new law, people found guilty of assaulting a current or former partner will face fines or prison time, and sexual offenders will not be eligible for early release.
New Northern Irish law will recognizes coercive control as a criminal offense
This crime is a huge problem in Northern Ireland, with statistics showing an instance of abuse occurs every 17 minutes in the country.
In landmark order, India’s Karnataka High Court affirms sexual assault on wife against her consent is rape
Justice M Nagaprasanna said that the institution of marriage cannot be used to confer any special male privilege or a license for unleashing a “brutal beast” on the wife.
Indonesian army ends ‘two-finger’ virginity tests on female recruits
The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) conducted investigations into the practice in 2014, 2015 and 2017, with experts labeling the tests abusive, unscientific and discriminatory.
Slovenia defines sex without consent as rape
Coercion, the use or threat of force, or the inability to defend oneself will no longer be the only conditions for a crime to be considered rape after the Slovenian parliament passed amendments to the penal code on June 5.
New Zealand ‘wellbeing’ budget focuses resources on vulnerable populations
New Zealand’s Labour coalition government has unveiled its “world-first” well-being budget which offers billions for mental health services, child poverty, and family violence.
Nevada convenes the United States’ first ever majority-female state legislature
The female majority is having a huge effect: More than 17 pending bills deal with sexual assault, sex trafficking and sexual misconduct.
Scientists are using AI to find hotel rooms being used for child sex trafficking
Washington University engineers developed AI that recognizes features of a hotel room from a photo and identify where it may have been taken, offering new leads to fight child trafficking.
Indian soap opera called “I, A Woman, Can Achieve Anything” becomes world’s most watched TV show
The show designed by an NGO to promote sexual health and family planning. It now has over 400 million viewers from over 50 countries.