Stealthing is now considered a sexual offence in Spain

SPAIN — Spain’s supreme court ruled that from now on, not wearing a condom or removing it without the partner’s consent is considered a crime, just like penetration without consent. Although the penalty has not yet been specified, rape is punishable by the penal code with a 6 to 12-year prison sentence. Stealthing occurs when a partner secretly removes a condom during sex without the other person’s consent, or pretends to wear it, increasing the risk of unwanted pregnancy or sexually transmitted infections. In 2023, Spain recorded an increase in reported sexual crimes, with 19,981 crimes against sexual freedom and 4,875 rapes recorded last year, an average of one every two hours.

LIECHTENSTEIN — Liechtenstein’s parliament approved same-sex marriage on May 16, the eve of the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT). With the government’s support, the vote in favour of the marriage law amendment was nearly unanimous. The legislation is expected to go into effect on January 1, 2025. Liechtenstein is the last German-speaking country to approve marriage equality. Same-sex couples have been able to adopt children since March 2023.

UGANDA — Uganda’s anti-LGBTQIA+ law restricts lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people’s access to national health services, which has consequently undermined attempts to stop the spread of HIV in the country. The Anti-Homosexuality Act was signed into law by President Yoweri Museveni in May 2023 and ratified in April by the constitutional court. It imposes the death penalty for the crime of “aggravated homosexuality” defined as having gay sex with a minor, having sex while HIV-positive, or committing incest. It also punishes same-sex sexual acts with life imprisonment, and « promoting » homosexuality with a 20-year prison sentence. Not only is the LGBTQIA+ population being persecuted, but health professionals have no legal guarantee that they will not be arrested for being accused of ‘promoting’ homosexuality. Moreover, according to the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, international funding has ceased for many HIV prevention and treatment organisations. More than 50 percent of Uganda’s health system funding relies on foreign
aid, which has been cut off precisely to protest the notorious law.

PERU — On May 10, the Peruvian Health Ministry published a decree classifying transgender identity as a mental disorder that should be treated and covered by the country’s Essential Health Insurance Plan. It was signed by President Dina Boluarte. The controversial decree refers to “transsexualism” or “gender identity disorder in childhood and adolescence”, terms that were declared obsolete by the WHO. The organisation also removed “gender incongruence” from the “Mental and behavioural disorders” chapter of its International Classification of Diseases in 2019. The government’s decision was strongly condemned by human right groups and LGBTQIA+ advocates, who called for a massive demonstration in the country’s capital, Lima, on May 17. Peru has no law protecting people against discrimination based on their gender identity. Those who wish to legally change their identity need a court’s permission.

ANDORRA — Andorra will decriminalise voluntary terminations of pregnancy outside its borders by 2027, prime minister Xavier Espot has announced, after a meeting with European Union representatives. The medical act will also be covered by the Andorran social security system. Abortion remains illegal in Andorra, even if there’s a risk to the patient’s life or if the foetus is unviable. It is punishable by six months in prison for the person who aborts, and three years’ imprisonment and a five-year ban from practising any health profession for those who perform it. The Andorran constitution recognises the right to life and fully protects it from conception. As a result, the government decided to facilitate access to termination abroad without changing the country’s laws.

US — The Senate of Louisiana passed a bill to reclassify the abortion pills mifepristone and misoprostol as “controlled and dangerous substances”, making their possession without a medical prescription punishable by one to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. The classification also requires practitioners to hold a specific licence to prescribe abortion pills. The bill was signed into law by Republican Governor Jeff Landry on May 24. Louisiana has a near-total abortion ban, with only two exceptions: risk to the patient’s life or fatal fetal anomalies. In 2021, the Food and Drug Administration removed the in-person dispensing requirements for mifepristone, after the overturn of Roe v. Wade, the ruling that allowed abortion nationwide for nearly 50 years. But Louisiana’s new law also makes it difficult to access abortion-inducing drugs provided in the US states where this right is granted. In March, the US Supreme Court started reviewing access to the mifepristone abortion pill.

BELGIUM — Sex workers will be entitled to sign employment contracts, gaining access to health insurance, annual vacation, maternity or sick leave and pensions. The Belgian Parliament passed this historic labour law in May with 93 votes in favour, 33 abstentions and no votes against. Countries such as Germany and the Netherlands also regulate prostitution, which has been integrated into the labour market under certain conditions. In Austria, for example, sex workers are guaranteed some protections, among which the right to sue a client who refuses to pay. The Belgian legislation is the first in the world to give sex workers the same rights as other workers. The law protects sex workers by allowing them to refuse certain sexual acts or clients without being fired. It also ensures them the right not to be employed by people with incurred convictions for serious crimes, to prevent them from falling into exploitation networks. According to the Belgian Union for Sex Workers (UTSOPI), 90% of the sex workers they are in contact with are women, many of them migrants in a dire economic situation. In 2022, Belgium became the first country in Europe to decriminalise sex work, and the second in the world after New Zealand.

BRAZIL — The country of the jogo bonito will host the next edition of the Women’s World Cup, FIFA announced on May 17. This will be the first time that the famous women’s football tournament will be held in Latin America. Already possessing infrastructure built to host the Men’s World Cup in 2014, Brazil received 119 votes in favour. A joint bid from Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium lost with only 78 positive votes. The last Women’s World Cup was held last year in New Zealand and Australia, during which the Spanish team won the gold medal.

IRAN — The Iranian regime executed 853 people — including 24 women — in 2023, making it the country with the highest number of death penalties recorded last year, according to Amnesty International. In addition, at least eight people who were part of the “Woman Life Freedom” uprising are awaiting their execution. Last year, Amnesty International also published a report warning that Iranian security forces used sexual violence to punish participants in the demonstrations sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. The 22-year-old woman was arrested by the morality police for allegedly failing to comply with mandatory hijab laws, and subsequently died in police custody in September 2022. In total,
1,153 executions were recorded in 16 countries in 2023, marking a 31% increase from the 883 registered in 2022. Additionally, China is believed to have carried out thousands of executions, although the exact numbers are not known due to state secrecy. Iran is followed by Saudi Arabia (172), Somalia (38) and the United States (24).

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