UN says violence against women in Afghanistan still pervasive post-Taliban News
UN says violence against women in Afghanistan still pervasive post-Taliban

[JURIST] UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women [official website] Yakin Erturk said Monday [UN press release] that the difficulties faced by Afghani women, from abusive child marriages to public executions ordered by local councils, are still dramatic problems that need to be addressed despite the passing of the strict Taliban regime. To combat these issues, Ertürk and her group are working to promote a campaign that denounces the marriage of girls to adult men as anti-Islamic and urges police and prosecutors not to send girls and women back into an abusive environment without first taking steps to protect their safety. According to Ertürk, the dire situation can be seen most dramatically in the increased frequency of self-immolation among desperate women. UN News has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.