Self-care note: This wrap-up includes discussion of abortion, anti-LGBTQIA+ policies and behaviours, gender based violence, and more. If you find this distressing or triggering, remember to take it at your own pace. You may prefer to read small sections, wait until you feel ready to read it all, or choose not to read it at all.
1. Experts warn anti-abortion group is spreading misinformation on Scottish law review ⚖️
The chair of Scotland’s Abortion Law Expert Group has accused a leading anti-abortion organisation of spreading misinformation about proposed reforms to abortion law.
The group, chaired by Professor Anna Glasier, recommended decriminalising abortion and removing the requirement for two doctors’ approval before 24 weeks, describing the current system as “anachronistic and paternalistic.”
Campaign group Right to Life UK claimed the report called for abortions up to birth on “social grounds”, but Glasier said this was false, clarifying that the 24-week limit would remain, with later abortions only permitted in rare cases agreed by two qualified professionals.
The proposals have been welcomed by Amnesty International and Let’s Change The Act, who said the changes would modernise Scotland’s approach and recognise abortion as essential healthcare.
Source: The National
2. New free health and wellbeing toolkit for trans and non-binary people launched in the UK 🏳️⚧️
A UK nonprofit offering gender-affirming healthcare, Anne, has launched a free Accessing Gender Affirming Care toolkit designed to help trans and non-binary people navigate the increasingly difficult healthcare landscape.
Founded in 2024, Anne created the toolkit in response to long waiting times, patchy provision, legal uncertainty and the fallout from this year’s Supreme Court ruling.
The resource explains public vs private care, outlines pathways for accessing treatment, lists providers, and includes templates for GPs and legal guidance. It also covers key challenges such as inequality of access and mental health impacts.
Co-founders Susie Green and Lizzie Jordan said their goal is a future where trans people feel “seen, heard and respected” in healthcare. The toolkit is free to access via Anne’s website.
Source: GCN
3. EU Parliament backs proxy voting for pregnant MEPs and new mothers🤰🏽
The European Parliament has voted to change EU electoral rules so that MEPs who are pregnant or have recently given birth can delegate their vote to another MEP, in a major step toward gender equality in political life.
Under the proposal, MEPs would be able to use proxy voting three months before their due date and up to six months after childbirth, ensuring they can continue representing constituents without compromising health or family responsibilities.
The reform was drafted by the Parliament’s Constitutional Affairs Committee and passed overwhelmingly: 605 votes in favour, 30 against, five abstentions.
Parliament President Roberta Metsola, who initiated the reform, called it “long overdue,” saying no woman should ever have to choose between having children and serving voters.
The measure now goes to EU member states, which must unanimously approve it. Only three EU countries currently allow proxy voting for maternity reasons; Parliament says this change is meant to “set an example” for national parliaments.
Source: European Parliament
4. Landmark global review warns most countries lack basic endometriosis care 🌍
According to two new studies published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women’s Health, endometriosis is still being overlooked in many countries around the world.
Looking at all 194 WHO member states, the studies found that almost half of countries don’t have any national policies or guidelines for diagnosing or treating endometriosis, and more than a quarter don’t have any clear clinical recommendations available to the public. Only seven per cent of countries have official, government-approved guidance on care, which means many women have to rely on scattered, informal sources to find information.
Experts say endometriosis can have physical, mental and socioeconomic effects, and tackling this properly needs a coordinated national response.
Source: University of Oxford
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5. Petition to make egg freezing free exceeds 17k signatures in Italy 🥚
A new petition asking the government to make egg freezing free on the national health system has exceeded more than 17,000 signatures in about 15 days in Italy.
Launched in November by the Italian collective Stiamo fresche, the petition calls for free preventive egg freezing up to the age of 40, not just for oncological reasons. It also asks for fertility preservation to be recognised as a right, for a national registry to ensure transparency and provide data on age, outcomes, and waiting times; for stronger public services, and for clear, unbiased information.
Egg freezing allows women to postpone pregnancy while keeping their future fertility options open. It’s often used when someone is undergoing medical treatment that could affect fertility, such as chemotherapy. But it’s also becoming more common among people who want to delay pregnancy for personal reasons, as fertility declines with age.
Currently in Italy, egg freezing can cost up to €7,000 (£6,190), plus several hundred euros a year for storage.
Source: Pagella Politica
6. Kazakhstan passes a law banning “LGBT propaganda” ⛔
Kazakhstan’s parliament has passed a law banning “propaganda promoting non-traditional sexual values”, introducing fines and jail sentences. Under the new law, which must still be approved by the Kazakh Senate before coming into force, a first offender could face a fine of about £175, while repeat violations could lead to up to 10 days in prison.
The measure is similar to legislation adopted in Russia, Georgia and Hungary, and has been criticised by advocates and campaigners.
“Discriminatory and rights-violating provisions like those being proposed have no place in any democratic society, which Kazakhstan aspires to be,” human rights groups said.
Source: The Independent
7. IOC moves toward banning trans women — and some cis women — from the Olympics 🏅
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is moving closer to a decision that could bar trans women, and potentially cis women with “male-range” testosterone linked to certain DSDs, from competing in women’s categories.
According to The Times, IOC medical director Dr Jane Thornton presented findings to members last week claiming that “physical advantages” persist even after hormone treatment. Sources say the emerging framework could apply both to trans women and athletes with certain DSD (Differences of Sex Development) conditions.
An IOC spokesperson confirmed the presentation to The Guardian but said no final decision has been made. A formal policy may be announced as early as February, ahead of the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
This would mark a shift from the IOC’s 2021 framework, which allowed each sport’s federation to set its own inclusion rules. The new approach follows comments from IOC president Kirsty Coventry, who vowed earlier this year to “protect the female category, first and foremost.”
If enacted, this would be one of the most sweeping international exclusions of trans women from elite sport to date and one that also impacts some intersex and DSD athletes who have always competed as women.
Source: Them
8. US Supreme Court declines to revisit same-sex marriage ruling 👨❤️👨
On Monday, the Supreme Court of the United States declined to overturn its 2015 ruling that legalised same-sex marriage.
The decision follows an appeal by Kim Davis, the former Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue marriage licences to same-sex couples. Her appeal stemmed from a civil rights lawsuit filed by a couple who said she violated their constitutional right to marry by declining to issue them a licence.
Davis argued that approving same-sex marriages went against her beliefs as an Apostolic Christian, saying that issuing a licence to a same-sex couple would be “an act of disobedience to God.”
Following the Supreme Court’s decision, Davis was ordered to pay thousands of dollars in damages and legal fees.
Source: CNN
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