In a world often characterized by uncertainty and rapid change, it’s easy to succumb to pessimism and anxiety about the future. However, amidst the challenges lie incredible opportunities for growth, innovation, and positive transformation. Enter Future Crunch—a movement dedicated to exploring the bright side of tomorrow’s world, offering insights, inspiration, and hope for what lies ahead.
Here is a wrap from 2024, courtesy of Future Crunch, with news pertaining to our line of work.
Transmission
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again and again—the HPV vaccine is a miracle. In case anyone needed reminding, a new analysis from Scotland shows that there hasn’t been a single case of cervical cancer in women who were vaccinated at 12 or 13 years of age. Exactly what was expected, but nevertheless fantastic news.
Nigeria has stepped up its cervical cancer prevention. Between October 2023 and January 2024, 44 million girls in 16 states, aged 9 to 14, received their first dose of the HPV vaccine. In five states, 21,851 women underwent visual inspections with acetic acid, a safe and cost-effective alternative to a pap smear.
The global effort to eliminate cervical cancer got a huge boost last week after donors pledged nearly $600 million towards fighting the disease. In a joint statement, the World Bank, the Gates Foundation, and UNICEF said that the funding will go towards expanding access to vaccination, screening, and treatment worldwide.
Kosovo rolls out the HPV vaccine. Here is the incredible story of how Egypt won its battle against Hepatitis C.
Milestones for elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Belize, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have been certified by the WHO as having eliminated the mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis, and Namibia has become the first high-burden country in the world to reach a significant milestone on the path towards eliminating mother-to-child transmission of both HIV and viral hepatitis B.
There’s new hope for an HIV vaccine. An experimental vaccine developed at Duke University has been shown to generate low levels of antibodies needed to target HIV in a small group of people enrolled in a clinical trial. It’s a first but much-needed step towards preventing infection. ‘This is one of the most pivotal studies in the HIV vaccine field to date.’
HIV researchers and activists hail ‘the best news ever’. Results from a large clinical trial in Africa showed that a twice-yearly injection of a new drug gave young women total protection from the virus. Gilead has committed to making large quantities available to low-income countries as soon as it receives regulatory approval. ‘I got cold shivers. After all our years of sadness, particularly over vaccines, this truly is surreal.’
In 1995, new HIV infections reached a peak of 3.3 million. A new UNAIDS report finds that number dropped by 60% to 1.3 million in 2023, with a record 30.7 million people accessing treatment. There’s also been a 69% fall in deaths since 2004, and since 2010, new HIV infections among children have declined by 62%.
Thanks to a prevention-first, whole-society approach, China’s hepatitis B infection rate has continued to fall, especially among children under five, among whom it is now below 1%. Also, the incidence rate of hepatitis A has dropped from 55.69 per 100,000 individuals in 1991 to 1.06 per 100,000 in 2020, and the antiviral cure rate for hepatitis C patients has surpassed 95%.
No cervical cancer cases among HPV-vaccinated women in Scotland. A groundbreaking study, the first to track a national group of women over a lengthy period, has found no cases of cervical cancer among women born between 1988 and 1996 who were fully vaccinated against HPV at ages 12 and 13.
‘Game-changing’ HIV drug to be made affordable in 120 countries.Pharma giant Gilead has signed agreements with six manufacturers to make and sell cheaper versions of its HIV prevention drug lenacapavir in 120 ‘high-incidence, resource-limited’ countries. Lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injection, has been shown to offer near-complete protection from HIV in recent trials.
Global Fund partnership has saved 65 million lives since 2002. In 2023, 25 million people received antiretroviral therapy for HIV, 7.1 million were treated for TB, and 227 million mosquito nets were distributed. This marks the first year of full recovery from COVID-related disruptions. The Global Fund has reduced the combined death rate from AIDS, TB, and malaria by 61% since 2002
Queer
Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis’s plan to legalise same-sex marriage and allow adoption for LGBTQ+ couples obtained crucial backing from the opposition. Legislation is now set to be approved by Parliament, despite backlash from the Orthodox Church.
For the first time on Polish TV, and after eight years of a far-right government, LGBT+ activists appeared on a live broadcast in which the interviewer began by apologising after years of bigotry. In the 1980s, Poland led the world out of its totalitarian Soviet nightmare, and in the 2020s, it might just show us the way again.
Greece has become the first Christian Orthodox-majority country to legalise same-sex marriage. Same-sex couples will now also be legally allowed to adopt children, after Parliament voted 176-76 in favour on the 15th of February.
After a disappointing high court ruling in India, a consolation victory for LGBTQ+ activists with a new policy that will prohibit the disclosure of a trans person’s gender without their consent. It’s hoped the measure will encourage fair treatment and reduce discrimination in workplaces.
Japanese courts make historic rulings on same-sex marriage. The LGBTQ community in Japan is hoping the country is one step closer to legalising same-sex marriage, after two separate courts ruled that the country’s ban was unconstitutional. Support for same-sex marriage is now at 70% nationally.
Thailand takes a major step towards marriage equality. 400 of the country’s 415 members of lower parliament approved a draft bill to legalize same-sex marriage and allow same-sex couples to adopt. If passed, Thailand would become the first country in Southeast Asia to recognize the right of all people to marry.
Dominica’s High Court has overturned a ban on consensual same-sex relations in the Caribbean island nation after a court ruled that the parts of the law that criminalised same-sex activity went against the country’s constitution. ‘The repeal of these discriminatory laws is a testament to the tireless efforts of activists, advocates, and allies who have long fought for justice and equality.’
The Alpine microstate Liechtenstein saw its parliament give final approval to same-sex marriage in a near-unanimous vote of 24-1. The bill will amend marriage law to allow same-sex couples to marry in the country of about 30,000 people nestled between Switzerland and Austria.
Sweden lowers its age to legally change gender. Sweden’s parliament recently voted in favour of lowering the age from 18 to 16 years. The new law is expected to take effect in July 2025 and would simplify the current process by eliminating the need for a gender dysphoria diagnosis. It would also separate the process of changing legal gender from gender surgery, which still requires an age of 18 years.
Thailand legalizes same-sex marriage. The country’s Senate voted 130-4 this week to pass a same-sex marriage bill that the lower house had approved in March. This makes Thailand, home to over 70 million people, the first in Southeast Asia, the third in Asia, and the 38th country in the world to recognize same-sex relationships. It’s a ‘monumental step forward’ in the global fight for equality.
Windhoek’s high court declared the crimes of ‘sodomy’ and ‘unnatural sexual offences’ as ‘unconstitutional and invalid’ following a case brought by LGBTQ+ activist Friedel Dausab. This is the latest court victory for the Namibian LGBTQ+ community: in June 2023, the court recognised same-sex marriages performed abroad between Namibian citizens and foreign spouses.
In 2021, a gay couple filed a lawsuit after the National Health Insurance Service cancelled their spousal benefits. Upholding an earlier decision, the Supreme Court has now ruled that all same-sex couples are eligible to receive the same health insurance benefits as heterosexual couples. LGBTQ+ advocates say the ruling marks the first legal recognition of same-sex unions in South Korea.
A court in Beijing has ruled that a mother named Didi should be allowed monthly visits with the child she gave birth to in 2017. Didi has been in a prolonged battle to gain shared custody of her daughter, who currently lives with Didi’s estranged wife. LGBTQ+ campaigners have hailed the visitation agreement as a milestone, as it sets a precedent of two mothers sharing parental custody.
India’squeer community can now open joint bank accounts.In October 2023, the Supreme Court recommended that queer partners be allowed to open joint bank accounts and name their partner as a nominee to receive the balance if they die. The government has now confirmed this information in an advisory, noting that the Reserve Bank of India has issued a clarification to all scheduled commercial banks.
Ghana passes long-awaited gender equality bill. Parliament unanimously passed the Affirmative Action (Gender Equality) Bill in August, following decades of campaigning by women’s rights activists and allies. The bill aspires to achieve gender equality in decision-making by 2030 by making it compulsory to have women elected or appointed to major decision-making organs of public life and promoting policies and programs to effectively address social, cultural, economic, and political gender imbalances.
Kentucky’s governor bans use of conversion therapy. ‘My faith teaches me that all children are children of God. And where practices are endangering and even harming those children, we must act.’
The EU’s Court of Justice has ruled that member states must recognise legal changes to gender identity processed elsewhere within the bloc, siding with Arian Mirzarafie-Ahi, a transgender man who sued his home country of Romania for refusing to accept the gender identity changes he initiated in pre-Brexit Britain. ‘Gender, like a first name, is a fundamental element of personal identity.’
Record-breaking number of same-sex marriages in Brazil. In 2023, over 13,000 same-sex marriages were celebrated, a 23.5% increase from 2022 and a 268% rise since 2013, when registry offices were first allowed to perform these marriages. Activists are now urging Congress to allow same-sex civil unions, with their #SayYes campaign garnering over 74,000 signatures to date.
Campaigns for same-sex marriage are active in dozens of countries around the world. A new report shows that regardless of political or national context, these efforts are successfully boosting support through the simple act of familiarising alternative family narratives. Support grows even after marriage equality is achieved, fostering inclusion and advancing other key LGBTQ+ policies.
Winning streak extended for Japan’s LGBTQ+ community. Earlier this year Japan’s Sapporo High Court ruled that the government’s policy against same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, and now Tokyo’s High Court has labelled the ongoing ban ‘a groundless legal discrimination based on sexual orientation.’ The victory creates more pressure on the government to legalise same-sex marriage.
Reproductive
In 2023, Colombia trialed a new model for improving maternal healthcare in 16 territories. An analysis of those territories showed a 16% reduction in the maternal mortality rate during the first six months of the year, so the Ministry of Health has now adopted the strategy nationwide.
Between 2000 and 2020, the Lao maternal mortality rate fell by over 250%, one of the largest reductions in the world. It’s primarily thanks to the work of midwives, who provide critical sexual and reproductive health services and support their patients through labour and delivery, family planning decision making, and the pursuit of rights and choices.
New research has shown that the FDA’s approval of over-the-counter emergency contraception had an unintended but positive side effect for America’s hospitals. Emergency rooms saw 96% fewer visits from women seeking emergency contraception after the morning-after pill became easily available to adults in 2006.
France’s lower house of parliament has overwhelmingly approved a measure to enshrine abortion as a ‘guaranteed freedom’ in the constitution.
We’re sending a message to all women: your body belongs to you, and no one can decide for you. Today the present must respond to history. To enshrine this right in our constitution is to close the door on the tragedy of the past and its trail of suffering and pain. Gabriel Attal, Prime Minister, France
Over-the-counter medication is the next battleground for reproductive rights in America. Pharmacies will be allowed to sell mifepristone in a handful of states where abortion is legal, in addition to availability at clinics and hospitals. With more women facing increasing obstacles, the move will facilitate access and make the right to choose easier for more women.
Nepal has made amazing progress in maternal and neonatal healthcare, thanks to its pioneering Safe Motherhoood Programme. Maternal mortality has declined from 536 per 100,000 live births in 1996 to 151 per 100,000 live births by 2021, and 70% of women now receive postpartum care within the first two days after giving birth.
In one of the first initiatives of its kind in the world, pharmacies in Catalonia, Spain, have begun to provide free products for the region’s roughly 2.5 million women, girls, and transgender and nonbinary people who menstruate. They will receive one menstrual cup, one pair of underwear for periods, and two packages of cloth pads at local pharmacies free of charge.
A biodegradable contraceptive implant could improve access to contraception globally. It’s the first trial for this type of implant in more than 20 years, with hopes of improving access to contraception globally.
Western Australia was the last state to include abortion care access in its criminal code. New changes to the code mean that patients in Australia can no longer be criminalised for abortion care access, a hard-won milestone for the country.
The federal government in Canada has announced plans to cover the cost of popular contraceptive methods, including hormonal IUDs, birth control pills, and emergency contraceptives. The initiative aims to reduce financial barriers and empower women to make choices about their reproductive health.
The EU parliament has approved a proposal to include access to abortion in its Charter of Fundamental Rights, with 336 votes in favour and 163 against. While the resolution is a significant first step, it requires the green light from all 27 member states in order to take effect.
After rising in the 1990s, the number of teenage abortions in Finland plummeted between 2000 and 2023, thanks to free contraception for adolescents and compulsory sex education in schools. Since September 2023, Finland has also stopped requiring women to give a reason for having an abortion, making it available upon request during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
Ireland is extending free contraception to more women. From July 1, all women and other people identifying as transgender or non-binary, aged 17-36, will be eligible for free contraception. Almost 2,400 GPs and 2,050 pharmacies are already providing services under the scheme, with more than 189,000 women accessing the service in 2023.
The number of women in sub-Saharan Africa using modern contraception has nearly doubled over the past decade, reaching 66 million. Social media has enhanced reproductive knowledge, even in remote areas, and lower-cost (and importantly, discreet) contraceptives like implants and injections are more readily available.
In 2020, the former far-right Law and Justice (PiS) party in Poland imposed near-total abortion restrictions. However, in December 2023 a new coalition government formed by former opposition parties took office. A parliamentary commission has now suggested decriminalising abortion within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. This proposal will be considered by parliament later this year.
Ballot measures on abortion rights have succeeded beyond their proponents’ greatest hopes, creating a mighty political movement. Pro-choice advocates in Nebraska have now collected enough signatures to put abortion-rights measures on the ballot, meaning that ten states will have an opportunity to enshrine the constitutional right to abortion in November.
Poland announces new guidelines reaffirming legality of abortion.Previously, abortion was only possible in the case of a pregnancy that was the result of rape or incest or in a situation of extreme danger to a pregnant woman’s health. The new guidelines now say that a recommendation by one specialist doctor, including a cardiologist, endocrinologist or psychiatrist, is basis enough for a woman to obtain a legal abortion in hospital.
Abortion will again be legal in North Dakota after a state court ruled that its near-total abortion ban is unconstitutional. Abortion has been illegal in North Dakota since April 2023.
Canada enables contraceptive care based on choice, not wallets.Canadian citizens currently pay for prescriptions through private, public, or out-of-pocket plans. Parliament has passed a bill to cover 100% of diabetes and contraception medication costs for both those without coverage and with out-of-pocket plans. An estimated nine million Canadian women will gain access to common contraceptives under the new plan.
Thailand halves the number of teen mothers in just over a decade.After years of extensive community campaigns on sexual well-being, births to women aged 15-19 years fell to 21 per 1,000 in 2023, down from 53.4 per 1,000 in 2011. The country has set a new goal of less than 15 per 1,000 by 2027.
Consent & Rights
Zimbabwe has raised the age of consent from 16 to 18 years, with violators now liable to spend up to ten years in jail. Data suggest that over a third of girls experience sexual violence before the age of 18.
Zambia’s parliament has passed landmark legislation setting the marriageable age at 18, without exception, for all marriages, including customary marriages, representing a significant step in the nation’s commitment to eradicating child marriage. This is a big deal for a country that is home to a staggering 1.7 million child brides, 400,000 of whom were married before age 15.
After several months of intense negotiations, the EU has reached a historic agreement on a new law that addresses gender-based violence, female genital mutilation, forced marriages, and online harassment across all member states.
Croatia passes law making femicide a specific crime. Croatia’s parliament has approved changes to the criminal code making the killing of women because of their gender a distinct crime. Anyone found guilty of femicide faces between 10 and 40 years in jail, the toughest punishment provided for under Croatian law.
In a historic victory for survivors of sexual assault, the Netherlands has become the 17th EU state to legally recognise that sex without consent is rape. The reform comes after years of activism and is ‘an important move towards preventing and combating sexual violence and improving access to justice for survivors.’
A landmark moment for intersex rights. In a historic vote, the UN Human Rights Council has passed a resolution to combat discrimination, violence, and harmful practices against intersex people. It’s estimated that 1.7% of the world’s population is born with intersex traits, and activists are now focused on using the resolution to lobby for legislation and improve medical and mental health services.
EU approves ruling to combat violence against women. The directive calls for stronger laws against cyberviolence, better assistance for victims, and steps to prevent rape. Under the new rules, female genital mutilation and forced marriage are prohibited, and they also establish guidelines for online offences like the disclosure of private information and cyberflashing.
Maine signs transgender, abortion sanctuary bill. Maine has become the 16th state in America to explicitly protect trans and abortion care from prosecution. The bill, which faced a rocky road to passage, provides extensive protections against out-of-state investigations and adverse actions against medical providers.
Belgian parliament approves labour law for sex workers. Following the decriminalisation of sex work in March 2022, the country’s lawmakers have now passed a law that makes it possible for sex workers to work under an employment contract, giving them access to social security, pension and unemployment benefits, health insurance, family benefits, annual vacation, and maternity leave.
Domestic violence rates in Australia fall by two-thirds since the 90s. The rate of women killed by their partners has fallen by two-thirds over the past 34 years, part of a long-term trend of domestic and acquaintance homicide rates falling by more than half since 1989. Factors cited include better victim safety, stronger home security, improved policing, economic affluence, an ageing population, higher imprisonment rates, and higher immigration.
Melinda French Gates is committing $1 billion to women’s rights. Pivotal to groups working in the United States to protect the rights of women and advance their power and influence.
Humanity is making progress on reproductive rights. As the US Supreme Court prepares to hand down its latest batch of rulings, here is your periodic reminder that America is an outlier. Some 60 countries around the world have made their abortion laws more liberal in the past 30 years; only a small handful, which includes the United States, have made their abortion laws more restrictive.
In a landmark decision, Sierra Leone’s parliament just passed a historic bill criminalizing child marriage, a major victory for campaigners in a region that has the highest prevalence of the practice in the world. The West African country is home to 800,000 child brides, half of whom were married before the age of 15. The new bill includes a hefty fine or jail terms of up to 15 years for perpetrators.
Lawmakers in The Gambia have rejected a bill that would have overturned a 2015 law against female genital mutilation. The international community has welcomed the decision, which aligns with the country’s commitments to prevent harmful practices against girls and women.
And that’s a good news wrap!
In a world often overshadowed by pessimism and uncertainty, Future Crunch offers a beacon of hope and optimism, reminding us that the future is not predetermined, but shaped by our collective actions and aspirations. By embracing a positive mindset, harnessing the power of innovation, and working together towards common goals, we can navigate tomorrow’s world with optimism, resilience, and purpose.
Until next time.
Peace, Love & Protection
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Until next time,
Peace love and protection
Caddyshack Project
See you in 2025!
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