Rhona Scullion

Rhona Scullion is a Scottish writer and reporter who works as a prison law advocate in Nottingham, England. She writes on a variety of human rights and British political topics, often on women's issues. Having previously worked in Hong Kong and Peru, she has written for the Women News Network and UNA-UK, among others. Scullion has a joint honors bachelor's degree in English literature and modern history from the University of St. Andrews and a postgraduate law degree from Nottingham Law School. She passed the English bar exam in 2017.

COVID-19

Sudan May Have Banned FGM, but the Harsh Practice Continues

Rhona Scullion

• August 11, 2020

Just four months ago, Sudan took the monumental step to ban female genital mutilation, a painful, unnecessary and dangerous procedure that leaves lasting scars. Generally carried out on girls before they reach puberty, genital mutilation is now punishable in Sudan by up to three years in prison and subject to a fine. In a …

Africa, Covid-19, Gender Violence

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COVID-19

Don’t Even Try to Make Sense of Lockdown Rules in the ‘United’ Kingdom

Rhona Scullion

• July 9, 2020

WHITCHURCH, England — Britain currently has the highest death toll from Covid-19 in Europe and the third-highest death rate in the world, according to the World Health Organization statistics. The central government in London is being repeatedly criticized for its handling of the crisis, while each of the devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and …

Covid-19, Governance, Health and Population

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TOPIC: WOMEN

A New UK Hotline for Victims of Sexual Harassment Is ‘Constantly Ringing’

Rhona Scullion

• October 21, 2019

A new hotline is offering free, confidential legal advice to women in England and Wales who are experiencing sexual harassment at work. Launched in August, it is the only hotline of its kind dedicated to addressing a problem affecting women from all walks of life. Already, the hotline has been inundated with calls from …

Health and Population, Human Rights, Women

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TOPIC: WOMEN

Women and Brexit: Their Voices Are Just Not Heard

Rhona Scullion

• February 20, 2019

NOTTINGHAM, England — It has been more than two and a half years since Britain voted to leave the European Union. As the rest of the world knows, nothing since then has gone smoothly. It’s not even clear where most voters stand on the issue today. But despite the nonstop debate, women’s voices continue …

Women

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UN Peacekeepers Murdered on Duty Die in Obscurity

Rhona Scullion

• October 29, 2018

In the early morning of Tuesday, April 3, 2018, a temporary United Nations peacekeeping base in the village of Tagbara, in the Central African Republic, was attacked by rebel militia groups. One peacekeeper was killed and 11 others were injured in the fighting. Soon after, the UN also discovered the bodies of 21 civilians, …

Africa, ICC, UN Peacekeeping

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WORLDVIEWS

Prisoners’ Human Rights: A Seriously Forgotten Problem in Britain?

Rhona Scullion

• May 1, 2018

NOTTINGHAM, England — Prisoner rights are not a popular topic either in the hallowed halls of the British Parliament or in the public domain in Britain. Aside from the standard “tough on crime” approach that most governments adopt as a go-to populist policy, there is little if any attention paid to people in our …

Human Rights, Poverty, WORLDVIEWS

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TOPIC: WOMEN

‘Period Poverty’: Why No One Is Talking About Eco-Friendly Solutions

Rhona Scullion

• November 30, 2017

The United Nations has recognized menstrual hygiene as a global public health and human-rights issue, yet across the world, “period poverty,” as some call it, is the reality for millions of women and girls. In India, for example, it is estimated that only 12 percent of the country’s 355 million menstruating women can afford …

Climate and Environment, Human Rights, Poverty, Women

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NIKKI HALEY WATCH

Nikki Haley Is Better Known in the UK Than Her British Counterpart. How Come?

Rhona Scullion

• October 9, 2017

DUNDEE, Scotland — While most British people have a generally positive view of the United Nations, public awareness of who their diplomats are and how they carry out their work in New York is minimal to nonexistent. Yet the United States ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, has had no trouble attracting headlines in …

Nikki Haley Watch, Nuclear Disarmament, Security Council, US Foreign Relations

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TOPIC: WOMEN

Is Feminism in Britain Slipping Under Theresa May’s Leadership? Women’s Groups Wonder

Rhona Scullion

• March 20, 2017

NOTTINGHAM, England — Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May once famously wore a “This is what a feminist looks like” T-shirt and has been vocal in her support for women — much more than her only female predecessor and fellow Conservative Party member Margaret Thatcher. Yet May has remained a divisive figure among the feminist …

Gender Violence, Poverty, US Foreign Relations, Women

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TOPIC: WOMEN

No Prosecutions for Female Genital Mutilation in Britain, So What Is the Problem?

Rhona Scullion

• October 3, 2016

NOTTINGHAM, England — Female genital mutilation has been illegal in England and Wales since 1985. Scotland has similar but separate legislation. Much more comprehensive laws forbidding the practice were introduced in 2003 and again in 2015, creating additional safeguards and stringent punishments for those practicing FGM, as it is known. Yet no one in …

Gender Violence, Women

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The Hidden Shame of Sectarianism in Scotland and How It Affects Women

Rhona Scullion

• August 31, 2016

On the international stage, Scotland’s feminist credentials appear groundbreaking. All main political parties in Scotland are led by women, including the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, from the Scottish National Party. Women’s rights have been named a priority, and gender equality has been high on the political agenda, with Sturgeon and her party pledging their …

Gender Violence, Human Rights, Women

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In Post-Brexit Tangle, Scotland’s Leader Acts Decisively

Rhona Scullion

• July 4, 2016

DUNDEE, Scotland — Before dawn on June 24, Britain voted by a majority to leave the European Union. Yet every region in Scotland voted to remain, and now Scots face the prospect of being pulled from the European Union against their will. Striding confidently into the press room in Edinburgh, the home of the …

Governance, Women

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In London, a New Academic Center Focuses on Sexual Violence in Conflict

Rhona Scullion

• March 8, 2016

LONDON — The Center for Women, Peace and Security, based at the London School of Economics in Britain, is a year old. The first of its kind in Europe, the center aims to shed light on the prevalence of violence against women during conflict through academic research and forums. The concept of the center …

Gender Violence, Human Rights, Peace and Security, Women

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Industrial Mining: A Wild Frontier in Need of Monitoring

Rhona Scullion

• August 26, 2015

Extracting minerals from the earth is a messy, albeit lucrative business, and the disputes that plague the industry tend to be equally challenging. As the center of international trading of mining company stocks, London is regarded by some watchdog groups as a hub of multinational mining companies that they say tends to disregard the …

Africa, Climate and Environment, Gender Violence, Human Rights, Latin America

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A Peruvian Paradise, Sensitive to El Niño and Other Climate Effects

Rhona Scullion

• August 15, 2015

ICA, Peru — Located in the Pisco Province of the southern Ica region of Peru, the Paracas National Reserve is a Unesco World Heritage Site because of its rare natural diversity. Rich in marine life and wildlife, its unique ecosystem is one of the most biologically productive on the planet. Encompassing the Atacama Desert, the …