Plans to fine women who have children out of wedlock have caused outrage in the central Chinese city of Wuhan.

Photographs of breasts cover the walls of the Kiev basement that serves as the global headquarters of Femen, the women's rights movement born in Ukraine.

The Government has been slammed for its track record on child poverty and violence against women following a critical report from an international human rights watchdog.

Brian Rudman asks, "What would the great Liberal and Labour social pioneers think of the cripple-bashing that occurred last week?"

Thousands of people marched through the streets of Manhattan to protest against the killing of a gay man allegedly taunted with homophobic slurs.

Two-thirds of Europe's lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community are still afraid to show their sexuality in public, and a quarter have been victims of physical or verbal attacks, a European Union report says.

A Northland couple are outraged and hurt at being denied accommodation at the Pilgrim Planet Lodge because of "who we are".

British historian Niall Ferguson has apologised for remarks suggesting that economist John Maynard Keynes didn't care about future generations because he was gay and childless.

Most New Zealanders had no idea that this island off the bottom of India would be hosting the biennial Commonwealth heads of government meeting, writes Brian Rudman.

Michael Jones has hit back at the critics of former sportspeople being appointed to jobs such as the Race Relations Commissioner and defended Dame Susan Devoy.

Women's refuges are being kept in the dark about the proposed repeal of laws protecting victims of domestic violence.

Kiwis are more polite about their racism than people in other parts of the world, says university lecturer Camille Nakhid.

Martin Luther King she is not, but the new Race Relations Commissioner adopted some of the American civil rights legend's soaring rhetoric yesterday.

As a conference this weekend looks at how racism affects Auckland, Susan Edmunds examines the progress we have made and the work left to do.

Some of humanity's daily tragedies stand out because they inflict wantonly futile suffering; others awake the persistent tug of collective conscience.

Gay marriage has been legalised by Parliament - but it is still banned by most of New Zealand's 10 main religions, a new Herald survey shows.

Aquiet, conscientious National MP, Jackie Blue, has made an unusual career move, forsaking Parliament for the Human Rights Commission where she will be the next Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner.

Former National MP Paul Quinn has ruled out a return to Parliament to replace Jackie Blue.

NZ is set become the 13th country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage. Scroll through our interactive timeline above to see NZ's history of rights for gay people.

Some MPs who have voted against the same-sex marriage bill have not changed their minds on the matter leading up the bill's final reading tonight.

An Eketahuna man who confronted a gay couple on the town's main street, called them poofters and accused them of spreading Aids was yesterday convicted of using offensive language.

New Zealand is expected to become the 13th country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage this evening as a bill to amend marriage law comes before Parliament.

Editorial: When the Marriage Equality Bill passes its final vote in Parliament, possibly tonight, it will signify a marked social change.