Print
Share
Weekly News Email
News RSSFeminist News
Search Feminist News by keyword
News Stories 26 to 50 of 2449 
2/12/2013 - Pope Benedict XVI Resigns
Yesterday, Pope Benedict XVI announced that he will abdicate his position on February 28.
During his papacy, Pope Benedict came under scrutiny for the Vatican's handling of sexual abuse by priests in the United States and throughout Europe. In 2011, the Center for Constitutional Rights and the Survivor Network of Those Abused By Priests (SNAP) filed a case against the pontiff in the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity in cover up by Vatican leadership in cases of sexual abuses of children by priests. David Clohessy, executive director of SNAP, told the Guardian "[Pope Benedict] has read thousands of pages of reports of the abuse cases from across the world. He knows more about clergy sex crimes and cover-ups than anyone else in the church yet he has done precious little to protect children."
The pontiff also promoted an explicitly anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-reproductive health agenda during his eight years as Pope. For example, he expressed conflicting views on the use of condoms in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. In 2010, Pope Benedict suggested that the use of condoms might be acceptable in certain circumstances, such as in disease prevention. However, in 2009, the pontiff argued that condoms "increase the problem" of HIV/AIDS. Reportedly, he said, "you can't overcome this problem of AIDS with just money. It helps, but if there is no soul, the money cannot help. You cannot overcome it just by distributing condoms. You will increase it."
In addition to ideological controversy, the Vatican came under financial scrutiny in 2012 when the Pope's personal butler released private documents of the pontiff in an attempt to expose the corruption of the church.
The Pope cited his advanced age as his reason for leaving the Vatican. He was elected to the position in 2005 follow the death of Pope John Paul II. Pope Benedict will be the first Pope to resign since 1415 and the first to leave voluntarily since 1294.
2/11/2013 - Outrage over Gang Rape Spreads in South Africa
Earlier this month, a seventeen year-old woman was brutally gang-raped in Bredasdorp, South Africa. The victim, Anene Booysen, had been raped by multiple men and then mutilated and abandoned. Despite medical efforts, she died of her extensive injuries this past weekend. Booysen's aunt said that she lived long enough to identify a family friend as one of the attackers. The attack has gained local and national attention, with many taking to the streets in protest of South Africa's high rate of violence against women.
South African president Jacob Zuma made a statement on the crime: "The whole nation is outraged at this extreme violation and destruction of a young human life...[t]his act is shocking, cruel and most inhumane. It has no place in our country. We must never allow ourselves to get used to these acts of base criminality to our women and children." The Associated Press notes that Zuma himself was embroiled (but acquitted) in the rape of a friend's daughter in 2005.
Concerned citizens marched through Bredasdorp this weekend chanting "no more violence!" Lindiwe Mazibuko, a member of Parliament, said she will throw into motion public hearings and debates on the issue of deeply ingrained patriarchy and its relation to sexual violence.
Talk Radio 702, a popular radio station in South Africa, now plays a chime sound every four minutes to represent how often a woman or child is raped in the nation. South Africa is home to one of the highest rates of rape in the world. From 2010-2011, over 56,000 rapes were reported in South Africa, averaging about 154 a day. Around 71% of women report being sexually assaulted according to CNN.
South Africa is not the only country that has seen extreme cases of violence against women gain international attention recently. In December, the violent gang-rape of a medical student in India that resulted in her death led to international outcry. As a result, the Indian government recently approved stricter punishments for sexual assault. The trial of her attackers is currently underway.
2/8/2013 - UN Condemns "Normalization" Surgeries of Intersex Children
Last week the United Nations released a report condemning the practice of performing "normalization" surgeries on intersex children.
The Special Rapporteur on Torture (SRT) to the United Nation's Human Rights Council submitted a report to the General Assembly that addressed the practice of surgically altering children born with ambiguous genitalia. According to the report [PDF], "Children who are born with atypical sex characteristics are often subject to irreversible sex assignment, involuntary sterilization, involuntary genital normalizing surgery, performed without their informed consent, or that of their parents, 'in an attempt to fix their sex', leaving them with permanent, irreversible infertility and causing severe mental suffering."
The report concludes [PDF] "The Special Rapporteur calls upon all States to repeal any law allowing intrusive and irreversible treatments, including forced genital-normalizing surgery, involuntary sterilization, unethical experimentation, medical display, 'reparative therapies' or 'conversion therapies', when enforced or administered without the free and informed consent of the person concerned. He also calls upon them to outlaw forced or coerced sterilization in all circumstances and provide special protection to individuals belonging to marginalized groups."
According to the Intersex Society of North America (ISNA), intersex is "a general term used for a variety of conditions in which a person is born with a reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn't seem to fit the typical definitions of female or male." Intersexuality can present in a wide variety of ways - such as ambiguous external genitalia, ambiguous internal sexual organs, and/or sex chromosomes that deviate from normative medical definitions. According to ISNA, approximately one or two children per 1,000 births will have some sort of sex "normalization" surgery.
For more information on intersexuality, visit the Intersex Society of North America's website.
2/7/2013 - Somalia Jails Alleged Rape Victim
A Somali woman who accused government security forces of rape was sentenced to one year in prison on Tuesday after the court ruled that her accusation was false. A journalist who had interviewed the woman but never published a story was also sentenced to one year in prison.
The Somali court ruled that the woman had not been raped based on the testimony of a midwife who performed a "finger test." According to the Human Rights Watch, the so-called "finger test" is "an unscientific and degrading practice that has long been discredited because it is not a credible test of whether a woman has been raped." Mohamed Mohamud Afrah, the lawyer representing the journalist, told the BBC that he was not allowed to call witnesses or submit witness statements that provided credibility to the woman's claims. Both were convicted of "offending state institutions." The woman's sentence was delayed for a year because she is currently breastfeeding.
The United Nations and the White House have issued statements condemning the decision. In a statement, a spokesperson for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that the Secretary-General "urges the Government of Somalia to ensure that all allegations of sexual violence are investigated fully and perpetrators are brought to justice. Above all, it is essential that the rights of the alleged victim and the journalist to a fair and transparent judicial process, including the right of appeal, are fully respected." Victoria Nuland, Department Spokesperson for the White House said in an official statement "Women should be able to seek justice for rape and other gender-based violence without fear of retribution, and journalists in Somalia must be free to work without being subjected to violence and harassment... We have raised our concerns directly with the Somali Government and have urged it to uphold its constitution, including with respect to media freedom, women's rights, and due process of law."
2/4/2013 - Member of Pussy Riot Hospitalized
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova of the Russian punk feminist band Pussy Riot was transferred to a hospital at the end of January for severe headaches.
Tolokonnikova told her lawyer that she has been suffering headaches and fatigue since her prison sentence began in October 2012. Her lawyer, Irina Khrunova, issued an appeal to the prison's director requesting a full medical check-up. Khrunova is concerned that the headaches may signify a health problem. On January 24, Tolokinnikova was transferred to a hospital.
Tolokonnikova is one of three women who were arrested after making an anti-Putin demonstration at Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral in August 2012. The members of Pussy Riot entered the church wearing bright colors and balaclavas, singing "Mother of God, Blessed Virgin, drive out Putin!" They noted later that their intent was to challenge the Church's political support for Putin and to show their dissatisfaction with Putin's 12-year political dominance. In October, a Moscow City Court freed Pussy Riot punk band member Yekaterina Samutsevich on appeal. The two remaining imprisoned band members, Maria Alyokhina and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, are still required to serve their two-year sentences for "hooliganism."
2/4/2013 - India Enacts Harsher Punishments for Sexual Assault
Over the weekend, Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and the Union Cabinet approved new provisions to the Indian Penal Code that create harsher punishments for sexual assault and rape. The laws went into immediate effect when President Mukherjee's signed them on Sunday, but must be ratified by Parliament.
With the new provisions, the death penalty could be sought in rape cases where a woman is left in a vegetative state, whereas before the death penalty could only be applied when a woman died from her injuries. In addition, the new provisions tackle other forms of sexual assault, such as voyeurism, stalking, and groping, and provides tougher punishments for offenses that had previously carried little to no weight. Human trafficking is also criminalized under the new laws, which could impact widespread child labor practices in India.
While many are applauding the new ordinances, some women's right activists believe that the new laws don't go far enough. For example, under the new laws it is still legal for a husband to rape his wife and service members are protected under a special law that gives them impunity.
Public outrage over a gang-rape that left a woman dead and garnered international attention spurred the President and Cabinet to approve the laws even though Parliament was in recess. On December 16th, the 23-year-old medical student and her male partner were attacked while riding a bus in New Delhi. Both were severely beaten. The woman was raped repeatedly for nearly an hour before a metal rod was pushed inside her, critically damaging her internal organs. She was transferred to a hospital in Singapore and required multiple surgeries for head and intestinal injuries. She died as a result of her injuries two weeks later. Five men who allegedly attacked her are currently being tried in a special fast-track court. A sixth was determined to be a minor and will be tried separately in juvenile court.
1/29/2013 - Ethiopian Immigrants Given Birth Control Without Consent in Israel
A report released over the weekend reveals that Ethiopian women who migrated to Israel were given contraceptive injections without their consent.
Haaretz, a leading Israeli newspaper, reported that the director general of the Health Ministry of Israel has indirectly acknowledged that Ethiopian immigrants were given Depo-Provera, a contraceptive injection that lasts three months, while in transit camps. In a letter to Israel's four health maintenance organizations, the director general instructed gynecologists "not to renew prescriptions for Depo-Provera for women of Ethiopian origin if for any reason there is concern that they might not understand the ramifications of the treatment." According to a 2010 report, Ethiopian women account for 57% of the country's Depo-Provera users.
The memo comes a month after the controversy over forced temporary sterilization in Israel was sparked following the airing of a documentary show called "Vacuum." One woman interviewed in "Vacuum" described her experience while immigrating, "We said we won't have the shot...They told us, if you don't you won't go to Israel. And also you won't be allowed into the Joint (American Joint Distribution Committee) office, you won't get aid or medical care. We were afraid ... We didn't have a choice. Without them and their aid we couldn't leave there. So we accepted the injection. It was only with their permission that we were allowed to leave."
1/28/2013 - Sixth Accused Rapist in New Delhi Case Determined to Be A Minor
A Juvenile Justice Board in New Delhi has ruled that a sixth attacker in the fatal rape of a medical student on a bus in December was 17 at the time of the attack. As a result he will be tried in juvenile court separately from the other five alleged attackers, all of whom are over 18.
The court based their decision on elementary school certificates. Unlike in the U.S., schools place students in classes based on what the parents say the child's age is, not on birth certificates. As a result, the school certificates are an approximation. The headmaster of the school told the BBC, "We admit a child based on what the parents tell us. We can't really be sure of his age, but as per the school admission records, he is 17 years and six months old. He could be older than this, but I'm sure he is not younger."
If convicted, the minor would face a maximum of three years in a juvenile facility whereas the five other accused attackers could face execution. The five adults face charges of murder, rape, and kidnapping.
On December 16th, the 23-year-old medical student and her male partner were attacked while riding a bus in New Delhi. Both were severely beaten. The woman was raped repeatedly for nearly an hour before a metal rod was pushed inside her, critically damaging her internal organs. She was transferred to a hospital in Singapore and required multiple surgeries for head and intestinal injuries. She died as a result of her injuries two weeks later.
1/25/2013 - Ban on 'Gay Propaganda' Passes First Reading in Russian Parliament
A new bill that would ban "gay propaganda" from being directed towards minors passed its first reading in the Russian Lower House today.
The bill states that children need to be protected from "homosexual propaganda" and that "this propaganda goes through the mass media and public events that propagate homosexuality as normal behavior." This could potentially ban events campaigning for LGBT rights and mean hefty fines for organizers for creating "false perceptions of the social equality of traditional and nontraditional sexual relations."
Yelena Kostyuchenko, a Russian journalist and LGBT rights supporter, told reporters that "The law absolutely does not define what gay propaganda is and the reasons are understandable because gay propaganda does not exist. ...In that respect, any information on, as the law puts it, 'equal values of traditional and unorthodox marital relations' is considered 'gay propaganda'."
Homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia in 1993, however many LGBT individuals still face discrimination. About two-thirds of Russians consider homosexuality to be a "disease" or a "bad habit," according to Bloomberg. Gay pride events are banned in the capital city, and many cities currently have similar laws banning "gay propaganda" already in place.
The bill must pass two more readings in the Lower House, and then be approved by the Upper House and President Vladimir Putin before being enacted into law.
1/24/2013 - Trial in Brutal India Gang-Rape Begins Today
The trial of five men accused of brutally gang raping a 23 year old medical student, who later died of her injuries, on a bus in New Delhi, India, began today. Those accused face charges of murder, rape and kidnapping and could receive the death penalty if convicted.
The judge hearing the cases has barred lawyers from speaking to the media about the details of the case. If they violate the judge's order they could face contempt-of-court charges.
On December 16th, the 23-year-old medical student and her male partner were attacked while riding a bus in New Delhi. Both were severely beaten. The woman was raped repeatedly for nearly an hour before a metal rod was pushed inside her, critically damaging her internal organs. She was transferred to a hospital in Singapore and required multiple surgeries for head and intestinal injuries. She died as a result of her injuries two weeks later.
1/23/2013 - Morocco To Change Rape Law that Forces Marriage
The Moroccan government earlier this week, announced plans to change a law that allows rapists to avoid prosecution by marrying their victim if she is underage. On Monday, Justice Minister Mustapha Ramid announced that the ministry of justice supported a proposal to change the outdated law and to consider tougher sentences for rapists.
The current law, Article 475, makes it a criminal offense to "abduct or deceive" anyone under the age of 18 into sexual acts against their will and makes these offenses punishable by up to 5 years in prison, so long as the offenses are committed without violence. Article 475 also currently provides that a rapist cannot be prosecuted if they marry their victim. In some cases, a rape victims are forced to marry their attackers by their families in order to protect the family's honor.
Khadija Ryadi, president of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, told reporters "Changing this article is a good thing but it doesn't meet all of our demands. ...The penal code has to be totally reformed because it contains many provisions that discriminate against women and doesn't protect women against violence."
Morocco's Article 475 came under international scrutiny in 2012, when a 16 year old girl committed suicide after being forced to marry her rapist, who was almost a decade older than her.
1/17/2013 - Delhi Rape and Murder Case Moved to Fast-Track Court
The case of five men accused of the brutal rape and murder of a 23 year old medical student in New Delhi has been moved to a special "fast-track" court, an Indian magistrate declared on Thursday. The first hearing will be held on Monday, January 21st.
On Thursday Magistrate Namrita Aggarwal dealt with various procedural issues relating to the cases of those accused and announced on Thursday afternoon that five cases will be transferred to a fast-track court. A sixth suspect will undergo a separate trial as the court determines whether or not he is considered a minor and should be tried in youth court. If the men are convicted, they could face the death penalty, according to the BBC.
On December 16th, a 23 year old medical student and her male partner were attacked while riding a bus in South Delhi. Both were beaten and the woman was raped repeatedly. She was transferred to a hospital in Singapore and required multiple surgeries for head and intestinal injuries. She died as a result of her injuries two weeks later.
1/16/2013 - Indonesia Supreme Court Candidate Jokes Rape Victims "Might Enjoy It"
On Monday, a candidate for the Indonesian Supreme Court joked before the parliamentary selection panel that women who were raped may have enjoyed it.
Muhammad Daming Sanusi made the comment when he asked whether he considered the death penalty to be a reasonable punishment for rape. He responded "Consideration needs to be taken thoroughly for the imposition of death penalty for a rapist because in a rape case both the rapist and the victim enjoy it." This comment reportedly elicited laughs from members on the panel.
In a press conference on Tuesday, Daming explained that his comments were a joke to "ease the tension" of the interview process. "I have three adolescent daughters and one of them told me that she is very embarrassed and that she felt as if she did not know me at all," he said. "[I have] said something that no man should ever say, especially a Supreme Court candidate."
His comments quickly sparked public outrage in addition to criticism from various Indonesian political parties and organizations. Both the Democratic Party and the opposition Democratic Indonesian Party have announced that they would reject Daming's application. Chairman of the Indonesian Commission for Child Protection said "It is disturbing that a judge, whose role is to protect the legal rights of women and children, could say something so audacious and consider it as a joke" and called for Daming to be fired from his current position.
1/14/2013 - New Bus Gang Rape Case Reported in India
A new gang rape case involving a private bus has been reported in India, where the brutal gang rape and death of a 23-year-old female medical student has prompted global outrage and demands for reform. A woman is estimated to be raped every twenty minutes in India.
Some aspects of the new case are eerily similar to the first. A 29-year-old woman was gang raped by seven men on Friday in Punjab after the driver and conductor of a private bus refused to let the woman off the bus. Instead, they took her to a building where she was raped repeatedly by seven men. The victim was dropped off near her village on Saturday morning, when she reported the attacks to the police. Six of seven suspects in this case have been arrested.
Chandigarh's senior police spokesman Hardeep Dhillon told the Washington Post, “The increased media reporting and the protests have created an awakening among women, and they are now coming forward like never before to report rape and want to fight for justice...This has also made our police force more sensitive to these cases. Now they file the complaint immediately and believe the victim’s statement without questioning." He continued, “Earlier, the police would merely make a note of the details of a rape case when a woman came to the police station. They would hold a preliminary inquiry, ascertain the facts and only then register a formal complaint.” Chandigarh is the capital of Punjab.
In the first case, a physiotherapy student was tortured and raped by a group of six men who were armed with a metal bar on a private bus in New Delhi on December 16th. The woman was raped for nearly an hour before a metal rod was pushed inside her, critically damaging her internal organs. The victim was flown to Singapore for medical treatment where she died of her injuries two weeks later.
According to the Times of India, the victim's friend who witnessed the attack and was also brutally beaten by the attackers, has refused police security protection. Five of the accused in this case have been arrested and are jailed in New Delhi. The sixth accused man is a minor who is being held in an observation home.
1/10/2013 - Sri Lankan Domestic Worker Executed in Saudi Arabia
A Sri Lankan domestic worker who was convicted of killing an infant in her care was executed by the Saudi Arabian government on Wednesday.
Rizana Nafeek was sentenced to death in 2007 for allegedly murdering a 4 month old infant in 2005 that had been in her care for two weeks. Nafeek initially confessed to the crime, but later recanted her statement saying that she was under duress at the time and did not have adequate translation assistance to understand what was happening.
The Sri Lankan government and multiple human rights organizations have condemned the execution as a violation of international law. When Rizana entered Saudi Arabia in 2005, she was provided a falsified passport by a recruitment agency that said she was 23 years old when in fact she was only 17 at the time, making her too young to be executed according to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (ratified by Saudi Arabia).
Amnesty International's Philip Luther, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme, said "Despite a chorus of pleas for Saudi Arabian authorities to step in and reconsider Rizana Nafeek's death sentence, they went ahead and executed her anyway, proving once more how woefully out of step they are with their international obligations regarding the use of the death penalty."
Nafeek's death is also sparking international discussion on the rights of domestic workers. According to the International Business Times, only 10% of the over 52 million domestic workers globally have protection under labor laws that protect other workers.
1/8/2013 - Protests Spread As Alleged Attackers Plead Not Guilty to Violent Rape
Three of the five accused attackers in a violent gang rape of a medical student in India will enter pleas of not guilty, according to the BBC.
Manohar Lal Sharma, who is representing three of the five men accused of told the BBC that he would be filing representation letters for the three accused men challenging the way the police handled evidence in the case. "I believe the accused should get a fair trial and I have come forward to represent them," he stated.
This news comes a day after the court ruled that the preliminary hearings for the case will be heard privately. Magistrate Namrita Aggarwal declared "It has become completely impossible to proceed" after a hearing on the case was delayed for two hours when police were unable to restore order in a court room filled with over 100 lawyers and reporters. As a result she determined that neither the media, public, nor lawyers who are not directly related to the case will be allowed in the court room.
Meanwhile, international outrage over the incident as well as several domestic rape cases has sparked protests in the neighboring country of Nepal. "The media attention to protests in Delhi has raised awareness on issues of violence against women in Nepal," said Manju Gurung, a member of an organization that advocates for female migrant workers, Pourakhi. Demonstrators as part of the Occupy Baluwatar movement have been protesting outside the prime minister's residence and other official buildings. Occupy Baluwatar has been raising awareness for a rape case that gathered national attention in Nepal at the same time as the case in New Delhi became public.
1/4/2013 - Malala Yousafzai Released from Hospital
Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani teenager who was shot in the head by Taliban forces for her outspoken support of girls' education, was released yesterday from Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham, UK. She is currently staying with her family at a temporary home in the United Kingdom before going back to the hospital for reconstructive surgery within the next month.
Dr. Dave Rosser, the hospital's medical director, told reporters, "Malala is a strong young woman and has worked hard with the people caring for her to make excellent progress in her recovery. ... Following discussions with Malala and her medical team, we decided that she would benefit from being at home with her parents and two brothers."
Yousafzai was targeted by the Taliban early in 2012 after she published a diary under a pen name, published by the BBC, criticizing the Taliban and the opposition faced by girls trying to get an education in Pakistan. In October, she was shot in the head after two men approached her school van on her way home from school. She was immediately rushed to a Pakistani hospital where doctors removed the bullets lodged in her head. She was then transferred to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for specialized treatment.
1/2/2013 - Death of Indian Rape Victim Sparks Global Outrage
The brutal gang rape and death of a 23-year-old female medical student in India has prompted global outrage, Reuters reports.
The physiotherapy student was tortured and raped by a group of six men who were armed with a metal bar on a private bus in New Delhi on December 16th. The woman was raped for nearly an hour before a metal rod was pushed inside her, critically damaging her internal organs. The victim was flown to Singapore for medical treatment where she died of her injuries Saturday morning. Her body was cremated and her ashes were scattered in the Ganges river Tuesday morning
Police have detained five men and a teenager in the case and are seeking the death penalty against four of the accused, one senior police source told Reuters.
The incident has sparked protests across India, the world's largest democracy, where a woman is estimated to be raped every twenty minutes, with Delhi being labeled the "rape capital" of the country, according to the Associated Press. Huge protests and demonstrations have voiced anger regarding the treatment of women in India and calling for tougher laws on violence against women.
12/21/2012 - South Korea Elects First Female President
On Wednesday, Park Geun-hye was elected President of South Korea. She will be the first woman to ever hold the position in that country.
Park, the leader of the country's conservative party, defeated liberal Moon Jae-in by 3.5%, and promised to return the conservative leadership to a more moderate stance than her predecessor Lee Myung-bak. Her campaign featured economic reform, as well as a "women's revolution" featuring issues like child care. However, some critics argue that while she may be willing to advance some women's rights issues, she may not be a champion for gender equality in the country. She also has promised firm reform in relations with North Korea.
Park is the daughter of Park Chung-hee, the dictator who led the country until his assassination in 1979. After her mother was killed in a failed assassination attempt of her father in 1974, Park Geun-hye filled the public role of "First Lady" next to her father.
12/20/2012 - Indian Activists Protest Gang Rape
Protests erupted in India yesterday in response to a violent gang rape on a bus in South Delhi. Protesters, mostly students and women's organizations, held protests in streets of the city of Delhi and demonstrated in front of the city's police headquarters calling for new attitudes towards rape. Protesters who gathered outside of the home of Delhi's Chief Minister were blasted with a water cannon from police forces.
On Sunday, a 23 year old medical student and her male partner was accosted while riding a bus in South Delhi. Both were beaten and the woman was raped repeatedly by four men. She has required multiple surgeries for head and intestinal injuries. A few days later, a 15 year old was raped in the northern state of Bihar.
Sehba Farooqui, an activist for Indian women's rights, said "We have been screaming ourselves hoarse demanding greater security for women and girls. But the government, the police and others responsible for public security have ignored the daily violence that women face." A student protester told reporters "We want to jolt people awake from the cozy comfort of their cars. We want
people to feel the pain of what women go through every day."
12/19/2012 - Irish Government Announces Change in Abortion Laws
On Tuesday, the Irish government announced that it will draft new legislation to clarify the country's restrictive abortion ban. The news comes after international pressure and two on-going inquiries following the death of Savita Halappanavar after she was denied an abortion while miscarrying.
In a statement released by the Irish health department, the government affirmed that it will draft legislation that "should provide the clarity and certainty in relation to the process of deciding when a termination of pregnancy is permissible, that is where there is a real and substantial risk to the life, as opposed to the health, of the woman and this risk can only be averted by the termination of her pregnancy." Health Minister Dr. James Reilly spoke with reporters on the government's decision to draft new legislation. "I know that most people have personal views on this matter," he said. "However, the Government is committed to ensuring that the safety of pregnant women in Ireland is maintained and strengthened. We must fulfill our duty of care towards them."
Though there is little talk of expanding exceptions to the ban, this move on behalf of the Irish government seemed impossible to many pro-choice activists. James Burke, a member of the Termination for Medical Reasons Ireland campaign, told the LA Times, "We can see our government will be taking this issue seriously. It's definitely a step forward." He continued that in light of Halappanavar's death many people are becoming aware of what issues there are with vague legislation. "We hope it opens the door to more discussion in the future," he said.
Savita Halappanavar was 17 weeks pregnant when she arrived at University Hospital Galway complaining of severe back pain. Hospital staff determined she was miscarrying, however doctors refused to remove the pregnancy until three days later. After the pregnancy was removed, Savita was transferred to intensive care where she died three days later of what was determined to be septicaemia (similar to blood poisoning).
12/19/2012 - Gender Gap Drastically Increases After Motherhood
According to a new report released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the gender gap in wages increases drastically after a woman has a child.
The report looked at the economic standing of women in 34 of the developed member country and found that on average all women earn 16% less than men. Without children, the gap between men and women was only 7%. However, after a couple has even one child, the wage gap increases to a staggering 22%.
The OECD reported that the gender gap begins before children leave school - early educational disparities between girls who tend to be stronger in reading skills than boys but weaker in math tend to funnel women away from scientific fields that feature higher wages. After women have entered the workforce, limited child care options and motherhood demands can prevent women from moving further in their careers.
In addition, the OECD found that reducing the gender gap would lead to stronger economies and an increase in GDP. In his remarks on the report in the LA Times, Secretary General of the OECD said "Closing the gender gap must be a central part of any strategy to create more sustainable economies and inclusive societies."
12/18/2012 - UPDATE: Philippine RH Bill Passes Third Reading
Yesterday the Philippine House of Representatives passed the Reproductive Health Bill (RH Bill), which will provide government-funded sex education and birth control across the country. After sitting in the Philippine Congress for almost 15 years, the RH Bill will be sent to President Benigno Aquino on Wednesday after a reconciliation committee condenses differences between the House and Senate versions.
The RH Bill has been heatedly debated in the country due to the prominence of the Roman Catholic Church. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines spoke about contraceptives covered under the bill in a statement, "These artificial means are fatal to human life, either preventing it from fruition or actually destroying it." While more than 80% of people in the Philippines identify as Catholic, the RH Bill had widespread public support.
President Aquino will sign the bill into law as early as Wednesday. His administration is credited by many with helping the RH Bill move forward after being buried for so long. A spokesperson for the president told reporters, "The people now have the government on their side as they raise their families in a manner that is just and empowered."
12/17/2012 - Catastrophic Factory Fire was Sabotage and Negligence
The factory fire in Bangladesh last month that killed over 100 people has been ruled by officials as "sabotage."
112 workers died in the factory that was producing clothes for Walmart and other Western retailers was originally attributed to an electric short-circuit, an official investigation ruled that the fire was deliberately started. Main Uddin Khandaker, who led the investigation, told the AFP "The statements of the witnesses revealed that it was an act of sabotage. There was no possibility of the fire originating due to an electric short-circuit or any other reason." However, it is still unclear who was behind the act. In addition to being a deliberate act, the investigation determined that up to nine officials prevented workers from leaving the building and even padlocked exits.
The investigation also found severe evidence of negligence on behalf of the factory owner, Delwar Hossain. Hossain had originally denied that the factory was unsafe, however the factory's fire certificate had expired before the fire. In addition, the building only had permission to be three stories high but was in fact nine and lacked sufficient emergency exits. According to Khandaker, "There was also gross negligence on the part of the owner. We have suggested legal action against him and nine of his mid-level managers who barred the workers from leaving the burning factory."
12/13/2012 - Women's Rights in Question in New Egyptian Constitution
Women's rights activists are protesting the draft constitution proposed by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi that will be voted on by the general public on December 15th, 2012. Many activists are worried that the draft constitution does not protect women's equality under the law and instead inserts women into the law as defined by traditional roles.
One of the most controversial aspects of the constitution is the assertion of Sharia, Islamic law, as the primary foundation of legislation. Many secular and women's activist believe that this assertion will allow for religious extremism to become the basis for laws restricting women's rights.
In addition, women activists believe that women's rights are not protected fully and the constitution reasserts women to traditional family roles. Article 10 provides free maternal and child health services, but also states the government will "enable the reconciliation between the duties of a woman toward her family and her work" which many fear is an indication the government will push women back into the home. Article 11 empowers the Egyptian government "to safeguard ethics, morality..." which could lead to extremist controls on women's freedoms under the guise of "morality." While proponents of the constitution argue that women are included as part of an equality article, many critics feel this article does not sufficiently protect women from discrimination under the law.
In a press conference, the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights said "The current draft constitution does not represent Egyptian women in any way, but progressively ignores their rights as citizens." An activist group, Nazra, issued a statement declaring: "The draft constitution ignores political participation of women, it did not adopt an electoral system to ensure their effective participation or that women are represented democratically within different elected assemblies."
"Women have not been mentioned in the constitution, only in family and divorce. Seventy-five per cent of Egyptian women work and there is no mention about their rights in the constitution," protester Mona Elwakel told the Toronto Star from Tahrir Square.
In December 2011, thousands of women gathered in Cairo as part of the "Million Women March" to protest police brutality towards female protestors. The march followed a widely broadcasted incident in which security forces brutally beat, kicked, and dragged a woman protestor. According to the New York Times, "Historians called the event the biggest women's demonstration in modern Egyptian history, the most significant since a 1919 march against British colonialism inaugurated women's activism here, and a rarity in the Arab world." Women were also a large population of protesters in the 2011 revolution protests in Tahrir Square that lead to the fall of former President Hosni Murbarak.
