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12/13/2012 - Reproductive Health Bill Passes Second Reading in Philippines
On Thursday, the Philippine House of Representatives passed the second reading of a controversial bill known as the Reproductive Health Bill (RH Bill) which would provide contraception to poor citizens free of charge, despite pressure from the Roman Catholic church. The RH Bill requires that the government provide contraceptives to the poor free of charge as well as provide information in schools on family planning and reproductive and sexual health.
In a vote of 113 in favor of the bill and 104 against, the RH Bill passed the second reading aloud in Congress. Before it can become law, the bill must pass a third reading no earlier than Monday and be signed by President Benigno Aquino III. A version of the RH Bill is also in the Senate for a second reading. The RH Bill has been stuck in the Philippine Congress for almost 15 years.
The biggest opposition to the bill has come from the Catholic Church, which has a strong base in the country. While voting was taking place, many Catholic bishops were seated in the gallery, while priests and nuns prayed outside the building.
Magdalena Lopez, Director of International Programs at Catholic for Choice, issued a statement on the decision: "Today is a victory for those in the Philippines who want to save lives and improve families' well-being, an achievement that could not have come about without the pro-RH champions in Congress and the advocates who fought for it over a decade. ...Today is also a defeat-for the bishops and their myopic point of view, which tries to override individual conscience and the rights of the women who have no means to decide whether or when to have children, and whose health and lives may be at risk without contraception."
12/11/2012 - Women's Rights Advocate Slain in Afghanistan
Najia Seddiqi, the head of women's affairs for Laghman province and known women's rights activist, was murdered yesterday on her way to her office. She was getting into a rickshaw when two gunmen on a motorbike shot her. She was traveling with no bodyguards despite multiple requests for protection from authorities, according to her family. As of Tuesday, no one had claimed responsibility for the murder, though an investigation has been launched to determine if political extremists are responsible. Sediqqi's predecessor as the head of women's affairs was murdered five months earlier by a bomb planted in her car as she was traveling.
Despite the fact that women in Afghanistan have reclaimed voting, educational, and employment rights, many fear that new talks between the government and the Taliban could lead to new restrictions. In addition, a report from the United Nations found that violence against women and girls is still mainstream in Afghanistan despite new laws that aim to legally protect women from abuse.
12/10/2012 - Mobile Phone Campaign Against Maternal Mortality
A new campaign in East Timor plans to tackle high rates of maternal and infant mortality with a mobile phone program designed to provide families with information about health and wellbeing.
Mobile Mums will provide new mothers and families with information on how to plan ahead for medically necessary travel, danger signs to look out for during pregnancy, and nutritional guides. The messages will also remind women to go to their pre-natal checkups and birth planning visits.
Beth Elson of Health Alliance International, told reporters "We discovered through our household survey that mobile phone ownership is rapidly increasing, so we thought this could be the perfect opportunity to combine traditional approaches to improve health outcomes with an innovative one using mobile phones."
Currently 97% of East Timor has mobile coverage available. One of the biggest challenges to the program is that only 73% of women in East Timor are literate. However, according to Elson, a study by the HAI found that all of their respondents have at least one person in their family who could read the messages. Elson explained that in East TImor, "often it's the husband or the mother-in-law that makes some decisions about health seeking behaviours. So the more people reading those health messages in the households, the better."
12/7/2012 - Mexico's Supreme Court Strikes Down Same-Sex Marriage Ban
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court of Mexico determined that a state law could not be used to prohibit same-sex marriage in the southern state of Oaxaca.
The Court found that the law, which included the statement "one of the purposes of marriage is the perpetuation of the species," could not be used to prohibit same sex marriage because it "violates the principle of equality." While the court's decision does not challenge the constitutionality of the law, it does assert that the law cannot be interpreted to define marriage as between a man and a woman. According to Alex Alà Méndez DÃaz, the lawyer defending the couples involved, "The court did not declare the unconstitutionality of the law, but the effect of its application is that the justices said that one would have to understand marriage is a contract celebrated between two people without any reference to the sex of those who enter into it."
Activists hope that this could spread a wave of change through the country. LGBT activist and blogger from Mexico City, Enrique Torre Molina, told the Washington Blade "It's not going to be long before same-sex marriage is a reality in the whole country. ... It's a matter of same-sex couples who have been thinking about getting married and haven't done it either because they're not in Mexico City and traveling is not an option or because they were going to get no for an answer. It's just a matter of time of trying it out as these couples in Oaxaca [did] and sort of contribute to this history."
Currently, same-sex marriage is only legal in the capital, Mexico City. Wednesday's decision will also give precedent for cases in other parts of the country.
The Mexican Supreme Court's decision comes while the United States Supreme Court considers whether or not to take a case that challenges the American federal ban on same-sex marriage, the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA).
12/6/2012 - Textbooks in Saudi Arabia Feature Photographs of Women
For the first time in the history of public education in Saudi Arabia, new textbooks will feature photographs of women.
The textbooks, designed for third year high school English students, feature a woman as a nurse about to give someone an injection. In the photograph, she is wearing a headscarf and a surgical mask. The photograph is also accompanied by an exercise asking students to discuss men and women's changing involvement in traditional jobs. The textbooks also picture a woman in a science lab. In the original photograph she was not wearing a veil, but the publishers of the textbook altered the image to cover her face before final publication.
Photographs of women have been banned from Saudi textbooks since the country first adopted a public education system in 1926. If women were pictured in a textbook, it was only a drawing and not a picture of a real woman. The textbooks are currently only in an experimental phase and have limited circulation. At the end of the current academic year, the textbooks can then become authorized for full circulation in the school system.
12/5/2012 - Bihar Village Bans Use of Cell Phones by Women
On Sunday, the self-appointed village council of Sunderbari within the state of Bihar in India prohibited the use of mobile phones by unmarried women and girls. The use of mobile phones by married women has also been restricted to when they are indoors and in the company of a relative. The ban resulted from fear of immoral relationships outside of marriage increasing due to the use of the use of mobile phones. Women who violate the ruling can face severe fines of up to 10,000 rupees.
Members of the all-male panchayat (an informal, but respected council of village leaders) justified their ruling by arguing that the reputation of their village has been compromised by the handful of single women who have eloped with their partners as well as some married women who have left their husbands by eloping with their current partners. Manuwar Alam, head of the committee to enforce the new ban, said that it was shameful every time someone asked who had eloped. "So, we decided to tackle it firmly," he told Reuters, "Mobile phones are debasing the social atmosphere."
Women's rights activist Jagmati Sangwan, the vice president of the All India Democratic Women's Association, claims the ban is illegal and the village councils "want women to get cut off from the processes of modernization, education and employment." Another activist, Suman Lal, described the ban as "nauseating" on a debate on local television.
Women have been the target of other village councils, according to the New York Times. In the Bagpat district of Uttar Pradesh, the panchayat banned unarranged marriages and the ability of women under the age of 40 to attend markets. In addition, these councils have also lowered the age of marriage to 16 in response to an increase in sexual assault, predicting that this adjustment will "keep women sexually satisfied." The new ban that restricts women from using mobile phones is under investigation.
11/30/2012 - Students Protest Mandatory Gynecological Exams for Civil Service Employees
Students in the Chinese city of Wuhan protested outside the Human Resources and Social Security Department on Monday against the requirement that women who apply for civil service positions in China have a gynecological exam as part of the screening process.
Ten university students carrying signs denouncing the exams and wearing large underwear that had "examine" written on the front and crossed out held a demonstration outside the government building. The exams have been required of applicants since 2005 and require that women have an invasive gynecological exam to check for STIs and tumors. Women are often asked to give information on their menstrual cycles as part of these exams.
One of the protesters told local reporters, "We believe that pelvic exams have little connection with the duties of civil servants, and they violate the privacy of citizens. Through this demonstration, we call on government departments to drop the examinations." Another protestor who is currently a medical student say there is no reason for exams because STIs would not be spread through daily work tasks and "even more serious STIs, like syphilis, can be detected through blood tests." Many legal scholars in China have stated that the policy could possibly be in violation of Chinese labor and employment law.
Civil service is one of the most competitive job markets in China. Approximately 1.12 million people took the civil service exam, and only 21,000 will receive a position with the government.
11/30/2012 - Irish Government May Face European Court for Abortion Death
On Thursday, Praveen Halappanavar announced that he will take the Irish government to the European Court of Human Relations over his wife's death after she was denied an abortion last month.
According to Gerard O'Donnell, Halappanavar's lawyer, Halappanavar believes the government did not investigate Savita Halappanavar's death in October sufficiently. As a result, he plans to challenge the government under article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which states that "Everyone's right to life shall be protected by law."
Savita Halappanavar died last month in Ireland after she was denied an abortion while miscarrying her pregnancy. She 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 fetal heartbeat had stopped. 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). During the days before her death, Halappanavar begged to have the pregnancy terminated, but was told she was in "a Catholic country."
Her death has made international headlines and increased external and internal pressure for reforming Ireland's abortion ban. The government has launched two investigations into Halappanavar's death, however both were private investigations and have not satisfied Praveen Halappanavar or Savita's family, according to CNN.
11/29/2012 - Russian Court Bans Pussy Riot Videos
On Thursday, a court in Moscow ruled that videos of Pussy Riot's performance at Christ the Savior Cathedral must be removed from websites. The court ruling stated that the group's performance that made international headlines was "extremist" and ruled that access to four videos of the feminist punk band's performances be immediately blocked from the internet.
After a thirty day appeal period, Russian Internet providers must block access to the videos. Any Russian servers that host forbidden content can face criminal prosecution. The Russian office for Google told reporters they would not remove the content until they received a court order. Servers and hosts outside of Russia will not be affected by the court's ruling.
Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, and Marina Alyokhina, 24, are currently serving two-year sentences for "hooliganism" after they were arrested for performing a "punk prayer" (video) on the altar of Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral in dissent of Vladimir Putin. A third member, Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, was released from prison after an appeal. The members entered the church wearing bright colors and balaclavas, singing "Mother of God, Blessed Virgin, drive out Putin!" The band members said their intent was to challenge the Church's political support for Putin and to show their dissatisfaction with Putin's 12-year political dominance.
11/28/2012 - UPDATE: Church of England Will Not Allow Female Bishops
Last week the governing body of the Church of England voted against allowing women to become bishops. While the measure did receive the necessary two-third votes in the House of Bishops and the House of Clergy, the measure just fell short in the House of Laity.
Bishops who supported the measure are currently working to find a way to save the legislation in time for the next meeting of the General Synod in July 2013. A memo leaked to the Times of London indicates a plan for drafting simpler legislation, such as a clause, that could be proposed at that time. However, if a substantial plan is not discovered, the measure will have to start again in 2015.
11/27/2012 - Women in Saudi Arabia Tracked by Text Message
Women in Saudi Arabia are having their movements tracked by the government and sent to their husbands through text message, according to Saudi activists across the country.
News spread about the text message alerts when a couple leaving the country received a message from the government that the wife had crossed the country's border. As part of a new electronic passport system established in 2010, when a woman or child crosses the border into a different country the Interior Ministry sends a text message to alert their male guardian. Originally the alerts were only sent to those who signed up for the service, however the husband who received the message never registered to participate in the service.
When the husband received the message, the couple contacted Manal al-Sharif, a prominent Saudi women's rights activist who protested the ban on women drivers. Al-Sharif immediately began organizing around the alerts and told CNN, "It's very shameful. ...It shows how women are still being treated as minors." As soon as the couple told her what happened, she began to tweet what was happening and it soon went viral.
"It's a power that's being used over women," according Eman Al Nafjan. Al Nafjan is Saudi writer who advocates ending the practice of male guardianship in the country all together. "Women are not free. No matter how old you are, you're always a minor. It's almost like slavery. Guardianship is practically ownership." Currently every woman and underage child in Saudi Arabia must be granted permission to leave the country by their male guardian, who is either their father, husband, or brother.
11/26/2012 - UN Declares Contraception a Human Right
In its annual report released on November 14th, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) declared that it will now consider contraception a global human right. The report, titled "The State of World Population 2012: By Choice, Not by Chance: Family Planning, Human Rights and Development," conveys the basic message that contraception is a "human right" and is essential to the "sustainable development" of nations.The report insists that legal, cultural and financial barriers to accessing contraception and other family planning methods infringe upon women's human rights.
Currently 222 million women in developing countries have little to no access to family planning. UNFPA believes that an additional $4.1 billion is needed to provide for current family planning resources. UNFPA estimates that maternal and newborn health costs would decrease by $11.4 billion if voluntary family planning was made available to everyone in developing countries.
Along with the economic costs, UNFPA claims that ignoring the right to family planning results in poverty, poor health, and gender inequality. By enabling individuals to choose if and when they want to have children, both women and their children are more likely to live healthier, longer lives. According to a statement from UNFPA Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, "Family planning has a positive multiplier effect on development. ...Not only does the ability for a couple to choose when and how many children to have help lift nations out of poverty, but it is also one of the most effective means of empowering women. Women who use contraception are generally healthier, better educated, more empowered in their households and communities and more economically productive. Women's increased labor-force participation boosts nations' economies."
However, this classification by the UNFPA is not legally binding and the United Nations cannot force nations to take any immediate action following the release of the report.
11/14/2012 - Woman Denied Abortion Dies in Ireland
Savita Halappanavar died last month in Ireland after she was denied an abortion while miscarrying her pregnancy. She 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).
Praveen Halappanavar, Savita's husband, told the Irish Times that she had asked for an abortion multiple times while she was miscarrying, but was told that the hospital could not do anything until the fetal heartbeat stopped. Savita experienced vomiting, shivers, shakes, and even physically collapsed in the three days before the fetal heartbeat stopped. When Savita asked if the hospital could induce labor to end the pregnancy, a hospital employee told the family that Ireland is a Catholic country and "as long as there's a foetal [sic] heartbeat we can't do anything."
In 2010, the European Court of Human Rights determined that Ireland had to have a system in place to grant women an abortion in accordance with their rights established by the government. In Ireland, abortion is legal "when there is a real and substantial risk to the life of the mother." However, many hospitals have been hesitant to terminate pregnancies in these situations because the statute is vague regarding specific guidelines for when the procedure is permissible. Fiona de Londres, a law professor at Durham University England told Bloomberg "[Savita's death] clearly underlines the need for a change in the abortion laws. It is a ludicrous situation. There is a clear need for legal guidelines to be introduced so that doctors know precisely when they are legally entitled to provide an abortion when requested."
University Hospital Galway has launched an internal investigation into Savita's death, and the Health Service Executive, Ireland's executive health board, is also launching an investigation. Pro-choice activists across Ireland and the U.K. are planning protests to challenge the restrictive abortion laws in Ireland.
Praveen Halappanavar accompanied his wife's remains to India for her funeral and cremation on November 3rd, 2012. News of her death made international news when her community cancelled the city's Hindu Diwali festival, which Savita had helped organize.
11/9/2012 - Kenyan Government Proposes Marriage Reform
The Kenyan Government has proposed a law that would ban mandatory bride-price payments, recognize co-habiting couples, and legalize polygamy. The Marriage Bill 2012 was approved by the cabinet but must also pass parliament before becoming national law.
Marriage Bill 2012 will eliminate the current customary law that dictates a marriage is not legal until a bride-price has been paid. This custom is practiced by more than 40 different ethnic groups in Kenya. The bill does not outlaw the practice, however, so families wishing to pay a bride-price would be allowed to do so.
The proposed marriage reform law would also recognize a couple that has been living together for six-months, so called "come-we-stay" relationships, as legally married. This provision of the proposed law aims to recognize these relationships in part to protect any children born to such couples that then separate, leaving one person alone to raise a child or children.
Marriage Bill 2012 would also legalize polygamy in respect to different cultures within Kenya where polygamous marriages are considered the norm. According to Africa Review, the cabinet issued a statement that the proposal seeks to bring together Christian, Hindu, Islamic, civil and traditional laws and provide protections for all different types of marriages in the country.
Other reforms included in the proposed law would protect widows from wife inheritance, raise the minimum age for marriage to 18, and give men and women equal status within all marriages. The bill does not recognize same-sex couples and defined marriage as the "voluntary union of a man and a woman intended to last for their lifetime."
According to the BBC, the vast majority of members of parliament are men and are likely to oppose sections of the bill on the basis of cultural and traditional values.
11/9/2012 - Pakistani Girl's Parents Confess to 'Honor Killing'
A 15-year-old Pakistani girl named Anusha was the victim of an "honor killing" last week at the hands of her parents. The specifics of what happened are uncertain, however reports indicate that Anusha died after her parents poured acid on her for turning to look at a boy or boys. It was reported that she was beaten by her father and then both of her parents poured acid on their daughter, resulting in much of her body being covered with burns. Anusha's parents did not take her to the hospital until the morning after the incident.
Though "honor killings" are frequent occurrences in Pakistan, as well as in other parts of the world, police report that Anusha's murder was the first of its kind in Pakistani-administered Kashmir, where such an act is a criminal offense that can lead to life imprisonment. While some deaths are not reported, there were at least 943 honor killings in Pakistan last year, according to the Huffington Post. A report by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan found that "throughout [last] year, women were callously killed in the name of honor when they went against family wishes in any way, or even on the basis of suspicion that they did so. Women were sometimes killed in the name of honor over property disputes and inheritance rights."
Anusha's parents have confessed to the honor killing and are being charged with murder. Human rights activists are working to end honor killing by attempting to control the sale of acid, creating a documentary on those who have survived acid attacks, and implementing educational programs.
10/12/2012 - Suspects Arrested in Shooting of Pakistani Teen Activist
Pakistani authorities arrested three men today who were allegedly involved in the shooting of teenage activist Malala Yousafzai in Pakistan's Swat Valley earlier this week. According to the Atlantic Wire the arrested men all named another man, called Attaullah, as the mastermid of the attack. Attaullah remains at large. On Tuesday, Pakistani Taliban members claimed responsibility for the shooting.
Malala Yousafzai is known for her outspoken criticism of Taliban atrocities. She was shot in the head after two men approached her school van on her way home from school Tuesday.
In early 2009, under a pen name, Yousafzai published a diary for the BBC that highlighted the Taliban ban against girl's education in the northwest Swat district of Pakistan. Yousafzai was awarded a cash prize and an award for her courageous peace work to raise awareness by the Pakistani government in 2011. In that same year, Yousafzai was also nominated for an International Children's Peace Price.
9/18/2012 - United Nations Releases LGBT Rights Publication
Yesterday the United Nations released "Born Free and Equal," a 60-page booklet detailing the basic legal rights States must provide LGBT individuals. In the pamphlet[PDF], the U.N. details five strategic areas to improve the condition of LGBT individuals: Protect LGBT people from violence, Prevent torture and inhumane treatment of detained LGBT individuals, Repeal laws criminalizing homosexuality, and Prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, Protect LGBT freedom of expression.
Some key policies the United Nations believes are necessary for LGBT individuals:
- Provide appropriate training for law enforcement for handling cases involving LGBT individuals and monitored detention areas
- Recognize a person's sexual orientation is subject to persecution that may require asylum
- Provide education about LGBT individuals and intersex individuals to reduce stigmatization
In the foreword of "Born Free and Equal," Navi Pillay United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stated "For all the difficulties, this is a time of hope: an increasing number of States now recognize the gravity of the problem and the need for action. With commitment and the combined efforts of States and civil society, I am confident that we will see the principles of equality and non-discrimination translated into reality for millions of LGBT people around the world."
9/18/2012 - Female Poverty in Bangladesh Result of Biased Family Laws
Many women in Bangladesh face poverty after a failed marriage as the result of discriminatory family laws according to a new Human Rights Watch report released on Monday.
According to the report, outdated family laws that do not recognize the rights of women in cases of divorce and abandonment drive women to stay in abusive marriages or live in poverty on their own. The few laws there are in place for protecting women are not enforced in family courts, leaving women with few resources.
While Bangladesh has different personal laws depending on the religion of the individuals, the Muslim, Christian and Hindu laws overlap with each other in places such as stricter qualifications for a separation for the woman and eliminating the right to equal marital property.
Human Rights Watch suggested the following measures for reducing the poverty among women in Bangladesh:
- Reform personal laws to remove discrimination on the basis of sex in marital property and rights to a divorce or separation and eliminate polygamy
- Publicize resources available through the law against domestic violence and ensure that they are implemented
- Make sure that family court eliminate unnecessary delays and grants protections in interim periods
- Reinforce and improve existing assistance programs for women such as shelters
9/18/2012 - Proposed Anti-Abortion Measure in Canada Lacks Support
Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) Stephen Woodworth has proposed a private-member bill calling for the study of when a baby becomes a human being.
MP Woodworth's motion (motion 312) would review part of the Canadian homicide Criminal Code which states that a fetus becomes a human being at the moment of birth. Woodworth told reporters "Until a child's little toe pops out of the birth canal, that child is not recognized as a human being in Canada... [This law] dehumanizes and excludes an entire class of people."
Pro-choice activists are worried that this could be an attempt to criminalize abortion, though MP Woodworth claims that it would not change current laws. However, many anti-choice organizations have supported his motion. According to The Globe and Mail "By saying babies [are] not a human being until they are born, Mr. Woodworth said people can convince themselves that aborting a fetus is not the same as killing a human being - much like plantation owners in the deep south prior to the American Civil War convinced themselves that black slaves were not human."
Discussion on Motion 312 is set to resume on Friday, but Woodworth doubts he will receive the 50 per cent vote needed to pass. "At this point I am not optimistic that I will come close to the 50 per cent required to pass this motion, although I continue to want to meet with Members of Parliament and to try to convince them of that," Woodworth said.
9/4/2012 - Egypt Lifts Ban on Veiled Women TV Anchors
For the first time since the 1960's, a woman wearing a traditional Muslim headscarf known as a hijab, presented the news on an Egyptian state TV channel. Fatima Nabil appeared on Sunday to give the mid-day news bulletin. After her segment, Nabil told reporters "At last the revolution has reached state television."
Under former President Mubarak's regime, women were not allowed to wear a hijab on camera and either needed to remove their traditional covering or take a job behind the camera. Despite multiple lawsuits, the government ignored court rulings demanding the removal of the ban against veiled women appearing on state television.
As a result of the change, more women are expected to present news and weather updates in the country.
8/28/2012 - HIV Stigma Deters Rural African Women from Seeking Prenatal Care
Many women in rural areas of Kenya do not seek prenatal care in clinics for fear of being stigmatized as being HIV positive, according to a study published in PLoS Medicine, the leading open-access medical journal.
The study, based on a 2007-2009 survey of 1,777 pregnant women in a highly populated area of rural Kenya, found that only 44% of young pregnant women gave birth in clinics. Many women chose to deliver outside of a clinic setting to avoid HIV testing, despite knowing the risks of spreading HIV to their baby without any treatment. One participant stated "There are men who don't like it when their women come to the clinic, and they do quarrel [with] their wives if they heard that the women were screened for HIV... Some men can even send their women away just because of that."
Similarly, a comprehensive literature review published in July by the Health Policy Project found the prevalence of HIV stigma affects women seeking prenatal care in other parts of Africa and the world. The tragedy is antiretroviral drug treatment during pregnancy reduces mother-to-child-transmission of HIV to less than 5% according to the World Health Organization, and prenatal care reduces maternal mortality.
8/27/2012 - Pussy Riot Members Flee Russia
Two members of feminist punk band Pussy Riot have fled Russia to evade arrest, according to the Huffington Post. Three members of the band were found guilty of "hooliganism" and sentenced to two years in prison earlier this month. The maximum sentence for the charges was seven years.
The hooliganism conviction stems from an action by five members of the band who performed a "punk prayer" (video) on the altar of Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral in dissent of Vladimir Putin. The members 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.
Following the three convictions in the case, police announced they were searching for the two members of the group who also participated in the performance but had not been identified due to the balaclavas the group wore.
Pussy Riot tweeted that the two members who have left the country are "recruiting foreign feminists to prepare new protest actions" and that twelve members of the group are still in Russia.
8/23/2012 - Iranian Graduate Programs Bar Women Applicants
Seventy-seven graduate programs will no longer be available to women in Iranian universities across the country, according to Iranian new site Rooz Online. The restrictions were added to the academic manuals of institutions this year without any warning. Since a news outlet discovered the restrictions earlier this month, the Ministry of Education and universities have been bombarded with demands for an explanation.
Subjects ranging from accounting, pure chemistry, mining engineering, and urban development engineering will only be available for male applicants in 36 different universities including the University of Tehran. Women have been accepted into these programs with no restrictions as early as last year. It is unclear if women students will be allowed to complete degrees they have already started. Female students who have been accepted that start in the coming academic year will not be able to study in certain fields.
Officials from the Ministry of Education justified the decisions of universities citing the "the basis of the needs and necessities of society." The Director General for the spread of education from the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology stated, "Some fields are not very suitable for women's nature such as agricultural machinery or mining, partly because of the hard work involved in them."
After the negative response to the new policies, many officials have attempted to back-track their statements. The decisions to bar women from specific programs also comes after President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced the end of sex segregation in schools, a practice that continues in many universities.
8/13/2012 - Obama Issues Executive Order on Global Violence Against Women
President Barack Obama issued an executive order Friday on preventing and responding to violence against women and girls around the world. The order creates an interagency working group that, according to senior advisor to the president Valerie Jarrett, is "designed to leverage our country's tremendous expertise and capacity to prevent and respond to gender-based violence globally as well as establish a coordinated, government-wide approach to address this terrible reality." The new working group will be co-chaired by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah and include representatives from at least 10 other government departments, agencies, and offices including the Peace Corps and the Millennium Challenge Corporation.
A document outlining a new "multi-year strategy for preventing and responding to gender-based violence" developed by the State Department and USAID was also released (see PDF). The executive order requires this strategy document to be revised every three years. Objectives of the current strategy are:
- To Increase Coordination of Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response Efforts among United States Government Agencies and with Other Stakeholders
- To Enhance Integration of Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response Efforts into Existing United States Government Work
- To Improve Collection, Analysis, and Use of Data and Research to Enhance Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response Efforts
- To Enhance or Expand United States Government Programming that Addresses Gender-based Violence
In his executive order, President Obama describes gender-based violence as "significantly hinder[ing] the ability of individuals to fully participate in, and contribute to, their communities -- economically, politically, and socially. It is a human rights violation or abuse; a public health challenge; and a barrier to civic, social, political, and economic participation. It is associated with adverse health outcomes, limited access to education, increased costs relating to medical and legal services, lost household productivity, and reduced income, and there is evidence it is exacerbated in times of crisis, such as emergencies, natural disasters, and violent conflicts."
7/12/2012 - Saudi Women to Participate in Olympics
Today, the IOC announced that two Saudi Arabian female athletes, Sarah Attar and Wodjan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shahrkhan, qualified to participate in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. This comes one month after Saudi Arabia announced that it would reverse its ban on women competing in the Olympic Games.
The country was under international pressure to reverse the ban earlier this year, after Qatar and Brunei made the decision to allow women to compete for the first time. However, earlier this week, it did not look like Saudi Arabia would be sending any women to the games, regardless of the lift of the ban.
Attar will compete in the 800m race and Shahrkhani will enter the Judo competition. Attar stated, "A big inspiration for participating in the Olympic Games is being one of the first women for Saudi Arabia to be going. It’s such a huge honor and I hope that it can really make some big strides for women over there to get more involved in sport."
This will be the first year that every participating country will send female athletes to compete in the games. According to the New York Times, 26 countries failed to send any women to the Olympics in 1996. This year the United States will also be making feminist history by sending more women than men to the games for the first time.
