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| News April 2007 |
News April 2007
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BRISBANE FEMINISM ONLINE – APRIL 2007
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Hi People
Welcome to the April BFO newsletter.
A relatively restful month for feminists here in Brisbane. As always there are still a few things to get out and see including some great indigenous movies centred on women’s lives and a discussion night or two for those keen on a chat.
Best regards and spread the word.
Kitty and Andrea
2007 BFO Editors
Feedback welcome to editor@brisbanefeminismonline.net
PS: BFO is looking for great feminist quotes for the website so please send your favourites to kitty@brisbanefeminismonline.net
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IN THIS ISSUE
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LOCAL NEWS
1. DONATIONS WELCOME
2. RAW
3. LITTLE WOMEN
4. CONTRIBUTIONS WELCOME
5. DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOVIE?
6. FEMINIST DISCUSSION NIGHT: ABORTION
7. CLEAN ENERGY FORUM - FREE PUBLIC MEETING
8. VANISH
9. THE CLIMATE OF POVERTY: CLIMATE CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT IN OUR REGION
10. FEMINIST MOTHERS DISCUSSION GROUP
11. RADIANCE
12. VOLUNTARY INDUSTRIAL OFFICERS
13. COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK AWARDS 2007
14. LIVING UNDER CIVIL LAWS AND RELIGIOUS LAWS IN AUSTRALIA: CONFLICT OR HARMONY?
15. GRUMPY OLD WOMEN LIVE
16. CHILDREN BY CHOICE MOVIE FUNDRAISER
17. RESPECT A MUSICAL JOURNAL OF WOMEN
18. THE MOTHER: ISSUES, IMAGES AND PRACTICES
19. INTERNATIONAL FEMINIST SUMMIT TOWNSVILLE
20. EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT AND EVERYTHING... THE TRIPLE LAYERS OF A WOMAN'S LIFE
ARTICLES AND COMMENTARY
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
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LOCAL NEWS
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1. DONATIONS WELCOME
April
Women’s House recently held a fundraiser movie night. If you missed it but would still like to donate to a good cause please call Heidi at Women’s House on 3391 2573
2. RAW
April
Get out, get active and put the energy back into your life by experiencing the adventure of a RAW activity with other like-minded women. Lots of new activities to try including abseil with billy tea and damper, day and overnight horse riding adventures, whip jet skiing, fishing, introduction to 4WD'ing, plaiting and whipcracking fun, boot camps, canoeing and many more. Starts in April and runs to September. Pick up your brochure at any BCC library or go online www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/activeandhealthy or contact Council on (07) 3403 8888.
3. LITTLE WOMEN
7th April onwards
As the American Civil War rages around them, the March girls - tempestuous Jo, lovely Meg, gentle Beth and romantic Amy - create a world for themselves where honour and imagination rule over vanity and social convention. But as darkness threatens their happy family, the four sisters will have to take a leap into adulthood. But what kind of women will they be? 7.30pm/ 2pm $30/ $25 Bookings & Enquiries: contact Sydney Street Theatre - Home of Harvest Rain 27th April - 12th May 2007 @ 7.30pm / Sat @ 2pm) Previews:Wed 25 & Thur 26 May @ 7.30pm Adults $30 / Conc $25 / Child $18 Matinee: Sat 28 April & 12 May @ 2pm From the writer of I WANT TO BE IN A JANE AUSTEN NOVEL comes a bold new adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's beautiful classic. If you loved getting lost in the pages of this classic novel, prepare to lose yourself all over again in this touching theatrical rendering of LITTLE WOMEN. Director JOANNA BUTLER
http://my247.com.au/brisbane/Sydney-Street-Theatre-Home-of-Harvest-Rain/whats-on/Little-Women.23551
4. CONTRIBUTIONS WELCOME
April
Honestly Woman is a quarterly seasonal publication. The magazine is distributed by Gordon & Gotch to newsagents across Brisbane and Queensland. It is also available by subscription. Guarantee: No ‘diet’ or ‘celebrity’ articles in sight!! Contribution Deadlines: Edition Mar / Apr / May 2007 - deadline 19 January 2007 Edition Jun / Jul / Aug 2007 - deadline 20 April 2007
http://www.honestlywoman.com.au/page.cfm?pageCode=submitContent
5. DO YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOVIE?
April
TAFE Outreach and Rushes Video Productions are seeking expressions of interest from those wishing to learn skills in video production. Both writer/directors, actors, musicians and technical crew welcome. TAFE Outreach aims to provide free courses for those who are unemployed, disabled, single parents, geographically or culturally isolated. • The course runs one day per week, for 12 weeks, between 9am and 4pm. • Have fun while you learn a new skill. • Location to be determined. • Course details available at ACON Those interested please call Jen Rush on 66337232 with your contact details. Or e-mail me at jenrushpro@yahoo.com.au
http://www.nrg.com.au/~wow/blog/
6. FEMINIST DISCUSSION NIGHT: ABORTION
Wed 18th April
Abortion - the overlap of the personal and political. Can feminists be anti-choice? Do your personal views every conflict with your feminist views? What do we do about this conflict and why does it happen? Are doctors really getting more pro-women or is there another agenda with abortion? Any other aspects of abortion we feel could and should be discussed. Contact Kitty for venue details.
kitty@brisbanefeminismonline.net
7. CLEAN ENERGY FORUM - FREE PUBLIC MEETING
19 APR 2007
Can renewables provide us with all of our energy needs? What is the role of energy efficiency? Are nuclear power and geosequestration solutions to climate change? Does phasing out coal really mean job losses? Hear perspectives from trade unionists, environmentalists and energy experts. Thursday April 19th. 6.30 for a 7pm start Paddington Community Workers Centre 2 Latrobe Tce (behind Biome), Paddington Catch bus 374 or 375 to the end of Given Terrace (which turns in to Latrobe Terrace) For more information call: Friends of the Earth Brisbane on 3846 5793 or emma.brindal@foe.org.au Speakers: Trevor Berill, Alternative Technology Association Hannah Elvery, Friends of the Earth More speakers to be confirmed
8. VANISH
23RD April
A film about Aunty Mary, one of the last full blood Aboriginals from NSW. This is the story of her family and her people, the Gamilaroi, and their struggle to protect the last significant site of their culture. We follow the Gamilaroi people over the past ninety years on a journey of survival against oppression and the loss of culture. ABC, 1999, 30 mins View through the eyes of three generations of women. Venue: Loris Williams Room, kuril dhagun, level 1 Date: 23 Apr; 11am and 2pm Entry: Free, no booking required
http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on/events/films#vanish
9. THE CLIMATE OF POVERTY: CLIMATE CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT IN OUR REGION
26 APR 2007
Climate change is one of the most serious threats to sustainable human development and directly challenges the successes arising from the Millennium Development Goals process. Its effects are likely to be devastating, with impacts on food security, water security, and health. Where: Tara Room, The Irish Club, 171 Elizabeth Street, Brisbane City. When: 1.30 -3pm, Thursday 26th April 2007 Speakers: Tim Costello, CEO of World Vision Uofati Hakaoro, President of the Tuvaluan Association of Brisbane Gillian Marshall, Community Campaigner, World Vision Emma Brindal, Climate Justice Campaigner, Friends of the Earth Given the catastrophic impacts expected in our region and our high greenhouse emissions, Australia has an obligation to reduce the chance of dangerous climate change, and to assist impacted communities within our region to adapt. This forum will explore the impacts of climate change and highlight the steps that can be taken by Australia and development NGOs to address the interlinked issues of sustainable development and climate change. RSVP to qldoperations@worldvision.com.au or phone 3387 2700 Presented by World Vision, TEAR Australia and Friends of the Earth
10. FEMINIST MOTHERS DISCUSSION GROUP
Friday 27 April 2007
Yummy Mummies and the Mummy Competition: Have we sexualised motherhood and thereby liberated from an image of dowdy and frumpy? Or have we added another strand of unnecessary female competition to our lives? Is this another element of the working outside the home mother vs. the stay at home mother wars? Or is it part of the trend in older women having babies - do older women feel more pressure to look young and sexy while having their babies? Email Kitty for more details kitty@brisbanefeminismonline.net
11. RADIANCE
28th April
Radiance is a captivating story of three young women who reunite after many years apart, for their mother’s funeral to grieve, reconcile and celebrate. Over the course of twenty four hours, the skeletons in the family closet emerge and we discover that coming home means different things to different people. Love, madness and a ramshackle house on the remote Queensland coast conspires to create an irreverent tale of family intrigue. Three women, each with a different story reunite almost as strangers and together ignite the future. M15+, ABC, 1997, Di: Rachel Perkins, Leads: Rachel Maza, Deborah Mailman, Trisha Morton-Thomas, 83 mins Venue: Loris Williams Room, kuril dhagun, level 1Date: Sat 28 April; 2pm Entry: Free, no booking required
http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on/events/films#vanish
12. VOLUNTARY INDUSTRIAL OFFICERS
30 April 2007
Queensland Working Women's Service Inc and Young Workers Advisory Service require voluntary workers in Industrial Relations and discrimination at work. 1 day per week and or Monday evenings 6 to 8pm full 10 day induction and workbook provided Potential for future paid casual work Expression of interest and resume or CV required. Organisation:Queensland Working Women's Service Inc and Young Workers Advisory Service Location:Brisbane Contact:Deidre Morrow Phone:32111440 Email:qwws@qwws.org.au Steet Address:P O Box 10554 Adelaide St Suburb:Brisbane State:QLD Postcode:4160 Website:qwws.org.au and ywas.org
http://www.qcoss.org.au/Article.aspx?type=job&id=2326
13. COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK AWARDS 2007
30 APR 2007
The CAN Awards recognise and celebrate work done in the community, private and public sectors to achieve social justice outcomes. This year on April 30th the CAN Awards will shine a light on people and organizations making a positive difference in the inner-northern community. There are eight categories in which people can be nominated. If you know someone deserving of recognition pick up a nomination form from New Farm Neighbourhood Centre, or visit www.newfarmneighbourhood.org
14. LIVING UNDER CIVIL LAWS AND RELIGIOUS LAWS IN AUSTRALIA: CONFLICT OR HARMONY?
Tuesday, 1st May 2007
This one-day National Forum is jointly sponsored by Griffith University's Multi-Faith Centre, the Islamic Council of Queensland, and the Interfaith Multicultural Forum, with funding from the Queensland Government under the Multicultural Assistance Program. More than 20 other organisations have endorsed this Forum. In recent years, there has been considerable public debate in Australia on the topic of Sharia Law. Some political and civic commentators have argued that Sharia Law is "incompatible" with Australian "culture" and "values" and the system of civil law, and poses a threat to the Australian "way of life." Is it the case that Australians from diverse faith and spirituality traditions cannot live simultaneously under both civil laws and religious or faith laws, doctrines, precepts or codes in a way that promotes Australian values, human rights and democracy? How do peoples of various faiths and spirituality traditions, live successfully as citizens abiding by both Australian civil and "secular" laws as well as by their religious or faith laws? Are civil laws and religious or faith laws, doctrines and codes always in conflict? Or can they can co-exist in harmony? How have tensions been overcome creatively and peacefully? 9am to 5pm at the Multi-Faith Centre, Griffith University, Brisbane.
http://www.griffith.edu.au/centre/mfc/
15. GRUMPY OLD WOMEN LIVE
1 - 6 May 2007
Following a sell-out West End season and UK tour, Grumpy Old Women - Live will tour Australia in April/May 2007, playing to Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne audiences. Inspired by the ABC TV hit series, Grumpy Old Women regular contributors Jenny Eclair, Dillie Keane and Linda Robson (whose combined age is unprintable) will play host to an orgy of middle-aged mayhem in this rampaging rumbustious live stage show.
http://www.ourbrisbane.com/whatson/performingarts/partner_events.php?eid=88048&sd=2007-04-04&v=12&s=3,5
16. CHILDREN BY CHOICE MOVIE FUNDRAISER
Friday, 4th May 2007
The History Boys Movie Fundraiser Night 6.00 - 6.30pm Arrival for Nibbles & glass of bubbly
7.00pm Movie Screening at the Palace Centro Cinema 39 James Street, Fortitude Valley Tickets $20 (incl glass of bubbly and delicious nibbles) Bookings and money in by 27th April, 2007 Enquiries to (07) 3357 9933 (option 2) or info@childrenbychoice.org.au
www.childrenbychoice.og.au
17. RESPECT A MUSICAL JOURNAL OF WOMEN
Sunday 13th May, 2007 (Mother's Day) 2pm Matinee Tuesday 15th May, 2007 8pm show
Two new fundraising dates for Children by Choice Bookings close 4th May Ticket Prices Tickets $49.50 (incl GST) Groups 10 or more $39.50 (incl GST) Pre-paid tickets only. Bookings & money in no later than 4th May, 2007 thanks. Special Booking Offers All group bookings with their payment received by the 4th May 2007 will go into the prize draw to win a $40.00 bar tab at the Twelfth Night Theatre on the night of their show. All other bookings will go into the draw to win a delicious High Tea at High Societea, Clayfield value $32.50. Bookings and enquiries
Phone (07) 3357 9933 or info@childrenbychoice.org.au.
www.childrenbychoice.org.au.
18. THE MOTHER: ISSUES, IMAGES AND PRACTICES
5th July to Saturday 7th
The Mother: Issues, Images and Practices is being held from Thursday 5th July to Saturday 7th July at UQ, St. Lucia. For information regarding registration to attend please contact Lisa Raith (raith@usq.edu.au) or Jenny Jones (ja.jones@qut.edu.au). Call for papers: Many abstracts have already being received. If you are interested in being a presenter, please forward a 200 word abstract and a 50 word biography to Dr. Marie Porter (m.porter@uq.edu.au) by 31st March. We invite proposals for panel discussions or workshops (90 mins), informed personal reflections, scholarly papers (30 mins). Please submit an abstract and biography by 31st March.
19. INTERNATIONAL FEMINIST SUMMIT TOWNSVILLE
17 – 20 July
“Women of Ideas: Feminist Thinking for a New Era” 17 - 20 July 2007 - Townsville Australia This feminist event is for all women who denounce the escalating violence and oppression that mark the 21st Century, who rage against the continued exclusion and silencing of women throughout the world, and who are convinced that a strong feminist response is essential for the creation of a fairer future.
http://www.feministagenda.org.au/Summit/summitIndex.html
20. EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT AND EVERYTHING... THE TRIPLE LAYERS OF A WOMAN'S LIFE
26-29 September 2007
The University of Southern Queensland (USQ) Women’s Network Inc, Young Women’s Place Inc, Lifeline Darling Downs and South West Queensland Ltd and the Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Service have joined together to present this conference exploring some of the issues that affect the lives of women globally and to provide women with networking opportunities, information, collaboration and sharing of resources both locally, nationally and internationally.
http://www.usq.edu.au/iwc2007/
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ARTICLES AND PROMOTIONS
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Should we burn the bras for 8 Year Olds?
Online discussion at
http://www.brisbanefeminismonline.net/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=47&MMN_position=51:49
Grand Opening of Feminist Art Center in Brooklyn
Today marks the long-awaited opening of the Elizabeth A Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum. The 8,300 square foot center, on the fourth floor of the museum, aims to create a compelling and interactive environment to raise awareness and educate future generations about feminism’s impact on culture.
http://www.msmagazine.com/news/uswirestory.asp?ID=10216
Women leaving ICT
By Sheryle Moon, CRN, 5 March, 2007 Infrastructure
We all know women who have enjoyed satisfying and stimulating careers in the ICT industry. And yet, statistics tell us that the number of women in the ICT industry is falling rapidly.
http://www.crn.com.au/story.aspx?CIID=75042
Oxfams Report on Indigenous Health – Closing the Gap
April 2007
“Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders have a lower life expectancy than any other first-world country Put simply, Australia ranks bottom in a league table of first-world wealthy nations working to improve the health and life expectancy of Indigenous people. The reasons why other nations have been able to make significant strides toward health equality between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people are multifaceted”
http://www.oxfam.org.au/media/files/CTG.pdf
Chronology Of Women’s Sufferage In Qld
http://www.emsah.uq.edu.au/awsr/Act_Centenary/chronol.htm
Spinifex Press
In 2007, we are releasing four new books in print, and around 60 titles as eBooks. We will continue to produce a small output of print books in coming years, and we will expand our eBook output with new content such as essays in response to social and market forces. By April, our new website and the first batch of eBooks will be available in four formats: DX Reader, Mobipocket, Microsoft Reader and PDF. www.spinifexpress.com.au and go to the eBookstore
http://www.spinifexpress.com.au/news_detail.php?id=3
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INTERNATIONAL NEWS
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Eritrea bans female circumcision
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6227
A government statement issued on Thursday said anyone who requested, took part in or promoted the practice now faced a fine of several hundred dollars or up to 10 years in jail. "Female circumcision is a procedure that seriously endangers the health of women, causes them considerable pain and suffering besides threatening their lives," the statement said. "Whosoever requests, incites or promotes female circumcision ... shall be punishable with a fine and imprisonment." The ban took effect on March 31, it said. (04/05/07)
Poland must clarify abortion policy
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6042
The European Court of Human Rights ruled that Poland has no effective legal framework for pregnant women to assert their right to abortion on medical grounds. The court granted the 36-year-old Pole €25,000, or about US$33,250, in damages after doctors refused to grant her permission to terminate her pregnancy despite serious risk to her eyesight. It said doctors in Poland were often reluctant to authorize an abortion in the absence of transparent and clearly defined rules. (03/20/07)
Girls' fertility chartbook stirs debate
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6033
Weschler has published "Cycle Savvy: The Smart Teen's Guide to the Mysteries of Her Body" (HarperCollins), the more recent work has sparked controversy -- and not just among supporters of abstinence-only education. Some comprehensive sex education advocates are asking: Is this too much information, too soon? "You can't imagine how challenging it was to do in a way that respected the intelligence of teens," Weschler says. "All I can say is, I will never be a politician." (03/20/07)
Pressure builds to close U.K. women's prisons
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6025
On March 13 a government report recommended that most, if not all, of the country's 17 existing women's prisons should be shut down in the next decade or converted into jails for men. The report, conducted for the Home Office by Baroness Corston, a member of the Labour Party from the House of Lords, was commissioned after the apparent suicides of six women, including Sarah Campbell, at Styal Prison. It recommends phasing out larger facilities by building small prison units for female offenders. (03/18/07)
Egypt appoints first women judges
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6017
The Egyptian judiciary has appointed women judges for the first time in its history, the head of Egypt's Supreme Judicial Council said Wednesday. "Thirty-one women were chosen among the members of the administrative bar and government lawyers," said Moqbel Shaker, who is also chairman of the court of cassation. A woman, Tahani al-Gebali, was appointed to the supreme constitutional court in 2003 but no woman had ever been named a court judge or prosecutor. (03/15/07)
Self-immolation by Afghan women rising?
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6008
Testimony gathered by the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission documents how life for many Afghan women remains so bleak that some choose a horrific and painful death instead. The group interviewed about 800 Afghans whose sisters, daughters and daughters-in-law have killed themselves by self-immolation to escape domestic abuse, forced marriage and other misogynistic social customs. The report and anecdotal evidence from other rights workers suggests the phenomenon is growing, with desperate women sometimes mimicking what they have seen reported on TV.] (03/15/07)
UK, not always rape if woman drunk
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6106
A woman cannot claim rape just because she was drunk, a top judge declared yesterday. The Appeal Court ruling freed a young man jailed for rape after he had sex with a drunken student. It also raised deep doubts over the Government's latest attempts to toughen rape laws. Plans include a 'sex breathalyser' law under which a woman who had consumed a certain amount of alcohol would legally no longer be able to consent to sex. But the Deputy Lord Chief Justice, Sir Igor Judge, and two other senior judges branded the idea unrealistic. (03/26/07)
NY Jewish seminary allows gays
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6105
The Jewish Theological Seminary announced its decision on Monday, more than three months after the Rabbinical Assembly's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards authorized the ordination of gays and lesbians. While most Orthodox Jews ban same-sex unions or gay rabbis, and Reform Jews have accepted them for years, Conservative Jews have been split with sentiment growing for acceptance. (03/26/07)
Man sentenced for raping sex workers
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6091
It took two women who work the city's streets, along with another victim, to secure the conviction Thursday of a man who picked them up, assaulted them and forced them to have sex, Assistant District Attorney Connie Jordan said. Shawn Keith Green, 36, pleaded guilty in New Hanover County Superior Court to three counts each of second-degree rape and first-degree sexual offense. He was sentenced by Judge Kenneth Crow to eight to 10 1/2 years in prison, Jordan said. "It's unusual for somebody soliciting money for sex to come forward," Jordan said. "They are routinely sexually assaulted. These are difficult cases with these kinds of facts and scenarios, but our office feels strongly everyone is protected under the law." (03/23/07)
Canada, women must lift veil to vote
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6088
Marcel Blanchet, Quebec's director general of elections, yesterday told a news conference that he had reversed his earlier decision in which he had said women would not have to lift their veils. The decision applies to about 100 women, according to some estimates. Blanchet said he was responding to fierce reaction that followed his initial decision, including threats by people to intentionally cover their faces at the ballot box in protest. He said the situation was developing into one that "could have compromised the serenity" of Monday's election. (03/24/07)
Germany, Koran allows wife abuse
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6085
A German woman judge has refused a Moroccan-born woman permission to file for divorce by interpreting the Koran as allowing husbands to beat their wives. "Where are we living? Woman judge allows beating in marriage... and invokes the Koran," said a front-page headline in Germany's top-selling Bild newspaper, reflecting the widespread angry reaction on Thursday. "This Moroccan woman has the same right to protection from a violent husband as any German woman. Anything else would be misconceived sensitivity to the benefit of the husband and would amount to racist discrimination against the wife," said the Tageszeitung daily. The Central Council of Muslims in Germany also condemned the decision. (03/22/07)
Aussie judges draw fire over sex consent
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6072
Appeal court judges have erased an alleged rapist's criminal record after ruling that a man could not rape and have consensual sex with a woman in the same encounter. The judgment has sent shockwaves through women's groups and prompted an urgent legal review in South Australia. In a 2-1 decision, the Court of Criminal Appeal erased the criminal record of a man who twice had sex with a woman in his car. A jury had found him guilty of having forced intercourse but ruled an earlier act of fellatio was consensual. The appeals court, however, ruled last week that the verdict was "illogical" and "unacceptable" and quashed his conviction. (03/20/07)
Trafficking victims to stay in UK
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6071
The Home Office will announce plans to sign the European Convention on Action Against Trafficking in Human Beings. The agreement offers victims - such as women sold into the sex trade - the right to at least 30 days' grace after escaping the clutches of evil people smugglers. Ministers have until now refused to join the agreement, which is designed to give victims time to recover from their ordeal and reflect on whether they will help police prosecute offenders. There were fears it could be abused by illegal immigrants and even act as a "pull factor" to Britain. (03/23/07)
Sex assault reports rise in US military
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6055
There were nearly 3,000 sexual assault reports filed in 2006, compared with almost 2,400 the previous year, a Pentagon report said Wednesday. Action was taken against 780 people, from courts-martial and discharges to other administrative remedies. The cases involved members of the military who were victims or accused of the assaults. The military counts rape, nonconsensual sodomy, indecent assault and attempts to commit any of those as sexual assault, though the 17-page report contained no data on how many of each were reported. (03/21/07)
Iranian women activists released
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6050
This year, the arrival of Nourouz (the Iranian New Year on March 21) is marked with the release of the last two detained women defenders, Shadi Sadr and Mahboobeh Abasgholizadeh; they were released on March 19. Sadr and Abasgholizadeh were among the thirty-three women's rights defenders arrested during the peaceful March 4th demonstration in front of Tehran's Revolutionary Court. Authorities gradually released the women during the first week of the arrests. Sadr and Abasgholizadeh spent March 6 thru 15 in solitary confinement. Throughout their detainment they were kept in ward 209 of Evin Prison (run by the Ministry of Intelligence of the Islamic Republic of Iran). According to their families, on March 15 both were transferred from solitary confinement into the same cell and were given newspapers to read. As a condition of their release, their bail was set at 200 million toman each, a prohibitively high amount. (03/20/07)
Feminist re-interpretation of Koran
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6075
The new version, translated by an Iranian-American, will be published in April and comes after Muslim feminists from around the world gathered in New York last November and vowed to create the first women's council to interpret the Koran and make the religion more friendly toward women. In the new book, Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar, a former lecturer on Islam at the University of Chicago, challenges the translation of the Arab word "idrib," traditionally translated as "beat," which feminists say has been used to justify abuse of women. "Why choose to interpret the word as 'to beat' when it can also mean 'to go away'," she writes in the introduction to the new book. (03/22/07)
Israel, 2nd rape charge v. President
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6154
Israeli Attorney General's Office announced Sunday that President Moshe Katsav would be indicted on a second rape count after a former employee filed a new complaint of sexual harassment against him with the police. Katsav was questioned by police last week after one of his former employees, during his time as Tourism Minister, known as A, submitted fresh evidence that he had raped her on more than once, local daily Ha'aretz reported. The new complaint came in the midst of Katsav's appeal to the Attorney General to reverse his decision to indict him on rape charges. Katsav's attorney Zion Amir argued the complainant, who originally said she was not raped at all by the president, has changed her version of events a number of times since the investigation began, rendering her testimony unreliable. (04/01/07)
Lesbian's asylum case opens immigration door
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6135
Now, in a case that illuminates a relatively unexplored area of U.S. immigration law, the African immigrant is asking for asylum in the U.S. on the grounds she was persecuted over her sexual orientation. A federal appeals court ruling last week has raised her hopes of success. Persecution based on sexual orientation has been grounds for asylum in the U.S. since the 1990s, but such cases are still rare. Most involve gay men persecuted by their government. There are few cases involving women, who are more likely to be persecuted by family members, said Rachel B. Tiven, executive director of Immigration Equality, a gay rights group that represents immigrants. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it does not systematically track the number of asylum claims based on sexual orientation. Most immigration cases are dispensed without a published opinion. (03/30/07)
New drive afoot to pass ERA
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6131
Federal and state lawmakers have launched a new drive to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, reviving a feminist goal that faltered a quarter-century ago when the measure did not gain the approval of three-quarters of the state legislatures. The amendment, which came three states short of enactment in 1982, has been introduced in five state legislatures since January. Yesterday, House and Senate Democrats reintroduced the measure under a new name -- the Women's Equality Amendment -- and vowed to bring it to a vote in both chambers by the end of the session. The renewed push to pass the ERA, which passed the House and Senate overwhelmingly in 1972 and was ratified by 35 states before skidding to a halt, highlights liberals' renewed sense of power since November's midterm elections. (03/28/07)
Iraqi women silenced by rape
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6164
International humanitarian organizations working with refugees have just begun to provide outreach and rehabilitation programs for rape and sexual abuse victims. There are 2 million Iraqi refugees living outside of Iraq, mainly in Syria and Jordan, with several thousand in Lebanon, according to the United Nations. And every month thousands of Iraqis flee. Within Iraq, there are also an estimated 1.8 million internally displaced Iraqis. The New York-based International Rescue Committee is now setting up an operation in Amman, Jordan, to provide care for refugees. Statistics are not available on rape survivors among Iraqi refugees, but a 2003 Human Rights Watch report documents numerous cases similar to Noura's during an earlier phase in the war. (04/01/07)
Clinton: Yes, I'm a feminist
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6122
Hillary Clinton received the endorsement of the National Organization for Women, a group of a half-million members who support feminist candidates for elective office. Asked whether she saw herself as a feminist, Clinton said by the standard definition, yes. "If you look in the dictionary, the word feminist means someone who believes in equal rights for women in society, in the economy, the political process -- generally believes in the equality of women," she said. "And I certainly believe in the equality of women." (03/29/07)
UK, extreme porn
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6151
Audio program. The Government will introduce new measures to deal with extreme pornography this spring. It is currently illegal to produce or to distribute images of extreme sexual violence – but it is not against the law to possess them. The new Criminal Justice Bill will settle this anomaly and criminalise the possession of these images. How easy is it to define what constitutes extreme pornography? What do we actually know about the connections between looking at images of sexual violence and committing violent sexual offences? And, how easy will it be to police the downloading of images that are frequently accessed via the internet on sites owned abroad? (03/27/07)
EU, fire-bombing for feminism...not
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6255
The woman who ranked as one of Germany’s most militant feminists no longer sports a shock of red hair to signal her fiery revolutionary ambitions. When Adrienne Gerhäuser was accused yesterday of belonging to a terrorist organisation, she resembled, in the words of her lawyer, “an ordinary 58-year-old female”, tired, shoulders hunched with tension, but somehow at ease with herself. After 19 years on the run, Ms Gerhäuser — one of the leaders of the Red Zora gang, which set off fire bombs in sex shops and factories exploiting female labour — surrendered in December. Committed to an urban guerrilla war against everyday sexism, Red Zora carried out more than 40 attacks, starting in 1977 with a bomb placed in the offices of the German Doctors’ Association to protest against the abortion laws. There followed attacks on sex shops and cinemas; on Siemens, Bayer and Schering; on the Philippines Embassy (blamed for the international trade in women); biotechnology institutes and the cars of pimps. (04/12/07)
Portugal ratifies law to allow abortions
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6238
Portugal's president today ratified a new law permitting abortion until the 10th week of pregnancy, bringing the country into line with most of its European neighbours. However, Anibal Cavaco Silva also recommended that parliament, which passed the law last month after a national referendum, take further measures to ensure abortions are a last resort. Parliament voted overwhelmingly to legalise abortion after the referendum, in February. Turnout for the ballot was insufficient to make it binding, but the outcome indicated a majority of voters favoured the legal change, which the governing centre-left Socialist party has long sought. (04/10/07)
Giuliani defends his pro-choice beliefs
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.6200
Republican presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani on Thursday defended his record favoring the use of public money for abortions, saying he wouldn't try to undo a Supreme Court ruling allowing the procedures. "Ultimately I believe it's an individual right and a woman should make that choice," the former New York mayor said during a Statehouse news conference where he picked up three endorsements. Support for abortion rights is unpopular with conservatives who dominate the GOP in South Carolina, an early voting state.(04/05/07)
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BFO is a not for profit project supporting feminist activities and actions in Brisbane. Thanks to ifeminists and weekly feminist news digest for the international news and to local women’s groups for the local news. Editor: Kitty has a passion for feminism and community building and combines her two loves in this newsletter. You can contact her on 0409 548 892 if you need to speak to her. Assist Editor and Feature Writer: Andrea is an economist with the State Government when she isn’t motor biking, photographing or doing some other exciting thing.
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