|
| News Aug Sept Oct 2008 |
News Spring 2008
======================
BRISBANE FEMINISM ONLINE – News Update Spring 2008
======================
Hi People
Yes, it has been quiet and busy at BFO HQ … too busy, even for news.
However, the upcoming feminist conference and the preps for Reclaim the Night have been enough to inspire a quick local and international news report.
Spread the word …
Best regards
Kitty and Andrea
Brisbane Feminism Online 2008 Editors
Feedback welcome to editor@brisbanefeminismonline.net
======================
IN THIS ISSUE
======================
Local News
1. BRISBANE'S INTERNATIONAL FEMINIST CONFERENCE
2. WOMEN'S STUDIES QUARTERLY
3. RECLAIM THE NIGHT PREPARATIONS
4. LESBIAN WRITERS GROUP
5. FOOD PIONEERS
6. THE GENEALOGY OF GIRL CULTURE IN JAPAN: GIRLS` NOVELS AND MANGA OVER THE LAST 100 YEARS
7. PASIFIKA
8. RIVERFESTIVAL 2008
9. AN INDIGENOUS LITERACY DAY EVENT
10. BRONTE BY POLLY TEALE
11. VALLEY FIESTA
12. BRISBANE WRITERS FESTIVAL
13. TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS IN AUSTRALIA – MYTHS AND REALITIES
14. A NIGHT BY THE FIRE WITH … YVETTE WALKER
International News
======================
LOCAL NEWS
======================
1. BRISBANE'S INTERNATIONAL FEMINIST CONFERENCE
3rd - 5th September
The 2008 International Feminist Conference’s overall goal is to provide a forum to bring feminist thinkers, researchers, academics, service providers and community women together, to share information about pressing violations against women and children. The abstracts we have selected for the program were chosen for their merit as stand alone papers and we are thrilled to be able to deliver an exciting and dynamic range of topics.
http://www.brisfeministconference08.org.au/
2. WOMEN'S STUDIES QUARTERLY
Call for Papers: MOTHER
Guest Editors: Nicole Cooley and Pamela Stone
We have entered a motherhood moment -- from celebrity mom baby-bump sightings to recent televised debates between 'stay at home moms' and 'working moms,' from welfare mothers to Alpha moms, images of motherhood are circulating in our culture as never before. If submitting academic work, please send abstracts by September 30, 2008 to the guest editors Pamela Stone and Nicole Cooley at: WSQMotherIssue@gmail.com. If accepted: Full papers should be no longer than 22 pages, and will be due by January 1, 2009.
3. RECLAIM THE NIGHT PREPARATIONS
Reclaim the Night is just around the corner ie the last Friday in October. Lots of help needed. Contact the collective through Brisbane Rape and Incest Survivors Support Centre Ph: 07 3391 2573 Fax: 07 3391 4735 Email: heidi@brissc.org.au
4. LESBIAN WRITERS GROUP
Announcing the formation of a new community of lesbian women writers meeting once a month, from 2pm to approx 4pm every third Sunday. For details of venue, please contact Anne on 0424 285236. We're interested in finding ways and means to support lesbian women writers/ing in Brisbane and surrounds (ie within a 40k radius from the GPO in Edward St City). Some of the ideas we have so far are: monthly meetings to workshop work in the short term, but eventually, we would like to hold regular public readings, produce an annual anthology of our work, raise funds to pay for a weekend retreat and perhaps even invite agents or publishers from the industry to address the group. This group is NOT only for published lesbian women writers but also for those lesbian women interested in stoking the fires of their creative writing imaginings. On a final note if you have any questions re the definition of lesbian women please contact Sharne at doccarooni@gmail.com. In fact, for further queries about the group please contact Sharne.
5. FOOD PIONEERS
Thu 11 Sep, 6pm
At a time when celebrity chefs abound, don’t miss this opportunity to hear from some of the very special Queenslanders who have changed the way we eat. In 1988 World Expo brought more to Brisbane than exhibits, fireworks, and concerts. It introduced locals to a lifestyle that embraced outdoor dining and new cuisines. Expo triggered an urban renewal that changed the face of Brisbane from a ‘large country town’ to a thriving metropolis, led largely by locals hungry to explore new fare. In the years since, Brisbane food culture has grown in leaps and bounds. This fascinating conversation explores how Brisbane’s palate has changed over the past few decades. Meet the people who created Australia’s first organic food restaurant, introduced our palates to the joys of caviar and saffron, popularised the delicacies of Vietnamese cuisine, and got us passionate about Farmer’s Markets. Hear about their food philosophies and learn what inspired them as they recount their early days, their successes and challenges, and their vision for the future of Australian food culture.
http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on/events/talks#yvette
6. THE GENEALOGY OF GIRL CULTURE IN JAPAN: GIRLS` NOVELS AND MANGA OVER THE LAST 100 YEARS
Saturday, 30 August 2008
This presentation will trace the development of girl culture in Japan: its origins in girls’ stories at the beginning of twentieth century, the boom in girls` manga (comics) in the 1970s and 80s, and the huge popularity of girl’s manga, anime and TV dramas today. It will explore the disappearance of genre and gender boundaries from contemporary manga, and the recent recognition/re-evaluation of the “culture of cuteness”, which in the past has been scorned as peculiar to immature Japanese tastes. The lecture will be given in Japanese with the assistance of the world’s leading conference interpreter Minako Kuwahata. Time: 2:00pm - 3:30pm Public lecture by Emeritus Professor Masuko Honda (former President of Ochanomizu University, Tokyo).
7. PASIFIKA
Brisbane Powerhouse, New Farm
27 - 31 August 2008
A colourful and explosive festival celebrating traditional and contemporary arts and culture of the Pacific Islands, including Polynesia, Micronesia, New Zealand and Australia. Pasifika brings together international, national and local performers in an exciting program of music, dance, theatre, markets, food and ideas. Coming to Australia for the first time is Wild Dogs Under My Skirt, a riveting theatre masterpiece that explores the search for identity and unearthing the past. Direct from New Zealand comes Vula (Fijian for ‘moon’), combining magic and illusion with traditional song and dance, on a stage flooded with water.
http://www.ourbrisbane.com/whats-on/festivals/pasifika
8. RIVERFESTIVAL 2008
29th August – 7th September
From QBE Riverfire, the biggest show of them all, to Frogforest, this year’s Riverfestival is a vibrant celebration of the Brisbane River and the people who live in this beautiful river city. The International Riversymposium and Thiess Riverprize are important parts of Riverfestival and we welcome the many international and national delegates that are participating in these events this year. You will discover wonderful new events, such as Sunsuper RiverBBQ, which is the beginning of a fantastic new initiative called RiverSunday; free events that all the family can enjoy.
http://www.riverfestival.com.au/
9. AN INDIGENOUS LITERACY DAY EVENT
3rd September
It’s hard to imagine a world without books and reading.
Indigenous Literacy Day raises awareness and funds to address literacy issues in remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory and north-west NSW. Be a part of this year’s event when a panel of the country’s finest Indigenous poets, authors and songwriters discuss the importance of books and reading in their lives. Join them as they share some of the stories that moved them, taught them about the world, or simply inspired them. The Indigenous Literacy Project is a partnership between the Australian Book Industry and The Fred Hollows Foundation that raises funds to purchase and supply books and other resources to remote communities where The Foundation works. Speakers Yvette Holt (Poet, Author Anonymous Premonition) Fiona Doyle (Writer Whispers of the Wik Women) Shellie Morris (singer/songwriter) Uncle Herb Wharton (poet, novelist) Facilitator Sue Abbey (former manager of UQP’s Black Australian Writing Series) Opening Address Suzy Wilson (founder Indigenous Literacy Project) When Wed 3 Sep, 6.30pm–8pm Where slq Auditorium 1, level 2 Tickets Free, bookings qtix 136 246
http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on/events/talks#yvette
10. BRONTE BY POLLY TEALE
Tue 9 September 2008 - Sat 27 September 2008
Australian Premiere - Bronte by Polly Teale. Directed by Sue Rider. Interweaving fact and fiction, reality and fantasy, Bronte explores the private world of Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte. Spurred by their imaginations, the wild Yorkshire moors, and their brother's debt and instability, the sisters' stories spill out onto the stage with controversial, contemporary resonance. This event is a part of the Festival Bookend Program. Presented by Metro Arts Independents & ThreeSisters.
http://www.ourbrisbane.com/whats-on/brisbane-writers-festival-feature/1283036.bronte-polly-teale
11. VALLEY FIESTA
Friday 12 to Sunday 14 September 2008
Brisbane's biggest street party! From Friday 12 to Sunday 14 September 2008 you will be able to experience first hand why Brisbane is considered one of the world's leading music hot spots with a street party like no other. To be held across multiple outdoor stages this year’s Valley Fiesta is shaping up to be the biggest in the event’s proud 16 year history.
http://www.ourbrisbane.com/whats-on/festivals/979739.valley-fiesta
12. BRISBANE WRITERS FESTIVAL
17th – 21st September
Language is the defining feature of our humanity. It separates us from all other life on the planet. Language allows us to communicate the complex experience of our existence with deftness and subtlety. The written form allows communication to transcend time, so we can reach backwards into history and forward into the future. A writers' festival not only celebrates our common humanity but defines us as a society in time and place. The Brisbane Writers Festival is more than a Festival for writers, it's for everyone who reads. From the world's headlines, climate change, China or the US Elections, BWF is an event that has meaning and relevance to every single one of us, in every aspect of our lives. This year, there are strong personal voices emanating from the pages of the Festival's books.
http://www.brisbanewritersfestival.com.au/
13. TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS IN AUSTRALIA – MYTHS AND REALITIES
Monday, 22 September 2008
Description: Trafficking in persons, especially women and children, is a global phenomenon. It involves the movement of individuals by means of force, threats, deception, fraud, or the payment of money for the purpose of exploitation. In March 2008, the TC Beirne School of Law at The University of Queensland established a working group to research and analyse the available evidence on trafficking in persons in Australia. This project provides the first comprehensive analysis of the phenomenon of trafficking in persons, especially women and children, in Australia, and develops effective policy recommendations to prevent and suppress this problem at domestic levels. It identifies and analyses reported and suspected cases of human trafficking where Australia has been destination, transit, and/or source countries. This presentation will discuss the first findings of the working group’s research and to bring together government agencies, community groups, academic researchers, students, and others with an interest in this topic.
http://www.uq.edu.au/events/event_view.php?event_id=4322
14. A NIGHT BY THE FIRE WITH … YVETTE WALKER
Tue 21 Oct
Come and enjoy a night by the fire with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at kuril dhagun, the State Library's Indigenous Knowledge Centre. Sit and yarn with local artists and enjoy the glow of the fire surrounded by city lights. In October, come and chat with Yvette Walker. Born in Cloncurry Yvette grew up between North Queensland and Brisbane; with a Scottish father and mother of Aboriginal, Indonesian and Chinese decent. Her heritage is with the Waanyi people of North East Queensland. At 28 years of age Yvette Walker is fast becoming one of Australia’s most impressive young Indigenous creative arts professionals. Making her professional acting debut in 1996 with Kooemba Jdarra in Jack Davis' ‘The Dreamers’, Yvette went on to study at the Aboriginal Centre for Performing Arts. She has gone on to appear in several stage productions, including 23rd Productions ‘Motortown’ which she will be appearing in this August. When Tue 21 Oct, 6.30pm Where: kuril dhagun, level 1 Tickets Free, no booking required
http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/whats-on/events/talks#yvette
http://www.uq.edu.au/events/event_view.php?event_id=4519
======================
NEWS REPORTS
======================
Oldest mother happy to have male heir
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1045815/Worlds-oldest-mother-70-pleased-male-heir-declares-daughter-burden.html
The world's oldest mum, who gave birth to twins at 70 after IVF, proudly showed off her son, then admitted: 'Now I've got another daughter to feed too.' Omkari Panwar, and her husband Charan Singh Panwar, 77, underwent IVF all for the sake of producing a male heir to take over the family's smallholdings. The elderly Indian couple, who already have two daughters in their thirties, and five grandchildren, are near destitute after mortgaging their land, selling their buffalo and taking out a loan for the £4,400 fertility treatment. (08/16/08)
Obama sidesteps abortion
http://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/2008/08/16/obama-says-pointed-abortion-query-above-his-pay-grade/
Asked at what point a baby gets “human rights,” Obama, who strongly supports abortion rights, said: “… whether you’re looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity … is above my pay grade.” He went on to reiterate his view that it was important to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies. Republican presidential candidate John McCain, who followed Obama onto the stage of the nationally televised event, was more blunt and more emphatic. He said a baby’s human rights began “at the moment of conception … I have a 25-year pro-life record.” (08/16/08)
Filipino women seek apology for WWII rapes
http://townhall.com/news/world/2008/08/15/filipino_women_seek_japans_apology_for_wwii_rapes
Two dozen elderly Filipino women and their supporters protested outside the Japanese Embassy in Manila on Friday demanding a clear-cut apology and compensation from Tokyo for wartime sexual slavery. Japan has acknowledged its troops forced women into front-line brothels across Asia during World War II, and its leaders have apologized. But last year, many surviving "comfort women" were outraged when then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said there was no proof the women were coerced. (08/15/08)
Both parties reach for center on abortion
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080816/ap_on_el_pr/candidates_abortion;_ylt=AhJyHM6n7IbfbBl19VRbIZuyFz4D
McCain startled conservatives this week, and pleased some moderates, by suggesting he might pick a running mate who supports abortion rights, such as former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge. Democrats, meanwhile, had it both ways in revising their party platform ahead of this month's nominating convention in Denver. Platform-writers said the party "unequivocally" supports legalized abortion, a stronger phrase than the 2004 platform contained. But they also bolstered the section on reducing the need for abortions. (08/16/08)
India, Microsoft, Google, Yahoo sued
http://www.nytimes.com/idg/IDG_852573C400693880002574A50058FBA3.html
Microsoft, Google and Yahoo were issued notices by India's Supreme Court on Wednesday, following a complaint that they were promoting techniques and products for the selection of an unborn child's sex through advertising and links on their search engines. There is a deliberate attempt by these companies to target Indian users with advertisements that claim to help in the selection of a child's sex, said Sabu Mathew George, the petitioner in the case, in a telephone interview on Thursday. Google said various factors go into managing ad program policy, including local legal requirements and user experience. (08/14/08)
Afghanistan, 3 women aids workers killed
http://www.truthout.org/article/three-western-female-aid-workers-shot-dead-afghanistan
The killings Wednesday, claimed by the insurgent Taliban, are the deadliest in years involving international aid workers and come amid warnings about deteriorating security, said to be at its worst since the 2001 ouster of the Taliban regime. The women were members of the International Rescue Committee, which has worked with refugees in Afghanistan for 25 years. (08/13/08)
Texas continuing polygamist sect probe
http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2008/08/13/Texas_continuing_polygamist_sect_probe/UPI-49631218647293/
A spokeswoman for the Department of Public Safety said at one time authorities were pursuing 50 bigamy investigations and 20 sexual abuse cases involving the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the San Antonio Express-News reported Wednesday. However, department spokeswoman Tela Mange declined to reveal what stage the investigation is at. (08/13/08)
U of Iowa, all profs to undergo SH training
http://chronicle.com/news/article/4995/all-u-of-iowa-professors-told-to-undergo-training-to-avoid-sexual-harassment
The University of Iowa ordered all professors and staff members today to undergo training in how to avoid sexual harassment after a political-science professor at the university was charged with asking four female students for sexual favors in return for better grades. “While every person is entitled to the presumption of innocence,” Ms. Mason [Univ. Presdient] said in the message, “I want to state strongly and unequivocally that such conduct will not be tolerated.” (08/13/08)
India probes UN sex charges
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\story_14-8-2008_pg4_17
The Indian army said Wednesday that it was investigating UN allegations its troops had engaged in sexual abuse while on peacekeeping duties in the Democratic Republic of Congo. A UN statement on Tuesday said a probe had “revealed prima facie evidence” that the soldiers may have engaged in sexual exploitation and abuse. One anonymous UN official said the case involved abuse of young girls and boys by at least 100 Indian peacekeepers over several years. (08/14/08)
Woman may hold secret to AIDS
http://www.nypost.com/seven/08122008/news/nationalnews/woman_with_hiv____but_no_symptons____may_124167.htm
A woman who has never shown symptoms of infection with the AIDS virus may hold the secret to defeating the virus, U.S. researchers said on Tuesday. Infected at least 10 years ago by her husband, the woman is able somehow to naturally control the deadly and incurable virus -- even though her husband must take *bleep*tails of strong HIV drugs to control his. She is a so-called "elite suppressor," and studies of her immune cells have begun to offer clues to how her body does it, the team at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore said. (08/12/08)
Saudi woman arrested for driving a car
http://www.adnkronos.com/AKI/English/Security/?id=1.0.2410587926
Saudi religious police have arrested a woman in the region of Qatif in eastern Saudi Arabia for driving a car. The 47-year-old woman was spotted by agents from the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice after other men reported the woman, said Saudi daily Okaz. The woman was later released after her family posted bail, and will now be put on trial. There is no law in Saudi Arabia that prevents women from driving. However, fatwas or religious edicts, have been issued by Wahhabi scholars saying it is sinful for women to drive. (08/12/08)
IL, Electronic cuffs planned for dads
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=72215
Illinois has joined a growing contingent of states to adopt a law that will put electronic GPS tracking bracelets on men who have not been convicted of any crime, but might be involved in a messy divorce. The plan, named in memory of Cindy Bischoff, who was attacked and murdered by a former boyfriend, was signed into law just days ago, and is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1. And while its goal of protecting women and children from out-of-control husbands and fathers is good, it goes too far and violates the civil rights of innocent fathers, according to a lawyer for a group that will challenge it. (08/12/08)
UK, Rape payouts cut for drunk victims
http://icnorthants.icnetwork.co.uk/nationalnews/tm_headline=rape-payouts-cut-for-drunk-victims%26method=full%26objectid=21515167%26siteid=50002-name_page.html
Rape victims can be given smaller payouts under a clause that says awards in all types of cases can be reduced if alcohol consumption "gave rise to the injury", according to The Guardian. In the past year 14 rape victims - 1% of rape-related applications - were told they would receive lower levels of compensation due to alcohol consumption, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) told the paper. One woman, who believes she was raped four years ago after having her drink spiked, successfully overturned a decision by the CICA to award her less money because she had been drinking "excessively".She told The Guardian that being told the standard award of £11,000 would be reduced by 25% in her case, to £8,250 "felt like a slap in the face". (08/12/08)
Rape tests Karzais power
http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/World/2008/08/12/6421906-sun.html
Ali Khan braved death threats and public scorn to out the powerful men he accuses of gang-raping his 12-year-old niece. Now he says it is up to Afghanistan's president to prove he can prosecute her assailants and their warlord protectors in the country's north, where President Hamid Karzai's government holds little sway. Rape - a crime long hidden in Afghanistan by victims fearing a life of scorn - is getting a public airing in this conservative Islamic country. In recent weeks, several outraged families have appeared on nightly news shows, demanding justice while sharing heartbreaking stories of sexual assaults on teenage daughters. (08/12/08)
Cheeky Olympic condoms
http://inventorspot.com/articles/cheeky_olympic_condoms_16765
The Telegraph reports that a Chinese condom manufacturer, Elasun, has really caught on to the Olympic spirit. Based on the Olympics, these cheeky ads show stick-figure athletes using condoms as tools during a variety of events. (08/11/08)
Random House pulls novel on Islam
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN0736008820080807
"The Jewel of Medina," a debut novel by journalist Sherry Jones, 46, was due to be published on August 12 by Random House, a unit of Bertelsmann AG, and an eight-city publicity tour had been scheduled, Jones told Reuters on Thursday. The novel traces the life of A'isha from her engagement to Mohammed, when she was six, until the prophet's death. Jones said that she was shocked to learn in May, that publication would be postponed indefinitely. Random House deputy publisher Thomas Perry said in a statement the company received "cautionary advice not only that the publication of this book might be offensive to some in the Muslim community, but also that it could incite acts of violence by a small, radical segment." (08/07/08)
Afghan women blaze path in contemporary art
http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/3705/context/cover/
A group of Afghan women are defying convention by studying and producing expressive contemporary art. An exhibit of their work, now in Berlin, offers an abstract commentary on the restrictions that often govern women's lives. Unlike women's fashion or sports, which have attracted abundant media interest, contemporary art by Afghan women is something of a sleeper, even though it may represent a stronger challenge to conservative concepts of women's social place. (08/17/08)
Feminist indoctrination at school?
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1042998/Girls-taught-feminism-school-counter-negative-influences-celebrity-role-models.html
Teenage girls should be taught feminism at school to stop the growing trend of giving themselves abusive 'male' nicknames such as 'slut' and 'whore', an expert said yesterday. Dr Jessica Ringrose, who has studied the social habits of schoolgirls, found they increasingly linked their personal worth to their ability to be sexually attractive (08/09/08)
UK, Violent women stretching police
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7550755.stm
About 240 women a day are arrested for violent crime in England and Wales, according to recent figures. Police in Scotland and Northern Ireland say, anecdotally, they have also seen an increase in female violence. The chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, Paul McKeever, said there was a "new phenomenon" of women using violence and joining gangs. (08/09/08)
Turkey to register porn buyers?
http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/english/domestic/9604676.asp?scr=1
According to the draft law, those purchasing pornographic publications would be obliged to provide the retailer with their citizenship number and signature, the report added. Those names would be later handed to the Youth and Sport General Administration, according to the regulation, Milliyet said. (08/09/08)
Afghanistan, violence against children
http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/08/07/afghan.family/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
Statistics quantifying crimes against children are hard to come by in Afghanistan, an impoverished nation ravaged by three decades of war. In March, the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission said that deteriorating security in large parts of the country, a growing culture of criminal impunity, weak law enforcement institutions, poverty and other factors had contributed to increasing violence against women, such as rape and torture. The commission also said that Afghan girls are often forced into marriages against their will. (08/07/08)
Europe ignoring French role in genocide
http://www.truthout.org/article/europe-ignoring-french-role-genocide
A damning report has accused France of knowing that a genocide was being planned as early as 1990. It also claims that French soldiers took part in rape, sexual harassment and torture during the period in 1994 when 800,000 people were killed in ethnic violence. In an interview with The Telegraph, Rosemary Museminali, the Rwandan foreign minister, said that the people responsible for the murders still needed to be brought to justice. (08/07/08)
Canada, Cold War Mounties vetted feminists
http://winnipegsun.com/News/Canada/2008/08/05/6351661-sun.html
RCMP spies infiltrated the women's movement in the early 1970s, monitoring marches and rallies to keep an eye on feminists including Rita MacNeil, who would become a much-admired Maritime songstress. An undercover source reporting on a March 1972 gathering of women's liberation groups in Winnipeg compiled biographical sketches of several delegates, noting MacNeil was in attendance from the Toronto Women's Caucus. "She's the one who composes and sings women's lib songs," says the RCMP memo, portions of which remain secret. (08/05/08)
AIDS risk as poor women trade sex for food
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080805/hl_nm/aids_food_dc_2
Climbing food prices -- due to increased use of biofuels, the growing demand for grains to feed a booming Asia, droughts and market speculation -- caused 50 million more people to go hungry last year compared to the year before, the United Nations said. "That might lead to various distress responses, one of which on the part of women is having transactional sex to feed their kids," Stuart Gillespie of the International Food Policy Research Institute said. "Recent studies in Botswana, Swaziland, Malawi, Zambia and Tanzania have shown associations between acute food insecurity and unprotected transactional sex among poor women," he said. (08/05/08)
Feminism past and present
http://www.bu.edu/arion/Paglia%2016-1.html
What precisely is feminism? Is it a theory, an ideology, or a praxis (that is, a program for action)? Is feminism perhaps so Western in its premises that it cannot be exported to other cultures without distorting them? When we find feminism in medieval or Renaissance writers, are we exporting modern ideas backwards? Who is or is not a feminist, and who defines it (Spring/Summer 2008)
Saudi women have sporting chance?
http://edition.cnn.com/CNNI/Programs/middle.east/blog/2008/08/sporting-chance-for-saudi-women.html
She's a one-woman civil rights movement in Saudi Arabia. Wajeha Al-Huwaider, who calls herself an activist, says she is fighting for women's rights in her country. Al-Huwaider gained notoriety when she posted a video of herself driving a car in Saudi Arabia, openly breaking the ban on female drivers. Now, the 46-year-old mother-of-two is tackling another issue: women in sports. (08/05/08)
Where have all the real men gone?
http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/book_extracts/article4448371.ece
Top American columnist Kathleen Parker is causing a furore with her new book Save the Males, in which she argues that feminism has neutered men and deprived them of their noble, protective role in society. Saving the males – engaging their nobility and recognising their unique strengths – will ultimately benefit women and children, too. Fewer will live in poverty; fewer boys will fail in schools and wind up in jail; fewer girls will get pregnant or suffer emotional damage from too early sex with uncaring boys. Fewer young men and women will suffer loneliness and loss because they’ve grown up in a climate of sexual hostility that casts the opposite sex as either villain or victim. (08/03/08)
Aussie doctors criticise lesbian IVF case
http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,24075482-5001028,00.html?from=public_rss
A lesbian couple who tried to sue their doctor after having IVF twin girls shouldn't have been allowed to take the case to court, the Australian Medical Association (AMA) says. In the first Australian case, the Melbourne parents of four-year-old twin girls sued Canberra obstetrician Sydney Robert Armellin for almost $400,000 for implanting two embryos instead of the requested one. The ACT Supreme Court yesterday rejected the couple's claim and ordered them to pay Dr Armellin's legal costs. ACT AMA president Paul Jones says the case should never have reached court. (07/25/08)
Mass. OKs Medicaid for gay couples
http://news.yahoo.com/s/po/20080725/co_po/masslawmakersokmedicaidforgaycouples
The state defies DOMA and throws aging gay spouses a lifeline by granting them equal benefits under the federal "safety net" health program. The Massachusetts state Senate on Wednesday passed a bill granting married same-sex couples equal Medicaid benefits, gay rights group MassEquality reported. Gov. Deval Patrick is expected to sign the bill, which was passed by the state House on July 15. (07/24/08)
Transgender woman sues GA lawmakers
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/atlanta/stories/2008/07/22/transgender_woman_sues.html?cxntlid=homepage_tab_newstab
A former state employee living as a transgender woman on Friday filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against leading Georgia lawmakers and the supervisor who fired her. Vandiver Elizabeth Glenn, a former employee in the General Assembly Office of Legislative Counsel, was fired after she told supervisors she no would no longer come to work as a man. (07/22/08)
Iranian women rights activist vows to fight on
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=231647&version=1&template_id=37
She has been sentenced to jail twice and her passport has been confiscated, but Parvin Ardalan, a prominent Iranian activist, refuses to give up her struggle for women’s rights. Ardalan, 41, is a leading figure in a campaign to collect 1mn signatures in support of improving women’s rights in Iran, whose government rejects Western accusations of abuses. Campaigners say dozens of them have been detained since the drive began in 2006, in what Western diplomats see as part of a wider clampdown on dissent by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s government. (07/23/08)
Pakistan, taboos hinder AIDS fight
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/22/health/research/22glob.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
In Pakistan, seven times as many men as women are reported to be infected with the AIDS virus, but taboos about sex make it very difficult to even address the epidemic, researchers are reporting this week. The findings, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, are by researchers at two Pakistani universities, who said India and Bangladesh, with similarly conservative Muslim cultures, had addressed the issues more openly. (07/22/08)
Group says it ordains 3 women Catholic priests
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080721/ap_on_re/rel_women_priesthood
An activist group hoping to pressure the Roman Catholic church into dropping its long standing prohibition barring women from the priesthood says it ordained three women on Sunday. Church officials did not recognize the ordination, and the Vatican has previously warned that women taking part in ordination ceremonies will be excommunicated. The group known as Roman Catholic Women priests held the ceremony at the Church of the Covenant, a Protestant Church in Boston. (07/20/08)
Pope apologizes for clergy sexual abuse
http://www.nwherald.com/articles/2008/07/20/news/nation_and_world/doc488307e1cadab085757396.txt
Pope Benedict XVI apologized Saturday for the sexual abuse of children by Australia’s Roman Catholic clergy, keeping up efforts begun in the United States to publicly atone for what he called evil acts by priests. The apology did not satisfy representatives of the victims. They said it must be backed by Vatican orders to Australian bishops to stop alleged efforts to cover up the extent of the problem and block attempts to win compensation. (07/20/08)
Tasmania, 8 women, 1 man to be stoned to death
http://www.news.com.au/mercury/story/0,22884,24048841-923,00.html
At least eight women and one man have been sentenced to be stoned to death in Iran and may be executed at any time, the lawyers defending several of those sentenced said today. The eight women, ranging in age from 27 to 43, had convictions including prostitution, incest and adultery. The man, a 50-year-old music teacher, was convicted of illegal sex with a student. (07/20/08)
China, 1child holocaust documented
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=69207
China's coercive one child policy has resulted in sex selection abortions of some 40 million baby girls and leads to about 70,000 children being sold every year, reveals a new undercover documentary to be shown on HBO next Monday. "China's Stolen Children," narrated by Ben Kingsley, was made by filmmakers posing as tourists and tells of the after-effects of the country's strict population-control limit of one child per couple through the personal stories of several families. (07/12/08)
Pakistan, father fights with kidnappers for custody
http://www.compassdirect.org/en/display.php
A Christian father in Pakistan is in a legal battle with kidnappers for the custody of his preteen daughters, who allegedly have been forced to convert to Islam. Yesterday a judge in Pakistan’s Punjab province ordered further investigation into the kidnapping of Saba Younis, 12, and Aneela Younis, 10, who went missing on June 26 in the small town of Chowk Munda. The kidnappers filed for custody of the girls at the local police house on June 28, stating that the sisters had converted to Islam and their father no longer had jurisdiction over them. (07/11/08)
British soldiers abused Iraqi boy sexually?
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/british-soldiers-accused-of-sickening-sex-assault-on-iraqi-boy-14-866482.html
British soldiers forced a boy of 14 to carry out an act of oral sex on a fellow male prisoner in Iraq, according to shocking new allegations made about the behaviour of British troops. The Ministry of Defence confirmed yesterday that the Royal Military Police (RMP) have launched an investigation. If the allegations are proved, it would mark a sordid low in the behaviour of British troops in Iraq, and damage further the reputation of Britain in the Middle East. (07/13/08)
Kenyan mothers point to police
http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/3665
In the slums of Nairobi police who thrive on bribery and corruption may have met their match in a handful of mothers whose sons crossed the authorities. A spilled bowl of porridge sparked a protest in June and the women vow to keep the pressure on. They say local police have been running an extortion racket, kidnapping their sons for ransom and even killing them once the money runs out. By springtime, the women knew of eight young men from their neighbourhood shot by police. (07/10/08)
Spain, the limits of feminism
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/218240,spanish-minister-sparks-debate-about-the-limits-of-feminism--feature.html
The defence of womens rights is undoubtedly a praiseworthy government policy, but just how far should it go?The question is under debate in Spain, where the country's first Equality Ministry has launched initiatives that have earned 31-year-old Bibiana Aido - the youngest minister in Spanish history - more sneers than cheers so far. Not only did Aido announce a telephone hotline to help men adapt to a "new model of masculinity" and wife batterers to "channel their aggressivity" before resorting to violence. She went as far as tackling the structures of the Spanish language, proposing that the masculine-gendered word "miembro" (member) be given a feminine equivalent, "miembra." (07/11/08)
British woman, 6 years for sex on Dubai beach?
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/middle_east/article4300911.ece
A British businesswoman is facing six years in a Dubai jail after she was allegedly caught having sex on a beach. Michelle Palmer, 30, a publishing firm manager, says that she is “panicking” after being arrested by a police officer who saw her with a man on Jumeirah Beach in the tiny oil-rich state. It has been reported that she was charged with having sex outside marriage, indecent behaviour in public, being drunk in public and assaulting a police officer. Ms Palmer is said to be worried that the authorities will push for the harshest possible sentence to make an example of her behaviour. (07/09/08)
UK, Lotto rapist victim wins right to sue attacker
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/lotto-rapist-victim-wins-right-to-sue-attacker-862948.html
Twenty years after she was attacked by a serial rapist who went on to win the lottery, a retired teacher has won her long legal battle to claim compensation from the man she says destroyed her life. While Iorworth Hoare was living in a £700,000 country house and enjoying the millions he won from a Lotto Extra ticket he bought on day release from prison, his 78-year-old victim continued to cope with the trauma of the brutal assault, having been awarded just £5,000 for the injuries she suffered. For three years she fought a legal system that said she had run out of time to sue Hoare, 59. But yesterday she finally triumphed as a High Court judge gave her the go ahead to claim substantial damages against the man dubbed the "Lotto Rapist". (07/09/08)
http://www.ifeminists.net/e107_plugins/enews/enews.php?item.10471
Ireland, female GPs avoid full time posts
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2008/0707/1215380309002.html?via=mr
The medical manpower crisis is even worse than previously estimated, with patients almost certain to experience difficulty accessing GP services, new research has shown. Researchers from the department of primary care and public health at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) have found that women GPs are only half as likely to work full-time at partnership level as male doctors. (07/07/08)
Feminists focus on Michelle Obama
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/5884274.html
Gina McCauley's blog on African-American women in pop culture has never attracted this kind of attention. The 3-year-old site has a mostly African-American audience. But she launched a new Michelle Obama Watch blog in June to monitor and critique media coverage of the potential first lady, and since then, feminists of all colors have been linking and commenting. "I think new bridges are being built, and I'm excited about that," said McCauley, 32, of Austin. Her experience reflects what some hope will become a trend — that interest in ensuring fair coverage of Michelle Obama will bring together black and white feminists who have often had different goals and visions for the feminist movement. (07/12/08)
======================
xK&A
======================
Brisbane Feminism Online (BFO) is a not for profit newsletter service aimed at bringing together the feminist community and strengthening the collective power of the feminist movement in our home city of Brisbane, Australia. Input and feedback is welcome. Our thanks to local women’s organisations, national organisations and ifeminist news.
======================
|
|
|
|
|
|
| What's Related |
| These might interest you as well
Web Pages
|
|
