Author Archives: ruxi

from the global feminist newswire

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Egypt Moves to Ban Female Genital Mutilation (6/29/2007)
Egypt’s health ministry announced yesterday that it would close a legal loophole allowing female genital mutilation (FGM), days after a 12-year-old girl died from the procedure…

UNFPA Briefing on New Report Focuses on Urbanization (6/28/2007)
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) released its annual report on the State of World Population at a briefing this week at the National Press Club…

Setback for Saudi Business Women (6/28/2007)
Under new segregation rules, female bankers in Saudi Arabia are being separated from their male counterparts and supervisors…

New Anti-Rape Law in Thailand (6/25/2007)
The National Legislative Assembly of Thailand approved a new law last week that criminalizes marital rape…

Colombia to Pass Law Giving Rights to Same-Sex Couples (6/18/2007)
With backing from President Alvaro Uribe, a Colombian bill giving same-sex couples rights to health insurance, inheritance, and social security that recently passed by a 62-43 vote in Congress is likely to become law…

Fatal Shooting Outside Afghan Girls’ School (6/14/2007)
Two gunmen killed two girls and wounded six others, including a teacher, outside a girls’ school in Logar Province, Afghanistan on Tuesday…

Over 100 Women Activists Arrested in Zimbabwe (6/13/2007)
More than 100 members of Women of Zimbabwe Arise (WOZA) were arrested June 11 in Filabusi, Zimbabwe during a peaceful demonstration to launch the Peoples’ Charter, which includes demands for social rights and liberties…

Kuwaiti Women Barred from Working at Night (6/13/2007)
The Kuwaiti Parliament unanimously passed a law earlier this week to restrict women’s rights by restricting the hours that women are allowed to work…

Ministers in UK Government Draft New Anti-Discrimination Legislation (6/12/2007)
The United Kingdom government published today a consultation document that included proposals for a Single Equality Bill that will cover England, Wales, and Scotland…

Mozambique Considers Lifting Abortion Ban to Protect Women’s Lives (6/11/2007)
In order to improve the health and safety of women, policymakers in Mozambique have announced that they will consider lifting the country’s ban on abortion…

Afghan Radio Owner and Reporter Killed (6/6/2007)
Zakia Zaki, the owner and manager of Peace Radio and a headmaster of a girls’ school in Parwan province, was shot dead inside her home early this morning…

Report Links Discrimination Against Women and HIV Infection Rates (5/31/2007)
Physicians for Human Rights released a report on Friday demonstrating that discriminatory views against women contribute to the spread of HIV…

Mexican Supreme Court Will Consider New Abortion Law (5/31/2007)
The Mexican Supreme Court announced on Tuesday that it will hear a case filed by the National Human Right’s Commission (NHRC) and the Attorney General’s Office to determine whether Mexico City’s law allowing abortion in the first three months of pregnancy is constitutional…

Women’s Rights Activist Suspended from Afghan Parliament (5/22/2007)
Women’s rights activist and lawmaker Malalai Joya, a 29-year-old from the Farah province, was suspended from the Afghan Parliament yesterday after she described the Parliament as a barn full of animals…

and more…

some anti-violence history

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from Rethinking Rape – A Site for Resistance and Activism:
(Laws and Definitions)

History of Rape Laws in the US:

In the mid-seventeenth century, Sir Matthew Hale introduced the idea of “a woman scorned” into English common law. The myth of the woman who is rejected by a man and then seeks revenge by falsely accusing him of rape remains prevalent in society even today. The creation of the myth of this vindictive woman serves to exonerate perpetrators of rape and in essence, perpetuate the notion that real rape is a rare offense that occurs between strangers. Until the 1970’s in America, jurors in rape cases were read Hale’s warning that although rape is a horrific crime “it is an accusation easy to be made, hard to be proved, but harder to be defended by the party accused, though innocent” (Reeves Sanday, 1996). Until only recently in our nation’s history, women in the United States were subject to male violence and had little to no recourse or any means of achieving justice.

The women’s movement of the 1960’s spawned the anti-rape movement which incited change in the legal arena and was the first time that acquaintance rape was identified and studied. Rape crisis centers, Take Back the Night marches, Speak Outs, feminist organizations, and published research accounts challenged the public’s ideologies regarding the definitions as well as the prevalence of the act of rape.

Rape law reform was an important aspect of the anti-rape movement. At this time, many traditional ideas and commonly held notions about rape were challenged; such as, the idea that the degree of a woman’s resistance was the deciding factor as to whether a rape occurred. Since the 70’s, resistance has become a less important determining factor in the law and the issue of verbal consent has become increasingly significant. The link between rape and alcohol, as well as other sedating substances, has only recently come into the anti-rape discourse and laws. Even today, the idea that a man could rape his wife is considered impossible to many in our society; in fact, marital rape remains noticeably absent from many state’s rape laws.

For a more thorough account of the evolution of rape laws in America check out Peggy Reeves Sanday’s amazing book: A Woman Scorned: Acquaintance Rape on Trial (1996)

OTHER HISTORIES:

More from the history of the movement, its impact on laws, policies and public views and attitudes, its successes and failures:
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adresind violenta normalizata

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doua initiative importante:

  • Nothing But Red

    • “Because it’s no longer enough to be a decent person. It’s no longer enough to shake our heads and make concerned grimaces at the news. True enlightened activism is the only thing that can save humanity from itself. I’ve always had a bent towards apocalyptic fiction, and I’m beginning to understand why. I look and I see the earth in flames. Her face was nothing but red.” – Joss Whedon, May 20 2007, Whedonesque.com

  • UK feminists — protesting against rape, male violence and injustice to women

    • Yet more evidence as to why the newly devised Anti-Rape Demonstrations are so important when the legal system actively condones and promotes male sexual violence against women and girls. No clearer message than this can be sent to all men and boys that they can continue committing rape and sexual abuse with impunity. As regards women and girls – well, make-up, clothing, sexual precociousness etc. are the REAL RAPISTS not men. Yet another male judge believes and actively condones myths concerning male sexual violence against women and girls. Continue reading →

    Saptamana Refugiatilor din Romania

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    mai sunt cateva zile:

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    Consiliul National pentru Combaterea Discriminarii impreuna cu Inaltul Comisariat al Natiunilor Unite pentru Refugiati – UNHCR – Reprezentanta din Romania si Organizatia Femeilor Refugiate din Romania

    Va invita sa fiti alaturi de refugiatii recunoscuti in Romania la urmatoarele evenimente prilejuite de Ziua Mondiala a Refugiatului
    –
    20 Iunie.:

    18 iunie, orele 13:00
    Jocuri de societate din Congo, Irak si Iran la Organizatia Femeilor Refugiate in Romania.
    Locatie: Bd. Regina Maria nr. 88, sector 4.

    19 – 23 iunie in Bucuresti Mall
    Bazar de obiecte traditionale din Senegal, Camerun, Iran si Irak.
    Produsele sunt confectionate de copii si femei refugiate.
    Continue reading →