Call for Submissions for a Proposed Edited Volume:
Transforming Sociology: Towards a Social Analysis of Gender Diversity
calls for submissions: Social Analysis of Gender Diversity
Reply
Category Archives: bodily autonomy
fwd h.arta
Miercuri, 03.10.2007 la orele 19:00 va invitam la Project Space, pe strada Pictor Arthur Verona nr 19 (sediul OAR) la o prezentare sustinuta de Emil Moise: Scolile publice din Romania: instrumentele Bisericii pentru perpetuarea discriminarii de gen.
Prezentarea va avea ca subiect modul in care, prin predarea confesionala a disciplinei Religie in scolile publice, dar si prin actiunile colaterale ce decurg din acest fapt se transmit si astfel se perpetueaza relatiile de putere in general, relatiile de putere cu continut de gen, in special.
Emil Moise este activist si profesor de discipline socio-umane. Are ca domenii de interes: cultura si atitudine civica, etica aplicata, drepturile fiintei umane, teoria deciziei sociale, promovarea tolerantei si a respectului fata de fiinta umana si mediul inconjurator.
Project Space este parte din proiectul Spatiul Public Bucuresti / Public Art Bucharest 2007.
Femeile din Romania – slab educate, prost platite, neimplicate in luarea deciziei
Comunicat de presa
CPE – Centrul Parteneriat pentru Egalitate
Bucuresti, 26 septembrie 2007
Diferente de salarizare intre femei si barbati continua sa existe in majoritatea domeniilor de activitate. Cea mai mare diferenta se inregistreaza in industrie, unde salariul barbatilor este cu peste 60% mai mare decat cel al femeilor. Chiar si in domenii feminizate, ca administratie publica si comert, salariile barbatilor sunt mai mari decat cele ale femeilor cu peste 15%.
Un numar semnificativ de angajati barbati acceseaza concediul pentru cresterea si ingrijirea copilului, insa, ponderea majoritara, de peste 70%, ramane reprezentata de femei.
Nivelul de educatie in randul femeilor este foarte scazut: aproape trei sferturi dintre femei au maxim 8 clase si numai 3% au absolvit studii superioare, in timp ce numarul celor care nu au nici un fel de studii se situeaza intre 5 si 12%. Comparativ, nivelul de instruire al barbatilor este mai ridicat decat cel al femeilor, 60% dintre acestia avand maxim 8 clase, iar 4% studii superioare. Discrepanta cea mai mare se inregistreaza in cazul analfabetilor, numarul femeilor fara nici o instruire fiind de 2,8 ori mai mare decat cel al barbatilor in judetul Botosani si de peste 4 ori mai mare in judetul Giurgiu.
Participarea femeilor la luarea deciziei in plan local ramane extrem de scazuta, ponderea femeilor in Consiliile Judetene fiind intre 6,5% si 24,2%.
La nivelul Inspectoratelor Teritoriale de Munca nu s-au inregistrat plangeri pe motiv de discriminare intre sexe.
Continue reading
… and these appeal to women, HOW?
gallery of sexist ads, parts 10^20 and 10^20+1:
– “Alicia Silverstone Strips for Animals?” (yeah, of course PETA is involved)
– “Pornography of War (Literally)”
as “bonus,” some more depictions of women being demeaned/abused that are making the rounds… because it’s all part of the same continuum:
Video of domestic violence
Blonda batuta de concubinul ei [Blonde beaten up by her live-in boyfriend]
(make sure to check out the “average joe” responses to these: “so what,” “she deserved it,” “why didn’t she just leave?” are among the mildest reactions to the video on youtube, and most of them, especially on the romanian site, are truly vile, misogynistic and violent… while the video is being sent around as a “joke”)
CAREFUL, links 3-5 contain images that could be seriously triggering!
re: legalization of prostitution
(see also “Prostitution… give them all a share of it!” from the blog archives/lf zine — & in romanian: “Prostitutia… dati fiecaruia partea lui!” “MAI promite legalizarea prostitutiei?”, “Prostitutie I”, “Prostitutie II”)
WATCH:
*Not For Sale*
Women speak out about sexual exploitation in prostitution and trafficking
A video by Marie VermeirenThe film (23 min) challenges the traditional views and myths on prostitution and sexual exploitation of women’s bodies. It includes interviews with women survivors of trafficking for sexual exploitation and prostitution, women sharing their life experiences and demanding governmental action and responsibility to combat violence against women, including trafficking and prostitution. The film is part of the joint project EWL-CATW on trafficking in women for sexual exploitation.
To see the film online:
http://www.womenlobby.org/site/video_en.asp
READ:
‘It’s like you sign a contract to be raped’
If you believe their PR, Nevada’s legal brothels are safe, healthy – even fun – places in which to work. So why do so many prostitutes tell such horrific tales of abuse?
— The Guardian, Friday September 7, 2007There is only one place in the US where brothels are legal, and that’s Nevada – a state in which prostitution has been considered a necessary service industry since the days when the place was populated solely by prospecters. There are at least 20 legal brothels in business now. Not so many, you might think, but these state-sanctioned operations punch above their weight in PR terms.
oh, the things we find “unsurprising”
here’s something else pretty horrifying: Bucharest mayor Neculai Ontanu was filmed scolding and attempting to “motivate” a city sanitation employee by putting out a cigarette in her palm, and the fact first gets “noticed” when blogger Andressa writes about it in her post “Incalificabil”. before she pointed out the mayor’s unspeakable action, it had gone completely uncommented, by the reporter within the news story on Prima TV which the footage was part of, or by anyone else… because to the population at large and to the mass media (as many of the ensuing commentary on Andressa’s blog shows), that kind of thing is just not surprising at all! (though even the most un-surprised can’t deny that sexism, racism, classism are at play there.)
Ioana Avadani from the Center for Independent Journalism then wrote about the story on her Hot News blog – (“Ontanu pe ‘plantatie'”/”Ontanu on the plantation”), and it finally became a news piece. Ontanu’s spokespeople are denying that he did what he is plainly doing in the footage – but also arguing, in his defense, that he was very very mad that the sanitation workers weren’t doing their job properly.
here’s the video:
you can write to Prima TV at office@primatv.ro (additional contact info), and to Ontanu at neculai_ontanu@ps2.ro (email addresses of his staff, his primaria sectorului 2 info page)
[zina lf-ro#2] Marturii din “zona de razboi”
Am vazut War Zone pentru prima data la intalnirea LadyFest de vara trecuta. De atunci, l-am revazut de cel putin cinci ori si mi-a lasat aceeasi impresie de fiecare data. Perceptia comuna despre hartuirea sexuala e formata de cazurile putinelor persoane care au hotarat sa-si actioneze in justitie hartuitorii. Regizoarea filmului War Zone aduce discutia la un alt nivel, si anume felul in care hartuirea de pe strada amplifica sentimentul de nesiguranta experimentat de femei.
Maggie Hadleigh-West, care nu e doar regizoarea, ci si protagonista peliculei, se plimba pe strada cu o camera de filmat in mana, nu doar cu intentia de a afla ce gandesc barbatii pe langa care trece si care o abordeaza ci si de a folosi aceasta unealta ca o arma impotriva lor, in acelasi fel in care ei isi indreapta remarcile sau chiar gesturile impotriva femeilor, de indata ce acestea ies din casa neinsotite. Reactiile barbatilor pe langa care trece variaza, asa cum cititoarele vor intui, de la “buna ziua, papusa” pana la “ce buna esti!”. Eroina noastra se decide sa se puna chiar in situatii extreme, intervievandu-i pe barbatii cu care intra in contact in legatura cu motivele pentru care abordeaza femeile pe strada. Interlocutorii lui Maggie Hadleigh-West sunt rapid pusi intr-o dificultate din care rezulta dialoguri savuroase.
Continue reading
more normalized bigoted violence
Lesbians sentenced for self-defense
All-white jury convicts Black women
By Imani Henry
New York
Published Jun 21, 2007 2:58 AM
On June 14, four African-American women—Venice Brown (19), Terrain Dandridge (20), Patreese Johnson (20) and Renata Hill (24)—received sentences ranging from three-and-a-half to 11 years in prison. None of them had previous criminal records. Two of them are parents of small children.
Their crime? Defending themselves from a physical attack by a man who held them down and choked them, ripped hair from their scalps, spat on them, and threatened to sexually assault them—all because they are lesbians.
The mere fact that any victim of a bigoted attack would be arrested, jailed and then convicted for self-defense is an outrage. But the length of prison time given further demonstrates the highly political nature of this case and just how racist, misogynistic, anti-gay, anti-youth and anti-worker the so-called U.S. justice system truly is.
The description of the events, reported below, is based on written statements by a community organization (FIERCE) that has made a call to action to defend the four women, verbal accounts from court observers and evidence from a surveillance camera.
The attack
On Aug. 16, 2006, seven young, African-American, lesbian-identified friends were walking in the West Village. The Village is a historic center for lesbian, gay, bi and trans (LGBT) communities, and is seen as a safe haven for working-class LGBT youth, especially youth of color.
Continue reading
from the global feminist newswire
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…
some anti-violence history
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:
- About the anti-rape movement in Chicago (& at Illinois State level)
- More on the History of the Rape Crisis Movement in the US
- The Rapist Who Pays the Rent– the handbook of the movement to make rape in marriage a crime [in Britain]
- About the anti-violence movement in Bulgaria and in (post-“communism”/post-“state feminism”) Eastern-Europe
- Stop Violence Against Women: Factsheet on Romania; database of anti-violence efforts and legislation in Romania [ro]
More from the history of the movement, its impact on laws, policies and public views and attitudes, its successes and failures:
Continue reading