Category Archives: Feminism

Protests break out at memorial for slain Honduran activist Berta Caceres | News | DW.COM | 05.03.2016

International outrage There has been strong international condemnation of the murder, and the US government on Friday called for a thorough investigation into her death: “The United States condemns the murder of civil society activist Berta Caceres and calls upon the Honduran government to conduct a prompt, thorough, and transparent investigation and to ensure those responsible are brought to justice,” a State Department release said. “We offer our sincere condolences to her family, friends, and the people of Honduras, who have lost a dedicated defender of the environment and of human rights. We offer again the full support of the United States to help bring the perpetrators to justice.” A coalition of more than 40 human rights groups from across the Americas called for an “independent, impartial” investigation into the killing.

Source: Protests break out at memorial for slain Honduran activist Berta Caceres | News | DW.COM | 05.03.2016

Supreme Court blocks Louisiana law that would restrict abortion providers – LA Times

Supreme Court in a victory for abortion-rights advocates on Friday blocked Louisiana from enforcing a law that they said would have left the state with only one doctor licensed to perform the procedure. The justices, by a 7-1 vote, issued a brief order that restores an earlier judicial ban on enforcing the 2014 law. The court’s order is a good sign for abortion-rights groups in Louisiana and nationwide. Coming shortly after the justices debated a similar Texas law, the order shows a majority of the high court is unwilling to permit conservative states to enforce stringent regulations. A federal judge had blocked Louisiana from enforcing a rule that would require doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital. The judge found most hospitals simply refused to consider extending these privileges to a doctor whose practice involved abortion.

Source: Supreme Court blocks Louisiana law that would restrict abortion providers – LA Times

What I Learnt from Karaikal Ammaiyar and Her Closet of Adornments – The Ladies FingerThe Ladies Finger

Vanity is at once discouraged and encouraged in women. Among the conflicting social messages we receive, we are told that to care too much about one’s appearance denotes shallowness of character or lack of intellectual gravitas, but that to not appear pleasing is to be lacking in social graces or emotional stability. There are women who seem to be smitten by trends; there are women who establish a more individualistic style; there are women who seem to have no clear taste; there are women who frankly seem to not have an aesthetic sense – and each of them is perceived and pegged in a different way. Our wardrobes speak volumes for us. In the long history of female silencing, the wardrobe was an instrument long before the pen, which did not find its way into the majority of our hands until rather recent centuries. Little tells us more about the power of this instrument than the moral and cultural policing of women’s attire. ‘Pleasing’ – denoting acceptable attention that puts other people at ease. In India, a sari in most contexts is ‘pleasing’. It speaks of the woman’s urge to please, to appear serious, shy, subordinate, unchallenging. So why then did I find myself lodging a complaint at a Chennai hotel a few years ago because the management had assumed I was soliciting, based entirely on the fact that I had been sitting alone in the lobby in a sari? I had been waiting for my friends for a night of partying. The sari in that context was not pleasing. It was subversive. The undertone was this: women who go clubbing don’t wear saris when they do because doing so would be to insult the garment and corrupt its inherent morality by bringing it into an immoral sphere. Their lifestyles were acceptable so long as they were compartmentalised. To not compartmentalise – to confuse the decorum of the sari with the abandon of the pub – was to be profoundly lacking in morality, i.e. a whore.

Source: What I Learnt from Karaikal Ammaiyar and Her Closet of Adornments – The Ladies FingerThe Ladies Finger

Did You Know that Uterus Transplants are for Realz? – The Ladies FingerThe Ladies Finger

in Sweden 9 transplants have already been undertaken successfully. According to the New York Times, the lead surgeon in the American team, Dr. Andreas G. Tzakis travelled to Sweden to learn more about the procedure. In Sweden, 4 of the 9 recipients have since given birth to healthy babies since. Uterus transplants are possible options for women born without uteruses or with uterine damage and who would like to experience childbirth. It could potentially be an option for transwomen. In fact,  one of the world’s first attempts at uterus transplants happened in 1931 with a Danish transwoman, Lili Elbe. That particular surgery ended tragically when Elbe died of organ rejection. Organ rejection remains a major danger even today which leads to a rather mind-boggling aspect of the current technology. These current transplants are meant to be temporary. Again according to the New York Times, “any children will be born by cesarean section and the mother will have the transplanted uterus removed after having one or two babies.” Other medical factoids which might interest you. One, the age of the donor doesn’t matter. Two, in the recent Swedish transplants the uteruses came from live donors (usually relatives) through a surgery that takes as many as 11 hours. Three, pregnancy will take place through IVF in advance of the transplant.

Source: Did You Know that Uterus Transplants are for Realz? – The Ladies FingerThe Ladies Finger

Hopes and `Honour` Killings | Inter Press Service

The first covers the period spanning Feb 1, 2004, to Feb 1, 2006. During this time, there were 988 incidents of honour killings in Pakistan. Nearly, but not exactly half, did not even have FIRs registered for the crime. Firearms were the weapon of choice for doing away with the victims, followed by blunt force injury with a heavy weapon.

Source: Hopes and `Honour` Killings | Inter Press Service

Ukraine’s Eurovision pick highlights Russian oppression

A Crimean Tatar singer has been chosen to represent Ukraine with a song about Russia’s deadly deportation of the group. Jamala may face challenges if the song “1944” breaks Eurovision’s rules on political content.

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Source: Ukraine’s Eurovision pick highlights Russian oppression

State-funded Danish Muslim school tells girls not to date – The Local

The psychologist’s remarks led Copenhagen City Council member Lars Aslan Rasmussen to call for the school’s funding to be yanked.    “One should definitely remove support from a school whose psychologists can’t figure out how to be psychologists but instead act like imams,” he told Radio24syv.    “The majority of the school’s subsidy is covered by Danish taxpayers, so this should definitely have consequences,” he added.    Rasmussen said the school’s advice to female students is “crazy” and he called on the Education Ministry to take the school’s policy “very seriously”.

Source: State-funded Danish Muslim school tells girls not to date – The Local

Palestinian teacher announced one of top 10 in the world – PNN

Hanan Al-Hroub, primary class teacher who grew up in Deheishe refugee camp, Bethlehem, has been shortlisted to the top 10 international teachers nominated for the one million dollar 2016 Global Teacher Prize, organised by the Varkey Foundation. Hanan was named amongst nine other teachers from countries all over the world including Kenya, India, Pakistan, USA, Japan, Finland, Australia and the UK. According to the Varkey website, the inspirational teacher was regularly exposed to acts of violence. She went into primary education after her children were left deeply traumatised by a shooting incident they witnessed on their way home from school. Her experiences in meetings and consultations to discuss her children’s behaviour, development and academic performance in the years that followed led Hanan to try to help others who, having grown up in similar circumstances, require special handling at school.

Source: Palestinian teacher announced one of top 10 in the world – PNN