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“A dream you dream alone is only a dream; a dream you dream together is reality.” — Yoko Ono
Feb
28
Arizona Legislature Considers Numerous Abortion Restrictions
Filed Under Republicans, abortion, anti-choice extremism, assholes, legislation, misogyny, paternalism, patriarchy, politics, reproductive justice, women’s health | 10 Comments
Just as anti-choice, time-wasting nonsense gets cleared up in South Dakota, we find ourselves some more in Arizona. Indeed, as Miriam and Ann note, anti-choicers seem to be going pretty wild all over the nation.
This particular piece of ugly Arizona legislation would impose a whole ton of restrictions:
Legislation to impose the first new restrictions on abortion since at least 2002 coasted to easy approval Wednesday in the House Committee on Health and Human Services.
Democrats, seeing they were going to be outvoted anyway, walked out, leaving their Republican colleagues to vote 5-0 for HB 2564.
Since 2002, abortion foes have managed to get various measures through the Republican-controlled Legislature only to have each vetoed by Democrat Janet Napolitano.
This bill mandates women be given certain information, in person, about their unborn child and their legal rights if they keep the child. It allows a wide range of medical professionals to refuse to provide abortions, allows medical professionals to refuse to provide the “morning-after” pill, and changes the regulations for minors getting an abortion without parental consent.
The article then goes on to say that there’s also a 24-hour waiting period included in the bill, along with requirements that the woman be told at the start of this period all about prenatal services available to her, as well as “the probable anatomical and physiological characteristics” of the fetus at her particular stage of pregnancy.
Feb
27
Let Us Pity the Poor Rapist
Filed Under International, assholes, courts, media, misogyny, patriarchy, pop culture, rape and sexual assault, violence against women and girls | 13 Comments
Via Hoyden About Town comes the story of New Zealand rugby player Jake Paringatai, who committed an act of sexual violence against a woman in at a social function. Of course, as seems to always happen when a perpetrator is a famous sports star, rape apologism from both the media and the courts has ensued, complete with boo-hooing about how the man’s career has been ruined over one silly little incident!Exhibit A is the headline Former Crusader fined over grope, followed by this opening to the story:
Former Crusaders No 8 Jake Paringatai today saw the price he has paid for a clumsy drunken grope of a woman at a social function – $12,500 and most of his rugby career.
The price he has paid for a clumsy, drunken grope? You can hear the remorse for what that horrible woman did to this poor man, who made one teeny, tiny error, just dripping off the page. This would be bad enough on it’s own, of course. But it gets a whole lot worse once you realize that Paringatai did much more than “grope” his victim:
Paringatai, who is now living in Australia, grabbed the bottom of a woman he did not know at a social function in Christchurch in May 2007.
The 22-year-old woman felt a finger penetrate her vagina through two layers of clothing and Judge Neave described it as “humiliating and devastating ordeal”.
Yeah, here’s a clue. Forcibly penetrating a woman without her consent, even if you don’t use your penis, is rape. Period. It’s rape.
Feb
26
Jim Beam Ad Remakes Even Worse Than Originals
Filed Under Australia, International, marketing, media, misogyny, objectification, patriarchy, pop culture, sexism | 12 Comments
You might have seen the extremely offensive and sexist Australian Jim Beam ad series last year at Hoyden About Town.
The Neighbours shows naked women sunbathing outside in their backyard, with men peeping on them. The Girlfriend shows a doormat of a woman explaining how she likes when men neglect her. The Tragedy shows a very attractive woman explaining how she’s sexually attracted to other women.
In all of these, the title of the ad is stated with the word “the” highly emphasized in order to indicate that a phrase like “the girlfriend” means “the ultimate, world’s best girlfriend.” And of course, what could be a bigger tragedy than a woman whose sexuality doesn’t revolve around men?
Now, Jim Beam is holding a video remake contest, where they encourage their “fans” to make their own versions of the commercials. Obviously, with the ads so offensive in the first place, this was always going to be a disaster. But one particular remake of the Girlfriend is especially appalling.
The original ad:
Get it? Because what’s better than a woman who doesn’t have any desires or feelings of her own, but only exists for men’s sexual pleasure without pesky little nuisances like consent getting in the way?
Thank fucking god I don’t drink bourbon. Though, interestingly, I certainly could use a drink. Perhaps this was their real marketing strategy all along?
Thanks to Jenny for the link.
Feb
25
Rape Is Cheaper Than Bullets
Filed Under International, activism, marketing, media, misogyny, patriarchy, rape and sexual assault, violence against women and girls | 30 Comments
Yesterday, I came across this new UK ad campaign by Amnesty International, called Rape Is Cheaper Than Bullets. It’s apparently intended to bring attention to the use of rape as a weapon of war around the globe:
This morning I received a text message from a friend who was on her way to work. It read: “Am just in the tube and there’s a really offensive poster up there but it says its Amnesty – do you know anything about it? It says ‘Rape is cheaper than bullets’.”
I quickly replied saying yes, it was an Amnesty International advertisement launched this week, and if it’s offensive then that is nothing compared to what hundreds of thousands of women and girls are suffering in conflict zones around the world.
Well, yes. Indeed, one’s personal offense is never the equivalent of a grievous bodily assault, inflicted on one for the simple fact that she is a woman.
But like Sylvia, I still have my concerns. And my concern is, namely, about what the hell this campaign is trying to convey.
Feb
24
Hundreds of Adult Sex Workers Arrested in “Child Prostitution” Stings
Filed Under class and economics, misogyny, paternalism, patriarchy, rape and sexual assault, sex and sexuality, sex work, slut-shaming, violence against women and girls | 43 Comments
I love how this headline at CNN reads “Operation Frees Dozens of Child Prostitutes” rather than “Over 500 Prostitutes Arrested Under Guise of Saving Children.”
In the three-day operation, which began Thursday night, the FBI, along with local and state law enforcement agencies, took the 46 girls and one boy — all of them U.S. citizens ages 13 to 17 — into protective custody.
“Operation Cross Country II” involved efforts in 29 cities and resulted in the arrest of 73 pimps and 518 adult prostitutes, the FBI said.
Those arrested could face federal or state charges, depending on their alleged activities.
Nice, eh? I mean, yes, excellent — 47 children were rescued from a rape trade. Surely, that’s a good thing and worth the huge sums of money spent. But is it necessarily worth over 500 female adults being laden with these serious charges, and ultimately I’m sure being subjected to intense public humiliation, for doing nothing more than attempting to make the best living they know how?
And far more importantly and far less fraught than that question: why do we assume that in order to do one, we must do the other?
Feb
23
Domestic Violence Rates Soar in Turkey
Filed Under International, misogyny, patriarchy, religious fanaticism, violence against women and girls | 2 Comments
A new report has come out showing that, as in most places, domestic violence is a serious problem in Turkey. But not only are rates of intimate partner violence in Turkey significantly higher than in the U.S., where statistics are already terrifyingly high, women in Turkey are also seemingly significantly less likely to seek help:
A woman in the studio audience stands up and, with the spotlight highlighting her covered head, announces to the crowd that her husband abuses her but that she doesn’t know how to react and still be a good Muslim.
The host of this popular Turkish TV show, “Islam in Our Life,” Professor Faruk Beser, is — from his trimmed mustache to his tailored suit — the image of a modern, successful Turkish man. But as he approaches the woman, his answer is far from progressive.
Looking her in the eye, Beser urges the woman to “carry this pain within you and keep living with your husband,” prescribing constant prayer over divorce, and reminding the woman of the rewards she will receive in heaven for her suffering.
What is shocking about this scene is not so much the reaction of the host, a man known for his conservative interpretation of Islam in a country that is 99 percent Muslim, but rather that the woman had the courage to speak up at all.
Four out of 10 women in Turkey are beaten by their husbands, according to the recent study entitled “Domestic Violence against Women in Turkey,” which has collected the first official statistics on this topic in Turkey. Even more disturbing, the study reveals that a significant number of abused women, almost 90 percent, do not seek help from any organization.
It’s worth noting, of course, that Islam is hardly the only religion used to promote misogynistic ideas about how women should stay with abusive husbands in order to be eligible for a happy afterlife. But it should also go without saying that the religious component of the problem can’t just go ignored in creating solutions. If the women being abused are Muslim, and believe that their religion bars them from speaking out and seeking help, setting up more shelters isn’t going to make more than 10% of those abused women attempt to get assistance.
That’s a big part of the reason why I think that those Muslim women who are directly using Islam as a way to make arguments in favor of women’s rights, as I wrote about just the other day, have exactly the right idea. Again, you have to work within the conditions you’re facing, and the same problems can require radically different approaches for different communities. If the community is particularly religious, chances are that effective solutions are going to involve religion in some way, too.
Check out the full article over at Global Post.
Thanks to Will for the link.
Feb
21
Sexual Violence in Italy Used to Support Racist Immigration Policies
Filed Under Europe, International, assholes, bigotry, immigration, politics, race and racism, rape and sexual assault, violence against women and girls | 5 Comments
Last month, I wrote a post about how Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi made statements which heavily implied a belief that women are raped not because certain men have a desire for control over women, or feel that they deserve permanent access to women’s bodies, but because women are so good looking. Even worse than that, he did so in order to justify his attempts to enforce police state measures as some sort of supposed response to recent incidences of sexual violence.
Now, via Angry Black Woman, we get the news that Berlusconi has taken the police state thing one step further — by blaming sexual violence on immigrants and authorizing what are essentially vigilante squads to help combat the “problem.”
Italy’s government has rushed through a decree to crack down on sexual violence and illegal immigration after a spate of rapes blamed on foreigners.
The decree sets a mandatory life sentence for the rape of minors or attacks where the victim is killed.
It also establishes rules for citizen street patrols to be conducted by unarmed and unpaid volunteers.
[. . .]
Critics say the measures could effectively legitimise vigilantism and xenophobia. The Vatican has warned against anything that turns innocent foreigners into convenient scapegoats.
Yup, you know there’s something seriously fucked up going on when I agree with the Vatican.
Feb
20
Yes Means Yes LiveChat at Feministe
Filed Under blogging, books, feminism, personal and self-promotion | Leave a Comment
I will be participating in a livechat today at Feministe at 3PM EST to discuss the anthology about sexual violence called Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape.
The chat will be moderated by Feministe blogger Rachel, and also feature YMY contributors Toni Amato, Hanne Blank, Heather Corrina, and Kate Harding. There will also be a second livechat at 6PM, the details of which you can check out here.
To follow along with the chat, just head over to the blog at the time and there will be a post up. (You will also be able to replay the chat once it’s finished.) We probably won’t be able to take your comments at the time of the chat, but we do do also want your questions so ask now before it’s too late!
There are so many great people taking part, and I’m really excited about it. Hope to see you there!
Feb
19
Muslim Women Fight For Rights Using Islam
Filed Under International, feminism, human rights, misogyny, paternalism, patriarchy, religious fanaticism | 17 Comments
The NY Times recently ran an article that is, if not exactly news (because it’s about something that has been going on for some time), nonetheless interesting and important. On the issue of Muslim women using Islam to make feminist arguments, they write:
Ms. Anwar argues that the edict, issued late last year by the National Fatwa Council of Malaysia, is pure patriarchy. Islam, she says, is only a cover.
It was frustrations like those that drew several hundred Muslim women to a conference in this Muslim-majority country over the weekend. Their mission was to come up with ways to demand equal rights for women. And their tools, however unlikely, were the tenets of Islam itself.
“Secular feminism has fulfilled its historical role, but it has nothing more to give us,” said Ziba Mir-Hosseini, an Iranian anthropologist who has been helping to formulate some of the arguments. “The challenge we face now is theological.”
The advocates came from 47 countries to participate in the project, called Musawah, the Arabic word for equality. They spent the weekend brainstorming and learning the best Islamic arguments to take back to their own societies as defenses against clerics who insist that women’s lives are dictated by men’s strict interpretations of Islam.
I find it quite interesting, in fact, given the conditions they describe, that Islam is noted as being an “unlikely” tool for dismantling patriarchy.
There seems to be an awful lot (prejudiced) assumptions about Islam wrapped up in that single statement. But while it certainly can be argued, as Audre Lorde famously phrased it, that “the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house,” it’s hardly a sentiment that’s shared universally among any type of activist. Further, in assessing the truth of the statement with regards to any particular situation, we first have to discuss and identify which “tools” belong to the “master.” And I don’t think that Islam as a religion necessarily qualifies as one of those tools.
Feb
18
Happy Birthday, Yoko!
Filed Under Gratuitous Beatles Blogging, feminism, fun, random | 2 Comments
Thanks to a fab feminist for all that she has done, how she has persevered in all that she has been put up against, and all of the beautiful work that she continues to do. We love you, Yoko!
Image is Yoko Ono at her 75th birthday party from last year, with the cake that her son Sean Lennon presented to her. It’s a replica of one of her most famous works of art, the all-white chess set Play It By Trust.
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“Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less.” — Susan B. Anthony
