2009 March Archive | Feministing

Karzai Votes in Law that Leads to Massive Scale-backs in Women’s Rights.

This was an unfortunate move prior to the election in an effort to bow to fundamentalists.

In a massive blow for women’s rights, the new Shia Family Law negates the need for sexual consent between married couples, tacitly approves child marriage and restricts a woman’s right to leave the home, according to UN papers seen by The Independent.
“It is one of the worst bills passed by the parliament this century,” fumed Shinkai Karokhail, a woman MP who campaigned against the legislation. “It is totally against women’s rights. This law makes women more vulnerable.”

Women’s rights advocates are suggesting that this law essentially legalizes rape. Via Independent UK and more at Huffington Post and Think Progress.

This was an unfortunate move prior to the election in an effort to bow to fundamentalists.

In a massive blow for women’s rights, the new Shia Family Law negates the need for sexual consent between married couples, tacitly ...

By Samhita • 15 years ago

Pope to recieve potentially 5 millions condoms in the mail.

To add to the humor (that’s not really that funny), it turns out that folks in Italy are not taking well to the Pope’s allegation that condoms have led to an increase of AIDS in Africa. In response they have organized to send the Pope condoms (1 per person) via 60,000 people. Sounds like the Pink Chaddi campaign.
Pam has more. I wonder if anyone at the Vatican will respond.

To add to the humor (that’s not really that funny), it turns out that folks in Italy are not taking well to the Pope’s allegation that condoms have led to an increase of AIDS ...

By Samhita • 15 years ago

“So what: I have a little cellulite!”

Kim Kardashian posted a pre-photoshopped picture of herself from her Complex Magazine photoshoot to her blog saying she is aware she has cellulite and “which curvy girl doesn’t?” Complex had “mistakenly” run the pre-photoshopped picture showing her *gasp* cellulite. Soon after they took the picture down replacing it with one that trims down her thighs and lightens her skin.
Kim’s response,
“I’m proud of my body and my curves and this picture coming out is probably helpful for everyone to see that just because I am on the cover of a magazine doesn’t mean I’m perfect.”
Kudos to her for saying that. Frankly, I see very little actual difference between the two pictures, but the subtle ...

By Vanessa • 15 years ago

A Hurrah for Dr. George Tiller

This is coming a wee late but is fantastic news. After years of harassment and public shaming through what seemed to be a neverending trial, charged on 19 counts of misdemeanor by the state of Kansas, Dr. George Tilller came out on top and was acquitted on all counts on Friday.
A background: While Tiller is one of the few late-term abortion providers in the country, Kansas law allows late-term abortions only when two independent doctors sign off on the procedure. Prosecutors charged Tiller of having a financial relationship with the doctor that he frequently received authorization from. This, in fact, was nothing more than an anti-choice witch hunt over a law that exists to undermine women’s ...

This is coming a wee late but is fantastic news. After years of harassment and public shaming through what seemed to be a neverending trial, charged on 19 counts of misdemeanor by the state of ...

By Samhita • 15 years ago

Quick Hit: Pole-dancing as an Olympic Sport?

Should pole-dancing be approved as an Olympic sport? According to the Collette Kakuk, founder of the Pole Dancing Association, yes. She believes pole-dancing should not be marginalized or shamed, but brought into the light as a difficult, healthy and competitive activity that makes you fit.
I guess my question would be, would making pole-dancing an Olympic sport bring to light some of the horrible treatment of exotic dancers and give them a standard wage with some worker rights? Most of the participants in the PDA appear to be white and as the article discusses as a sport, pole-dancing generally attracts middle to upper middle class housewives.
But this is interesting. Thoughts?
(Thanks to Daffodil for the link.)

By Samhita • 15 years ago

Understanding the Dialogue around Lovelle Mixon: Part 2

Last Tuesday’s post on the man in Oakland that killed 4 police officers yielded heated responses and I wanted to follow up after everyone (especially me) had some time to mull things over. I want to draw from some of the themes that came up and to update the news that broke last Tuesday night that Lovelle Mixon was also linked to the rape of a 12 year old girl. This act, along with the murders of John Hege, Mark Dunakin, Ervin Romans and Daniel Sakai, are reprehensible acts. I am stating this upfront so that it is not lost that this is a tragedy and there is no excuse for this kind of tragedy.
There seemed to ...

By Samhita • 15 years ago

Are you an apple or a pear?

Hortense from Jezebel has a hilarious post about one of my pet peeves-magazines that try and help you “dress for your shape.” I am so sick of being inundated with magazines that are supposed to help me look thinner or dress better, because you know, fat girls can’t wear sexy clothes, we must hide our bodies. A quick google search and I found plenty of links about how to figure out what shape your body is, so you can figure out what clothes to wear.
As Hortense points out it is difficult to have an exhaustive list of body sizes because we are all shaped differently and therefore, not only are most of the categories limiting and ...

By Jessica • 15 years ago

How the economy is hurting mothers

From The New York Times:

Here’s a pop quiz: Which of the following would violate federal employment law?
1. Laying off a pregnant woman.
2. Laying off a woman on maternity leave.
Pencils down. The answer is “neither.”

So long as employers can make the case that the firing has nothing to do with pregnancy or maternity leave – it’s all good. And it makes sense in theory: after all, folks who do a bad job should be fired no matter what their pregnancy/motherhood status. But the problem is, it seems like employers are using the economy to discriminate against mothers.

“Some employers are using the economy as a pretense for laying off just one person,” Ms. [Elizabeth] Grossman, [a ...

From The New York Times:

Here’s a pop quiz: Which of the following would violate federal employment law?
1. Laying off a pregnant woman.
2. Laying off a woman on maternity leave.
Pencils down. The answer is ...