The Success of Feminism in 2014

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/10/-sp-jennifer-lawrence-emma-watson-feminists-celebrity

This will be my last post for a little while, but I hope to continue my work with this blog. Whenever I look for current developments in women's rights throughout the world there is always an abundance of pressing issues. This is convenient for my blog but also incredibly sad. Will there ever come a time when the newsfeed will be flooded with elected females and feminist strides, instead of sexism and injustice?

Well here is some good news. Even though I've talked a lot about the bad in this blog, there is also quite a lot of good going on in the world of feminism. Mic.com recently released "The 39 Most Iconic Feminist Moments of 2014." Feminism is once again hitting the spotlight. But it's possible it may stick around for a long time. 

The list included a wide variety of people and events. Here are some of them:

• Malala Yousafzai accepted the Nobel Peace Prize
• 13-year old Mo'ne Davis pitched her team to the Little League World Series.
• Emma Watson stunned audiences when she gave a speech to the UN as an official Goodwill Ambassador. She is telling the world that Hermione Granger is so last decade. Now she is inspiring all her young fans to embrace equality.
• Columbia University senior, Emma Sulkowicz carried a mattress everywhere she went in protest. She would do this until her rapist was expelled. 
• Even though the Democrats took a terrible beating during the midterm elections, a record of 100 women will serve in Congress. 
• Transgender actress, Laverne Cox, has helped open doors for transgenders to come out into the spotlight. She has created a safer platform in which everyone can discuss what it means to be transgender.
• Celebrities such as Jennifer Lawrence, Beyoncé and Ellen Page have become feminist and gay-rights role models. Even though some people have issues with celebrities getting involved in activism, I say why the heck not? Why not have those who already have the spotlight use it to spread words of love and equality? 
• Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has stood up for women in the courtroom. In an interview with Katie Couric, she stated that she would prefer all of the Supreme Court Justices to be female. 
• The TV-screen is starting to see more diverse and complex female characters. The character of Olivia Pope on the hit show "Scandal" come out as a feminist. 
• Women activists are taking a stand in the Ferguson protests. Women are at the forefront of activism in response to the shooting of Michael Brown. Even though they have not been widely represented in the media, they are the ones doing the actual work on the ground.

This is just some of the many other successes in 2014. But there is more that has to be done. Women have grabbed the world's attention. Now we need to use it properly in order to bring about change.

Sources:

• http://mic.com/articles/105102/the-39-most-iconic-feminist-moments-of-2014

Another Threat to Pregnant Women

http://prn.fm/womens-rights-workplace-100614/

A few blog posts ago I discussed the arrest of pregnant women on suspicion of intended fetal homicide. This is not the only issue that many pregnant women are facing in the United States. A woman's body, pregnant or not, has always been a subject of public spectacle and argument. Women, we all know, reproduce. Pregnancy is part of human life and allows for the human race to grow and well, exist. So it would make sense treat our pregnant women with care and respect right? I mean the fate of humanity literally rests in their uteri.

Hundreds of countries around the world provide women and man with paid maternity leave. Sweden provides the best package, giving women 420 days (over a year) with 80% paid wages. The United States is by far one of the worst countries, giving women 12 weeks leave with NO pay. According to the Huffington Post, "Maternity leaves aren't simply a matter of time off for childcare--they can also strongly impact the rest of a child's life. According to a report by non-governmental organization Save The Children, in countries with longer periods of parental leave, children were found to be breastfed for long er and their life expectancy was higher." So here is yet another reason why we all have to move to Sweden. But I digress.

There is a significant Supreme Court case in the works right now that we must pay significant attention to. On December 3rd, the Supreme Court had a hard time understanding what duty employers have to pregnant women under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA), in Young v United Parcel Service (UPS). This case came as a result of a UPS driver, Peggy Young, who became pregnant in2006. Young therefore requested "light duty", which was a temporary pass from lifting 70-pound packages. She could still perform all other duties while pregnant. But the company rejected her request stated that their pregnant workers were not included in the categories of eligible alternate assignments. Young then got unpaid leave and lost her pension and health benefits. This was in 2006, and since then, young has spent eight years trying to sue UPS for violating the PDA.

Justice Antonin Scalia, at Wednesday's hearing, stated that Young was demanding, "most-favored-nation status" for pregnant women. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in contrast, stated that the position of UPS put their pregnant workers in a "least-favoured nation" status. Lawyers and the Justices started bringing up examples of other potential health benefits, like a back-injury. But there should be a simple decision. Being pregnant isn't a health problem. It is a body's natural function. Questions of physical disability in comparison to pregnancy shouldn't be posed. What bothers me most is that corporations alongside many conservative republicans have been spending too much time trying to protect the rights of unborn fetuses instead of considering the rights of the women who carry them

A decision won't be made until June. Young has already waited eight-years for justice. This Supreme Court decision could impact millions of working women across the country.


Sources:

• http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2014/12/women-and-work
• http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/05/22/maternity-leaves-around-the-world_n_1536120.html

Sasha and Malia are Regular Teenagers? What a Shocker!

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/nov/29/obama-daughters-outrage-gop-staffer-sparks-backlas/

We don't see much of Sasha and Malia Obama often in the media. That's mainly because in 2008 when President Obama took office, he made it very clear that his daughters were "off limits." Why would he have to make that clear? Well the daughters of the last few presidents have been brutally bullied by the press. Radio pundent Rush Limbaugh called Chelsea Clinton a dog and Amy Carter the "most unattractive presidential daughter in the history of the country." So you can see why Obama had to raise his voice to the press and to political opponents.

Well that line has been crossed. Last week as is tradition, the President gave his Thanksgiving speech.  As he addressed the press and the nation, Sasha and Malia were at their father's side. They looked like normal teenagers. Dressed normally and with classic teenage facial expressions. You know the kind I mean? The face that says, "Dad you're so embarrassing with your corny jokes. I really don't want to be hear right now." Who wouldn't at that age?

But GOP Communications Director for Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-Tenn.), Elizabeth Lauten felt that this was not appropriate behavior for the daughters of a president. In response, she wrote on Facebook, "Act like being in the White House matters to you. Dress like you deserve respect, to a spot at a bar. And certainly don't make faces during televised, public events." She then asked them to show a "little class."

Seriously? Did you want them to dress up in ball gowns with perfect posture? They have attended this event for 8 years. All they have had to do is stand there and pet a turkey. It's a tradition that frankly any teenager would find boring. This disrespectful and frankly sexist comment (assuming that these girls should act in a certain way) is actually one of the lighter attack on the girls.

In 2010, when Malia reportedly asked her father about the BP oil spill clean up, Glenn back mocked her by saying, "Did you plug the hole yet, Daddy? Ask 'Daddy' why he hates black people so much." He continued to mock her with,  "That's the level of their education, that they're coming to-they're coming to Daddy and saying, 'Daddy, did you plug the hole yet?'" Talk about cruelty.

Last year when Obama made a statement in support of selling Plan B, a birth control product, to girls as young as 15, conservative Fox New host Andrea Tantaros pointed at the potential sex-life of 14-year old Malia: Are they gonna put her on birth control? Because he's very concerned with contraceptives and pharmaceuticals that going in the mouths of everybody else's 15-year-old daughter."

Lauten's comments sparked a media frenzy that immediately led to her resignation. She came out with a formal apology, stating, "When I first posted on Facebook I react to an article and I quickly judged the two young ladies in a way that I would never have wanted to be judged myself as a teenager."At least she apologized. Many other attackers have not. The fact that she immediately assumed something is what republican party members have become famous for. It is also speculation and no real fact. They just send messages of disrespect and hate out into the eather. Stop worrying about teenage use of the social media for a second and think about how people in government has been using it.

This will probably not be the last time that Sasha and Malia will be verbally attacked by Obama's political enemies. Lauren's comments have sparked a discussion of how a president's children, specifically "girls" should act in public. To expect his daughters to act like "ladies" and remain stoic shows that this country still hasn't opened up to the possibility that they can wear and act in whatever way they choose.

Keep being yourself Sasha and Malia! You have a right to act like any other teenager!

Sources:

• http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/obama-girls-targeted-criticism-again-conservatives

The Battle of the Body

http://lifewise.canoe.ca/StyleBeauty/Beauty/2014/08/29/21906576.html

Actress Keira Knightly has been mentioned in this blog in regards to her work in the fight against domestic violence. Knightly recently posed topless in an Interview magazine photoshoot. But this wasn't a typical nude photoshoot. This was meant to show her fans what she really looks like without computer enhancements. In the past her body had been altered to look curvier and her breasts larger. Enough was enough. Here as you see above (censored), Knightly stands in a model pose but with bony, skinny, muscle-less body with small breasts. This is a clear message to the misrepresentation of women in magazines. The photo seems to say, "Take it or leave it!"

In an interview with The Times, Knightley stated, "I think women's bodies are a battleground. And photography is partly to blame." Knightly is one of many female celebrities who have taken a stand against unrealistic beauty standards. The list ranges from Jamie Lee Curtis, Lorde, Kate Winslet, Ashley Benson, Colbie Caillet, Lady GaGa, to Gisele Bundchen and countless others. These women, who have been looked up to by millions of young girls and women, are speaking up. They have pimples, they have fat and they have wrinkles. Society has some how managed to convince women that none of that is okay. That we have to look "beautiful" all the time in order to be accepted. 

http://www.arthistoryarchive.com/arthistory/feminist/Barbara-Kruger.html

If you are interested in the process of how computer enhancement works, here is a shocking clip produced by The Dove Self-Esteem Fund:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U&spfreload=10

Sources:

• http://time.com/3572400/keira-knightley-topless-celebrities-protest-photoshop/

Gender Equality Report

http://womennewsnetwork.net/2012/02/22/gender-equality-an-economic-necessity/

Last month, the World Economic Forum (WEF) released a report regarding the current worldwide gender gap. The report measures female economic participation, education, health and political involvement. Overall women currently have 60% of the standing of men. It will apparently take 81 years for the gender gap to close if progress continues at the present rate. The report, however, does not measure quality of life amongst women; this includes reproductive freedom. 

All five of the Nordic Countries, which includes Iceland, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark, have closed more than 80% of their gender gap. Nicaragua went up to the sixth position followed by Rwanda. The United States doesn't even show up on the top ten list.

http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/oct/28/not-one-country-has-fully-closed-gender-gap-yet-report-shows

Unfortunately the political empowerment gap is at a meager metric of 21%. This means that 2 out of 10 positions represent women. According to the WEF, this is an improvement since the last report in 2006. 

http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/oct/28/not-one-country-has-fully-closed-gender-gap-yet-report-shows

Overall it seems that Iceland is the best place on Earth in terms of gender equality. Let's all move to Iceland!

Sources:

• http://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/oct/28/not-one-country-has-fully-closed-gender-gap-yet-report-shows

President Erdogan's Sexist Comments

http://blogs.tribune.com.pk/tag/feminism/

President Recap Tayyip Erdogan has been in the news a lot lately. Everything from his inability to take action against ISIS to the construction of a new 50-acre presidential palace, has not painted a pleasant picture of this secularist nation. But President Erdogan has succeeded in sparking outrage again within the international community. In a women's right conference in Ankara last week, Erdogan made several offensive comments. At a women's rights conference no less!
Here are some of the things that he said:

"You cannot make women and men equal; this is against nature."

"You cannot subject a pregnant woman to the same working conditions as a man. You cannot make a mother who has to breastfeed her child equal to a man. You cannot make women do everything men do like the communist regimes did...This is against her delicate nature."

"Feminists don't accept the concept of motherhood."

"But those who do understand are enough for us. We'll continue down this path with them."

These comments instantly sparked an outflow of arguments on social media. Family and Social Policies Minister Aysenur Isla interrupted the speech and insisted on questioning the Minister. She was removed from the room by security as a disturbance.

This is not the first time the public has become aware of Erdogan's sexist beliefs. In August he made other sexist comments along with a proposal to limit abortion rights and the morning-after pill.

The President of Turkey clearly needs to take a Gender Studies class. Not only are his comments offensive and unacceptable, but they are also not backed up with facts. Show me the facts regarding pregnant women's productivity! "Delicate nature"? What century is he living in? Mustafa Kemal sought to bring Turkey out of the dark ages and into the light of a just and equal society. I don't even understand where he learned that feminists weren't good mothers. Does that make my mother unfit? Just because she believes in equality? Clearly, Erdogan's comments lack any form of accuracy or authority.

http://womensrightsny.com/blawg/archive/discrimination/

Sources:

• http://rt.com/news/208315-erdogan-women-men-equal/
• http://www.latimes.com/world/europe/la-fg-turkey-erdogan-20141129-story.html#page=1

What if Men Walked a Day in Our Shoes?

Here is another important video that is truly unique. What if men were treated the way women are treated now? Well the director of the film Majorité Opprimée (Oppressed Majority), Elénore Pourriat wants to know.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4UWxlVvT1A&spfreload=10

Sources:

• http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/womens-blog/2014/feb/11/oppressed-majority-film-women-eleonore-pourriat

Civil Rights for Pregnant Women

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-21207781

Well the mid-term elections didn't go so well for those who wished to enhance the reproductive rights of women. Now that republicans have taken over both the House and the Senate, we can expect harsher abortion laws. But I'm not writing this post about abortion rights. I'm writing about the rights of women who want to have a baby. Recently Lynn M. Paltrow and Jeanne Flavin published an op-ed article in the New York Times bringing to light an upsurge in arrests of pregnant women accused of attempting to harm their child. According to the article, "such laws are increasingly being used as the basis for arresting women who have no intention of ending a pregnancy and for preventing women from making their own decisions about how they will give birth."

The article listed a number of outrageous cases where pregnant women have not only been arrested on bogus charges but led to their deaths. There has been an on going effort on the part of conservatives to not only restrict abortion access but advocate for the "personhood" rights of fertilized eggs, embryos and fetuses.

In Washington D.C, a judge ordered seriously ill 27-year old woman who was 2 months pregnant to have a cesarean section. He knew that the procedure what potentially be data. As a result the woman and her baby did not survive.

In Utah, a woman who gave birth to twins was arrested after one came out as a stillborn. There was suspicion that the woman's decision to hold off on a c-section was worthy of charges of fetal homicide. In Florida a woman who went into labor at home was arrested by a sheriff and strapped down in an ambulance. She was then forced to have a cesarean. When the mother went to court it was concluded that a "woman's personal constitutional right clearly did not outweigh the interests of the State of Florida in preserving the life of the unborn chid."

Since 2005, around 380 pregnant women have been arrested under these accusations. The liberties of pregnant women are under attack. Not only is the right to an abortion being harshly restricted but a pregnant woman's right to make her own choices, medical privacy, physical integrity and much more. The cases I have shared are just a few of the outrageous charges made against women. These actions seem to be those made in the middle ages and not in the 21st century. We are living in a Margaret Atwood novel where women are being used solely as baby carriers rather than human beings.

Sources:

• http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/08/opinion/pregnant-and-no-civil-rights.html?smid=fb-share&_r=0

Trigger Warning: Domestic Violence Awareness Video

Domestic Violence Awareness month has just past (October) so I believe it is important that I share this disturbing, but poignant video addressing domestic violence. Keira Knightley has been in the new a lot lately, especially due to her naked photoshoot. The photos were taken to send a message about the diversity of women's bodies. So Keira Knightley is very much an activist in the world of women's rights. This video I believe is one of her most impressive statements. Two women die every week as a results of domestic violence.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4RjsqPYaS0&spfreload=10

A Declaration of Women's Rights in Syria

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/self-ruling-kurdish-region-in-syria-issues-womens-rights-decree-monitor.aspx?pageID=238&nID=74086&NewsCatID=352

A women's rights decree has been issued by officials in a predominantly Kurdish province in northeastern Syria. It is a 30-point decree created by the "self-ruling democracy of Jazira province." Jazira refers to the northeastern province of Hasaka that has gained self-rule as a result of the Syrian civil war.

This decree calls for "equality between men and women in all spheres of public and private life" and that women have the right to hold public office and get equal pay for equal work. It also addresses the  problem of child marriage. They declared that no woman should be married below the age of 18 and that polygamy should be prevented. A women's right to divorce and the prevention of "honor killing" was also addressed.

This decree has partly been brought to the spotlight in the midst of ISIS insurgents who have gained control in much of the region. ISIS has captured and forced women to abide by strict laws. The terrorist organization provided what it calls "religious justification" for the enslavement of women and children as spoils of war.

It is unclear how this self-ruling region will impact the equality of women but it is a significant step in the fight against women's oppression.

Sources:

• http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/self-ruling-region-syria-issues-womens-rights-decree-n244526
• http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/self-ruling-kurdish-region-in-syria-issues-womens-rights-decree-monitor.aspx?pageID=238&nID=74086&NewsCatID=352

Women's Equality Party! Pinch Me I'm Dreaming!

http://mrgrady7787.blogspot.com/2014/08/early-bird-news.html

In the recent Swedish election, one of the various parties represented on the ballot was the Feminist Initiative Party. The aim of the party is to "drive through a feminist politics that for a world free of discrimination," and to undermine, "gendered power structures." In the weeks leading up to the election, it seemed that a party, strictly aimed for achieving equality for women had a chance of winning seats in the Swedish Parliament. Sweden your doing it right! Why can't we all follow Sweden's example. Their tourism website even advertises that "the modern Swedish man is a feminist." Unfortunately the party fell short of the 4% threshold needed to win seats in parliament. But this was an achievement nonetheless. A feminist party was able to attract the attention of the Swedish people and the world. This narrow defeat only shows that they will reach their goal in the future.

So we've established that Sweden's awesome. But there's another country following their example. Finland, France, Denmark? Nope! Much to my surprise, the United States may see the rise of a feminist party. Yes...the United States. In New York, Governor Andrew Cuomo, Lietenant governor candidate Kathy Hochul and former NYC Council speaker Christine Quinn, have launched The Women's Equality. The essential goal of the party is to pass the Women's Equality Act passed in New York state. 

http://awomynsworth.com/2014/01/

If they succeed in collecting 50,000 votes by election day in November, it will be recognized as an official party in the state. They will then proceed to push the passage of the WEA in January. One of the main leaders of the party, Christine Quinn, said the party was launched partly in response to the failure of the legislature to pass the "10-Point Women's Equality Act." Some of the points include, ending sexual harassment in the workplace, equal pay, stronger human trafficking laws, etc. In 2013 the bill passed in the state assembly but not in the legislature. This was due mainly to the request for stronger protection on abortion rights. Quinn stated that the party wanted to "codify Roe v. Wade." Many of the male politicians are willing to vote in favor of the bill, with the exception that they remove the abortion rights point. But Quinn insists that abortion rights is a key priority of the party. They have not received a single Republican pledge. According to Quinn, "We deserve full equality for women now. And come January, we're going to get it."

If the Women's Equality Party is legitimized and they are able to pass the Women's Equality Bill, then  maybe other states will follow suit. 

http://gokicker.com/2014/10/08/rock-votes-turnoutforwhat-wants-know-midterm-elections/

Sources:

• http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/womens-blog/2014/sep/15/feminist-initiative-swedish-elections-gender-equality
• http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/womens-equality-party-pushes-womens-rights-the-ballot
• http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/womens-blog/2014/sep/15/feminist-initiative-swedish-elections-gender-equality

How Effective is the FCKH8 Viral Video?:"F-Bombs for Feminism"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ny11qBaQp0

In order for this post to make sense, I recommend that you watch this recent viral video. It looks innocent enough right? You begin with little girls dressed as princesses. How cute! But then you hear,"What the F#@k! I'm not the f#@king helpless princess in distress!" Yes you heard it. A company called FCKH8 released a video recently, featuring 5 to 12 year old girls that address the injustices against women, with attitude and lots and lots of swearing. I mean like every word in the book of swears. The girls tackle everything from the wage-gap, the representation of beauty and rape. It is informational as much as it is jaw dropping. Right now I'm trying to figure out whether or not this is the best way to spread the goals and ideas of feminism. A discussion is most certainly in order. 

Since it's release on October 22, the video has received over 7 million views. It has caused both outrage and curiosity. For the more conservative viewer, this video might be considered a form of child abuse. A five-year old should not be dropping the f-bomb. But then there is the more relaxed view. Yes it is shocking, but it also proves a point. Feminism is important for all ages. The video destroys the image of the innocent princess and replaces it with pissed off girls. And they should be pissed. They were all born in the 21st century and yet they are still living in a world where women are treated as second-class citizens. "I'm pretty f#@king powerful," one girl proclaimed. 

The swearing is designed to grab your attention. Would this video be as powerful if the girls were not swearing? Probably not? So I don't have a problem with its execution and message. I'm all for it. Everyone is finally having a nationwide discussion about women's rights.

https://www.tumblr.com/search/f+bombs+for+feminism

But here's my beef with the company that made the video. The owner of FCKH8, Marcus Kon and  Brand Manager Justin Warner stated that they put these girls in princess costumes and got them to use, "a bad word for a good cause, " therefore starting a conversation about gender equality. But FCKH8 is a for-profit company. Towards the end of the video, they start to advertise t-shirts you can buy for 15 dollars. A portion of that money will go to a charity. A portion! The rest will go to the company. Yes they are sending an important political message but they are "also selling a product," according to BBC journalist Anne-MarieTomchak.

Is FCKH8 using feminism for their own financial gain, or are they truly sincere. I would certainly not call them activists. But they are getting our attention and right now people need to have a discussion about gender equality.

Sources:

• http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-29759214

The Execution of Reyhaneh Jabbari

http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/4366/reyhaneh-jabbari-confession

This morning, 26-year old Reyhaneh Jabbari was executed by the Iranian government on charges of murder. In 2007, Jabbari was arrested for the murder of Morteza Abdolali Sarbandi, a former employee of the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence. But there is more to the story. For seven years Jabbari pleaded her case, stating that Sarbandi had attempted to rape her. The killing was an act of self-defense. The prosecution argued that the act had been premeditated and that she had bought a knife purposefully with the intent of killing Sarbandi.

Jabbari was officially sentenced to death by a criminal court in Tehran in 2009. This sparked outrage throughout the international community. Amnesty International stated that the trial was, "deeply flawed."

Jabbari admitted to the stabbing but also claimed that another man had been in the house and was responsible. According to Amnesty International, her claims were never properly investigated.

Despite pleas from various human rights organizations, the execution date was set and Jabbari was hung at dawn.

Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty International's Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa Programme stated, "The shocking news that Reyhaneh Jabbari has been executed is deeply disappointing in the extreme. This is another bloody stain on Iran's human rights record. Tragically this case is far from uncommon. Once again Iran has insisted on applying the death penalty despite serious concerns over the fairness of the trial."

A woman has been executed for defending herself against rape. The trial was highly skewed against her. Newly elected President Hassan Rouhani failed to address the issue as well as the Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khameini, who had the power to reprieve the case.

This execution is an outrage. It reveals that women cannot even defend themselves from assault without facing consequences. Rest in Peace Reyhaneh Jabbari and may your death not be in vain, but a message of justice for all the women of the world.

Sources:

• http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/10/amnesty-iran-set-hang-woman-at-dawn-2014102422855125759.html
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/25/iran-woman-hanged-for-killing-rapist_n_6046350.html

Deal Struck to Release Kidnapped Nigerian Girls

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-27216931

While the world at the moment has been preoccupied by the threat of ISIS and the spread of Ebola, we have forgotten about a current human rights violation. Six months ago around 200 schoolgirls in Chibok, Nigeria were kidnapped by a radical Islamist group known as Boko Harem. 

In the middle of the night last April, Boko Harem militants stormed the dormitories of a small girls school and captured nearly 200. Some were able to escape while the majority have not been heard from since. Immediately this sparked a world wide campaign to release the girls called #BringBackOurGirls. People from all around the world held demonstrations, pleaded with their governments and spread awareness through the web. This worldwide reaction brought hope to all who feared that the world was not united. 

But then nothing happened. The girls were still missing and the world media quickly started to lose interest in the story. As soon as  ISIS surfaced in Iraq and Ebola began to spread in western Africa, the kidnapped girls seemed to be all but forgotten. Was everyone just swept up in the idea of activism and not actually willing to act? Maybe.

It's been six months and we are finally getting some updates. Throughout this time while the word media has turned its attention elsewhere, the mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and friends of the kidnapped girls have mobilized throughout this time and have never stopped the campaign. Last week, for a moment, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope. The Nigerian government announced that  it had a agreed to a truce with Boko Harem that would lead to the release of the girls, who are supposedly all alive. This is an election year for Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathon. So the safe return of the kidnapped girls would give him a significant boost in the polls. So that' where there is some doubt. Can Boko Harem be trusted? Is this a genuine truce? Because it seems to good to be true. 

Well, it has recently been reported and confirmed by US officials that 60 more girls and young women were captured from the towns of Waga Mangoro and Garta on Saturday. This came a day after the Nigerian had announced that is had a struck a deal with the terrorist group. If this is is true, the fate of all of these girls seems bleak.

Sources:

• http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/africa/nigeria-says-deal-struck-with-boko-haram-over-abducted-girls-1.1967896
• http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/missing-nigeria-schoolgirls/boko-haram-kidnaps-dozens-more-young-girls-n232641

Iraqi Women's Rights Activist Executed

http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/09/25/ISIS-kills-Iraqi-woman-activist-.html

Last month an Iraqi lawyer and women's rights activist was tortured and executed by ISIS. A statement was released by the head of the United Nations Human Right's Office, in light of various attacks on professional women in ISIS controlled areas. 

Sameera Silih Ali al-Nuaimy was taken from her home by IS fighters, tortured for several days and then publicly executed by a masked firing squad. Nuaimy had recently written a post on her Facebook page condemning the violent and "barbaric" acts of the terrorist organization. As a result, Human Rights commissioner Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein stated that she was convicted of apostasy by a "so-called court." Her family has even been prevented from giving her a funeral.

Nuaimy is not the only outspoken women in the Middle Easy that has become victims of ISIS violence. UN monitors have stated that, "Educated, professional women seem to be particularly at risk."

A woman of peace and justice has been brutally murdered by an organizations who's only goal is to strip women and others who speak out against them, of their humanity. Women like Nuaimy pose a threat to ISIS. They may have killed her but they have not silence her message. In fact they have enhanced it. Sameera Silih Ali al-Nuamy is a martyr for the oppressed women of the world. Her voice has reached out from the darkness of hate and touched those who continue to live under the oppression of ISIS. The torch with continue to be taken up and her light will forever burn bright.

Sources:

• http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/26/world/middleeast/womens-rights-activist-executed-by-islamic-state-in-iraq.html
• http://irannewsupdate.com/news/human-rights/1612-ncri-women-s-committee-condemns-execution-of-lraqi-women-s-rights-activist.html

Outspoken Feminist Receives Gun Threat

http://www.engadget.com/2014/10/14/sarkeesian-threats-utah-state-university/

A few weeks ago I wrote about the enraging implementation of sexism in modern video games. Those who have spoken out against it have been continually sent rape and death threats. One of the victims of such attacks, as I mentioned previously is Ankit Sarkeesian. Sarkeesian is the creator of youtube channel "Tropes vs. Women," where she critiques all forms of sexism found in many of today's popular video games. In her videos she reveals countless video game clips where women are beaten, abused, raped and murdered for no reason. More often they are used as "tittlating" decoration and objects rather than actual characters within the game. Unfortunately many people within the gaming community are outraged by her poinient remarks. Over the past few months Sarkeesian has been receiving phone calls, emails and letters all with threats of rape and death.

These threats of not stopped Sarkeesian from spreading her message. In fact as a result of these threats, the gaming industry is finally making sexism in their games an issue worth altering. We can hope that over the next few years the industry will create games that portray women in a less sexual manner. Women do in fact make up 48% of the gaming population.

Sarkeesian has been able to continue on with her work despite threats. That is until, last Tuesday when she cancelled her talk at Utah State University. This was in light of a shooting threat sent to the University that read, "This will be the deadliest school shooting in American history, and I'm giving you a chance to stop it." The email was sent under the name of Mar Lépine, the name of the 1989 shooter of 14 women in Montreal who had killed himself in the process.

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/world/feminist-speaker-anita-sarkeesian-questions-utahs-campus-gun-laws

It would seem at first that, in order to ensure the safety of the students and the continuation of the talk, the school would increase their security. Well this opens up a whole new can of worms; gun laws! In a statement issued by the University the administration wrote, "Sarkeesian was informed that in accordance with the State of Utah law regarding the carrying of firearms, if a person has a valid concealed firearm permit and is carrying a weapon, they are permitted to have it at the venue." So despite this horrifying threat that state would still allow someone to enter a college venue with a weapon.

Sarkeesian then had no choice but to cancel the event, not only to ensure her safety but to the hundreds of university students who would be attending. This is an outrage. This story raises the issue of sexism and real life threats against those who oppose it as well as outdated gun laws the risk the safety of the public. American law has silenced a woman's freedom of speech. 

Sources:

• http://viralwomen.com/post/feminist_anita_sarkeesian_cancels_talk_at_usu_after_guns_allowed_despite_shooting_threat
• http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/16/technology/gamergate-women-video-game-threats-anita-sarkeesian.html

The Great Malala

http://www.malala-yousafzai.com

Last Friday, history was made. Malala Yousafzai along with children's rights activist Kailash Satyarthi were rewarded the Nobel Peace Prize. At only 17 years old, Yousafzai has become the youngest winner of this prestigious prize. The two were rewarded together for their campaign to end child suffering and promoting education for all. Their joint win also sends a message politically, as the two represent the rival nations of India and Pakistan. The Head of the Norwegian Nobel Committee commented stated that, "The Nobel Committee regards it as an important point for a Hindu and a Muslim, an Indian and Pakistani, to join in a common struggle for education and against extremism." 

Malala Yousafzai was shot in the head by a member of the Taliban in 2012. She had been an outspoken advocate for the education of women in Pakistan and around the world. Servants of hatred and violence thought they could silence her. They were wrong. Within months, Malala was back on her feet and even more determined to continue the fight against oppression. Her attack only fueled her determination to spread the message of women's education. 

Why does Malala Yousafzai matter? For once, a young female activist is at the forefront of global change. Young girls are no longer looking up to actresses and supermodels. They now have a real life, average young woman ti look up to. Malala is a symbol of courage. Courage that many in this world fail to possess. She doesn't ask for money, she doesn't ask for awards and she doesn't ask for fame. The fame that she has gained has been utilized in order to gain support for her struggle to provide education for women in Pakistan and across the globe. 

Malala Yousafzai is the Martin Luther King, Mahatma Ghandi and Nelson Mandela of the 21st century. This is surely a bold statement. But it's true. Out of 7 billion people the world, one voice spoke out from the crowd. More will follow in her footsteps. They may not be ably to gain the attention Malala has harnessed but change will be made as a result. 

Thank you Malala Yousafzai for looking into the eye of hatred and not backing down.

Sources:

• http://www.cnbc.com/id/102077174#.

Mariam-al Mansouri: Why She's BadAss

http://heavy.com/news/2014/09/mariam-al-mansouri-f-16-emirati-fighter-pilot-isis-islamic-state-isil-info/

Move over Tom Cruise, there's a new Top Gun in town. Last week the United Arab Emirates confirmed that female fighter pilot Miriam al-Mansouri, led a mission of airstrikes against ISIS over Syria. When Mansouri graduated from flight school in 2007, she was one of only three women. She graduated from college with a degree in English Literature but wanted to find a way to serve and protect her country. She is now 35 and according to the Emirati ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba, "She is a fully qualified, highly trained, combat-ready pilot, and she led the mission."

Way back in 2008 she said to a news outlet known as The National that, "A woman's passion about something will lead her to achieving what she aspires, and that's why she should pursue her interests." Flying high in the sky was her dream, despite an all-male environment. This is a dream that even in the United States, seems obscure for a woman to pursue.

http://giphy.com/gifs/14gGIehKmFnCyk

Ever since Mansouri took a shot at the glass ceiling with an F-16 Desert Falcon on Monday, the news has been interpreting this as a message to ISIS. A literal shot at their core ideals, including the oppression of women. This truly is a big deal. But this is what bothers me. Will there ever be a time where it won't be so strange to see a female fighter pilot? If you were to see a male pilot you would think nothing of it. If a man had led the mission instead of Mansouri, we wouldn't even be talking about the bombing of Syria as much. As the ambassador said, "She is a fully qualified, highly trained, combat-ready pilot." She is a pilot like any other.

But hey at least we are excited about a success story in the world of women's rights! Right? Well some people, cough cough...Fox News can't give women just this! Sexism rears it's ugly head again. I won't go into details. You'll have to watch and listen to this misogynistic idiot. Enjoy friends!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-91mbS-KbY

Sources:

• http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/isis-terror/isis-fight-mariam-al-mansouri-first-woman-fighter-pilot-u-n211366

A Look Back at Sexism from 2013: Our Work is Far from Over

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NswJ4kO9uHc

The video you are about to see, created by "The Representation Project," highlights the highs and mostly lows of female portrayal in the world media. There is a reason why women struggle with anorexia, belemia, depression and various other disorders. That reason is significantly due to hyper-sexualized women in ads, magazines, movies, etc. We live in a world where everyone is constantly exposed to the media. So when a 12-year old turns on the TV, she is immediately watching a commercial with a tall, thin,  large-breasted woman sensually driving a car. The perfect woman is always a non-existent human-being. 

Even though women have made significant strides in the world of politics, female leaders are constantly treated as inferior to their male colleagues. The news will pay more attention to the quality of her clothes rather than the quality of her work. Young girls need role models, but if we continue to silence scrutinize the women who should be looked to, those girls will look to Victoria's Secret models.

This video outrages me. But it is also a call to action. The first thing that needs to be done to combat this injustice is to refuse to buy certain magazines. Change the channel when a sexist commercial comes on. Better yet, don't buy from corporations that make these ads. When a news anchor makes a sexist comment, write the station. Refuse to watch the program. These media channels and corporations rely on viewers. Without viewers they cannot exist. 

   

http://perezhilton.com/2013-04-03-beyonce-responds-critics-modern-day-feminist

Get Your Hands Off Me! : Why Grinding is Sexual Assault

(http://pagesay.com/16-reasons-why-grinding-is-the-worst-thing-to-ever-happen-to-humanity/)

Picture this: you enter a large and darkened room full of hundreds of dancing bodies. The DJ is playing rap or techno or skrillex, or whatever the kids are listening to these days. It's hot and you can't see a thing. But you and your friends join the dancing mob. As you sway to the beat, you notice somethings. As all the women are moving their hips from side to side and playing with their hair suggestively, an outer layer of men are watching attentively. Together, like lions spotting gazelles at the watering hole, the men infiltrate the mob. You continue to dance with your friends. You're having a pretty good time. Good DJ. Good friends. Good dancing. But all of a sudden you feel a pair of cold and clammy hands wrap around your waste from behind. Before you have time to process the situation, those hands grab on tight to your thighs and something else is rubbing up against your derriere. This is called grinding, though many people like to call it "dancing."The definition of grinding is simply: the rubbing of ones genital area against the butox of another. It requires no eye-contact or any verbal communication. This is not just an occasional occurrence at high school or college dances It has replaced all forms of dancing. Walking on to the dance floor, you are going to see hundreds of people grinding up against each other. The further you go into the crowd, the more crude the "dancing."It's essentially a large mass of intensely hormonal students. 

(http://silverchips.mbhs.edu/picture/16814/)

This description may sound funny on paper but it is a serious problem. I cannot recall a dance where at least one guy did not grab me from behind. It happens so fast that women, most of the time, submit to it. I have. The main reason why most young people attend dances it to meet people. So if the only way to interact with someone is through grinding, then we feel we have no choice. But there is a choice. What should stick out to you as the essential problem is that men or women (but mainly men) do not wait for consent when engaging in this intensely sexual act. So when you go up to a woman and rub your pelvis against her body, you are sexually assaulting her. 

Grinding is a form of sexual assault. If a woman doesn't say anything it doesn't mean she likes it. As Sandy Banks from the LA Times puts it, "Silence is not consent. Body movements and...moans are not consent, and grinding on the dance floor is not consent." 

In my experience with grinding, guys certainly leave the situation more satisfied than the partner. It becomes a form of competition to men. Who can grind the most girls? Women are something to be dominated and thrown away. As a woman, you are left feeling empty and vulnerable. Your body has just been used and everyone just saw it. Your friends call you "slutty" while everyone gives a pat on the back to your partner. You never saw each other's faces and never spoke a word. It was completely anonymous. "Take away the music and turn on the lights, and grinding dances quickly turn into sexual assault charges," writes Joshua Lipson of the Harvard Crimson.

The more we submit ourselves to this treatment, the more men will think it is okay to do it. But women are not the only victims here. Men find themselves under an enormous amount of pressure from their male-counterparts. It's a sign of masculinity and creates the identity of "the player." Not all men want to grind. They are just convinced that there is no other option.

Dances are meant to be fun. Instead, the majority of women leave dances feeling dirty and embarrassed. The CDC recently reported that 1 in 5 women have been raped or have experienced sexual assault. I believe grinding is very much a part of that statistic. This means that I have been sexually assaulted. My friends have been sexually assaulted. Most of the women I know have been sexually assaulted. 

Sources:

• http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-banks-campus-assaults-20140510-column.html
• http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2011/9/16/grinding-dance-culture-harvard/
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-health/wp/2014/09/05/cdc-nearly-1-in-5-women-have-been-raped/

An Attack on the Uterus

The title for this blog post as you can see is very "in your face." Most people are taken aback by the word...uterus. You might get a wince at "vagina or "clitoris." Anything related to the female reproductive system seems to scare the heck out of Americans, especially conservative Americans.

(http://www.thinkspin.com/2012/09/a-uterus-speaks-out-on-womens-reproductive-rights/)

Throughout human history, especially the past one hundred years, there has been a war on female reproductive rights. A woman's sexuality has always threatened men in power and therefore, many have tried to set limits on our bodies. Everything from sex out of wed-lock, to abortion and birth control, the government can't seem to stay out of a woman's pants. For some women, these arguments seem to be a thing of the past. Of coarse there has been significant improvements in sexual freedom. According to the CDC, 99.1 % of sexually experienced women ages 15-44 use some form of contraception. But you would have to be living under a rock to not realize that the war is far from over.

Let's talk about Hobby Lobby shall we? Over the summer the Supreme Court made a few decisions that have outraged women across the United States. The first was "The Buffer Zone" ruling which struck down a Massachusetts law that required anti-abortion protestors to stay at least 35-feet away from an abortion clinic. It also struck down the ability for female home health care workers employed by the government to have representation in unions. But the most blood-curdling decision of all was the Hobby Lobby ruling.

(http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/06/30/3454509/public-opinion-hobby-lobby-case/)

Two corporations, Conestoga Wood Specialties (wood cabinet maker) and Hobby Lobby (craft store chain) contested contraceptive coverage do to the fact that they run their business under Christian values. As a family-corportation following the values of Christianity, Hobby Lobby and CWS did not want to pay for employee contraceptive insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Essentially, female employees of these two companies would be left to pay for their own reproductive health with working wages. So in June the Supreme Court ruled, in a 5 to 4 decision, that "requiring family-owned corporations o pay for insurance coverage for contraception under the Affordable Care Act violated a federal law protecting religious freedom." (nytimes, Adam Liptalk) In other words, "corporations are people and have religious rights."

This ruling is a major set back in reproductive rights. This directly attacks low-income women who cannot afford reproductive health care and rely on employer coverage. This will increase the level of poverty amongst women and will leave some women dependent on violent partners. A woman's right to choose has been destroyed. According to Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg who voted against the ruling, "It bears note in this regard that the cost of an IUD (intrauterine device) is nearly equivalent to a month's full-time pay for workers earning the minimum wage." Now any corporation can claim religious rights in order to save money. It should also be noted that the majority decision was made by men.

This is truly an outrage. An attack on a woman's freedom has been made. Now thousands if not millions of women will suffer the consequences of this decision. There will be more unwanted pregnancies leading to even more abortions. Conservatives should realize that in order to stop people from getting abortions, contraception can decrease the amount. But now low-income women can't afford contraception. Many people like to say, if men could get pregnant, contraception would be affordable to available on every street corner.

(http://www.beatricebiologist.com/2012/10/the-great-cartoon-nether-challenge.html)

Sources:

• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/14/birth-control-use-cdc-study_n_2686941.html
• http://www.socialistalternative.org/2014/08/24/supreme-court-attacks-womens-rights-is-voting-democrat-the-answer/
• http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/01/us/hobby-lobby-case-supreme-court-contraception.html

Sexism, Threats and Politics in the World of Gaming

(http://fanboygaming.com/a-weekly-fangirl-disclosure-video-games-that-women-love-to-play/)

Today I'm going to step away for a moment from the world of issues surrounding violence. Let's talk about violence against women in the virtual or gaming world. For as long as videogames have existed, be it 30 years or so, it has predominantly been viewed a boy's activity. You say gamer, I think teenage boy covered in acne playing World of Warcraft in in the darkness of his mother's basement. But image is just a stereotype. The gaming community has become extremely diverse over the past ten years. It has become a part of pop culture. Thanks to the "hypster" identity you can find game logos on shirts, iPhone covers, computer backgrounds and every other piece of merchandise you can think of. The gaming world couldn't't be more popular.

But going back to the stereotype. That teenage boy with acne now has to share his grease stained coach with his sister. The popularity of videogames has to be attributed to an increasing number of women holding the console. According to the Washington Post, although men still make up 52 % of the gaming community, women make up 48 %. From 2010 to the present, there has been an 8 % increase. That percentage will continue to increase.

(http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Your-Girlfriend-to-Play-Video-Games)

Now that women are playing, most certainly game designers are making games with strong female characters, right? Unfortunately that is not the case. Despite the large percentage of women, the majority video games are still a "boy's game." Sexism is rampant in most games. With little to no main female characters, the only appearance women really make in video games are as prostitutes, murdered victims or just scantily clad amusement. Vice magazine writes, " be it through the normalization of sexual harassment  video game tournaments, or out-of-control rape joke controversies, propagated by close-minded webcomic titans - a large portion of video game culture is disappointingly determined to make women uncomfortable." This is a serious problem, especially if the video game industry wants to continue to profit from women's participation. 

Here some examples of female portrayal:

Grand Theft Auto

(http://grantland.com/hollywood-prospectus/grand-theft-auto-continues-to-treat-female-gamers-like-roadkill-with-latest-installment/)

Hitman

(http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.858995-Anita-Sarkeesians-TvW-Women-as-Background-Decoration-Part-2?page=9)

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

(http://www.ropeofsilicon.com/exploring-the-treatment-of-women-in-video-games/)

This is just an idea of the type of roles women receive in video games.

This issue has recently led to a new and life threatening issue. Those trying to combat sexism in videogames, especially female game designers, are receiving serious threats from the gaming community.

After designing and releasing, "Depression Quest," a fiction game where you portray someone suffering depression on "Steam," Zoe Quinn began receiving a number of threats from angry gamers. "We already had half a million players at that point and a bunch of awards. When it hit Greenlight, people were leaving foul comments there, and suddenly I started getting stuff sent to my email, 'oh I saw your gam on Greenlight and I hope you kill yourself,'" said Quinn. That led to claims that her address had been discovered and detailed rape threats. These gamers were both upset by her different approach to gaming as well as her being a woman. She soon removed the game from Greenlight but would later return. But upon her return the threats got worse. 

Quinn stated that, "I got some phone calls where I could tell someone was masturbating on the other end of the line. I got another call shortly after where a guy was just spewing as many rape-type threats as possible."

Zoe Quinn is not the only one facing this type of harassment. Anita Sarkeesian is a pop-culture critic who does a video series called "The Feminist Frequency Banner," where she analyzes the sexism in video games. But her work has come to a halt as a result of death threats. On August 26th, she posted on Twitter, "Some very scary threats have just been made against me and my family. Contacting authorities now."

The majority of the gaming community is peaceful and only sticks to the love of the game. But a small group of misogynist players are ruining the reputation of this community. Overall, players and the gaming industry are working together to bring this form of violence to an end. This month, 2,400 "industry professionals" signed a letter seeking to stop offensive acts in the gaming industry. Indie game designer, Andreas Zecher wrote an online petition that states, "We believe that everyone, no matter what gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion or disability, has the right to play games, criticize games and make games without getting harassed or threatened. It is the diversity of our community that allows games to flourish."

Sources:

• http://www.vice.com/en_ca/read/female-game-designers-are-being-threatened-with-rape
• http://herocomplex.latimes.com/games/gamergate-related-controversy-reveals-ugly-side-of-gaming-community/
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/24/female-gamers_n_5207137.html