Saudi Arabia: Women get the vote!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15052030
The BBC’s world affairs correspondent Emily Buchanan says it is an extraordinary development for women in Saudi Arabia, who are not allowed to drive, or to leave the country unaccompanied.
She says there has been a big debate about the role of women in the kingdom and, although not everyone will welcome the decision, such a reform will ease some of the tension that has been growing over the issue.Saudi writer Nimah Ismail Nawwab told the BBC: “This is something we have long waited for and long worked towards.”
They’ve waited quite long enough, and there’s still so much more to do, but this is a victory in itself. Congratulations to the brave campaigners who made this happen.
Nigeria: Women march against rape
http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=13236
Country officials believe that the low rate of reporting can be explained by the sense of shame that surrounds sexual violence cases in Nigeria. “Nothing has been put into action. Our laws are still not clear. The woman who wants to report rape does not have the confidence in the justice system in Nigeria. The police are not accountable to the people. There is a lot of impunity on the issue of rape and sexual violence in Nigeria,” said Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, executive director of the Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre.
The Nigerian police force is often subject to harsh criticism because of its own participation in incidents of sexual assault. According to BBC News, a 2010 study by the Open Society Justice Initiative, police officers in Nigeria routinely take part in sexual assault, with a particular focus on sex workers.
This march follows a gang-rape, in which the victim pleaded with her attackers first to release her and then to kill her because the pain was too much, being caught on video. Let us hope the protests will force the police to give her the justice she deserves.