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http://www.care2.com/causes/nc-rejecting-funds-for-family-planning-if-women-didnt-have-the-sex-to-begin-with.html

The board, comprise[sic] of five men, tried to out do each other with their reasoning to reject the critical funds.

Commissioner Rick Caitlin said it was “using taxpayer dollars to fund someone’s irresponsibility.”

Commissioner Jonathan Barfield said he was “one of those abstinence guys.”

The chair of the board, Ted Davis, could not be shown up by his fellow board members. “If these young women are being responsible and didn’t have the sex to begin with, we wouldn’t have this problem to begin with.”

As the Care2 article implies, women sleeping with themselves would not produce unwanted children. But men don’t ever seem to get the blame or the responsibility, do they?

Morocco: Girl commits suicide after being forced to marry her rapist

http://www.care2.com/causes/girl-commits-suicide-after-being-forced-to-marry-rapist.html

That’s a 16-year-old girl, who faced violence in the home following her marriage, while the rapist was allowed immunity from prosecution because he married her and thus saved her “honour”.

Twitter hashtag: #IDidNotReport

http://www.care2.com/causes/break-the-silence-on-sexual-assault-ididnotreport-twitter-hashtag.html

A campaign to break the silence on rape and sexual assault has produced a lot of tweets on this category, with some interesting and worrying stories showing why people did not report what happened to them.

Maybe quite a lot of it is related to this story. However, there is some good news here.

http://www.care2.com/causes/the-republican-party-may-have-a-woman-problem.html

The biggest thing driving them from supporting Republicans?  The battle over birth control.  And it’s not ending any time soon.  Female legislators are urging Speaker of the House John Boehner to give up the contraception fight, writing in a letter that, “Specifically, we are asking that you abandon the promise you have made to bring legislation to the House floor similar to the Blunt amendment … which would turn the clock back on women’s access to health care…Women have had enough.”

Boehner’s spokesman responded that the Speaker will continue to support freedom of religion.

In other words, the ability of religious organisations to assert complete control over the minutiae of people’s lives. Nice.

Egypt: Nude calendar protests Muslim oppression of women

http://www.care2.com/causes/nude-calendar-protests-muslim-oppression-of-women.html

An inspiring move by a very brave young woman.

Yemen: Saving the lives of pregnant women

http://www.care2.com/causes/saving-the-lives-of-pregnant-women-in-yemen.html

A report on midwives who offer life-saving interventions in a country with one of the highest childbirth mortality rates in the world.

US: Teen sues school for announcing she was pregnant at assembly

http://www.care2.com/causes/teen-sues-school-for-announcing-she-was-pregnant-at-assembly.html

After being forced to let Hicks return to school or face a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union, Wingate Elementary School in McKinley, New Mexico, let Hicks back in.  Then, they held an all-school assembly where they made Hicks tell all of the students that she was pregnant. …

Hicks is suing the school for violating Title IX, which prohibits sex and pregnancy discrimination in education.  The school is saying that the move was justified, as otherwise she would be setting a bad example for other students. But Hicks’ lawyers argue that the public outing was punishment for her refusing their offer of a transfer to an “alternative school.”

UK: Unreported rapes

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/unreported-rapes-the-silent-shame-7561636.html

A worrying survey that shows very many women are still afraid and/or ashamed to report rape or sexual assault, and they are not helped by the media or social perceptions. Chilling stuff. It seems we still have a long way to go.

http://www.care2.com/causes/sexist-car-salesman-dismisses-cnbc-anchor-asks-where-her-husband-is.html

When Quick asked questions about the car, the salesman directed all his answers to Quick’s husband, that is, until her husband asked him not to. Adding insult to injury, when the salesman took down her contact information he asked specifically for her home number saying, “Obviously you don’t have a work phone.” I guess someone doesn’t watch the Squawk Show every morning on CNBC.

This may seem like a relatively minor tale, but it bugs me. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. How far removed is this sort of casual sexism from Saudi Arabia’s driving ban? This makes me think the two are scarily close. Read the comments on the article for further horrors.

US: Unsurprising Rush insults

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/05/sandra-fluke-addresses-ru_n_1321357.html

Rush Limbaugh being nasty and sexist is no surprise whatsoever, but this news story seems to show the lie of the land at present. Sandra Fluke, a law student, testified before Congress in support of free contraception, whereupon shock jock and all round tosser Limbaugh called her a ‘slut’. He later issued a half-baked apology for his ‘poor choice of words’ but thankfully eight of his erstwhile sponsors have not been forgiving. Let us hope others follow suit.

The prevalence of these reports has set me thinking about what could be causing the attacks. On the surface the answers are obvious: the Republicans have always been averse to family planning and women’s rights, and fond of militant Christianity. The latter is showing up a lot in the philosophies of the two leading primary candidates, and might well lead one to believe that religion is the root cause of women’s oppression, at least in terms of birth control. But there’s a lot more to it than that.

To begin with, it’s very clear that in opposing birth control as well as abortion, these conservatives have shown they are not really interested in saving unborn children, but in hindering women’s ability to control their own bodies. That much is probably obvious, at least to feminists, and there’s no doubt religious patriarchy has a lot to answer for. But why is it such a massive issue? Well, I think the bottom line is not so much about women’s right to birth control, but about men’s right to reproduce.

Fundamentally, as animals, most people experience the drive to produce and rear offspring, to ensure the survival of our genes. In the scheme of things, some are more successful than others; as among non-human animals, men and women have the ability to select partners, and methods of courting. A significant number of men choose deception, manipulation or force. What happens if their female victims become pregnant? In an enlightened society, women have the freedom to decide whether to keep or abort the foetus. Republicans, however, believe that the woman should be obliged to carry the pregnancy to term. Rick Santorum would even advise his daughter that the child is a gift from God and must be cherished. But we’ve already pointed out the obvious: the crusade against abortion is not about foetal rights. So, forcing a woman to keep a baby, however it was conceived, is about protecting the father’s ability to ensure his evolutionary survival – even if he is a rapist, domestic abuser, or other criminal. In essence, prohibiting birth control allows men to become fathers by force, regardless of the pain women incur in the process.

So much for all that Republican heartstring-tugging anti-abortion propaganda. They don’t really care what happens to women or children, just so long as men can procreate without the inconvenience of asking first.

http://www.womensaid.org.uk/page.asp?section=0001000100280003&sectionTitle=Digital+stalking&dm_i=674,OIIS,S8KAA,1Z8L7,1

The guidelines, which are funded by the Nominet Trust and Avon, contain practical advice on how to reduce the risk of being stalked online. They can also be used for training organisations which deal with stalking and domestic violence cases, including the police and other key agencies.

UN: Secretary-General urges African countries to end discrimination against women and LGBT people

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=41073&Cr=African+Union&Cr1=#

“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a promise to all people in all places at all times,” Mr. told African leaders gathered in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, for the annual Summit of the African Union (AU).

He cited discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity as one of the injustices that has been ignored or even sanctioned by many States for too long.

“This has prompted some governments to treat people as second-class citizens, or even criminals. Confronting this discrimination is a challenge. But we must live up to the ideals of the Universal Declaration,” Mr. Ban told the Summit, held in a new conference centre funded and built by China.

Thanks to the Feminist Majority Foundation for the link.

US: Girls excluded from school field trip

http://www.care2.com/causes/boys-get-to-go-on-expensive-field-trip-girls-stay-at-school.html

Why only boys? Dahlander said: “There is only so much available space at the movie theater, so the decision was made for boys to attend the movie. Girls stayed at school but principals were given the option to show them ‘Akeelah and the Bee.’”

The Dallas district, which is governed by a board of trustees and operated on a daily basis by an interim superintendent, has made no apologies for the disparate treatment of students. The rationale, they told the Dallas Morning News, was that they thought boys would enjoy the combat movie more than the girls.

This intrigues me. I have to echo the question asked by Care2: What on earth were they thinking?

US: Sex crime cover-up at Yale

http://www.care2.com/causes/sex-crime-cover-up-at-yale-and-college-campuses.html

The 29 cases were all heard by a campus disciplinary committee and were voluntarily reported. Many of the rape cases were “found not to be substantial enough to pursue further because the victim was incapacitated at the time and could not provide a clear account of the alleged crime,” says Potter. But in the case in which the committee found that crimes had occurred, the student (a male student) was given a “sentence” of a one-semester suspension for assault, battery, stalking and forced sex. In a case in which a Yale student made an “informal complaint” that a male student had “nonconsensual sex” with her, the accused student was simply (says the Yale report) “counseled … on appropriate conduct” and restrictions were “imposed… on contact between the parties.”

I think that paragraph speaks for itself.

In other news, it seems the Republican presidential candidates are falling over themselves to denounce the Obama administration on their decision to ensure employers include birth control in their health coverage even if they are Catholic. You’d think they’d be occupied enough with the fight to undermine Roe v Wade. But there it is. Clearly they are of the firm belief that women exist on this planet to be baby factories. I do hope the US electorate will realise this, and vote accordingly.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/28/saudi-arabia-women-sport-stadium_n_1239018.html?ref=world

Al-Sharq newspaper on Saturday quoted unnamed officials as saying that women will be able to watch the matches in a new facility that will be completed in 2014 in the western port city of Jeddah.

The officials say that the new stadium will include a family section with private cabins and balconies for women who wish to attend the games.

Another slight change for the better. It will be interesting to see whether the trend continues.

US: More abortion stories

http://www.care2.com/causes/kentucky-pushes-two-anti-abortion-bills.html
http://www.care2.com/causes/minnesota-gop-push-abortion-ban.html
http://www.care2.com/causes/north-carolina-gop-public-hanging-for-abortionists.htm
http://www.care2.com/causes/santorum-to-rape-survivors-make-the-best-of-it-by-having-that-baby.html

In summary: The Kentucky anti-choice brigade want to pressure women into carrying their baby to term by forcing them to have face-to-face consutations and an ultrasound; Minnesota’s Republicans have failed to push local legislation banning taxpayer-funded abortions, so they now want to change the Constitution instead; the third URL speaks for itself, with the person in question equating abortionists with rapists and kidnappers. And then, to paraphrase something Michael Moore once said, there’s presidential hopeful Rick ‘even-in-cases-of-rape’ Santorum.

It is very worrying indeed that Republicans in general seem now to consider anti-abortionism as a party position, and the frequency with which these schemes appear in various states is a matter of ever-increasing concern. Something has to give at some point. I just hope there will be enough of a campaign to protect women’s rights, or what gives just might end up being Roe v Wade.

Lebanon: Campaign to support women’s citizenship

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/support-lebanese-womens-citizenship-rights/

A petition from Care2. A recently approved law states that only the children of Lebanese men would be allowed to claim citizenship, despite many in the country feeling that this right should exist for both men and women.

http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=13422

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1400/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=9256

Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services announced today the Obama Administration will not broaden the religious exemption for contraceptive coverage under the Preventive Care package of the Affordable Care Act. This request, primarily by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, would have denied millions of American women contraceptive coverage, including students, teachers, nurses, social workers, and other staff (and their families) at religiously-connected or associated schools, universities, and hospitals, as well as institutions, such as Catholic Charities.

Eleanor Smeal, President of the Feminist Majority Foundation, stated, “This is a landmark victory for the health of young women. We applaud this decision for women by Secretary Sebelius and the Obama Administration. Birth control is the number one prescription drug for women ages 18 to 44 years. Right now, the average woman has to pay $50 per month for 30 years for birth control. No wonder many low income women have had to forgo regular use of birth control and half of US pregnancies are unplanned. This decision will help millions of women and their families.”

Rate of abortion is highest in countries where the practice is banned

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/rate-of-abortion-is-highest-in-countries-where-practice-is-banned-6292070.html

Almost all unsafe abortions were in developing countries, where the number of family planning and contraceptive programmes have stopped increasing.

“An abortion is actually a very simple and safe procedure,” said Gilda Sedgh, a senior researcher at the US-based Guttmacher Institute.

“All of these deaths and complications are easily avoidable,” said Dr Sedgh, the study’s lead author.

I think this one comes from the Captain Obvious files, although it’s useful to have it confirmed. It is a curious fact that anti-abortionists also tend to be against contraception of all kinds except abstinence. It’s never about preventing the deaths of unborn children, because that would entail support for methods of not conceiving unwanted ones in the first place. It’s about refusing women the right to control over their own bodies, pure and simple. Heaven forbid that those pesky women should be allowed to decide the course of their life without deferring to their menfolk.

http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=13409
http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=13410
http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=13411
http://www.feminist.org/news/newsbyte/uswirestory.asp?id=13413

The Feminist Majority Foundation is doing excellent work in collating these stories from across the US, showing how anti-abortionists are continuing to weaken protections for women by chipping away at them state by state. Each item by itself is worrying; put them all together and it’s clear something very bad is happening. I’m starting to wonder if a national initiative to bolster Roe v. Wade is required in order to put a stop to these insidious attempts to undermine what should be a fundamental right.

UK: Potential change to definition of domestic violence

From Women’s Aid:

The government has launched this consultation to ask for views on whether the current cross-government definition of domestic violence should be widened. It also seeks views on whether the current definition is being applied consistently across government, and if it is understood by practitioners, victims and perpetrators.

…

The consultation seeks the views of key partners and directly affected parties, including the police, practitioners, other government departments and organisations with a direct interest in preventing domestic violence. This consultation closes on 30 March 2012.

My first thought was ‘well, that’s good news’, but this was followed immediately by ‘what’s the catch?’ Lo and behold:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-16175167

Domestic violence is currently defined as “any incident of threatening behaviour, violence or abuse (psychological, physical, sexual, financial or emotional) between adults who are, or have been, intimate partners or family members”.

In theory, cases in which one partner exerts excessive control over the other – preventing them going out, or visiting friends or relatives, for example – could be pursued under the “psychological” element of the existing definition.

…

Labour’s shadow home office minister Stella Creasy said it was right for the government to be considering a wider definition, but it was contradicting that by trying to increase the level of proof required before legal aid was agreed.

“Instead of widening the definition of domestic violence, they are narrowing it and making it extremely hard for victims to demonstrate that abuse has taken place before getting the help they need in child custody or divorce cases so they can leave violent relationships,” she said.

Under the forthcoming Legal Aid and Sentencing Bill, only domestic violence victims who can prove “a high risk of violence” will qualify for legal aid.

The government says “objective evidence” should be obtained before taxpayers’ money is spent.

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1400/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=9115

Brilliant work by the Feminist Majority Foundation to alter the FBI’s previous outdated definition of rape. The new definition is much more inclusive.

India: Education and employment bring abuse

http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=106208

Educated and employed as a librarian at the Islamic University of Science and Technology in Kashmir, Shazia was found hanging from a ceiling fan in her room on Nov. 9. Though police suspect suicide, Shazia’s parents believe their daughter’s death to be a fatal case of domestic violence.

Shazia’s father says that his son-in-law, Javaid Ahmad, tortured his wife verbally and physically on a daily basis for not bringing him a big enough dowry. He often threw her out of the house and finally divorced her verbally after she gave birth to a daughter.

So…women don’t get educated or work, they get beaten up. Women get educated and/or get a job, they still get beaten up. Ergo, women really get beaten up just because they’re women. Did I miss anything?

Saudi Arabia: Women only to work in lingerie shops

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-16412202

The new law could potentially create up to 40,000 jobs for ordinary Saudi women who have hitherto had little or no access to employment.

But it also means that male clerks, most of whom are foreign workers, will be out of a job.

It is not far short of a social revolution being pushed through in the teeth of fierce opposition from the kingdom’s top clerics.

They do not want to see an increase in the number of women working outside the home.

The kingdom’s Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdel Aziz al-Sheikh, has warned shop owners that employing women is a “crime and prohibited by Islamic sharia law”.