December 2010
92 posts
2 tags
8 tags
In the Category Of "They Must Be Kidding," the... →
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is anti-choice, tried to eliminate family planning from Canada’s international funding for maternal health programs, and generally speaking has adopted global health policies that will further marginalize women and girls.
For some reason, the United Nations took this to mean he would be a great candidate to co-chair a high-level commission to hold...
6 tags
Don't Ask, Don't Tell Repeal Signed Into Law! (via... →
President Obama signed the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell into law today. It’s a historic day for all Americans but especially for gay and lesbian servicemembers who will soon, we hope, be able to serve our country without need for hiding an integral part of who they are. To all of my gay and lesbian friends, and to all Americans: this is an amazing day. As President Obama...
4 tags
Sudanese Woman Flogging Captured on Video,... →
The woman on the video is being flogged in a public parking lot — a small, white car and a smattering of people watching provide a backdrop. The police officers with whips seem almost bored by their task. She screams in terror. The two-minute video is soul crushing simply to watch. It’s not hard to imagine that the Sudanese woman must feel not only overwhelming pain but, also,...
4 tags
Ashtiani’s Husband Allegedly Sold Her for Sex … to... →
As if Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani’s struggle for freedom could get any worse—especially considering the recently aired state-produced documentary that Amnesty International proclaimed was being used to paint her as a criminal—her lawyer told the press today that the imprisoned Iranian woman was abused and sold for sex by her husband in order to fuel his drug addiction.
…
In 2004, a man...
5 tags
Stigmatizing Single People (via Sociological... →
In a fantastic example of the way being single is stigmatized, Rachel K. took a photo of this ad she saw at a bus stop in Toronto:
I’m afraid this is the last post you will get from me. You see, I’m single, and it’s just occurred to me how very much my life sucks, with no one to give me sparkly things. I am going to drop everything and dedicate myself full-time to finding a mate.
I mean,...
5 tags
Mexico: Killing of human rights defender Ms... →
“Front Line is deeply saddened by the killing of human rights defender, Ms Marisela Escobedo Ortiz in Chihuahua, on 16 December 2010. Front Line strongly condemns the killing and believes that Marisela Escobedo Ortiz was targeted solely as a result of her work in the defence of human rights in particular, her fight for justice for the murder of her daughter, Rubi Marisol Fraye ...
5 tags
The Gender Imbalance in Family Movies (via... →
Larry Harnisch, of The Daily Mirror, sent in a link to a story at the NYT regarding study released by the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media about the under-representation of women and girls in “family” movies — that is, movies rated G, PG, and PG-13. The authors looked at all English-language fictional G-rated films released in the U.S. or Canada between September 2006 and September 2009...
7 tags
Prince Charles and the Manufacture of Men’s... →
Prince Charles and Princess Diana. As these photographs show, Charles was about the same height as Diana, perhaps even shorter.
(Daily Mail)
(also Daily Mail)
(BBC)
When Charles and Diana were posed together formally, however, they were typically arranged so as to suggest that he was significantly taller than her, or at least to disguise the fact that he was not.
A photo from their...
5 tags
NEWSFLASH: Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani has NOT been... →
UPDATE: FRIDAY DECEMBER 10 2010.
Earlier this morning, Iran’s state-run Press TV reported that Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani has not been freed and that any reports that were making the rounds in the international media yesterday were false.
Iran has also confirmed that Ashtiani has not been released.
Speculation of Ashtiani’s release was triggered when photographs of her at home were posted...
4 tags
Tell the Olympic Committee: Women Can Jump (via... →
Women ski jumpers have been fighting to be recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as the athletes they are and demanding to be included in the 2014 Winter Olympics to be held in Sochi, Russia. Astoundingly, ski jumping is the only activity in the Olympic Winter Games that does not allow women to compete. Yes, you read that right. It doesn’t allow women to compete.
...
5 tags
ZIMBABWE: Sixteen Days of Activism not for all,... →
BULAWAYO, Dec 2, 2010 (IPS) - Hundreds of residents from civil society organisations marched in the streets of Bulawayo on Dec. 1 to mark the 16 days of Activism Against Violence Against Women and Girls . But sex workers and members of gay groups were barred by police from joining the demonstration.
By Zenzele Ndebele
A dozen organisations took part in the event in Zimbabwe’s second...
5 tags
Roxanne’s Law seeks to protect women’s right to... →
Nearly four years ago, Roxanne Fernando’s body was found in a Manitoba snow bank. The 24-year-old had been brutually beaten and left to die by her boyfriend after refusing to have an abortion.
In April, Canadian MP Rod Bruinooge (Winnipeg South, CPC) moved to introduce Roxanne’s Law, also known as Bill C-510, which seeks to “make it an offence for someone to coerce or attempt to coerce a...
4 tags
Positive women human rights defenders (via AWID) →
When the world has come to terms with the reality that HIV is not a morality issue, and that it can affect any one of us, it will be time to recognize the dangerous work of these women
By Alice Welbourn
15 tags
28 Die in Factory Fire Making Clothes for the Gap... →
Whether you go more highscale at Banana Republic or casual at Old Navy, all these store chains (and Piperlime and Athleta) are owned by Gap, Inc., which just doesn’t seem to care much about the lives of its workers. The Hammem factory also provides clothes to other recognizable brands in America, such as H&M, Walmart, Sears, JC Penny, and Target, though Gap is the chief buyer....
5 tags
Polygamy law is unconstitutional, B.C. court told... →
Canada’s law against polygamy is unconstitutional and can’t be justified on modern interpretations that cast the statute as a means of protecting vulnerable women and children, says a lawyer appointed to challenge the rarely used law in a landmark reference case.
“It was about stopping Mormons and aboriginals – because a Christian marriage was in 1890 a monogamous, man-woman union,” George...
5 tags
Forced Gential Mutilation of 120 Women and Girls... →
Late last week, an estimated 120 young women of the Sabiny ethnic group in Uganda were forced to undergo severe forms of genital mutilation despite a new law banning the practice. The mass “circumcision” involving the removal of the clitoris and other parts of their genitalia took place in public with crowds looking on. The fact that leaders of the Sabiny carried out the genital...
6 tags
Pakistani Woman Faces Death for Insulting Islam... →
Pakistan has never put anybody to death for blasphemy against Islam, despite laws on the books permitting this harsh approach to religious disagreement. But Asia Noreen Bibi, currently sentenced to hang, could break that tradition.
Bibi, a 45-year-old Christian woman and mother of 5, denies the charges against her. But even if they are true, death is a punishment out of proportion to the...
5 tags
European Court Says Ireland’s Abortion Law... →
In a landmark decision, the European Human Rights Court ruled that Ireland’s anti-abortion law violated the rights of a woman who sought an abortion due to a rare form of cancer, but was denied. Currently, Ireland’s very restrictive abortion law includes provisions for when a woman’s life is in danger — which the court found to be the case with the women — yet this right is rarely granted.
...
5 tags
Botswana mulls legalising prostitution to fight... →
Some politicians have called for Botswana to consider legalising prostitution to fight against HIV.
Botlogile Tshireletso, a deputy minister, told the BBC it was time for the government to discuss the issue.
Botswana, which has a high prevalence of HIV, has earned a reputation for being proactive in the Aids battle.
But a BBC reporter says despite research that infection rates are worst along...
5 tags
“1. Always remember that working to make your school safer for queer students, or...”
– Ivan E. Coyote, Make It Better (via fuckyeahlesbianliterature)
6 tags
Tweet #MooreandMe if You Hate Rape Apologists!... →
Feminists of the blogosphere, if you haven’t been tweeting the #MooreandMe hashtag, it’s time to start.
For those of you outside of the Twitterverse/blogosphere/jargon-y tech world, yesterday Sady Doyle and Jaclyn Friedman started a Twitter campaign asking Michael Moore to apologize for his dismissal of the rape charges against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Because I certainly...
5 tags
To End Violence against Women We Must All Join... →
Message from Under-Secretary General Michelle Bachelet, UN Women
We join with the millions of women and men, community groups, women’s rights networks, government partners, parliamentarians, health workers and teachers who have made 25 November – the International Day to End Violence against Women ­– a day to come together and renew our common commitment to ending the global pandemic...
2 tags
5 tags
3 tags
2 tags
3 tags
“Ugly stays with you. It’s powerful, and that’s why the stereotype is so perfect....”
– Full Frontal Feminism, Jessica Valenti (via thefeministhub)
2 tags
5 tags
3 tags
The Patriarchy Phrasebook →
feministslut:humorlessfeminist:
Patriarchy: ‘He loved women’ Translation: ‘He fucked a lot of women’
Patriarchy: ‘You’re a feminazi/ bitch/ dyke/ delusional woman/ whore/ desperate for a fuck’ Translation: ‘I am threatened by your argument and am scared of you and it’
Patriarchy: ‘Smile, love!’ Translation: ‘Why are you not deferential to my masculinity?’
Patriarchy: ‘I’m...
5 tags
Naomi Wolf on Julian Assange’s Charges (via Pulse) →
In “J’Accuse: Sweden, Britain, and Interpol Insult Rape Victims Worldwide” feminist author Naomi Wolf writes the following about the charges launched against Julian Assange:
…Never in twenty-three years of reporting on and supporting victims of sexual assault around the world have I ever heard of a case of a man sought by two nations, and held in solitary confinement without bail in advance of...
3 tags
5 tags
More Sexy Toy Makeovers: My Little Pony, Rainbow...
My Little Pony
The original My Little Pony, chubby and adorable (source):
Today they’re thinner, with an open mouth, more provocative stances, and more responsive positions (source):
Rainbow Brite
Vintage Rainbow Brite:
Rainbow Brite today:
Finally, Monika alerted us to the new look for Candy Land. First, vintage Candy Land. 1949:
1955:
1962 Candy Land book:
2005:
From...
3 tags
“I read a lot of stories online, on communities and blogs and whatnot, ways of...”
– - Kirsty of Fatty Unbound (via melasaurus)
(via laurendarling) this applies to every insecurity or self-hatred (via giraffegiraf)
2 tags
6 tags
in remembrance of December 6, 1989 (via William...
(I’m not linking back to this original blog entry, because the author says the name of the killer. That’s not something we do when talking about the Montreal massacre. If you wish to read the original, you can find it by googling.)
This past December 6, we marked the 21st anniversary of the École Polytechnique massacre or the Montreal massacre as it has become known. While the...
4 tags
Cosmetics: A Leading Cause of Illness? (via... →
What are the Toxins in Today’s Cosmetics?
There are many substances on Canada’s “hot list” that are no longer allowed in cosmetic products; such things as Ethyl PABA, lead, phthalates, aldehydes, thallium acetate and mercury. Both the USA and Canada however still allow some ingredients, just in limited quantities. Such things as boric acid, certain coal tar colors (though coal tar in eye...
5 tags
Losing Ground on Diversity? (via Telecom Trends) →
What is happening to women in leadership in Canadian telecom?
I was chatting with a colleague over the weekend and she pointed out shrinking numbers in the executive ranks of our major carriers. I decided to check out her perception. Looking at the composition of the corporate leadership teams of Canada’s biggest communications providers, one has to wonder if we have made enough progress with...
4 tags
4 tags
State of Emergency? Conservatives Warn CEDAW... →
For the first time in eight long years, the U.S. Senate held a hearing on U.S. ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW, or the Women’s Treaty). During the hearing, Steven Groves from the Heritage Foundation testified about all the evils that would be bestowed upon us if the U.S. took the radical approach of joining 186 other...
7 tags
18-Year-Old Iranian Jailed for Blogging About... →
On September 18, 2010, 18-year-old Navid Mohebbi was beaten, dragged from his home, and thrown into jail in Iran. He awaits sentencing in a small cell he shares with a convicted murderer. What was Navid’s crime? Apparently, he’s a threat to national security, promotes anti-Iran propaganda, and has insulted current and former leaders of the Islamic Republic. At least, that’s...
3 tags
2 tags
5 tags
Disney’s Gender Roles Remain Un-Tangled (via Ms... →
To this end, Disney brought in a new directorial team in 2008 to overhaul the planned Rapunzel and “wring the pink out of it,” as the Los Angeles Times aptly put it. The resultant Tangled, with a non-heroine title, more action and a platoon of mega-muscular-man characters (in contrast to onlytwo key females–Rapunzel and the evil Mother Gothel), bodes ill for Disney’s post-princess era.
While one...
4 tags
Women seeking birth control get unneeded pelvic... →
Many doctors require that women have a pelvic exam before they can get a prescription for birth control pills, despite guidelines saying that the step is unnecessary, a new study finds.
In a survey of 1,200 U.S. doctors and advanced practice nurses, researchers found that one-third said they always required women to have a pelvic exam before they would write a prescription for birth control...
7 tags
TSA Groin Searches Menstruating Woman (via... →
Yesterday we received a letter from a customer who wore her GladRags Pantyliner through a security scanner and was so traumatized by her resulting TSA genital search that she wanted to warn other women. (Read her letter below). Her past history of sexual assault made this experience a nightmare for her. At first we thought yes, we will warn people not to put themselves through this risk.
...
9 tags
The Pope, Condoms, and Contraception: Let's Get... →
questions remain about the extent to which religious beliefs about sexual morality should influence global AIDS policy. Catholic positions against contraception and limiting sexual intimacy to lifelong monogamous heterosexual marriage have been seen as the major reason the Vatican, bishops in various regions of the world, and Catholic AIDS providers have refused to provide condoms as part of...
6 tags
2011 Feminist Porn Awards nominations (via The... →
Also… the nomination period for the 2011 Feminist Porn Awards (to be held April 8-16 in Toronto, Ontario) is open now through February 15.
Via GoodForHer.com:
Good for Her is thrilled to present the 6th Annual Feminist Porn Awards.The Feminist Porn Awards honor pornographers whose groundbreaking work offers a fresh perspective on the sexual expression of women and everyone who finds...
2 tags
