Turkey elections mark the start of a revolution for women
Source: The Guardian: By Semanur Karaman With more female MPs than ever before and the success of a political party that supports women, Turkey is on the threshold of a […]
Why Beef Ban in Indian State Undermines Secularism
International Herald Tribune: by Justin Rowlatt — From BBC News It is a bizarre image: cops demanding mug-shots of cows rather than crooks. But that’s what officers in the city of Malegaon in Maharashtra, one of India’s most populous states, are doing in an attempt to enforce its new beef […]
View from abroad: I wrote this column — despite being a woman
Dawn.com: by Shada Islam — YES, let’s make fun of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s sexist praise of his Bangladeshi counterpart, Sheikh Hasina, for being tough on terror “despite being a woman”. Social media in India and the world over has had a field day with Modi’s comment. I’ve […]
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect's female driver ban 'unlawful and discriminatory'
Equality and Human Rights Commission tells Belz sect its ruling that women could not drive their children to its schools in North London is illegal Source: The Guardian By Jane […]
Ultra-Orthodox Jewish sect’s female driver ban ‘unlawful and discriminatory’
Equality and Human Rights Commission tells Belz sect its ruling that women could not drive their children to its schools in North London is illegal Source: The Guardian By Jane […]
Worldwide sexism increases suicide risk in young women
theguardian: by Jessica Valenti — If sexism impacts mental health, it makes sense that it would also impact suicide risk for young women, no matter where they live How do you explain that the leading cause of death of women aged 15 to 19, worldwide, is suicide? An internationally recognized expert on […]
Seven women peacemakers who should be on your radar
Global Post: The following is part of a Ground Truth initiative supported by the Ford Foundation called VOICES. The mission of VOICES is to present the ideas and opinions of […]
Delhi rapist says victim shouldn't have fought back
BBC News — “A decent girl won’t roam around at nine o’clock at night. A girl is far more responsible for rape than a boy,” he said In 2012 an Indian student was violently raped on a moving bus in Delhi and died of horrific internal injuries. Leslee Udwin spoke […]
Delhi rapist says victim shouldn’t have fought back
BBC News — “A decent girl won’t roam around at nine o’clock at night. A girl is far more responsible for rape than a boy,” he said In 2012 an Indian student was violently raped on a moving bus in Delhi and died of horrific internal injuries. Leslee Udwin spoke […]
Women Less Welcome Than Men in Fields Demanding Brilliance
Biosciencetechnology.com: by Cynthia Fox — Women are less welcome than men in fields—including philosophy, physics, math, and music composition—where brilliance is viewed as more important than effort, says a co-ed Princeton University/University of Illinois group in a recent Science. The team “noticed a pattern I had never heard of: that certain […]
The Day My Faith in America Died
Huff Post: by Paul Brandies Raushenbush — “Do you think the Surgeon General is behind it?” Sean joked with me this morning, “I mean there were cigarettes and cigarillos involved in both so maybe they just really don’t want us to smoke.” Sean’s attempt at humor masked the deep pain he is […]
North Korea: Ferguson was a ‘disgrace’ and the United States is now ‘laughingstock of the world’
The Washington Post: by Adam Taylor — Still, that doesn’t mean that the criticisms of America’s human rights record are without merit. This may be one rare instance where many people in the U.S. actually agree with North Korea. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during a visit to the Songdowon […]
IRAN: Old challenges continue for women under new president
Womensnewsnetwork.net: by Elahe Amani with Lys Anzia –– A woman nurse in Iran checks IV fluid for infants at the Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran. Recent October 2013 protests by nurses from the hospital brought the needs for trained women medical workers to the attention of others after a shortage of […]
How The Gender Pay Gap Harms Women’s Retirement
Forbes: by Divya Raghavan — Women make up nearly half the U.S. workforce, receive more college degrees than men and are the sole breadwinners in four of 10 American households. Yet, they earn less than men at virtually every job — a persistent problem known as thegender pay gap. And […]
Religion and human rights can co-exist
winnipegfreepress.com: The Canadian Museum for Human Rights is finally open. It’s a magnificent building for a magnificent mission: to promote the idea that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. One of those rights is the right to religion. According to Article 18 of the […]
The time is right for Britain to recognise the Palestinian state
theguardian: by Vincent Fean — ast week the prime minister of Israel announced yet more illegal settlements in the West Bank, cutting off Bethlehem from Jerusalem – a wholly negative act. On Friday, the prime minister of Sweden announced that his government recognises the state of Palestine – a positive step that will […]
Educate women and their community will prosper. Deny them education and the world will suffer
theguardian: Julia Gillard and Cate Blanchett — We both grew up in Australia, where our education provided strong foundations to meet our potential as female leaders. Millions of girls throughout the world deserve the same chance “If you educate a man, you educate one person. If you educate a woman, […]
Putting Women and Girls at the Center of Development
Huff Post: by Dr. Gary L. Darmstadt — It is well-recognized that gender inequalities exist around the world. Evidence has also mounted showing that the marginalization and neglect of the needs, roles and potential of women and girls are key factors limiting advances in human health and development outcomes for […]
Afghan Girls Are Choosing to Dress as Boys, and the Reason is Heartbreaking
Mic.com: by Marcie Bianco — For the bacha posh of Afghanistan, life is an open secret. From the Dari language, bacha posh translates as a female cross-dresser, a girl “dressed like a boy.” It also represents a small community of girls who pass as boys in Afghanistan, a country “that the U.N. says is theworst in the world to […]
Europe’s Jewish Problem
Foreignaffairs.com: many European countries, including France and Germany, the number of anti-Semitic crimes committed this year already exceeds the total for 2013. It would be an exaggeration to say that […]