Saturday, December 24, 2011

Women's Views on News

Women's Views on News

US women inmates give back to society through knitting

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Summary of story from the Daily Progress, December 21, 2011 A pioneering knitting program for women in the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail is one of several educational and enrichment classes on offer at the jail. Knitting and crocheting classes form part of the Beyond the Bars program. Teacher Joey Snyder, a retired nurse, is cited by many [...]

High percentage of black women enlisting in US military

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Summary of story from The New York Times, December 22, 2011 Black women are enlisting in the US military at a far higher rate than white or Hispanic women, according to new findings by the Pew Research Center. The study showed that they now constitute almost a third of all women in the armed forces. [...]

UK sexual violence and abuse charity wins award

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Summary of story from Guardian, December 21, 2011 The Coventry Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre (Crasac) has won a Guardian charity award for its work with thousands of women each year. The charity runs a helpline, a counselling service and therapy groups for adults and children, helping 3,500 women, men and children every year. Crasac says [...]

Rape on the increase in Somalian refugee camps

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Summary from IRIN news, December 22, 2011 The number of reported rapes in refugee camps in Somalia has risen sharply creating a “climate of fear”. A total of 32 rape victims were taken to hospital in the capital Mogadishu over a two-day period this month, compared with 80 recorded rapes in the previous four months. [...]

Legal clinics help women to access justice

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Summary from Irin news, December 22, 2011 Legal aid clinics are enabling women in Madagascar to access help which the official justice system is denying them. In more rural parts of the country, women used to be able to go to a village council if a husband was being abusive, or male relatives refused to [...]

Ghana officials trained in gender responsive budgeting

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Summary of story from Vibe Ghana, December 22, 2011 Members of Parliament in Ghana received training this week to consider gender issues when planning the African country’s national budget. This kind of budget prioritises income and expenditure so that the specific needs of women, men and children are met equally. According to the Minister for [...]

Male feminists fight for women’s rights in Afghanistan

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Summary from Reuters, December 23, 2011 “Part of the problem in Afghanistan is that most women think like men.” Speaking over a cup of tea is Kabul student and male feminist Fedous Samim. “I don’t have a sister, but I’m sure if I did, and she tried to go outside the house, my mother would [...]

Women executives non-existent in US state

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Summary of story from Atlanta Business News, December 21, 2011 None of the top 500 companies in the US state of Georgia has a woman at the helm and there has been little progress in their numbers. A new study has found that women make up a smaller share of executive roles than they do [...]

Financiers bank on women’s hard labours

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Summary from awid.org, December 22, 2011 The global finance world is banking on the hard labours of poorly-paid Asian women to kick-start economies out of recession. This was the stark message delivered to delegates of the first ever Asia Pacific Feminist Forum earlier this month. Kate Lappin, who helped organise the event, said: “Asia is regarded [...]

UN official condemns attacks on women protesters in Egypt

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Summary of story from UN News Centre, December 21, 2011 The head of the United Nations body for gender equality, has voiced concerns over reports of violence against female protesters in Egypt. Michelle Bachelet, the Executive Director of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, released a statement saying: "Women along [...]

Russian journalist details torture in Kazakhstan

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Summary of story from Human Rights Watch, December 22, 2011 Kazakh authorities should immediately investigate allegations of torture and ill-treatment of detainees following violence in Zhanaozen on December 16, 2011, and hold those responsible accountable, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said yesterday. "Allegations of torture in Zhanaozen are profoundly disturbing and the Kazakh government should immediately [...]

Female golfer wins BBC Sports Personality title

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Summary from BBC News, December 22, 2011 There was one female winner at the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year last night – in a year when the main award shortlist was criticised for being men-only (see WVoN story). Golfer Lauren Taylor won the BBC Young Sports Personality title. In June she was crowned the youngest winner [...]

The foreign women invited to funeral of Kim Jong-il

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Summary from The Guardian, December 23, 2011 A magician, an entrepreneur and the widow of a former president are three women among a select group of foreigners who are expected to attend the funeral of North Korean president Kim Jong-il. There is considerable intrigue about the guest list as Jong-il’s eldest son and maybe some [...]

New guidance for UK’s obese would-be mums

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Summary of story from The Telegraph, December 22, 2011 Obese women in the UK have been advised to lose weight before they conceive, as falling pregnant whilst already overweight or obese puts themselves and their baby’s health at risk. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) advised in a patient leaflet that it is [...]

Latin American women still largely domestic

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Summary of story from the LatinAmerican Press, December 20, 2011 A report has revealed problems in overcoming the gender gap in Latin America and the Carribean. Women’s roles in the region are still defined by caring for children, according to the annual Global Gender Gap 2011 survey, published by the World Economic Forum. Despite advances [...]

LEGO’s ‘girl’ range causes social media backlash

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Summary of story from news.com.au, December 23, 2011 The news that classic toy brand LEGO is launching a new ‘girls range’ has been met with a backlash on social media and criticism from bloggers. The LEGO Friends range, due to launch in 2012, features ‘girl’ versions of the traditional figurines, complete with false eyelashes, breasts [...]

Council staff sacked over woman’s death

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Summary of story from BBCNews, December 22, 2011 A local authority in Scotland has dismissed three members of staff after an elderly woman was found dead in her home in October. An investigation was launched by Angus Council after 74-year-old Yvonne Carrie’s family said that she twice activated her community alarm after becoming ill but nobody [...]

Labour calls for safety review of street light cuts

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Summary of story from BBCNews, December 22, 2011 The UK’s Labour Party is calling for an urgent review of the impact of the UK government’s cuts to street lighting on women’s safety. Several local authorities in the United Kingdom have reduced their street lighting – or even switched it off completely at certain times - to [...]

Indira Goswami, writer, teacher, scholar, has died

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Summary of story from The Guardian, December 22, 2011 The writer Indira Goswami, who has died aged 69 after a long illness, was widowed as a young woman, 18 months after her marriage, and although education and privilege shielded her from much of the stigma traditionally faced by widows in India, the experience prompted her [...]

An uneasy search for justice in Brazil

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Summary of story from The New York Times, December 20, 2011 After years of wrangling with the nation's military hierarchy, the authorities have created a Truth Commission to examine the abuses carried out by and during Brazil's 1964 to 1985 military dictatorship. The move is hailed as a sign that Brazil could be ready for a more active [...]

French breast implant fears spread around the world

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Summary of story from Reuters, December 22, 2011 Fears over the safety of breast implants made by a now defunct French firm are now spreading to Australia, South America as well as across Europe. The silicone gel implants, made by a company called Poly Implant Prothese (PIP) that was shut down in 2010, appear to have [...]

One Canadian film-maker and her paradigm shift

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Summary of story from The Ecologist, December 20, 2011 Rebecca Sweetman is the founder and Executive Director of the Paradigm Shift Project, a charity which uses documentary film and photography to build connections and inspire a shift in how we see and engage in our world. She gives these resources to not-for-profit organisations to support the work they [...]