Thursday, February 2, 2012

Women's Views on News

Women's Views on News

Shafia trial: not an honour killing, just a heinous murder

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Ivana Davidovic WVoN co-editor Outside the county courthouse in Kingston, Ontario, the prosecutor in the Shafia murder trial, Gerard Laarhuis, described a normally quiet Sunday as "a good day for Canadian justice." And it certainly was. Just moments earlier, on January 29, the jury’s verdict brought to an end a murder trial which shook Canada [...]

Women awaiting deportation for ‘illicit mingling’ in Saudi Arabia

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Karen Whiteley WVoN co-editor  Thirty five Ethiopian Christians, 29 of them women, are currently awaiting deportation from Saudi Arabia following their arrest for ‘illicit mingling’ at a prayer meeting in Jeddah in December 2011. According to Human Rights Watch, the women were subjected to body cavity searches whilst in custody. The women were arrested whilst [...]

Women targeted by payday loans companies

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Jane Osmond WVoN co-editor  The Mail newspaper reported yesterday on the strategies employed by 'payday lenders' in the UK aimed at targeting the female market. The lenders offer 'payday loans' – sums of money that tide people over until their next pay cheque. But if the sum is not paid on time, the debt can quickly mount. [...]

Horia Mosadiq: Afghan peace talks should have women at their heart

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Julie Tomlin WVoN co-editor With politicians in the US and Afghanistan wrangling over who will take the lead in peace talks with the Taliban, women are increasingly concerned that they will be betrayed by the international community that once claimed to be acting in their interests, says Horia Mosadiq, Afghanistan Researcher for Amnesty International. "Any [...]

Afghan woman murdered for giving birth to third daughter

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Karen Whiteley WVoN co-editor  A woman has been murdered in Afghanistan, allegedly by her husband and mother-in-law, for giving birth to her third daughter. The mother-in-law has been arrested.  Police are hunting for the husband, an alleged member of a local militia, who is currently on the run. The woman, Storay (last name unknown), was [...]

Studying Beyoncé: singer becomes subject of university course

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Liz Stimson WVoN co-editor  Beyoncé. A record breaking female artist. A popular sex symbol for the 21st century. And now the subject of a university course? 'Politicising Beyoncé' is being offered by the Rutgers University Department of Women's and Gender Studies. The successful female artist provides a new perspective on gender, race and sexuality, says [...]

Story links, 1 February 2012

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Every day we’ll post up a number of story links that we think are interesting. They won’t necessarily be from that day, but usually will not be more than a few days old. Story links: ‘Blood and Honey’ is cathartic for Bosniak actor, WeNews, February 1, 2012 Women in Trucking partners with TMSA to promote [...]

Iranian women warn Egyptian women not to make same mistakes

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Julie Tomlin WVoN co-editor The message of the Youtube video from Iranian women to Egyptian and Tunisian women is clear: don't let what happened to us happen to you. From the days of jeans-wearing working women and the first female group of officers in the navy in 1963, the video depicts how women's rights were reversed once [...]

What do Taliban inclusive peace talks mean for women?

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Jem McCarron WVoN co-editor Today Pakistan's Foreign Affairs Minister, Hina Rabbani Khar, visits Kabul to emphasise Pakistan's commitment to peace talks with the Taliban ahead of the departure of foreign troops in 2014. As a woman, will she be able to help ensure that the rights of women are not ignored? Just over ten years [...]

Miss Undergraduate: two sides of the story

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Jane Osmond WVoN co-editor BBC News recently ran a piece about a protest planned against a 'Miss Undergraduate' event which is to take place at the University of Birmingham in February 2012. The qualifying event featured the wearing of ball gowns, rather than swim suits, and was open to all undergraduate women of all ages, [...]

Senator’s humorous response to mandatory ultrasound bill

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Alison Clarke WVoN co-editor  When is it appropriate to compare a man’s erectile dysfunction to having an abortion? I ask because yesterday a state senator in the US, Janet Howell, tried to amend a bill requiring women to undergo an ultrasound before an abortion, by adding a clause stating that men should have a rectal [...]