Women's Views on News |
- Female genital bleaching – a growing worldwide phenomenon
- Justice for Peru’s victims of sexual violence during conflict
- The many and varied barriers to sports participation for Muslim women
- Senate Republicans block pay equality bill
- Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala must address attacks on women
- Problem for chair of UK Tory party is that she’s not an old boy
- Qatar grasps Olympic opportunity at last while Saudi Arabia stays silent
| Female genital bleaching – a growing worldwide phenomenon Posted: 07 Jun 2012 10:00 AM PDT
A recent TV advertisement for a shower gel that lightens the skin is creating a stir in India. The rather unimaginative ad manages to combine body image insecurity with the myth that women have to fulfil certain criteria to win the love of a man. And one of them is by being paler. There are three reasons why this is wrong. The first is obvious to feminists. The second is unacceptable in the west, but not exactly news in India where for centuries pale skin has been equated with beauty. Lately this has bled into other areas of life, where pale means success, a view backed up by research by Joni Hersch, professor at Vanderbilt Law School. She has shown that the fairest skinned immigrants earn an average of 16 to 23% more than comparable immigrants with the darkest skin tone. But perhaps the third and most worrying thing about this ad (and the product itself of course) is that it encourages women to bleach their genitalia. While the trend for vajazzling (sticking 'jewels' on the shaven pubic area) may be unfathomable, genital bleaching can cause serious long term health issues. It's a problem that is unlikely to go away any time soon. According to research firm ACNeilson, India's skin bleaching market was worth $432m in 2010 and is growing at a rate of 18% per annum. The situation is not helped by Bollywood stars promoting the products, which are also available in deodorant and talcum powder form. But India isn't alone. The phenomenon is growing in the US and is not limited to Asian women. Los Angeles dermatologist and assistant clinical professor of dermatology at USC School of Medicine, Dr Jessica Wu said: "Many of my female patients ask me about lightening their private parts." Wu advises patients to buy over the counter products that have been tested in the US. She says there are potential problems with imported skin-lightening creams which have been found to contain mercury, steroids and other potentially toxic ingredients and recommends caution when buying such products online.  |
| Justice for Peru’s victims of sexual violence during conflict Posted: 07 Jun 2012 08:30 AM PDT
Peru's parliament has unanimously approved a bill that will enable victims of sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced abortion and kidnapping during the country's armed conflict between 1980 and 2000 to claim compensation. The new law builds on the National Plan of Reparation (NPR) by extending the definition of 'sexual violence'. It is a result of lobbying by DEMUS (Institute for the Defence of Women's Rights) since 2004. The Commission for Truth and Reconciliation has also been closely involved. In its press release DEMUS wrote (translated for the purposes of this story): "We welcome this important step in the recognition of rights for victims of sexual violence during the internal armed conflict, but we believe that still outstanding are the issues of forced sterilization and forced pregnancy as forms of sexual violence, both removed from the project by the political interest of the Fujimori bloc." Shuna Kennedy, executive director of Womankind, which has been funding DEMUS's work on justice for women survivors of armed conflict since 2003, said: "We applaud this decision taken by the Peruvian government and congratulate our partner DEMUS for their campaign victory. “Through them we will monitor the implementation of this law, as justice for women in Peru is already long overdue and will need more than just words on a page.” Alberto Beingolea Delgado, president of the Commission for Justice and Human Rights, also expressed his support for the new bill, pointing out that it now goes beyond simply recognising survivors of rape. The new legislation allows the police, army and self-defence citizens committees, whose human rights were also violated during the conflict, to claim compensation.  |
| The many and varied barriers to sports participation for Muslim women Posted: 07 Jun 2012 07:00 AM PDT Penny Hopkins There can be no doubt that Muslim women face more barriers than most when attempting to take part in sport, whether as an amateur or as a professional. Take 24-year-old Aya Medany as a good example. An Egyptian pentathlete, she has competed at two Olympic Games and is preparing for her third at London 2012. The modern pentathlon is one of the most demanding events in the calendar, comprising swimming, horse riding, fencing, running and shooting. Medany is heading towards her peak and yet she is considering retirement after this year's Games and all because of what she is being required to wear to participate. She competed as a 15 year-old at the Athens Olympics in 2004 and finished 8th in Beijing in 2008. It was disappointing to her supporters back in Egypt and the Egyptian media were unsympathetic. But difficult relations with the media were never going to deter her. It was a decision in 2009 by swimming's governing body the Federation Internationale de Natation (Fina) that has put her future in doubt. Changes to the regulations about what constitutes legal swimwear mean that full body swimsuits are outlawed. The Union Internationale de Pentathlon Moderne (UIPM), modern pentathlon's governing body, fell into line. Medany’s religious beliefs mean that she must wear a full body suit but the new rules state that female swimwear "shall not cover the neck, extend past the shoulder, not extend below the knee." "I might have to choose after London 2012. I might have to leave," she says. The UIPM refuses to make an exception and Medany refuses to compromise her faith. In another story that has been developing for some time, the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has refused to overturn a ban on women playing football in headscarves and so has left thousands of women and girls in limbo. The ban was originally introduced after doubts were raised about the safety of athletes wearing the hijab. There have been no reported cases of injury anywhere in the world, but they are still considered a danger. FIFA does allow women to wear a headscarf in confederations cups and games sanctioned by national football authorities but not at the highest level, for example in Olympic Games and World Cups. FIFA's Asian vice-president Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan has been campaigning vigorously against the ban and seemed to have succeeded when in March the International Football Association Board (IFAB), which maintains the laws of the game, agreed that two new hijab designs with Velcro or magnetic fastenings were acceptable. However, in a press conference at the end of May, FIFA's Medical Committee chairman, Michel D'Hoohge told reporters that the designs were still not safe. He insisted that neck injuries could be caused if a hijab was pulled, it could cause head lesions, or damage the carotid artery and there were concerns about the amount of heat generated inside the scarf. Prince Ali Bin Al Hussain expressed his shock at the apparent about-turn: "I am usually not very emotional but this is very important. There are women serving in combat zones across the world and many of them are wearing the headscarves so I am disturbed by this being used as an argument. :All we are asking is for women to be allowed to play football. This affects many, many Muslim women. I hope this issue is being treated with the same respect and seriousness that other issues are…The issue will certainly not go away." There must be considerable chance now that the IFAB recommendation to approve the scarf design will be rejected when it meets on 5 July in Zurich. Thus while the talk in high places is very much concerned with increasing the opportunities for Muslim women and girls to participate in sport, not only are the barriers still there, but are increasing. If these sportswomen are ever to achieve a degree of equality those fighting against these barriers will have to raise their voice and stick to their guns, as it were.  |
| Senate Republicans block pay equality bill Posted: 07 Jun 2012 05:30 AM PDT
Republicans in the US Senate have blocked a bill which would have made it easier for women to pursue equal pay through the legal system. The Paycheck Fairness Act intended to reduce the gender pay gap by introducing higher penalties for employers who discriminate, making it easier for women to find out if they are paid less than male colleagues, and preventing retaliation against those who sue for pay equity. However, on Tuesday the Senate voted 52 to 47 against the bill, with Republicans arguing that an increase in litigation would harm small businesses and hinder free enterprise. In contrast, President Obama, who spoke out in support of the bill earlier this week, framed the issue of gender pay equality as essential to the US economy. Based on annual earnings, US women make 77 cents for every dollar compared to men; in terms of median hourly pay, they earn 86 cents. Speaking to reporters on Monday, Obama said: “I don’t have to tell you how much this matters to families across the country”. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, on the other hand, refused to take a position on the bill. At a time when abortion and contraception rights are under constant debate, Democrats are expected to use the vote as evidence of a Republican war on women in the forthcoming US presidential elections. In a statement released after the vote, Obama (who is offering women free Women for Obama bumper stickers) criticised Senate Republicans for putting “partisan politics ahead of American women and their families”.  |
| Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala must address attacks on women Posted: 07 Jun 2012 04:00 AM PDT
A report published earlier this week by the Nobel Women’s Initiative calls on the governments of Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala to take action to tackle the widespread problem of violence against women in their respective countries. 'From Survivors to Defenders: Women Confronting Violence in Mexico, Honduras & Guatemala', the 48-page report is the outcome of a 10-day fact-finding mission to these regions during January 2012. As summed up by CNN, the report found that much of the violence against women is committed in the name of the so-called ‘war on drugs’. "The war on drugs in Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala has become a war on women. Efforts to improve 'security' have only led to greater militarisation, rampant corruption and abuse within police forces and an erosion of rule of law. “Ultimately, it has resulted in a crisis of insecurity where no one is safe. Homicide rates are among the highest in the world, with Honduras' capital now being described as the 'murder capital of the world'," the report states. The report also highlights the problems of "increasing displacement for natural resource exploitation and megaprojects" and "targeted attacks on women human rights defenders". Shocking statistics about violence against women are cited. While an article in 'Literal Magazine' describes the harrowing stories of just a handful of the 200 female survivors of violence interviewed as part of the 10-day delegation, the authors of the report must be hoping their advice is not overlooked. The report makes a series of recommendations to the governments of each country visited. The top three for each government are as follows: For the government of Mexico:
For the government of Honduras:
For the government of Guatemala:
The report also calls upon the United States and Canada to take action. The 10-day delegation was organised by the Nobel Women's Initiative, JASS (Just Associates) and prominent national organisations that formed host committees in each country, and led by Nobel Laureates Jody Williams and Rigoberta Menchú Tum. For a full copy of the report, go to the website of the Nobel Women's Initiative.  |
| Problem for chair of UK Tory party is that she’s not an old boy Posted: 07 Jun 2012 02:30 AM PDT
In the last few days the British media has been awash with stories about the investigation ordered by the prime minister David Cameron (also leader of the Tory party) into Tory co-chair Lady Warsi's undeclared business interests. After Warsi made expense claims for staying at a friend's property (he has claimed she stayed rent-free), Scotland Yard (British police in London) was asked to investigate. It referred the matter back to the Lords Commissioner for Standards, who yesterday started a formal enquiry. Cameron has also called in Sir Alex Allan, his independent adviser on ministerial interests to find out whether Warsi has breached the ministerial code when she was accompanied by a business partner on an official visit to Pakistan, saying there were 'clearly some lessons for future handling'. In the UK, skulduggery practiced by people in public life is hardly news, but what is shocking is the double standards behind Cameron's treatment of Warsi in comparison to his support for culture minister Jeremy Hunt, over claims of his non-partisan dealings with News Corporation during its bid for BSkyB. It's a fact that has not escaped the media. It has been reported that the PM bowed to pressure from critics on the far right and cabinet members, who have long waged a campaign to be rid of Warsi. The same people who support Hunt. So what's their problem with Warsi? According to James Macintyre in the Guardian, there are two factors: race and the ideology. I'd put it more bluntly. Warsi is a straight-talking Muslim woman raised in the north of England by immigrant parents, unfamiliar with the public school etiquette beloved of Cameron and his cronies. Cameron gained a false reputation as a moderniser for his support of homosexual marriage but at grassroots level he continues to fail ethnic minorities. At recent local elections in Birmingham an ethnically diverse city, his party fielded white councillors and lost seats as a result. In the Commons there are only 11 non-white Tory MPs. It's a problem unresolved by party strategists. Perhaps they should also examine a statement made on the influential ConservativeHome website by the Margaret Thatcher Centre for Freedom saying that Warsi’s presence at the top of the party ranks sent 'the wrong signal at a time when Britain is fighting a global war against Islamic terrorism and extremism'. Neoconservative (and currently education minister) Michael Gove, one of Warsi’s leading internal critics, fought against her plan for a cross-government working group to tackle anti-Muslim racism. Perhaps the battle between the neo-con wing of the cabinet on the one hand, and Warsi on the other, explains Cameron’s confused stance on Islam and Islamic extremism. Warsi's competence has also come under fire, despite the fact that she has proved a more effective co-chairman than Andrew Feldman, who shares her job and who some want to take over the full role. Feldman appointed Peter Cruddas, who has committed a number of whoppers including attempts to raise cash for access to the prime minister that led to huge embarrassment. Yet he was promoted. Why? He is an old university friend and tennis partner of Cameron’s and in ‘the gang’. The double standards charge could be laid here, too, not to mention on Cameron’s relaxed approach to cabinet ministers whose expenses sins have been much worse than Warsi’s. But the real hypocrisy is over Hunt. As the on-message culture secretary remains in post, off-message Warsi appears to be thrown to the wolves. That so many Tories are content with that says much about the ideology of the Conservative party.  |
| Qatar grasps Olympic opportunity at last while Saudi Arabia stays silent Posted: 07 Jun 2012 01:00 AM PDT
Three female athletes representing Qatar at the London 2012 Olympic Games will make history this summer. One of only three countries that had never sent a female athlete to an Olympic Games for cultural or religious reasons (Brunei and Saudi Arabia being the other two), Qatar has finally given into pressure. Even Brunei managed to select one woman athlete this year, a 400m hurdler by the name of Maziah Mahusin, but for some reason the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has allowed Saudi Arabia to maintain its stance, and refuses even to say whether it will impose penalties on it. The Qatari Olympic team has finally understood the importance of including (and promoting) women, particularly 17-year-old Noor al-Malki, who will be competing in the highest profile event, the 100 metres. Her fastest recorded time is over a second outside the qualifying standard, but a special dispensation from the IOC means that she will be allowed to run. Her competition, in all probability, will last approximately 13 seconds but symbolically could not be more important. "I could not believe it when they told me I was going to the Olympics" says Malki. "It was a shock, but it was also a source of immense happiness and pride…..I am going for a specific reason, which is to represent Qatari women, and to encourage more women to get into sport." She knows she is lucky to have the support of her family. "My parents always told me sports are an area where you can develop a goal and work towards and achieve that goal, so they encouraged me to take that opportunity." In addition to al-Malki, Qatar also includes a swimmer, Nada Arkaji, also 17 and a rifle shooter, Bahia al-Hamad, 19, in its team. Their inclusion means that London 2012 will be the first Olympic Games where the representation of female to male is 50/50. It is surely no coincidence that Qatar was bidding to host the 2020 Olympic Games, but its intentions appear genuine. Its bid document includes a wish to "enhance and grow women's sport across the Arab world" and build "bridges of hope and understanding between the Middle East and the international community." Noora al-Mannai, chief executive of the Qatari bid, is vocal in her condemnation of Saudi Arabia, but positive about the speed and depth of change and development in her own country. "If Qatar does it, it will be easier for others. It is always the case with change – people find it difficult at first but they will start seeing changes in our country and then countries that have similar religions, similar traditions, will change as well." It is a change that permeates through Qatari society. "When I started working ten years ago it was very difficult for girls to work in an open environment and meet with men," says Mannai. "Today we have an open environment, women are working with men, so exercising together is not an issue. “Ten years ago her highness Sheikha Mouzah [the second of the emir's three wives] played a very big role in initiating the change. Now we are not at the beginning, we have already passed a lot of challenges." Qatar is gaining respect in both the sporting and the political world with its emphatic change of heart. Mannai issues a warning to those unwilling to do likewise: "Others will close their ears – they don't want to listen, don't want to see. But one day they will hear, one day they will see… “We will open the door for women's sports in Qatar and across the whole region. Driving this change is the biggest legacy. We want to do that for a whole region." Saudi Arabia would do well to take note.  |
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