Friday, June 29, 2012

Women's Views on News

Women's Views on News

Hip-hop on trial at the Barbican centre in London

Posted: 28 Jun 2012 08:30 AM PDT

Holly Peacock
WVoN co-editor

“Hip-hop doesn’t enhance society, it degrades it”.

That was the question up for discussion at Tuesday night's Versus debate from debating forum, Intelligence Squared.

Chaired by BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis, the debate at London's Barbican centre attracted a huge audience and an even bigger following online.

Using Google+ Hangouts the likes of singer and songwriter Estelle and Rap supergroup Slaughterhouse joined the debate from America, but as frustrations grew both artists left before the closing speeches.

One of the most sensitive questions was the use of the term' bitch' often used to describe women in hip hop music and culture.

Tricia Rose, a university professor and author of ground-breaking books on hip-hop (and one of only two women on the panel), was not included in the debate until this question was aired.

Eamon Courtenay (advocate for the motion) directed the question at Rose who replied by criticising him for only asking her a question about being called a bitch.

Although the debate is not yet available on line you can watch the individual contributions here.

“Comfort women” exhibition opens after court ruling

Posted: 28 Jun 2012 07:00 AM PDT

Rebecca Rogers
WVoN co-editor 

A  cancelled 'comfort women' photography exhibition has opened in Tokyo after a court order on Friday.

Last week, WVoN reported that the exhibition by South Korean photographer, Ahn Sehong, had been cancelled by sponsor Nikon after protests from right-wing conservative groups in Japan.

Nikon has had little option but to go ahead after the Tokyo District Court granted an injunction to the photographer on June 22, forcing it to honor an earlier agreement to host the photographs.

Nikon are reported to have filed an appeal against the Tokyo District Court and may still try to suspend the exhibition before its scheduled end on 9 July.

A Nikon spokesperson said: "We may ask for the suspension of the exhibition, even if it still has days to go, if the court approves our objection."

Judge Itami ruled that the political goal of the photos was not a valid reason for the shows cancellation, writing: "Even if a photo exhibit is tinged with politics or has some meaning as political activities, it could coexist with the mission of development of photo culture."

The exhibition, which opened yesterday, was greeted by crowds of protesters at the doors.

One shouted: "We don't tolerate a photo show that defames the Japanese" whilst a placard read: "The forcible carting-off of 'comfort women' is the biggest fabrication in history."

The exhibition, titled 'Layer by Layer', was approved to be held at the Shinjuku Nikon Salon in January but in May Sehong was told that Nikon was cancelling the show due to its "political content".

Sehong commented: "It is the right decision because freedom of expression should be upheld in a democratic country. I will make the exhibition happen no matter how strong the pressure and threats are."

Tennis star causes Wimbledon racket with equal pay outburst

Posted: 28 Jun 2012 05:30 AM PDT

Deborah Cowan
WVoN co-editor

The Wimbledon no 13 seed, French player Gilles Simon,  took the tournament by surprise this week.

Not with an outstanding display of tennis wizardry, alas, but with his outburst over women players receiving the same prize money as men.

In something of a hissy fit, the Frenchman declared that men's competitive tennis is currently way ahead of women's and that the women's game does not attract as much support or attention.

He also recycled the old argument that men spend twice as much time on court in competition than women, and that, ipso facto, women do not deserve the same money as their (obviously superior) male counterparts.

He griped about sport in general, saying: 'We often talk about salary equality.  I don't think it's something that works in sport.'

Mon dieu!

However, his French compatriot Marion Bartoli has returned the volley, insisting that women are still lagging behind men when it comes to overall pay.

She said: 'Over the year, we are a long way from earning as much as the men. It (pay equality) is unique to the grand slams and certain tournaments.  We put in as much as they do. The physical demands, the training and the investment in ourselves are the same as theirs.'

You could try putting Simon's outburst down to the infantile rumblings of a cantankerous Gallic temper, but this fiery Frenchman was recently elected to the council of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).

Is this really the image the Association wants to portray to the tennis world (and a very lucrative global tennis market to boot?)

It's more than five years since Wimbledon started to pay their male and female tennis stars equally.

They were the last grand slam tournament to do so – the US Open starting paying equal prize money as far back as 1973, and the Australian Open followed suit in 1984.  Wimbledon and the French Open didn't relent until 2007.

At the time, John McEnroe said:

“I think when you’ve got men and women playing at the same tournament, it is ludicrous to have a difference in pay. It would be setting an example to the rest of society in general to have equal prize money.

“There’s probably no other sport, and very few professions in this world, where a woman can earn as much as a man.”

I’m serious, John McEnroe actually said that.

So why is Monsieur Simon getting all hot and bothered again?   Well, it seems that prize parity in Grand Slam tournaments is not all that's got on his wick.

Grand Slam tournaments aside, the rest of the men's and women's tennis tours operate independently of each other.  This means that sometimes the top tier of prize money for them is still different.

But this too may be on the cusp of change.  The Rome Masters tournament recently joined up with the women’s event.  This was bad enough for M. Simon, but, as he quite correctly pointed out, it was all done without consulting him or other men's players directly!

He said of the tournament: ”The year before, the women, for their final, they had 20 spectators.  And so, in that case, you save them, but when you want a practice court, there aren’t any left.

Oh, boo hoo.

Obviously his comments have created waves in the tennis world, and invited the wrath of women, both players and spectators.

To this M. Simon thumbs his nose and says….  ”Am I going to incur the wrath of feminist organizations?……. I don’t care.”

Oh, by the way.  In M. Simon's opening match on Monday, he beat fellow Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu……when Mathieu retired after just two sets.

What's the prize money for that, Gilles?

Plaque to honour martial arts suffragette to be unveiled in London

Posted: 28 Jun 2012 04:00 AM PDT

Deborah Cowan
WVoN co-editor

It's not very often that the words 'suffragette' and 'jujitsu' come together in the same sentence.  At least not anymore.

But go back a hundred years and you may come across the legendary Edith Garrud.

Not only was she one of the world's first female martial arts instructors, Garrud also trained the 30-strong suffragette defence force of the Women's Social and Political Union (WSPU).

This elite circle, or 'Bodyguard', were charged with the protection of the inner sanctum of the suffragette movement – including Emmeline Pankhurst – from police violence and arrest.

This Saturday, Islington Council in north London will commemorate this remarkable woman, when it unveils a People's Plaque at her former residence in Islington.

Catherine West, leader of Islington Council said:

‘Edith Garrud's pioneering career and the Suffragettes' victory on votes for women have contributed to making our society fairer and more inclusive.

‘It's historic contributions like hers that have stamped their mark on our borough and inspired residents to vote in their thousands for their Islington's People's Plaques heroes.’

Born in Bath, Garrud married at 23 and, with her husband William Garrud, discovered the world of jujitsu in the heart of Soho.

They trained first with Edward William Barton-Wright, founder of the martial art Bartitsu and the first European teacher of jujitsu.

They then met Japanese master Sadakazu Uyenishi, and on his return to Japan, the husband and wife team took over his school, with Edith taking the women and children's classes.

She and her husband gave public displays and exhibitions of jujitsu throughout London and Edith also starred in an early martial arts film called 'Jui-Jitsu' in 1907.

She was a strong proponent of women being able to defend themselves.  In an article for Health & Strength in 1910, she wrote :

'Woman is exposed to many perils nowadays, because so many who call themselves men are not worthy of that exalted title, and it is her duty to learn how to defend herself, because ju-jutsu has over and over again been proved to be the most effective means, in moments of emergency, for repelling the attack of a ruffian.'

But it was her work with the suffragettes that made her famous.

She began working with the WSPU in 1908, eventually training them at her women-only dojo, which was actually a rented room at the Palladium Academy dance school.

The elite 'Bodyguard' became proficient in the art of Jujitsu and eventually became known as the ‘Jujitsuffragettes’.

Tony Wolf, a martial arts expert and author of a book about Garrud said:

‘Members [of the bodyguard] had to be athletic and willing to face injury and arrest. She trained them in jujutsu at secret locations throughout London, and also taught them how to use wooden Indian clubs, which were concealed in their dresses and used as weapons against the truncheons of the police.’

Staff at Holloway Prison, where many suffragettes were held, also got to know her well, as she would scale the outside wall of the prison, waving the WSPU flag and singing protest songs.

Garrud herself was a diminutive figure at just 4ft 11.  She saw this as inconsequential, and explained in an article how her students had "brought great burly cowards nearly twice their size to their feet and made them howl for mercy".

Garrud died in 1971 at the grand old age of 99.  A people's hero indeed.

Science – it’s a girl thing

Posted: 28 Jun 2012 02:30 AM PDT

Jem McCarron
WVoN co-editor

When the European Commission (EC) launched its campaign last week about making science and innovation a ‘girl thing“, it could  never have imagined that the accompanying ‘pop’ video would go viral.

Or provoke such a negative response.

Because throwing together some dance music, lots of pink and designer sunglasses, some giggling models and a young man in a lab coat and it’s got to be a winner right?

Wrong.

"For the love of all things holy what is this ****?" wrote Dr Petra Boynton, a social psychologist at University College London.

“#EU Commission campaign video to get more girls into science full of icky clichés #cringe" tweeted Research Europe (@ResearchEurope)

Dr Carolina Adler fumed "Good campaign sentiment, but ATROCIOUS video! reinforcing unhealthy images to impressionable girls."

Michael Jennings, EC spokesperson tweeted "#sciencegirlthing aims to attract women to science. Launch video distracting from that. It has gone."

The New Scientist magazine even pointed to research which shows that these sorts of videos can in fact demotivate women who are interested in science rather than engaging them.

But despite the furore, this is an important and worthwhile campaign.

According to current estimates, up to a million additional science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) researchers will be needed in Europe by 2020 and that can only realistically be achieved by attracting more women into the sector.

Over half of the student population of the European Union (EU) are female and 45 per cent of all PhDs are undertaken by women, but they make up just one third of STEM career researchers.

European Research, Innovation and Science Commissioner Máire Geoghegan-Quinn said:

“This campaign will show women and girls that science does not just mean old men in white coats. Science offers fantastic career opportunities and the chance to make a real difference to our society and our future.

So maybe there’s no such thing as bad publicity. Raising awareness of the lack of women in this area and what is generally a positive campaign can only be a good thing in the long run.

It does, however, go to show how far the STEM industries have to go to become a genuinely welcoming environment for women.

Facebook appoints its first female director

Posted: 28 Jun 2012 01:00 AM PDT

Alex Morgan
WVoN co-editor

Facebook has appointed Sheryl Sandberg, the firm’s chief operating officer, as its first female board director. She joins seven men, including Mark Zuckerberg, the company’s founder.

Sandberg, who joined the company in 2008 after working for Google and Walt Disney, has been openly critical of the lack of women on company boards in Silicon Valley and in the US more generally.

Speaking at Harvard Business School earlier this year Sandberg, herself a Harvard graduate, she emphasised the need for men to be involved in changing the gender profiles of the companies they work for.

She said "There aren't enough senior women out there… so it falls upon the men who are graduating today just as much, or more than the women, not just to talk about gender but to help these women succeed."

In a statement Zuckerberg said that "her understanding of our mission and long-term opportunity, and her experience both at Facebook and on public company boards makes her a natural fit for our board."