Women's Views on News |
- Rethinking sexuality on music videos
- Contemplating World Toilet Day
- Petition the Home Office about Yarl’s Wood
- Gender testing in sport back in the news
- Focussed crisis aid to help women and girls
| Rethinking sexuality on music videos Posted: 19 Nov 2013 08:05 AM PST
A new campaign called 'Rewind&Reframe' was launched on 11 November which sees young women blogging about their views on music videos. They are also denouncing sexism and racism in many contemporary music videos and they have sent open letters to the chief executives of the BPI and vevo, and to David Cameron calling on the music industry and the UK Government to address the issues. They criticise the sexualisation and racist stereotypes in videos by artists including Robin Thicke, Calvin Harris, Iggy Azalea and Major Lazer, and say how many music videos make them feel: at best uncomfortable and in many cases threatened and angry. One young woman involved in the project said: "There are times when I hate myself for liking certain kinds of music or song. "They have good beats but the videos and the message is sometimes completely repulsive, and even hateful… "Music videos are affecting dance too, women are just expected to dance in a sexual way… "People always talk about choice, but where is my choice to not be sexualised when everyone expects and sees only that when they look at me?" The letter to the BPI criticises the commissioning, styling, production and publication of music videos which routinely sexualise and demean women, and which commonly use racist stereotypes. Music companies are reminded that they are alienating a considerable part of their target market who are now taking to social media to criticise and shame them. Video-sharing platform vevo – which hosted the explicit version of Robin Thicke's 'Blurred Lines' even when YouTube did not – is criticised for having vague terms and conditions which make it difficult to complain about sexist-racist material. Those signing the letters are calling on these companies to pledge not to portray women this way and to up their creative game. The letter to the Prime Minister, which has also been copied to other Cabinet members and members of the Opposition, cites research on sexualisation in popular culture as creating a "conducive context" for tolerance of abuse of women and girls. The letter calls on the Prime Minister to push ahead with the recommendation in the Bailey Review – which he commissioned – that age ratings be introduced on music videos. The letter says such age ratings should be applied to music videos wherever they are viewed – online as well as those bought in shops – to ensure consistency of media regulation. Campaigners believe that such a move would present some younger children seeing inappropriate material and that it would provide an incentive for music industry decision makers targeting younger markets not to commission such work in the first place. On 7 November parenting website Netmums released the results of a survey showing strong parental disapproval for the sexualised content in many contemporary music videos: children had acted out other porn-style dance moves, and young children had repeated sexual lyrics without realising the meaning. Rewind&Reframe was set up earlier this year by three women's organisations – the End Violence Against Women Coalition, Imkaan and Object – in response to concerns voiced by young black and ethnic minority women the women's groups were already working with that music videos created a potentially harmful social environment for them, but that their voices on this were not being heard. As well as the open letter, there is also an online petition addressed to the Prime Minister, calling on him to put age ratings on music videos regardless of whether they are sold in shops or viewed online. To sign the petition click here.  |
| Contemplating World Toilet Day Posted: 19 Nov 2013 07:07 AM PST
It is an international day of action aiming to break the taboo around toilets and draw attention to the global sanitation challenge. World Toilet Day has a very serious purpose: it aims to stimulate dialogue about sanitation and break the taboo that still surrounds this issue. In addition, it seeks to bring to the forefront the health and emotional consequences, as well as the economic impact of inadequate sanitation. For example, that one in three women worldwide risk shame, disease, harassment and even attack because they have nowhere safe to go to the toilet – and 526 million women have no choice but to go to the toilet out in the open. Or: women and girls living without any toilets spend 97 billion hours each year finding a place to go. And did you know that women menstruate on average for 3000 days in their lifetime? This requires very practical needs regarding the space for washing and cleaning. Clean and private toilet facilities at school strongly influence the performance of adolescent girls, and increase the chances of them completing their education, because in many countries, girls stay home during their menstruation days because the absence of a safe place to change and clean themselves makes them feel unsecure. “There are about thirty adolescent girls in our school who are menstruating. During this time, these girls used to skip up to five days a month as they were too embarrassed to be in school. “Now [that we have toilets] these girls come to school for the days they used to skip as we provide sanitary pads to manage their menstruation,” Maya Devi, a teacher in Nepal, told UNICEF. In India, recent research shows that 23 per cent of girls drop out of school altogether when they reach puberty. Besides the emotional stress, poor menstrual hygiene often leads to health problems such as abdominal pains, urinal infections and other diseases. Girls facing health problems are less able to concentrate and perform during their education. Clearly, if girls are to stay in school to acquire the skills to excel in life, they need access to private and hygienic facilities. Girls and women make up almost half of the world's population, yet menstrual hygiene and its management receive little attention. This culture of silence is one of the largest taboos that still needs to be broken. UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation and Hygene (WASH) programmes for schools provide a major opportunity to address girls needs, by focusing on the practical dimensions such as appropriate girl-friendly latrine facilities as well as on hygiene education and general awareness of menstruation challenges. And in 2010, the UN General Assembly recognised sanitation and water as a human right, essential to the full enjoyment of life and all other human rights. This was a breakthrough decision which not only provides sanitation advocates with a major argument; it constitutes an important step towards turning these rights into a reality for everyone. The human rights approach is particularly concerned with the people who do not have access to safe sanitation. It looks at the reasons why, and tries to find ways to overcome those barriers. It seeks to address inequalities by targeting the most vulnerable, such as women, children, people with disabilities, the chronically ill or the poorest of the poor. Illnesses that are a direct result of bad sanitation affect the quality of life of millions of people around the world, especially children. Diarrhoeal diseases are the second most common cause of death of young children in developing countries, killing more than HIV/AIDS, malaria and measles combined, and resulting in 1 death every 20 seconds. Governments that have recognised the right to sanitation have, by doing so, signed up to establishing a plan of action and agreed to take concrete steps to ensure that, over time, all people gain access to sanitation – this is known as "progressive realisation". If the world is really serious about turning this right into a reality though, more and concerted action is needed. Not only politicians but also businesses, donors, development agencies, NGOs, media and communities will need to redouble their commitments and efforts. A report called 'We Can't Wait' was presented today at a UN event in New York which celebrated recognition of the first official World Toilet Day. The report highlights the stark consequences for women and girls of the lack of access to toilets or use of good hygiene practices. In the report UN Deputy-Secretary General, Jan Eliasson, and Paul Polman, Unilever’s Chief Executive Officer say, 'By acting decisively we can now make a positive impact on global health, education, women's safety, social equality and economic growth for generations to come'. And WaterAid Chief Executive, Barbara Frost, said, 'Every hour 70 women and girls die from diseases brought about from a lack of access to sanitation and water. 'We can and should be doing better – it is basic services we are talking about that can transform lives'. Get involved – Tweet #WeCantWait to help improve sanitation.  |
| Petition the Home Office about Yarl’s Wood Posted: 19 Nov 2013 05:15 AM PST
Serco, one of the largest and most powerful companies in the UK FTSE 250, runs Yarl's Wood in Bedfordshire – an immigration removal centre where vulnerable women are detained. And in some cases, allegedly raped and sexually abused by the staff who are there to protect them. Worse still, we've just learned that one by one, the alleged victims and witnesses who are coming forward and testifying against Serco staff are being deported. The last remaining witness to this sexual abuse is in danger of being deported this month, without being given the opportunity to testify to police. Serco seems to be hoping that if it makes a few concessions, and sacks a few staff, the controversy will die down. We won't let it. Can’t let it. Serco has shown that it's incapable of protecting the vulnerable women in its care. Tell the Home Office to get rid of Serco and break its contract before the last sexual assault witness is deported. Serco is responsible for the rape and other sexual abuse that victims claim is happening on its watch. "They choose younger girls, the most vulnerable. They do whatever they want.” That's what "Tanja", one brave witness and detainee at Yarl's Wood said. The staff have worked out a convenient way to abuse the women in their care – in the upstairs room set aside for asylum-seekers to take family photos. There’s a nice sofa, curtains, and no CCTV up there. This is part of a pattern of abuse. In 2010 a 30-year-old woman became pregnant by an officer in Yarl’s Wood. And many other women may be too fearful to testify or are deported before their case is sufficiently examined. These women are not criminals – many have been victimised by traffickers or were in abusive relationships before they were detained. Some facts: 50 per cent of women asylum seekers are survivors of rape; 70 per cent of women in detention are rape survivors; 57 per cent of women in detention have no lawyers. After living through appalling traumas, some of these women may have been subjected to the same experience at the hands of Serco staff. Tell the Home Office you want it to end its contract with Serco now. Public service companies like Serco, Capita, and G4S are behind local schools, public bicycle rental schemes, military and nuclear weapons contracts, prisons, ambulances, and the government's work programmes for the unemployed. They have been left unaccountable for too long. We have to change that. Please sign the petition we are sending to the Home Office calling for the end of this sexual abuse of women and girls.  |
| Gender testing in sport back in the news Posted: 19 Nov 2013 04:00 AM PST
This week, six of the seven coaches in South Korea’s K-League asked not only that Seoul City's striker Park Eun-Seon be tested, but insisted that she should be banned from playing until her gender is verified. It is not the first time Park has suffered this indignity; she was first tested at the age of 15. She is now 26. Seoul City has come out strongly in defence of its player. “Asking to verify a fellow human being’s gender is a grave violation of human rights that fundamentally disregards the said person’s character and pride,” said Kim Joon-soo, general manager of Seoul City. “The question regarding [Park's] gender identity shall never be raised again. The city of Seoul will take all necessary measures to protect our player’s human rights.” Since the request became public, the six coaches have backtracked somewhat, saying their comments had been misunderstood. Lee Sung-Gyun, coach of the Suwon FMC club, has resigned over the issue. Park feels no need to justify herself. On her Facebook page she posted that she feels "humiliated". She has undergone several tests in the past, most recently after the 2010 AFC Women's Asian cup, held in China, after the Chinese media started to ask questions about her gender. The South Korean's coach's response was to remove her from the squad, saying that she was not fit enough to be included, which only fuelled the speculation. Before that, however, she had represented her country at the 2003 Women's World Cup and the East Asian Cup in 2005, undertaking a gender test each time. This time for Park it feels different: “They are the ones who would smile at me and say hello, and now they’re trying to kill me. “It really hurts because it reminds of the times when some of these coaches tried to recruit me out of high school. They were nice to me for a while and then they turned their backs on me.” Less determined women than Park may well have crumbled. This is a trumped-up charge, a deliberate and cynical attempt to prevent the league's best player from playing. Park put away 19 goals in just 22 games last season, making her the league's leading goalscorer. She is five feet 10 inches and powerfully built, she is great at the game of football and, therefore, with some kind of twisted logic, she cannot be a woman. Do these coaches think they have a case? Are they just hoping to sow enough doubt? Park has undergone tests before and each time she has been found to be a woman. How can they think it is acceptable to still be asking these questions? There is certainly a long, troubled history of gender testing in sport and there is no doubt that frauds, for varying reasons, have been perpetrated, although actual deliberate deceptions have been few. Other cases have been shaky in the extreme. Maliciousness, jealousy or even plain disbelief of a woman's talent may be just some of the reasons. But the point is that women are easy targets for this treatment. It goes back to the underlying message that sport for women is "unfeminine". Any muscular, strong, tall, or even particularly competitive woman must be suspect. It is hard to credit that these views still prevail today, but Park's case shows that there are enough people out there who believe that women in sport are "unnatural" that she has to go through repeated humiliation to be able to continue doing the thing that she excels at; the thing that she loves. I had planned to write a more in-depth study of gender testing, but found so much information and history that I felt I could not do it justice here. If you want to read a more detailed analysis, I strongly suggest that you click here. Gender testing goes far beyond one group's attempt to nobble a league's top scorer through lies and intimidation, shocking though that is. It goes to the very heart of the perception of women who play sport. While these perceptions hold sway, gender testing will be just another way of denying women an equal place at the sporting table and, indeed, in the wider world.  |
| Focussed crisis aid to help women and girls Posted: 19 Nov 2013 01:09 AM PST
War and natural disasters are devastating enough, but for thousands of women and girls living through these hellish situations across the globe, things can and unfortunately do get worse. UN statistics suggest that of the total population affected by Typhoon Haiyan, an estimated 47,600 women are at risk of sexual violence, with an additional 2,250 estimated to be at risk in the evacuation centres where they have taken refuge. Rape, sexual violence, human trafficking and child marriage have become the sadly inevitable consequences of populations put under pressure, all of which are more likely to impact on women and girls in developing countries, particularly in the event of a crisis. According to government sources, 18 months after the earthquake in Haiti sexual abuse and exploitation had become widespread, mainly because girls and women could not get the goods and services they needed to survive. During the 2011 drought in the Horn of Africa, girls as young as nine were married off so that families could receive their dowries in kind before their livestock – the dowry – died. In Syria right now, violence towards women and children is escalating as the conflict rages on. And as the global aid effort got under way in the Philippines last week, the UK’s International Development Secretary Justine Greening told an international summit of humanitarian agencies that there has been a ‘serious gap’ in disaster planning – a hole where protecting girls and women should have been. The event, in London and chaired by Greening and Sweden's International Development Minister Hillevi Engström, served to gain international agreement on the best ways to protect women and girls in a humanitarian crisis. “When a country is hit by disaster, as we have seen in the Philippines, girls and women are particularly vulnerable. “The international community learns more with every response, but I want to make sure we are prioritising the needs of girls and women,” Greening said. “They may seem simple but things like lockable toilets, safe access to firewood, or adequate lighting can make a huge difference,” she continued. To coincide with the meeting, CARE International UK released a report that highlighted the huge gap in gender-specific spending in emergencies worldwide. Writing for the Huffington Post UK, the Senior Policy Advisor at CARE International UK, Howard Mollett, said that to date, the UK had managed to spend just 0.5 per cent of aid funding on projects that addressed gender equality or violence against women and girls. The target set by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is for 15 per cent of all post-conflict funding to address gender equality and women’s empowerment. Plan International’s report ‘Double Jeopardy: Adolescent Girls and Disasters’, released in October, claims that teenage girls are at most risk during a humanitarian crisis. “Emergencies have an immediate traumatic impact but prolonged humanitarian crises also have a lasting effect for young women which shape the rest of their lives – bringing an abrupt end to their education and forcing them into poor and ill-informed decisions like early marriage, dangerous work and sex work. “We must pay more attention to the risks they face,” said Plan International’s CEO, Nigel Chapman. The research found that girls are 14 times more likely to die in an emergency than boys, and if they do survive they are more likely to be removed from school and least likely to return. It also claims girls are given less food when it is scarce, and are more vulnerable to violence, rape, and HIV infection. Disasters and emergencies also increase the likelihood they will be forced into childhood marriage, domestic work, or prostitution, and while the risks they face increase, access to sexual and reproductive health services decreases. Gender-specific measures have already been taken in response to the Philippines crisis; all aid partners are required to assess the risk of violence to women and girls and address their specific needs. The UK has deployed a protection specialist to assist with this. The UK has also supplied solar lanterns with built-in mobile phone chargers for remote and vulnerable communities, which will allow women and girls to move around more safely after dark as well as improve channels of communication. Last week the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) announced £21.6 million in new funding to specifically target women and girls in emergencies. This includes £3 million to support the UN’s work in Syria to establish safe spaces for women and girls and to increase the capacity of health services; £4 million and £1.6 million for projects in Lebanon and Jordon respectively, to reduce the burden on vulnerable families so they do not need to rely on child labour, early marriage or ‘survival sex’; and £4 million for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to provide support to survivors of sexual violence in situations of violence. Around £9 million goes to DFID’s own programmes with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia, to empower girls to be able to protect themselves better in humanitarian situations. Richard C. W. Miller, executive director of Action Aid UK, said that empowering women in the face of disaster is imperative. "Whilst women’s security during emergencies is vitally important, if the government wants to see real change, it must also look at tackling the root causes of violence against women before crisis breaks," he wrote for the Huffington Post UK’s Blog. “Put simply, a society that tolerates violence against women and girls generally is a society that will be even more violent towards women and girls during war, famine or environmental disaster.”  |
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