Women's Views on News |
- Prostitution report voted on
- IKWRO’s True Honour Awards 2014
- Ellen Ripley battles horrifying aliens – and patriarchy
- Abortion is not for men to decide
| Posted: 24 Jan 2014 08:14 AM PST
The European Parliament’s Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee has voted through a report that recommends the adoption of the ‘Nordic Model‘ of prostitution laws. Put forward by Mary Honeyball, Labour MEP for London, and Labour's spokesperson in the European Parliament Women’s Rights Committee, the report recommends the European Union takes on the Swedish model of laws dealing with prostitution; these punish the clients rather than the sex workers. This was the model recently voted through in the French parliament. Fourteen of the European Parliament committee members voted in favour of the Swedish model, two against and six abstained. This sends a strong signal about Europe’s now changing position on prostitution laws. The report can also now be put forward to the full European Parliament to vote on at one of the Strasbourg plenary sessions, most likely during the week starting 24 February. The Nordic model has proved highly successful in Scandinavia, countries which generally have a high level of gender equality. Scandinavia has also acknowledged the problems of exploitation within the sex industry, and their laws have also been supported by survivors both of prostitution and of sex trafficking. Commenting on the vote, Honeyball said: “This is a fantastic outcome. It will form a key part of the sea-change taking place in the way we view prostitution across Europe. "We are now a step closer to an approach which recognises the fundamental injustice that takes place when a man buys a women’s body." Pointing out that action taken by France – and Ireland – have switched the focus from the sex-worker to the men who purchase sex, and that Germany is re-thinking its laissez-faire system, she said she hoped that the European Parliament would now be able to lead from the front in making this shift more widespread. This shift in approach on prostitution, the Guardian reported in December, is because of the transformation in the industry in recent years, with many more prostitutes now trafficking victims from overseas. A recent European parliamentary report estimated there were about 880,000 people living in slave-like conditions in Europe, of whom 270,000 were victims of sexual exploitation. Honeyball also called for the UK to finally take a stand in the whole issue. As far as she is concerned, there are two alternatives for the UK. The first is the well-publicised Dutch model, which legalises both being a sex worker and using one. The second is the Nordic model, which legalises soliciting but criminalises prostitute use. The United Nations favours legalisation on grounds of safety, while the women’s charity Equality Now supports the Nordic model. And then there is the question of what works as far as policing goes. Prostitution is addressed as sexual exploitation within the UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) Violence Against Women (VAW) strategy because of its gendered nature, and the CPS maintains that there is a need to adopt a multi-agency approach and work with voluntary sector organisations to enable those involved in prostitution to change their lifestyles and to develop routes out. Prostitution is on the rise in Britain; poverty has driven many women into the sex industry since the recession hit, with single mums especially vulnerable. Then there are the strong links between street prostitution and the drug markets. Blanket criminalisation, Honeyball wrote in a recent article in the Huffington Post, clearly isn’t working. It doesn’t address the core problem, and sometimes perpetuates it; prostitutes are convicted, criminalised, have less of a route out than before, and thus return to the sex industry. A subterranean economy is created, which is demeaning at best and dangerous at worst. So, if the current system is failing, then where does the UK go from here? For, as Rachel Moran wrote in an article in the Independent, men have a choice. They do not need to have sex available to them. Legalising prostitution would mean men are being told by the government that it is perfectly okay to purchase a woman. But, as Moran said, women are not commodities to be bought and sold.  |
| IKWRO’s True Honour Awards 2014 Posted: 24 Jan 2014 07:31 AM PST
On 24 January 2014, in central London, the Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights Organisation (IKWRO), a leading women's rights charity campaigning to end all forms of 'honour' based violence including forced marriage, child marriage and female genital mutilation, is holding the third True Honour Awards. These awards recognise those who have bravely taken a stand against so-called 'honour' based violence. The awards ceremony is held on 24 January in memory of Banaz Mahmod, a 20 year-old Kurdish woman from London, who was gang raped and brutally murdered by her family on 24 January 2006 because they disapproved of her relationship with her boyfriend. Her body was later discovered buried in a suitcase in a back garden in Birmingham. IKWRO led the ‘Justice for Banaz’ campaign and continue to campaign for better laws and policies to protect women and girls at risk of honour based violence. Through the True Honour Awards, IKWRO aim to ensure that honour based violence is known about and addressed and to inform people at risk about specialist organisations such as IKWRO which exist to support them. The nominees for this year’s True Honour Awards include survivors of honour based violence, campaigners, charities supporting victims of honour based violence and front-line professionals working to protect victims. Each nominee has stood up in the face of danger to help protect people's right to live and love in safety. The nominees this year are: Nimco Ali, co-founder of Daughters of Eve, nominated for her involvement and persistence in the fight against female genital mutilation, Detective Constable Alex Montgomerie, for tackling high risk crimes involving domestic violence and honour based violence and sex crimes requiring high levels of victim care in the borough of Kensington and Chelsea for the past ten years. Former BBC broadcaster and writer, Frances Harrison, whose work currently focuses on exposing crimes against humanity in Sri Lanka. Campaigner Jagdeesh Singh, who campaigns against honour based crimes. Her sister sought divorce from a violent marriage and was murdered shortly after by her husband and mother-in-law. Jasvinder Sanghera, a survivor of a forced marriage, and author and founder of the leading national charity Karma Nirvana which hosts a dedicated helpine for victims and professionals and supports thousands of people every year. Professor Lisa Avalos, Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Akansas School of Law and whose research focuses on internal human rights with a focus on gender-based violence and sexual violence. The London Kurdish Film Festival (LKFF) whose opinion is that their festival should not be used merely as an artistic platform but a medium to highlight important issues such as honour based violence. On that belief they screened ‘Banaz: A Love Story’. The 8th film festival took place in November 2013 and screened several works by Kurdish film makers about issues affecting Kurdish women. The opening gala was crowned with the UK premiere of ‘Before Snowfall’, a thought-provoking and poignant film about honour killing, by the multi-award winning director Hisham Zaman. Maureen Ebhaleme from Look Ahead Care and Support, an organisation which supports 8000 people througout London and the South East of England each year and runs three refuges. In her role, Ebhaleme ensures the smooth running of one of these refuges and provides key work support for women to help them move forward. Sabjit Kaur Athwal who joined the Metropolitan Police Service in hope of helping other victims like herself and published her account in Shamed in June 2013. Together with Pavanpreet Ahmed, she hosted a meeting at Parliament to raise awareness and keep the issue of honour killings at the forefront of everybody's minds. She has now set up an organisation called ‘Your Voice’ to help support others facing abuse. Pavenpreet Ahmed, a brave, inspirational campaigner, seeking justice for her mother, Surjit Kaur Athwal, who was murdered by contract killers in India in an outsourced honour killing. Along with her uncle Jagdeesh Singh and her mother's sister-in-law Sarbjit Kaur Athwal, Pavanpreet campaigns tirelessly for justice for Surjit. Saliha Rashid, a survivor of honour based violence. After battling with her own experiences and making numerous attempts to flee for her safety she is now in full-time education, and she volunteers with Karma Nirvana who praise her for her commitment and courage. Her aim is to support others and she campaigns for their rights. Through her volunteering she gives a voice for those who otherwise do not have one. Saheliya, a charity offering free and confidential services offering support and promoting the positive mental health and well-being of black, minority ethnic, asylum seeker, refugee and migrant women and girls, including victims of honour based violence in the Edinburgh area. Zlakha Ahmed, a woman who, 20 years ago, set up ‘Apna Haq’ (translating as ‘Your Right’) an organisation that provides one-to-one support for women from the ethnic minority communities in Rotherham facing domestic violence, honour based violence and forced marriage . The ceremony will be attended by over 100 guests including high ranking police, professionals and survivors. Diana Nammi, executive director of IKWRO said: 'The True Honour Awards 2014 give us all an opportunity to celebrate the dedication of people who bravely speak out and break the silence on 'honour' killings and all forms of 'honour' based violence. 'We recognise those who campaign for justice for those who sadly have had their lives stolen in the name of 'honour' and we praise those who work tirelessly to protect those at risk. 'There is so much more to be done to prevent further women and girls from facing the fate of Banaz. We need a national strategy on 'honour' based violence and to ensure that all front-line professionals, including all police officers, are fully trained on the issue. 'We must also educate our children about 'honour' based violence by addressing the issue on the national curriculum and we need secure funding for organisations like IKWRO which provide essential support to those in danger.'  |
| Ellen Ripley battles horrifying aliens – and patriarchy Posted: 24 Jan 2014 04:11 AM PST
Our regular cross-post from Bitchflicks. When I was 10 years old, the scariest movie I ever saw was ‘Aliens’. I remember the first time I saw it like it was yesterday. Late one night, plagued with insomnia (perhaps a product of my tumultuous childhood), I heard the TV on in my mother's bedroom. Sitting down next to her, I began watching too. My mom was watching Aliens. It was the scene where Ellen Ripley goes down the elevator, guns strapped to her, to rescue Newt. Entranced, I watched as, encased in a forklift, she clashed with the Alien Queen. But it wasn't the gore or even the alien that mesmerized me. It was Ripley. Seeing a strong badass women on-screen left in an indelible impression on me. With its tense, gritty, noir atmosphere, Alien broke ground spawning numerous imitations in the horror and sci-fi genres. Set in the year 2122, crew of the freighter spaceship Nostromo answer a beacon on the planet LV-426 and encounter a terrifying and insidious creature that attempts to wipe out the crew. Eschewing some of its horror roots in favor of an action-packed bonanza, the sequel Aliens features Lt. Ellen Ripley (the superb Sigourney Weaver), the Nostromo's sole survivor (along with Jones the cat), warning and advising a group of Marines going to LV-426 to investigate after Earth lost contact with the planet's colonists. For me, I can't separate Alien and Aliens (although I pretend the 3rd and 4th don't exist…ugh). Both amazing films possess pulse-pounding intensity, a struggle for survival, and most importantly for me, a feminist protagonist. Radiating confidence and strength, Ripley remains my favorite female film character. A resourceful survivor wielding weapons and ingenuity, she embodies empowerment. Bearing no mystical superpowers, she's a regular woman taking charge in a crisis. Weaver, who imbued her character with intelligence and a steely drive, was inspired to "play Ripley like Henry V and women warriors of classic Chinese literature." Sigourney Weaver's role as Ripley catapulted her to stardom, making her one of the first female action heroes. Preceded by Pam Grier in Coffy and Dianna Rigg as Emma Peel in The Avengers, she helped pave the way for Linda Hamilton's badassery in T2, Uma Thurman in Kill Bill, Carrie-Anne Moss in The Matrix, Lucy Lawless as Xena, Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy, and Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider and Salt. But Ripley, a female film icon, wasn't even initially conceived as a woman. Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett, Alien's screenwriters, wrote into the original script that all of the characters, while written as men (including "Ripley" who was originally written as "Roby"), were in fact unisex and could be cast as either women or men. While they never actually pictured Roby/Ripley as a woman, when producers Walter Hill and David Giler rewrote the final draft of the script, Ripley was indeed a woman…huzzah! While the original and final scripts differ, particularly in that android Ash isn't in the original, Roby and Ripley are surprisingly similar, sharing similar dialogue and eventually asserting their authority through decisive actions. Neither character wants to let the injured crewmember (Standard the Captain in the original script / Kane the Ex. O in the final draft) onto the ship as they might be infected. Although interestingly, Ripley stands her ground and doesn't let him in while Roby caves. Also, both remain the sole survivors of the crew. While both Alien and Aliens straddle the sci-fi/horror divide, one of the horror elements apparent in Alien is Carol Clover's notion of the "final girl." In numerous horror films (Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, The Descent), the resourceful female remains the sole survivor, the audience intended to identify and sympathize with her. Oftentimes sexual overtones exist with the promiscuous victims and the virginal survivor. While Alien and Aliens display sexual themes (we'll get to those in a moment), Ripley isn't sexualized but remains the sole survivor in the first film. She's also never masculinized as Clover suggests happens to final girls in order to survive. So remember those sexual themes I just mentioned…well just because Ripley isn't sexualized, doesn't mean sexuality doesn't play a pivotal role in Alien. Swiss artist H.R. Giger designed the alien as well as some sets for the first film with pervasive phallic and vaginal imagery (don't believe me…take a look; you won't be able to not see it). Alien took the horror of rape comingled with the "male fear of female reproduction" and put it in space. Rather than maniacal villains attacking women and glorifying femicide, as many horror films do, Alien showed a creature attacking men (and eventually women too). While dangerous sexual elements abound, women weren't punished for their sexuality. Ripley never becomes an object merely for the male gaze. In Alien, she strips down to a tank top and underwear before she enters the cryogenic chamber. But rather than objectifying, to me it seemed to symbolize her vulnerability. The alien stows away in her escape pod yet she doesn't hesitate, immediately slipping into a spacesuit to battle the alien. The script initially intended for Ripley to sleep with Dallas the Captain. Thank god that was never filmed! We need more movies where a woman is not reduced to a sex object. Ultimately, Ripley is not defined by her relationship with a man; she defines herself. Films rarely feature multiple women; even rarer is it to see various depictions of women. In Alien, Ripley is juxtaposed with Lambert (Veronica Cartwright). While Ripley remains calm and collected, Lambert is an emotional hot mess, unhinged by fear. Time after time, the media pits women against one another. But after initial reluctance, Ripley and Lambert in Alien and Ripley and Vasquez (fiercely played by Jeanette Goldstein) in Aliens, work cooperatively together. Motherhood exists as a reoccurring theme in Alien and Aliens. A pivotal scene cut from Aliens reveals that Ripley had a daughter. When she returns to Earth, after being stranded in space for 57 years on the Nostromo's escape pod, Ripley discovers her daughter recently died at the age of 66. She survives to ultimately lose her daughter. Her grief catalyses her connection with the young girl Newt (Carrie Henn). Ripley risks her life to save and protect this little girl, perhaps in an attempt to reconcile her feelings of loss. At the end of the film, Newt hugs Ripley, calling her "Mommy;" she becomes a mother again. Even in Alien, Ripley smashes the computer called "Mother" onboard the Nostromo. Interestingly in Aliens, Ripley isn't fighting a male villain; she combats a female: the Alien Queen. While the Alien Queen doesn't equal a human woman, it's hard to ignore that the film portrays one mother warring against another, both protecting their children. Of the few truly empowered female film characters, most are lioness mothers: Ripley protecting Newt, Sarah Connor fiercely protecting her son and all of humanity in Terminator and T2, The Bride/Beatrix Kiddo a vengeful mother in Kill Bill. Despite the frequent comparisons made between the two badass women warriors, there's a crucial difference between Ellen Ripley and Sarah Connor. Connor exists solely to protect her male son from assassination or humanity will be wiped out; she possesses no other identity. While Ripley becomes a surrogate mother to Newt, her identity still remains her own, not solely contingent on another. A feminist commentary regarding female voice confronted by sexism in society emerges in both Alien and Aliens. In Alien, Ash undermines Ripley's authority as Warrant Officer as he lets Kane onboard, disobeying Ripley's decision to follow protocol and quarantine him. Dallas the Captain disregards Ripley's concerns about not trusting Ash. After Ripley uncovers Ash's treacherous plot, he stuffs a porn magazine in her mouth, "the film's most explicit equation of male violence with the desire to annihilate the female voice." In Aliens, Ripley tries to warn the Weyland-Yutani Corporation about the danger of the alien and the LV-426 colonists' impending doom. When she travels with the Marines, they initially discount her testimony. Only when the shit seriously hits the fan do they listen, looking to her as a tactical leader to survive. A futuristic Cassandra, prophesying destruction yet no one heeds Ripley's warning. Is it because she's a woman? That seems to be the message. Society continually devalues women, silencing their voices. The media inundates us with images of male protagonists so it's refreshing to see women lead…and of course kicking ass! Living in a world dominated by patriarchy, women receive societal cues telling them explicitly and implicitly how to behave, look and speak. Social norms dictate that women should be gentle, nurturing, and caring. Subtly implied lies the assertion that women should support the men in their life, that they should not be too outspoken or too unruly. In theory, women action heroes break that mold. But in reality, most female film characters don't shatter gender stereotypes. They rarely lead as heroes, usually serving as props to the male protagonists, and serving as love interests. Rather than showcasing empowerment, researcher Katy Gilpatric found that women in action films ultimately succumb to stereotypical gender roles. Under the guise of empowerment, most female film characters still play out gender norms where women serve men and stay out of the limelight. That's what makes Ripley so unique. She subverts traditional gender roles while retaining her female identity. In an interview in Time Magazine, Weaver talked about Ripley and film roles for women: "Usually women in films have had to carry the burden of sympathy, only coming to life when a man enters. Doesn't everyone know that women are incredibly strong?" Growing up, Ellen Ripley was my role model, a fierce feminist. Alien and Aliens taught me an invaluable lesson. They showed me a woman doesn't need a man to solve a problem or fight their battles. After recently watching the documentary Miss Representation, which exposes the ways the media objectifies and attempts to strip women and girls of their power, I realize the gravity of seeing strong, confident women on-screen who aren't valued merely for their appearance. And therein lies the power of Ripley. While sexist studio execs might not want a 60-year-old Sigourney Weaver to reprise her iconic role, we need more Ripleys on-screen. Weaver said that all women possess "a secret action heroine" inside them. Women don't always know their own strength. We don't need to be rescued or saved; we can do that on our own. We may not live in a world with chest-bursting aliens bleeding acid for blood. But anyone can aspire to be Ellen Ripley. Megan Kearns is a blogger, freelance writer and activist. She blogs at The Opinioness of the World, a feminist vegan site. Her work has also appeared at Arts & Opinion, Fem2pt0, Italianieuropei, Open Letters Monthly, and A Safe World for Women. She earned her B.A. in Anthropology and Sociology and a Graduate Certificate in Women and Politics and Public Policy. Megan lives in Boston with more books than she will probably ever read in her lifetime.  |
| Abortion is not for men to decide Posted: 24 Jan 2014 01:09 AM PST
The right of Spanish women to access safe and legal abortion is currently under threat from a proposal to reform the current law in a highly restrictive fashion by Spain's ruling party, the Partido Popular. Abortions would only be allowed for victims of rape or where there is a risk to the pregnant woman's physical or psychological health. The legislation would make Spain among Europe's most restrictive countries on abortion. Protests against the changes and in support of the right of women in Spain to choose have already started. Over here, UK-based pro-choice campaign group Abortion Rights organised a snap demo outside the Spanish Embassy in London on 11 January. And on 12 January in people in Edinburgh joined with members of the local, artistic and feminist collectives Spanish Citizen, The Blender Collective, Olé mi koño and La Clínica Mundana (LCM) and marched from the Scottish Parliament to the Spanish Consulate's offices in Edinburgh. Carolina Cancanilla, representative of the feminist collective Olé mi koño and of the artistic association The Blender Collective, pointed out that this reform is “completely promoted by ecclesiastical groups, who give preference to religious beliefs, rather than to the Spanish Constitution and the citizens' rights”. Marian Womack, writing on the New Internationalist blog, said Spain's new abortion law is just one more example of the government's patriarchal, patronising and hypocritical attitude. The European Women's Lobby (EWL), the largest umbrella organisation of women’s associations in the European Union, is organising a week of solidarity with women in Spain, starting on 27 January. This includes a demonstration in Brussels on 29 January and 'The Train of Liberty' to Madrid action on 1 February. On 1 February, trains will depart from all over Spain carrying pro-choice campaigners to Madrid, where they will hand Spanish MPs a text with the title 'Because it's my choice'. 'Because it's my choice' runs 'Because […] I am free, and I live in a democracy, I demand the continuity of the current Law of Sexual and Reproductive Health and pregnancy termination to promote the moral autonomy, to preserve the freedom of conscience, and to guarantee the plurality and diversity of all women.' To read an English translation of the full text, click here. And if you are in – or can only realistically get to – London, not Spain, on 1 February, you can join campaign group My Belly Is Mine for a solidarity train trip from Charing Cross to Waterloo. The My Belly is Mine campaign has been set up by British feminists to support Spanish women in their fight against the proposed reform to Spain's current abortion law. So those of you unable to make your way to Madrid, but who want to demonstrate your support, can join us travelling to Madrid 'in spirit' by going on a symbolic journey from Charing Cross Station to Waterloo East in time to be at a meeting – at 1pm – at London's Hungerford Bridge on 1 February. For details go to My Belly is Mine’s facebook page – and join us on the train! The women of Spain need your support. We really must stop this law from being passed. The chair of the European Parliament's Women's Rights and Gender Equality Committee (FEMM), Mikael Gustafsson, denounced the Bill. According to El Pais, he sent a letter to all European Parliament members expressing “great concern” over the proposed law, and he said later, "It's a question of human rights; that women can decide about their own body and that it is not men who decide." Too right.  |
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