Public urinals for women in Mumbai: ‘Right to pee’ activists demand. Poet, champion of women’s rights, Girija Vyas inducted as Cabinet minister.

Why so many female premiers? More voters prefer women in power Globe and Mail Christy Clark shocked everyone last month with her victory in the in the British Columbia election. The opposition New Democrats led by Adrian Dix were expected to win – but ended ended up with less of the popular vote than they received in 2009, when …

Conservative male parliamentarians have made a series of decisions undermining advances in women’s rights in Afghanistan. (File photo: AFP)

Afghan women lose political power as fears grow for the future Al-Arabiya A legal requirement that women make up at least a quarter of all provincial elected officials was quietly removed by conservative male parliamentarians, officials said, the latest in a series of decisions undermining advances in women’s rights in Afghanistan.

The change, engineered in mid-May, was only discovered by women members of parliament a few days ago.

The action has sparked fears among women’s rights activists that President Hamid Karzai’s government is increasingly willing to trade away their hard fought gains to placate the Taliban as part of attempts to coax them to the peace table.

25 public urinals for women in Mumbai: ‘Right to pee’ activists demand Daily News & Analysis Besides Vibhuti Patel other speakers included Researcher on Urban and Women’s issues Sulakshana Mahajan, Associate Professor of KEM Dr. Kamakshi Bhate and education and social activist, Farida Lambay. They are also playing advisory roles to give …

5,74,1632 women but how many public loos for women does Mumbai have?

Abe’s vow to elevate women in Japanese society being undermined by male … The Japan Daily Press While Abe called for women to fill up 30% of senior positions in all aspects of society by 2020, the LDP only has 9 women out of 79 candidates in the upcoming Upper House elections in July, a very lowly 11%. Under Abe’s leadership, Japan has already …

Poet and champion of women’s rights, Girija Vyas inducted as Cabinet minister IBNLive Girija Vyas, the Congress MP from Chittorgarh and former head of the National Commission for Women, finally got her due on Monday when she was inducted as a Cabinet minister in the UPA-II government. Vyas is known for her stint in head of NCW from …

Girija Vyas: Poet and champion of women’s rights India Today Girija Vyas, who was sworn-in as cabinet minister in the Manmohan Singh government on Monday, has a long eventful political career, serving as union minister, Congress’s women’s wing chief and chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW).

 

The Onion’s (really quite good) feminist critique of The Wizard of Oz

The Onion’s movie critic Peter K. Ronsenthal examines ‘The Wizard of Oz’ in this week’s Film Standard.

 

UK: Cameron’s reshuffle will be a reshuffle for women. Pensions minister attacks Labour plans for women’s pension plan.

Interview with one of Lord Rennards alleged victims Channel 4 News Bridget Harris, a former adviser to Nick Clegg and one of the three women who spoke out about Lord Rennard’s behaviour.

 

 

Steve Webb attacks Labour’s £4.5bn women’s pension plan Money Marketing Pensions minister Steve Webb has attacked Labour plans to bring more women into the single tier state pension, suggesting they would cost £4.5bn over a 30 year period…..

Shadow work and pensions secretary Liam Byrne criticised the “injustice” of 700,000 women born between April 1951 and 1953 losing out under reforms.

For example, a woman who retires aged 63 in 2015 will potentially draw a £107 basic state pension under currently rules. However, a man who is the same age will draw £144 a week when he retires three years later in 2018. Labour MPs argue it is unfair that it will result in a man and a woman who are the same age drawing different pension amounts.

Online porn: animals have more rights than women, campaigners say Telegraph.co.uk David Cameron must close a legal loophole to ban possession of pornographic images that promote sexual violence against women and girls, they say.

In a letter published in The Daily Telegraph, the groups warn that the possession of images depicting rape, such as those entitled “schoolgirl rape” or “teen slut rape”, are legal so long as the actors are over the age of 18.

But pictures of necrophilia and bestiality are illegal to possess, according to the letter, signed by Mumsnet, the National Federation of Women’s Institutes, the Trades Union Congress, rape crisis centres, and academics at Durham University.

Cameron’s coming reshuffle will be a reshuffle for women conservativehome.blogs.com Having reshaped his Cabinet substantially last summer – sacking two Cabinet Ministers in the process – David Cameron is unlikely to do so again during this one.  This is because to do so would both risk destabilising his already fractious Parliamentary Party, and offend his instinct to keep changes to his front bench to a minimum. From the Prime Minister’s point of view, it makes sense to delay a substantial Cabinet clearout until next summer, when a team can be put in place to fight the election in 2015.

Leaving the next big shuffle until later in the Parliament will also minimise any backlash from sacked Ministers, since they will rally round Cameron during the election run-up (that’s the theory, at any rate).

 

US: Senate Bathroom to Accomodate More Women Senators. 1st-ever openly gay Hispanic woman judge confirmed. The manly GOP.

Old Guys Rule? No. Bill Clinton says ‘Women Rule  marketwatch.com SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. (MarketWatch) — OK, so “Old Guys Rule.” Today. But old guys, old thinking, old ideologies are killing the economy, killing us as a world power, dragging us back to their 19th century macho-dominated patriarchy. Time to end “Old Guys Rule.” Time to get new blood, new thinking.

How? More women. In fact, “Women Rule” the future, says Bill Clinton.

…Today, when we move from the world of surfing into the sullied world of politics, “Old Guys Rule (Very Badly)” is more accurate … in Washington where senators and representatives swear allegiance to special-interest lobbyists buying favors for narcissistic billionaires … in Corporate America with its addiction to materialism, to profits, to perpetual growth at all costs … with Wall Street CEOs, private equity and hedge fund managers making tens of millions, while average wages have stagnated under free-market excesses … where high-frequency traders make millions playing games with America’s retirement money in the shadowy $600 trillion global derivatives casino … to Pentagon generals dismissing women senators to protect rapists … to immigrants, education and universal health care getting shortchanged … the list goes on. Yes, “Old Guys Rule (Very Badly).”

Will Questioning The Status Quo Help Women? Forbes It appears to be a behind-the-scenes battle between members of the Senate, and one where the numbers of women in the chamber has had some effect. At the heart of the debate is who in the military should be responsible for deciding which assault cases …

Senate Women’s Bathroom Grows to Accomodate More Women Senators The Mary Sue We reported on the line for the women’s bathroom in the Senate last November after the election, but soon that line will be relieved (as will the Senators), because the women’s bathroom in the Senate is due to be expanded to accomodate more ladies in the Senate than ever before.

As much as we must lampshade the ridiculousness of twenty women being a “hallmark” number of politicians (only 1/5 of the Senate representing the gender identity of over half of the nation’s population),  this is still exciting. A bathroom may seem small, but the fact that the infrastructure of the Senate building is being altered to accomodate increased numbers of women says a lot about the way in which more women are getting into politics at the highest levels of government. They are being acknowledged physically– and that says a lot about increasing mental acknowledgement, too.

Image from msnbctv.com

‘A sign of the progress we’re making’: Lady lawmakers to get bathroom … Daily Mail Forget about demolishing that glass ceiling — women in the Senate are finally getting a much-needed update to their bathroom. Female senators have been forced to share a two-stall facility for 20 years, causing lines and headaches. But now that the …

Women of Senate Vow to Continue Fight Against Military Sexual Assault Ms. Magazine Various women in the Senate have vowed to continue the fight against military sexual assault despite Senator Carl Levin’s announcement Tuesday that he would be removing a provision in the defense spending bill that would take sexually violent cases out …

Massachusetts Senate race: Can Republican Gomez … – Yahoo! News Massachusetts Senate race: Can Republican Gomez win over more women voters? Massachusetts Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez faces a gender gap, …

Phila. judge confirmed by US Senate is first-ever openly gay Hispanic female …  The Pennsylvania Record …After the federal legislators cast their voice votes, Quinones Alejandro became known the country over as the first openly gay Hispanic woman ever confirmed to the federal judiciary. The soon-to-be-former Philadelphia Common Pleas Court judge was one of three of President Obama’s nominees confirmed this week to open seats on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the other being Berks County Common Pleas Court President Judge Jeffrey Schmehl and U.S. Magistrate Judge Luis Felipe Restrepo.

Home » At TMV » Chisholm First Black Woman In Congress And To Be …  The Moderate Voice For African-Americans and for women, Shirley Chisholm was a true trail blazer. Not only was she the first African-American woman to serve in the House of Representatives, but she in 1972 became the first black Presidential candidate to have her name …

Republicans Pick Female Lawmaker to Manage Abortion Bill Bloomberg The Judiciary Committee’s 20-12 vote to approve the bill “provides the Democrats with an abundance of message opportunities to solidify their very strong position with female voters,” Ross Baker, a political science professor at Rutgers University in…

Dana Milbank: The manly GOP York Daily Record 

WASHINGTON — Ladies and gentlemen, Republicans are again voting on new abortion restrictions. Cue their theme song:

“Men men men men, manly men men men!”

“Men men men men, manly men men men!”

The House Judiciary Committee gathered Wednesday to pass another anti-abortion bill, and the nameplates on the majority side told the story:

Mr. Goodlatte.

Mr. Sensenbrenner.

Mr. Coble.

Mr. Smith.

Mr. Chabot.

Mr. Bachus.

Mr. Issa.

Mr. Forbes.

Mr. King.

Mr. Franks.

In all, the nameplates of 23 misters lined both rows on the GOP side; there isn’t one Republican woman on the panel. The guys muscled through a bill that, should it become law, would upend Roe v. Wade by effectively banning all abortions after 20 weeks.

Man Up! Men Urged to End Abortion’s War on Women Christian Broadcasting Network Now some men say it’s time for males to step up and put an end to these things, to end this war on women. Paul Cole leads the Christian Men’s Network, which specializes in mentoring men. He says many abortions happen because of men who refuse to step …

Clinton: Opportunities for women ‘great unfinished … Video on NBCNews.com: Former Secretary of State  Hillary Clinton talks about the need to …

GOP’s women problems continue  Video on NBCNews.com: As Republicans pursue more restrictive abortion legislation …

When women bring home the bacon, they should get a full slice, Obama says San Antonio Business Journal Specifically, he called on Congress to pass the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would limit employers’ defenses for wage disparities between men and women, subject them to possible compensatory or punitive damages, and make it easier to pursue …

Equal Pay Act’s 50th Anniversary Brings Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand And Marie … Huffington Post  Gillibrand also argued that having more women in Congress would force our legislative branch to take the issue of equal pay more seriously. “One of the reasons I’ve been fighting so much for more women in Congress is this is something they believe…

 

UK: Token gestures left Cameron caught in gender trap. Yes Scotland: women, young shifting to independence. Clegg refuses ‘diversity training’.

Labour candidate for Monmouth could come from all-woman shortlist South Wales Argus All-women shortlists aim to boost the representation of women in the House of Commons and other bodies where they are used. Such a list was imposed on Blaenau Gwent for the 2005 elections – a move for which the Labour Party later apologised – but this …

Tom Richmond: Token gestures have left David Cameron caught in gender trap Yorkshire Post Female cabinet members – Home Secretary Theresa May being the only exception – have been increasingly marginalised while Cameron lost his composure at PMQs when he told a Labour front bencher to “calm down dear”. Now, as Cameron contemplates a summer reshuffle in yet another attempt to energise his faltering top team, familiar faces are said to be in the firing line and they all have one thing in common – they are all female.

TELLING: Nicola Sturgeon talks to pupils aged 16 and 17 from James Gillespie’s High School in Edinburgh about extending the referendum franchise to their age group. Picture: Stewart Attwood

Yes Scotland says women and young shifting to independence Herald Scotland But recent polls suggested the task remains considerable. Last month, an Ipsos MORI poll had support among women for independence at only 23%, down by five points on February, despite a concerted effort by the SNP to woo women voters with promises …

Why do more women want to bed Nigel Farage over David Cameron? Telegraph.co.uk …Now I’ve made you feel sufficiently nauseous, lets move on to the matter at hand. According to a survey by ashleymadison.com (apparently ‘the world’s leading dating site for married folk’ ), trying to ascertain which of our political elite are the most attractive, discovered that 39.1 per cent of unfaithful women (ie women who are already surfing this website looking for a bit of extracurricular) would have an extra-marital affair with Nick Clegg. I’ll translate: they’d pick him out of all our main party leaders, if forced, under duress to shag one of them next time their husband’s on a business trip to Pontefract.

Nick Clegg refuses to go for ‘diversity training’ despite Lord Rennard criticism Telegraph.co.uk To help improve the party’s practices, Helena Morrissey, a City executive and champion of women in the workplace, advised him to provide courses for Liberal Democrat volunteers and MPs as a “priority” to help them learn about equality. However, Mr …

Nick Clegg refuses to confirm he will take diversity training The Guardian A series of recommendations in the report, by businesswoman Helena Morrissey, included “ensur[ing] that there is diversity training provided to men as well as women”. Clegg was asked five times by radio host Nick Ferrari on his weekly phone-in show on …

Lord Rennard sex scandal: why have no heads rolled? Telegraph.co.uk When the businesswoman Helena Morrissey published her report – ordered in the wake of the Rennard scandal – into how the Liberal Democrats dealt with sexual harassment complaints, the party leader had this to say:“It makes sobering reading. It shows …

Liberal Democrat Women reacts to Morrissey report Liberal Democrat Voice The three acting c0-chairs of Liberal Democrat Women, Dinti Batstone, Tam Langley and Miranda Whitehead have issued a statement on behalf of the organisation giving their reaction to Helena Morrissey’s report on processes and culture within the Liberal …

MP Paul Burstow admits ‘lapse of judgement’ in Lord Rennard sex scandal Your Local Guardian Four women in the Liberal Democrats claim Lord Rennnard sexually harassed them in 2007. Following the claims, which came to light earlier this year, business woman Helena Morrissey was asked to conduct a full review into the way the allegations were …

Former Liberal Democrat comms chief criticised in Morrissey Report PRWeek UK Former Liberal Democrat head of comms Jonny Oates has come in for criticism in the independent report into the party’s handling of sexual harassment complaints. Lib Dem chief of staff: Jonny Oates. Oates, who is currently chief of staff for the party …

Nick Clegg was questioned yesterday about the Lib Dem report into the Lord Rennard controversy on LBC. Photograph: John Stillwell/PA

Liberal Democrats: no more excuses The Guardian Thus Nick Clegg, the Liberal Democrat leader, reacting yesterday in a radio interview to Helena Morrissey’s report on attitudes to women at the top of his party. Mr Clegg could hardly say any less, given the embarrassment over the party’s handling of …

What a Carry On from Nick Clegg Express.co.uk If the leader of the Liberal Democrats, of all people, won’t sign up to a course trying to help men in the workplace stop acting like dinosaurs, what hope have we women? What this “warts-and-all” report has revealed is that at the heart of the Liberal …

Why the Lib Dem harassment row is especially heinous The Guardian The Lib Dems have far fewer women, in percentage terms, than any of the other major parties – currently there are seven women MPs, 12.5% of their total. They have no ethnic minority MPs. And as for the party’s attitude, at grassroots level, to sexual …

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Rennard questioned by police over claims he … Daily Mail Liberal Democrat peer Lord Rennard was questioned by police yesterday over a ‘torrent’ of claims that he harassed and indecently assaulted women. The party’s chief executive was questioned under caution for several hours over allegations he molested …

Lib Dems ‘ Lord Rennard Quizzed by Police Over Sexual Harassment Claims IBTimes.co.uk The Liberal Democrat peer Lord Rennard has been questioned under caution by police investigating allegations of sexual harassment against women party activists. A Scotland Yard spokesman said a 52-year-old man had attended a south London police …

Liberal Democrat peer Lord Rennard interviewed under caution over sexual … The Independent The senior Liberal Democrat peer Lord Rennard has been interviewed by police under caution over allegations he sexually harassed female party activists. Scotland Yard began initial assessments to discover if any criminal activity had taken place in …

Timelime of the Lord Rennard sexual harassment allegations Telegraph.co.uk Spring 2008 Jo Swinson informs Danny Alexander, then Nick Clegg’s chief of staff and now a Treasury minister, about the allegations without mentioning the women’s names. Mr Alexander raised the matter with Nick Clegg and Paul Burstow. Summer 2008 …

Lib Dem’s Rennard Questioned Over Sex Claims Sky News Liberal Democrat peer Lord Rennard has been interviewed by police over claims he sexually harassed female party activists. A Scotland Yard spokesman said a 52-year-old man had voluntarily attended a south London police station by appointment today.

Party activist fails to halt ‘men only’ contest to stand in Hove for Labour Brighton and Hove News Greg Hadfield, formerly the party’s agent in the Brighton Pavilion constituency, urged Labour to suspend the process so that the shortlist could include at least two women in line with party rules. His plea was rejected and the selection is scheduled …

NICK CLEGG BLASTED FOR SEX COVER-UP Daily Star HUMILIATED Nick Clegg was attacked yesterday for failing to properly investigate the “Lord Grope” sex harassment claims. … He said “women had been let down” after a damning report revealed several “missed opportunities” to launch a formal probe.

Clegg ‘failure’ over sexual harrassment allegations Scotsman LIBERAL Democrat leader Nick Clegg and two senior Scottish MPs – Danny Alexander and Jo Swinson – failed women in the party by making mistakes in not formally investigating allegations of sexual harassment, an investigation has found. The report was …

Nick Clegg admits mistakes for 20 years over Lib Dem handling of sex … Telegraph.co.uk However, it does say that Mr Clegg was fully aware that allegations of inappropriate behaviour had been made against the then-chief executive in 2008. It also discloses that Lord Rennard was spoken to about his behaviour towards women at least “two or …

 

Muslim women from new angles – a new online exhibition. Saudi women get jail terms for trying to help.

Centre Founds Museum to Document Women’s Role Since 2011 Uprising AllAfrica.com The museum won best women’s issues project in a United States’ community leaders’ competition in 2012. The centre launched an interactive forum to discuss women’s role in the revolution and the most important issues and problems related to women in …

Afghanistan’s women: Patchy gains under threat The Interpreter In many ways EVAW was a gradual, bottom-up way to provide tools for protecting women’s rights that could slowly gain wider acceptance. Last month, however, a female member of Afghanistan’s parliament attempted to have the law ratified by the parliament …

 

I Follow the Religion of Love by Dr Fatima Zahra Hassan and The Invisible Muslima by Haafiza Sayed

 

Muslim women from new angles Khaleej Times Artists in the UAE are calling people to visit a new online exhibition to expose themselves to the plight and success of Muslim women around the world, and challenge common stereotypes.

Artist and University of Sharjah College of Fine Arts and Design lecturer Dr Fatima Zahra Hassan said Emirati women, in particular, should view a new online exhibition (http://muslima.imow.org) showcasing the stories of Muslim women from around the world.

“I just feel that women here are not exposed, especially some Emirati women…they’re living in a cocoon…a utopia which is perfect and some don’t know what is happening outside and how women are suffering around the world.”

Saudi women get jail terms for trying to help Canadian FRANCE 24 A Saudi court handed two Saudi women 10-month jail sentences on Saturday for seeking to help a Canadian woman who wanted to leave her Saudi husband with their children, human rights activists said. The court also banned Fawzia al-Ayuni and Wajiha al-Huaider from leaving the kingdom for two years, rights activist Aql al-Bahli said.

Women seek reforms to end inheritance injustices Saudi Gazette Misinterpretations of Shariah laws are preventing Saudi women from benefiting from their legal inheritance. Many women today are robbed of their endowment rights because of cultural norms and tribal customs that go against the teachings of the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah. Sadly, there are many cases today of women living in poverty after their fathers die because only the men in the family enjoy inheritance and endowment rights. Sometimes even fathers in their will choose to deprive the female children of the endowment.

Aesha, three years later: ‘I’m a very lucky girl … nbcnews.com Ann Curry sits down with Aesha, the young Afghan woman …

Politics – no easy walk for women NewsDay Women’s participation in politics remains low due to several bottlenecks hindering efforts to ensure that men and women share 50% representation in the political arena by 2015 in line with the Sadc Protocol on Gender and Development. Report by Phillip …

Give Kenya women bigger role in political parties  The Standard Digital News “Our finding of women representation in the management of political parties was shocking. At the Registrar of Political Parties the story was the same,” the report reads in part. However, it further says there have been several attempts in the country …

Voters Question Candidates on Women’s Rights in Cambodia The Cambodia Daily (subscription) Hundreds of voters came together at Phnom Penh’s Himawari Hotel on Wednesday to ask candidates running in July’s national election what they will do to protect the country’s women and girls and ensure their equal rights. Candidates for Funcinpec and …

Turkish protests rattle Erdogan’s female loyalists UPI.com There is no sign yet that the prime minister’s response to the Gezi Park protests is costing him female voters. But while his administration can count on female supporters who see his hard-edged ways as a strong, avuncular backing of their religious …

Elite representation The News International Our women are among the most privileged in the world if they belong to upper-middle or upper ruling classes. Mostly it is these women who make it to reserved seats. Do they represent women belonging to the lower classes and those who have no rights or …

 

Porn wars: the debate that’s dividing academia. We Just Don’t Get Female Politicians.

Turns Out We Don’t Stereotype Female Politicians. We Just Don’t Get Them At All. Slate Magazine …In “Measuring Stereotypes of Female Politicians,” published in Political Psychology this month, political scientists Dr. Monica Schneider and Dr. Angela Bos surveyed a group of students about the traits they associate with women in general, and the characteristics they ascribe to female politicians specifically. They found that while over 90 percent of respondents described women as feminine, emotional, motherly, and beautiful, they were far less likely to associate female politicians with those traits. Eighty-four percent of participants described women as “gorgeous.” None of them said the same of female politicians. Female politicians didn’t even benefit from those stereotypes—like compassion and sensitivity—that are often cited as potential advantages for women in office. Ninety-one percent of people described women in general as “compassionate,” but only 21 percent described female politicians that way. And female politicians weren’t associated with stereotypically masculine traits—like leadership, competence, confidence, assertiveness, and charisma—either. You’d think that “leader” would be a defining characteristic for any politician, but only 39 percent of participants described female politicians with that term; 93 percent of them described male politicians that way. Women in politics were, however, more likely to be described as “uptight” and “dictatorial.”

Students start magazine to confront issues of women’s empowerment The Courier-Journal The women behind Aberrance Quarterly: A collective of JCPS students launched a new magazine devoted to covering women’s empowerment, but they’re aiming for a much wider audience than fellow students.

Female student leaders accuse leadership of bias Republica “When I opposed yesterday´s election ordinance which proposes the reduction women representation from 33% to 25%, the party leadership took my stance as a joke”, she said. Vice-Chairman of CPN (UML) Bidya Bhandari cast her doubt if fresh CA polls …

 

Exploring the proliferation of porn: Clarissa Smith, left, and Feona Attwood. Photograph: Katherine Rose

Porn wars: the debate that’s dividing academia The Guardian When the Guardian announced the planned launch next year of Porn Studies – the world’s first peer-reviewed academic journal on the subject – there were more than a few guffaws. “You can just see a future University Challenge,” wrote one commenter online. “Carruthers, King’s College Cambridge, reading pornography.”

“It just sounds like a highbrow wank mag to me,” wrote another. “One which I look forward to perusing.” Even the headline had a touch of Viz magazine’s Finbarr Saunders and his double entendres about it, suggesting it was a “new discipline” for academics.

What it concealed, however, is a bitter and contentious academic war over the status and nature of porn research, a war that is almost as bitter and contentious as the status and nature of porn itself.

Women leaders rue poor presence in student bodies Republica KATHMANDU, June 14: Senior women leaders of the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML have expressed dissatisfaction over the poor representation of female students in the student wings of their respective parties. Addressing an interaction organized in the …