World: Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood: 10 Reasons Women’s Rights Are Bad. Gender Equality in the Arab World

Female bosses pay more attention to gender equality The Tokyo Times Women who work as supervisors tend to pay more attention to gender equality in the workplace compared to their male counterparts, according to a survey by a labor ministry-affiliated think tank released on Tuesday. 91.7 percent of female department

Missing Voices: Gender Equality in the Arab World World Bank Group A new World Bank report, Opening Doors: Gender Equality and Development in the Middle East and North Africa, identifies a whole set of economic, legal and cultural hurdles that have kept the region’s women out of public life and out of the labor market.

Seminar emphasises on ‘gender equality’ in Pakistan Pakistan Daily Times Seminar emphasises on ‘gender equality’ in Pakistan. Islamabad: Speakers at a seminar on ‘Gender Equality’ on Thursday emphasised that collective efforts are needed for the promotion of gender equality in Pakistan. The seminar was organised by the …

businessinsider.com

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood Offers 10 Reasons Why Women’s Rights Are A Bad Idea Business Insider The upcoming U.N. vote to ratify the declaration titled ”End Violence against Women” has rankled Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood, so much so that they released an official statement on their English language website…The rights they don’t want to see include:

1. Granting girls full sexual freedom, as well as the freedom to decide their own gender and the gender of their partners (ie, choose to have normal or homo- sexual relationships), while raising the age of marriage.

2. Providing contraceptives for adolescent girls and training them to use those, while legalizing abortion to get rid of unwanted pregnancies, in the name of sexual and reproductive rights.

3. Granting equal rights to adulterous wives and illegitimate sons resulting from adulterous relationships.

Egypt Muslim Brotherhood blasts UN women document U.S. News & World Report The text of the document has not been published because negotiations are continuing, regarding how to address sexual violence and rights of women to control their sexuality as well as sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Egypt’s Brotherhood blasts UN women’s document Yahoo! News (blog) Discussions of women’s issues in Egypt, and in the Muslim world at large, are traditionally buried in debates over Islamic laws and whether their interpretations are compatible with demands for more personal freedoms.

Egypt’s Brotherhood calls UN women’s rights doc ‘deceitful’ The Times of Israel Egyptian woman activists chant slogans while taking part in a protest against sexual harassment and against the Islamist dominated Shura Council blaming women for the attacks against them, in Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Feb. 12.

Song Xiuyan on how to enhance gender equality China.org.cn “The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) stated explicitly China’s adherence to the basic national policy of equality between men and women, which was an important milestone in the development history of women,”

Voting Will Change the Lives of Zimbabwe’s Women Inter Press Service MOUNT DARWIN, Zimbabwe, Mar 15 2013 (IPS) – “Ten reasons why women must vote ’Yes’ for the draft constitution…” says the Constitution Select Committee’s campaign radio jingle that plays over the airwaves in a grocer’s store at Mukumbura border post …

Five Per Cent Women MPs to Represent Kenyan Women Aspirations AllAfrica.com “So far according to our estimates, it is about seven per cent of women for the senate, seven per cent for the county assembly, and only three per cent for women governor candidates,” said Ms Monika Izydorczyk, a member of the EU observer mission.

 

UK: MP Dr. Sarah Wollaston calls on Cameron to reshuffle, promote more women.

The Prime Minister sets out his plans for a fightback Photo: AFP

David Cameron is still the Tories’ best leader but his inner circle must change Telegraph.co.uk

By Sarah Wollaston, Conservative MP for Totnes

David Cameron remains far more popular than that tiny cabal of right wing back bench agitators. They are deluding themselves if they think that UKIP will meekly fade away if the Conservative Party lurches to the right. Nigel Farage is enjoying his fame far too much to let a detail like actually delivering a referendum get in the way of all the attention. The Shock of Eastleigh wasn’t a shock at all.

Sarah Wollaston: Cameron has two months to change the Tories
Telegraph.co.uk As pressure on the Prime Minister’s leadership intensified, Dr Wollaston called on Mr Cameron to reshuffle his Cabinet within weeks and promote more women. It is essential for the Conservatives to reconnect with voters before May’s local elections, she said. The MP issued her call amid reports that Theresa May, the Home Secretary, was positioning herself to succeed Mr Cameron after a series of poor opinion polls and election results….Dr Wollaston, the MP for Totnes who insisted she was a “Cameron loyalist”, warned that the Prime Minister’s “inner circle” still appear “far too posh, male and white”.

 

 

Research methods workshop a success. Lecturers: send us your best gender and politics undergrad essay

Women and Politics Research Methods Seminar a Success!

On Saturday March 2nd Women and Politics PSA and FWSA held a research methods workshop at Bristol university. Over 20 PhD students attended and participated in discussions on:

• What does it mean if gender is statistically significant?
• Researching gendered discourse in policy debates: the case of abortion legislation;
• Problems, potentials and challenges of working with intersectionality; and
• A roundtable on the nexus of research and activism.

Thanks to our attendees whose interactions made the day so exciting, rewarding and productive.

Thanks our speakers: Fran Amery (University of Birmingham), Dr Elizabeth Evans (Bristol), Finn McKay (Bristol), Dr Thom Oliver (Oxford Brookes), Dr Maud Perrier (Bristol), Dr Kristi Winters (GESIS)

And special thanks to Dr Elizabeth Evans for organizing such a successful event!

Announcing the PSA Women and Politics Group
Undergraduate Essay Competition 2013

Deadline: June 30 2013

1st Prize £150
2nd Prize £75

To enter: Lecturers should send their ‘best’ gender and politics undergraduate essay, maximum 3,000 words) (NB Students must not independently send their essays. Such submissions will not be considered)

Send essays to Dr Kristi Winters drkmwinters@gmail.com

 

UK: Cameron’s prescription for NHS failings: target pay of nurses. Time for gender equality on peerages? Also: Gender equality eludes groundbreaking scientist.

The Downton dilemma: Is it time for gender equality on peerages? BBC News Royal succession laws are changing to stop sons being favoured over daughters. Is it time for the UK’s hereditary peerages to go the same way? Once the Succession to the Crown Bill, currently being fast tracked through Parliament, is passed, men will …

David Cameron’s prescription for NHS failings: target pay of nurses The Guardian David Cameron wants nurses’ pay to be tied to how well they look after patients as part of changes to banish poor care in the NHS in response to the devastating findings of a report published on Wednesday into the Mid Staffordshire hospital scandal. The prime minister told MPs the change should reward nurses who provide excellent care as the government began considering the 290 far-reaching recommendations set out by inquiry chairman, Robert Francis QC, to improve patient safety and overhaul what he called a flawed, self-serving “NHS system”.

David Cameron has identified nurses as the key group of health professionals to improve patients’ experience of the NHS. Photograph: Andrew Cowie/AFP/Getty

Gender equality observatory Europolitics.info The Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR) has announced the launch of a website ( http://www.charter-equality.eu) to assist municipalities and regions working to promote gender equality at the local level. The site has been set up in the …

Gender equality eludes groundbreaking scientist The Globe and Mail Veronica Dahl isn’t the sort of person to get worked up over $17. But, back in 1984, when Simon Fraser University refused to reimburse her $17 for one hour of babysitting for her infant son while she gave a lecture at an out-of-town conference, the computer scientist was incensed. “Why isn’t babysitting an allowable expense?” Dr. Dahl recalls asking. Personal expenses don’t count, she was told. The response from the university dissatisfied her. “How is childcare more personal than the bed I sleep in?” she wondered. The response: having a child is a choice.

Fatyana’s proposals: Senate panel chief rejects 10% party tickets for women The Express Tribune Fatyana had also proposed that elections in the polling stations should be declared null and void in case there is less than 10% turnout of registered female voters. PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar, who presided over the special committee meeting, argued if …

Women around the world fighting sexual violence … Video on NBCNews.com: Egyptian columnist Mona Eltahawy, GritTV.org’s Laura Flanders …

Kenyan women struggle in politics Deutsche Welle Even getting elected to the Kenyan National Assembly is difficult for women, Rachel Yegon, who is hoping to be elected to parliament, told DW. She is a business woman from Kericho in western Kenya. And unlike most women in her country, Yegon is …

Trailblazers for women in Hong Kong politics South China Morning Post It reflects growing participation by women in politics at all levels – from district councils to senior government posts. But women politicians say the challenges remain as family responsibilities and traditional views about the role of women make life …

 

UK: Why are many academics on short-term contracts for years? US: In the debate over gun laws, two female archetypes have emerged.

Enhancing the Election of Women at NAS 26 min Susan Wessler, PhD, Distinguished Professor of Genetics, University of California, Riverside

Why are many academics on short-term contracts for years? The Guardian According to the latest data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa), more than a third of the academic workforce is now on temporary, fixed-term contracts. Moreover, the official staffing statistics conveniently exclude the 82,000 academics employed in jobs such as hourly paid teaching, which are classed as “atypical”, so the real figures look much worse. While universities are jostling to present themselves as committed to “the student experience”, following the ramping up of fees, it is teaching staff who have been hit hardest. The number of teaching-only staff on temporary contracts went up by a third between 2009-10 and 2011-12.

Susan Walsh/AP – Gayle Trotter, senior fellow with the Independent Women’s Forum, left, sits next to National Rifle Association CEO Wayne LaPierre, in Washington, on Jan. 30, as she testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on gun violence.

Women take spotlight in gun control fight Washington Post In the increasingly confrontational debate over the nation’s gun laws, two female archetypes have emerged. There’s the grieving mother whose child was killed in a shooting and whose pleas for stricter regulation seem unassailable. And there’s the flinty mother who wants maximum firepower to take matters into her own hands to protect her brood. As Congress weighs President Obama’s agenda to toughen gun legislation, powerful lobbies on both sides of the issue are turning to women as leading spokespeople and symbols.

Does easier access to firearms make women safer … video.msnbc.msn.com In a new article, Slate contributor Amanda Marcotte challenges the pro-gun testimony of Gayle Trotter during Senate hearings in which she advocated the need for women to have guns for self-defense.

Need for more female staff in electoral process stressed Frontier Post PESHAWAR (APP): Speakers at a consultative meeting organized jointly by Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and UNDP here Sunday underlined the need for enhancement of women participation and increasing female staff in the election process with …

Tonga women urge government to work on gender equality Radio New Zealand International A Tongan women’s agency says the latest review of human rights by the United Nations is a wake up call for the government and civil society to speed up progress on gender equality and domestic violence laws. Tonga is the first Pacific country to …

 

World: Women head three major parties in Israel’s elections. Saudi women seek wider representation. Six women in Tobago election race

Former Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni in Tel Aviv on Nov. 27. Photo by Nir Elias/Reuters

Women head three major parties in Israel’s elections The Jewish Journal of Greater L.A. For the first time in Israel’s history, three of the major parties are headed by women. The Labor party headed by Shelly Yacimovich is expected to become Israel’s second-largest party, Hatnuah headed by former Foreign Minister Tzippi Livni is set to win seven seats, and the dovish Meretz and Zahava Gal-On is projected at five seats in the 120-seat parliament.

Chief electoral official for women polling staff Times of India AGARTALA: Chief electoral official (CEO) Ashutosh Jindal mooted the idea of deploying women polling staff in the upcoming assembly election on an experimental basis considering the peaceful atmosphere in the state and the enthusiasm among the female …

Outcry over India gang rape pushes window to gender equality wide open, says … Reuters India NEW DELHI (TrustLaw) – The unprecedented public protests and national debate over the treatment of women following a brutal gang rape and murder case in India suggest the country could play a pioneering role in advancing gender equality around the …

Field more women in elections, Smriti Irani tells State BJP Deccan Herald BJP Mahila Morcha National President Smriti Irani on Wednesday appealed the party State organisation and Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar to field more women candidates in the forthcoming Assembly elections. Speaking after inaugurating a State-level …

Congress to target women voters ahead of 2014 polls Livemint With general secretary Rahul Gandhi expected to take over the reins of the Congress, the Jaipur session will witness for the first time a large number of younger members participating in discussions and putting forward suggestions.

Women’s issues still hanging, Saudi activist says gulfnews.com Riyadh: Saudi Arabia’s king granting women seats on the country’s top advisory council has come against the backdrop of heavy restrictions on women, who are not allowed to travel, work, study abroad, marry, get divorced or gain admittance to a public …

Saudi women seek wider representation MENAFN.COM A group of Saudi women pose for a commemorative picture during the First National Forum for Businesswomen in Riyadh in this file photo.  Following the decision of Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to …

Tunisia: UN expert group calls for guarantees on gender equality and women’s … AfricanBrains The United Nations Working Group on discrimination against women in law and in practice called on the Government of Tunisia to adopt stronger constitutional provisions on gender equality and non-discrimination, and to implement temporary special …

Female under-representation in parliamentary elections criticised Daily News Egypt In a strongly worded statement the party bases its claims on the legislature’s decision not to include a condition that female candidates must be listed in the top half of electoral lists. In previous elections women were mostly placed at the bottom of …

Promote women candidates for by-elections- WILDAF Citifmonline Women in Law and Development in Africa (WILDAF) is calling on all political parties who want to contest the two by-elections in the Buem and Akatsi South Constituencies in the Volta Region to prioritize women as candidates for the elections. It says …

Party Pushes for Better Female Representation in Parliament AllAfrica.com An Egyptian political party “Misr” announced on Monday that it holds on to its initial stance of women’s status in the electoral list for the proposed amendments in the elections law. The party’s official spokesman, Walid Abdel Moneim, called on all…

Gender Equality, A Criteria For Success Of Vision 20:2020 – UN Leadership Newspapers Nigeria needs to ensure equal participation of women in economic, social and political activities, if it is to achieve the objectives of Vision 20:2020, a UN official said. The Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UN Women, Ms Michelle …

Six women in Tobago election race Trinidad Guardian There are six women contesting the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) election on January 21, the largest number ever, and it is hoped there will be a greater female presence in the THA in the coming years. The expectation is coming from Hazel Brown, head …

Why many women in the North lost the 2010 Assembly Election – Report GhanaWeb A number of reasons including cultural barriers and practices, low literacy level of women, women voting against women candidates and the lack of finances for campaign have been identified as the major causes of many women losing the 2010 District …

Narok County Women in Politics AllAfrica.com For a long time, the Maasai community has discriminated against women when it comes to leadership. In the history of the community only three women have ever defied odds to be elected as leaders in Narok county. Surprisingly, the three were only …

Women’s fears grow over chaos at Thursday polls The Star Women aspirants in Migori county have said lack of money, security and violence are some of the challenges they are facing in the campaigns. During a one-day workshop organised by two local NGOs in Migori town, the aspirants said violence in polling …

Electoral Lists to Include Copts, Women – Head of Islamist Party AllAfrica.com The Building and Development Party’s electoral lists in the upcoming parliamentary elections will include Coptic candidates as long as they meet the criteria the party requires for those who will apply for candidacy, head of the party Nasr Abdel Salam …

 

US: Democrats Looking for a Few Good Women to Run for President. Deb Fischer, female senators hope for bipartisan efforts

Female vs. male senators Baltimore Sun (blog) Diane Sawyer broadcast a celebratory report last week on ABC’s “World News Tonight” on which she gushed about the “record number” of 20 female senators. Democratic Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland also praised the Senate female population.

Women Senators Claim Their Lack of Testosterone Will Help Congress PolicyMic As the 113th Congress was sworn in last week, women stood on solid ground as they took the solemn oath of office. A record number of children accompanied their parents to the ceremony. Kristen Gillibrand’s son, unimpressed with his surroundings, took …

Will Maria Shriver Fill Uncle Ted’s Senate Shoes? Huffington Post Women are conspicuous by their absence in the U.S. Senate in proportion to their numbers in the general population even though as ABC’s Diane Sawyer reported, a record-breaking group of twenty women senators were sworn in last week. Maria Shriver …

Democrats Looking for a Few Good Women to Run for President National Journal Democratic women’s groups, fresh off celebrating a record number of women elected to the Senate, aren’t all that worried. They argue that under the surface, the party has a pipeline of women who could very well be viable presidential candidates in four …

Influential Women’s ‘PAC’ to Back Council Speaker in Her Bid for Mayor New York Times The New York City Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, who is seeking to rally female voters in her quest to be mayor, will pick up an endorsement on Friday from Emily’s List, the influential national political action committee that backs Democratic women.

Deb Fischer, female senators hope for bipartisan efforts Omaha World-Herald As Fischer settles into her new job, she hopes that the bipartisan collaboration of the female senators will help make Congress more capable of addressing the nation’s pressing challenges than in recent years. She notes that she’s been setting up one …

 

Save the Date! 2013 UK Women and Politics Workshop: Sat. March 2 at the University of Bristol. More details soon

More details soon, but mark the following date down in your calendar!

 

Park Geun-hye elected South Korea’s 1st female president

South Korean presidential candidate Park Geun-Hye of the ruling Saenuri Party waves to supporters after arriving at the party headquarters in Seoul on Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012. (AP Photo/Kim Jae-hwan, Pool)

South Korean presidential election a historic moment for women Washington Post South Korean presidential election a historic moment for women. Park Geun-hye’s victory is a symbolic breakthrough in this country long dominated by boardrooms of men and ranked just slightly ahead of most Islamic countries when it comes to gender …

Park Geun-hye elected South Korea’s 1st female president Washington Post SEOUL, South Korea — Park Geun-hye’s election as South Korea’s first female president could mean a new drive to start talks with bitter rival North Korea, though it’s unclear how much further she will go than the hard-line incumbent, a member of her …

Dictator’s daughter Park elected South Korea’s first female president Washington Times South Korea’s presidential candidate Park Geun-Hye of ruling Saenuri Party, waves to supporters South Korea’s presidential candidate Park Geun-Hye of ruling Saenuri Party, waves to supporters after arriving at the party headquarters in Seoul, South …

South Korea’s Historic Presidential Election … abcnews.go.com South Korea’s Historic Presidential Election. Park Geun-Hye, the daughter of a former …

Ex-Dictator’s Daughter Elected President as South Korea Rejects Sharp Change New York Times “This is a victory for the people’s wish to overcome crises and revive the economy,” Ms. Park, 60, told her cheering supporters, who gathered in freezing weather in downtown Seoul to celebrate a woman whose steeliness in the face of adversity is legend …

Park wins South Korea presidency, to be first woman leader Reuters With more than 88 percent of the votes counted, Park led with 51.6 percent to 48 percent for her left-wing challenger, human rights lawyer Moon Jae-in, giving her an unassailable lead that forced Moon to concede. Her raucous, jubilant supporters braved …

South Korea votes in 1st female president abc7.com South Korea’s presidential candidate Park Geun-hye of ruling Saenuri Party waves to her supporters during her presidential election campaign in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Dec. 7, 2012. South Korea’s presidential election is scheduled for Dec. 19.

South Korea votes in first woman President TODAYonline SEOUL – Ruling party candidate Park Geun Hye has become South Korea’s first female President, making an emotional return to the nation’s presidential mansion more than three decades after she left it following the assassination of her father. Ms Park …

Park wins South Korea presidency, to be first woman leader Yahoo! News (blog) Reuters/Reuters – South Korea’s presidential candidate Park Geun-hye (bottom C) of conservative and right wing ruling Saenuri Party waves to supporters during an election campaign rally in front of a railway…

South Korea Could Elect First Woman President … newsy.com South Korea\’s conservative candidate is favored to become win the country\’s first female …

Former dictator’s daughter is elected S-Korea’s first female Prez Firstpost When Park Geun-hye last lived in the presidential Blue House more than 30 years ago, she was a young, stand-in first lady, serving after the assassination of her mother and before the killing of her dictator father. After defeating Moon Jae-in in …

South Korea elects first female president aljazeera.com South Korea elects first female president … The election was marked by a high turnout of …

 

On women, political knowledge and Space Invaders, Do Electoral Laws Affect Women’s Representation?

Labour engulfed in sexism row over women only rule in MK North miltonkeynes.co.uk ACCUSATIONS of sexism and discrimination against men have been fired on a national level at the city’s Labour Party. The claims of political incorrectness, which have been blasted by Councillor Rita Venn, erupted after the party revealed only female candidates could be shortlisted for the Milton Keynes North parliamentary seat. As such two women, Leighton Buzzard train driver Rebekah Peterson and city resident Emily Darlington, are due to go head-to-head in a vote next week.

Chamber of Commons

On women, political knowledge and Space Invaders nottspolitics.org Philip Cowley Why aren’t more people angry about women’s political under-representation?  That was the core question posed by Joni Lovenduski in a recent article in Political Quarterly, reporting on a workshop on the subject.  “Participants in the workshop”, Lovenduski noted, “wondered why the political under-representation of women in the United Kingdom is not treated as the public disgrace that it is”.

Do Electoral Laws Affect Women’s Representation? sagepub.com
Abstract
Numerous studies have found that proportional electoral rules significantly increase women’s representation in national parliaments relative to majoritarian and mixed rules. These studies, however, suffer from serious methodological problems including the endogeneity of electoral laws, poor measures of cultural variables, and neglect of time trends. This article attempts to produce more accurate estimates of the effect of electoral rules on women’s representation by using within-country comparisons of electoral rule changes and bicameral systems as well as matching methods. The main finding is that the effect of electoral laws is not as strong as in previous studies and varies across cases. The policy implication is that changes in electoral laws may not provide a quick and consistent fix to the problem of low women’s representation.