Author: Feminist Newswire

The Feminist Newswire has provided a daily feminist perspective on national, global, and campus news stories since 1995. You can receive a weekly feminist news digest when you subscribe here.

U.N. Report Shows Increase in Sexual Misconduct Claims

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

A United Nations report released on Friday showed that accusations of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) rose significantly in 2019.

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that, despite progress and policies in place to prevent sexual misconduct, “significant challenges” persist.

In 2019, there were 80 allegations of SEA in U.N. peacekeeping and political missions, an uptick from 56 in 2018. 41 of those were related to a peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic, and 15 were related to a mission in Congo. Three-fourths of the remaining 24 allegations are from peacekeeping missions in Darfur, Lebanon, Liberia and Haiti. Allegations involving civilian personnel numbered 25 (up from 13 in 2018), and allegations involving military personnel numbered 49 (up from 39 in 2018). There were 95 allegations involving staff working for U.N. agencies (up from 93 in 2018), as well as 37 related to paternity claims.

More than 190,000 uniformed and civilian personnel serve in more than 30 bodies in the U.N. system. In 2017, Guterres shifted the international organization’s SEA focus from conduct and discipline of officers to victims’ rights, focusing on practical assistance for victims and speeding up investigations of allegations.

The first Victims’ Rights Advocate, Jane Connors, described a major component of the work of herself and her four field-based Victims’ Rights Advocates who support her as dealing with paternity claims: “They often involve several jurisdictions, require us to work with Member States, so we are working on ways for the women to gain access to the legal support they need to pursue those claims.” A report about U.N. peacekeepers in Haiti shed unfavorable light on such claims in December, with claims of girls as young as 11 years old being paid with small amounts of money and food in exchange for sex.

Paula Donovan, the co-director of AIDS-Free World and the organization’s Code Blue campaign on stopping SEA by the U.N., said, “The U.N. is failing, […] the secretary-general’s new approach is not succeeding.”

Connors emphasized the fact that progress had been made to support victims, but not nearly enough: “There have been some positive outcomes, but there is a lot more work to do.”

Sources: Washington Post 03/13/20; United Nations 03/13/20; Washington Post 12/18/19.

French Priest Confesses to Abusing Dozens of Children

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

Earlier today Bernard Preynat, a 75-year-old ex-priest, was convicted and sentenced to prison for five years for sexual assault. Preynat admitted to abusing dozens of boys for nearly 20 years in Lyon, France. The case highlights the profound corruption within the Church’s establishments with the guilt of a top cardinal deepening the world’s understanding of clerical sexual abuse.

Preynat was formerly a Boy Scout leader and used his position to assault dozens of Boy Scouts for nearly two decades, from the 1970s to the 1990s. It is estimated that Preynat assaulted at least 80 boys between the ages of seven and 15. The trial lasted four days with ten of the victims testifying against him. The maximum sentence is 10 years; prosecutors asked for an eight-year sentence, but only a five-year sentence was handed down because of Preynat’s old age.

The case highlights the Church’s systematic issues of covering up sexual abuse. Last year, Phillipe Barbarin, Preynat’s superior, was accused of covering up Preynat’s history of abuse and was found guilty of failing to report the abuse. Barbarin was acquitted in January on appeal, and earlier this month Pope Francis accepted his resignation. In the past few years an immense amount of clerical sexual abuse has come to light, bringing more speculation about the Church’s handling of allegations, repercussions, and the safety of the children.

Sources: BBC News 3/16/20; New York Times 3/16/20

As Coronavirus Spreads, So Does Inequality Among Infected Persons

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

The coronavirus is deepening economic inequality throughout society, especially among those infected with the virus.

Research suggests that those of lower incomes are more at risk to catch the disease, die from it, and even if they manage to remain healthy they are more likely to suffer income loss. Additionally, inequality itself may be creating a multiplier effect on the spread of the coronavirus and it’s mortality rate.

As past research on influenza indicates, poverty and inequality often exacerbates transmission and mortality rates during an epidemic for people of all economic classes. Far from being a problem which only impacts persons of “lower economic strata,” this will affect the mortality rate universally. Wealth inequality, a problem that has plagued the U.S. for decades, is receiving attention now because it is not simply impacting low-income people.

This “mutually reinforcing cycle,” may be increasing the virus’s toll, as it effectively widens the socioeconomic divides that are major factors in the prevalence of right-wing populism, racial animosity, and deaths of despair. Public health experts confirm that these pre-existing vulnerabilities within society only get worse during a disaster, with the current pandemic being a prime example.

Each low-income family is at a higher risk of exposure, which can infect others. These consequences of inequality are most felt by the poor but have the ability to put broader society at risk. Two major factors that make the virus deadlier for those who become infected by it are old age and pre-existing health conditions. An underlying third factor is low socioeconomic status.

Sources: NY Times 03/15/2020; NY Times 03/06/2020

Women Resist, but Continue to Suffer Under Boko Haram

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

Over 500 women have been used by Boko Haram as suicide bombers during the decade-long war that has occurred in Nigeria and has spread to three neighboring countries. According to terrorism experts, this number is higher than any other conflict in history. Boko Haram is one of the most lethal terrorist organizations on the planet, particularly to women.

The New York Times has interviewed dozens of women who reported the choice given to them by Boko Haram: “marry” one of the group’s fighters or be a bomber. Some women choose to blow themselves up.

Some women have resisted these deadly efforts, however. Balaraba Mohammed is one of these women, and she had been told to go blow up a mosque. Mohammed and 5 other young women decided to lower their bombs into a well using their hijabs in order to try and avoid killing anyone, including themselves. They told their captors that they had lost their hijabs because they had run so quickly, which was believed.

After forcing the returned women to practice using weapons on live targets, Mohammed was once again sent on another bombing mission with other women captives. Lowering the bombs into a well again, the fighters were surprised they had returned so soon and shot one of the women who was supposed to be the group’s guide.

Boko Haram continues to terrorize Maiduguri, the location of the origin of the movement. Militants killed over 30 people there last month. Boko Haram’s terrorist campaign has displaced over 2 million people since 2009.

Balaraba Mohammed is only one of hundreds of women who were given only bad options. For women who manage to escape and survive Boko Haram, they face stigma when they return; some people believe the women may still be loyal to Boko Haram. Many women face harassment. One of Mohammed’s neighbors told her that it would be best if she were killed.

However Mohammed, like many other forgotten women in this conflict, continues to fight to survive.

Sources: New York Times, 3/13/20; Al Jazeera, 3/4/20.

‘Progressive Vanguard’ of LGBT Voters Showed Up for Democratic Primaries

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

Even though LGBT people make up about 4.5 percent of the entire US population, they made up more than 9 percent of voters who turned out for the Democratic primary elections. The “disproportionately high number” of LGBT voters who turned out were both younger and more liberal than non-LGBT voters in the primaries, according to data from an NBD News Exit Poll with data from 18 states that have already held their primary election.

 When LGBT Democratic primary voters were asked what “candidate qualities” they sought in a 2020 potential, 36 percent of LGBT voters said they wanted a person who “can bring about change,” 27 percent said somebody who “can unite the country,” while 26 percent said a candidate who “cares about people like me,” and 8 percent voiced their desire for “a fighter.”

Other demographics within this powerful 9 percent of voters, includes ages generally under 44 years of age (64 percent), and self-identified ideology of “liberal” (79 percent). 72 percent of LGBT Democratic primary voters were in support of “Medicare for All.” Additionally, when asked about President Trump, 83 percent described their feelings as “angry,” while 13 percent said they were “dissatisfied.”

After the 2016 election, results from an NBC News Exit Poll found that 78 percent of LGBT voters voted for Hillary Clinton, while 14 percent chose Trump. These voters come from California, Florida, Texas, New York in the highest numbers. Though there are many factors to be considered within this voting population, it’s clear that if LGBT voters continue to turn out in such high numbers, they will have the ability to create change in the 2020 election.

Sources: NBC 03/11/2020; NBC 11/15/16

Transgender Minors in NY Now Allowed to Change Their Gender Marker

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

Transgender individuals born in New York can now change their gender marker on their birth certificate before their 18th birthday thanks to a lawsuit by a 14-year-old trans boy, known only as M.H.W.

 

“Effective immediately, transgender individuals born in New York will have the right to make this deeply personal decision without the government’s unwarranted denial or without having their privacy violated,” announced New York Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday, “We will not allow an outdated policy to stop us from providing every individual with equal dignity and respect”.

 

According to the 2015 U.S. Transgender Survey nearly one-third (32 percent) of respondents “who have shown an ID with a name or gender that did not match their gender presentation were verbally harassed, denied benefits or service, asked to leave, or assaulted.”

 

Now that the policy has been changed, M.H.W. called this “awesome” and said that “Now all my identity paperwork matches, and I can go forward not having to worry about legal documents conflicting with who I am again. I get to just go on being me” according to the statement from Lambda Legal, the LGBTQ civil rights group who filed the suit for the teen.

 

Omar Gonzalez-Pagan, one of the Lambda Legal attorneys who worked on the case, claimed this win as a victory for all transgender individuals, saying “Every person should be recognized and respected for who they are, It shouldn’t take a minor and his family suing the state to get their rights recognized, but with this announcement, New York State eliminates an outdated and unjust barrier to transgender minors’ ability to be themselves and have accurate, essential identity documents”.

 

Transgender people formerly had to submit medical documentation to prove they had transitioned before being allowed to make changes to documents. The update is effective immediately.

 

 

NBC News 3/12/20; U.S. Transgender Survey 12/1/2016; LGBTQ Nation 3/12/20

Patients Seek Out-of-State Care as Missouri’s Only Abortion Clinic Threatened with Closure

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

Missouri’s strict abortion laws have begun pushing patients out of the state to seek reproductive healthcare, reports Planned Parenthood. The state’s only remaining abortion clinic has seen a severe drop in patients as it fights a legal battle against the state government to stay open.

The clinic, Reproductive Health Services of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region, provided just three abortions in February of 2020, down from 174 in February of 2019. The clinic has been embroiled in a licensing dispute with the state government since 2019, when officials claimed to find “deficient practices” at the clinic in a state audit. If the St. Louis Planned Parenthood closes, Missouri will become the first state without an abortion provider.

Missouri’s restrictive abortion laws have already forced most patients to cross state lines to receive abortion care. Missouri has imposed laws designed to discourage people from seeking abortions, including requiring patients to view an ultrasound and read a booklet including the line, “[t]he life of each human being begins at conception.” After patients meet those requirements, they must wait an additional 72 hours to receive their abortion. Patients must pay for everything out-of-pocket, as Missouri has banned insurance coverage of abortions.

The effect of these laws is a denial of access to abortion care. Many patients without the time or money needed to satsify Missouri’s requirements are travelling to nearby states with more liberal abortion laws, like Illinois. “When they are weighing their options, the majority of patients are clearly seeing that abortion access is so unmanageable that they’re choosing to cross state lines,” said Yamelsie Rodriguez, CEO of Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region and Southwest Missouri.

A state commission is expected to issue a decision on the licensing of the St. Louis Planned Parenthood clinic in the next few weeks.

Sources: NPR 3/12/20; Vox 10/28/19; The Kansas City Star 10/24/17

Menstrual Equity Movement Spotlights Period Inequality

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

The movement known as menstrual or period equity aims to eliminate taxes on menstrual products as well as provide supplies to people who need the products the most, such as in homeless shelters, schools, and prisons. Proponents of menstrual equity point to challenges facing people who are unable to access menstrual supplies, some of which include being unable to attend work or school, or health issues like infection or toxic shock syndrome.

“A human being should not have to choose between food and tampons,” said Geoff Davis, volunteer executive director of Period Kits, who added he has heard stories of women putting newspaper, cotton balls or T-shirts in their underwear because they could not afford menstrual products. Period Kits is a non-profit in Colorado that supplies a bag of tampons and pads that will last three months to people in need.

Out of the 50 states in the United States, only 13 in addition to the District of Columbia do not tax menstrual supplies. Introduced by Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) last March, U.S. House Bill HR 1882 called for more affordability and availability for menstrual supplies, but the bill remains in committee.

“Period poverty,” or insufficient supplies during one’s menstrual cycle, is more well-known in developing countries, but it exists in the United States as well. Federal safety-net programs such as the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or food stamps, do not provide tampons or pads. Those who argue against repeal of the tampon tax point to the loss in revenue for states that would occur.

“Menstruation is not out in the public. It’s covered up. We don’t talk about it a lot,” Anne Sebert Kuhlmann, associate professor at St. Louis University’s College for Public Health and Social Justice, said. “It hasn’t entered our conversation about basic needs.” Kuhlmann, one of the first to quantify period poverty in the United States, discovered that at some point in 2017 nearly two-thirds of low-income women were unable to afford period supplies.

Many advocates for repealing the tampon tax ask why tampons are taxed yet Viagra is not. “The tampon tax amounts to sex-based discrimination,” said Jennifer Weiss-Wolf, a co-founder of the nonprofit Period Equity, which is leading a campaign to eliminate the tax.

Sources: Kaiser Health News, 3/12/20; New York Times, 7/12/19.

Colorado Replaces Columbus Day with A Paid Holiday That Celebrates a Woman

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

Colorado passed a bill this week to replace Columbus Day with Cabrini Day in an effort to better represent the diversity of its community. It will now be the first paid state holiday in the country to celebrate a woman.

The holiday now honors Frances Xaxier Cabrini or Mother Cabrini, an Italian American Roman Catholic nun, revered for her work creating schools, hospitals, and orphanages in the Americas. She was the first US citizen to be canonized as a Saint by the Roman Catholic Church. Her work is celebrated in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and countries throughout Latin America all places where she founded institutions. Senator Chris Hansen, one of the bill’s sponsor’s stated, “We need holidays to recognize the contributions of women across history.”

Although some women have gained days of recognition, this will be the first paid state holiday, a notable change in how states honor history. The holiday can now be celebrated in a positive light. Columbus Day nationwide is a controversial holiday and some states have stopped observing it. Campaigns of indigenous people and allies have demanded Columbus Day be changed to Indigenous People’s Day in a multitude of states. Representative Adrienne Benavidez, another bill sponsor, said it was a step forward in properly honoring history.

Legislation for the bill began in 2007 and now passed will take effect near August. The last step needed is the governor’s signature. He has previously stated he will sign it and is a supporter of the bill.

Sources: CNN 3/11/20; The Denver Post 3/10/20

Guatamalan Refugee Maria Celeste Ochoa Yoc de Ramirez Dies in ICE Custody

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

22-year-old Maria Celeste Ochoa Yoc de Ramirez died in ICE Custody in Fort Worth, Texas, on Sunday. This marks the eighth death in ICE Custody since October.

The cause of death was “autoimmune hepatitis, complicated by septic shock and acute liver failure,” according to an ICE Press release. Ochoa Yoc de Ramírez had been hospitalized in the Texas Health Fort Worth hospital since February 28.

Ochoa Yoc de Ramírez was first apprehended by Border Patrol agents in September, near Hidalgo, Texas. Over the course of her detention, Ochoa Yoc de Ramírez was hospitalized several times–once for surgery, once for abdominal pain, and once before her death.

Like many of the immigrants who died in ICE Custody, she was seeking humanitarian protection. ICE noted that Ochoa had already passed a crucial first step in seeking asylum, her “credible fear” interview.

Over the past year, conditions in ICE facilities have come under increased scrutiny. Congress began an investigation into ICE detention and border patrol practices, citing concerns about family separations and medical abuse of immigrants. In December, Buzzfeed News reported a whistleblower complaint, which showed widespread medical abuse in ICE facilities. There were “reports of detainees being given incorrect medication, suffering from delays in treating withdrawal symptoms, and one who was allowed to become so mentally unstable he lacerated his own penis and required reparative surgery.”

ICE maintains that deaths in the agency’s custody are “exceedingly rare and occur at a fraction of the national average for the U.S. detained population.”

Rafael Ochoa wants justice for his sister. “We are heartbroken,” Ochoa, stated in an interview with the Dallas Morning News, “We want justice. She is not the first Guatemalan to die…We want justice.” He added, “My sister did not suffer from any disease. My little sister was full of life at only 22 years old.”

[ICE, 3/9/2020] [Dallas Morning News, 3/10/2020] [CBS News, 3/9/2020] [Buzzfeed News, 12/12/2019] [Dallas Morning News, 3/10/2020]

U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Continues to Dominate; Fight with U.S. Soccer Federation Ongoing

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

 

The United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) gained yet another win in a soccer game against Spain in the SheBelieves Cup yesterday, shutting them down with a narrow 1-0 win. A win against the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF), however, is less certain.

There is no dispute that the USWNT continues its domination on the field. After a 2-0 win against England on Thursday, who placed fourth in the Women’s World Cup this past summer in an increasingly talented pool, the women’s team shut out Spain with a header goal from Julie Ertz in the 87th minute. The team is now unbeaten for 30 games, and new head coach Vlatko Andonovski has a perfect 9-0 record. Indeed, it has been 14 months since the U.S. women’s soccer team has seen a loss after losing to France in January 2019. The women have scored 28 goals and conceded 0.

Clearly, the USWNT is doing well and represented U.S. soccer well with a stunning display of dominance. The interests of the team off the field do not represent the interests of USSF as the team’s lawsuit for gender discrimination continues. The USWNT set $67 million two weeks ago in courts filings in California as its price for settlement of its suit, but Carlos Cordeiro, president of USSF, said the team was demanding millions more in interviews on Saturday and Sunday. The federation, on the other hand, asked the court to dismiss the suit.

The team has pointed to World Cup payouts as one of the biggest examples of the pay gap. The women received $4 million after winning its fourth World Cup title this summer whereas the French men’s team received $38 million for winning the title in 2018. USSF points to the fact that FIFA controls payout, not U.S. Soccer. In a public letter by Cordeiro released a day before the game against Spain, he makes this point and says the federation simply can’t afford to pay the difference.

In response, the players dismissed the letter in a statement. “People can’t build financial models that diminish women,” Molly Levinson, a spokeswoman for the players, said.

Sources: New York Times, 3/8/20, 2/21/20.

Harvey Weinstein Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison on Wednesday morning.

The sentencing comes after a jury found him guilty of rape and a criminal sexual act on February 24. He was acquitted of two counts of predatory sexual assault and first-degree rape. Justice James A. Burke of the New York State Supreme Court could have sentenced Weinstein to anywhere from five to 29 years in prison. Weinstein will be formally registered as a sex offender but will be eligible for supervised release after 23 years.

The lead prosecutor for the case, Joan Illuzi, said that a long list of allegations of sexual assault against Weinstein showed “a lifetime of abuse toward others, sexual and otherwise” and a “total lack of remorse for the harm he has caused.” She praised the six women who testified against Weinstein, saying that without their words, “the defendant would have never been stopped from hurting and destroying more lives.”

Jessica Mann, one of the survivors who testified, said of Weinstein, “This was a known offender.”

The allegations against Weinstein were a landmark in the #MeToo movement, which has exposed widespread sexual misconduct across various industries. On October 5, 2017, the New York Times published an article describing how Weinstein paid off sexual harassment accusers for decades. In the days after, more than 100 women came forward to describe their experiences of harassment, misconduct and abuse at the hands of Weinstein, who was fired from his multimillion dollar production company. Ronan Farrow of the New Yorker published two articles (here and here), and later a book entitled Catch and Kill, investigating how Weinstein and other powerful men abused their power, fame and money to suppress their survivors.

Actress Mira Sorvino, who has spoken about her experience being harassed by Weinstein and later her experience with helping expose him, described her reaction to his conviction: “I literally cried tears of amazement, gratitude that the justice system has worked on behalf of all of his victims today.”

Sources: New York Times 03/11/20; New York Times 02/24/20; Hollywood Reporter 03/11/20; TIME 03/11/20; New York Times 10/05/17; The New Yorker 10/10/17; The New Yorker 11/06/17; New York Times 10/11/19; Hollywood Reporter 12/08/17; Mira Sorvino 03/11/20.

Canada Proposes Comprehensive Nationwide Conversion Therapy Ban

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

In a landmark move, Canada’s federal government has proposed legislation to criminalize forced conversion therapy for LGBTQ people. The legislation would also prohibit conversion therapy for minors.

“Conversion therapy” is a range of abusive practices performed to change a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity or expression. These practices, based on the antiquated idea that LGBTQ identities are curable mental illnesses, have been condemned by national health associations and widely debunked. In the United States, about 350,000 LGBTQ people underwent conversion therapy as minors, typically in the form of talk therapy. It can have detrimental effects on those who are subjected to it, including depression, anxiety, drug use, homelessness, and suicide.

The proposed legislation would amend Canada’s Criminal Code to make it illegal to force someone to undergo conversion therapy against their will, advertise or profit from conversion therapy, subject a minor to conversion therapy, or take a minor out of the country to do so. It would also give courts the power to order the removal of digital and physical conversion therapy advertisements.

“Conversion therapy has been discredited and denounced by professionals and health associations in Canada, the United States and around the world,” said David Lametti, Canada’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General. “It has no basis [in] science or facts.”

Beginning with Ontario in 2015, four Canadian provinces have banned or restricted conversion therapy. In 2018, the federal government rejected two petitions for a nationwide ban put forward by the public.

If this legislation passes, Canada will join Ecuador, Brazil, Malta, Germany, and Taiwan to become the sixth country in the world to ban conversion therapy. Nearly half of all US states—including California, Rhode Island, and most recently Virginia—have passed legislation banning or limiting conversion therapy.

Sources: NBC News 3/3/20, 3/10/20; BBC News 3/9/20; EuroNews 11/22/19

UN Commission on the Status of Women Reaffirms Plan to Achieve Gender Equality

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

On March 9, the Commission on the Status of Women, the primary United Nations body promoting women’s rights, reaffirmed a 1995 plan to achieve gender equality and has pledged to work rapidly to meet rising levels of gender inequality and conservative hostility.

According to a release from the Associated Press, the plan is a “political declaration” that backs a “150-page platform for action adopted by 189 countries at the 1995 Beijing women’s conference.” During an annual meeting, “diplomats and civil society representatives in the General Assembly hall burst into applause when Armenia’s US Ambassador Mher Margaryan, the commission chair, banged a gavel signifying the declaration’s approval by consensus by the commission’s 45 member nations from all regions of the world.”

During the event, Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General, said that “gender inequality is the overwhelming injustice of our age and the biggest human rights challenge we face.” And before the adoption, he said to the commission that “change is urgently needed” as “centuries of discrimination, deep-rooted patriarchy and misogyny have created a yawning gender power gap in our economics, our political systems and our corporations.”

The release also noted that today’s declaration was an act to reaffirm the Beijing document and express that “progress has not been fast or deep enough… that major gaps remain and that obstacles, including structural barriers, discriminatory practices and the feminization of poverty persist” and shows that there is a formal plan to take and institute “concrete action to ensure the full, effective and accelerated implementation” to combat gender inequality.

In a statement to the commission, UN Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Nguka declared that, “we are impatient and cannot yield even an inch to push-backs,” as “we have to push forward.”

Sources: NY Post 3/10, Associated Press 3/2020, UN Women 3/2020

Hillary Clinton: Abandoning Afghan Women’s Rights is Not Just Morally Wrong – It Is Dangerous

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

At a UN meeting on the recent deal between the U.S. and the Taliban about the role of Afghan women’s rights today in New York, Secretary Hillary Clinton emphasized that “encouraging women’s participation is not only the right thing to do; it is the strategic and necessary thing to do for peace, prosperity and security.”

In her speech at the UN, sponsored by the Group of Friends of Women in Afghanistan and led by the Afghanistan Mission to the UN, she stated that Afghans from all walks of life have made it clear that they want peace and an end to violence and casualties. “Yet it is difficult to have an agreement when you leave out the government of the country that you are expecting to uphold it and live under that agreement. And it is difficult to sustain an agreement if you leave out half the population in forging it,” stated Clinton.

In the meeting, many other prominent members of the group along with Afghan women leaders spoke of the achievements of the Afghan women in the last 18 years as well as the dangers of losing their rights once again. In her remarks, Nargis Nehan, an Afghan advocate for women’s rights reminded the audience, “Please don’t look at Afghanistan as a failed project. It has been difficult because of the many complexities, but it is not failed. Much has been achieved in education, maternal mortality, women’s leadership and role in society.”

Orzala Nemat also reminded everyone that “inclusivity” does not mean only the representation of women in the peace process, but that there are Afghan women experts in every field, civil society, economics, developments, etc. “Afghan women must be in every field,” emphasized Nemat.

As the former secretary of state, Clinton said that she knows how difficult this negotiation must have been because from the very beginning the Taliban rejected to talk to the Afghan government but that, “we must simply not accede to those wishes, leaving the Afghan government on the hook.”

Secretary Clinton advocated for Afghan women’s rights as a First Lady and then as a Senator and Secretary of State. She recognizes the plights of Afghan women and the progress they have achieved. “It is clear that Afghan women are rightly afraid not just for their rights and the Constitution that was written to protect them,” she said, “but literally afraid that the gains they have made with all of our help will be washed away in a rush to achieve a peace that will not hold anyway. This is not just morally wrong. This is dangerous.”

As a strong supporter of women’s human rights, she told that audience that, “We must not allow a reign of terror against [Afghan] women and girls. The women of Afghanistan have come too far to be excluded from the negotiation table while their rights are being stripped away. It is also true that we cannot allow that to happen to Afghan women and girls because there is a direct correlation between what will happen in the country, in the region, and indeed the world because of that.

The Group of Friends of Women Afghanistan was created by the Afghanistan Mission at the UN last year to emphasize the importance of women’s rights and underscore that women’s protection and empowerment are critical pillars of a just and fair society. The Group is working to ensure that the UN resolution 1325 on Women Peace and Security will be implemented throughout the negotiations process in Afghanistan.

UN, 3/10/20

UN Secretary-General Points to Gender Equality as Biggest Challenge

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

On Friday, before the observation of International Women’s Day, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres asserted that gender equality is “the biggest human rights challenge we face” in the midst of men who abuse their power. Guterres added that he himself is a “proud feminist.”

A report by UN Women found that millions of women across the globe continue to experience poverty, violence, and discrimination; even 25 years after 189 countries adopted a 189-page road map to achieve gender equality. The report points to numbers that demonstrate the lag, such as how nearly half a million women and girls over the age of 15 are illiterate, or the fact that over 70 percent of lawmakers, parliamentarians, and managers are men.

The UN Development Program’s Gender Social Norms Index also reveals that nearly 90 percent of men and women are at least somewhat biased against women. About half of the world believes that men are more suitable political leaders, and about 28 percent believe it is acceptable for a husband to beat his wife, according to the index.

“Deep-rooted patriarchy and misogyny have created a yawning gender power gap in our economies, our political systems, our corporations, our societies and our culture,” Guterres said. “Women are still very frequently denied a voice; their opinions are ignored and their experience discounted.” Citing recent examples such as high-profile peace agreements and emergency health care meetings on the new coronavirus, the secretary-general said there are no or few women participating in leading critical issues.

Francoise Girard, president of the International Women’s Health Coalition, noted how critical it is for governments to be committed to reproductive rights and body autonomy. “Controlling your body — sexual and reproduction and free of violence — is critical to everything else,” she told The Associated Press. “It’s critical to education, to employment, to political participation, to sitting on boards of companies. All these things won’t happen unless you control your body.”

Sources: Politico, 3/8/20; UNDP, 2020.

Mexican Women Stay Home in “A Day Without Women” to Protest Femicide

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

Countless women skipped school, work, and other social functions yesterday as part of a 24-hour strike to protest the unprecedented levels of violence against women. This left offices and classrooms half full, trains and buses empty and fewer cars on the streets.

To the women participating, this strike was about “showing, socially … how valuable we women are, our contribution, and what would happen if one day we were not around. In all aspects: as homemakers, as workers, as consumers,” Lluvia Flores Gómez told The Associated Press.

Femicide, or the murder of women on account of their gender, has increased 137% in the last five years in Mexico. About 10 women every day are killed.

Women make up around 40% of Mexico’s workforce, and their absence for the day could cost the country millions. However, many big companies like Sears, L’Oréal, and Walmart gave female employees a paid day of leave – so did the Mexican government.

“This is a very important cause, it’s not a game, not a vacation day,” said Ileana Lopez, one of the women who participated in the strike yesterday, “Women have to fight for their rights every day.”

The strike follows International Women’s Day which was on Sunday. Around 80,000 women marched in Mexico City to protest violence against women on Sunday and continued the protest with the strike the following day.

The impact that “A Day Without Women” had was noticeable. One school tweeted photos of half empty classrooms, noting that “This is how our classrooms would be every day” if the rate of femicide continues. Another man tweeted a photo of an empty bus, saying “The city without women looks very sad”.

NPR 3/9/20; LaJornada 2/11/20; The Associated Press 3/10/20; Twitter 3/9/20, 3/9/20.

Taliban Resumes Killing Afghans Despite Agreement with the U.S.; Human Rights, Women’s Rights, Democracy Omitted

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

Shortly after the U.S. and the Taliban signed a so-called peace agreement, the Taliban resumed their attacks across Afghanistan in 24 of its 34 provinces. Between February 29th and March 4th, the Taliban conducted 76 attacks. More than 100 Afghan government officials and civilians have been killed in these attacks. In a major attack today in Kabul, 30 civilians were killed and dozens wounded too.

The agreement does not guarantee preserving the human rights of Afghan women, minority ethnic groups, and upholding the Constitution of Afghanistan which establishes a democracy. Eleanor Smeal, President of the Feminist Majority Foundation, who has advocated for Afghan women’s rights for nearly 25 years states that while U.S. officials did not include any of these critical issues in the U.S.-Taliban agreement, “it is imperative that they are addressed in the negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government. The Taliban must not succeed in rolling back the amazing progress that has been made with so much blood and treasure by Afghans, the U.S., and our international allies. The Afghan people, especially Afghan women have made it clear time and again that they do not want to go back to live under the Taliban rule which denies them freedom, human rights, and women’s rights.”

In the midst of these attacks, President Trump called the Taliban leader and described his conversation with him as “good” and that “we had, actually, a very good talk…,” seemingly ignoring the violence by the terrorist group.

In the deal between the U.S. and Taliban, the U.S. commits to withdrawing all of its military forces including the coalition partners, “contractors, all non-diplomatic civilian personnel, private security contractors, trainers, advisors, and supporting services personnel within 14 months.” In return, the Taliban guarantees that they will not attack U.S. forces during this period and “will prevent the use of the soil of Afghanistan by any group or individual against the security of the United States and its allies.”

The deal placed the Taliban above the elected and internationally recognized Afghan government, led by President Ashraf Ghani, a strong ally of the United States. The exclusion of the Afghan government has further boosted the ego of the Taliban leadership, who claims with this agreement to have won the war and defeated the U.S. and the Afghan government.

In the days leading up to the signing of the agreement, the Taliban and the U.S. agreed on a “reduction of violence,” for seven days. The reduction in violence for the seven day period was to reduce violence by 80%. The Taliban has since ramped up their attacks on the Afghan civilians and the Afghan government. As part of the agreement, the Taliban had also agreed to lowering violence, but no clarity has been given on how to measure the low violence. The reality on the ground, however, suggests that they are back in full swing in fighting the Afghan civilians and targeting the Afghan government.

UK Court Judges Dubai Sheikh on Abusive Treatment of Wife and Daughters

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

A family court in the United Kingdom has judged, on the civil standard, that Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum of Dubai orchestrated abductions of two of his daughters and subjected his wife to a campaign of intimidation after she advocated for her daughters’ freedom.

In April 2019, the sheikh’s former wife, Princess Haya of Jordan, fled to London with their two young children, and raised allegations regarding the sheikh’s treatment of their family.

In 2000, one daughter, Sheikha Shamsa, was abducted by agents of the sheikh in the UK and forcibly returned to Dubai where she remains in captivity.

Another daughter, Sheikha Latifa, has attempted twice to escape the sheikh’s control. After an attempt in 2002, the sheikh imprisoned Sheikha Latifa in Dubai for over three years. In 2018, Sheikha Latifa paid a Frenchman thousands of dollars to take her to India, hoping to eventually claim asylum in the United States, but the sheikh’s forces abducted her off the Indian coast and forcibly returned her to Dubai. She claims that she has been exposed to constant torture under house arrest, including solitary confinement in the dark, and regular beatings

In a viral YouTube video, Sheikha Latifa described the restrictions that drove her to flee: “I’m not allowed to drive. I’m not allowed to travel or leave Dubai at all. I can’t. I haven’t left the country since 2000. I’ve been asking a lot just to go traveling, to study, to do anything normal. They don’t let me.”

In response to Princess Haya questioning the treatment of their daughters, the sheikh orchestrated a series of episodes to intimidate his wife. The court determined that the sheikh arranged for Princess Haya to be abducted via helicopter, instructed staff to leave guns in her bedroom, divorced her without her knowledge, threatened to abduct their children, and published threatening notes about her online.

The sheikh has denied all allegations, arguing that all episodes were efforts to protect or rescue his daughters. Conversely, human rights advocates welcome the court’s judgement, arguing that the sheikh’s treatment of his daughters and wife likely violate international human rights norms.

Alabama Executes Yet Another African-American With Case Discrepancies

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

The state of Alabama executed death row inmate Nathaniel Woods last night for allegedly murdering three Birmingham police officers in 2004. Pronounced dead at 9:01pm local time, Woods gave no final statement, according to the state corrections department. He was 44 years old at the time of his execution by lethal injection.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey refused Woods’ clemency application despite the controversial nature of the case, and the United States Supreme Court ordered a temporary halt to the execution only minutes before it was scheduled to be carried out only to deny the last-minute stay.

Although Woods was convicted in 2005 of capital murder, there was doubt at the time surrounding a number of aspects of his case, including his culpability and his representation. His co-defendant, Kerry Spencer, said that Woods was innocent. Spencer also noted that Woods ran when gunfire broke out, and he claimed full responsibility for fatally shooting the three officers. Also on death row in Alabama, Spencer said, “Nate is absolutely innocent.”

Martin Luther King III also urged Governor Ivey to stop the execution. In a letter to the governor, he wrote, “Killing this African American man, whose case appears to have been strongly mishandled by the courts, could produce an irreversible injustice.”

Woods’ attorneys have pointed to previous mishandling of Woods’ case. They said that due to his socioeconomic status his representation was a court-appointed lawyer who had never handled a capital case and who ultimately inadequately investigated the case. Additionally, there is no record of Woods ever being offered a plea deal. Former District Attorney David Barber, who prosecuted Woods, has submitted an affidavit saying he has no knowledge of any proffered deal.

The surviving police officer, Michael Collins, has stated that he knew it was not Woods who shot at him. However, in the state of Alabama, even if a person did not pull the trigger, accomplices are still eligible for the death penalty.

Sources: CNN, 3/6/20; NBC, 3/5/20; The Hill, 3/5/20.

>