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.

Supreme Court Announces Trump Transgender Military Ban can Immediately take effect

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The Supreme Court announced this morning that the Trump administrations’ ban on transgender military service can immediately take effect, impacting over 9,000 Service members, but the Supreme Court declined hear arguments regarding the ban’s constitutionality. Appeals to lower courts will continue but the Supreme Court issued a stay of lower courts’ injunctions which prevented the policy from being implemented when it was tweeted in 2017.

In a 5-4 vote, the more liberal Supreme Court Justices all voted against granting the stay, while Chief Justice John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh voted to immediately implement the ban. The Supreme Court decided against hearing arguments as to whether the ban was constitutional but multiple lower courts have ruled that the policy is most likely unconstitutional.

On January 3rd, the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit reversed an injunction against the implementation of the policy. This ruling did not immediately go into effect because there were multiple district court injunctions. However, the Supreme Court ruling halts the enforcement of all injunctions. This is the first time Trump’s transgender ban will be allowed to go into full effect.

In July 2017, Trump tweeted, “After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept nor allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military;” this tweet surprised the Pentagon and was later officially released by former Secretary of Defense, James Mattis. While Trump’s initially tweet alludes to an outright ban of Transgender individuals from military service, the official policy from Mattis bans individuals from military service if they have transitioned and if they have a condition known as gender dysphoria.

A 2016 Obama administration policy first allowed transgender individuals to serve and transgender individuals have been able to join the military since 2018. Trump administration officials have repeatedly emphasized their concern over the effects transgender troops serving openly might have on health care costs within and the “readiness and lethality” of the military. A 2016 RAND Corporation study commissioned by the Defense Department concluded that letting these troops serve openly would have a “minimal impact” on readiness and health care costs, largely because there are so few in the military’s 1.3 million-member force.

Specifically, the study estimates that total costs for hormone treatment and gender transition surgery could range from $2.4 to $8.4 million, an amount which would also represent “an exceedingly small proportion” of total military health care expenditures, which amount to more than $50 billion dollars per year, including $84 million a year on erectile dysfunction medications.

Media Resources: Buzzfeed News 1/22/19; CNN 1/22/19; Feminist Newswire 7/26/17; Forbes 3/12/12; The RAND Corporation 2016

Government Shutdown Now at 32nd Day, Impacting Federal Workers

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On Saturday, during a White House address, President Trump stated he would grant a temporary three-year protection for Deferred Action For Child Arrivals (DACA) immigrants from deportation, without a pathway to citizenship, in exchange for $5.7 billion to fund a permanent wall on the U.S. – Mexico border. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced he would put Trump’s proposition into a bill and present it to the floor by the end of the week, despite refusing to allow any funding bills from the House onto the Senate floor. Democratic leaders consider the plan “dead on arrival” because of the temporary and limited protections for DACA recipients. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stated that “the [Trump’s] proposal does not include the permanent solution for the Dreamers and TPS recipients that our country needs and supports.”

Last Thursday, the State Department called for employees to report back during the government shutdown and proclaimed they will be paid for a minimum of one pay period. However, the employees will not be paid for work done so far, until appropriations bills are passed. The deputy undersecretary of management, Bill Todd, declared that the department is attempting to make funds available to pay employee salaries.

As the government shutdown continues into its 32nd day, 800,000 federal workers are still without pay ad last week received $0.00 paychecks. The House Democratic leadership has put forth and voted on bills to cease the partial government shut down that Mitch McConnell refuses to bring to a vote in the Senate. Despite the Democrats proposal of granting $1.3 billion towards stricter border security, President Trump refuses to accept anything other than his desired $5.7 billion Democrats are eager to end the shutdown, but are firm in their refusal to sacrifice billions of dollars for Trump’s wall. There seems to be no end in sight for the government shutdown.

Federal workers are now motivated to look for new, or second jobs. However, not all federal workers are able to leave their current positions despite the government shutdown. Employees deemed indispensable are obligated to continue working without pay or risk losing their jobs. However, unlike civilian federal employees, Coast Guard members may face criminal charges for being absent without approved leave. In the early stages of the shut down late last year, the White House gathered money together to payroll federal workers, including Coast Guard members, but no funds remain to do so this year. If funding is not sorted by February, over 50,000 Coast Guard retirees could see their pensions held up. Working without being paid puts the livelihoods of federal employees at stake, whether financial or otherwise, as many federal workers may no longer be able to afford their daily expenses.

Media Resources: NBC News 1/19/19; Politico 1/17/19; The Wall Street Journal 1/16/19; New
York Times 1/14/19; Feminist News 1/9/19

Afghan Woman Appointed to Key UN Post

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Sima Samar, a top Afghan human rights and women’s rights advocate, was appointed to the United Nations High Level Advisory Board of Mediation. Dr. Samar has been a leading advocate for human rights and women’s rights and has served in high ranking roles since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001. Since then, she served as the first Minister for Women’s Affairs in the Afghan government and, until recently, was serving as the Chairperson of Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. Between 2005-2009, Dr. Samar was also the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in Sudan.

The UN High Level Advisory Board on Mediation is comprised of 18 current and former leaders, all experts in different areas of international affairs and conflict resolution and mediation. The Advisory Board is a new initiative by the current UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, established in September of 2017. The goal is to work on specific mediation initiatives and efforts to tackle conflict around the globe and take on preventative measures in fragile areas.

In addition to Dr. Samar, Adela Raz, another Afghan woman, will be leading the Afghanistan mission in the United Nations. She will be the first woman to represent Afghanistan on a global stage at the UN. Although there is much to be done to accomplish equality in Afghanistan, Afghan women have proved to be resilient and have come a long way. These two appointments are the examples of many in the leadership positions inside the country as well as representing Afghanistan outside.

 

Media Resources: Tolo News 1/18/19

Taliban Threatens To Pull Out Of Afghan Peace Talks

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This week, the Taliban threatened to pull out of the Afghan peace talks, led by Zalmai Khalilzad–former US ambassador to Iraq and Afghanistan and current envoy assigned to bring the negotiators to the table–impeding progress to negotiating the end of the war. The Taliban insurgents are now demanding the withdrawal of the US troops in a clear attempt to re-impose their strict laws, violate human and women’s rights, and isolate Afghanistan from the global political scene. Last week, the Taliban also canceled their fourth meeting with Khalilzad over disagreement on the agenda, further forcing their demands in an attempt to dominate the talks.

The Taliban, a necessary negotiator to reach an end to the war, has long refused to come to the peace talks with Afghan officials. The leaders of this insurgent group view the Afghan government as illegitimate and foreign-imposed on Afghans. They have continuously insisted on first brokering a deal with the United States, who toppled their regime in 2001. Afghan and American officials have been persistent in asking the Taliban leaders to speak with the Afghan officials, not American officials.

During the ongoing peace talks, the Taliban has not stopped their militant activities, executing major attacks on civilians. Just days ago, the Taliban took responsibility for a major attack in Kabul, killing and wounding more than 115 civilians. Although the target was an expatriate’s compound, the Taliban fighters blew up a car-bomb in a densely populated civilian neighborhood. This is not unusual. The Taliban militants have a history of carrying attacks in heavily civilian-populated areas.

The recent peace talks and developments at times have offered a glimmer of hope after years of violence and failed attempts to negotiate an end to the war in the country. But  Afghan officials warn that a hasty process and imposing any new type of government structure in the country can jeopardize stability in the long run.

The recent peace discussions took months of preparations and secret meetings with the various parties involved, including the Afghan government, the Taliban, the United States, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan has been a main focus for Khalilzad’s peace meetings because Pakistan has given sanctuary to the Taliban leaders. Throughout the past 17 years, this protection by Pakistan has challenged the military power of the international coalition in Afghanistan to defeat the Taliban.

 

Media Resources: Tolo News 1/16/19, 1/17/19; Al Jazeera 1/16/19, 1/15/19

Virginia Senate Passes ERA

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The Republican majority Senate of the state of Virginia passed a resolution to ratify the federal Equal Rights Amendment on Tuesday, the 15th. The resolution was passed by a vote of 26 to 14. Republicans control the Virginia Senate with a 21 to 19 majority. Seven Republicans joined all 19 Democrats in the Senate to support the ratification of the ERA. The resolution now goes to the House. The Senate has passed the resolution five times in the past, but in the Virginia House the Privileges and Elections Committee has blocked the resolution from coming to the floor for a vote.

The ERA was introduced also in the Virginia House of Delegates, by cosponsors, Hala Ayala (D), Luke Torian (D), and Jennifer Carroll Foy (D). The House bill was referred to House privileges and elections committee, whose chair has been known to be opposed to the ERA.  The Senate resolution can now also cross over to the House. If the House passes the ERA, the state of Virginia will become the 38th state to ratify the ERA.

The Virginia House due to the 2017 elections now has a majority vote for the ERA. In 2017, 15 new pro ERA delegates were elected, of which 11 are women, two of whom are the chief sponsors of the resolution. Supports of the ERA are hopeful that it is time to reverse 46 years of the Virginia general assembly blocking passage of the ERA.

Eleanor Smeal, President of the Feminist Majority, a national organization headquartered in Virginia, said that, “a drum is beating for the ERA. It is only a matter of time – short time – that Virginia ratifies its ERA.”

The ERA passed both houses of the U.S. Congress in 1972, and like every proposed amendment to the U.S. Constitution, was sent to the states for ratification. The ERA has received renewed attention following the election of Donald Trump, pushing Nevada and Illinois to become the 36th and 37th states respectively to ratify. If the ERA is ratified by 38 states and becomes the law of the land, women would be mentioned in the Constitution for the first time, and there would be a guarantee against the Supreme Court , Congress, or state legislatures gutting equality on the basis of sex.

Afghan Women Athletes Report Assault

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Women athletes on the Afghanistan national football team have come out with serious allegations of sexual and physical assault against leaders of the Football Federation of Afghanistan (AFF), an affiliate of FIFA, including its president Keramuudin Karim.

FIFA promised to examine the allegations and suspended the president until investigations are completed. The Afghan government has also said they will investigate the allegations. Sponsor companies like Hummel withdrew support for the team, pointing to the allegations as a breach of contract by the leadership of AFF.

The allegations come as Afghan women’s participation in sports is on the rise. Since the fall of the Taliban a decade and a half ago, women’s participation in sports like cycling, bowling, cricket, football, taekwondo, and boxing have come a long way, with women forming their own sports clubs and teams.

Though women continue to call attention to the lack of facilities, resources, and government support for women’s athletics, some teams are garnering support from western donors. The United States has been one of the leading supporters of women’s engagement in sports.

In August, Hanifa Yousufi made history by becoming the first woman to summit Mt. Noshaq, Afghanistan’s tallest peak. Yousoufi founded the organization Ascend Athletics, a nonprofit that trains women for 2 years in leadership and physical training.

Media Resources: Tolo News 12/3/18, 12/13/18; The Guardian 11/30/18; Feminist News 10/11/18

Los Angeles Teachers Strike

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Yesterday, Los Angeles (LA) teachers went on strike, for the first time in 30 years, to protest class sizes, the lack of librarians, nurses, and counselors, and disagreements over pay raises with LA district leaders. Contract negotiations between the union, LA United Teachers, and the district began in early 2017 without significant progress. As LA is the second largest school district in the United States, about 480,000 schools have been affected.

Roughly 50,000 teachers gathered at City Hall yesterday to march to the LA school district headquarters on the first day of the strike. Mayor Eric Garcetti spoke to the crowd at City Hall, stating that he was “immensely proud of Los Angeles’ teachers today for standing up for what I believe is a righteous cause.”  He continued to say that he believes that “lower class size” and “support staff to keep our children healthy, to keep them counseled well for their college and their careers” is a “righteous cause.”

The main point of contention between the school district and the teachers’ union is debate over the amount of money the district has to spend to meet the teachers’ demands. The district argues that they do not have enough money to afford meeting all of the demands the teachers are requiring. However, California Governor Gavin Newsom released a proposed budget that includes more public education funding. While the district proposed an additional $130 million dollars to reduce class sizes, guaranteed librarians at every middle school and high school, an additional counselor in high schools, and the county offered an extra $10 million dollars for mental health services, these guarantees would only last one year. The union has denied this proposal.

Mayor Garcetti said that it, “gives him more energy for making sure we can get a just, fair, and responsible contract for our teachers and get teachers and students back to school, back to the classroom where they belong.”  As of today, the teachers will continue to strike.

2018 saw a wave of teacher strikes across the country from Chicago, to Arizona, to West Virginia, to Oklahoma. Teachers are demanding higher pay, more resources, and smaller class sizes.

According to he US Department of Education, more than 75% of public school teachers are women, which according to many women’s rights activists, contributes to the fact that teachers are undervalued and underpaid across the country.

Media Resources: NPR 1/15/19; LA Times 1/14/19

Education for Displaced Girls Signed into Law

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The Protecting Girls’ Access to Education in Vulnerable Settings Act was signed into law yesterday. The Act seeks to provide quality primary and secondary education for children, especially girls in displaced areas. The bill authorizes the State Department and USAID to support efforts with other multilateral and civil society organizations in providing access to education.

The Act, first introduced in 2017, makes it critical to prioritize girls education to prevent and stop the cycle of violence that displaced girls and women face. Girls’ education would also become a priority for assessing foreign aid, prioritizing the involvement of women and girls in the design and implementation of aid projects. The Act also allows the State Department and USAID to work with other countries that host refugees to build the capacity of their institutions in preventing educational discrimination in accessing education.

It is a major step towards ensuring girls’ access to education in vulnerable areas. Refugee children frequently do not have access to education and girls are especially vulnerable in those settings. They are forced into early marriages, human trafficking, and violence. The lack of education in these areas also generates a generation fraught with illiteracy, affecting communities in the long term. In areas where displaced children do have access to education, the classrooms are overcrowded and lack learning materials.

 

Media Resources: Girl Up 1/15/19; Congress.gov 1/15/19

Indian Women Continue Their Struggle to Access Temples

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Last week, around five million Indian women formed the “Women’s Wall” in the southern state of Kerala to draw attention to their continued fight to have equal access to religious sites. The five million woman wall stretched 620 kilometers or 385 miles across Kerala, India.

Women in India are not allowed to visit certain temples between the ages of 10-50, considered “menstruating age.” Hinduism regards menstruating women as “unclean” and prevents them from entering religious sites as well as participating in religious rituals. While most temples allow women to enter as long as they are not on their period, the Sabarimala temple—one of the holiest temples for Hindus—has historically banned women of menstruating age.

In September of 2018, India’s Supreme Court revoked the ban and ruled that women must be allowed to enter the Sabarimala temple. The ruling was issued after a petition argued that the tradition was violating the constitution of the country, which guarantees equality to both men and women. Although the long-standing ban was overturned months ago, men have continued to attack women who try to enter the temple.

Women in India began to publicly protest and demand the right to pray in 2016. Since then, women have earned the right to enter and participate in three religious sites. The Sabarimala temple is the third religious site where courts have intervened to overturn a ban. Shani Shinapur was another temple where courts directed authorities to grant women the right to enter. Haji Ali mosque, a religious site for Muslims, also was forced to allow women inside.

Media Resources: BBC News 1/1/19, 9/28/18

Government Shut Down Stretches In To 19th Day With No End In Sight

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The government shutdown, which began December 22nd 2018, persists into its 19th day as President Trump continues to rebuff any spending bill that does not allocate $5.7 billion to fund a wall on the border of Mexico and the United States. Congressional leaders are expected to return to the White House today to resume negotiations, though an immediate resolution seems unlikely.

Last night, President Trump addressed the nation in the Oval Office, doubling down on his demand for border wall funding without offering any suggestion for compromise or showing any degree of empathy for the federal workers going without pay. In an immediate response delivered by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrats made clear that their top priority is ending the shut down without sacrificing billions of dollars to an unnecessary wall. Pelosi stated, “The fact is, President Trump has chosen to hold hostage critical services for the health, safety and well-being of the American people and withhold the paychecks of 800,000 innocent workers across the nation–many of them veterans.”

Earlier in the week, the President had threatened to declare a national emergency in order to siphon off funding for the wall, though “the U.S. Constitution doesn’t contain any national emergency provision that would allow the president to spend money for purposes not allocated by Congress. And it’s clearer than clear that Congress not only hasn’t authorized money for a wall along the border with Mexico but also doesn’t intend to do so.”

Democrats are holding firm that the wall is nothing more than racist symbol that perpetuates the President’s unfounded narrative that immigrants along the southern border are overwhelming comprised of drug dealers and terrorists. In reality, most drug trafficking is not carried over the border illegally, but rather smuggled through shipping ports and trucks crossing through designated check points. Admiral Paul Zukunft, a commandant of the Coast Guard, said, “I think we’d be shortsighted to think that if we build a wall that will end all the drivers for illegal migration.” The Coast Guard seized more than 201 tons of cocaine in 2016, and 223 tons of cocaine in 2017.

The government shutdown is greatly affecting the economy and the lives of many. Government workers deemed essential are required to work without pay. A secret service agent Donald Mihalek stated, “They are asking you to put your life on the line and not paying you — it’s ridiculous.”

Additionally, organizations that provide aid to low income families such as Food Stamps and The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children are experiencing cutbacks. In addition, “more than $140 billion in tax refunds are at risk of being frozen or delayed if the government shutdown stretches into February.” Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez from New York tweeted on December 21, 2018, “For the wall’s $5.7 billion, every child in America could have access to Universal Pre-K. Yet when we propose the [same funding], we’re told Universal Education is a ‘fantasy’ & asked ‘how are you going to pay for it’. Education is an investment in society that yields returns. Walls are waste.”

Trump first stated his intent to build a wall when he announced his campaign on June 16, 2015. The President has consistently used the office to denigrate and attack immigration, such as calling Haiti and African countries “shithole countries” in early 2018 and his Executive Order that “banned foreign nationals in seven predominantly Muslim countries from visiting the country for 90 days” in early 2017.

Meanwhile, the new Democratic House majority has stated intentions to pass legislation protecting Dreamers and immigrants with Temporary Protected Status as soon as possible. Their legislation aims to stop the deportation of Dreamers and TPS immigrants, as well as provide pathways to citizenship.

Media Resources: ACLU; Huff Post 2/28/17; New York Times 1/7/19; Time 1/7/19; The Week 4/11/18; Bloomberg 1/8/19; NPR 1/9/19

 

Child Sex-Trafficking Survivor Cyntoia Brown To Be Released From Prison

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On Monday morning Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam granted executive clemency to 30-year-old Cyntoia Brown—a survivor of child sex trafficking who was convicted in 2004 of first degree murder after killing a 43-year-old man who had purchased her for sex. Brown, who at 16-years-old was sentenced to life in prison, is now scheduled to be released on August 7, 2019.

Through emails, letters, and phone calls to Governor Haslam, advocates encouraged him to grant clemency to Brown.  After “careful consideration,” Haslam felt compelled to grant Brown clemency because he believed “imposing a life sentence on a juvenile that would require her to serve at least 51 years before even being eligible for parole consideration is too harsh, especially in light of the extraordinary steps Ms. Brown has taken to rebuild her life.” Brown released a statement to thank Haslam, saying “I will do everything I can to justify your faith in me,” and she made the commitment to “live the rest of my life helping others, especially young people. My hope is to help other young girls avoid ending up where I have been.”

After being sentenced to life in prison in 2004 at age 16, Brown filed a lawsuit to petition for a re-sentencing following a 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that decided a juvenile serving life without parole is unconstitutional, as it constitutes cruel and unusual punishment. But in December, the Tennessee Supreme Court unanimously rejected Brown’s plea. In Tennessee, a life-sentence is considered 60 years in prison. Because Brown had gotten her sentence reduced by 9 years due to exemplary behavior while incarcerated, the court found that Brown’s now 51 year sentence was not considered “life in prison” and therefore did not violate the U.S. Supreme Court decision.

As a Black woman with intersecting identities, Brown’s case spread nationwide and sparked outrage among advocates for women’s rights and Black Lives Matter. The hashtag “#FreeCyntoiaBrown” was used to share Brown’s story and support from celebrities brought an increased following for Brown.

Cyntoia Brown was sex-trafficked at the age of 16 to Johnny Mitchell Allan, a 43-year-old Nashville realtor who abuse her. In 2004, Brown was tried as an adult after she shot and killed Allan. At trial, Brown said that she killed Allan because she feared he was going to kill her. Further, Brown said that Allan always pointed a gun at her during her captivity, and hit, choked, and dragged her. A jury sentenced her to life in prison.

The U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that Black women and girls, across all age groups, are incarcerated at a rate of 2.8 to 4.3 times more than white women and girls. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children estimates that of the 11,800 runaways reported in 2015, 1 in 5 were victims of sex trafficking. According to the Polaris Project, as of 2015, only 34 states had laws that provide immunity to children who engage in “prostitution.” 

Media Resources: CNN 12/7/18; The Tennessean 12/10/18; TruthOut 1/29/16; WSMV 1/8/19; Department of Justice 06/07

Ex-Felons in Florida can now Register to Vote

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Today, over a million people are eligible to register to vote in Florida after voters passed Florida Amendment 4 in the November midterms, allowing ex-felons the right to vote.

In the 2018 midterms, Florida voters overwhelmingly voted in favor of Amendment 4, which re-instated voting rights to convicted felons as long as they have completed their sentence and were not convicted of murder or felony sex offenses. More than a million people are able to register and vote, which is about 9.2% of the voting age population in Florida.

Of the nearly 1.5 million convicted felons in Florida, black people will disproportionately benefit from the new amendment; 17.9% of the black voting age population is now eligible to vote. Previously, about 418,000 black Floridians finished their sentences but were barred from voting because of Florida’s voting rules and the disproportionately high arrests and incarceration black people face.

While most states have rules regarding the voting rights of ex-felons, Florida has the highest number of disenfranchised citizens because of its strict voting laws. Before this amendment, Florida, Iowa, and Kentucky had the nation’s most restrictive voting regulations, barring all convicted felons from voting even after serving their full sentences and parole. Most states have laws restricting voting rights for convicted felons, such as laws barring people from voting while in prison or until their parole is completed. Only Maine and Vermont allow people to vote regardless of their criminal records, even while incarcerated.

The Supreme Court has upheld in the past the disenfranchisement of convicted felons. The 14th Amendment to the US Constitution allows the government to disenfranchise citizens for “participation in rebellion or other crime.”

The reinstatement of voting rights for convicted felons in Florida is part of a larger conversation about voting rights across the nation. Democrats announced in November after the 2018 midterm election that sweeping voting reform act will be one of their main priorities. The Democrats believe the bill will increase public trust in the government and strengthen democratic institutions. The legislation aims to reform redistricting, create automatic voter registration, revive the Voting Rights Act, overturn the Citizen’s United ruling, and expand the conflict of interests ban to include presidents. Representative Sarbanes commented that, “The path back to having the public trust government and politics is a long one, but we have to start someplace.”

 

Media Resources: Vox 1/8/19; Feminist Newswire 11/14/18

Saudi Woman Desperately Seeking Asylum in Australia, Trapped in Thailand

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This weekend, 18-year old Saudi woman Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun was fleeing to Australia to seek asylum when she was stopped from boarding her connecting flight in Bangkok by Thai Police. Thai Police claim she did not have a proper return ticket from Australia, though she did have a 3-month tourist visa. According to Human Rights Watch, Saudi and Kuwaiti officials forcibly took her passport upon her arrival in Bangkok in an attempt to force her return to the Kingdom. Rahaf was visiting Kuwait with her family when she made her escape for Australia.

Rahaf shared a video on her Twitter account that she was trying to escape from her family because they had subjected her to physical and psychological abuse. Through her account, she appealed for help from Germany, Australia, Canada, and the US. In the video Rahaf spoke of a strict father and said they “locked me in a room for six months just for cutting my hair.” She tweeted that her life is in danger and that she will be killed upon her return to the family in Saudi Arabia.

Rahaf took refuge in a hotel room inside a transit zone in Bangkok airport and vowed not to leave the hotel room to prevent Thai officials from deporting her to Kuwait, and from there to Saudi Arabia. Sophie McNeill, a reporter with Australia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), stayed with Rahaf in her hotel room to make sure that she was safe and that her message was delivered to the world. McNeill kept a close eye on the story and continued to report the development on her Twitter account.

The increasing attention to Rahaf’s case has once again shed light on the status of women in Saudi Arabia. Women in the Kingdom are treated as second-class citizens, subject to the demands of their male relatives with nearly no recourse for abuse. The guardianship rules require women to have permission from their close male relatives to work, travel, and even visit a doctor. Because women are not allowed to travel freely in and out of the Kingdom, many are forced to flee in secret and seek asylum abroad.

In 2017, Dina Lasloom was similarly attempting to seek asylum in Australia when she was stopped at the airport in Manila. According to one account, members of her family and Saudi officials had arrived at Manilla and “reportedly tied her up with duct tape and wrapped her in a bed sheet to drag her onto a Riyadh-bound flight.” She was forced to return to her country and has not been heard from since.

The Kingdom was recently under major scrutiny from the global community over the gruesome killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khoshoggi inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. Saudi Arabia has increasingly widened the extent of torturing and harassing human rights activists, including prominent women. The Kingdom has repeatedly arrested women’s rights activists and influential intellectuals who are viewed as threatening to the Kingdom and dangerous to the policies of the country. The activists are often suspected of receiving support from foreign entities.

 

Media Resources: BBC News 1//19, 9/13/17; Human Rights Watch 4/14/17

Afghanistan’s Art Industry Experiencing a Revival

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Recently, Afghanistan hosted the Mehrgan International Film Festival in Kabul, where films were screened at the Academy of Arts and Cinema Sciences of the Afghan Film. At the international film festival, 48 short films from Afghanistan and other countries were selected, 24 of which were produced by Afghans.

The film festival is a major step forward for Afghan cinema, which still has a long way to go to compete with other regional and global productions. The industry has been reviving since the Taliban government was overthrown in 2001. Under the Taliban regime, Afghan cinema was completely shut, movies were destroyed, and the populace was banned from watching films, listening to music, or engaging in any form of the arts.

In the post-Taliban revival, artists have used their platform to address issues of human rights, corruption, war, rule of law and other issues impacting the country. Women comprise a major part of the artists, and have been addressing women’s rights and what they view as important to the status of women and the future of the country.

Afghans are producing movies inside and outside of the country, and many shows are produced locally, tackling all social and political issues. The music scene has grown the most, with Afghan women artists are at the top of the industry, both nationally and globally.

The revival of the arts scene is largely being credited to the determination of Afghan artists. The new government is often criticized for not providing enough support to the promotion of culture and artists.

The Afghan government is currently working on peace negotiation efforts with the Taliban. In a recent interview, Afghan singer Aryana Saeed asked, “If Taliban becomes part of the government, will women have rights or not? Will women be allowed to work and receive an education or not? Will a woman still be allowed to be a doctor, or, for example, like me, a singer?”

 

Media Resources: Tolo News 1/1/19, 1/7/19; Asia Times 7/22/18; Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe 2015; Feminist Newswire 12/21/18

Record Number of Women Sworn into Congress

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History is made today – an all-time record breaking number of women were sworn in to the US Congress. Out of the total number of 127 women elected to the Senate and House, a majority of the women are Democrats and include firsts from various minorities. They include the former Teacher of the Year, small business owners, former military helicopter pilots, activists, former CIA officers, and public servants.

The 116th class of Congress has been breaking records in other ways as well. Kansas and New Mexico sent the first Native American women to Congress, both Democrats. Two Muslim Democratic women will be serving in the US Congress. Two Latina women are representing the state of Texas for the first time, a state where 40% of the population identifies as Hispanic. And two Black women are now representing New England.

The House will be led by a historic first as well. Longtime Democratic leader, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi of California, broke all barriers when she won the Speaker’s gavel and reclaimed the role she held between 2007 and 2011. She is the only woman in the history of Congress to have held the position of the Speaker of the House and is now also the first women to hold the position for a second time. She is now third in line to the Presidency of the United States.

Women from the Democratic Party are now at the leadership of four major institutions: Cheri Bustos leads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee; Tina Kotek chairs the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee; and the Democratic Governors Association is chaired by Gina Raimondo.

While this is the first time women were elected at such an impressive number, there is still a long way to go. The House consists of 235 Democrats and 199 Republicans, while in the Senate there are 53 Republicans with 47 Democrats. Men remain the majority, holding 76% of Congressional seats while women hold roughly 24%.

 

 

Media Resources: Rutgers Eagleton Institute of Politics 1/2/2019; 11/29/2018; BBC 1/2/2019

Would Peace in Afghanistan Be Possible Without Women’s Rights and Participation?

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The Afghan government and other parties involved in the peace efforts in Afghanistan have shown optimism to a possible peace deal in the near future. The negotiations, led by US representative to Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has been held in various locations with the Taliban, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the Afghan government.

Of the 12 member delegation of the Afghan government, three are women, a sign of progress that involves women’s participation in the peace process. Women’s participation in the peace efforts is crucial in Afghanistan to ensure that women’s rights are not compromised and that they will be considered equal citizens when the agreement is made. Much optimism has been expressed by some parties involved in the process. But while it is good news to end the war in Afghanistan, many Afghans, especially Afghan women, are concerned about their rights. Women are rightly concerned that in an attempt to end the war, their rights might be compromised.

Women’s inclusion is important; the three women must have equal participation in negotiations and their demands and concerns must be taken seriously. A major concern in the negotiations is still apparent. The Taliban delegation has refused direct peace talks with the Afghan government delegation, leaving many questions unanswered on whether the Taliban participation in the talks is sincere and valid. The Taliban members held their meetings in Abu Dhabi with the United States delegation led by Zalmay Khalilzad, as well as representatives from Pakistan, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The Taliban’s refusal to talk with the Afghan government representatives also raises questions on whether they refused to meet with the Afghan delegation because of the presence of women or simply did not respect the government’s representatives.

In an interview with TOLO TV, Dr. Sima Samar, Chairwoman of the Afghanistan Independent Human Right Commission (AIHRC) said that “human rights, especially those of women, should not be stepped on in talks with Taliban, otherwise people stand up against Taliban.” She added that “talks with Taliban is a transient political deal and rights should not be sacrificed for it… peace talks should be transparent and the process should not be rushed.”

According to Samar, “If Taliban wants peace, then they should not resist against human rights and the rights of women. Because, this demand (resistance against these rights) will not lead to peace, this demand will deadlock the issues.”

At the same interview, Aryana Saeed, an Afghan singer asked: “If Taliban becomes part of the government, will women have rights or not? Will women be allowed to work and receive an education or not? Will a woman still be allowed to be a doctor, or, for example, like me, a singer? Will I still be allowed to work as one? And will a woman be able to go to Shahr-e-Naw and buy things for her children?” Shafiqa, a resident of Kabul also told TOLO news that when Taliban closed schools, she went to secret schools to study in a basement, but Taliban found the place and closed it too. She said she doesn’t want the same things to happen to her daughters.

Afghan women are more aware of their rights and they will not give in if the inclusion of Taliban in the future government means losing their human rights. Afghan women are resilient and they will fight back if their rights are taken from them.

Media Resources: Tolo News 12/19/18, 12/20/18, 12/20/18; Open Democracy 12/19/18

American University Student Body President Won Settlement against Online Harasser

Posted on by Feminist Newswire

This week Taylor Dumpson secured a settlement against a white supremacist internet troll who was part of an online harassment campaign targeting her for being the first female African American student body president at American University.

The terms of the settlement include that the defendant, Evan James McCarty, must apologize to Dumpson while admitting his involvement in the online harassment. He will renounce white supremacy, racial hate, bigotry, and prejudice and aid the prosecution of other online harassers. He must perform 200 hours of community service and advocacy focusing on racial justice and attend anti-hate training and counseling. The agreement says that the “advocacy could take many forms, such as direct outreach to other white supremacists to attempt de-radicalization.”

Dumpson believes that the settlement with McCarty “could raise awareness of issues of racial justice, while also providing educational benefits.” Dumpson plans to record McCarty’s apology to use for racial justice and educational purposes. She also wants to use her lawsuit to “hold people accountable for their bigoted actions.” “I guess I was open to the idea that even the perpetrator of a racially motivated act of bias could still be more or less reformed,” Dumpson said.

Kristen Clarke, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law president and executive director, said that the settlement should have a “chilling effect” on anonymous internet harassers and white supremacists. “At the end of the day, our settlement should send a strong message to white supremacists and neo-Nazis all across the country that they will be held accountable for their conduct,” she stated.

In April, Dumpson sued Andrew Anglin, the publisher of the neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer, and two other harassers, including Evan James McCarty. The lawsuit argues that Anglin directed readers of The Daily Stormer to harass her anonymously online. He tweeted “READY THE TROOPS” along with a picture of bananas after Dumpson’s location was announced. He also posted links to Dumpson’s Facebook page and the American University Student Government twitter page on his website to encourage his followers to target Dumpson.

The day after Taylor Dumpson was inaugurated as student body president at American University in May 2017, bananas were hung from nooses across campus. Neo-Nazis used racial slurs and targeted Dumpson’s sorority as well. As a result, Dumpson was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and “feels constantly afraid and on edge.” “It’s one of the first things I think about in the morning and one of the last things I think about when I got to sleep,” she said.

The court has yet to rule on her suit against Anglin and the other defendant. Anglin currently has three federal lawsuits filed against him for racist and anti-Semitic online harassment. Google and GoDaddy have removed his website domain after violent, racist, and hateful rhetoric following the death of a woman at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

 

Media Resources: Houston Chronicle 12/18/18; Lawyers’ COmmittee for Civil Rights Under Law 12/19/18; Feminist Newswire 8/14/17

Trump Administration Rescinds Anti-discriminatory School Discipline Policies

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Today the Trump Administration announced it would rescind parts of the Obama administration’s “Rethink Discipline” school policies, policies that ensured that minority students were not unfairly targeted for harsher punishments or disciplinary practices.

The Trump Administration created the School Safety Commission, led by Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, after the Parkland shooting. Instead of focusing on gun violence and gun control, the Commission targeted Obama era school discipline policies that protect minority students from discriminatory discipline practices, even though the Parkland shooter was a white male. The commission’s findings focus heavily on race and the idea that schools are more dangerous because of the federal scrutiny on school discipline.

The Obama Administration adopted the school discipline policies after research revealed that students of color receive more suspension and stricter disciplinary actions than white students that committed equal or worse offenses. Black students were three times as likely to be expelled or suspended and Black and Hispanic students made up more than half of all school related arrests and referrals. The research also found that disabled students were quickly placed into remedial or special-education programs, sometimes unnecessarily. This led the Obama Administration to conclude “more frequent or more serious misbehavior by students of color” could not be the sole explanation of the disparate discipline rates.

The Obama school discipline policies recommended nondiscriminatory discipline practices to schools and taught schools how to use data to find racial disparities. However, the commission argued to reject “disparate impact theory,” the idea that policies do affect certain racial groups differently, and to not use data to discern racial disparities in schools. Instead, the commission wrote that “when there is evidence beyond a mere statistical disparity that educational programs and policies may violate the federal prohibition on racial discrimination, this administration will act swiftly and decisively to investigate.”

The Parkland shooter was a white male, who had been expelled from school, and was referred to law enforcement multiple times prior to the shooting. The commission’s report did not highlight how the Obama Administration’s policy may have led to the Parkland shooting, or the multiple other school shootings in recent years. The commission wrote that “those who spoke in support of the guidance focused on reducing the racial disparities in the discipline numbers without addressing the adverse consequences on school safety and climate;” yet the report failed to acknowledge how removing protections for minority students would decrease or prevent school shootings.

Civil Rights organizations have already condemned the decision to rescind the Obama era school discipline policies. The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights wrote in a press release today that “the School Safety Commission report lays out policies and practices that make children less safe and deny them educational opportunities. It is unconscionable to use the very real horror of the shooting at Parkland to advance a preexisting agenda that encourages the criminalization of children and undermines their civil rights.”

Eliza Byard, Executive Director of GLSEN, stated that “this is yet another dangerous step in this administration’s ongoing effort to eviscerate critical civil rights protections in our schools. By undoing guidance to improve school climate and support our most vulnerable students, the Commission is both dismantling effective policy and failing to address the issue of school safety.”

“The 2014 guidance is integral to providing a safe and equitable learning environment for all. Without the guidance, schools are less equipped to implement positive and preventative measures,” stated Lindsay Jones, CEO of the National Center for Learning Disabilities. “As a result, students are vulnerable to bias, excluded more often, and lose out on educational opportunity.”

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has also recently proposed harmful new regulations that would make it easier for schools to ignore student survivors of sexual violence and sweep allegations of sexual harassment and assault under the rug. Already, 1 in 5 women and 1 in 16 men will be sexually assaulted in college, and around 1 in 4 transgender, genderqueer, gender non-conforming or questioning students experience sexual violence as an undergraduate.

 

Media Resources: NYT 12/17/18; National Center for Learning Disabilities 12/18/18; GLSEN 12/18/18; The Leadership Conference 12/18/18; Feminist Newswire 11/16/18

HUD Denies DACA Recipients Government-Insured Housing Loans

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Recently, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) under the Trump Administration has been directing lenders to deny Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients government-insured home loans. While an official policy has not been issued, lenders and borrowers have reported that Federal Housing Administration (FHA) and HUD officials verbally tell lenders to deny DACA recipients FHA loans.

There has been no official policy change from HUD, causing lenders to rely on verbal guidance changes instead of the rules outlined in the HUD handbook. The handbook requires an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) to be approved for FHA loans, which DACA recipients do have. However, HUD officials, via hotline calls and conferences, are now saying that the C-33 EAD DACA recipients are not valid for government-insured loans.

Jose Pepe Rincon, a loan officer in Chicago, said that “the conversations that we have had on the DACA borrowers just end at the phone call and they are not able to provide anything in email. There is nothing written, which is unusual from HUD. They’re usually pretty firm on what can be done and what can’t be done.”

Danielle Hernandez, a compliance officer in Chicago, refuses to follow the verbal guidance until it is in writing. She argued that “until [HUD] put it in writing they have to insure the loan… They refuse to say [in writing] ‘no we will not make loans to DACA borrowers,’ but they’re discouraging it. It’s like, you know, ‘you’re allowed to do this but we don’t want you to do this.”

The Mortgage Bankers’ Association wrote a letter to HUD, asking for clear guidance in writing as how to handle DACA recipients’ mortgage applications. HUD has yet to respond. Dan Fichtler, the associations’ director of housing finance policy, said that “there remains confusion among mortgage lenders regarding the eligibility of individuals with deferred immigration status for FHA insured loans. MBA has asked HUD to provide clarity on this matter to ensure that lenders are able to serve all eligible borrowers while operating with greater certainty.”

While the confusion persists, Dreamers are unable to obtain necessary loans to purchase homes. Edith Aguirre Vazquez, a DACA recipient, was recently denied a FHA loan because of the unofficial guidance from the Trump Administration. “I had already sent all the paperwork that I needed, we had just done the house inspection,” Aguirre said. “I had been here since I was 3 years old. I feel as American as anybody else and I’m kind of getting doors shut, getting blamed for something that you had no choice of,” she added. The house Aguirre thought she was purchasing, she has since lost. She now must find a house she can buy directly without lenders or a FHA loan.

Although the courts have blocked Trump’s attempts to end DACA, many see this as an attempt to remove benefits that DACA recipients receive. Diego Corzo, a realtor in Austin, Texas and a DACA recipient, said that in his “eyes they’re doing this to restrict what the DREAMers can do.”

Immigrant rights activists say that DACA has improved the lives of thousands of immigrants. Approximately 800,000 undocumented immigrants, who are commonly referred to as “Dreamers,” have been issued worked visas, received a college education or deferred deportation because of DACA, allowing them to stay independently and safely within their communities.

 

Media Resources: Buzzfeed News 12/14/18; Feminist Newswire 11/9/18

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