This issue would make a good paper topic. We know women die from cervical cancer in large numbers in many developing nations. Mandatory HPV vaccination would cut this death rate, but at what cost? It is projected that it would take up most of the entire health budget in India. If not, then decisions have … Read more
This past week, our class read and discussed the book, The Road of Lost Innocence by Somaly Mam (2005). The book tells the story of her early life, her experience being trafficked into the sex trade, and her efforts to change her life and rescue other young victims in Cambodia. Mam started two foundations, AFESIP … Read more
The New York Times made headlines so to speak by referring to a transgender individual in one of their stories with the salutation Mx. chosen by this individual. They then wrote this commentary about it: It reminds me of when they finally started using Ms. in the 1980s; it took them a long time to … Read more
See this article about current US aid for women’s health care internationally. Due to the Helms amendment (for late NC senator Jesse Helms), any service that receives aid from the US government cannot provide abortion services. The article describes how this policy may unintentionally contribute to unsafe back-alley abortions by rape victims, including those girls … Read more
Since I study immigration and women, and how they experience intimate partner violence, this short op-ed by a North Carolina doctor was very interesting. What are your thoughts? It is entitled “A Typical American Life, a Very American Death” North Carolina and Intimate Partner Violence and reflects on the fact that more than half of … Read more
http://www.unmultimedia.org/radio/english/2015/10/europe-urged-to-do-more-to-prevent-trafficking/#.ViU0g36rSM9 This snippet highlights another consequence of the migration of refugees from the Middle East and Africa. According to the article, human traffickers are taking advantage of refugees’ vulnerable state, often smuggling them via “unseaworthy vessels.” UN Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, Maria Grazia Giammarinaro, is urging Europe to help trafficked victims through not allowing … Read more
http://www.unfpa.org/news/%E2%80%9Cnever-ever%E2%80%9D-again-%E2%80%93-former-circumciser-calls-end-fgm Asiya Hamed is a woman who was a traditional birth attendant and female circumciser in her community, the Afambo District in Ethiopia. She now advocates for the ending of Female Circumcision/Female Genital Mutilation (FC/FGM). After training through the Afar Pastoralist Development Association 2 years ago, she has become active in ending FC. She says that she thought … Read more
http://www.unfpa.org/news/clinic-helps-end-dangerous-traditional-practices-rural-bangladesh In Chanti Hasradanga, a rural village in rural northwest Bangladesh, a clinic is helping the community to change harmful cultural practices that cause infant mortality. Women in this village typically do not receive pre- or post-natal medical treatments, but rely upon traditional birth attendants who are not skilled in handling complicated pregnancies or births. … Read more
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/09/28/the-open-secret-of-abused-hmong-child-brides-goes-public-in-minnesota-law-suit/?tid=hybrid_collaborative_3_na This article is about child brides ie human trafficking of child brides from Laos. In this case, a woman has chosen to speak out and is suing her perpetrator/abuser. There is apparently a population of Hmong people in St. Paul Minnesota and it is a common occurrence where young girls in Laos are lured … Read more
See this analysis of how our public discourses about mass shootings focus on individual issues like mental health (though important) and do not consider factors such as socialization, culture, etc. In addition to our country as having a violent gun culture, how are these shooters representing an “over-conformity” to masculinity norms? Warped View of Masculinity … Read more