Arab Spring is frosty for Women According Qatari Author
In an interview with al-Jazeera, a Qatari author discusses the (non)impact the Arab Spring on women: http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/talktojazeera/2012/04/201242111373249723.html .
Activism
A Self Proclaimed Hero in Leila Khaled’s My People Shall Live
In Leila Khaled’s My People Shall Live, Khaled tells of her journey as a Palestinian soldier on a mission to bring justice to her people from the Israelis. As the narrator, Khaled tells the story in such a way that she seems to be trying to convince the readers that she was justified in the … Read more
A Call to End Female Genital Mutilation in Somalia
Carolina Fonseca Somalia is a small country in East Africa where female genital mutilation is widespread and consists of the most severe form of female circumcision. This violent act of removing the clitoris, or parts of it, has grown to be a public health issue because the practice has severe physical and mental health consequences … Read more
Passionate Plea for Student Participation
As ECU gears up for its Open House next month, this article by my friend and colleague Khaled Fahmy struck me as fascinating, pleading for student participation in politics: http://www.egyptindependent.com/node/709376
Women’s Commission in Pakistan Gains Autonomous Status
Women’s groups within Pakistan have lobbied for years for the government to strengthen the Women’s Commission and give it autonomous status. On 2 February 2012, the Pakistan Senate unanimously approved the “National Commission on the Status of Women Bill 2012″ to protect women’s rights against every kind of discrimination. The new bill replaces the National … Read more
Women Making a Difference in Haiti’s Recovery
Two years ago, a monumental earthquake struck Haiti and killed 220,000 people, injured 300,000 and left a million people homeless. A recent CNN article documents how Haitian women at the local level are leading the way to recovery. Oxfam, for example, has trained 1600 women in literacy and budgeting skills so that they can obtain … Read more
Patriarchy, Revolution, & the Female Body in Egypt
My colleague and friend Khaled Fahmy wrote this fascinating piece in al-Masry al-Youm: http://www.almasryalyoum.com/en/node/592711
Businesses in NY sign letter encouraging Gay Marriage
Business leaders in New York wrote a letter that states that they want legislation that would permit gay marriage. The letter states that New York is losing business ground because individuals are moving to states that acknowledge gay marriage. The letter is not addressed to anyone in particular but states the urgency that this is … Read more
Gendering the Immigration Debate
In today’s New York Times, there are two pieces regarding immigration and Latinos — unrelated articles, but developments to pay attention to. First is the announcement that Obama is going to recruit Latina actresses to help promote his ideas for immigration reform. Second is a piece asking for a discussion over whether the U.S. needs … Read more
Women oppose the death penalty
This article points out the gender gap in beliefs about the death penalty. It also demonstrates women’s leadership in social movements other than women’s rights movements: http://www.womensenews.org/story/crime-policylegislation/110424/the-death-penalty-gender-gap Susan Pearce