Since the Violence Against Women Act, VAWA, was mentioned during our first class period, I thought it would be good to get an update on the challenges facing Congress as well as identify the main issues with VAWA. http://thegrio.com/2013/01/23/democrats-try-again-to-extend-violence-against-women-act/
I found two articles this week that were equally relevant and thought provoking in light of our readings, and I could not choose to share just one. The first is from the Feminist Wire where the first lady is being criticized for deciding to work in the home and how she is being looked at … Read more
What happens if the ultrasound technician see something wrong and decides NOT to tell you: http://www.aclu.org/blog/reproductive-freedom/kansas-pregnant-women-little-lie-your-doctor-wont-hurt-you As someone who has felt that nervous glide of the ultrasound many times–wondering if all was OK, I understand the ramifications of this bill.
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
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
See this example in the link below. We often discuss this in our gender classes — the continued reference to humans or people if they are male, and identification of their gender if they are female. Just review a few news articles and you can notice this. How does this affect us all psychologically? It … Read more
This article explores how the United States is (very) slowly waking up to something that was realized in Sweden long ago (and was proven to work!)…that in order to truly combat the commercial sex trade (both consensual and non-consensual) they must penalize the demand and not the supply. In short, the johns and not the … Read more
I’m beginning to think that I need to post more light-hearted and uplifting articles on this blog! But, continuing in my (depressing) habits, here is an article about a pregnant Illinois woman who attempted suicide after her boyfriend and business partner left her after she found out he had another family. Distraught, she drank rat … Read more
This fascinating little article addresses a new study published by the Guttmacher Institute on contraceptive use amongst religious women. The Guttmacher study found that there is little to no difference among contraceptive practices between religious and non-religious women. The article suggests that the results from this study will have implications in United States health care policy, … Read more
This New York Times piece is an interview with photojournalist Lynsey Addario, who was held captive in Libya in March 2011. Since her capture and subsequent release, there have been those who argue that she should not have been in Libya working in the first place because of her gender. This interview is in Addario’s … Read more