The UN Commission on the Status of Women’s annual session kicked off today with opening remarks that address the necessity of educating women and girls as a tool of economic and personal empowerment. This is a recurrent theme throughout the literature regarding women’s issues worldwide, and I look forward to seeing what progress is made … Read more
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/22/world/asia/22iht-women22.html?pagewanted=1&%2359;s%20rights&%2339&_r=1&sq=women&st=cse&scp=1 This particular article explains that Hong Kong is one of the most westernized cities in Asia, but women, despite being well represented at the university level and in civil service, are conspicuously missing in the top tiers of business and politics, which hold both the most decision-making power and pay. According to a study … Read more
Hey guys, As anyone who’s ever been in class with me knows, I’m pretty interested in the LGBT-Fundamentalist Christian clash. Consistent with that, I thought I’d share a page from an organization I found: “Christian Healing Ministries.” This site is dedicated to prayer-healing, which in my experience, is typical of the more fundamental branches of … Read more
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20090505/news/news5.html Last night in class we discussed initiatives that focus on educating and involving men in issues of STI prevention and reproduction. One case study of particular interest was a UNFPA campaign that is focused on endowing barbers with safe sex-related knowledge and contraceptives (condoms) to distribute to their cleints in a particularly creative and … Read more
This is an email from Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America. She announces once again that the House is voting to end Title X funding and cut off women from “their only source of primary care.” She goes on to explain how this act would impact millions of women, and leave them … Read more
Hey guys and girls, Apparently, there’s a song out by Lady Gaga that constitutes a new “gay anthem.” The song’s called “Born This Way,” and seems to be in support of GLBT issues in a more direct way the”I Am Beautiful” of Christina Aguilera fame. Most interesting about this to me is that, if I’m … Read more
In Japan, illustrated books containing erotic content and featuring young girls is worth $5.5 billion of the manga book industry. While some publishers argue that it would be a restriction of creativity, Tokyo’s governor is spearheading an ordinance to place tighter restrictions on how girls are depicted, as many of the recent works would be considered in other countries to be child pornography.
The spokesman for the Japanese Committee for Unicef expressed concern that the trend of depicting underage girls in the nude and/or in provacative situations is affecting social norms:“To a degree, it has become socially accepted to lust over young girls in Japan…Condoning these works has meant more people have access to them and develop an interest in young girls.”
Supporters of the industry have argued back thus: “Depicting a crime and committing one are two different things; it’s like convicting a mystery writer for murder.”
What do you think? If the depictions of underage girls as young as six in sexual situations has the potential to encourage legitimate crimes like pedophilia, would this argument be enough for you to reverse the ordinance if you were in the position to make such a decision?
-Rachel
Are these women pointing the way to the future? Barefoot Grandmothers Electrify Rural Communities –Susan Pearce
This NYTimes article discusses the House’s treat to stop funding Planned Parenthood, an organization that provides millions of women with both family-planning services and basic health medical care. Republicans and Conservative Democrats have gone after such organizations in the past for “the misuse of tax payers’ money” when in actuality Planned Parenthood covers for abortion … Read more
This piece gives us an interesting outlook on transgenders’ place in the church. This Baltimore United Methodist church, Pastor Ann Gordon is now Pastor Drew Phoenix. The congregation has accepted the change, but the pastor’s sex change has raised broader questions about God and gender in the Methodist community.