A New Start for Women Around the World

Corinne Knowles

November 26, 2010

12:40 pm

Human rights groups are looking to ratify certain treaties now, in particular CEDAW or the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women. As of right now, the United States is among countries such as Sudan and Iran in not ratifying CEDAW. How can the United States set a good example of women’s rights worldwide if they do not ratify such a treaty? The article states, “CEDAW offers a practical blueprint for action that every country can use to make progress towards ending discrimination-even ours.” Although, comparatively speaking, American women have more rights than other women around the world, there are still issues of domestic violence and pay gaps that need to be addressed. When a country ratifies CEDAW it does not mean that the women of that country suddenly have the freedom to do things they couldn’t do before, “but women in ratifying countries can and do demand that their governments live up to their CEDAW commitments.”

I find it very surprising that the United States has not yet gotten on board with this treaty. Personally, when it comes to women’s rights, I do not want to be mentioned with countries that do not even let their women drive cars. What I’m taking from this article is that other countries look to the United States as setting an example. I don’t think it makes us look to good to be the “land of the free” but not support a treaty that supports a woman’s most basic rights. Women’s rights is a global issue and if we, as Americans, want to help the world we start in our own country.

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To save women's lives in Africa, bring abortion out of the shadows

Corinne Knowles

November 13, 2010

12:00p.m.

I chose this article today because I found a similar one about Mexico earlier in the semester. According to the article, abortion is one of Africa’s biggest threats to women’s health. Over five million abortions are performed every year here and only about 100,000 of them are carried out under safe conditions. Women living in African countries that have not legalized abortion often turn to drinking bleach of inserting sharp objects into their cervix. While this is terrible for the individual woman, it also takes it toll on her community. Unsafe abortions can lead to the woman having serious health problems that may result in her not being able to bare any more children. From an economic point of view, the money it costs the government to take care of these women after they become ill is much more than some of these poorer countries can afford. Some African countries have loosened their restrictions on abortions laws, but fourteen of them still consider it illegal in any situation, even if the women is dying from pregnancy complications.

I am not against abortion but I am not necessarily for it either. I think completely prohibiting abortion under all circumstances is unfair because every woman is different and every situation is different. In class we’ve talked about the raping in the Congo more than once and what those women and girls have gone through. I understand abortion can be an issue of morality, but what about those women who become pregnant as a result of being raped? They shouldn’t have to even consider drinking bleach to terminate an unwanted pregnancy.

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The World of Women

Corinne Knowles

October 31, 2010

4:30 pm

This article is about recent reports from the United Nations about women around the world. Unfortunately, where there is good new there is also bad news. The good news is that women seem to be catching up to men in areas of work, education, poverty, and life expectancy. The bad news is that women are still falling behind in these areas and issues of sexual abuse are described as a “universal phenomenon.” This may seem depressing but there is a positive side. The fact that people are recognizing world-wide sexual violence against women means more and more people are seeing it as a problem. Something that we have learned in class is that we cannot begin to figure out how to solve a problem until we see it as a problem. Something else the reports show is that education is related to many of these issues. The article says, “Where girls have the greatest access to education, they marry later, have fewer children and more economic opportunity.” Like in the United States, women around the world often face a kind of “glass ceiling” but for now the world is making progress by offering more education opportunities for girls everywhere.

It seems that many of the issues that sociologists discuss lead back to education. A country as a whole is much more likely to thrive and be economically successful if they invest in schools and see that not only boys but girls too can enroll and learn. I like seeing the United Nations focus their efforts on women. There are obviously still many problems that need to be resolved when it comes to women’s rights but I think getting girls around the world enrolled in schools is a step in the right direction.

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The Donor

Corinne Knowles

1:15 pm

October 23, 2010

This article is different from previous articles I have chosen on here because it is a question and answer session with Melinda Gates, wife of billion Bill Gates. The couple currently heads the largest private foundation in the world. Recently Melinda has focused her efforts on educating women about health and birth control. The article suggests that the all-girls catholic school she grew up in played a role in what she now thinks is important issues to address. It looks like she balances what her religion has taught her and what she has learned from others.

I thought the first half of this article was really interesting. The reported asked important questions. One that caught my attention in particular was “Why don’t you direct more of your philanthropy towards the United States?” I think it is great that rich Americans, like the Gates, want to help people around the world but I think it’s equally if not more important to start focusing on problems in our own country first. Surely we need to help ourselves before we can help others. That being said, I really like that she is making birth control a big issue. More people need to realize that we cannot just simply tell others not to have sex. People are going to have sex (it’s what we do!) and without proper birth control they are going to have babies and certain areas of the world are going to continue to be over populated and problems of poverty and hunger are going to get worse.

The last few questions completely go away from what the article should be about. I thought the writer should have focused on the foundation more than random questions about technology.

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Lifestyle plays role in global breast cancer rates

Corinne Knowles

October 8, 2010

2:10 pm

Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought it would be appropriate to choose an article that sheds light on women diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States and around the world. This article focuses on research that has been found that may prove a woman’s diet and lifestyle could be the difference between getting and not getting breast cancer later in life. The American Institute for Cancer Research is asking why more women in the US have breast cancer than women who live in China, Brazil, and South America as a whole. The article does acknowledge the fact that cancer in general has a lot to do with age, gender, ethnicity, and whether or not the person’s family has a history of cancer. Recently though, organizations like the World Cancer Research Fund are suggesting lifestyle choices such as weight and alcohol consumption can contribute to women being diagnosed with breast cancer all over the world.

As a woman, just the thought of breast cancer can be really scary. This article was not only an interesting read; it got me thinking about my own diet and lifestyle. Could the food I eat and the amount of exercise I get on a daily basis now really affect my health that much in the future? Most of the women in my family are overweight, and according to this article and “MedlinePlus” they could be at a higher risk for getting breast cancer. I think all new research should be read but also taken with a grain of salt. It’s good to know that medical researchers are taking this issue so seriously and hopefully by finding out what can cause cancer they can also find out what can cure it for good.

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Female mechanics overcome barriers in Senegal

Corinne Knowles

September 30, 2010

10:30 pm

This article is about two women from Senegal who are mechanics and have owned their own business since 2005. Female mechanics are practically unheard of in West Africa. When they first started out some people made fun of their for wanting to work on cars but now they are highly respected as business owners and were even invited to meet the Senegalese President, Abdoulaye Wade a few years ago. They have had a passion for this business for a long time. They attended a technical school for three years, worked as mechanics in repair shops, and eventually saved up enough money to open their own garage. According to the article, at first they had trouble getting men to trust them with their cars, they now have a successful business with eight employees, all men. The article mentions another female owner of an auto repair shop, Ndeye Coumba, who oversees thirty employees, ten of them being women.

I'm glad that I found this article tonight since we were just talking about gender roles in different societies in class today. The article does mention the fact that many women in Senegal do not pursue higher education, instead they often leave school early to get married and start raising a family. I think women should be able to choose if they want to get married, or have a career, or both, but it's nice to see these two women doing something completely out of the ordinary. I think a female mechanic anywhere would be an unusual sight and I could understand it being a difficult concept for men to get used to. This article is a good example of what feminism really means because it shows women having a choice in their future.

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Women gather downtown to 'take back the night'

Corinne Knowles

September 25, 2010

4:30 pm

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the annual Take Back The Night March for Fredericton Canada. Many women gathered to hear guest speakers and march around city hall with signs. TBTN is about violence against women and the fact that they shouldn't be afraid to go outside after nightfall. Colleen Thibodeau, a volunteer at their crisis center and a victim of sexual assault herself said, "Sexual assault and violence must be eliminated so all women can walk safely on our streets, which is our basic right as members of society." Program coordinator for the center, Jennifer Gorham, spoke to the crowd about violence against women in Canada and in other countries all over the world. Gorham's goal is to shed light on this subject and get people talking about it.

I chose this article for two reasons. First of all, I had never heard of the town Fredericton until right now, and secondly, when I think of sexual assault and violence against women Canada isn't exactly the first county that comes to mind. Take Back The Night is an amazing concept because it doesn't just focus on what we as women can do to keep from becoming victims it also focuses on the fact that we shouldn't have to be afraid. Just because a woman is walking down the street alone at night doesn't mean she's asking to be attacked. Some men should have more self control. In different parts of Europe, such as Italy, Germany, and England, this march is referred to as "Reclaim the Night," and it was started in the last 1970s. Similar marches can also be seen in Australia and India. It has become a wide spread global event over the past 30 years.

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History of TBTN

More Maternal Education Saves Children's Lives

Corinne Knowles

September 17, 2010

12:45 pm

The number of deaths among infants and young children can be directly related to education levels among their mothers. According to the according, in the past 30 years the number of years women have been through some kind of education has doubled. During this time the number of children under the age of 5 dying has decreased by over 50 percent. Organizations around the world have done their best to teach people, especially those from third-world countries, about good health and hygiene. This new data shows that also teaching these women about good childcare is saving millions of lives every year.

I thought this article, although it was pretty short, provided some good information and it really made me think. If we want to help people we can't wait until they are practically adults to start. We have to start at birth. Children under the age of 5 are constantly growing and learning and developing. They are also incredibly vulnerable and fragile. It's important that women know everything there is to know about taking care of a child. By helping women now these organizations are not only teaching them good things but giving them life lessons that they can turn around and pass on to their children.

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7 Mexican women freed in so-called infanticide cases

Corinne Knowles

September 10, 2010

2:30pm

Seven Mexican women were given long prison sentences for getting abortions even though they swore they just had miscarriages. One of these women even claimed she wasn't positive she was truly pregnant in the first place. According to the article there is still a stigma attacked to unwanted pregnancies. Abortion may have been legalized in Mexico City three years ago but it is still illegal in the rest of the country. A woman in Mexico could be charged six months to three years in prison for having an abortion. In some cases authorities could charge women with killing an infant and send them to prison for up to twenty-nine years.

Abortion has been and continues to be such a controversial issue here in the United States that many of us don't think about it being such an issue in other countries. Abortion may be frowned on by some people in the US but it's hard to imagine a woman being sent to prison for three years for getting an abortion. I think this kind of punishment can be very dangerous. I'm sure that the hearts of those who came up with these laws are in the right place but I don't think they really thought about what consequences this may bring. If a woman has made up her mind about getting an abortion she's going to do it no matter what, and because it's illegal she is going to put herself in danger trying to find another way to do it. Hopefully Mexican authorities can find a happy medium between upholding moral values and keeping women safe.

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Women's groups targets sexism in campaigns

Corinne Knowles

September 2, 2010

9:00pm

Basically this article is about the different sexist comments that have been made about female politicians by their male counterparts or the media. Comments range from discussing a woman's ability to take care of her family to a particular radio talk show host referring to a female senator as as a "prostitute." Advocates for women running for office are trying to shed light on this issue, especially when it comes to the media. A lot of time and money is being put towards not only identifying the problem but trying to fix it. Women have become increasingly more aware of this problem since Sarah Palin's run for Vice President. When a woman is running for a political office she is often scrutinized when it comes to her family and personal life, probably more so than a man running for a similar position. The article goes on to discuss racist comments verses sexist comments and how the latter has become not only acceptable in many groups, but normal.

Honestly, I've never paid much attention to politics. That being said, the issue this article is discussing doesn't surprise me at all. In life men and women are perceived differently, why would it be any different in politics? When men are judged it is usually based on their leadership skills and how powerful they appear to be. When a woman is judged it usually has something to do with her family. God forbid she has a pregnant unwed seventeen year old daughter. What did surprise was some of the quotes from members of the media mentioned in this article. That comment made about the Supreme Court Justice and "menstruating" was incredibly inappropriate. That's something I would expect to hear from an immature high schooler not a grown man about such an important woman.