Blog #12 Yemen

The violence is Yemen is still going on as women continue to fight for their rights. Security forces are extremely violent towards protesters; two thousand people have been killed and eight thousand have been injured since the protesting began. Afrah Nasser, who is a Yemeni journalist, states that she is surprised at the increasing number of women who have joined the revolt. There were only a few women since the uprising began in February 2011, now there are thousands. Women are not just involved in the protests, but there are also women holding political seminars throughout the country, and female doctors helping those who have been wounded. Although many female doctors have been arrested they continue to march, and makes themselves available for those who need them.

It is amazing to see how woman are coming together for their human rights. Women continue to protest although security forces are shooting at them, and throwing them into prison. It is great to see how far women will go in order to build up and improve their country. Women in Yemen do not get many rights that men get, such as healthcare, education and job opportunities. Spousal rape, domestic violence, high maternal mortality rate, and female genital mutilation are all problems that should be seen as global problems. It is no surprise that women in Yemen are risking their lives every day participating in these protests. They are tired of the way they are being treated in their country and are desperate for things to change. Afrah Nasser states, “What they are doing is really a protest against socio-political norms that have always limited their freedoms.”

http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/17/opinion/yemen-revolution-afrah-nasser/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

November 18th, 2011 2:59pm

Blog #11 Womens Rights in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia is a very developed and modernized country in the Middle East, many of its women however, still do not have many rights. Like many other women in the Middle East, Saudi Arabian women are forced to cover their entire body, and sometimes their face, if their “male guardian” allows. Saudi Arabian women are also not allowed to drive or vote. Recently the King of Saudi Arabia (Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz), announced that women will be allowed to vote, and this has caused many issues and much tension in the country. Saudi Arabia’s government is an absolute monarchy, and as we learned in class this means, the king has total authority to pass whatever laws he desires. However it also allows religious leaders (the ulema) to have input on social conduct and political decisions, and although they have a lot of authority and influence, the king always makes the final decision.

Saudi Arabian women only make up five percent of the workforce and are required to have a male guardian/chaperone. Even if the woman does not have a father or husband her teenage son or young brother can be her chaperone. It is unfortunate that women in this country do not even have as many rights as women in other Middle Eastern countries have, and they are obviously not receiving the rights that are stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On the bright side, King Abdullah is continuing to pass laws that will help women gain more rights.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/world/july-dec11/saudi2_11-01.html

11/11/11 3:41pm

Blog Post #10 In giving life, women face deadly risks

In several countries in Africa such as Uganda, Mali, and Somalia many women have six to seven children. Women are more likely to die in developing countries because they do not have as many resources and access to healthcare as much women in developed countries do. Many women also do not have contraceptives so pregnancies are difficult to avoid. The more children that a woman has increases her likelihood of dying due to several reasons. After women have two to three children they are more likely to become anemic and are likely to get postpartum hemorrhage, which is excessive bleeding after giving birth (500ml of blood after vaginal delivery and 1000ml of blood after a cesarean section). If a woman has too many pregnancies it causes her uterus to stretch and it can reduce her nutrients like iron and folate (maternal depletion syndrome).

This is a global social problem because many women are dying because they do not receive the proper care that they need. One out of seven women, around the world, will face difficulties and complications during childbirth. The top five worst countries for woman to have babies are Afghanistan, Niger, Yemen, Guinea-Bissau, and Chad. Women are not able to get basic health care, and do not have midwives or doctors to help them during delivery. There has to be a way to provide maternal care in developing countries; or at least provide contraceptives to the women so they are less likely to get pregnant. Being pregnant should be seen as a joyous time in a women’s life, instead of it being viewed as increasing their chances of death.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/01/health/multiple-pregnancies-mother/index.html?hpt=wo_bn3

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postpartum_hemorrhage

November 4th, 2011 3:36pm

Blog #9 Yemeni women burn veils to protest regime

In this past week Yemeni women burned their head scarves and face veils, to show Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh that they were not going to back down even though he is against their ant-government demonstrations. This protest has been going on for at least nine months, and this is the first time they have done this. It was a symbolic statement to get the attention of tribal leaders and the international community. They have needed tribal leaders to protect them while they are protesting and also to break their silence concerning the government. President Ali Saleh has sent government officials to attack and kill women and children involved in the protests. Women have carried banners that read: "Saleh the butcher is killing women and is proud of it" and "Women have no value in the eyes in Ali Saleh."

Government forces have been raiding homes and killing children, and this would be a form of both conventional crime (violent crime) and non-conventional crime (political crime). They are murdering innocent women and children, because of issues regarding the protest. The burning of the face covers and headscarves is also a form of a culture norm violation. It is great to see the women in Yemen, continue to stand up for their rights. They refuse to step back and do nothing, and also ask the men who are supposed to be helping them to do the same. This is a great way to show the President and Yemen government that they are not going to give up anytime soon.

October 28th, 12:59am

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/26/world/meast/yemen-protests/index.html?hpt=wo_bn8

Blog #8 From Shelter to Brothel

Instead of going to a women’s battered shelter to feel safe and secure, women in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico were getting the opposite. Soledad Griensen Porras, the director of the women’s shelter, was arrested on Tuesday night for making the women who stayed in the shelter perform sexual acts for strangers. It is also suspected that even children as young as five years were told to do have sex. “The children had been beaten and had ‘chile put on their private parts’". As someone who plans to work with domestic violence victims in the future this really saddens me; the women are going from one hell to another. It is a shame that this shelter was turned into a brothel.

I believe things like this cause further “feminization of poverty”. Women will not feel they have a safe place to go after they have been abused by their spouses or boyfriends and will just remain on the streets. What other choice do they really have? It states in our textbook that although women are being treated better than they were in the past they still are victims of many things such as violence, and sexual exploitation. This statistics show that one in three women will experience violence during her lifetime, most often at the hands of someone she knows, and two million girls under age fifteen are forced into the sex trade each year. One of the solutions of someone who is in an abusive relationship is to go to battered women’s shelter; and now for many Mexican women this option is no longer a solution.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/19/world/americas/mexico-prostitution-arrest/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

October 21st, 2011 12:48am

Blog #7 : Yemen: Thousands of women demonstrate, dozens injured

Earlier last week three women, Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian Leymah Gbowee and Tawakul Karman of Yemen, were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their work as women’s rights activists. They have pushed for the safety of women, and also have participated in “peace-building work”. The committee responsible for awarding the Nobel Peace Prize hoped that this would “help to bring an end to the suppression of women that still occurs in many countries, and to realize the great potential for democracy and peace that women can represent".

Mrs. Tawakul Karman from Yemen is the first Arab woman to win the award but unfortunately she was not able to celebrate for long. About fifteen thousand women marched in three different Yemni provinces, for her honor, and were attacked by pro-government thugs. Women were getting rocks thrown at them and were getting beaten by batons. They were getting abused just because they were supporting Mrs. Karman, and what she stands for, women’s rights.

As we learned in our textbook, men continue to control most political and economic life in many countries, and feminists have called this the “legacy of patriarchy”. It is evident that in Yemen men want things to remain this way and do not want a democratic government where women have a say. However, worldwide feminist movements are still active and women continue to want to change this “legacy of patriarchy” so women will be seen as equal to men and will no longer be overpowered and silenced.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/10/world/meast/yemen-women-injured/index.html?hpt=wo_bn8

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-15211861

October 14th, 2011 4:32pm

Blog #6 Raising hope for women in Afghanistan

When it comes to having the same rights as men, Afghan women have not reached where they would like to be, however things are getting a lot better. Today marks the tenth anniversary of the war in Afghanistan. The new generation of women (those who are under 20), have been given opportunities that their mother, grandmothers, etc., never had. During the Taliban years women were not seen as human beings. Parents would have to educate their girls at home privately but now twenty five percent of teacher in Afghanistan are women. There are now about 2.7 million girls enrolled in school now, compared to a few thousand before the war began.

Many Afghan women are now able to go to school, vote, and have the freedom to do other things. There are places where they are training women to run their own business. This is something that would not have occurred before the war. Women are also not forced into marriage and suffer a life full of domestic violence.

It is a social problem, when women do not have the privileges that men have. It is encouraging to see that women are now starting to get the rights that they should have gotten a long time ago. Many women fear that the Taliban rule will return and do not want troops to leave. They know if this happens their new rights will be taken away, and will have to return to being prisoners in their own homes. We can only pray that this does not happen.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2011/oct/06/women-afghanistan-feminist-experiment?newsfeed=true

October 7th, 2011 1:51pm

Blog #5 Women in Combat

This event is not a current social problem, but is a social problem in one country that has been solved. This week it has been declared in Australia that women will now be allowed to be in a combat role in the Australian army. They will get jobs that are usually done by men, and will not be discriminated against because of their gender. “Women will be allowed to apply to serve as Navy ordnance disposal divers, airfield and ground defense guards, and in infantry, artillery, and armored units, according to the Australian Defence Ministry.” Government officials claim that the women will not be judged because of their gender but by the way they perform their job.

It is unfortunate that women, who serve in the military in the United States, are still not officially allowed to be in combat roles, although during war, many are told to do so. However, Lory Manning of the Washington-based Women's Research and Education Institute, states that will soon change and that the U.S. will also change their policy and lift restrictions for women in combat roles. I believe that Australia will be a great example for many other countries to follow because they will see that it is possible for women to be in combat. It is great to see Australians are recognizing the fact that women can do the same jobs as men can. This is a great way to push towards gender equality, and show that women are capable to be on the same level as men.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/27/world/asia/australia-women-combat/index.html?hpt=wo_bn

September 30th, 2011 1:30pm

Blog #4 Trapped By Tradition

Can you imagine being forced into prostitution by your parents as soon as you hit puberty? In this article from CNN News, Indian actor, Anil Kapoor, discusses how girls are obligated to join brothels because it is “tradition”. In the Bharatpur District of Rajasthan state in Western India, this began because of religious reasons and later turned into greed. It began with the devdadsi (servant of God) culture where girls would sing and dance for upperclassmen. Once girls hit puberty they have a rite of passage ceremony called “Nathni Utarna” (which means ‘taking off the nose ring’) and they are now ready to be sent into the sex trade.

We can see that this global issue is due to extreme poverty. Although there are ways to make money through farming and other jobs, it is not enough. By parents sending their daughter into the sex trade they have one less mouth to feed, and also gain money.

Kapoor believes that education is the answer to many of the world’s problems. There is a charity called ‘Plan India’ that is putting in efforts to end this heinous tradition. They have helped girls find new ways to earn money and have built schools to ensure that girls have the opportunity to get an education. And also older women that have been forced into prostitution are trying to break the cycle and stop the tradition, by talking to girls and telling them that they should not fall into this trap. It is unfortunate that men see nothing wrong with it, and brothers and fathers encourage their sister or daughter to go. I do not understand how this tradition is related to religion at all. Forcing girls to be prostitutes at such a young age is a global problem and should be stopped. I am glad to know that the Plan India charity is progressing towards ending it.

http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/09/21/tradition-forces-daughters-into-prostitution/?&hpt=hp_c2

September 23, 2011 11:58 am

Blog #3 Women Veterans & Health Care Benefits

We all know that veterans who risk their lives overseas for our freedom go through many different horrific experiences and eventually develop posttraumatic stress disorder (also known as PTSD). I believe women veterans have it even harder, not only are they experiencing the same awful things they men are, many also have to experience Medical Sexual Trauma (MST). MST is defined as uninvited and unwanted sexual attention and/or the use of force or threat of force resulting in unwilling sexual contact.

This article from the New York Times explains how women in the force develop PTSD due to sexual harassment, and when they come back home many do not receive any health care benefits. Unlike women in the workplace who deal with sexual harassment, servicewomen don’t have the option to just quit. They are forced to work and be assaulted by “misogynistic men”. The Veterans Benefits Administration does approve 53 percent of PTSD cases but only 32 percent when the PTSD is related to sexual trauma; and they have been sued by the Service Women’s Action Network because of this.

Once again we are able to see gender inequality in the world. I am pretty sure that men who have PTSD get treated for it no matter what the cause of is, but I cannot understand why women don’t. It is very hard for me to understand why servicewomen cannot receive health care benefits for PTSD just because it is linked to sexual assault. Why should it matter? They should receive health care benefits regardless of what problems they have because they have risked their lives fighting for our country, just like the men have.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/12/opinion/justice-for-women-veterans.html

http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2011/09/10616/almost-one-third-iraq-afghanistan-women-veterans-ptsd-report-military-sexual

September 16th, 2011 2:08pm

Blog #2 Afghan govt launches campaign against self-immolation

Self-Immolation, which is putting oneself on fire, has been the escape route for thousands of Afghan women suffering from domestic violence. Many women say that the self immolation is better than the suffering they went through during their lives. Afghan women are not only using self-immolation as a way of suicide but feel that it is the only way to make more people aware of domestic violence, and the misery they are going through because of it. Last year there were over 22,000 cases of women who were setting themselves on fire, and things are only getting worse this year. Afghan women often use cooking oil or household fuels to commit self-immolation.

The women believe that this is the only way to get the government’s attention, which is probably true. The Afghan government does not care about women’s right and what the Afghan women go through. Many of the officials are corrupt and could care less about the women. Women who would go on trial wouldn’t win unless they had a powerful family. There were laws that were passed but nothing has been done. The aftermath of those who burn themselves are truly horrific, “victims who don't die can sustain burns to more than 50 percent of their bodies and face a painful recovery”. It is just amazing to me that women would rather set themselves on fire than continue to be in an abusive marriage. This is a serious issue, that I am just now hearing about. I don’t know how this issue can be solved because women are not seen as equal to men in Afghanistan; it is hard to see this problem going away. Men do not see anything wrong with beating and abusing their wives, which is extremely unfortunate. I pray that leaders of the women’s rights campaign continue to push for justice.

http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/asiapac/stories/201109/s3313610.htm

September 09th, 2011

Blog #1 South Africa;Gender Equality Beyond Women's Month

As women’s month comes to a close in South Africa, Minister Ms Lulu Xingwana for Women, Children and People with Disabilities, believes that this should’t be the end of the country not being concerned for the rights of the women. In this article from the newsletter “Africa News” Minister Xingwana discusses gender equality in reference to unemployment, and other social problems that South African women are facing. The South African unemployment rate is about 25.7 percent, while the unemployment rate for women is 50 percent. This starts out as a personal trouble for a single woman with kids, however turns into a social issue when the unemployment rate continues to rise. And the women who are employed are only able to work low paying domestic work in the retail sector, and the textile sector. Minister Xingwana is working on developing the Gender Equality Bill, which will allow women to obtain the same work positions as men. There are many opportunities in the future that will enable women to have their own business, and be able to work in mining and construction.

We are able to see that unequal employment opportunities for women in South Africa is definitely a social problem. This issue is not just a problem for the women, but also a problem for the society as a whole. It is very unfortunate that women are still being treated as unequal to men. I hope that the Gender Equality Bill will remove the limits on what jobs women are allowed to have, and women will be able to prove that they are capable of doing the same job a man does.

http://www.lexisnexis.com.libproxy.uncg.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/

September 1st, 2011 12:03pm