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Miss Nepal Pageant Not Looked at Kindly by Maoists

CitizenSugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 03:00:00 -0700

If you're a Nepalese woman in search of a tiara, the outlook is bleak. The ruling Maoist party has postponed the Miss Nepal contest, set to be held this weekend, for the sixth time this year. In the battle between beauty queens and bureaucrats, oddly their takes on the issue are at once at odds and the same.

The women who were supposed to have been in the canceled pageant say they've been "victimized" by the government's decision. The government says they were trying to stop a practice that they say discriminates against some ethnic groups and demeans women. Specifically, according to the Maoist's most senior woman, it's not fair to shorter, darker women and further objectifies the winners by making them appear in toothpaste and shampoo ads.

To see the women's rights ramifications,

Girl Power? Couric Claims Sexism More Common Than Racism

CitizenSugar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 07:50:20 -0700

In the fight for girl power, three women have jumped into the ring in the past 24 hours with very different viewpoints. Katie Couric, in Israel covering Obama's world tour made this striking proclamation:

I find myself in the last bastion of male dominance, and realizing what Hillary Clinton might have realized not long ago: that sexism in the American society is more common than racism, and certainly more acceptable or forgivable.

Sexism trumps racism? So what's a girl to do? Oh! I know! We'll ask Brooke Hogan (of the dubiously-named Brooke Knows Best) what the role for women should be! Here's her take:

I think it's kind of crazy that a woman is running because I think that women deal with a lot of emotions and menopause and PMS and stuff. Like, I'm so moody all the time, I know I couldn't be able to run a country, because I would be crying one day and yelling at people the next day, you know?

Surely a gal has to be Wonder Woman to exist in both realms, fighting for a world where woman can and should be allowed to do it all, amid the utterings of a generation of Brooke Hogans who glimpsed the dream of equality and said, "nah." That superhero fighting could be the very element that's undoing feminism. To see how,

"Men at Work" Signs Out in Atlanta: Sensible or Out to Lunch?

CitizenSugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:45:47 -0700

Heading to Hotlanta sometime soon? Don't be surprised if you see construction workers hard at work — without the ubiquitous "Men at Work" sign. Based on complaints by the editor of Pink magazine, a publication devoted to professional women, the Atlanta, GA, Public Works are replacing the manly placards with the more gender-neutral wording "Workers Ahead." State officials will begin asking contractors to remove signs that insinuate it's just the men doing the heavy lifting — but the, perhaps, more-enlightened wording comes with a price: the new signs will cost $144 a piece. Not content to let the campaign for gender neutrality stop at the stomping ground of the Designing Women, the crusading editor is taking her cause nationwide. "We're calling on the rest of the nation to follow suit and make a statement that we will not accept these subtle forms of discrimination."

"Men at Work" Signs Out in Atlanta: Sensible or Out to Lunch?

Sensible! Women are working too, it's about time we got rid of sneaky discrimination.

Out to lunch. It's just a sign, not an attack on women's abilities. Plus, so expensive!

Other. I'll leave my sign in the comments.

That song! Stuck in my head! Darn you, Citizen! Arghhhh!

Vatican Says Female Anglican Bishops Reveal a Divine Divide

LibertySugar — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 03:00:39 -0700

The Roman Catholic Church has signaled the start of Schism 2.0 (at least), thanks to the Church of England's decision to allow women bishops in its Church. As for its own clergy, the Vatican has promised automatic excommunication for any Catholic bishop who attempts to ordain a woman as a priest.

The Catholic cardinal in charge of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity said:

"Such a decision is a break with apostolic tradition maintained in all of the Churches in the first millennium, and is therefore a further obstacle for reconciliation between the Catholic Church and the Church of England."

The cardinal warned that the Church of England's decision would have a long-term impact on the previously fruitful interfaith dialogue.

Does the Catholic Church's belief that since Christ chose only men as his apostles, only men can be priests represent an irreconcilable difference between Catholics and Anglicans? What would be gained by a healthy dialogue between the two Christian churches that separated during the 16th century?

Front Page: G-8 on Energy, Climate, and Africa, Women Bishops Allowed, Free Gas For Life

CitizenSugar — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:56:55 -0700

G-8 on Energy, Climate, and Africa:
Amid protests, the leaders of the G-8 economic powers acknowledged today that rising food and oil prices will affect world growth, but they're optimistic that the global economy will snap back. Calling on petroleum suppliers to boost production, they expressed their "strong concern" over commodity prices. Then the G-8 confirmed a goal to cut global greenhouse gases by 50 percent by 2050, with additional goals for developing countries. Divisions came during a meeting with African leaders over the situation in Zimbabwe, with the US and Britain proposing an arms embargo and the African leaders promoting a power-sharing agreement.

Women Bishops Allowed:
The governing body of the Anglican Church in Britain voted yesterday to approve the appointment of women as bishops in the church. It's a step that could risk a schism in the church while still battling the most serious threat to its unity over allowing gay clergy members. The vote in favor of women came 16 years after similar debate to approve the ordination of women as ministers within the British church.
Free Gas For Life:
The Florida Lottery has instituted an attractive second place prize in response to climbing oil prices — free gas for life. Players consider the prize more attractive than the cash grand prize. With the average price over $4 a gallon, one Floridian said we've hit a tipping point where, "gas has become more precious than cash now."

Powersuit of Tradition: Sworn Virgins In Albania Are Dwindling

CitizenSugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 08:05:57 -0700

In Albania, gender equality has a literal meaning — and a less modern, more traditional translation that your 9 to 5 or Working Girl tropes. For centuries, sworn virginity has allowed woman to live as men, with all the responsibilities and rights that accompany the role in a conservative society.

In closed-off rural northern Albania, the practice of swapping genders was a practical solution motivated by social necessity, for a family with a shortage of men. One woman decided to make the change after her father was killed leaving no male heir. The custom she chose requires a vow of lifetime virginity — in exchange for living as a man with all the authority the gender commands — including the obligation to avenge her father’s death. Though she says she wouldn't necessarily do it now, then it was an easy decision:

Back then, it was better to be a man because before a woman and an animal were considered the same thing. Now, Albanian women have equal rights with men, and are even more powerful. I think today it would be fun to be a woman.

With sexual equality and modern trappings seeping into Albania (including MTV which popped in after the fall of the Berlin Wall) the tradition is fading. Not needing to make the vow to own property, move freely, or avoid an arranged marriage, now there are only about 40 sworn virgins remaining. The decision not only created equality in life, it created equality in worth. A woman is worth is half that of a man, but a virgin is worth the same as a man — 12 oxen.

The changes of modern times don't sit well with all the sworn virgins. To see why,

Equal Opportunity? Women Want Right to Serve — in al Qaeda

CitizenSugar — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:30:30 -0700

Al Qaeda and the United States military do share one thing in common: the debate to allow women in combat.

Ayman al-Zawahiri, Al Qaeda’s second in command, stated in April that the terrorist group does not have women in its ranks and that the women’s role should be restricted to domestic work and nurturing children. This raised an outcry from women eager to fight and who believe their right to fight are being denied.

The director of the SITE Intelligence Group which monitors Internet sites that cater to more militant factions said:

Women were very disappointed because what al-Zawahiri said is not what’s happening today in the Middle East, especially in Iraq or Palestinian groups. Suicide operations are being carried out by women, who play an important role in jihad.

Experts indicate that there are no women in Osama bin Laden’s inner decision-making core group, but outside that group there are many offshoots where women may play important roles. In a bleak variation of starting on the bottom rung, women are increasingly serving as suicide bombers. In Iraq since the 2003 invasion, women have been responsible for at least 20 attempted suicide bombings and the US military has said in the past year they have captured al Qaeda members suspected of being trained to use suicide belts. Though al Qaeda is an all-boys club, women are signing up other places. To find out where,

The Symbolism of Deciding to Wear a Muslim Headscarf

CitizenSugar — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:30:00 -0700

I knew the hijab (the scarf Muslim women cover their head with) is symbolic, but I hadn't given much thought to just how meaningful the decision whether or not to don it is until I read this piece in Slate. Especially for Muslim women living in America, covering up or not varies just as often as someone might switch jobs or leave a relationship, and it's just as life changing.

The author of the piece tells of her own decision to cover and shares other's stories, too. One woman originally covered up as an act of rebellion, a way to stand out — but decided to unveil later after being set up with potential dates who thought her hijab broadcast a submissive attitude toward marriage whereas her education had prompted her to examine roles for men and women laid out in classical Islamic law. To see it applied in modern times,

Do Women Have a Right to Sexual Happiness — by Law?

LibertySugar — Mon, 05 May 2008 14:30:48 -0700

One politician wants to add a woman's right to sexual happiness to Ecuador's new constitution. While her opponents claim she is trying to legislate orgasms, Maria Soledad Vela says that she simply wants to recognize the right to enjoy sex in a more open society. Since the new constitution will recognize the rights of indigenous communities and the poor, she says women should also be represented.

It seems like governments all over the world are always trying to legislate issues that can't exactly be solved with a law. Remember the Kentucky lawmaker who wanted to make anonymous Internet posting illegal? Or the fact that in Italy, it is illegal for men to grab their genitals in public. Why do you think governments have such an expansive view regarding what is appropriate for legislation?

Perhaps these politicians have worthy intentions — by calling to legislate sexual happiness for women, Soledad Vela has ignited a debate in conservative Ecuador about the female position in society. She hopes that an official endorsement of female pleasure will end the treatment of women as sexual objects.

Do you think Soledad Vela should be commended for trying to stop female sexual subordination? Or, is she treading on something intimate that has nothing to do with politics or law? Would you like to see a constitutional right like this in your country?

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Afghan Women Fleeing Abuse Often Wind up in Jail

CitizenSugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 06:00:24 -0700

When the Taliban fell six years ago, it was thought that a new government would offer women in Afghanistan a greater freedom since their rights are now guaranteed in the new Afghani constitution. The women of Afghanistan can now go to school and find employment, yet except for a small number of wealthy, urbanites, a woman who escapes a setting of domestic horror can end up in jail.

The reality for most women parts of Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan is less than free: a woman who runs away from home is usually assumed to have taken a lover and can be prosecuted for adultery. Simply leaving her house without her family's permission may be deemed a jailable offense. To see what's happening,

Flirting in Saudi Arabia Earns State-Sanctioned SuperCut

CitizenSugar — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 15:45:00 -0700

In a crazy twist on a sort of Samson and Delilah-esque story, a governor in northern Saudi Arabia recently issued an order promoting the issuance of forced hair cuts as punishment for young men caught pestering women. This decree will be enforced by Saudi Arabia’s Commission For the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice who are assigned the task of carrying out the punishment at “the scene of the infraction.”

This decision is the result of Prince Fahd bin Badr, governor of the northern al-Jof region, seeing a group of long-haired young men bothering female students leaving their school. Saudi Arabia is renown for its strict imposition of Islamic religious tenets, chief among them that women and men are to be segregated in public. This new law will not apply to all long-haired men, but only those who are caught flirting or harassing women in public. Luckily for the long locked who behave themselves, "the decision doesn't include men who spend their free time in public places without hurting anyone."

Would you approve of immediate punishment for on-the-street harassment? Do more rules and stricter societies actually improve quality of life? Are liberties overrated?

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The Long-Neck Women of Thailand Live in a Zoo

CitizenSugar — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 11:00:03 -0700

I love finding compelling stories when I'm least expecting them — it almost seems like the tale is twice as striking given the company it keeps. Marie Claire has really oomphed up their international coverage lately, and I came across this story of the long-neck women of the Kayan tribe in Thailand.

The piece follows one woman named Zember who's removed her neck coil in protest of "Thailand’s shameful secret: that the long-neck women are Burmese refugees who are being prevented by Thai authorities from taking up asylum overseas. As a lucrative tourist attraction, the women are forced to live in a virtual human zoo."

The 500 or so Kayan women fled the brutal military regime in neighboring Burma 20 years ago to live in Thailand and have been confined in three guarded villages on the northern Thai border ever since. About 40,000 tourists every year pay about $8 each to stare at the women’s distinctive giraffe-like appearance. They're paid a meager salary of 1500 baht ($45) a month selling souvenirs and postcards.

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Zember sums up the harsh reality saying:

Some people of my mother’s generation say they are too old [to leave] now, but no one is happy. We have no freedom and life is very hard. . . The [Western] girls look so free and sexy, and their eyes shine. I stare at them and feel even more determined to fight to get out of here.

The whole piece has more pictures of the women and a place to send letters to the Thai Embassy and the UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency. Are you surprised to learn something that seems cultural is really government oppression?

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