Posts tagged equality
There are 425 major job categories, and “personal care and service worker” is the only one where women’s median salary exceeds men’s. On the other end of the spectrum, the jobs with the largest pay gaps include insurance agents, managers, clerks, securities sales agents and personal advisers. Bloomberg points out that advanced degrees don’t even the playing field: A female doctor makes 63 cents to the male dollar, and a female chief executive makes 74 cents to that dollar.
Jane Doe No. 2, who is a Somali female, described during the testimony earlier this month being taken to several apartments around suburban Minneapolis to have sex with other Somali men for money, sometimes as little as $40. She said the sexual acts began at the age of 12.
Jane Doe. No. 5 testified earlier this month that she was being used to have sex with men in Minnesota when she was around 15 or 16 years old. She said she later moved to Nashville as an adult and said she saw girls and young women being used as prostitutes at a Nashville apartment.
One of the most necessary aspects of human socialization is cleanliness. You cannot function effectively in the world without the ability to keep yourself tidy. I can assure you that if I smell like I just ran 10 miles, ate a whole clove of garlic and then jumped into a pool of Vicks VapoRub mixed…
What’s up Planned Parenthood, Los Angeles?!
PPLA Volunteer Night is
Wednesday, May 2!
It’s a great way to help Planned Parenthood while enjoying dinner with friends, fellow volunteers, and staff!
Come help us fill bags with condoms, put together mailings, and fulfill other agency-wide administrative needs.
PPLA Volunteer Night
Wednesday, May 2, 6pm-9pm
Planned Parenthood Los Angeles Headquarters
If you are NOT a current PPLA volunteer but would like more information on how to participate and help our Los Angeles area with volunteer service, please EMAIL me or REQUEST MORE INFO (below) and I will pass along all the details.
Support PPLA. Support Women, Children & Families. Support the right to CHOOSE. Support equality. Support freedom.
You are beautiful
If you continuously attack straight people who try to stand up for your rights because they word things a bit wrong…THEY WILL STOP TRYING TO STAND UP FOR YOU! We need as many people as possible on the side of equality. If the person means well, please don’t fault them for not completely…
I would extend this to anyone supporting any movement from the outside - it’s a step in the right direction when people start trying. So, we aren’t perfect. That’s okay. None of us are. But let’s not defeat the original purpose by purporting a new set of hate speech, stereotypes and discrimination.
Would it be such a terrifying thing if you did ‘sound like a lesbian’?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m as annoyed as you are that there is an automatic assumtion that feminist = lesbian.
However, when you express a fear of people assuming that you are a lesbian it sounds heterosexist and/or homophobic….
slam dunk. people think I’m a lesbian all the time. I think it’s because I’m:
- not a slave to makeup - yeah, I know I’m hot whether or not I doll myself up every day
- not a slave to a bra - this has more to do with my tiny frame than anything else, but for some reason going braless and being small chested is somehow synonymous with being a lesbian. WTF Really? Stupid people never fail to amaze me. I just can’t wrap my mind around why some people are stupid enough to think a woman being comfortable with her small chest would mean she’s not heterosexual. This has a LOT more to do with misogyny than I have time to explain, but the jist of it is - if I were straight I’d care enough about how I look to men to invest in inflating my breasts through augmentation, padded bras, etc. Not so, gawkers. Eff you.
- I wear “masculine” clothes. I’m sorry, what? What is masculine about my jeans made for women or my tops made for women? Ooooh…right, they aren’t form fitting enough to make me a self-respecting straight woman who’s primary obligation and concern with each outfit should be how I look to men. *yawn*
- I don’t wear heels (often) - but when I do, boy howdy does my ass look nice. But here’s the kicker on this stereotype against my chucks - it’s not only offensive that straight women “should wear heels,” but doubly offensive that the assumption therein is that lesbians don’t. Excuse me? *facepalm* *coughSTUPIDPEOPLEcough*
- Member of PFLAG - um so now because I am supportive of my LGBTQ family members and friends I must somehow have caught homosexuality by osmosis (as if it would be an inherent curse if I had - It wouldn’t!). Because yeah, that’s the only way to explain why I don’t wear makeup, love comfy baggy clothes, would choose a power suit over a pencil skirt in professional settings, don’t wear heels and have a brain between my ears.
Hey, seriously, all of the things associated with being a lesbian are insanely awesome. Mistake me for a lesbian all day long, it’s a compliment. If it means I am strong…I am intelligent…I think before I speak (most of the time)…I care about social progress and TRUE equality for everyone…I present myself for who I am, not necessarily how I look (however this can also be a demeaning stereotype for feminine lesbians - an issue that I can’t take on in this post but really should blog about soon. Stereotypes are harmful in all directions).
I could go on but I have homework to get back to.
Preach on Geek Counselor. XO MUAH!
(Source: igotlostintherevolvingdoor)
While the future may have it’s limitations for Somalian women, instead of giving up many have turned to working out. This is the best story I’ve come across all day. Exercise is a universally awesome outlet for anger and frustration and it has also been proven to reduce feelings of depression, anxiety and hopelessness.
Somalia is often described as one of the worst places in the world to be a woman, with violence, drought and restrictions from al-Shabab Islamists, who controls much of the country. But the BBC’s Mary Harper found that some Somali women are doing surprising things, and their future may be looking a little brighter.
The article does go on to claim that the women aren’t exactly “safe” at the gym, however, with armed guards, barred windows and locked doors implemented as precautions against would-be rapists and suicide bombers.
The advancements are not limited to a workout routine. Women are opening beauty parlors, art galleries and “shops selling fashionable clothes.”
Despite this, says Ms Ismail, women remain marginalised in many other areas of life. “Somali women feel that they are not getting a fair share of what this country is giving to its people.
“Having contributed so much to it, they are being denied many privileges that women have a right to have. A right to authority, a right to inheritance, a right to making decisions about their marriages, a right not to be physically molested, a right to be treated as equal partners, equal people with men.”
Women are waiting for a change in parliament that will mark the next step toward equality in their country. If it happens, they will be able to push for achieving more rights. I’m crossing my fingers for them and saying prayers that it happens - which is about the only thing I can do from 9,732 miles away.
Unfortunately, the BBC didn’t miss the opportunity for a little dig on religio-cultural attire common to the region.
The fact that growing numbers of women are going to gym suggests al-Shabab is losing its grip on their minds. They no longer feel forced to so completely restrict their behaviour, hiding themselves away under thick, dark robes.
Wow. Well I suppose some women feel forced. Others choose to do it. Comments like this do propegate the stereotype of the oppressed (Muslim) female who is forced to be robed and veiled. For me reading this, it’s a powerful indicator that the author (Mary Harper) is supportive of women inasmuch as they hope to become Westernized. Why can’t we get it through our heads that liberation and equality doesn’t necessarily coincide with the way a woman chooses to dress? For some? Sure. There is no such thing as a universal truth about genders, cultures, religions, etc. People are unique, no matter how many similarities they share. But the addition of this stereotype of the hijab/burqa/niqab oppressing women is unnecessary and - IMHO - out of place in this article that otherwise focuses on women’s political and social freedoms in Somalia.
All in all, this article receives a score of 90%. It lost 10 points for it’s pointless inclusion of gender/religious/cultural stereotyping and the absurd read-between-the-lines statements that women who cover are automatically oppressed and in need of our Westernized “liberation.”
Edit: I found Ms. Harper’s twitter information if anyone is interested in speaking their mind to her directly.
@mary_harper
Africa Editor, BBC World Service & author of Getting Somalia Wrong? Faith, War & Hope in a Shattered State. Views my own, not BBC’s. Posts are not endorsements.
Nairobi · http://www.maryharper.co.uk
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Disclaimer:This post holds the interpretations and opinions of someone who lives outside the cultural experience of Muslimahs. It is meant to raise awareness and garner support. It does not represent the viewpoints or experiences of women who are experiencing these issues directly. If your questions for me have to do with direct experience I will only be able to refer you to some strong Muslimah’s to better answer you. Thank you for reading and for your understanding of the need for this disclaimer!
A-Mazing! Be sure to read the follow up article that addresses the comments…
There’s something quite beautiful about this photo. I could keep looking at it for hours. Thanks for sharing!
We are all painted with the same brush.
Aljazeera reports on how the Arab Spring ultimately was a letdown for women. Synonymous with equal rights? Not so much, says Amal al-Malki.
“We have no voice. We have no visibility… And I am telling you, this is why women’s rights should be institutionalised, it should not be held hostage at the hand of political leaderships who can change in a second, right? Governments should be held responsible for treating men and women equally.” - Amal al-Malki
So again we have movements to highlight inequality but do not move women forward in ways that institutionalizes their rights. Not yet anyway. No reason to give up; women are gaining ground and voice in ways they haven’t before and that in and of itself can be viewed as a small victory.
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Disclaimer: This post holds the interpretations and opinions of someone who lives outside the cultural experience of Muslimahs. It is meant to raise awareness and garner support. It does not represent the viewpoints or experiences of women who are experiencing these issues directly. If your questions for me have to do with direct experience I will only be able to refer you to some strong Muslimah’s to better answer you. Thank you for reading and for your understanding of the need for this disclaimer!
A complex issue to be sure. Here we have another example of poverty, cultural tradition and law in a war-torn society in direct conflict with one another.
“They were informed that marriage of underage girls is illegal and they were shocked,” a policeman, who was part of the raid, told The Express Tribune. “They said we’re illiterate and do not know about the law.” The girl’s parents have been arrested.
While I’m not sure how likely it is, considering the law outlawing child brides in Pakistan passed in 1929, it certainly isn’t impossible. Rural community members living in relatively destitute conditions with no ability to read not comprehending the law. It’s possible. Definitely possible. And when cultural tradition continues widespread in these villages, the people see that and it reinforces a norm. Norms = societally acceptable. Societally acceptable = assumption of legality.
This is where it gets very difficult to stand outside and judge the situation. Child brides are something I am passionate about. I believe it’s not something that should happen to a child. However, it’s not as simple as that 99% of the time when all these other issues - poverty, literacy, education, cultural tradition, the isolation of rural communities, etc. - play a part in the continued practice.
Now what’s that 5 year old going to do with her parents arrested and her would be groom arrested as well? I don’t know that we are seeing much of a solution by criminalizing the very people who likely were put in a position of having to marry off their daughter in the first place.
But that said, I don’t have much of the story yet, so I’ll add the disclaimer that my opinion is definitely subject to change on this case.
It’s hard to shock me these days, after spending years working on Skid Row, in Jail, with violent offenders, sexually violent predators, with women who are victims of DV, former prostitutes and the co-occurring (drug & alcohol addiction + a, or several, mental health diagnosis), and finally military veterans (very similar to the prison population actually, IMHO).
But. It’s not impossible. And Sweden’s new FGM cake, complete with a live head that “acts” the agony of the girl being circumcized as the cake is cut into - wowzers. Sweden, you have shocked me today.
However, as commenter Lars-Erik Franson points out:
Lars-Erik Franson
That the man who made the cake is the Afros-swede Makode Aj Linde.
So before anyone else starts complaining about how a Swedish man could do such a thing maybe you should find out who he is:
http://bbanzaiz.tumblr.com/post/21273758816/so-this-is-makode-aj-linde-this-artist-behind-the
It’s true I don’t know anything about who made the cake and haven’t read about him yet, but Franson included a link to the tumblr account that explains who this cake designer was. I’m going to check that out as soon as I finish reading more about this issue with Australia (see previous post).
I just came across this article/blog/report - I don’t yet know what happened with this but I’m going to look into it and post more later. I haven’t heard that the practice of FGM was considered, or perhaps was, re-legalized in Australia in 2010. If so, the article explains the reason why they were (at least considering it).
This is such a complex topic and one I’ve been passionate about for many years. The article is worth a read, and actually so is the blog, which has this “About” description:
Culture Served Raw takes a curious look into the deeper and darker aspects of human culture. It examines the bizarre, the seductive and the unsettling peculiarities of the past and present, entertaining the hearts of voyeurs, perverts and eccentrics while contributing very little to the pursuit of valuable knowledge.
Well, I don’t know about the lack of value in this story but I do agree it contains bizarre and unsettling information.
Because it’s Islam - a globally misunderstood, feared and hated faith - he was allowed to not only talk about his insanity, but to do so for an hour. Oh, Norway…you disappoint me today.
“In a scene unimaginable in many countries, Norway’s worst mass killer got the chance to explain his fanatical views to the court and the world, unrepentant and dressed in a business suit. Prosecutors and lawyers for the families of his 77 victims even shook his hand.”
Shook his hand?? Really? Wow. Did anyone shake the unabombers hand? What’s that you say? No? Why not? Maybe because he was an insane fanatic that killed people? And let’s remind ourselves that good ol’ Ted Kaczynski only actually KILLED three people. He injured 23 more. So this loony-toon Anders Behring Breivik who killed 77 people - why the niceities? Oh. Because it’s Islam. And it’s okay to hate Islam.
This anti-Islamic sentiment makes me want to puke a little. It seems to be the big “It’s okay to hate these people” of my generation. Over the centuries, the ranks of which have included:
- WOMEN
- HOMOSEXUALS
- AFRICANS/AFRICAN-AMERICANS/AFRICAN-FILL IN THE BLANK
- MEXICANS
- ARMENIANS
- (PEOPLE OF) JEWISH (DESCENT)
- GERMANS (SPECIFICALLY THOSE ALIGNED WITH A CERTAIN SWASTIKA TOTING POLITICAL PARTY)
- ITALIANS
- IRISH
- SCOTTISH
- TURKISH
I really could go on but I think you get my point. Why are we giving any airspace at all to this sanctimonious mass murderer who pointlessly and brutally premeditated the slaughter of 77 innocent people (many of whom were children)?
Oh. Because it’s Islam.
God help them.
