Banning Burquas (veils) in the West

-Amarah Niazi-

Growing up in the streets of Pakistan, most of us never questioned the wisdom behind women covering their heads, wearing a chadar, hijab or burqa. In fact I somewhat envied the invisibility it afforded women, and the spectacle of watching men actually making way for burqa clad women instead of ogling them into squirming uncomfortably was a source of endless fascination for me as we grew older. Little did we know that our customary chadars and hijabs would lead to pondering and deliberations at some of the highest echelons of power in the West. It appears imperative that Muslim women of substance join the debate and have their opinions weighed in before the fate of scores of hijab wearing Muslim minorities in the West is decided for them.

Much has been said over the years about the 'burqa' as a recognizable symbol of women's oppression in the Muslim world. The discussion hasn't reached a fever pitch in Washington yet, maybe because the US has enough on it's plate with eight years of alienating the Muslim world in general and the large Muslim minority in the US itself in particular. France it appears however, has been at the fore front of condemning any outward symbolism of religious belief and orientation and has a state-sponsored campaign underway for declaring the burqa or hijab unlawful in the public domain. The rippling effect of the discourse is attracting women's activists and human rights experts; not to mention everyday critics of the Islamic way of life across the North American continent, Europe and Australia. I was recently invited to a public forum hosted by the Australian National University (ANU) and the self explanatory title of the discussion 'Should we ban the burka?" has prompted me to put my thoughts on paper.

Before I comment on the necessity for state-level interference on the issue, let me share a disclaimer with the readers. I consider myself a very moderate Muslim woman with a very strong independent streak that has often come into conflict with my conservative upbringing; I do not wear the burqa, have strong opinions about how the burqa manifested itself into a class-segregation tool in the post-colonial South Asia- and yet, I object vehemently to any Western discourse that solicits state intervention for declaring the burqa unlawful or unnecessary.

My first objection to the ongoing colloquy is that it is patronizing, somewhat condescending and extremely unilateral in its approach. It fails to acknowledge women who have committed themselves to an understanding of their customs, religious doctrines and the art of intricate balancing of gender roles in a complex Islamic society and CHOSEN to wear the veil out of their own accord. Even the women who are forced into a voiceless existence behind the veil (and there is no denying there are plenty such women) this discussion doesn't represent their interests because most commentaries on the subject are steeped in Western ideals and do not reconcile with Muslim women's unique experiences. Secondly, I find this debate contradictory and paradoxical to the Western idea of freedom. As a woman of faith and color, I find the notion most disturbing that the state would dictate how anyone, let alone women who have been dictated to for centuries, must express themselves in public. Muslim women are a unique force unto themselves and while a large number of them are subjected to oppression and abuse, still a large cross-section of them across the Muslim world are very aware of their rights and still choose to cover themselves.

I wish someone would point out the commonly thrown-around argument in the West regarding 'Freedom of Speech and Expression'. The burqa is a manifestation of oppression only when forced upon a woman against her will. A lot of women cover themselves out of respect for their customs and to make a bold statement about their values; why should the state decide this matter for them? I do, however, think that the state can enforce laws that protect women from harm if they choose not to wear the burqa. The matter to me is simply that of defining freedom equally across the board for women of all religions. I will be a very interested participant if the debate ever arises over allowing women the right to wear revealing clothing in public, or even public nudity as that could be seen as an extreme form of expressing one freely. Objectifying women into sexual objects could be no better than dehumanizing them behind identical fabric walls.

This debate could be so much more than it is right now. Muslim women from different cadres of societies need to add their voice to a largely Western discourse and ensure our customs are not scrutinized with a negative lens without bringing unique socio-cultural perspectives to the table that define each one of us in a diverse way.

And the Editorializing Just Keeps on Getting Uglier

OK. Well, the activism worked. The Lookers and Gawkers article has spawned some "discussion" if you want to call it that. There are some great supportive comments, but the ugly ones make for the most outrageous reading. I thought about posting one of the most vitriolic, but decided he didn't need any more self-aggrandizing press. Particularly since he's already posted it to his FB page in the true style of self promotion. BUT: Here's his e-mail (krichevb@onid.orst.edu) if you want to tell him what you think!

Love that OSU contact information is public!!

Latest at the Barometer

Local Activism

Hey everyone! Check out some local activism by WS student Rachel Brinker. Then read the comments and get more fired up!

Concerning Lookers and Gawkers: Back of Fellas

Telling the story of Sex Trafficking through art

You must all watch this video touring "The Journey" an installation art exhibit telling the story of sex trafficking. Coming to New York.

Also, here's the NPR story and interview from this morning

I LOVE Maureen Dowd

elle
LOVE LOVE LOVE!! Two columns in a row on women's issues. You must, must, MUST read.

Women invading the "Oval Man Cave"
More Nuns!

(OK, I admit to a bit of a thrill that I beat her on the nun thing...)

To wear or not to wear?

elle

Well, so here we are in a bit of a conundrum. If you're here at OSU you've probably heard about the undie run that's been all the buzz via Facebook, etc. If you're like me your first reaction was probably 'brrr! It's October and raining out there!'. However, we know that it will probably be quite the event (barring an unseasonable snowstorm or something), and so we're debating how we feminists feel about this.

On one hand nobody wants to be a stick in the mud or live up to the stereotype that feminists are a bunch of complainers that are just out to stop everyone else from having some good clean fun. We don't. My idea of fun runs much more to the lounging by a pool with a good book, but hey, whatever floats your boat.

On the other, there are a few things we are worried about. We want things to be good clean fun, which means nobody getting hurt. A few concerns might be:

1. staying safe--this includes not falling and skinning your knees (or whatever else isn't protected when you're dashing about in your knickers), but it's also about the realities of sexual assault. In our society a woman wearing just her underwear in public is still thought to be 'asking for it' (she's not) or deserving of whatever abuse--physical or verbal--is hurled her way (again, she's not!). I hate to sound like your mother, but...behave yourselves and be safe, don't drink to much, stay in a group. It sucks and we're trying really hard to change it, but for the moment...

2. The objectification--if you've attended or seen other such events it becomes obvious that there are a lot of men standing around watching the women run. Not quite the good clean fun we all want. Sure, we all like attention, but hey if he's not going to give you attention with your clothes on do you really want that attention anyway? Also, if you're going to take your clothes off, do it for you, not for the jeers and cheers from the peanut gallery.

3. Body image issues--we all do it. You walk into the party and scan it to see who looks good and who probably shouldn't have worn that top. Imagine the possibilities when they aren't wearing that top. Again, if you want to glory in your body I am all for it, but if you're there to make yourself feel better by making other people feel less about themselves leave that crap in Jr. High.

Anyway, if you don't want to run--or if you want to and then want to and then need somewhere to warm up--the Women's Center will be open Saturday night for our jammie party--hot chocolate, popcorn, surprises, come on by!!

Jumping on the Bandwagon

elle

OK, so everyone is all a fuss over today's Presidential address to Congress on health care. Well, I would like to jump on the bandwagon, and since the internet is the place for this to happen, add my (wage gap) 76 cents. Prepare yourselves for a rant, because I am SO OVER the politicking. This is peoples lives people.

We activist types all know that it's women and children, particularly poor women, women of color, and immigrant women, in this country who don't have health care, who have lower health outcomes, and who don't have access to preventative care or healthy options--particularly when it comes to mental health services. So, why aren't we really talking about this. And why aren't our congressional leaders reaching out to those people to push this forward. Sure, you might have to knock on a few doors because the truly poor, be they in Detroit or Appalachia, can't get to your town hall meetings. And you may have to actually REALLY understand the options because they might not understand your deliberately ambiguous soundbites. Basically, I'm calling your bluff Obama administration, Congress, and the medical establishment--what are you going to do for the people who really need you but who you aren't talking to.

OK, got that off my chest. Now for some thoughts.

In the US, our health care system is based on a heternormative family model. You don't believe me, think about how you got health care (if you had it, see above) as a child. Chances are, you were covered under a parent's employment based health care. Generally we allow individuals to pay extra to cover family members on their employee health care, but...And this is a big BUT. Employers can make certain decisions about who can be covered and for what cost. For many non-married couples it costs more to cover a partner than if you were married. So if you are a couple that is not legally allowed to be married in your state you're paying more. Add children into the mix and it gets even more complicated. Most states only allow one parent in a same-sex family to be the custodial parent, so it's quite possible you wouldn't even be allowed to cover your own children on your work health care. And don't even get me started on taxes, etc.

My point here is that health care should be an individual right. I should be guaranteed health care whether I'm married, single, parenting, child-free, or whatever. Whether or not I can have health insurance shouldn't have to figure into a decision to get married (if you're even allowed to make that decision). This does not even qualify as the tip of the proverbial iceberg, but I want people to think about the long term consequences of a sexist, racist, heterosexist, classist system.

Meanwhile, a nod to the Corvallis members of Mad as Hell Doctors, who started their tour yesterday!! Check out the webpage and join their care-a-van!

Rocking the Nunnery

elle
OK, full disclosure. I am pro nun. I didn't go to catholic school. There are nuns in my family. My mother protested for civil rights with nuns leading the charge. Quite honestly, the nuns I know are some of the most socially minded, powerful women I know. So perhaps that's why my ears perked up at this story about the Vatican investigating American women's orders. Apparently there have been some serious questions being asked about the work and faith of many nuns in this country. And you can be sure that they're not focusing on the conservative groups who stay home and mind their Ps & Qs, they're worried about the ones that are out there loudly advocating for the poor, immigrants, the LGBTIQ community, and so forth.

This may be an effect of an aging nun population--many of the leaders of communities were adults (and nuns) during the 60s when the Vatican II reforms coincided with the social movements of the US. Perhaps many younger women entering convents are much like post-feminists; feeling that that battle has been won so we don't need to be pounding the pavement anymore. It's hard to say, but what we do know is that these are serious inquiries. Really serious, and yet, acording to the report this level of investigation was never held for men's groups during the sex abuse scandal. Now I know that when you become a nun you embrace obedience, but that doesn't mean you can't push back against a blatently sexist structure. Or even, completely within your vows, work to end the suffering of others. Even if the pope doesn't like them.

And if you want a little heretical nun action check out the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a group of drag nuns and activists in San Francisco (their vows state that they will dedicate themselves to public service, social activism, and spiritual enlightenment). Apparently Pope John Paul II excommunicated them on his visit to the area in 1987. When asked to comment the response was 'well duh!' They're pretty out there, but they're queens--what do you expect.

World Humanitarian Day

elle
Thanks to Nicholas Kristof for putting together this special on women's equality as the social justice and moral crisis of the 21st century. While we always appreciate good work and good press on the issues, it burns me that what women have been saying, shouting, dying for, and demanding for years (decades, centuries) only becomes news when it has beautiful pictures and people have realized that it's strategically useful--see the discussion of how everyone has finally realized that working with women is the best way to fight global poverty, extremism, etc. Yup, we've been saying that for years (decades, centuries) as well. I've been saying it, I have a degree in it, and I still can't find a job!!

So here's the real deal. When we invest in women, they invest in others. It's really can be that simple. One study found that women reinvest in their community at 2-3 times the rate of men (as soon as I find that article among the hundreds on my computer I will link to it). A simple example is that if you give a woman money to buy a cow (or chickens, or a cell phone, or whatever) as she begins to make a profit from the milk she is more likely to put her children in school, to repair the water spigot in her village, to organize a collective to bring a nurse to her village, etc. These things benefit everyone and have a lasting effect; possibly through generations.

So, in honor of World Humanitarian Day PAY ATTENTION!! Then, do some small good in your own way. And don't forget to 'remember the ladies'...

Some other awesome things:

A good primer
Global Fund for Women
Guaranteeing enough to live on works wonders in Namibian village
A fantastic animation that shows what I just talked about
A list of orgs working on women's issues in the 2/3 world

Joining the 21st Century

Well, it's official. We are finally 'twitter-ing' (not sure any of us can really say tweeting and respect ourselves in the morning!). Check us out for bite-size feminism; sorry no cupcakes downloadable...

Tweet, tweet, tweetitly, tweet!

Thanks!!

Wow, so I finally started digging around in our web statistics, and it seems we have more readers than we thought (which was 2, thanks family!!). So, thanks to all of you who read us! To show our gratitude, we're going to up this on our priorities and get some more feminist posting out there. Yea us for figuring out that we can use 'the internets'...

Haven't We Had Enough?

elle
So, that Afghan law legalizing marital rape for Shia men has re-reared its ugly head in new legislation allowing these same men to deny their wives food if they feel they say no. President Karzai, please for the sake of all that is human, stop this. Denying food is internationally recognized as torture, SO WHAT DOES THAT MAKE THESE WOMEN!?!

Traveling Pants Indeed!

elle
An inspiring and yet scary "you go girl" moment as former UN press officer Lubna Ahmed al-Hussein challenges Sudan's indecent dress law in court. Arrested with 12 other women for the indecent act of wearing pants, she and 2 others chose to go to trial rather than accept the plea 'bargin' of 10 lashes. The defendents hope to have Article 152 removed from the Sudanese code of law, and al-Hussein has stated her intention to take her case to the land's highest court if necessary. Off with her pants!

The NYT coverage--it has a bit more information

A little summer inspiration

Amazing things can happen when a woman believes in her infinite power and own potential. We as women face innumerable obstacles to self-empowerment and self confidence; barriers are iron bars, the world laughing in our faces. And it is so reviving and inspiring when a women ignores the world and all those who list the reasons she can't do something. Instead she adorns herself in her glory and blasts through and past every excuse and embarrassment, like an apparition to the exalted state of success.

I was inspired today by just such a woman—a contestant on Britain's Got Talent, nonetheless—who faced ridicule and looksist discriminators, took that stage by the ovaries and astounded a global audience. Not once did she exhibit the slightest inhibition or self-doubt, totally protected by her knowledge of her WomanPower (which is, of course, one of the greatest forces known in the universe...limitation due only to an utter lack of sufficient deep-space exploration), but it was evident that she owed nothing to anyone, and was freely giving the gracious gift of her presence. She was so independent in her performance that she almost left the stage without any comment from the judges. She didn't need their, or anyone's, approval to know that she was magnificent. I loved that.

Hats, belts, bloomers and garters off to you, Ms. Susan Boyle. Your performance was a gift to us all. Hopefully we get to see the other sides of you as well; I'm sure they are just as fabulous!

See more of Susan or send us the name of your favorite woman champion!

This is another great contribution from our dear Lindsay. That girl must have all her fingers in the pool of great media (and I can thank her for restoring my hope in good journalism). This particular interview with Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the prospective future role of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor also discusses the interplay of women personalities in the court—past, present and future—and brings to discussion some very interesting cases based in sex discriminiation and reproductive rights in the past.

Thanks a mil, Linds! It was a great find.

(This was also my VERY FIRST blog post. Ever. Woohoo!)

-Alia B.

Thanks to Lindsay, who may have graduated and moved on but is still sending me things to post, for this excellent editorial that reminds us all of the privilege we have as feminists in the US. Amidst our daily work and struggles, as well as continued and pervasive sex, race, ... inequality, it can be far to easy to forget the powerful freedom of being able to actually think, focus, and act on them. We would all do well to remember that calling ourselves feminist is a privilege.

It's Hard to Debate Feminism When You're Dodging Bullets

Farewell

elle

I don't know if any of you are old enough to remember this the way I do, but when Dr. Jerri Nielsen FitzGerald made headlines for treating her own breast cancer while over-wintering at the South Pole (there, summer here) it was one of those ultimate girl power moments for the impressionable me. Not only was performing a biopsy and chemotherapy on yourself pretty bad ass, she was over-wintering at the South Pole! How cool is that (about 75 below on a good day...)! Her death yesterday, from a return of the cancer, has taken an wife, mother, activist, and crazy role model. Our best to her family and all those who knew her.

World Refugee Day

June 20th is World Refugee Day, so take some time to reflect back on the gendered nature of violence, the gendered nature of peace, and the ways in which community upheaval (be it violent, natural, or otherwise) affects the ways in which that community rebuilds.

Here We Go Again...

elle

Didn't I already tell people this!! Reports have come out indicating that the number of the world's hungry has topped 1 billion people--up 11% from last year (which comes out to 100 million people, FYI). However, what this article fails to mention is that the majority of the hungry in the world are women and girls, and that the World Food Programme specifically calls gender inequality a 'major cause and effect of hunger'. There are a lot of issues at hand when discussing hunger and food insecurity, but articles like this that make no mention of the reality that women around the world eat less and eat last--which has a major impact on everything from health to education--aren't helping us face up to that reality.

Time for face up to it. Denying women and girls education, personal and economic autonomy, and legal rights affects EVERYTHING, including how many of them go to bed hungry every night.

In Memoriam

elle

No matter where you stand on reproductive rights, I hope that we can all acknowledge the tragedy of the murder of Dr. George Tiller in the vestibule of his church in Wichita Kansas yesterday. Dr. Tiller, targeted for decades because of his work providing abortions in Kansas, is survived by his widow Jeanne, 4 children, and 10 grandchildren; our hearts go out to them all.

Here We Go Again

No surprises here, but Burmese pro-democracy activist (and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate) Aung San Suu Kyi was under trial again this week. Her sentence to house arrest was due to expire May 27th, so the government needed a new reason to keep her under their control. The darling of the west, Suu Kyi has been under house arrest in her native Myanmar for 13 of the past 19 years. While her profile has remained fairly high, some scholars have begun to question whether her power was waning. Well, well done ruling military junta, you have once again handed her an international spotlight. Shows the power of fear and a brutal military regime that their PR can be that bad and they are still in power.

The Lesser of Two Evils

elle
I'm sure you've all heard about the Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi detained, convicted and sentenced in Iran for "spying", and her release on appeal today! Hooray, although I would like to point out that her sentance was changed today, not her conviction, and her 'trial' was an absolute farce. Ms. Sarberi's release may do much for continued talk between Iran and the US, but her career has been irrevocably damaged by the conviction, and she will most likely be leaving Iran (where she has lived the last 6 years) and returning to the US.

In honor of Dr. Shirin Ebadi's talk here at OSU 2 weeks ago, I wanted to highlight the case and the work of Dr. Ebadi for human rights around the world--her organization was involved in Ms.Saberi's appeal. Dr. Ebadi's talk, while definately prepared for her middle and high school aged audience at PeaceJam rather than those of us who do this for a living, both addressed the realities of gender oppression around the world and the absolute necessity of democratic governance to address gender inequity. It can be hard, as someone who spends a lot of time thinking about the problems of our democratic government to remember how essential it is to human rights. But from there we have to remember that if 50.1% of the people vote for a bigot it's still a democratic election, even if we don't like it. So, democracy is not enough. We have to educate ourselves and each other, demand excellence and transparency from our candidates, and hold ourselves to a higher standard. At Archbishop Desmond Tutu's speech in Portland last week he admonished the audience by saying that Americans are so warm, open, and generous--why can't we export that instead of guns.

A Rave

elle and Lindsay

Ah, the abstinence only/Palin crowd is back. I will give Bristol props for publicly stating that being a young single mother is hard work (although she has family, money, and access so not as bad as it could be...), but seriously.

We both enjoyed Gail Collins' NYT Editorial about Bristol's elevation to spokesperson for the Candie's Foundation which was established to address teen pregnancy, but for different reasons. Lindsay particularly likes the comment about Gloria Steinem's shoes and Elle laughed inappropriately loud and long at the part about how terrifying it is when Levi Johnston has the most coherant analysis of a social justice issue. Truly...

Enjoy!

A Rant

elle

OK, I promise to be short, but I just got in a snit over this, and I have to take it out somewhere. And really, that's the great reason to have a blog, you can rant and people will read it.

NPR posted an essay with a list of the top 100 novels of the 20th century and in my quick glance through it I counted 6, 6! women. There were more books about women by men than female authors on there!! ACK!!! OK, the author does state that this is his personal list, but really I don't care, I'm mad.

So, there it is once again. This is not blatant sexism on Dick Meyer's part, nor do I assume he is an unenlightened boar. This is an example of how we aren't exposed to the art of women. I'm not sure I could come up with 100 20th century books by women of the caliber to go on a "best" list. We don't read these books in school, they aren't on the must read lists, and people shy from highlighting the work of women in fear of being called discriminatory.

So, congratulations to Toni Morrison (whose oeuvre could fill our list alone), Willa Cather, Harper Lee, Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf, and Alice McDermott. However, to this esteemed company I not-so-humbly add off the top of my head:

The House of Mirth--Edith Wharton
The Red Tent--Anita Diamant
The Joy Luck Club--Amy Tan
Their Eyes Were Watching God--Zora Neal Hurston
White Oleander--Janet Finch
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings--Maya Angelou
Bastard Out of Carolina--Dorothy Allison
Cane River--Lalita Tademy
The Color Purple--Alice Walker

Hmmm, a pile of books about women of color, lesbians, etc. Wonder why they didn't make the list...

Send us your suggestions, we're going to make the OSU top 100 books by women in the 20th century! Woo Hoo!!

'HAPPY' EQUAL PAY DAY or 'I Want my Million Dollars'

elle

Today, Tuesday April 28, 2009 is Equal Pay Day, a day designed to raise awareness to pay inequity in the United States. Always held on a Tuesday because Tuesday is the day on which women's wages from the week before catch up to men's--basically women have to work Monday through Friday PLUS Monday and part of Tuesday to make the same amount that men make Monday through Friday. A brand new report issued by the AAUW found that women's average salaries are just shy of $10,000 a year less than men's--a gap that can mean $500,000 to 1 million dollars lost in the average woman's working life (women in highly paid professional positions stand to lose much more!).

Of course when you average anything you lose the details, and as we all know, the devil is in the details. African-American women earn 67 cents on the white male dollar, Hispanic women 58 cents. And while the study didn't specifically address women with children, mothers earn less than non-mothers accross demographics. Men get promotions, women get demoted, fired, or lose pay when they have children.

Know the numbers, and at least today don't let me hear you saying feminism is dead...

To read an article about the report: HERE
To read AAUWs info on Pay Equity: HERE

Keeping with the Theater Theme

elle
Maybe it's just me, but I am stupidly excited by the new Broadway version of the classic fairy tale of 3 downtrodden office employees taking a stand against sexual harassment: 9 to 5. While we're not advocating kidnapping, violence, or the like, this show promises to be a riot! Plus we here at the WC love Allison Janney for a variety of reasons--many surrounding one liners from The West Wing. So, if you're in NY for any reason, check it out!!

Here's the National Association of Working Women (9 to 5)

Congratulations to Lynn Nottage for her Pulitzer for "Ruined"!

Ruined

elle

My previous post aside, I don't want anyone to think that I don't totally recognize the atrocities going on in the Democratic Republic of Congo or anywhere else in the world. In fact, when I was in New York last month I saw Lynn Nottage's new play Ruined which was powerful, remarkable, and superbly presented. So, shameless pulg--if you're in NY while the show is running, or it turns up in your home town, see it. 

Sometimes You Just Need a Reminder

elle

Amazing! I was just snarking the other day about how cause celeb our world is, (a year ago everyone was hot on Darfur, and now, not so much) but tonight I was just checking in on a few friends' blog lives when I saw this: Unprecedented Opening for Darfur Action Exists

Cool, eh. Just when I'm feeling discouraged that everyone has moved on to the next conflict du jour, and Naama reminds us all that now is the best time to dig in. Thanks!

No Woman Left Behind

Clearly Elle is kicking my ass at this whole "keeping up with the blog" thing. I have no excuses, but will say Elle is pretty much considered a goddess at the WC, and her ability to do five million things at once is one of the reasons why.

However, do not fret, gentle reader, for I, Lindsay (the tall, loud one) have returned. And just in time to promote this HUGE event we've been working on since July. It's called No Woman Left Behind and you can read all about it right here. Also, make sure you clear your calendars for next Monday, April 13 so you can all join us for the lovely event at 8 pm in the MU Ballroom. I know you'll be there. If not, I'll come find you and make you come. Don't think I won't ...

FYI--On the Global Front

elle
Well, big suprise. Just as amazing Afghan women leaders were re-finding their voice on the global political scene, backlash. It's important to remember that this law is only designed to affect the Afghan Shiite community (about 20% of the population), but the precedent is there. Check it out...

Afghan Law Legalizes Marital Rape

FYI--Economics and Violence

A study released today in Florida found a 40% increase in demand for domestic violence shelters and services as a result of recent economic woes in the state. Similar increses have been reported in Texas. Just when support organizations are slashing their budgets they are the most needed.

Water is the New Oil

elle



It can be really hard for us here in the Northwest (where we are so ready for spring!) to think about an absence of water. But water really is the 21st century resource strain, and access to water can lead to conflict and violence. As decades of industrial scale farming has shifted water patterns, lowered water tables, and turned parts of the world into dust access to clean water is paramount. Particularly for women and girls, access issues affect their entire lives. Girls who must spend entire days walking to water sources and back aren't in school. Also, these same girls are carrying gallons upon gallons of water (at 8.1 pounds per gallon! For the girls above that's about 40 pounds on their heads...) and the weight can stunt their growth. Combined with a lack of nutrition, these girls stay smaller, which can lead to a host of problems later in life. Of particular concern are obstetric complications that result from being to small and underdeveloped (and young) to bear children.

Some interesting articles about water:

Is Access to Clean Water a Basic Human Right
from the Christian Science Monitor

A Walk to Beautiful
a film about obstetric fistula

Water Wars
by Vandana Shiva (you know I love her!)

And now--after an extended hiatus--Take Back the News Returns!

elle

I really enjoyed writing this column, but it is really amazing what slips away when there are angry graduation deadlines looming. So, I'm going to give this another shot!

The recent rash of gang and drug violence in Mexico has caught the attention of the US enough for a visit from Secretary of State Clinton as it both spreads over the border and as thousands of spring breakers head south for sun and (most likely) inappropriate behavior. We are hearing a lot about escalating violence, drug kingpins, and recruitment of young men, particularly in Ciudad Juarez, and today of the body of an executed US Marshal found there. However, what is the role of women in the “War on Drugs”?

To begin with, the kidnapping, torture, and murder of women in Ciudad Juarez is nothing new. Violence against women activists have been yelling for years about the ongoing disappearance, sexual abuse, and murder of young women working in the maquiladoras—factories owned by US companies that operate in Juarez (which is directly across the border from El Paso Texas) to avoid US labor laws. There has never been a concerted effort to address the brutal, gruesome, and organized murders of 400-500 women in the last decade. Ten years may sound like a lot of time, but that equates to about one a week. The increase in violence, however, is becoming internationally visible as men become the targets. Once again, when women are in the crossfire it is a local problem…

Here in the US, the “War on Drugs”—and don’t even get me started on how this country is willing to declare a war on everything: obesity, poverty, terror, as if MORE violence were the answer, but I digress…Anyway, the “War on Drugs” in the US has had a particular impact on women, particularly women of color. Just as crackdowns, federally mandated sentencing, and racial targeting have decimated poor and minority men, particularly African-American men, the “war” has hit home for women as well. The population of women in prison has soared since the beginning of the “war”, which has lead to a variety of issues, only some of which we can touch on here.

The US Criminal Justice System (CJS) is perhaps the most androcentric of all US institutions. It is a system designed by, run by, and housing a vast majority of male inmates. While the increase in female prisoners is worth noticing, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, women still make up only about 4% of the total 2.3 million prisoners in the US at the end of 2007. So basically we are shoving women into a broken system designed for men. This means that the special needs of women prisoners are ignored or belittled, including:
A lack of recognition that almost all women in state or federal custody are survivors of physical, sexual, and emotional violence.
Women in prison need the authorities to address the realities of violence in their lives. Even the way wardens are taught to restrain prisoners (pinning their arms from behind, etc.) is likely to trigger a visceral response in someone who has experienced ongoing violence, causing her to panic and lash out more rather than submit. Additionally, counseling to address the after effects of violence in essential.
The specific dietary, medical, and personal needs of women are generally ignored or mishandled.
Women entering the CJS are unlikely to have had access to healthcare in their lives, and enter prisons with a host of health issues that must be addressed. STI screenings for incoming prisoners is essential, as is pre-natal and post-partum care (many women also enter prison pregnant), access to foods high in calcium, and a variety of other gender sensitive programs are necessary. Women in prison are also more likely to suffer from mental illness of some kind, so pharmaceutical and counseling therapy are essential.
Women entering the CJS are generally not accused of violent crimes.
Because of the nature of women’s crimes, usually drug and property crimes, alternative programming—including residential treatment, group housing, work release, and monitoring—makes sense for women. Particularly if you provide a safe space to start from, women are less likely to abuse the system.
Women need different education, job, and skill training than men.
This includes computer and literacy training, classes on navigating the social services bureaucracies, and parenting classes. There have been some highly successful programs using female inmates to train service dogs, provide care for other animals, and so forth. These programs both provide a service and give the inmates a sense of worth and accomplishment.
Women in prison are FAR more likely to have been the primary custodial parent for minor children before incarceration.
Yes, men in prison have children, but those children are generally cared for by their mothers. Around 80% of women in prison are mothers--and most were the primary or custodial parent before incarceration. So, when the mother goes to prison, the fate of her children becomes paramount. There are two big issues that enter into this. First, once you lose custody of your children a variety of laws and other factors makes it difficult to get them back. Many women feel they will get clean for their children, so this is important. Additionally, because of the low number of women in prison, female inmates are often housed thousands of miles away from their families, which affects not only them, but their children.

There are tons of other ways in which we must address the prison industrial complex in this country, but these are some of the most pressing issues for women. Investing in women prisoners makes sense—they are raising the next generation, we should ensure that they are able to do so.

If you want to get involved:

Girl Scouts USA runs programs for girls whose mothers are in prison and for girls who are themselves in juvenile detention. Voluteer!

The Medea Project: Theater for Incarcerated Women helps women in prison tell their stories.

Critical Resistance has TONS of information on the prison industrial complex in the US.

The Women's Prison Association is committed to helping women with CJ histories build a brighter future.

Day 1--NGO Forum

Wow! A day of NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations). In advance of tomorrow's 53rd session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) today was an advance meeting of NGOs who have delegates here. Over 2000 affiliated women arrive here to lobby member states of the UN, attend formal sessions at the UN, and attend the hundreds of concurrent events sponsored by the organizations. 

The point of the CSW is to publish recommendations regarding the theme: The Equal Sharing of Responsibilities Between Women and Men, Including Caregiving in the Context of HIV/AIDS. As such, the NGO delegates today discussed the resolution and issues surrounding it, including the gendered nature of care work, consequences of women's unpaid labor on economic functions, concerns over girls leaving school to care for family members, the role of men in changing social attitudes, and the role of education. 

More tomorrow when the session officially opens, and I get my official tour. See you at the Chagall windows!