Ruth Manorama
The Dalits are a social class of women in India that emerged from the caste system. They are considered the poorest of the classes otherwise known at the “untouchables.” While India’s now democracy has changed some for Dalit women, there still exists Dalits mostly in rural areas. They are often unable to get jobs, health care and basic necessesities. More than that Dalit women are often exempt from rights they are lawfully guaranteed. The greatest example is the fact that they are disproportionately stolen for trafficking purposes. (Dalit Freedom Network).
Ruth Manorma was born in 1952. Her parents escaped Dalit status by becoming Christians, and Manorma when to college for social work. Since then, she has been fighting for Dalit rights. Her profile via the “Right Livlihood Award” website, in which she recieved in 2006, states her following accomplishments:
“Manorama’s working life has been spent on organisation building, mobilisation of people and advocacy on behalf of Dalit women through a large number of organisations. She is:
- General Secretary of Women’s Voice, founded in 1985, to work with women in slums, struggling for land, shelter and survival rights of the urban poor.
- President of the National Alliance of Women, set up following the Fourth World Conference of Women in Beijing in 1995 to monitor government performance on its various commitments to women and lobby for change.
- Joint Secretary of the Christian Dalit Liberation Movement, formed in the 1980s to mobilise Christian Dalits for affirmative action.
- Secretary of the Karnataka State Slum Dwellers Federation.
- Secretary for organisation building of the National Centre for Labour, an apex organisation of unorganised labour in India.
- President of the National Federation of Dalit Women (NFDW), set up in 1995.”
Holi Festival.
I occasionally tune in the a blog called “Ultra Violet” which features several feminists from India and what they say about women, gender and sexuality issues in India. Since I’ve visited India twice, and am a feminist, by default I’m rather interested in what they have to say.
Recently, a particular article caught my eye. It was one about Holi Festival, or festival of colors. Around early March, Holi takes place. It is called “playing” Holi, in which people raid the streets and throw colored dye on each other and often water balloons and squirt guns. I was able to participate in Holi during my last trip and it was a BLAST. People you don’t know run to you, and smear colored dye on your face, you find an alley and you dance. For me it was awesome, hilarious and fun. To throw colored dye around and dance to Indian music in an alley in Mumbai.
However, Anjuli Kaul breaks down how playing Holi often occurs to women, when they don’t want it to.
“The girl in the auto rickshaw screams in pain as a water balloon hits her smack on her face as she makes her way to work. And it is the day before Holi! Yet another is blinded as she is hit by one on her eye from a passing train. Women dare not step out into streets in many north Indian cities on the morning of the festival. Otherwise they are “asking for it”. Which means being coloured and having one’s breasts pinched.”
Woah. This hit me hard. What an anaogly for how women are harrassed on a daily basis because society both allows it and since women are on the streets they are “asking for it”
It’s a bit difficult to explain Holi if you had not participated, but asking a person on the street if they actually WANT dye rubbed on their face doesn’t happen- it just happens. I was lucky in that, I WAS participating in Holi and even if no one asked I wasn’t offended. What an interesting view on sexual harassment. While, I did question if it was a stretch- I did remember three men, rubbing dye on my face, hugging me hard and not letting go for longer than what I felt comfortable with. I felt a bit convicted as I read this article.
Sexual harassment/abuse, according to Lindy Bancroft, of “Why Does He Do That” results from a sense of entitlement, which ultimitaly comes from cultural and society norms. It is NORMAL for a man to be on the sexual pursuit because afterall, they need it. And women are what they desire and are allowed to use. As it relates to Holi festival, I can see how this can be a catalyst for cultural norms. During my experinece, sexual harassment happens in India, like it does in the United States. Not in the same ways, but it happens. I think Holi festival can be a catalyst for this type of unwanted touching or behavior.
The Arabic UN describes sexual harassment as such:
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when: · Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment, or · Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as a basis for employment decisions affecting such individual, or · Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. Unwelcome Behavior is the critical word. Unwelcome does not mean "involuntary." A victim may consent or agree to certain conduct and actively participate in it even though it is offensive and objectionable. Therefore, sexual conduct is unwelcome whenever the person subjected to it considers it unwelcome. Whether the person in fact welcomed a request for a date, sex-oriented comment, or joke depends on all the circumstances.
However, I do feel like the writer of the article was a little harsh. Saying that Holi festival is the cause of sexual harassment is like saying Halloween is a cause of sexual harassment. We know: it’s not the cause but it is a catalyst, a door in which sexual harassment becomes more prevalent and easily available.
It certainly made me question though, why three men felt like it was ok to hug me for an extended period of time without asking first? It really does take a whole ‘nother country to put things in perspective.
Works
Holi âkhelnaâ: Playing without Consent | ULTRA VIOLET.” Holi âkhelnaâ: Playing without Consent. Web. 08 May 2012. <http://ultraviolet.in/2012/05/03/holi-khelna-playing-without-consent/>.
Bancroft, Lundy. Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men. New York: Putnam’s Sons, 2002. Print.
“What Is Sexual Harassment?” The UN: United Nations Arabic. Web. <http://www.un.org/womenwatch/osagi/pdf/whatissh.pdf>.
US military and prostitution
I read a rather loaded article via Reuter’s that discussed the topic of prostitution and how the United States militaries is “cracking down” on the issue. There appears to be a disconnect between how United States military is supposed to address the issue by enforcing laws against prostitution and against human trafficking but also the knowledge of the military sometimes using a prostitutes services while they are often overseas. Which, according to the article, it’s apparently a rule that a person enlisted in the military is not allowed to engage in prostitution even if they are in a countries which allows it. It is considered “incompatible” with military values. John McCain spoke out about a recent prostitution scandal regarding Columbia. Where military personnel where apparently seen with prostitutes.
However, Senator Lindsay Graham was interviewed about this particular scandal and when asked if the military enforces rules about prostitution he said, “No, probably not.” His view is based on the 26 years he had spent in the military.
The connection between military personnel prostitution is something that is often told in a way that paints a picture of military going to different countries to pay prostitutes for their services. I’ve heard this just in life- stories of men in the military going and using prostitutes from the countries they are visiting. Before reading this article I had never broken this rhetoric down. I wonder if it’s true that there is a disproportionate amount of soldiers who are the ones using prostitutes? Without disrespecting the US military, it’s worth it for me to research this.
Researching this issue, did basically nothing for me. Which means a couple of things: either people don’t care about this particular issue or people are highly sensitive for calling military out for using prostitutes. Unfortunately, I think it’s the latter.
I read another article about the same sandal involving military personnel who were caught using prostitutes, but were not charged with the offense. It’s sort of all the article mentioned.
Honestly, I find it disturbing that I can’t find any evidence or articles about how the United States military men are using prostitutes overseas. In other articles about the relationship between military and prostitution we normally see how soldiers in the Congo. As seen in “the Greatest Silence: rape of the Congo.” I really question: if it’s so prevelant for Congo soldiers to use rape as a weapon, why isn’t it the same for US soliders? Why do we tend to see it as a “rite of passage” for these soldiers. Is it possible that soldiers are using prostitutes over seas for the same purpose the Congo soldiers do? To fight the enemy?
Obviously, there is a lot to break down here. We have to make a distinction between paid prostitutes and women getting raped. These aren’t always one in the same however, they can be. Which makes the articles a bit confusing. I do want to say, this article brought up more unanswered questions then it did anything else. It may seem a bit unorthodox, or rather, nonacademic, to write on something where the research simply isn’t there. However, there is something to be said; due to the sheer lack of research done on US military and using sex as a weapon, it seems fishy. I certainly do not place “us” above “them” and do not expect our tactics are not similar. I wonder if there is more to the story than just a couple of soldiers buying some prostitutes over seas, considering how much we hear that story. I’m curious to know if there is more.
Works
Dilanian, Ken. “U.S. Army: 11 Military Personnel Involved in Prostitution Inquiry.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2012. Web. 07 May 2012. <http://articles.latimes.com/2012/apr/20/news/la-pn-military-colombia-prostitution-20120420>.
Zakaria, Tabassum, and Susan Cornwell. “U.S. Military Faces Scrutiny over Its Prostitution Policies.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 29 Apr. 2012. Web. 07 May 2012. <http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/29/us-usa-agents-military-idUSBRE83S09620120429>.
The Greatest Silence. Dir. Lisa F. Jackson. Jackson Films, 2007.
Zainab al-Khawaja
Zainab al-Khawaja protesting alone in the streets of Bahrain against the arrest and detention of her father, Abdulhadi al-Khawaja—a revered human rights defender—who entered the seventieth-day of his hunger strike. She was arrested by Bahraini security forces shortly after this photo was taken.
Zainab al-Khawaja is a daughter of a well known activist named Abdulhadi al-Khawaja. From her upbringing, she has become an activist as well. She has become particularly popular since the Bahraini uprising during the Arab Srping, when she created a twitter under the username AngryArabiya.
She has been arrested many times while participating in protests (which are illegal in her country). Many of the protests that she gets involved in deal with demanding the release of political prisoners, which she and her family have been many times. She is currently protesting for her father’s release.
In February, she was arrested, along with twelve other female protesters. When the others were released, she was kept on an indefinite term (1). A year after the revolts during the beginning of the Arab Spring, protesters had been trying to gather in the same place a year later. However, they were arrested.
“She was charged with having taken part in an ‘illegal gathering of more than five people’ and ‘participating in an illegal march’. She was given a seven-day detention order pending an investigation into the charges. She was released on 20 February and her lawyer reportedly said that when prosecutors released her from prison, they did not give any indication if the charges against her had been dropped (2).
Shortly before being arrested, Khawaja had posted a tweet stating her concern that police would begin using violence. They had apparently been threatening to shoot the protesters. This shows her bravery, and how she is willing to die for what she is fighting for – freedom.
1. Al-Akhbar. “Bahrain releases all female prisoners bar AngryArabiya” 17 Feb 2012.
2. Amnesty International. “Document – Bahrain: Further information: Woman activist released in bahrain: Zainab al-Khawaja”.
Its Election Time…
Its election time again, so you know what that means… Time to fight it out on the battle ground that is the lives and bodies of women. In France presidential candidates Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy talk about the economic crisis and the topic of the veil.
The economic state of the European Union is in just about every publication right now. Recessions and even depressions are occurring all over Europe. The collapse of their housing bubble and unemployment rates as high as 50% among youths in Spain are some of the factors that are resulting in mass demonstrations, social movements and even increased accounts of suicide. NY times contributer Paul Krugman points out that some economist compare their financial crisis to events like the U.S.’s Great Depression (Krugman, 2012) The European Central Bank offered banks in countries in particularly deep debt financing to perhaps give these governments some room to reevaluate their economic policies, but there was no such luck. Countries in the European Union stuck to their malfunctioning guns and now find themselves in grotesque debt.
So what is a country to do? Krugman thinks something as drastic as ic as abandoning the Euro it’s called for (Krugman, 2012), but candidates like Francois Hollande and Nicolas Sarkozy seem to think the solution lies in immigration reform. Hollande is quoted saying, “In a period of crisis, which we are experiencing, limiting economic immigration is necessary and essential,” (Sage, 2012). From works from authors like Barbara Ehrenreich and Arlie Russell Hochschild we know how immigration affects the lives of women especially in our capitalist world. Ehrenreich and Hochschild tell us that immigration that follows employment opportunities gives women a place as dual bread winner, a role traditionally held by men. (Ehrenreich and Hochschild, 2003) The ability to follow employment is increasingly important in the lives of women during economic straits, to feed themselves, their families and sustain independence.
Another topic highlighted in France’s presidential debates is veiling. In 2003 French parliament took three days to discuss the issue and ultimately decided to outlaw it. An article from the BBC stated “French Justice Minister Michele Alliot-Marie told lawmakers that wearing a face-covering veil ‘amounted to being cut off from society and rejecting the very spirit of the French republic that is founded on a desire to live together'”.(BBC, 2003) This is the stance candidate Hollande is taking. He plans to uphold this legislation that would fine a woman up to 150 euro, which is approximately $199 U.S. dollars.
Now, considering the methodological ideas brought up by Parin Dossa in the book Racialized bodies, Disabling Worlds the issue of veiling is particularly interesting. I specifically want to point out the passage on page 14 of the book, where it talks about diaspora. It says “at its core diaspora is shaped by political rather than cultural sensibilities.” (Dossa, 2009) She quotes a scholar who contends that it is the politics and the attitudes of the ‘host’ society that shapes the creation and behavior of the diaspora. Haideh Moghiesi goes on to state that this collective identity and solidarity is often in response to negative attitudes from the society which they are placed in.
Now we have to think about what that means. Dossa mentions a feud between Western feminism and non-western feminisms. This is surely a place we can see the clash. Women who want to veil are not given the option in the name of modernization and ironically in the name of a peaceful communal living arrangement. How do women who subscribe to non-western feminisms operate in a society where their governments give them no choice? If these situations continue will there always be this feminist binary? These are examples of how this ‘feud’ operates outside of scholarship. These are the ways real women are affected. It election time and the battle returns to the bodies and lives of women… who is winning?
Works Cited
BBC. “French Parliament Debates Islamic Veil Ban.” BBC News. BBC, 07 June 2010. Web. 20 Apr. 2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10517707>.
Ehrenreich, Barbara, and Arlie Russell Hochschild. Global Woman: Nannies, Maids, and Sex Workers in the New Economy. New York: Metropolitan, 2003. Print.
Krugman, Paul. “Europe’s Economic Suicide.” The New York Times. 17 Apr. 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/16/opinion/krugman-europes-economic-suicide.html>.
Sage, Alexandria. “France’s Hollande Nods to Right on Immigration, Veils.” Reuters.com. Reuters, 27 Apr. 2012. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. <http://uk.mobile.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUKBRE83Q0Y020120427>.
Dina Abou El-Soud
Her name isn’t being heralded throughout the streets. She hasn’t reached viral status on the Internet. However, Dina Abou El-Soud has been the at the center of change in Egypt, working hard to for women’s rights in the tumultuous nation.
El-Soud owns and operates her own hostel in Cairo. “Dina’s Hostel” is the only female-owned hostel in the capital.[1] The officials “refused to believe” that Dina was the owner, asking things like “Your father put it in your name?” She has stated repeatedly that the official paperwork to start her hostel was the biggest challenge for the entire process- she experienced things like waiting 30 days just to meet the person giving the final say, waiting outside an office from 10pm to 1am, etc.[2]
She is not just a trailblazer in the business world. When El-Soud noticed that revolutionary coalitions and groups were forming without women, El-Soud took matters into her own hands. El-Soud helped to found the Revolutionary Women’s Coalition to combat the exclusion. She hoped to unify the women’s NGO’s, provide a space for collaboration and a community to support one another.[3]
El-Soud was one of the activists who organized the Million Women March in March of 2011. They claimed that the military government had forgotten the part women had played in the revolts, adhering to the same oppressive status quo for women.[4] The march was sparked after the proposed amendments to Egypt’s constitution were released. Among other things, it prohibited the president from marrying a non-Egyptian, removed the 12% quota for elected female representatives and includes only masculine pronouns when describing presidential duties (implying, although not requiring, that the president must be a man).[5]
As of 2012, what’s concerning for El-Soud was the fact that she heard the country’s judges planned to only allow 10% of the panel revising Egypt’s constitution.[6] After the 12% quota of female representatives had been removed, women went from having 64 guaranteed seats to only winning 5 seats in Parliament.[7] In these post-revolution days, women are more concerned with making sure the gains they experience under Mubarak’s reign don’t disappear. A tactic right now by the Salafists (“conservative Islamists who believe in a strict interpretation of Sharia law and that women should have a limited role in society”) is declaring that such advances the women are attempting to protect are “Suzanne Mubarak’s Laws,” as the name of the former first lady, such claims carry loaded implications.[8]
El-Soud is staying focused on her Revolutionary Women’s Coalition, attempting to build a supportive, encouraging atmosphere in a community where women’s NGOs frequently end up in heated competition rather than cooperation. El-Soud, however, looks on the bright side, “You see them empowering women in parliamentary elections, supporting 60 women to make political campaigns… Now I see that our movement did encourage those people to do something, and this is a good thing.”[9]
[1] Tahmizian Meuse, Alison. “Women of Egypt: Dina Abouelsoud.” Egypt Independent, March 14, 2012. http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/women-egypt-dina-abouelsoud (accessed April 27, 2012).
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Beach, Alastair. “Egypt’s women plan mass march against military rulers.” The Independent, March 07 2011. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/egypts-women-plan-mass-march-against-military-rulers-2234235.html (accessed April 27, 2012).
[5] Asfa, James. “They were a vital part of the revolution – but have things since got worse for Egyptian women?.”al-fasl (blog), Sept 24, 2011. http://alfasl.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/they-were-a-vital-part-of-the-revolution-–-but-have-things-since-got-worse-for-egyptian-women/ (accessed April 27, 2012).
[6] Gubash, Charlene. “An Egyptian career woman? Soon it could be rare.” World Blog from NBC News(blog), March 08, 2012. http://worldblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/08/10613640-an-egyptian-career-woman-soon-it-could-be-rare (accessed April 27, 2012).
[7] Ibid.
[8] Ibid.
[9] Tahmizian Meuse, Alison. “Women of Egypt: Dina Abouelsoud.” Egypt Independent, March 14, 2012. http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/women-egypt-dina-abouelsoud (accessed April 27, 2012).
Suheir Hammad
don’t seduce yourself with
my otherness my hair
wasn’t put on top of my head to entice
you into some mysterious black voodoo
the beat of my lashes against each other
ain’t some dark desert beat
it’s just a blink
get over it1
Suheir Hammad is a woman who understands intersectionality on many levels. Born in Jordan in October 1973 to parents who were Palestinian refugees, Hammad and her family immigrated to Brooklyn, New York when she was five years old.2 Hammad identifies as a Palestinian-American, a fact that has influenced much of her work.3
Hammad has always considered poetry a part of her life.4 Growing up as a Muslim, she viewed the Qur’an as poetry from God.5 Her love of poetry grew and as a teen, Hammad became involved with the Brooklyn hip-hop scene.6 “From these disparate influences Hammad was able to weave into her work a common narrative of dispossession, not only in her capacity as an immigrant, a Palestinian and a Muslim, but as a woman struggling against society’s inherent sexism and as a poet in her own right.”7 Hammad frequently writes about sexism, violence, and women’s challenges.8
“First Writing Since,” Hammad’s emotional post-9/11 writing, caught the attention of Russell Simmons who signed her to Def Poetry Jam.9 In my interpretation, “First Writing Since” is a piece in which Hammad reacts to the events of September 11 from a Muslim and Arabic perspective. Hammad pleads to God that the terrorists not be Muslim, recounts the kindness of a White woman in NYC, and tells her fears of what 9/11 will mean for the Arab world. As part of the Def Poetry Jam television show, Hammad read her poetry to over 15,000 people over the course of two years.10
Hammad has since been featured on the BBC as well as NPR.11 She was the first Palestinian to be on Broadway12, when she won a Tony award as part of Def Poetry Jam on Broadway.13 Hammad has been the recipient of many awards, including the2001 Emerging Artist Award from the Asian/Pacific/American Studies Institute at NYU as well as the Audre Lorde Writing Award from Hunter College.14
In “What I Will,” Hammad reacts to Israeli occupation of Palestine. Hammad denounces the war, pleading for peace and refusing to “dance to the drums of war” and side with those who kill.
While Hammad’s activism is not as hands-on as marching in the streets, bringing aid to refugees, or speaking to governments, what she does is still incredibly important. Hammad is a voice many people—whether female, male, immigrant, U.S. native, Black, White, or Arabic, –can hear and identify with. Hammad brings awareness to issues of race, gender, and violence in a way that is incredibly accessible for a large group of people. Instead of sitting in an office writing high-brow theoretical articles (which is necessary, as well), Hammad brings her activism to a street-language level, making it accessible to more people. She is truly a strong voice in hip-hop as well as poetry.
Check out Suheir Hammad performing some of her work:
NOT YOUR EXOTIC NOT YOUR EROTIC
MIKE CHECK
________________________________________
1. Suheir Hammad, “not your exotic not your erotic.” Aultmuslimah. April 27, 2012. http://www.altmuslimah.com/a/b/m/4466/
2. “Suheir Hammad.” SuheirHammad.com. April 27, 2012. http://www.suheirhammad.com.
3. “Suheir Hammad: Poet and author.” Institute for Middle East Understanding. April 27, 2012. http://imeu.net/news/article00317.shtml
4. ibid.
5. ibid.
6. “Suheir Hammad.” Arab Women Writers. April 27, 2012. http://arabwomenwriters.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=288&Itemid=77
7. ibid.
8. “Suheir Hammad: Poet and author.” Institute for Middle East Understanding. April 27, 2012. http://imeu.net/news/article00317.shtml
9. ibid.
10. ibid.
11. ibid.
12. ibid.
13. “Suheir Hammad.” SuheirHammad.com. April 27, 2012. http://www.suheirhammad.com/
14. ibid.
The Backbone of an Opposition
If you asked a typical student to locate Myanmar/Burma on a globe, they probably wouldn’t be able to find it. If we’re lucky, they might actually recognize it as a nation. I know myself personally would have been hard-pressed before this week to do more than vaguely point towards Asia, mumbling incoherently before changing the subject. However, Myanmar has been in the news in the past few days. Specifically, the actions of the opposition leader, Aung San Suu Kyi and her party, the National League for Democracy have garnered international attention.
Suu Kyi, leading the charge, and her party members refuse to take the oath required of them to assume their hard won seats in the National Assembly. What’s their problem? It’s a small phrase, calling for the parliamentarians to “protect” the constitution. Suu Kyi wants it to be shifted to “abide by.” [1]
The members of the National League for Democracy advocate for constitutional reform. Suu Kyi notes the inconsistencies in the wording of the document, election law, and party regulations. “There have to be consistencies when it comes to law,” she said.[2]
This is the latest development in a whirlwind of events since the most recent elections on April 1st for the country, where 44 seats were up for grabs. Of the 44 available, Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy won 43 of them. This landslide victory was seen by many in the world to be the first signs of democracy in a country that has been dominated for decades with a repressive military regime.[3]
The National League for Democracy asserts that the constitution is a document, “of the army, by the army, for the army.”[4] The constitution guarantees 25% of the seats in the National Assembly for the army, requires the president to have ‘military knowledge,’ all aspects of the armed forces are beyond civilian control, and the army commander has the power to overrule the president and “exercise state sovereignty.”[5] These are a terrifying array of powers that lend themselves easily to being manipulated or used for less than noble purposes.
Party officials have played down the tension between the opposition and the establishment, repeatedly stating that they expect the National League for Democracy lawmakers to return to parliament soon.[6] Their seemingly easygoing nature concerning this disruption makes sense when considered in a larger picture. Since the April 1st elections, and the sweeping victories from the National League for Democracy, Western governments are removing sanctions from Myanmar left and right. Both America and Australia have eased on some sanctions, Japan waived billions in debt arrears. Perhaps most telling of all was the European Union lifting all sanctions on the nation for a year (beginning on April 23rd, 2012), save for an arms embargo.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s involvement in this surge of reform is not to be ignored. As the daughter of the liberation hero of Myanmar, her charisma and prowess at politics are huge assets for the National League for Democracy.[7] The weight of such expectations are not easy on the aging Suu Kyi, though. At the end of March, Suu Kyi was forced to break from campaigning, after going through a second collapse within months.[8]
Many eyes are going to be watching the developing events in Myanmar, as the actions of the next few weeks will likely determine the country’s fate on the global level. We can be assured that whatever the course, Aung San Suu Kyi will be in the midst of the action, guiding her party to affect the most positive change that can be managed in such a restrictive situation.
[1] CNN Wire Staff. “In Myanmar, what a difference an oath makes.” CNN, April 26, 2012. http://edition.cnn.com/2012/04/26/world/asia/myanmar-politics/index.html?hpt=ias_t4 (accessed April 26, 2012).
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] “A fly in the ointment.” The Economist, April 26, 2012. http://www.economist.com/node/21553447 (accessed April 26, 2012).
[5] Ibid.
[6] “Aung San Suu Kyi sticks to Burma parliament boycott.”The Guardian, April 23, 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/23/aung-san-suu-kyi-boycott (accessed April 26, 2012).
[7] “The general and the Lady.” The Economist, March 31, 2012. http://www.economist.com/node/21551506 (accessed April 26, 2012).
[8] Ibid.
The Difference One Russian Woman Can Make
If you read the New York Times regularly, you’ve been seeing Russia cropping up fairly regularly in these past weeks. There have been many articles, ranging from the development of renewed activism (including the street protests and recent spate of elected youth) and the presidential election (Prime Minister Vladimir Putin won). However, in the latest article that updates readers on the state of affairs over there, we’re starting to see a merger between these two lines.
In three different judicial hearings, two leaders of the street protest movement in Moscow and the husband of a prominent activist were sentenced to jail-time. Aleksei Kozlov, the husband of renowned activist Olga Romanova received the harshest sentence of all- 5 years in a penal colony on charges of economic fraud.[i]
One might ask how charges of economic fraud against Mr. Kozlov and Ms. Romanova’s activism are linked. Well, let’s follow this rabbit hole, shall we?
Mr. Kozlov’s conviction is from a business deal that happened over four years ago, ignoring the ruling of the Russian Supreme Court last September that overturned the original conviction Mr. Kozlov faced (Russian citizens do not enjoy protection against double jeopardy). Ms. Romanova’s activism began here, when she formed Russia Behind Bars, an organization calling for judicial reform.[ii] Her husband’s case became one among many that the group used to highlight the gross injustices that the Russian legal system carried out.
Russia Behind Bars is fairly unique, as activist organizations go. It is not dominated by idealistic youth, not a grassroots movement that struggles for resources and establishing itself. Instead, the bulk of the members are “middle-aged women who look like accountants or mid-level managers,” the wives of Russian businessmen, women who have taken up the mantle to fight for prisoners’ rights.[iii]
At the end of last year, there had been a reason for hope. Some of the appeals filed by the group were approved; a few judges canceled their own decisions.[iv] However, that changed once the presidential election was determined to be a victory for Putin. Immediately, a stranglehold was placed on their progress. There have been arrests of known anti-Putin activists. Police have raided the bank that finances an anti-Putin newspaper to freeze its accounts. An editor of the one radio station that maintains critical reporting has been removed.[v] The brief glimpse of the people’s power has been viciously assaulted before it even had a chance to stretch its limbs.
Ms. Romanova and her organization is one of the significant members of the opposition movement against Putin, the new President-Elect. In fact, Mr. Kozlov’s case was widely covered in the news as it can be seen as “the first hint of how Putin plans to deal with challenges to his rule.”[vi]
It isn’t like Ms. Romanova and Mr. Kozlov weren’t aware of the dangers of public opposition. In February, amidst her busy schedule of rallies and speeches, she was contacted by prosecutors and shown a draft of the proposed sentence for her husband, “a development she interpreted as a threat and has since presented as evidence that the case was politically motivated.”[vii]
Ms. Romanova was not alone in her frustration and rage at the sentencing. When the verdict was declared, dozens of supporters that were waiting outside began chanting, “Shame!,” “Vasyuchenko, get behind bars,” and “Aleksei.”[viii] Vasyuchenko is the name of the sentencing judge.
Ms. Romanova’s work will go on, and hopefully the spirit of the activists in Russia will continue. I admire the tenacity of these unusual activists. The fact that Ms. Romanova’s husband is singled out shows her power to deal serious damage to the opposition. I hope that this strong woman will continue to be a voice for change and fight for greater accountability in her country.
[i] Kates, Glenn. “Sentences Linked to Protests Are Given in Moscow.” The New York Times, March 15, 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/16/world/europe/sentences-connected-to-protests-are-given-in-moscow.html?_r=1&ref=world (accessed March 15, 2012).
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] Gessen, Masha. “Russian wives give husbands a (prison) break.” Financial Times Magazine, Dec 16, 2011. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/a17b63b0-2602-11e1-856e-00144feabdc0.html
[iv] Nemtsova, Anna. “The Temperature’s Dropping for Russia’s Opposition.” Foreign Policy, March 15, 2012. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2012/03/15/the_temperatures_dropping_for_russias_opposition (accessed March 15, 2012).
[v] Ibid.
[vi] Krainova, Natalya. “Kozlov Loses Latest Court Challenge.” The St. Petersburg Times, March 16, 2012. http://www.times.spb.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=35333 (accessed March 16, 2012).
[vii] Kates, Glenn. “Sentences Linked to Protests Are Given in Moscow.” The New York Times, March 15, 2012. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/16/world/europe/sentences-connected-to-protests-are-given-in-moscow.html?_r=1&ref=world (accessed March 15, 2012).
[viii] Krainova, Natalya. “Kozlov Loses Latest Court Challenge.” The St. Petersburg Times, March 16, 2012. http://www.times.spb.ru/index.php?action_id=2&story_id=35333 (accessed March 16, 2012).
Hard Times Everywhere
Hard Times Everywhere
All governments want to reduce their deficit and increase their wealth, which here is measured by gross domestic product (GDP). There are many tactics employed to try and achieve this goal. In the united states officials have… in the article Analysis: Spain’s victory in Europe could backfire for Rajoy , Spain is trying things like soliciting investors (Toyer), but the effects seem to be less impressive than anticipated. Here, Spain is compared to another Hispanic county, Italy, who is show to be doing considerably better, with smaller margins and more popular elected officials. But the article The Female Factor: Counting the Cost of Machismo, we see a different Italy. In fact we see an entirely different Europe. In the first article things are very cut and dry. There are figures and percentages, there are rules and criteria. But there is little else. One of the first questions you learn to ask as a young feminist is “what about women”. That is the question I pose to the first article. The second article, written by Katrin Bennhold attempts to answer that question.
Firstly she talks about the rarity of female elected officials and how even when there is a women in office the focus is “more about the defense minister’s outfits than her policies”.(Bennhold) This is not at all surprising to some, but it is telling as to the nonchalance governments and economies employ when considering, or in some cases no considering, the importance of women in lowering the deficit and increasing GDP.
Bennhold attributes this unwillingness to give credit where credit is due in regards to the power women may hold in improving the economy to the phenomenon that is ‘machismo’, an idealized hyper masculine male figure that brings home the bacon. This phenomenon in Hispanic cultures gives rise to many issues, in this instance we will be considering how it prohibits, discourages and punishes female participation in the labor market. These ideals penetrate many facets of the economy and laws. In Italy there are strict hiring and firing laws that affectively keep more qualifies workers, more qualifies female workers out of those positions.(Bennhold)
Some will argue that integration women into the labor force is not necessary, that increased productivity is the key to increasing the GDP, but economic scholars, though the see the value in higher productivity estimate the benefit of women in the workforce to being as high as a 13% increase in GDP. Higher GDP and decreased national deficit are not the only perks of integrating the labor force. Another concern regarding women and working is reproduction. There is a common misconception that if women enter the workforce, they are less likely to bear children. This is a concern because of the need to sustain the current and future workforce. But as the Bennhold article tells us, as learned from a study, when women do not have to choose between either having a career or having children they are more likely to do both.
From this conflict we can see the ways in which economics effect women, in regards to their mobility, their opportunities, their ability to provide for themselves and their families and even stirs up talks what they do with their own bodies. In the Bennhold article Maria Stratigaki, a Greek elected official, states “Gender equality is no longer just a human rights issue, but an economic necessity,” These conversations effect women who are not even active in these institutions. Here we see machismo, government and economics intersecting and being in conversation with each other, but who is missing from the conversation? Again we have to ask, what about women?
- Bennhold, Katrin. “THE FEMALE FACTOR Counting the Cost of Machismo.” New York Times Europe [Paris] 17 Aug. 2010. Print.
- Toyer, Julien. “Analysis: Spain’s Victory in Europe Could Backfire for Rajoy.” Reuters. Thomson Reuters, 16 Mar. 2012. Web. 16 Mar. 2012. <http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/16/us-spain-rajoy-idUSBRE82F0Z620120316?feedType=RSS>.
