Colombian Women Imprisoned for Abortions

Human Rights Watch is turning up the heat on the Colombian government and actively challenging the national law that imprisons women who have had abortions for up to four and a half years. Human Rights Watch claims the law is inconsistent with international human rights law and is therefore unconstitutional because even in the most "extreme cases" such as rape or maternal mortality, abortion is still criminal. Human Rights Watch has presented a petition (in Spanish) to Colombia's Constitional Court in order to contest the restrictive and harmful law. “An estimated 450,000 abortions occur every year in Colombia. Recent studies indicate that a higher proportion of adolescent girls than adult women undergo illegal abortions.” Illegal abortions are the leading cause of maternal mortality in Colombia because abortions are usually carried out in unsafe conditions; however, the Colombian government seems to be making few concessions for the women and international bodies fighting for the human rights of Colombian women. “Colombia's law prohibits abortion in all circumstances. The penalty is lighter when the pregnancy is the result of rape (or "nonconsensual artificial insemination"). In 2000, the Colombian Congress amended the penal code, adding the possibility for a judge to waive penal sanctions on a case-by-case basis. However, judges have discretion to waive penal sentences only in cases of rape and under two further conditions: if the abortion occurs in "extraordinary situations of abnormal motivation" (an ambiguous clause that requires judicial interpretation) and if the judge considers the punishment "unnecessary." However, a later amendment in 2005 also extended the maximum sentences for abortion from three years in prison to four and a half.”

Nap is the New Lunch

I am no longer free for lunches--I've got a new way to spend that valuable time: napping. While the technology is old (Japan has been doing it for years), it's just recently made its way to the North America. MetroNaps, North America, is a highly stylized version of napping in a futuristic white pod with Bose headphones and lemon-scented refresher spritzer to awaken you "back into the real world." For only $14 you can experience this incredible journey of napping, in the most New York way possible. I am a big fan of napping and consider the lack of it a great injustice to civil rights. While you may feel differently, you could at least purchase a NapPass for me.

Afghan Women Ride to Freedom

The stationery bike is perhaps the most recent vehicle through which Afghan women are securing their rights as women and citizens. The Shafaq Women’s Bodybuilding Club recently opened its doors to women living in the central city of Herat. “The Shafaq club is one of three fitness clubs which have opened for women in Herat in recent months, the first of their kind in the country where four years ago under the Taliban regime women were not allowed to work, study or leave the house without an all-covering burqa. Even after the fall of the hard-line Islamic Taliban in 2001, Nazifa Sidiq, 27, had to exercise in secret. Her group of seven women who used to meet to train together were busted by the authorities and ordered to stop in 2002.” Afghani women’s rights activists are claiming that this is one more significant step in achieving the freedoms that all citizens, especially women, deserve in Afghanistan. Women also claim that exercise—and the ability to do it freely—have prompted dialogues on other problematic traditions that violate women’s rights and have helped catalyze further movements for Afghan women. She [Nazifa Sidiq] says that being able to exercise has made her more willing to push the boundaries of tradition. "’Now I have gone back to school after a 13-year gap because of my marriage. I am more aware of my rights," she adds.” Hopefully the surge in exercise and workout facilities won't prompt Richard Simmons or Denise Austin-like Afghan counterparts!

No Confirmation for Bolton. Again. (Thankfully.)

Senate Democrats managed to once again block the voting on the John Bolton nomination for U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, making it the second go round in the now lengthy confirmation hearing. “The next phase of the long-running fight over Mr. Bolton is not immediately clear. There was some conjecture today that President Bush might choose to install him as ambassador through a temporary appointment while Congress is in recess. Three Democrats - Mark Pryor of Arkansas, Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana - voted to end debate. A Republican, George Voinovich of Ohio, crossed party lines and voted to keep the filibuster going.” It's about time that Democrats begin staking some claim in the future of our country, international relations, and the world more generally. From the NYTimes.

Sex and the Muslim Woman

The Almond, published by Grove Press, is an anonymously written story of one Muslim woman's journey through sexuality. Originally published in France by Editions Plon, The Almond has secured a growing number of readers intrigued by the explicit sex scenes in the book and the fiercely-guarded anonymity of the author--she only goes by the pen-name Nedjma. ". . . she explained in a recent conversation here to coincide with Grove Press's publication of the novel in the United States this month, by portraying a woman enjoying the pleasures of the flesh, she wanted both to celebrate the body as an expression of life and to strike a blow against the centuries-old repression of Muslim women. In fact, she said, what first set her writing was her anger at the terrorist attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, and Washington's reaction to them. "Two fundamentalisms collided," she said. "The fundamentalists committed an irreversible, shocking, outrageous act. But the reply was also monstrous, shocking, outrageous. I saw the two sides speaking only of murder and blood. No one cared about the human body." The release of The Almond coincides with a publishing surge in books about and by women authors of Arab and Middle Eastern descent. The recent release of Marjane Satrapi’s Embroideries, a graphic novel that captures a community of women engaged in discussions of sex, sexuality, religion, and politics is perhaps the most similar of the books given its thematic concerns. But there’s also Brick Lane by Monica Ali, Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi, and Jhumpa Lahiri’s The Namesake just to name a few. In any case, I wonder what is propelling the wave (or trend, depending on how you talk about these things) in female, Arab and Middle Eastern writing: is it another version of orientalism in which all of our fears about female repression and the "horrors of the Muslim world" can be validated or have these authors created a new space wherein the voices of the silenced are becoming louder and the realities—both repressive and liberatory—of their lives are being articulated by the women themselves? I’d argue it’s the latter and that it’s high time. Keep writing and get reading!

Kuwait Elects First Woman MP

For the first time in Kuwait’s history, a woman has been sworn in as a Member of Parliament. On Monday, rights activist and U.S.-educated political science teacher, Massouma al-Mubarak was appointed as planning minister and minister of state for administrative development affairs. “It's a great day for Kuwaiti women who have struggled and persevered persistently to gain their full political rights,'' Mubarak, 57, told parliament after being sworn in. She went on to state, “In my name and in the name of Kuwait's women ... we greatly appreciate the honest efforts exerted in support of the legitimate demands of Kuwaiti women.” Despite protests from conservatives claiming that al-Mubarak’s appointment is unconstitutional because she was not a registered voter, the Kuwait government honored her appointment based on the newly enacted legislation that granted Kuwaiti women the right to vote. “The historic legislation giving women the right to vote and to stand in elections was passed too late for women to vote in Kuwait's June 2 municipal polls, but they will be able to take part in 2007 parliamentary elections. Kuwait was the first Gulf state to have an elected parliament, but Kuwaiti women have been fighting for political rights for more than 40 years.” It's instances like this wherein the need for sustained political and social struggle becomes clear to me. Congratulations to the efforts and successes of the Kuwaiti women. From the NY Times.

Halliburton and the Requisite Conspiracy Theory

I really don't mean to be paranoid, but it's just a little disconcerting that companies like Halliburton--the Houston-based corporation undeniably close to Vice President Dick Cheney and the Bush family--are reaping insane profits from the war in Iraq. Not only did they win some of the largest post-conflict reconstruction bids for both Afghanistan and Iraq, but it seems that one of their subsidiaries will under take a multi-million dollar project in yet another Iraq war problem, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. "A subsidiary of Houston-based Halliburton has been awarded a $30 million contract to build an improved 220-bed prison for terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Pentagon announced." This construction project is obviously a result of the incessant lobbying and advocacy work of human rights groups claiming that the conditions at the military detention camp were well below the level of adequate living standards for prisoners or anyone. The Bush administration began the search as a way to quell the growing opposition and, because I can't resist a little conspiracy theory-thought, invariably help some friends out along the way. I mean, really, if you have to honor a few human rights, why shouldn't your buddies profit from your humanitarian efforts? I don't like being this way, but sometimes it's just necessary. Really. Read the whole story here.

Schiavo: Officially Brain Dead

The autopsy results are in and if you had any doubt, you should wonder about the size of your own brain.

Curbing the Patriot Act

It looks like the library patrons are up to no good again: the growing advocacy work of those seeking to limit the power of The Patriot Act seems to be gaining momentum on Capitol Hill. The Patriot Act, that sneaky little document that was rushed through the legislative process after September 11, allows the government to access library patron records and bookstore sales slips--an unnerving idea for many people. "Supporters of rolling back the library and bookstore provision said that the law gives the FBI too much leeway to go on fishing expeditions based on what people read. Innocent people could get tagged as potential terrorists based on what they check out from a library, critics said. Supporters of the Patriot Act countered that the rules are potentially useful and argued that the House was voting to make libraries safe havens for terrorists." Right. Because we all know libraries are quickly becoming the new underground bunker. go to Salon.com for the full story.

Racketeering Reconstruction

In the May 2 issue of The Nation, Naomi Klein wrote a rather scathing (and brilliant) piece about the increasing profits made from post-conflict reconstruction. The article is of particular interest to me given that I wrote a similar document for my Political Economy class in the spring. Klein reports that the Bush Administration has established a new office that will oversee the reconstruction efforts in societies. "Office of the Coordinator for Reconstruction and Stabilization, headed by former US Ambassador to Ukraine Carlos Pascual. Its mandate is to draw up elaborate "post-conflict" plans for up to twenty-five countries that are not, as of yet, in conflict. According to Pascual, it will also be able to coordinate three full-scale reconstruction operations in different countries "at the same time," each lasting "five to seven years.'" The question that arises from this line of reasoning is how the Bush administration can know which twenty-five countries will need post-conflict reconstruction efforts if they are, in fact, not currently in conflict. My paper addressed this question and essentially argued that the U.S., global governments, and other international private interests have a huge stake in catalyzing conflict and subsequently aiding in the rebuilding effort. Why? Klein clearly points this out: ". . . there is no doubt that there are profits to be made in the reconstruction business. There are massive engineering and supplies contracts ($10 billion to Halliburton in Iraq and Afghanistan alone); "democracy building" has exploded into a $2 billion industry; and times have never been better for public-sector consultants--the private firms that advise governments on selling off their assets, often running government services themselves as subcontractors. (Bearing Point, the favored of these firms in the United States, reported that the revenues for its "public services" division "had quadrupled in just five years," and the profits are huge: $342 million in 2002--a profit margin of 35 percent.)" This is a disturbing trend that continues to flourish under the governance of the Bush Administration and the inevitable importation of "democracy" (read: capitalism) carried out under his leadership. Klein's article is a thoughtful treatment of the problematic situation that will haunt both civil societies and post-conflict states.

Violence Against Women Act

The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) is up for reauthorization in September. This is a critical piece of legislation that may not get reauthorized without an overwhelming number of women and men calling on their representatives to vote yes. Originally passed in 1994, VAWA revolutionized the way society addressed domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. During the past decade, VAWA has provided tremendous resources and protections for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. VAWA programs have provided increased training for police, prosecutors, and court officials, and greatly improved the response of the criminal justice system to victims of violence. Write, call, or lobby your Congressional representatives to ensure that VAWA is reauthorized. Follow these links for more information on VAWA or how you can get involved: The Violence Against Women Act of 1998 End Abuse

Pro-Choice Language Changes Again.

The folks over at NARAL Pro-Choice America have recently developed a new strategy for tackling the abortion debate: responsibility. Developed from a poll conducted within focus groups, NARAL's smart, savvy angle is perhaps one way that the abortion debate can be less polemical and more useful. "According to the poll, only 22 percent of Americans say abortions should be "generally available." Another 26 percent say "regulation of abortion is necessary, although it should remain legal in many circumstances." That's a pro-choice total of just 48 percent, even when you phrase the second option to emphasize regulation. Thirty-nine percent say "abortion should be legal only in the most extreme cases," such as rape and incest, and 11 percent say all abortions should be illegal. That's 50 percent support for two hardcore pro-life positions." These numbers, however, represent the views based on the current debate. The poll explores what happens when you integrate "value words" such as responsibility, freedom, and personal. NARAL found that once you begin the values rhetoric, pro-choice numbers rise significantly. Here are the choices the poll presents: "We should promote a culture of freedom and responsibility by focusing on preventing unintended pregnancies and reducing the need for abortion through increasing access to family planning services, access to affordable birth control and by providing comprehensive age appropriate sex education in schools." The poll asks people to choose between this and "a culture of life that recognizes the importance of every human life," including the belief that "life begins at conception." The culture of freedom and responsibility beats the culture of life, 61 to 27 percent. The pro-choice minority becomes a pro-choice majority." Back in 1989, NARAL tried to revamp their angle using similar tactics (focus groups and new language) and it backfired when their "get the government out of our lives" was used by both liberals and conservatives in ways that regressed abortion laws. NARAL hopes that with this campaign, they can latch on to the strategic language of the right--culture of freedom, responsibility--in order to push their agenda beyond the hardcore pro-choice circles. Yet, this whole thing really begs the question: in what ways does adopting "conservative" rhetoric help the goals of "progressive, liberal" organizations and in what ways does it further complicate what the hell all of this--culture of life, freedom, etc.--means anyway? While I'm all for becoming a hell of a lot more media and spin savvy and I realize that we can't all go gallivanting around trying to deconstruct language and meaning, I wonder if this whole adopting the conservative language movement is not just aiding the national move to the "right"?