feminist news roundup 2.8.15

 

Australian feminist news

Female MPs in the Liberal Party are pushing for more female representation in the party, after Labor’s vote to achieve 50% representation by 2025 with an affirmative action quota, but Federal Minister for Education, Christopher Pyne says affirmative action quotas are not the ideal means to achieve this

Labor Senator, Penny Wong takes down Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi during the National Press Club’s marriage equality debate

Progressive Labor politics body, Emily’s List reproduce Julia Gillard’s misogyny speech on tea towels and posters

Meanwhile, Julia Gillard burns Tony Abbott at a recent photo opportunity event

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has heard the Jehovah’s Witness Church failed to investigate more than 1,000 instances of child sexual abuse over 60 years

Feminist Coralie Alison, of Collective Shout, is subjected to death and rape threats in her campaign to ban Tyler, the Creator from Australia, with Tyler deflecting blame for the abuse

And the Australian literary community was saddened to hear of the passing of feminist and Voiceworks Editor, Kat Muscat

 

Feminist news from around the world

A woman has been gaoled in Hong Kong for supposedly assaulting a police officer with her chest after she accused the officer of groping her during a protest

A group of 600 scientists have petitioned a leading American science organisation to end the sexism in its magazine’s editorials and other content.

United States President, Barack Obama made headlines for urging the Kenyan government to improve human rights for its women and LGBTQIA people, but feminists in the States have highlighted the US needs to remove restrictions on foreign aid which ban its use to assist abortion providers to really assist in the message about women’s rights

US Republican Presidential candidate, Mike Huckabee says he won’t rule out using the FBI and military to stop abortions if elected

Meanwhile, a spokesperson from an anti-abortion organisation which enacted a smear campaign against reproductive healthcare provider, Planned Parenthood says there are up to 10 more videos it could use to disrepute Planned Parenthood

An 18-year-old transman in the United States has possibly become the first transgender person to successfully undergo a procedure to preserve their eggs for the future, prompted by beginning hormone therapy

Also in America, a group of 100 protesters have resigned from the Mormon Church in Salt Lake City due to its ongoing gender and LGBT+ discrimination

And a Spanish artist has demonstrated the gendered differences in high fashion advertising by showing campaigns to children, highlighting the weaknesses women are given in haute couture advertisements

 

Celebrity news

A court has ordered 50 Cent to pay an extra US$2 million to the woman in a sex tape he added commentary to and posted online without consent

A series following Caitlyn Jenner’s transition, I Am Cait debuted this week, with Jenner saying she hopes she gets being a spokesperson for the trans* community right

 

In other news

Facebook creator, Mark Zuckerberg has discussed the multiple miscarriages he and his wife have endured, prompting calls for more men to discuss miscarriages

And new documentary, Do I Sound Gay is set to explore the notion of a stereotypical ‘gay voice’

 

On Lip this week

For women living in poverty, the wage gap is even wider

The status update you’ll never see: one woman’s experience with Bipolar Disorder

Eden Faithfull discusses the lessons needig to be learnt from Victoria’s Royal Commission into Family Violence

Bridget Conway interviews cabaret performer, Susie McCann, and New York comedian Lynn Bixenspan

Jess Miller reviews Helen Macdonald’s memoir, H is for Hawk

Clara Borg takes advice from cabaret group, the Desperettes, through their show A Lady’s Guide To The Art Of Being A Wingman

And much, much more!