feminist news round-up 17.02.13
50 years of Friedan
Betty Friedan’s seminal text The Feminine Mystique turns 50 this coming week. The text was credited with fueling much of the 60s American feminist movement (not to mention appearing as a cultural reference in every snappy teen film since – 10 Things I hate About You?) The anniversary prompted reflections on the relevance of her work today, her failure to include minorities in the initial text, and the overall effectiveness of her work in making women happy. What has been mostly widely praised is its pinpointing of dissatisfaction for many women confined to the role of housewife, and Friedan’s belief that such an unhappiness could change with real equality of opportunity.
#TellAFeministThankyou trends
The #TellAFeministThankyou hashtag trended around the world last week, beginning as a response to abuse of women online and continuing in celebration of Mystique’s anniversary. The tag led to both passionate endorsements of the equality movement and some more barbed observations, right down to trolls who used the space to bait other twitter users by claiming men should be superior.
New York Women’s Equality Act gains traction
New York Governer Andre Cuomo has announced a 10-point plan for combating gender inequality in the state in his Women’s Equality Act. The legislation looks to removing barriers by stamping out sexual harassment in the workplace, making discrimination on the grounds of pregnancy illegal and by promising equal pay for men and women in the state of New York. The move has led commentators to question why a federal act is not in the works, given that women earn about 82% of male salaries in the US.
Women outstrip men in business start ups: study
Forbes reports the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor’s 2012 report found women to be creating more business opportunities than men in Ghana, Nigeria and Thailand. In nations like Uganda an equal number of men and women are creating business opportunities. Not all positive news though, with 52 other nations seeing women’s start up opportunities being lower than men’s.
Women detained in Jerusalem after prayer
Ten women were detained by police in Jerusalem this week after praying at holy site the Western Wall. The site has been backed by the Isreali Supreme Court as a space only for men to pray in. While the women were not charged by police, they were banned from returning for 15 days. The women were part of group Women of the Wall and have been protesting to allow women access to the Western Wall site for several years.
