daily feminist news 19.09.13
image via AFP
In case you missed it: Tony Abbott is now the minister for women.
Newly sworn in Prime Minister, Tony Abbott announced his cabinet earlier in the week and we all know how that went down. While Abbott removed numerous ministerial posts such as science, aged care and early childhood, it has been announced that there will still be a minister for women. It’s Tony, himself. With the assistance of West Australian senator Michaelia Cash, Abbott will ‘ensure that these key whole-of-government priorities are at the centre of government.’ You probably don’t need reminding that Abbott has a long history of gender inappropriate gaffs and downright sexist ignorance, from stating that abortion is ‘the easy way out’ to this-old-chestnut: ‘I think it would be folly to expect that women will ever dominate or even approach equal representation in a large number of areas simply because their aptitudes, abilities and interests are different for physiological reasons.’
This is your life: Australian uni students poorer/in more debt than ever. Great.
A recent study from the University of Melbourne has found that Australian uni students are doing it tough. Although there are more people at university in Australia than ever before, student debts have risen up to 30 per cent, while many students live on below poverty line incomes. The study found that as high as 80 per cent of full time undergraduates work an average of 16 hours a week as well as uni, with up to a third regularly missing classes due to work commitments. Meanwhile, 17 per cent of students often have to go without food and other necessities in order to get by. Is anyone else depressed?
French government to ban child beauty pageants.
A bill has passed the French senate to ban child beauty pageants on the grounds that they promote the sexualisation of young girls. If the bill is passed by the National Assembly it will become law, with organisers of pageants facing significant fines or even jail time. The report, titled, Against Hyper-Sexualisation: A New Fight For Equality, has also recommended a ban on the sale of child sized adult clothing like padded bras and high heels. Author of the report, and your new French feminist BFF, Chantal Jouanno, argued: “Let us not make our girls believe from a very young age that their worth is only judged by their appearance.”
Revolution in maternal health care in Congo causes dramatic reduction of deaths in childbirth.
In the last ten years the number of women dying in childbirth in the Republic of Congo has been halved. Most of this dramatic reduction has occurred in just the last two years. This is great news in light of the fact the 56 per cent of the women who die in childbirth worldwide are from sub-Saharan Africa. This drastic improvement has been largely due to a presidential decree which came into place in 2011, making caesarean sections a free public health service. Subsequently, fewer women are avoiding hospital treatment due to the expense of maternal health care.
This ‘Boys Are Better Than Books’ T-shirt is the worst.
After a t-shirt emblazoned with the slogan ‘Boys Are Better Than Books’ surfaced on the interwebs people rightfully lost their shit, coining a great hashtag: #rejectedwindsorstoreshirtideas. Their irreverent sarcasm will soothe your angry feminist soul. (My personal favourite: ‘Boys Are Better Than Bodily Autonomy. What’s yours?)
