This is a review of a session held at the 2016 Sydney Writers’ Festival. * When I first entered the room and upon seeing so many older women, I was unsure if I would feel comfortable as a member of the new generation of feminism. I wondered whether Gloria Steinem, a prominent 82-year-old American…
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Saudi Arabia imposes a strict interpretation of Islamic Law, particularly concerning women citizens and their rights. This law forbids women to work or travel without the authorisation of their male guardians. It is also the only country in the world which bans women from driving, and a woman cannot obtain an identification card without the…
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A new legislation has been passed by the Afghanistan parliament, which ‘will allow men to attack their wives, children and sisters without the fear of punishment.’ The law makes it impossible for anyone to testify against relatives and for evidence to be brought against those who are related to domestic violence victims. Lastly, those…
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A Kuwaiti woman was arrested in Saudi Arabia earlier this week for driving her diabetic father to a hospital. The latest incident comes just days after more than 60 women filmed themselves driving and posted the videos online in protest against the country’s ban against women driving without being accompanied by a male companion. Although…
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I hate to say it, but I only started wearing lipstick last year. I was, up until that point a staunch lip-gloss person. And before that, I had what I’d call my wilderness years, where the occasional slick of Vaseline would suffice. Moving from using lip-gloss to embracing lipstick felt like a jump: an initiation…
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In Gujarat, India, 3000 women came together earlier this year with one very big aim. The women crowded under a makeshift tarp in the heat and the dust to listen to 24-year-old Artika give her first ever public speech. Why were so many women so keen to hear her speak? I’ll give you a hint:…
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Russia could be the first European country to introduce paid leave for menstruation if a bill is passed in the state Duma. The bill, introduced by Liberal Democratic Party of Russia (LDPR) member, Mikhail Degtyaryov would see women paid for two days off during their period. These two days would effectively equate to 24 in…
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**Trigger Warning : this article contains discussions of sexual assault, which may be triggering for some readers** 1. I need feminism because I need an ideological foundation of respect toward myself and others around me. Self-respect and self- worth doesn’t come innately, unfortunately. 2. I need feminism because I used to think it was okay…
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I first heard about the protests in Turkey when I came across a picture on the Facebook page, The Real Art of Protest (TRAP). The photo showed a woman being hit in the chest by a great jet of tear gas at such force that her arms were slayed backwards. She looks a bit…
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Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny has brushed off threats from the Catholic Church regarding the country’s plans for abortion reform. Politicians who support the upcoming legislation have been threatened with excommunication. The proposed bill would legalise abortion in situations when the pregnant woman’s life was in danger. Legislators stress the bill clarifies rather than changes…
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The struggle of women varies from one cultural context to the next and it’s often difficult for those outside to effectively assist their sisters in other parts of the world. It can be challenging to put together a culturally sensitive campaign that helps, rather than hinders the progress of women living in a different context…
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For the first time ever, a woman will be contesting a parliamentary seat in Pakistan’s Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (FATA). 40-year-old Badam Zari will be running in the elections scheduled for May 11. She appeared on television on Sunday to launch her political career, wearing a full veil revealing only her eyes. In an area…
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Amina is a 19 year old Tunisian woman who risked imprisonment and corporal punishment for baring her breasts in defiance. Reports suggest she has been committed to a psychiatric hospital by her family after she appeared on Tunisian television explaining her decision to join the radical feminist group, Femen. A video posted on Free Thought…
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With an Australian federal election fast approaching, the political issues that seem to be dominating revolve around women’s rights, with misogyny, equal pay and abortion laws making headlines. It’s not surprising considering the dominance of women’s issues in the US election. It became pretty clear that the issues that won the election for Barack Obama…
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