Jezebel: Violence Against Women

English "Rape Alarm" Does Little To Attract Attention

Maria — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:30:00 EDT

A new rape alarm called the "Ila Dusk" is set to go on sale in the UK in a month, and it claims to be more effective than previous alarms because, instead of a siren, the alarm emits the sound of a "woman screaming." Thing is, it isn't that effective, as the Guardian's Emine Saner discovered when she decided to test the alarm out in the streets of London. Most people passed her by and/or looked annoyed since the Ila sounds less like a woman screaming and more like an animal dying (or, as one man thought, a kid playing). Maybe instead of buying rape alarms, women should be getting self-defense lessons? Clip above.

New Rape Alarm Mimics Woman's Screams [The Guardian]
Teaching Women Self-Defense [WSJ]

Natalia Antonova, a blogger from Ukraine, ...

Maria — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:20:00 EDT

Natalia Antonova, a blogger from Ukraine, was outraged at a crawler question posed by the Ukrainian outpost of MTV. The formula is a simple one and is also incredibly popular across Europe: Viewers can text in responses to questions for a small fee and their answers appear throughout the program. The question that angered Antonova was "Can you beat girls?" Antonova feels that MTV is "normalizing" domestic violence and using it for entertainment. We agree, particularly because some of the responses aired on the channel provided "guidelines" to properly abuse women. [GlobalComment]

It is common knowledge to many that the leading ...

Anna — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:40:00 EDT

It is common knowledge to many that the leading cause of death of pregnant women in the United States is homicide, usually by a male partner or loved one. But can someone please explain the murders of pregnant women ...by other women? [Google News, CNN]

Rape Is Now An Issue Of National Security

Megan — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:40:00 EDT

Condoleezza Rice is in New York today, chairing a debate at the Security Council over a U.S.-sponsored resolution to define rape and sexual violence against women as a tactic of war and calling upon countries to take concrete actions to stop and punish it. Of course, it's been going on for thousands of years, but, you know, better late than never. Rice's opening statement at the debate:

Rape is a crime that can never be condoned, yet women and girls in conflict situations around the world have been subjected to widespread and deliberate acts of sexual violence. As many of you know, for years, there’s been a debate about whether or not sexual violence against women is a security issue for this forum to address.

I am proud that today, we respond to that lingering question with a resounding yes. This world body now acknowledges that sexual violence in conflict zones is indeed a security concern. We affirm that sexual violence profoundly affects not only the health and safety of women, but the economic and social stability of their nations.

Which is totally great and something none of us would potentially expect being said by the foreign policy mouthpiece of an Administration that led us into a war under false pretenses but, you know, bygones. McCain's got to get women to vote for him, after all.

Unfortunately for the resolution, it's not got a lot in the way of teeth: "Specifically, the resolution requests that the Secretary General prepare an action plan for collecting information on the use of sexual violence in situations of armed conflict and then reporting that information periodically to the Council." Great, well, I think that's kind of what the Fourth Estate has already been doing, whether it's reporting on the increasingly prevalence of rape in Darfur or using historical records to document the brutality visited upon German women 60 years ago or any of the other known examples cited in Rice's speech or left out. Does the world really not recognize that rape is used as a weapon in a time of war? Does it have to be defined as an issue of national security before we give a shit about it? And, while it is important to call attention to the issue, do the women of the world need to be studied before they are protected?

Sexual Violence Is Security Issue, Rice Tells U.N. [Reuters]
Thematic Debate on Women, Peace, and Security [U.S. State Department]
Rape A Way Of Life For Darfur's Women [CNN]
The Russians in Germany [Harvard University Press]

The Vagina Monologues Anniversary Celebration Was Wet & Wild

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Earlier this year, author Nancy Redd was asked to give her 2007 body-positive book 'Body Drama' to 250 teenage Hurricane Katrina survivors at a ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the 'Vagina Monologues'. "I've harbored a major crush on Eve Ensler for over nine years," Nancy says. "Growing up with normal teenage angst and inadequate health education, I hated my vulva and I never referred to "down there" as anything other than a "hoo-ha". The Monologues were my introduction to feminism; nothing was more empowering to 18-year-old me than having a legit reason to scream "MY SHORT SKIRT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU!" and "IT'S SUPPOSED TO SMELL LIKE PUSSY!" to the world." Below, Nancy fills us in on everything that went down in the (very fertile) Crescent City over the weekend, where 18,000 participants raised awareness of violence towards women by giving love to vaginas and the amazing women who own them.

Eve Ensler considers New Orleans to be the vagina of America. In fact, in her tribute monologue to New Orleans, Welcome to the Wetlands, she makes some pretty awesome comparisons to the vag, like:

"We call her sultry and sexy when we crave her, but after when we want to demean her and dismiss her, we call her swampy and soiled."

and

"We brag about her music, the way she moves, we beg to get inside her, but disown her later when she has needs."

That pretty much sums up the ex-boyfriend we've all had and hated, right?

This year, Eve decided to concentrate the power of her tenth anniversary on the community who needs it the most: the women of New Orleans, who, as Ensler explains, have "survived the fallout of global warming, failure of public structures, racism, economic hardship, and domestic abuse." (She calls them "Katrina Warriors".)

As soon as we walked into the Superdome, we were overwhelmed by the Biggest. Vagina. Ever. Very hypnotizing, and reminiscent of Gene Simmons' tongue!

Right after I arrived at the arena on Friday, author Gabrielle Roth had everyone come to the front of the stage for a fifteen minute "ecstatic dance" designed to release grievances and to allow positive energy to flow. The crowd was LOVING it, and I wanted Gabrielle to crowd surf so badly, because we would have caught her and it would have been awesome.

Afterwards, I checked out the art that decorated the Superdome, created by activists from around the world. Pieces included the biggest bra ball ever...

...an activist comic titled "Fuck, I'm a Victim," and V-Day memorabilia from the past ten years. One really cool installment was the Intentions Hut, where people could go inside and write their dreams and goals and place them in a box aptly titled 'Intentions.' This is where I found out that nearly everyone working the event — from Rosario Dawson's assistant for the day to the translator for Congolese doctor Dr. Denis Mukwege — was a volunteer, and many were college students or retirees. (The volunteer manning the Intentions Hut told me that her husband took Eve Ensler to his prom!)

A large part of the decision to hold the anniversary event at the Superdome was to transform horrible memories for Katrina survivors into positive ones. To do this, V-Day created three healing stations for local women (with some services and samples open to everyone) on the upper levels. To get to the stations, which was also where the food was, everyone had to pass through a giant glowing vulva. Perhaps for rebirth?

Once upstairs, there were massage sessions, yoga classes taught by Rodney Yee and Colleen Saidman, and free haircuts and makeup application for Katrina survivors, who were truly enjoying all of the pampering.

There was also a jam-packed activism room full of creative and inspiring groups and organizations, like the women from SAFER, who displayed edgy t-shirts...

...and Rha Goddess, who offered her new book We Got Issues.

There were so many younger kids swarming around and it was heartwarming seeing them studying the artwork and questioning the activists about what they do.

One of the best stage presentations included a girl who looked to be about ten and who proudly exclaimed that in her life from now on, she was "going to ignore stupidity and claim self control." She is now my new role model.

There were quite a few guys (a.k.a. "V-Men") around, too, both as participants and spectators. Authors and activists Jimmie Briggs, who brought his proud mom and aunt (aw!), and John Prendergast chatted with Tara from CosmoGIRL! and myself in between adoring fans (of which there were many).

On Saturday morning, Asia Rainey, local activist and the force behind the Daughters of Hope Rites of Passage, gave us our cues and got us all charged up, and Eve Ensler came in to say hi to the giddy teens, who were nervous and thrilled about being onstage in front of so many people, where they recited skills they'd learned in mentoring classes.

A lot of the girls were super-amped about the fact that they were going to meet Kerry Washington afterwards, worrying that their cell phones wouldn't get good enough pictures. As I was lining up to go onstage to give my presentation — during which I gave a motivational speech and presented my book — I bumped into Dr. Mukwege, an amazing Congolese doctor who is at the forefront of next year's V-Day focus on stopping violence against women in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Even though I let loose with an embarrassing scream of glee and a big hug he was incredibly gracious, just chilling in the waiting room wearing a sparkly red feather boa around his neck. I was hoping he would keep it on for the whole evening but alas, he took it off before his Q&A with Eve.

Next up was a Hollywood panel with Kerry Washington, Rosario Dawson, Amber Tamblyn, and Ali Larter; it was a huge hit, and the ladies really opened up about a lot of the sexism and weight concerns that they deal with in the industry.

Women are actually lambasted for crazy things like their ARM size, y'all! When asked about racial stereotypes of females in the media, Kerry expressed her frustration about the few roles for black women that aren't maids or prostitutes, and said that when she had to play one of those roles she tried hard to make the character a real person and not just the stereotype. There were girls who started CRYING in the audience when the celebs came out, and a few teens were brave enough to sneak backstage to get hugs and pictures, and everyone was really cool and gracious about it.

For that evening's star-studded performance of the Vagina Monologues, the Superdome was packed and full of energy.

Eve's adopted son Dylan McDermott was sitting right in front of me next to one of his daughters.

For me, the Vagina Monologues are like My Big Fat Greek Wedding and other movie classics...even though I've seen 'em a million times and I have most of the lines memorized I still love watching from beginning to end. Seeing Eve perform live injected new life into the decade-old words, and I loved her vulva pantsuit.

The celebrities added an interesting flavor and there were some new monologues that had been introduced since the last time I did the show. After watching the touching monologue "They Beat the Girl Out of My Boy" in homage of the transgender experience, I had to Google one of the performers, Calpernia Addams, and I have found my new favorite time-killing video channel.

Towards the end of the performances, Jennifer Beals stole the entire show with her rendition of the crowd favorite "The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy", aka "The Moaner".

Her and her backup moaners' renditions of the Irish Catholic orgasm moan "Oh, Oh, Oh PLEASE forgive me!" and the African-American moan "Oh SHIT! Oooooh SHIT! SHIT SHIT SHIT!" were absolutely hilarious.

At the afterparty at the W, I finally got a good look at Rosario Dawson's shoes and they were as I suspected - the infamous backward heels!

What's really funny is that earlier that evening, while we were both backstage, she seriously questioned whether or not my gold wedge heels were comfy. Anyway, she said her shoes felt fine but I wished I had asked her where she got them because my Google-fu is failing me and I NEED THOSE SHOES!

There was tons of food at the party, including made-to-order FREAKING chicken and waffles, y'all! (Eve and her people know how to throw a party.) Everyone was into the music and the atmosphere and the people and it was just a room full of hot, happy vaginas and their guy friends...a perfect end to an amazing weekend. Hope to see everyone in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 2009!

The V Day Event Of The Decade: V To The Tenth [V10.VDay.org]

Earlier:
"Here At The Hospital, We Have Seen Women Who Have Stopped Living"
New York Interviewer Accuses Vagina Book Author Of An "Anti-Waxing Slant"
Badass, Self-Described Feminist Jane Fonda Drops the C-Word On Today

Related: Body Drama [Amazon]

"They Said If My Parents Didn't Give Them Money They Would Rape Me"

Anna — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EDT

It was difficult to decide what to clip from last night's television premiere of the film The Greatest Silence, which documents the years-long epidemic of rape in the Congo. There were the dozens of adult victims...the rapists themselves...and of course, filmmaker Lisa F. Jackson, who, according to at least one female critic, shouldn't have inserted her own experiences into her cinematic story. (Whatever, lady.) In the end, we decided to focus on the following: Maj. Honorine Mungole, a one-woman SVU unit who investigates the despicable crimes; 12-year-old Safi — who was raped last year after soldiers entered her home to loot it; and Mathilde, 4, a large-eyed moppet who was assaulted by a man in her village. (A full HBO screening schedule for the film can be found here.)

The Greatest Silence: Rape In The Congo [HBO]

Earlier: Critics Find The Greatest Silence "Chilling" But "Frustrating"
"Here At The Hospital, We've Seen Women Who Have Stopped Living"
In Congo, They Rape Three-Year-Olds

Swedish Man Drugs Pregnant Girlfriend In Attempt To Induce Miscarriage

Anna — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:30:00 EST

Three months after a Wisconsin man reportedly laced his pregnant girlfriend's food with the abortificient RU-486, comes news that a 27-year-old Swedish man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for doing the exact same thing. The unnamed Swede reportedly attempted to make his girlfriend of eight years miscarry by grinding up abortion-inducing pills and mixing them into her yogurt. "The woman ate the yoghurt and suffered severe stomach pains and vaginal bleeding," reports CBS News (via AP). "When she later realized what she had eaten, she decided to have an abortion, fearing that the fetus had been permanently damaged by the pills." Although the story serves to underscore the reality that pregnant women are particularly vulnerable to domestic violence — expectant mothers are more likely to be victims of murder than to die of any other cause — it also raises an important issue: does the prosecution of men who attempt to induce miscarriage in women help the cause of anti-choice activists?

Some of comments following the CBS News story about the situation in Sweden seem to imply this. Says one:

I don''t understand how pro choice people can say if the fetus isn't wanted by the mother she can terminate it and it is not murder. But if a pregnant woman who wants her baby is kicked in the stomach or some other act of violence ends the life of that unborn baby...then it can be considered a murder. Well it can''t be both ways. So the law says a woman (host of the parasite) gets to decide if her child is a parasite or a baby!!?? How sick this all is...

And another:

I find it interesting that he gets sentenced to 18 months in prison for trying to get rid of the fetus and she can legally get rid of the fetus by having an abortion.

Dear readers (particularly those of you well-versed on reproductive rights and the law): care to answer these people?

Man Jailed For Abortion Pill-Laced Yogurt [CBS News]
Physical Abuse Linked To Premature Births [UPI]

Badass, Self-Described Feminist Jane Fonda Drops The C-Word On Today

Anna — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 10:00:00 EST

As many already know, actresses/activists Jane Fonda and Eve Ensler were welcomed onto the Today show this morning in honor of the 10th anniversary of Ensler's Vagina Monologues, the one-woman, pussy-positive show that has since become a staple of college campuses. And what a welcome they gave back! Ensler and Fonda, who sat down with Today host Meredith Vieira, discussed the epidemic of violence against women (Ensler calls it "femicide") both at home and abroad, most notably in the Congo, where the brutal torture and rape of women and young girls has become, for lack of a better term, de rigeur. But before she and Ensler got to the serious stuff, Fonda, 70, recounted just how she got involved with the Vagina Monologues and its related V-Day Foundation, dropping the word "cunt" in the process. Clip above.

"Here At The Hospital, We've Seen Women Who Have Stopped Living"

Anna — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 15:00:00 EST

Anderson Cooper turned up on last night's 60 Minutes with a disturbing report about the Congolese civil war, specifically, the epidemic of violence against women in the form of almost unimaginable rape and torture. (Guns and knives in women's vaginas, people.) Although the epidemic of assaults is old news for some, there were disturbing new details, namely, that more and more civilians are committing the crime and that Congolese officials care so little about the problem that few cases ever go to court. In his report, Cooper interviewed 24-year-old Lucienne M'Maroyhi, putting a face to the hundreds of thousands of Congolese women who have been assaulted, and interviewed Dr. Denis Mukwege, who (despite his simplistic description of rape as "sex as a weapon"), does an admirable job helping to heal the physical and emotional wounds suffered by the women in his care. Clip above.

War Against Women, Anderson Cooper Reports On the Use Of Rape As A Weapon [CBS News]
Earlier: In Congo, They Rape Three-Year-Olds

Dear Britney, We're Worried About Your Liver

Jessica — Fri, 02 Nov 2007 17:00:00 EDT

Britney should be worried about her liver, and not just because of her coke snorting and purple drank-ing — because of her Taco Bell-laden diet. A recent study showed that mice on a high fat diet were much more susceptible to liver injury. [Science Daily]
The World Toilet Summit is currently getting "down to business" in New Delhi, but they're not talking bidets: They're working on getting third world denizens clean water and hygienic potties. [AP via MSNBC]
Note to germ fearing gym-goers — a new vaccine against super Staph Infections is looking promising. Don't fear the elliptical! [Science Daily]

Always remember to be nice to Fido because he might save your life. Toby the golden retriever and Winnie the American shorthair were named dog and cat of the year by the ASPCA for saving their masters from peril. [MSNBC]

Whoa, a new reason to take Tylenol PM. Apparently an over-the-counter sleep aid, Zolpidem, helped a British woman come out of a 6-year coma. [Daily Mail]

Attention Tinsley and other mass-produced pizza lovers! Five million frozen pizzas from the Totino's and Jeno's brands have been recalled due to possible E. coli contamination. [CBS News]

Senators Joe Biden and Richard Lugar have introduced the International Violence Against Women Act. The bill seeks to organize policies that will help end violence against women, send over $170 million each year to support new programs, and a system for dealing with victims of anti-female crime.
[Feminist Daily News]

A new study shows that a healthy diet and lifestyle may increase fertility in women with ovulatory disorders. Scientists never let us eat anything fun! [Science Daily]

Media Glare Often Reflects Off Skinny White Women

Jessica — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 18:30:00 EDT

The notoriously aggressive British tabloid press has been obsessed with the disappearance of 4-year-old Madeline McCann since she vanished from her family's hotel room at a Portuguese resort this past May. The majority of the the scrutiny, as Broadsheet pointed out this morning, has fallen on Maddy's mother, Dr. Kate McCann. In September, Kate was named as a suspect in Maddy's disappearance. Most recently, Kate was quoted as telling her mother, "If I weighed another two stone, had a bigger bosom and looked more maternal, people would be more sympathetic." An editorial in the Daily Mail contended that Portuguese women have been especially unsympathetic because Kate's, well, a a skinny bitch. "Anyone who has traveled in Spain, Portugal, Italy or Greece knows how young mothers quickly come to look like overblown roses... It's hard not to imagine Portuguese women murmuring to their husbands that this British woman is — yes — much too skinny."

The racism and sexism of that editorial notwithstanding, I'd contend that if Portuguese women are unsympathetic, it's not because of McCann's weight. It's because when abductions and kidnappings take place in Portugal involving poorer, less telegenic, non-Aryan children, the media and police attention is much more difficult to garner.

It's such a ladywriter cliche to evoke Joan Didion, but fuck it, I'm going to do it anyway. In her 1990 essay about the Central Park jogger fiasco, "Sentimental Journeys," Didion writes about the rape and murder of Laurie Sue Rosenthal, a case that did not get the kind of attention that the Central Park jogger received: "[It] seemed a natural tabloid story but it failed, on several levels, to catch the local imagination... She seemed not to have attended an expensive school, or to have been employed in a glamour industry (no Ivy Grad, no Wall Street exec)."

Some of the articles about Maddy McCann mention Joana Cipriano, a local eight-year-old girl who was abducted from the same part of Portugal as Madeline was in 2004, and her mother, Leonor, was allegedly beaten into confessing to Joana's murder. Leonor's common-law husband told ABC News, "The only difference between the McCanns and us is that we don't have money... If Kate McCann were Portuguese, she would already be in jail." Leonor is currently serving a 16-year sentence for Joana's murder, even though she retracted her confession. Joana's body has never been found.

If you think about the abduction cases that get the most media attention (Jon Benet Ramsey, Natalee Holloway) the players are always the same: middle class, attractive, lily-white. The parents of the abductees are always subject to an unreasonable amount of scrutiny and media scorn, but at least the police and the public remain involved in finding the answers to their cases. Kate and her husband, fellow doctor Gerry, even got an audience with the Pope. The parents of the over 2,000 Colombian children kidnapped each year would probably love that kind of attention.

Guilty Of Murder Or Seeming Unmatronly? [Salon]
Kate McCann Is Right - Just Because She's Slim And Pretty Doesn't Mean She's A Killer [Daily Mail]

As Always, Oprah Winfrey Is Ruining It For The Rest Of Us

Anna — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 17:00:06 EDT

Women between the ages of 50 and 70 are about to become the richest demographic in the United States, claims writer Marti Barletta. We'd see this as cause for celebration except that the inclusion of Oprah Winfrey probably skewed things a bit! [AdAge]
Leaders of the Sikh community in Delhi are calling for an end to over-the-top wedding celebrations, claiming that such events cost so much money for the brides' families that they could contribute to female infanticide or the aborting of female fetuses. [Times Of London]
The same researchers who developed the HPV/cervical cancer drug Gardisil are working on a drug found in tobacco (of all things!) that could be used to prevent cervical cancer among women in India. [USA Today]
The heavier a woman is before she becomes pregnant, the higher her risk for complications such as pre-eclampsia, premature birth and high blood pressure. [Reuters]

Talk about hearts of darkness: A United Nations expert is reporting that the atrocities being committed by rebel groups and armed forces against women in one province of the Congo include not only rape but genital injury via bullets or knives and the forced ingestion of feces or human flesh. [Washington Post]
Girls who play sports in high school are more likely to get college diplomas than other girls, a new study from Brigham Young University has found. [WSJ]
One woman in the NY Times' obituaries section today: Odile Crick, 86, whose sketch of the double helix of DNA "came to symbolize man's discovery of the biological basis of life and evolution." [NY Times]

Venus Williams To Go For Wimbledon Singles Title #4

Anna — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 16:25:58 EDT

Serena didn't make it but Venus did: The oldest tennis-playing Williams sister has made it into the Wimbledon finals for the 6th time. She'll play Marion Bartoli tomorrow on center court. [SportsIllustrated]
According to Joel Dykstra, a representative in the South Dakota state legislature, the words 'rape' and 'incest' are just buzzwords. "It's a bit of a throwaway line and not everybody who says that really understands what that means."[Feministing]
Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei may be flexible on the issue of broadening Iranian women's rights. But, uh, probably not. [Salon]
One woman in the NY Times' obituaries section today: Regine Crespin, 80, who battled through a difficult childhood with an alcoholic mother to become a famous French opera singer. [NYTimes]

The Days May Be Different But The News Stays The Same

Anna — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 16:46:18 EDT

Have you heard? This 26-year-old woman — 9 months pregnant — has been missing for almost a week. Are you as sick and tired of hearing about abducted and assaulted young women and girls as we are? [CNN]
The fewer female relatives a woman has, the more likely she is to contract a certain type of breast cancer. [ABC]
Women more likely to die from diabetes than men. Could this have anything to do with some of them leaving the disease untreated in order to lose a few fucking pounds? [Chicago Tribune]
More adolescent girls — particularly 19-year-olds —are having abortions than ever before in the U.K; this news comes one week after UK officials announced that teens in England and Wales are "in the grip of a sexual health crisis, fuelled by a 'celebrity culture' that condoned alcohol abuse, drug addiction and promiscuity." [Telegraph]

Bad Ad: Oh Well, We Always Liked Hubba Bubba More Anyway

Anna — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 14:54:19 EDT

Offensive or stupid? We'll laugh at pretty much anything but yeah, this is kinda bad. [Feministing]
Another, less-troubling side of vaginal reconstruction. [Feministing]
Female porn stars are supporting Hillary Clinton. Radar]
Women who aren't porn stars also supporting Hillary Clinton. [ABCNews]
Gen-X moms get their way in the modern workplace. [Babble]

A blogger on Babble stresses the importance of creating good memories for kids on family vacations. Ha! Wonder what she'd say about that camping trip back in the '80s in which our parents split up? [Babble]
God we love the internet. Britain is getting ready to create an online list of deadbeat dads. [Telegraph]
Got fibroids? Here are some ways to deal with them. [CNN]
Second female Afghan journalist gunned down within five days. [Guardian]