Tag: marriage

Biography, Politics, Women's History

Margaret Sanger – Fighting for Reproductive Rights

WHN / March 21, 2015

Margaret Sanger treated many women who had illegal and dangerous abortion procedures. She fought for birth control information and contraception to be made available, and found it essential to women’s health for this information to be legal … It was very dangerous for Sanger to provide her services and information and she often risked jail time in order to help women.

In 1914, Sanger started The Woman Rebel, a feminist publication. She wanted to provide women with information about contraception. Sanger openly challenged the state and federal Comstock Act, which criminalized contraceptives (“American Experience: Margaret Sanger”). In 1916, Sanger was arrested for opening the first birth control clinic in the country. She worked toward better forms of contraception other than the diaphragm, which was expensive. Sanger helped with the creation of Enovid, the first oral contraceptive …

General, Politics, Women's History

UNRELENTING BACKLASH – Depoliticising Male Violence Against Women: Part 2

WHN / December 28, 2014

One of the central tenets arising from the Women’s Movement in the 1970’s was naming men as those responsible for committing violence against women because feminists recognised that not naming the perpetrators ensures society’s focus is on scrutinising women and blaming them for supposedly provoking or causing male violence against them. Naming men as the agents responsible directly challenges male power over women …

General, Politics, Women's History

UNRELENTING BACKLASH – Depoliticising Male Violence Against Women: Part 1

WHN / December 22, 2014

The term “gender based violence against women” does not inform the reader who is responsible for committing violence against women. “Gender” is a descriptive term not a human entity. “Gender” cannot commit violence against women so who is being protected by not being named? Perhaps it is women because “gender” is commonly perceived as attributable to women since men have always claimed male as the default generic human and hence no need to name men/males as men/males. Obviously the entities being protected are men because naming men/males as the perpetrators will immediately instigate a male backlash of claims “you are demonising men” or “not all men are violent!”

Event, Politics, Source, Women's History

CSW 57 – Indigenous Women Unite Against Violence Against Women!

WHN / March 14, 2013

In some regions Indigenous cultural practices still take place, such as female genital mutilation, and forced early marriages, where girls are denied formal education. As Kenyan representative Agnes Leina said, “We are not saying we should get rid of our culture, we love it, but who wants to be illiterate?” The Indigenous women of CSW are calling for support for the positive aspects of their traditional cultures and to leave behind the aspects that are detrimental to the rights of Indigenous women.

Politics, Source, Women's History

Feminist Historical Novels: An important contribution to writing women into history

WHN / December 2, 2012

Each writer has used historical fiction in a way that undermines the control of women’s reading. They have produced work that, while ostensibly is safe because it is ‘women’s fiction’, questions women’s place in history. Historical novels have had a mixed reception, not all of it respectful. Again, such a reputation has added to the advantages a feminist writer can enjoy in her writing history. Each writer has written her history inspired by women’s role, actions, feelings and aspirations.

Event, Politics, Women's History

Fundamentalism vs Education: Women’s Struggle – Part 1

WHN / November 18, 2012

… at nine Malala Yousufzai began writing a BBC blog. Under a pseudonym she described life under the Taliban. Despite threats, her media appearances, along with her public speaking from platforms and footpaths, in the marketplace and in village centres, met with an award of a high-level civilian honour for her courage. Her refusal to be quiet, her determination to use her brain as a thinking organ and her capacity for speech as a reason to speak out, made her a Taliban target.

Biography, Politics, Source, Women's History

The Women’s Time Has Arrived – Part 2

WHN / October 15, 2012

Notices in the sisters’ home and dining room of the Thursday Island Hospital declared: ‘Nursing sisters must not attend coloured Islanders’ parties or homes. They must not travel in unauthorised vessels.’ In the 1950s and early 1960s the hospital’s decisions were greatly influenced by the Thursday Island tennis club. The self-appointed cream of Thursday Island society (all white) were members until ‘the tone deteriorated’, because black people were learning to play tennis. A bowling club was formed and anybody who classed themselves above the black Torres Strait Islanders joined. Today, it’s just an ordinary bowling club. All the power people believed they projected has been diminishing since the Whitlam government of the 1970s came to power and gave status recognition to the Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.

Biography, Politics, Source, Women's History

The Women’s Time has Arrived – Part 1

WHN / October 14, 2012

Even before I was old enough for school, my parents told me and my brothers and sister the legends of our people. An afternoon ritual in our familiy, it gave me a strong sense of who I was, and of the rich culture of the Torres Strait. I grew up knowing our traditions. As I grow older, I come more and more to appreciate that sense of certainly. If a culture is destroyed or ignored, it robs people of a sense of self. As a child it is important to know where you come from, and who your people are, your family and the people of your own country, your own culture. Now I am in my sixties, I know it is important at all stages of life …