Month: July 2013

Source: The Nation

Last Wednesday, the world watched an increasingly familiar scene: Egyptian crowds gathering in Tahrir Square to demand social change. Once the army announced it had ousted President Mohamed Morsi, these same streets became host to victory celebrations for some, and violent conflict for others. For over 91 women who were sexually assaulted that night, Tahrir Square became what Egyptian women’s rights activist. Soraya Bahgat described as “a circle of hell.”

In many ways, the attack against these women is part of a global rape culture in which women’s bodies are used as tools of war and targets during social unrest. During the Egyptian Revolution of 2011, for example, it was widely documented that the Mubarak regime paid men to systematically sexually assault women during the demonstrations. read more

Source: Yes Magazine

Civil rights advocates are calling the Supreme Court’s decision in Shelby County v. Holder “a dagger in the heart of the Voting Rights Act” and “a call to action.”

Nearly fifty years since its creation, and seven years after it was reauthorized with bipartisan support, the heart of the Voting Rights Act was nullified today by a 5-to-4 Supreme Court vote. After months of deliberation, the Supreme Court ruled today on Shelby County v. Holder and declared unconstitutional Section 4’s coverage formula, which determines which states and counties are required under Section 5 to receive permission from the Justice Department prior to making changes that could affect voting. Though the court did not rule Section 5 unconstitutional, without a coverage formula it will be rendered meaningless. read more

Source: Foreign Policy in Focus

Amid ongoing battles over the shape of political systems in the Arab world, intense sexual violence against women in those countries, and protest movements by women fighting for their rights, advancing the causes of Arab women is of utmost importance. Yet international human rights advocates often confront the struggles of women in Arab countries far too simplistically.

In the work of international agencies, policy makers, activists, and the media, two approaches predominate. The first is “culture-blaming,” in which Arab culture or the Islamic religion is seen as the cause of women’s oppression. The second defines women’s rights in terms of individual political rights. This approach pursues women’s equality under the law, stressing constitutional rights and participation in official politics. read more