You and me will definitely tag it as ‘speed dating‘ when a boy and girl meet up for a seven minute chit-chat, but for the growing American Muslim community, they prefer to label it in a more respectable term called ‘Matrimonial Banquet‘.
This particular term came up at the recently organized Muslim conference in North America. With the offshoot of an emerging trend among the Muslim community in America, more and more boys and girls are getting to know each other through a short session meeting called as the speed dating. However, the elders give it a more dignified term. ...
Yemen: Women as voters, but not candidates. Jessica at Feministing:
Women are not too pleased about the lack of lady candidates--some even protested in a recent march, demanding a 15 percent quota in local elections.
Huriyah Mashhoor of the Women's National Committee says that "men in Yemen want women as voters only, rather than strong challengers."
Full post, and article, at the link.
Study: Women face discrimination in science and technology. Feminist Majority Foundation:
Women face discrimination from academic institutions in science and technology fields, according to a new report released Monday from the National Academy of Sciences. The report, “Beyond Bias and Barriers: Fulfilling the Potential of Women in Academic Science and Engineering,” finds that women’s lack of participation within science and technology fields in academia can be attributed to gender bias and barriers within hiring and promotion practices in research institutions. Emphasized in the report is the important role that women scientists play in keeping the US competitive in science and engineering fields.
“Women are capable of contributing more to the nation’s science and engineering research enterprise, but bias and outmoded practices governing academic success impede their progress almost every step of the way,” said Donna Shalala, chair of the committee that wrote the report and current president of University of Miami, in a National Academies release accompanying the report. ...
Jen is trying to feel empowered. Oddly, though, she feels condescended to. Jen at Feministing:
Last Tuesday was primary day in Washington. There's a polling place right next to my office, so I ended up walking through a gauntlet of signs and supporters of various candidates. I was talking to one of my coworkers about two of the mayoral candidates. When we passed one volunteer, I mentioned that she was "also good." The volunteer overheard and said "she's the best." We kept walking. Then he (middle aged white man) raises his voice and starts telling me (young black woman), in a remarkably condescending tone, "I'm trying to empower black women." Seriously, that's what he said. I said something smart-assy about being plenty empowered to vote for another candidate, and kept going.
Read the rest at the link. And a big welcome to Jen.
Honor killings up in Afghanistan. Feminist Majority Foundation:
There has been a significant increase in so-called honor killings of women in Afghanistan from last year, announced the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) on Friday. The AIHRC believes that the increase is due to discrimination against women, the lack of enforcement of laws protecting women, and a weak judiciary, according to IRIN News, a United Nations humanitarian news and information service. So far this year, 185 women and girls have been killed by family members, though many cases go unreported, IRIN reports.
While the Afghan Constitution protects women’s rights, long-term changes in men’s attitudes towards women are necessary to end the practice of honor killings, said Dad Mohammad Rasa, an interior ministry spokesperson, reports IRIN. The number of killings is worse in the south, where there has been a resurgence of the Taliban. ...
Link: FMF campaign for women and girls in Afghanistan.
How to resist rape: Be ladylike. Jessica at Feministing:
From macho-man Harvey Mansfield's book, "Manliness." (I can't believe I didn't catch this until now.)
“To resist rape a woman needs more than martial arts and more than the police; she needs a certain ladylike modesty enabling her to take offense at unwanted encroachment.”
Yeah, right.
