Readings

Added August 30, 2009

CAN YOU HEAR CONGO NOW? CELL PHONES, CONFLICT MINERALS, AND THE WORST SEXUAL VIOLENCE IN THE WORLD

Technology is great. It enables us to work, communicate, do things quickly and well. But this article talks about how those materials that go into making our tools of this lifestyle and how, at that level, we may want to stop and think and pay attention to how the tech companies are getting their raw materials.

Apr 1, 2009

The time has come to expose a sinister reality: Our insatiable demand for electronics products such as cell phones and laptops is helping fuel waves of sexual violence in a place that most of us will never go, affecting people most of us will never meet. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is the scene of the deadliest conflict globally since World War II. There are few other conflicts in the world where the link between our consumer appetites and mass human suffering is so direct.

This reality is not the result of an elaborate cover-up, either. Most electronic companies and consumers genuinely do not appreciate the complex chain of events that ties widespread sexual violence in Congo with the minerals that power our cell phones, laptops, mp3 players, video games, and digital cameras.

But now that we are beginning to understand these linkages, we need to do all we can to expose them and bring this deadly war fuelled by “conflict minerals” to an end. As a start, the Enough Project has worked with other like-minded groups to create a conflict minerals pledge that commits electronics companies to ensure their products are conflict-free. We are initiating a consumer campaign aimed at encouraging the users of these electronics products to let the biggest companies know that it matters to us that our purchases don’t prolong this ongoing tragedy.

It is time to look at Human Rights issues when we decide which technology companies and products we buy. Demand to know.

Added August 8, 2009

SILENCE IS VIOLENCE
End the Abuse of Women in Afghanistan published on July 8, 2009 by the UNAMA and OHCHR.

On the issue of rape, UNAMA’s research found that although under-reported and concealed, this ugly crime is an everyday occurrence in all parts of the country. It is a human rights problem of profound proportions. Women and girls are at risk of rape in their homes and in their communities, in detention facilities and as a result of traditional harmful practices to resolve feuds within the family or community. In some areas, alleged or convicted rapists are, or have links to, powerful commanders, members of illegal armed groups, or criminal gangs, as well as powerful individuals whose influence protects them from arrest and prosecution. In the northern region for example, 39 per cent of the cases analyzed by UNAMA Human Rights, found that perpetrators were directly linked to power brokers who are, effectively, above the law and enjoy immunity from arrest as well as immunity from social condemnation.

The issue of “honour” is a socio-cultural norm that is central to the issue of rape and efforts to counter its prevalence. Shame is attached to rape victims rather than to the perpetrator. Victims often find themselves being prosecuted for the offence of zina (adultery) and are denied access to justice. The problem is compounded when communities subject female victims to lifelong stigma and shame. Moreover, society may call for, or condone, sexual violence through harmful traditional practices such as baad (the practice of handing over girls to settle disputes), or by insisting that a victim marry the rapist. There is a dramatic and urgent need for the Government of Afghanistan and society to question attitudes to rape, the larger problem of violence against women, and their complicity in a crime that destroys the life of numerous victims.

Added June 6, 2009

Sex and Science: How Professor Gender Perpetuates the Gender Gap
Scott E. Carrelly, UC Davis and NBER,
Marianne E. Pagez, UC Davis and NBER
James E. West
USAF Academy — May 7, 2009

Added May 18, 2009

New Population Bulletin from the Population Reference Bureau. Published March 2009.

20th-Century U.S. Generations

Generational differences in demographic experiences provide
some clues about sources of the generational divide seen in some
political and social choices. By virtue of when they were born,
members of each generation live through unique times shaped by
unexpected historical events, changing political climates, and evolving
socioeconomic conditions. Generation size influences opportunities for
education, career access and advancement, and options for retirement.
A generation’s ethnic composition influences attitudes about
immigrants and the meaning of concepts like race. The generational
perspective taken in this Population Bulletin provides key insights into
the distinctiveness of the generations shaping contemporary society.

Added April 21, 2009

Healers of Our Time: Women, Faith, and Justice

Full text of report

Published by The Sister Fund

Conducted by

The goals of this study are to:

  • Map religious women’s progressive gender-focused activism in social justice movements, in academia, and in popular culture in the United States, assessing issues as well as ideas for new initiatives and resources
  • Raise the visibility of women’s activism and research in diverse contexts where religion and gender justice intersect
  • Identify ways to build stronger movements for social change by promoting greater alliances between faith-based and secular feminists
  • Encourage philanthropists, religious leaders, secular feminists, and social justice activists to provide greater support for, and collaboration with, faithbased women activists

(Note from the WS Librarian: With thanks to Akosua Koram and Rev. Amy Fallon for the inspiration)

Added February 18, 2008

From: Eldis: Home » Topics » Resource Guides » Gender » Feminisation of Labour Market

Marriage, motherhood and masculinity in the global economy: reconfigurations of personal and economic life

How are women and men dealing with feminisation of labour?

Authors: N, Kabeer; Pathways to Women’s Empowerment

Publisher: Institute of Development Studies, Sussex, UK, 2008

Full text of document

Globalisation has led to the increased entry of women into paid work, often alongside a stagnation or decline in male employment. This paper explores the implications of this feminisation of labour market for relationships within marriage and family, particularly in the light of the widespread ideology of the male breadwinner.

The key findings of the paper include:

  • some men have found the new role of women as breadwinners difficult . Men’s resistance has taken a variety of ways including refusal to share domestic and child care responsibilities, violence, withdrawal of their financial contributions and abandoning families
  • many working women continue to suffer a disproportionate burden of domestic responsibility
  • women’s increased breadwinning role has also given rise to demand for paid female labour in services hitherto provided through the unpaid relations of marriage and family
  • the demand for paid household services and care are increasingly met by women migrants from lower income countries.

The paper concludes that a counter-movement by the affected women will emerge soon. Until that happens women across the world will challenge the injustice of double work burden by using the individualised power at their disposal. This challenge will lead to decreased rate of marriage and fertility, as well as an increase in the number of women opting to remain childless. The result will be a crisis in the long-run process of social reproduction.

From Siyanda.org,
Title: Islamic Feminism Revisited
Author: Badran, M.
Publication Date: February 2006
Publisher : Al-Ahram Weekly
Summary Source: Author
Summary :Islamic Feminism is defined as a feminist discourse and practice that derives its understanding and mandate from the Qur’an. It seeks rights and justice within the framework of gender equality for women and men. Islamic Feminism has taken on the two-fold task of exposing and eradicating patriarchal ideas and practices, which are often described as Islamic, and to recuperate Islam’s core idea of gender equality (indivisible from human equality). Islamic Feminism continues to be widely embraced by proponents of gender justice and social justice. It has also incurred enemies from within and outside the Muslim community: from within – men who fear the loss of patriarchal privilege and women who fear the loss of patriarchal protection, and from outside – those whose pleasure and politics are found in denigrating Islam as irredeemably anti-women. The article, a follow-up to an earlier piece published four years ago (titled: Islamic Feminism: What’s in a Name) surveys recent developments. Earlier examples of this dynamic and varied inter-Islamic phenomenon are provided, from Iran, South Africa and North America. Recent examples include a look at events in Morocco (the revised Moroccan Mudawwana or personal status law); Indonesia (the new Indonesian draft family law); and the United States (women acting as imams or preachers leading the Friday service).
Complete Document: http://weekly.ahram.org.eg/2006/781/cu4.htm

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