Category Archives: Sisters In Other Nations

Because Violent, Sexual Pathologies Attract More Readers than Stories about the Murder of Two Women

Today’s Sydney (Australia) Morning Herald profiles the convicted criminal David Russell Williams, former colonel in the Canadian military (here).  The article focuses on Williams’s “sadistic sexual urges” and photographic evidence (reprinted with the article) showing Mr. Williams dressed in women’s … Continue reading

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Posted in Acts of Violence, Sisters In Other Nations | 2 Comments

Pace Law Review Symposium on “After Gender: Examining International Justice Enterprises”

Pace Law Review will hold a symposium on November 12, 2010 entitled “After Gender: Examining International Justice Enterprises.” The symposium will attempt to expand our understanding of the role of gender and sex in international law. International law’s gender analysis … Continue reading

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Posted in Sisters In Other Nations, Upcoming Conferences, Upcoming Lectures | 1 Comment

Selling Sex in Canada vs. Buying Sex in Sweden

Last week, Justice Susan Himel of the Ontario (Canada) Superior Court ruled that certain Canadian anti-prostitution criminal laws violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and were therefore unconstitutional.  A copy of the opinion is available here. At issue … Continue reading

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Posted in Human Trafficking, Sisters In Other Nations | 2 Comments

20,000 Women Killed Each Year for “Family Honor”?

From the (UK) Independent, this article about “honor killings” across the globe: It is a tragedy, a horror, a crime against humanity. The details of the murders – of the women beheaded, burned to death, stoned to death, stabbed, electrocuted, … Continue reading

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Robin Runge’s Upcoming Radio Appearance on “Domestic Violence and the Law: China vs. the U.S.A”

On Sunday, August 8, 2010, at 5:00 p.m. (Central), Feminist Law Prof Robin Runge (North Dakota) will appear on Prairie Public radio station’s “Why?” program talking about her work in China on violence against women.   Here’s the station’s official description of the … Continue reading

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When the Tax Man is a Transgender Woman

The New York Times home page features the video above (source here) about tax non-compliance in Pakistan.  The "hook" of the story is the use of transgendered women to collect taxes in a particular area Pakistan.  The use of these … Continue reading

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Frances Criminalizes “Psychologial Violence”

France has passed a criminal ban on psychological or verbal abuse of a spouse or live-in partner. The New York Times reported:  The French Parliament gave final and unanimous approval on Tuesday to a law that makes “psychological violence” a … Continue reading

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Ambivalent About the Boobquake

You’ve probably seen it by now. First, a Neanderthal Iranian cleric scolded women for wearing “immodest” Western clothing which of course leads to adultery, which of course causes earthquakes. In response, blogger Jen McCreight announced: On Monday, April 26th, I … Continue reading

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Posted in Feminism and Culture, Sisters In Other Nations | 1 Comment

Choudhury on “Globalizing the Margins”

Cyra Akila Choudhury (FIU) has posted to SSRN her article “Globalizing the Margins: Legal Exiles in the War on Terror and Liberal Feminism’s War for Muslim Women,” 9 Int. Rev.   of   Constitutionalism (2010)Here is the abstract: In the … Continue reading

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“House of the Setting Sun”

Interviews with residents of a home for elderly prostitutes in Mexico City – watch Part One here, and Part Two here. –Ann Bartow

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“Canada has dropped a proposal to change the country’s national anthem by making it more gender-inclusive.”

From the BBC News: O Canada! Our home and native land! True patriot love in all thy sons command. With glowing hearts we see thee rise, The true north strong and free! The government had said it was open to … Continue reading

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Posted in Feminism and Politics, Sisters In Other Nations | 1 Comment

Nobel Women’s Initiative – Video Stream: International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women of Burma

HERE! More information here. “The Tribunal is a women-directed and women-centered justice and advocacy initiative. Judges will hear testimony from several women of Burma who will share their personal stories of surviving human rights violations and crimes under miliatry rule … Continue reading

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Lap Dances for Haiti?

From the Toledo (Ohio) Blade: Scantily clad dancers were the draw at a downtown men’s entertainment club over the weekend for an event that raised nearly $1,000 for victims of the earthquake in Haiti. * * *  Although the billing … Continue reading

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Bernstein on “Pecuniary Reparations Following National Crisis”

Feminist Law Prof Anita Bernstein (Brooklyn) has posted to SSRN her article, “Pecuniary Reparations Following National Crisis: A Convergence of Tort Theory, Microfinance, and Gender Equality,” 31 U. Pa. J. Int’l L. 1 (2009).  Here is the abstract: Governments around … Continue reading

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Rebecca J. Cook and Simone Cusack, “Gender Stereotyping: Transnational Legal Perspectives”

From the publisher’s website: While both lawyers and psychologists have been aware of the role of stereotypes in discrimination, there is little literature addressing the legal status of stereotypes as gender discrimination. Gender Stereotyping makes a substantial contribution to the … Continue reading

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Austin on “Women’s Unequal Citizenship at the Border”

Regina Austin (Penn) has posted to SSRN her book chapter, “Women’s Unequal Citizenship at the Border: Lessons from Three Nonfiction Films about the Women of Juárez,” forthcoming in Gender Equality: Dimensions of Women’s Equal Citizenship, edited by Linda McClain and … Continue reading

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Posted in Feminism and Culture, Feminism and the Arts, Feminist Legal Scholarship, Sisters In Other Nations | 1 Comment

Disaster Relief for Haiti

Here are some organizations whose relief efforts are being directed toward women and children in Haiti: CARE.  In a press release (here), CARE’s director in Haiti said, ”Children were still in school when the earthquake hit, so there are many … Continue reading

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Words Hurt: France Contemplates Prohibition on Psychological and Verbal Abuse of Domestic Partner

The BBC reports here that the French parliament is considering criminal penalties against those who psychologically or verbally abuse their spouse or live-in partner.  The BBC article highlights the French-language TV ad below, which portrays a man verbally abusing his … Continue reading

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Posted in Acts of Violence, Sisters In Other Nations | 1 Comment

CFP: “What Pertains to a Man”? Transcending Gender Boundaries in Jewish and Israeli Law

Call for Papers “What Pertains To a Man”? Transcending Gender Boundaries in Jewish and Israeli Law Conference to be held at the University of Chicago Law School Monday March 1, 2010 This small one day conference will be structured around … Continue reading

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More Commentary on Ciudad Juarez Case

Earlier this week, Feminist Law Prof Caroline Bettinger-Lopez (Columbia) summarized the Ciudad Juarez case (see here and here) for members of the  Bringing Human Rights Home Lawyers’ Network.    Here is Professor Bettinger-Lopez’s e-mail (reprinted with permission): Dear BHRH Network … Continue reading

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Posted in Acts of Violence, Sisters In Other Nations | 2 Comments

Solidarity: Men in headscarves

I share with permission the following commentary received today from Hossein Alizedah of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC): Earlier this week, the Iranian authorities arrested Majid Tavakoli, a  student leader, who spoke at an anti-government rally … Continue reading

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Posted in Sisters In Other Nations | 2 Comments

Major Human Rights Victory in Inter-American Court of Human Rights

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled today (decision  here) that Mexico violated basic human rights by failing to investigate the disappearance and murders of several women over a 15-year period.  Pro bono counsel  M.C. Sungaila, Esq. at  Horvitz & … Continue reading

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Posted in Acts of Violence, Sisters In Other Nations | 3 Comments

Did you know that December 6 is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women in Canada? Established in 1991 by the Parliament of Canada, this day marks the anniversary of the murders in 1989 of 14 young women at l’École Polytechnique de Montréal. They died because they were women.

More information here. –Ann Bartow

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Posted in Acts of Violence, Sisters In Other Nations | 2 Comments

Vani K. Borooah, Quy Toan Do, Sriya Iyer, and Shareen Joshi – “Missing Women and India’s Religious Demography”

Abstract: The authors use recent data from the 2006 National Family Health Survey of India to explore the relationship between religion and demographic behavior. They find that fertility and mortality vary not only between religious groups, but also across caste … Continue reading

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New Global Gender Gap Report

The World Economic Forum published the new Global Gender Gap Report on October 27th.   It ranks countries on how equitably resources   and opportunities are allocated across their male and female populations.   It bases these rankings on data … Continue reading

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Posted in Feminism and Economics, Feminism and Politics, Sisters In Other Nations | 2 Comments

Greenawalt on Uganda, Alternative Justice and the ICC

My colleague Alexander Greenawalt‘s article Complemetarity in Crisis: Uganda, Alternative Justice, and the International Criminal Court is the starting point for a lively dialogue over at the Opinio Juris blog.  See  here,  here and  here.  Professor Greenawalt exchanges ideas with … Continue reading

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Who Is Lady Brenda Hale?

“A home maker as well as a judge, she thoroughly enjoyed helping the artists and architects create a new home for The Supreme Court.”     The Supreme Court in question is the new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. … Continue reading

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Human Rights Defender Keith Goddard, 1960-2009

Keith Goddard, a human rights defender of tremendous courage and tenacity, died this weekend after a short illness.   The Director of Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ), Goddard helped transform what had been primarily a social organization with a … Continue reading

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Single Mothers Stigmatized in Korea

The New York Times has an article here on the stigma that single women face in Korea.   For those who chose to become mothers outside of marriage, the social pressure can be significant. [E]ach year, social pressure drives thousands … Continue reading

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Guest Blogger Kate Blacker: Rape in Guinea

I am horrified by the recent events in Guinea.    I also find the world’s response  insufficient and disturbing.   The media seems to be differentiating this type of ‘gang rape’ and ‘rape in broad daylight’ from other ( less … Continue reading

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Posted in Acts of Violence, Sisters In Other Nations | 2 Comments

Something Here is Very Strange.

So, The Nation published an article called “The Crusade Against Sex Trafficking” by Noy Thrupkaew. This article focuses on one organization only, “the International Justice Mission, an evangelical Christian organization devoted to combating human rights abuses in the developing world.” … Continue reading

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Posted in Acts of Violence, Coerced Sex, Sisters In Other Nations, Women and Economics | 2 Comments

The Dalai Lama, a Feminist

The Dalai Lama was in Memphis, Tennessee today to receive the National Civil Rights Museum’s “International Freedom Award,” given to “an individual whose work has had global impact or has impacted the state of human and civil rights abroad.”  Today’s … Continue reading

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Posted in Feminism and Religion, Sisters In Other Nations | 7 Comments

CFP: “International Efforts to Address Sexual Violence in Conflict and Post-Conflict Zones”

The Body of the Nation: International Efforts to Address Sexual Violence in Conflict and  Post-Conflict Zones Edited by Tonia St.Germain, J.D. and Susan Dewey, Ph.D. President Obama has vowed to put women’s issues at the core of American foreign policy. … Continue reading

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Why Gender Still Matters

Gender still matters, judging by events of recent months, such as President Obama establishing a White House Council on Women and Girls, to make sure that all federal agencies”take into account the particular needs and concerns of women and girls”and … Continue reading

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New York Times Magazine Publishes Special Issue on Global Women’s Rights

This Sunday’s New York Times Magazine is a special issue on international women’s rights, Why Women’s Rights Are the Cause of Our Time. The cover story, The Women’s Crusade, is adapted from a book by Times op-ed columnist Nicholas Kristof … Continue reading

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Hillary Clinton’s Gender Agenda

From this NYT interview with Secretary of State Clinton: “Democracy means nothing if half the people can’t vote, or if their vote doesn’t count, or if their literacy rate is so low that the exercise of their vote is in … Continue reading

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“What Were Laura Ling and Euna Lee Looking For in North Korea?”

Ji-Yeon Yuh poses this question in this post at the Women’s Media Center. Here is an excerpt: … Proportionally, the trafficking of North Korean women into China is a small part of an enormous worldwide criminal enterprise … However, of … Continue reading

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Posted in Coerced Sex, Feminism and Law, Sisters In Other Nations | 2 Comments

New Law in Afghanistan Allows Men to Deny Food to Wives Who Refuse Sex–oh, and there’s good news in rape law as well

1, 2, 3, what are we fighting for? (Thanks to Country Joe and the Fish).  Apparently, for the rights of Afghan men to deny their wives food and sustenance if they refuse to fulfill their husbands’ sexual requests; for laws … Continue reading

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Why doesn’t the media talk more about the fact that Laura Ling and Euna Lee were investigating sex trafficking?

Wouldn’t you think the media would be a little more invested in figuring out why Ling and Lee were considered threats by North Korea? It’s because they were investigating sex trafficking for Current TV, as only briefly noted in this … Continue reading

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Posted in Acts of Violence, Coerced Sex, Sisters In Other Nations | 3 Comments

Reg Graycar and Jenny Jane Morgan, “Equality Rights: What’s Wrong?”

Abstract: In 2009, Australia is debating whether to have a national bill of rights and remains one of the last western democracies that has not yet legislated for (or indeed constitutionally entrenched) some form of human rights law. Nor is … Continue reading

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Posted in Feminism and Law, Feminist Legal Scholarship, Sisters In Other Nations | 1 Comment

Missing Girls

Got back from China yesterday, and one thing my colleagues and I noticed was the (completely anecdotal) vast majority of the children anywhere we looked were male.   We were told that the Chinese governmnet is considering modifying its   … Continue reading

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Posted in Reproductive Rights, Sisters In Other Nations, Travels | 1 Comment

Robson on India High Court’s Invalidation of Sodomy Law

Feminist Law Prof Ruthann Robson (CUNY) posted  here at  Constitutional Law Profs on the declaration by the Dehli High Court that India’s criminal prohibition on sodomy is unconstitutional.  Here is an excerpt of her post: The Court also quoted Justice … Continue reading

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Request for Signatories to Amicus Brief in Inter-American Court of Human Rights Case

Feminist Law Prof Caroline Bettinger-López, Deputy Director of the Human Rights Institute at Columbia Law School, seeks signatories to an amicus brief to be filed in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in a case against Mexico involving the disappearance … Continue reading

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The Women’s Orchestra in Auschwitz

Liane Curtis asked me to post this for her; she can be contacted at lcurtis@brandeis.edu Article: The Women’s Orchestra in Auschwitz Hello, Some years ago, I worked with a student in translating a 1996 article by Gabrielle Knapp from German … Continue reading

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Candlelight Vigils in Honor of Peaceful Protesters in Iran

Across the nation, people are organizing candlelight vigils to honor the peaceful  protests of the Iranian people.  Here are a few upcoming vigils: New York City:  Wednesday, June 24, 2009.  7:00-10:00 p.m. in Union Square Baton Rouge, LA: Wednesday, June … Continue reading

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Landmark Domestic Violence Judgment by European Court of Human Rights

In a landmark decision, the European Court of Human Rights has unanimously found that a state violated the human rights of the applicant and her mother in failing to protect them against domestic violence. In Opuz v Turkey, the applicant … Continue reading

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Don’t Sit Back and Wait for the Human Trafficking Disaster at the World Cup

South Africa will host the World Cup in 2010.  The Zimbabwe-based Women and Law in Southern Africa Research and Educational Trust isn’t rejoicing. [T]here are fears that the world’s most prestigious football event will negatively impact women and girls of … Continue reading

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Posted in Coerced Sex, Feminism and Economics, Feminism and Sports, Sisters In Other Nations | 1 Comment

CFP – Comparative Constitutional Law: National Security Across the Globe

Here’s a CFP from another journal at my home institution: Pace International Law Review 2009-2010 Symposium Call for Submissions Pace International Law Review is planning a symposium entitled Comparative Constitutional Law: National Security Across the Globe to be  held in … Continue reading

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Off to China!

Blogging by me will probably be sparse for a couple of weeks. –Ann Bartow

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Posted in Sisters In Other Nations, Travels | 2 Comments

“U.S. JOURNALISTS EUNA LEE AND LAURA LING, INVESTIGATING SEX TRAFFICKING IN NORTH KOREA, ARRESTED, SENTENCED TO 12 YEARS AT HARD LABOR”

Heart has the story here.

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