With two friends currently in the Peace Corps I've had a growing interest of signing up myself. I've only just started doing the research but I admit to mounting reservations of being a white woman from the United States going to any third world country and "helping." I'm concerned about the privilege involved in this and thus far haven't found ( Read more... )

Some of you may remember quite a few posts back about discussion on the book The Kabul Beauty School. I did finally read it, found some problems, but mostly thought it was a great book. Today I found this on NPR's website and wanted to share:

Subjects of 'Kabul Beauty School' Face New RisksThe book Kabul Beauty School has given millions of readers ( Read more... )

Janipher is the Ugandan woman whose plight was recently brought to our attention by
( Read more... )

I thought this link was interesting.
Young men talking abiout the material they encountered. Maybe we ought to encourage frank and open disscussions in schools and youth clubs. The western culture in Europe and elsewhere may not throw up the same sort of problems as Mumbai does, but I believe that the approach is valid. Leave a comment

The full interview is here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,2092846,00.html

Alice Vachss was formerly a prosecutor in NY where she had an 80% success rate in rape prosecutions. She highlights the need not to avoid prosecuting "difficult" cases involving the rape of prostitues or teenage girls (for example), the need for specialised prosecutors ( Read more... )

Hello readers. Here are a few political actions from this week. Read them over, and if an issue(s) (or all of the issues) is/are important to you, take action. All links and sources are provided. Happy world-saving friends!--d'Artagnan ( Read more... )

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/6698173.stm

In Moscow, gay rights activists have been assaulted by anti gay protesters.

Meanwhile, in Australia a gay pub is permitted to ban heterosexuals. Leave a comment  3 

She has now been charged with conspiring to overthrow the Islamic government and her lawyer is being denied access to her.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/iran/story/0,,2085865,00.html.

In Casablanca, Morocco, a single mother works in a bathhouse, helping visitors luxuriate in their communal grooming ritual. Her single status, however, means she is breaking the law and is shunned by her family.CASABLANCA, Morocco (WOMENSENEWS)--A transcendental light, diffused by the steam, filters in through the skylight, creating a warm, moist ( Read more... )

Dr Esfandiari is an Iranian-American academic specialising in Iranian & Middle East women's issues.  She recently went to Iran to visit her 93 year old mother and while there was arrested and imprisoned in Tehran's notorious Evin prison, although she has not been charged with any crime.  There is now a campaign underway to release her, and you can ( Read more... )