Syria Frees Inmates; Yemini Dad Commits Honor Crime

Credit: Freedom House on Flickr, under Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0)

(WOMENSENEWS)–

Cheers

The Syrian government has released 62 female detainees as part of a three-way prisoner exchange. The release of scores of female detainees held in government jails formed part of the deal arranged by Turkey, Qatar and Lebanon, Rimanews.com reported Oct. 24.

More News to Cheer This Week:

The UNFPA, UNICEF and World Health Organization are sending mobile medical care units to Mongolia and providing local hospitals with medical supplies in wake of severe winter conditions, U.N. News Center reported Oct. 22.

Karnit Flug was appointed Israel‘s first female central bank chief, USA Today reported Oct. 21 Flug earned her doctorate degree at Columbia University, held senior positions for the Bank of Israel and was an economist for the International Monetary Fund.

The U.N. Security Council passed resolution 2122, which solidified the need for women’s contributions to the peace process and conflict prevention, The Guardian reported Oct. 21.

Resident of the Taliban-controlled Khyber Pakhunkwa in Pakistan, Shazadi Gillani, defied her family and traded her burka for a police uniform and is now the highest ranking Pakistani female officer, Reuters reported Oct. 21.

The Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Oct. 24 denied a request from health food company Eden Foods for an injunction against a federal law that it must provide its employees with insurance coverage for contraception.

A group of Saudi Arabian women planned to protest on Oct. 26 to challenge the world’s only ban on female drivers, Bangkok Post reported Oct. 25. More than 16,000 people have signed an online petition in support. But Saudi Arabia‘s government has sought to stop the campaign, warning it would use force to stop any protest aimed at overturning the ban, The Jerusalem Post reported, Oct. 23.

The Indian campaign, “Nation Against Early Marriage,” urges fathers not to marry off daughters younger than 18, India’s Zee News reported Oct. 21. The campaign wants to focus on the decision-makers behind marriages, primarily male relatives, and communicate the prevalence of health issues that young girls face when married early.

Women praised the Missouri court for reopening two rape cases, Ms. Foundation said in an Oct. 21 press statement. The foundation said the reopening sends a message of non-tolerance for rape culture and blaming the victim.

Jeers

A 35-year-old Yemeni man committed the “honor” killing of his 15-year-old daughter because she got in touch with her fiancé before their wedding, BBC reported Oct. 23. Traditional tribal customs in some parts of Yemen prohibit contact between men and women before marriage. The man burned his daughter to death.

More News to Jeer This Week:

Jorge Cortell, CEO of Kanteron Systems USA, Inc., a company that specializes in health care software, said at a tech conference on Oct. 22 that women who wear spiky heels do not have brains, The Cut reported Oct. 24.

Two Florida women, Melissa Rodriguez, 41, and Ysbette Joseph, 31, attempted to sell “young females between the ages of 17 and 23” to a police informant during several meetings from April to October held mostly in Ocala, the Orlando Sentinel reported Oct. 23.

Pregnant Syrian women are thought to be the most recent targets of sniper attacks, says a doctor in Syria, CNN reported Oct. 23. Young children are also being targeted.

This past September marks the lowest rate of women’s contributions to the U.S. work force in 24 years, CNS News reported Oct. 23. In September, 154,000 less women were employed than in August.

Four Tory members of parliament in England voted against classifying reproductive and sexual health as human rights, the British political online publication Left Foot Forward reported Oct. 23.

Alicia Beltran, who is 14-weeks pregnant, found out that the court has appointed a legal guardian for her unborn child, The New York Times reported Oct. 23. A skeptical doctor and a social worker accused her of endangering her unborn child because she had refused to accept their order to start an anti-addiction drug.

Seven women lodged a federal district complaint against the University of Connecticut for sexual assault, The Day reported Oct. 22. The women are charging the school for intentional indifference, failure to respond and blaming the victim.

Human breast milk sold online is laden with potentially harmful bacteria, including salmonella, a study has found, The Washington Post reported Oct. 21.

A federal district court is hosting a trial for a Texas state law that would prohibit over 22,000 women from accessing abortion care annually, the ACLU reported Oct. 21.

The southern Indian state Tamil Nadu, known for achieving success in maternal health, has had a threefold increase in women who have died after sterilization surgery, The Times of India reported Oct. 21. According to experts, one mother dies in every 1,000 sterilization operations due to a need to reach an annual benchmark and poor infrastructure.

Women from the North Indian state Haryana are having their every move watched by recently instated informers from village councils in order to punish them for breaking moral codes, The New York Times reported Oct. 20. Last month, a woman who engaged in a prohibited romance with a man from the same village was killed.

This month, a law was passed in Iran allowing men to marry adopted daughters, a move that activists suggest encourages sexual abuse among family members, Trust.org reported Oct. 18.

Gavin McInnes, Canadian writer, musician, comedian and founder of the website StreetCarnage, asserted that the majority of women don’t actually want to attain power the way men do. McInnes lashed out at a female panelist and called her a “f**king idiot” during the live conversation.

A study conducted by researchers at the University of Auckland in New Zealand shows that not all sexist behavior is seen as a bad thing to women, Mail Online reported Oct. 22. The study also states that benevolent sexism, where women are treated as helpless victims in need of protection, is seen in a positive light by many.

Noted:

Libya‘s top religious authority has ruled that female teachers at schools and universities must veil and cover themselves when instructing boys who are close to or at puberty, The Daily Beast reported Oct. 24.

Women’s experience of chronic pain is more severe than men’s, which means gender-specific drugs and treatment methods are needed, Australia‘s News.com reported Oct. 24.

A report found that New York City’s 50+ female voters are more likely than males to say their vote should be swayed by a candidate who prioritizes certain issues such as affordable housing, older worker opportunities and protection for family caregivers to adults at home.

Staff Sgt. Allaina Guitron was crowned Ms. Veteran America, entering only after she was told the pageant would raise funds for homeless female veterans and their families, TODAY reported Oct. 22. Guitron’s mother was homeless and she was placed in foster care, aiding in her understanding and dedication to the cause.

Elias Acevedo, the neighbor of Cleveland-based Ariel Castro, was charged with the kidnapping, rape and murders of Pamela Pamberton and Christina Adkins, who went missing in 1995, Fox News reported Oct. 21. Castro, who was charged with kidnapping and raping three women, was arrested in May and then found hanged to death in September.

From Oct. 22 to 29, 100 towns will stand in solidarity to combat the stigma of abortion, a procedure that 1-in-3 American women will undergo, national sexual health advocacy organization Advocates for Youth reported Oct. 21.