Women's Issues

Tough to Be a Saudi Woman

Earlier today, we suggested that there’s just a touch of hypocrisy in some lawmakers' condemnation of China’s recent attempt to sell arms to an abusive government in Zimbabwe. That’s because we’ve sold weapons to regimes with far worse human rights’ records than Zimbabwe’s.

 

As if on cue, Human Rights Watch released a report this week on Saudi Arabia’s treatment of women, and it’s a gem (summary is here; report is here.)

Abortion Ban For American Indians Only

The new rule, sponsored by scandal-scarred Sen. David Vitter, adds a race-specific layer to a federal law that prohibits abortion coverage under federal health programs.

Women Are Dumb, Inconsequential

Yesterday afternoon I was relaxing on my couch with my dog and my RSS when I came across a Washington Post Oped linked to on Feministing called "Women Aren't Very Bright" -- the perfect Sunday read! It is an actual piece that ran in the Outlook section and was featured prominently on the homepage. By the time I got to the WaPost's page the headline had been changed to to read: "Why Do Women Act So Dumb?" (I took a screenshot for posterity.) See the improvement? Act dumb, not are dumb.

 

If you're thinking it's just another brilliant piece by Laura Sessions Stepp, it's not. The Washington Post is tapping into a new source for its women-hating-by-women pieces, Charlotte Allen. Here's the gist of Allen's article: Hillary Clinton ran a terrible campaign and, in general, women are dumb and not as good as men. Here's my favorite part:

Pro-Sex Rebellion Spreads to Des Moines

Iowa is the 17th state to turn down federal funding for abstinence-only sex education, reports the Iowa Independent.

Why Do Frenchwomen Find Boy Babies Depressing?

Frenchwomen are more likely to suffer post-partum depression if their babies are male, according to a surprising new study released today.

 

French psychology researchers interviewed 181 women one to two months after birth, and found that 9.4 percent of them were suffering severe postnatal depression; 22 percent were mildly depressed. Of the 17 deeply depressed women, 13 had given birth to boys. In the mildly depressed group (the ratings were based on answers to questions designed to test physical function, pain, mental health, emotions and social vitality), there were 24 girls and 16 boys. But in both the mildly and severely depressed groups, the mothers of boys were doing worse.

 

Fidelity Is No Solution

A new study in the Journal of Infectious Diseases shows that fidelity is no protection when it comes to the virus that causes cervical cancer. As Merck & Co. was releasing its human papilloma virus vaccine in 2006, some warned against giving it to adolescent girls, saying it sent a message of tolerance of immoral sex. Although some conservative religious groups like the Family Research Council have moderated their positions since then, their guidance on the vaccine still stresses that "abstaining from sexual activity is the surest way to prevent infection." And they are right. Abstain from genital contact with anyone for your whole life, and you have virtually no chance of contracting HPV, the sexually transmitted virus that causes cervical cancer.
But having one partner, it turns out, is not nearly as good protection as some on the Christian right would like to believe.