Fast Cars, Equal Pay: Audi Drives Controversy on Gender Parity Ad
taketheleadwomen.com - The hotly contested Audi television commercial premiering at The Super Bowl features a father mulling over how to tell his young daughter the financial facts of life. He asks if she knows that “despite her education, her drive, her skills, her intelligence, she will automatically be valued less than any man she ever meets?”
He then decides, “Or maybe I’ll be able to tell her something different,” and they head over to an Audi to drive off into the sunset of gender parity.
The spot is the work of Aoife McArdle, a female director, another anomaly in the advertising world, where fewer than 10 percent of the top commercial directors are female.
“The commercial closes with father and daughter embracing after the race and walking up to their shiny Audi S5 Sportback, because after all, it’s a car commercial. That doesn’t make the message about equality and progress any less moving and important, though. Additionally, Audi said it has pledged to ‘support ongoing commitment to women’s pay equality in the workplace and to foster a work environment that drives equality for all employees,’ according to a press release,” writes Tony Mervick in Thrillist.
While the genders are more equal than ever before, festive feminism is still needed - Global Times
globaltimes.cn - As families come together for Spring Festival, women and feminists of all kinds have taken the chance to challenge traditional views that they say perpetuate gender inequality in Chinese society. I have not seen my cousin Lin for 10 years.
Every year, she misses the family reunion during Spring Festival. Ever since she got married, she has dropped off the family's radar, giving herself entirely to her husband and her in-laws. Only occasionally do I hear about her from others.
I last saw her at her wedding, when I was in middle school. There she vowed to be a good wife and daughter-in-law and to be devoted to her new family. As far as I can make out, she has followed her vows to the best of her ability.
Another cousin told me a couple of years ago that she went to visit Lin at her husband's house during Spring Festival. It's only about an hour away by car from our hometown, yet that distance seems too great to travel during the holidays.
When she arrived, Lin was washing vegetables in the sink. She knew they would have guests and was busy preparing a meal. Her in-laws were sitting on the sofa watching TV, and her husband was nowhere to be found.
UN Gender Focus: gender equality, Somalia and youth
unmultimedia.org - Women should be able to "leapfrog" into evolving world of work The world of work is changing and women should be empowered to "leapfrog" into high-tech or green jobs in the future, the Deputy-Executive Director of UN Women has said. Lakshmi Puri shared this message with delegates at a multi-stakeholder forum on "Women's Economic Empowerment in the Changing World of Work". It is also the priority theme for the latest session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) taking place in March. Speaking to Jocelyne Sambira, Ms Puri also highlighted the structural barriers to gender equality and gender-based discrimination that persist within and across national boundaries.
A "massive, structural transformation" is needed to advance women's political representation in Somalia, a female member of parliament or MP has urged. Asha Gelle Dirie was appointed Chairperson of the Committee of Goodwill Ambassadors in the Horn of Africa country to help women secure 30 per cent of seats in the Federal Parliament. Women faced a tough battle in last year's election, she recently told members of the UN Security Council, but ultimately won 25 per cent of seats. Speaking to Vibhu Mishra, Ms. Dirie called for more logistical and financial support for women in politics to "even the playing field".
The poet behind the Statue of Liberty’s ‘Give me your tired, your poor’ stanza
nytlive.nytimes.com - As people took to the streets last weekend to protest President Donald Trump’s controversial order banning the admission of visitors from seven predominantly Muslim countries, many held signs bearing the words that sit emblazoned on the placard beneath the Statue of Liberty. Speaking outside of the Supreme Court building on Monday evening, Nancy Pelosi, Democrat House minority leader, recited the most recognizable passage of the epithet: “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” It was, she said, “a statement of values of our country. It’s a recognition that the strength of our country is in our diversity, that the revitalization constantly of America comes from our immigrant population.”
But while these words may have become synonymous with the American definition of liberty,
the author from whose pen they flowed is often overlooked.
When Emma Lazarus, a young, New York poet, was asked in 1883 to write a sonnet to be sold at auction, she could have had little idea that her poem would one day become so significant. The auction was being held to raise money for a base to hold up the Statue of Liberty — a lavish gift from France that few then found particularly inspiring — and Lazarus reluctantly agreed to contribute a sonnet called “The New Colossus,” verbalizing what she imagined the Statue of Liberty might be saying. Her words reflected the focus upon which her life’s writing had been dedicated — anti-Semitism and ethnic prejudice, and her strong advocacy for Jewish refugees fleeing massacre.
Saudi Arabia celebrates first ever Women’s Day to fight for gender equality
indianexpress.com - Sadly, it is the only country in the world that it prohibits women from driving. (Source: AP) Sadly, it is the only country in the world that it prohibits women from driving. (Source: AP) International Women’s Day is widely celebrated across the globe where people pledge their support for gender equality and celebrate the achievements of women and has become a regular event in the social calendar. Yet, many countries beyond this ambit and Saudi Arabia is one such nation where many basic rights are denied to its women. But in a great move, the orthodox country celebrated its first ever Women’s Day. The just concluded affair in Riyadh saw members of the royal family participating as well in a bid to fight for women’s rights.
ALSO SEE | WATCH: This viral song, ‘God, rid us of men!’ from Saudi Arabia is the new feminist anthem
“The three-day gathering, which was held from February 1 to 4 at the King Fahd Cultural Centre, featured talks from advocates of a woman’s right to drive, as well as other legal rights for women, including freedom of guardianship,” the Emirates Women said in a report.
EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVE: 17 Campaigns for 17 Goals – Synergizing Campaigns for Agenda 2030
sustainability.thomsonreuters.com - Just 14 years remain to accomplish the Agenda 2030 and the world still does not know. As we completed the first year of the implementation of agenda 2030 for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, there is a greater need to harmonize campaigns contributing to SDGs. There is massive opportunity for the international development community to work together in solidarity using campaigns to forward SDGs. However, there is more focus on specific goals and targets rather than on the entire Agenda. If we continue to operate in silos, we lose sight of the big picture and end up fragmenting the Agenda, wasting resources and hindering progress. We must bear in mind that the goal of the international community is to ensure the achievement of all 17 SDGs by 2030. Instead of competing for advocacy space and much-needed resources, we must all take ownership of the Agenda as a whole and cohesively work together towards the attainment of the WorldWeWant by the year 2030. The following are good examples of campaigns for 17 goals, increasing collaboration and raising awareness on SDG achievement:
Video: Madame Gandhi Talks About The Intersection Of Music And Feminism
laist.com - Madame Gandhi performs during Global Citizen's 'Show Up and Vote' concert at the World Market Center on October 25, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by David Becker/Getty Images for Global Citizen) Kiran Gandhi, otherwise known by her stage name Madame Gandhi, is a musician and activist. She lives in L.A., and first came to prominence as the drummer for M.I.A. In a new short film, she discusses how she approaches songwriting, how she advocates for feminism through songwriting, and choosing a wardrobe that prioritizes "self-expression" over beauty.
"My passions have always been the same since childhood. I've always loved music and I've always loved feminism," she says.
Gandhi still uses the same drum kit she received at 12 years old. In addition to her work with M.I.A., she has also produced her own music, releasing a five-song EP titled Voices in 2016. She discusses one track, "The Future is Female" in the film. "The lyrics are a direct commentary on the problems that I see today," she says, before quoting the song:
UN News - PHOTO FEATURE: International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation
un.org - Fatima, 7, sits on a bed in her home in Afar region, Ethiopia. She was subjected to FGM/C when she was 1 year old. Photo: UNICEF/ Holt 6 February 2017 While the exact number is unknown, at least 200 million girls and women in 30 countries throughout Africa, the Middle East and Asia have been subjected to female genital mutilation, or FGM, according to the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
The World Health Organization (WHO) calls FGM a procedure that intentionally alters or causes injury to female genital organs for non-medical reasons. In lay terms, babies, girls and women are cut and their genitalia severed. WHO underscores that it not only provides no health benefits, but may lead to a life-time of obstacles. Furthermore, the majority of females who have been subjected to the practice are between infancy and age 15.
A young woman in an Ouagadougou clinic in Burkina Faso has undergone reconstructive surgery to repair the damage caused by female genital mutilation at age 6. Photo: UNICEF/ Nesbitt
In a world first, Singer Vera Lynn to release a new album at age 100
nytlive.nytimes.com - British singer Vera Lynn has come up with an awesome way to celebrate her centennial birthday. Last week, Lynn’s record label announced that a new album of her work is set to be released on her 100th birthday, March 17, in a feat that will make her the first person in history to release an album at the age of 100 years old. Fittingly, the album will be titled “Vera Lynn 100” and will feature her original vocals set to re-orchestrated versions of “The White Cliffs of Dover” and “Auf Wiederseh’n Sweetheart,” among some of her other most famous songs. Lynn has had a remarkable career. She began performing at the age of 7 and during World War II famously traveled to far-flung locales like Egypt, Myanmar and India to entertain the soldiers. Her morale-boosting performances earned her the nickname the “forces’ sweetheart.” After the war, she became the first British pop star to top the U.S. charts. In 1975, she was made a dame and has been honored by Queen Elizabeth on several occasions.
The singer demurred about the possibility that her forthcoming album might shoot to the top of the charts, saying, “It might seem quite tame to these young people, the music. But for us it was very exciting and very meaningful and it meant a lot to people.” She added, “It’s truly humbling that people still enjoy these songs from so many years ago, reliving the emotions of that time.” Below, list to Lynn’s 1942 version of “The White Cliffs of Dover.”
After the Women's March: six mass US demonstrations to join this spring
theguardian.com - Hope your feet aren’t sore yet, because come spring, thereare major nationwide marches planned for nearly every weekend. After the success of the Women’s March on Washington, activists are preparing for mass mobilizations throughout the year.
Here are some major upcoming ones:
Since Donald Trump refused to release his tax returns during the campaign, thousands are marching on Tax Day to protest “the absolute unfairness of a man who is a billionaire president who might be not paying taxes while working folks are paying their fair share”, said Gwen Snyder, a community organizer and national organizer of Tax March.
At least 30 Tax Marches have been planned in solidarity around the country with several hundred thousand people expected. The Los Angeles event page shows 66,000 people who have expressed interest or attending. The New York march event page has nearly 40,000 interested or attending, and 37,000 people said they are interested in the DC march, with over 7,000 clicking attend.
Snyder, who has spent 10 years as an organizer around economic justice, declared: “I haven’t seen this kind of energy on the ground since Occupy.”
Kenya making big strides towards gender equality through law reforms
businessdailyafrica.com - Women entrepreneurs at a meeting in Mombasa last year. Kenya aims to advance women’s economic participation and self-reliance by creating a conducive environment. PHOTO | FILE Last week, Kenya’s candidate for the African Union (AU) Commission chair, Amina Mohamed, lost to Chadian Moussa Mahamat despite her candidature looking promising.
Last year, Hillary Clinton lost to Donald Trump despite a promising campaign. The question on many people’s minds is whether the world ready for women in political leadership positions?
The 2016 US election opened up a lot of case studies on women and leadership positions. I would not be in a position to comment on that ( whether there was a gender card in the two elections), however in today’s rights that show that Kenya is one of the countries in the world with good legislative environment when it comes to women.
We have to understand these efforts against the backdrop of the Kenyan society where a lot of African cultures are male-oriented. The situation is not the same in the West where there have been equal rights for men and women for a much longer time.
Pakistan Moves to End Impunity for Rapists
ipsnews.net - *This story updates Raped and Abandoned by the Law published on May 3, 2014. LAHORE, Feb 3 2017 (IPS) - Amid a wave of reforms to tighten the country’s laws on honour killings and sexual assault, on Feb. 2, the Sindh Assembly passed a law making DNA testing in rape cases mandatory in the province.
It follows on the heels of a unanimous vote by Pakistan’s Parliament last October to plug gaps in the criminal justice system and boost the rate of conviction in rape cases.
The conviction rate for rape in Pakistan has been less than four percent, prompting protests and legal reforms.
For long, the sole reliance on eyewitnesses and circumstantial evidence has benefitted the accused in rape cases and conviction rates have remained negligible in the country.
The new national law, called The Anti-Rape Laws (Criminal Laws Amendment) Act, also makes DNA evidence admissible, calls for verdicts in rape cases to be announced within three months, and allows filing of appeals within six months.
It also gives approval to holding of in-camera trials and use of technological aids to record testimony of victims and witnesses in order to save victims from humiliation. In the past, many victims and their families would not pursue cases for this very reason.
WIDER IMAGE-Afghan girls fight prejudice with martial arts
news.trust.org - Girls of the Shaolin Wushu club face regular harassment and abuse in addition to the normal dangers of life in Kabul KABUL, Feb 3 (Reuters) - On a snowy mountaintop to the west of Kabul, a group of Afghan girls practise the flowing movements of Wushu, a sport developed from ancient Chinese kung fu martial arts, stretching and bending and slashing the air with bright swords.
In a country where women's sport is severely restricted, the Shaolin Wushu club in a part of Kabul that is home to the capital's Hazara ethnic community, is a rare exception.
Sima Azimi, the 20-year-old leading the practice session, says Wushu teaches self-defence, but just as important, "it's really effective for body and soul".
She learned the sport in Iran, where she won a gold and bronze medal in competition, and she has been teaching in Kabul for about a year, encouraged by her father, with whom she trains at the club's gym.
"I am working with Afghan girls to strengthen their abilities and I love to see Afghan girls improve the way other girls have improved in the world," she said.
Proud Feminist Padma Lakshmi on Taking Her Daughter to the Women’s March
The examples we set for the next generation are so important—which is why we were heartened and inspired to read this story about actress, author and enthusiastic feminist Padma Lakshmi attending the Women's March on January 21 with her daughter, Krishna. With examples like Lakshmi's, the next generation is even more likely to grow into the fierce, intelligent, compassionate, determined young women we already know them to be.
yahoo.com - Padma Lakshmi doesn’t understand why so many women are loath to identify themselves as feminists.
“It’s a real problem. There was a trend among young women in the public eye to say: ‘Oh no, I believe in equal rights but I wouldn’t call myself a feminist,’” she says. “Feminism as a term got misaligned. Feminism just means: you believe in equal rights for everybody. It has nothing to do with body politics. I am a proud, flag-bearing feminist. You would have to be unhinged not to call yourself a feminist.”
As you might have noticed, Lakshmi has impressive knife skills, but she doesn’t mince words either. She’s the host of Bravo’s Top Chef and the author of the aromatic bible The Encyclopedia of Spices and Herbs. Lakshmi is also politically active, having campaigned for Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. It’s what compelled her to take her daughter, Krishna, to the Women’s March in Washington.
“I’d never been to a protest. I thought it was important for us to go together. She was on the floor of the convention center with me when Hillary lost. It would give her some way to do something. We’d been discussing, ‘What does this mean?’” Lakshmi tells Yahoo Style of the election.
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Behnaz Shafiei: Iran's trailblazing female biker makes history with women's race - BBC News
bbc.com - When Behnaz Shafiei crosses the finish line on Friday at the end of a dusty, rock-strewn race track in Karaj, near Tehran, it will mark the end of both a simple motorbike race and a three-year campaign for women's rights in Iran. Whether she wins the race or not, it's a victory. The 27-year-old has got a concession from Iran's sports ministry to stage the country's first ever all-female motorbike race, despite women being barred from motorbike riding by modesty laws.
Fifteen women will nose their front wheels to the start line on Friday, drawn from 30 applicants. As with many firsts, there won't be much of a fanfare to herald it, or possibly much of an audience. Men will be barred from the race track for the duration, by order of the sports ministry.
"This event is being handled only by women, from the organisers to the spectators to the racers," said Behnaz. "And God willing, tomorrow it will take place."
But the risks across the country are real. Just last week, two women were arrested in the city of Dezful after being filmed riding a motorbike. Police accused them of committing an "obscene act".
7 Women Share The Heart Issues They Never Thought They'd Have To Deal With Before 35
womenshealthmag.com - You're young, you're healthy, you probably don't need to worry about your heart, right? Wrong, says Suzanne Steinbaum, a cardiologist and spokesperson for the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women campaign. "If you have a heart, you can get heart disease," she says. "It's not just something that affects old people and men." In fact, heart disease is the number-one killer of women, accounting for one in three deaths each year, according to the AHA. The difference between you and your 70-year-old neighbor, however, is the type of heart problems each of you is most at risk for. The most prevalent conditions in young women are congenital heart abnormalities, meaning you're just born with them, like a mitral valve prolapse, or genetic problems, Steinbaum says. About five out of every 500 female babies are born with heart defect, according to the AHA.
Your youth also doesn't excuse you from more "traditional" heart issues like heart attacks, clogged arteries, and strokes. Your set of personal risk factors, which include family history, lifestyle factors, and medical history, in addition to age, can give you a better idea of how worried you should be about your heart. For instance, the combo of birth control pills and smoking—both common in younger women—can up your risk of a heart attack by 20 percent, the AHA says.
There Are Almost 24 Male Directors for Every Female Director in Hollywood
vanityfair.com - News alert: it’s tough to be a female director in Hollywood. And on Wednesday, U.S.C.-Annenberg released yet another comprehensive study that details just how tough it is, titled “Inclusion in the Director’s Chair.”
The study analyzes the top 100 highest-grossing films from every year since 2007 and, naturally, comes to shocking conclusions about the industry’s lack of equality. An overall statistic showed that out of the 1,000 films analyzed, only 44 were directed by women. There are about 23.8 male directors for every female director, a statistic that sharply drops for black female and Asian female directors. Out of the 57 black directors included, only three were female, and out of the 34 Asian directors, only three were female. Just one director was Latina. “Women of color are virtually absent as top‐grossing directors,” the study notes.
The study also found a correlation between age and career length for female directors. While male directors are more likely to work from their 20s into their 80s, female directors only worked from their 30s to their 60s—a statistic you can be sure is also impacted by race. In other words: “the span of females’ careers is limited whereas for males it appears to be limitless.”
Salma Hayek And Jessica Williams Get Heated On Feminism
vibe.com - What was meant to be a celebration of women filmmakers at the Sundance Festival turned into an unyielding debate on feminism in the face of Donald Trump’s divisive administration. Sponsored by Glamour and Girlgaze, the “Powered By Women” luncheon held days after the Women’s March on Washington did more than bring a host of influencers to one table. It ultimately ripped the guise of sisterhood to shreds, unearthing the distance women have yet to go to live in solidarity.
According to the Los Angeles Times, veteran actresses Salma Hayek and Shirley MacLaine offered their shared opinion that women shouldn’t reduce themselves to victims. “Find the democracy inside,” MacLaine told Jessica Williams, who alluded to the oppression of black, brown and queer communities.
Hayek chimed in to challenge the former Daily Show correspondent to “investigate” who she is beyond her race and womanhood. Williams, however, noted that it’s impossible for her to turn a blind eye to the inhumane legacy of white supremacy. “If you have to do that, then do that,” the Frida star retorted. “Then that’s your journey. But I want to inspire other people to know it’s a choice.”
Germany's feminist magazine 'Emma' turns 40 as feminism gains ground
dw.com - Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets. They wore pink hats and carried signs to express their disgust towards misogyny, homophobia, racism and intolerance. The day after President Donald Trump's inauguration, the Women's March not only took over the streets of American cities like Washington D.C., Seattle and New York; protests of solidarity also took place around the world, from London and Berlin to Nairobi, Tokyo and Sydney. The images recall the beginnings of the women's liberation movement in 1970s Germany. Laws that put women at a substantial disadvantage to men drove women into the streets to protest back then - as they do now. In Germany in the 70s, married women were legally required to manage the household, and were only permitted to hold a job if it didn't mean neglecting their responsibilities as wives and mothers. Men, on the other hand, could quit their jobs without any approval of their wives.
All the while, Germany's constitution from 1949 maintained that "women and men have equal rights."
‘World Must Implement Pledges on Women’s Human Rights’
ipsnews.net - ROME, Jan 31 2017 (IPS) - “Women’s economic empowerment in the changing world of work” will provide concrete, practical and action-oriented recommendations that will cover significant new ground, on overcoming structural barriers to gender equality, gender-based discrimination and violence against women at work, a senior United Nations official stressed. Speaking at a consultation in preparation for the Commission on the Status of Women, a body exclusively dedicated to promotion of gender equality and women’s empowerment, Lakshmi Puri, Deputy Executive Director of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), on Jan. 30 called for sustained commitment and leadership to ensure a successful outcome of the Commission.
“We are at an important [juncture] in the achievement of gender equality and women’s empowerment and women’s human rights,” she said.
Recalling the recent adoption of a number of far-reaching global commitments, such as Beijing+20 (the 20-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action), the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Paris Agreement on climate change, the New Urban Agenda, and the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants, Puri added: