The Week in Women
Women's bodies are bargaining chips
Bali, Indonesia, 2015
Hello, readers, and welcome to The Week in Women, a roundup of women’s rights news from around the world, followed by links to a few good features, long-form pieces, podcasts, and radio stories in the universe of gender equality, international human rights, politics, and whatever else is interesting on the internet.
Enjoy, feel free to share, and if you want to support feminist writing and analysis, consider upgrading to a paid subscription.
What to Know
Why can’t women raped in conflict access safe abortions? I’m in the New York Review of Books answering that question in a piece four years in the making, and in their newsletter talking about digital feminism and professional transitions.
Their bodies, no choice: How the contraception gap keeps women unstable and in danger.
Women in South Korea face terrifying levels of online sex abuse.
The cost of gender bias (researchers quantified it).
The women who want to be priests — and won’t let the Vatican stop them.
A generation on writers on what consent means.
Women in China are very pissed off after an art exhibition in Shanghai ranked women on their looks.
Here’s what’s going on with the debate about Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie.
It’s 2021. Why are only men required to register for the draft? (Even better: Get rid of the draft).
Malala told Vogue she may not want to get married. That sent traditionalists in Pakistan into a tizzy.
Women often bear the brunt of war. So why are they so often excluded from peace talks?
Today is election day in New York City, and only the women can save us.
Turns out it’s a bad idea to give a pass to a murderous misogynist.
An Egyptian TikTok influencer, and five others, has been sentenced to five years in jail for telling other women how to make money via social platforms — which apparently amounts to promoting immorality.
For Afghan women, the US rhetoric of liberation has fallen short.
The WHO has told “women of childbearing age” should be a focus in global efforts to decrease unsafe alcohol usage, whether those women are actually trying to get pregnant or not. But what about men?
How Covid-19 response plans sideline women.
Girls in the UK are sexually harassed. Instead of dealing with the harassers, some schools are encouraging them to wear “modesty shorts” — as if the clothes, and not the attacks, were the problem.
Across the globe, women in sports are mistreated, harassed, and assaulted.
A slate of books explores feminism and sex.
Right-wing American bishops are voting to refuse communion to pro-choice politicians (communion can still be given to rapists and child molesters). The “progressive” Pope is silent on the issue — which itself speaks volumes.
The UK justice system has failed rape victims.
A German tank platoon on a NATO mission in Lithuania was withdrawn amidst accusations of sexual assault, racism, and anti-Semitism.
What to Read
What if American Democracy Fails the Climate Crisis? [The New York Times Magazine]
Take a Break
…and listen to these 15 classic Riot Grrrl albums.
…and come on a writing retreat with me! (Yoga is on offer, too). I’m hosting a writing + yoga retreat with my teacher and collaborator Emily Shapiro from Oct. 28 - Nov. 1, 2021 in northern California. Daily yoga, daily writing workshops, wine tasting, hiking, nature, and lots of good stuff. Just hit reply to this email if you want more information. Other retreats are listed here.
And that’s it! Thank you very much for reading. Feel free to share this newsletter with anyone you might be interested, or upgrade to a paid subscription.
xx Jill