quote:

---

The image of the 21st century woman is confident, prosperous, glowing with health and beauty.

But for many of the 3.3 billion female occupants of our planet, the perks of the cyber age never arrived. As International Women's Day is celebrated today, they continue to feel the age-old lash of violence, repression, isolation, enforced ignorance and discrimination.

"These things are universal," says Taina Bien-Aime, executive director of New York-based Equality Now. "There is not one single country where women can feel absolutely safe."

In spite of real progress in women's rights around the globe – better laws, political participation, education and income – the bedrock problems that have dogged women for centuries remain. Even in wealthy countries, there are pockets of private pain where women are unprotected and under attack.

---

BEST COUNTRIES TO BE A WOMAN
Measures of well-being include life expectancy, education, purchasing power and standard of living. Not surprisingly, the top 10 countries are among the world's wealthiest.

Iceland
Norway
Australia
Canada
Ireland
Sweden
Switzerland
Japan
Netherlands
France

quote:

---

Originally posted by Boom Boom:

Intersting that the USA, that bastion of freedom and democracy, doesn't make that list.

---

People in power can use lists like these to justify ignoring the problems that the rich nations DO have when it comes to women's rights.

[ 09 March 2008: Message edited by: CMOT Dibbler ]

[ 09 March 2008: Message edited by: CMOT Dibbler ]

quote:

---

• Afghanistan: The average Afghan girl will live to only 45 – one year less than an Afghan male. After three decades of war and religion-based repression, an overwhelming number of women are illiterate. More than half of all brides are under 16, and one woman dies in childbirth every half hour. Domestic violence is so common that 87 per cent of women admit to experiencing it. But more than one million widows are on the streets, often forced into prostitution. Afghanistan is the only country in which the female suicide rate is higher than that of males.

---

Climate change. Pollution. Financial expense.

Our gas-guzzling ways have long been associated with a variety of problems, but disturbing evidence now points to a new dimension of our love affair with petroleum: Oil consumption and high oil prices hurt the political, social and economic development of millions of women in oil-producing nations.

You read that right. The more gas you pump and the higher oil prices get, the more likely you are to harm women's empowerment.

The surprising finding, based on more than four decades of data from 169 countries, provides a novel explanation of why women in Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates still do not have the right to vote. Oil wealth, not Islam, is the primary reason that these nations have regressive gender policies, said political scientist Michael Ross at the University of California at Los Angeles.

As implausible as the connection between oil wealth and gender rights might seem, Ross's work is based on a widely observed pattern: As oil prices soar to more than $100 a barrel, oil-producing countries get rich atop a tidal wave of foreign currency. The tsunami of cash strengthens their currencies and makes it cheaper for them to buy everything from textiles to cars from other nations, instead of manufacturing such goods at home.

As a result, the economies of oil-producing nations invariably have stunted manufacturing sectors while boosting construction and services sectors. This pattern is now so familiar that it has a name -- the "Dutch Disease" -- following the reshaping of the Dutch economy after natural gas discoveries set off a boom in the Netherlands.
(...)

[ 10 March 2008: Message edited by: martin dufresne ]

quote:

---

Ross's insight is that this realignment punishes women, because low-wage manufacturing jobs -- especially in the textile industry -- have long been the entry point into the workforce for millions of poor women across the world. Oil booms cause these jobs to vanish. By contrast, the boom in construction helps men, because the industry is heavily male-dominated.

---

The left has always claimed that the economic empowerment of women, by paid employment, is the foundation of their social and political rights.

[ 10 March 2008: Message edited by: N.Beltov ]

quote:

---

Oil wealth, not Islam, is the primary reason that these nations have regressive gender policies, said political scientist Michael Ross at the University of California at Los Angeles.[/QB]

---

... as well as dollar hegemony slash imperialism. Imperialism and basic human rights mix about as well as oil and water.

William Engdahl wrote in "A New American Century: Iraq and the hidden euro-dollar wars"

quote:

---

Because oil is an essential commodity for every nation, the Petrodollar system, which exists to the present, demands the buildup of huge trade surpluses in order to accumulate dollar surpluses. This is the case for every country but one — the United States which controls the dollar and prints it at will or fiat. Because today the majority of all international trade is done in dollars, countries must go abroad to get the means of payment they cannot themselves issue. The entire global trade structure today works around this dynamic, from Russia to China, from Brazil to South Korea and Japan. Everyone aims to maximize dollar surpluses from their export trade.

To keep this process going, the United States has agreed to be ‘importer of last resort’ because its entire monetary hegemony depends on this dollar recycling.

The central banks of Japan, China, South Korea, Russia and the rest all buy U.S. Treasury securities with their dollars. That in turn allows the United States to have a stable dollar, far lower interest rates, and run a $ 500 billion annual balance of payments deficit with the rest of the world. The Federal Reserve controls the dollar printing presses, and the world needs its dollars. It is as simple as that.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by martin dufresne:

The surprising finding, based on more than four decades of data from 169 countries, provides a novel explanation of why women in Middle Eastern countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates still do not have the right to vote. Oil wealth, not Islam, is the primary reason that these nations have regressive gender policies, said political scientist Michael Ross at the University of California at Los Angeles.

---

Right to vote in what election?

UAE and Saudi Arabia have no vote for men either to being with, and the lack of rights there did not start with oil wealth.

And the comment on Afghanistan ignores the invasion, occupation, and propping up of war lords?

And where is Gaza? How was that missed? Saudi Arabia and Pakistan where rape victims are punsihed with lashes or by stoning?

quote:

---

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN LEAST PUNISHED
BY MARIA ELENA SALINAS, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST
THE SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER, March 05, 2008

Riding the bus just became a nonthreatening experience for some women in Mexico City. In parts of this overpopulated metropolis, women can now get on the bus, alone or with their children, and reach their destination without fear of being harassed or assaulted by men.

The drastic measure of establishing "women only" buses was taken by transportation authorities in the Mexican capital this January to ensure their safety in a male-dominated society where women's rights are scarce. Unfortunately, in most of the world, not much is done to protect women from abuse, and there are alarming facts and figures to prove it.

According to recent United Nations reports, violence against women is the most common but least punished crime in the world. Just a few examples: At least one out of every three women has been beaten, coerced into sex or otherwise abused in her lifetime. The abuser usually is a member of her own family.

More than 2 million girls are genitally mutilated each year, at a rate of one every 15 seconds. In India, because of insufficient dowries, about 25,000 brides are burned to death each year by the family of the groom, who is then free to remarry. Between 700,000 and 4 million women per year are forced or sold into prostitution.

These are some of the issues highlighted by women's rights advocates around the world in observance of International Women's Day on Saturday. Of particular concern is the impunity with which abuse of women and girls is treated. In Latin America and the Caribbean, for instance, domestic violence is considered a misdemeanor and not a serious crime, and laws do not protect women from marital rape. In every country in the region, women suffer from acute discrimination in the workplace, according to reports by Human Rights Watch.

One of the countries suffering from this wave of violence against women is Spain, where more than 500 were killed by their spouse or significant other from 2000 to 2007. Just two months into 2008, 14 women had been killed in Spain - four of them in just one day.(...)

---

quote:

---

I think what "writer" means is that it is inappropiate for us guys to hog the thread and pull the conversation toward our pet peeves, theories, etc.

---

Here is UNICEF stats on Haiti:
http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/haiti_statistics.html

Yes, Martin, I clicked when I saw a reference to rape, and saw that this thread is dominated by men and their hobby horses.

And I was very polite about it.

I also know that in this lifetime, nor probably for many lifetimes, we will never see true equality. We will never see our medical, physical and financial needs be made a priority.

Why this is is obvious. I have no idea how we can change a world that is not built by us, does not run on our rules, and is openly hostile to us. The obvious answer would be to change the behaviour, thoughts and actions of the dominant voices - men. Frankly, I can't see that happening. The sense that the world can only be run by men (despite the thousands of years of fuck ups) will remain until men acknowledge that maybe, just maybe, this male dominated world experience is not working.

quote:

---

Originally posted by unionist:
I've been patiently awaiting my kudos for not getting involved in this thread. I've been waiting, to be discretely precise, since approximately 10:54 am Pacific time on March 9, 2008.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by unionist:
I've been patiently awaiting my kudos for not getting involved in this thread. I've been waiting, to be discretely precise, since approximately 10:54 am Pacific time on March 9, 2008.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by unionist:
I've been patiently awaiting my kudos for not getting involved in this thread. I've been waiting, to be discretely precise, since approximately 10:54 am Pacific time on March 9, 2008.

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by M. Spector
Wow, you are psychic!

That's a full hour before the thread was even started!!

---

Off topic. Take it to the DST thread.

[ 11 March 2008: Message edited by: unionist ]

I think Stargazer is right. And I think how these types of threads go depends on how people approach these types of issues. Some people see a list like this and start thinking critically about our interventions in the countries that are on the list, and it becomes a discussion about western colonialism and intervention (which of course IS related). Others see this list and, as happens with most lists whether worst countries for women or ten best pop songs of all time, wonder why they don't see their first choice on the list.

I will make a real contribution here. Hooray for Canada; we are on the top ten! Should we celebrate this? Yes, in my opinion. Not celebrating this is disrespectful to our foremothers, who fought for the rights I enjoy. Looking at the list of the worst ten, I can say that I am glad to have "won" so to speak in the lottery of life. Being born in Canada as a woman is a huge privilege.

quote:

---

Originally posted by Michelle:

I'm not sure how this thread is supposed to go. It's not clear from the opening post what direction this thread is supposed to take.

---

I don't like to start a thread with a goal in mind, because sometimes I have to realize I don't know everything.

What struck me about the article was the fact that the US wasn't on the list, wasn't surprised, but was a bit shocked as I thought my impression was just a bit too 'anti USA' and not actually grounded in fact.

I also felt that with Canada on the top 10, that also didn't really make it great. Quotes like this:

quote:

---

Originally posted by rural - Francesca:
"These things are universal," says Taina Bien-Aime, executive director of New York-based Equality Now. "There is not one single country where women can feel absolutely safe."

---

...really tell the tale.

quote:

---

The image of the 21st century woman is confident, prosperous, glowing with health and beauty.

---

Actually, this quote struck me as bizarre. It's the perspective of someone with a very privileged, sheltered life. Or someone whose notion of reality is defined by the advertising industry. Or both.

I hope I'm not being too mean

[ 11 March 2008: Message edited by: RosaL ]

[ 11 March 2008: Message edited by: martin dufresne ]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Michelle:

I'm not sure how this thread is supposed to go. It's not clear from the opening post what direction this thread is supposed to take.

---

I don't like to start a thread with a goal in mind, because sometimes I have to realize I don't know everything.

What struck me about the article was the fact that the US wasn't on the list, wasn't surprised, but was a bit shocked as I thought my impression was just a bit too 'anti USA' and not actually grounded in fact.

I also felt that with Canada on the top 10, that also didn't really make it great. Quotes like this:

quote:

---

Originally posted by rural - Francesca:
"These things are universal," says Taina Bien-Aime, executive director of New York-based Equality Now. "There is not one single country where women can feel absolutely safe."

---

...really tell the tale.

For one, women receive only 6 weeks maternity leave! Six weeks - not enough time to even get accustomed to breast feeding.

quote:

---

Saudi women's rights activists have posted on the web a video of a woman at the wheel of her car, in protest at the ban on female drivers in the kingdom.

Wajeha Huwaider talks of the injustice of the ban and calls for its abolition as she drives calmly along a highway.

She says the film was posted to mark International Women's Day. Thousands have viewed it on the YouTube website.

The last such public show of dissent was in 1990 when dozens of women were arrested for circling Riyadh in cars. [...]

The 1990 protest, coming at the height of the Gulf crisis when US forces had come to defend Saudi Arabia, was followed by a crackdown on the women drivers and their passengers.

The women were jailed for one day, their passports confiscated, and many lost their jobs.

---