United States of America
Feminists on the Frontline: Case Studies of Resisting and Challenging Fundamentalisms
This collection of case studies is a testament to the women and men around the world who have stood up to reject the imposition of norms and values in the name of religion as well as to expose and challenge the privileged position given to religion in public policies. In 2008 AWID launched a call for proposals to document the strategies of women's rights activists confronting religious fundamentalisms. The final 18 case studies presented here are drawn from a wide range of religious and geographical contexts, and cover various fields of activism. We hope that this collection will inspire, inform and encourage discussion and debate. Please visit this page again for updates, as finalized case studies and a brief summary of each case study will be posted on a rolling basis. We will also soon be posting a paper that introduces the trends and themes that are threaded through the various case studies.
USA: Landmark legislation addresses sexual violence against native women
Amnesty International has welcomed groundbreaking legislation in the USA, which addresses the disturbing rates of acts of sexual violence committed with impunity against American Indian and Alaska Native women.
USA: Rights Activist Dis-invited as Keynote Speaker on Violence Against Women Due to Right Wing Pressure
Statement by Charlotte Bunch, Center for Women’s Global Leadership, Rutgers University
USA: Two Female Priests Buried as Church Outsiders
Female Catholic priests, deemed excommunicate by Rome, buried two of their own this month, neither one in a Catholic cemetery. "They threw us away," says a surviving member of Roman Catholic Womenpriests, which marked its first deaths.
USA: Equality Now Press Release on FGM
Equality now welcomes decision by American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to withdraw its 2010 policy statement on female genital mutilation (FGM) that endorces pediatricians' "nicking" of girls' genitalia.
Interview: Mona Eltahawy on iMuslim
An Egyptian-born Muslim journalist living in New York is one of the new wave of iMuslims who are using the internet to push reform in Islam. Like the "Men in Headscarves" campaign by Iranian men who've posted pictures of themselves on the internet, Mona protests the covering of women as a human rights issue. She was recently awarded the Anvil of Freedom Award from the University of Denver for outstanding contributions to the field of journalism. Rachael Kohn interviews her at home in New York.
Interview: Dr. Ida Lichter on her book Muslim Women Reformers / Amina Wadud on leading Muslim prayers
A book by Sydney-based Dr. Ida Lichter, Muslim Women Reformers brings to light the many Muslim women around the world who are risking their lives to bring changes to the way Islam is interpreted and imposed especially on women and children. As well, we hear from the African-American Islamic scholar, Amina Wadud, who made headlines when she led Friday prayers of men and women in New York City. But her major work is through Qur'anic studies that are intended to liberate the text from a male-centred view.
USA - Many Women Are Target of Sexual Advances by Faith Leaders - Survey
One in every 33 women who attend worship services regularly has been the target of sexual advances by a religious leader, a survey released Wednesday says.
Outrage over graphic T-shirts degrading women
T-SHIRT slogans condoning rape and featuring semi-naked and gagged women have outraged anti-exploitation advocates.
JON PIERIK
January 24, 2010
India - "Holiday Brides" Abandoned by Husbands in UK, US, Canada
"Holiday brides" in India have been deserted by husbands from the U.S., Canada and the U.K.
By Soraya Roberts
November 23, 2009