I’m old enough to remember when Geraldine Ferraro was the VP nominee, and being told that she was “too tough,” because when a man asked if she could bake an apple pie, she responded, “No, can you?” After she debated George HW Bush, he crowed to reporters that he’d “tried to kick some ass.” For decades, women politicians have been expected to thread the needle of being nonthreatening while doing a job that requires toughness — while TFG can behave like a spoiled toddler and still being taken seriously.
I feel like there’s been a sea change. Now we have VP Kamala Harris being forceful and tough, fighting for what’s right without sacrificing compassion, and Gov. Tim Walz promoting a healthy, kind and thoughtful masculinity.
As always, this diary is a group effort. Thanks to mettle fatigue, elenacarlena, Angmar, and the WOW crew for links & discussion.
Reproductive Rights:
Full-time weirdo JD Vance takes time out from ranting about “childless cat ladies” to proclaim that suburban women care about “normal things,” not abortion. Because he’s such an expert on normal. Really, the best thing Vance can do for Kamala Harris is keep talking.
For 35 years, the Chinese government mandated a “one-child family” policy. Now they’re pushing for more births, but women aren’t eager to comply.
Guardian: An anti-childcare movement is spreading online – it’s both disturbing and regressive.
“Ignore the trad wife influencers – wanting or needing space from your child is not just normal, but healthy for both of you.”
Kate Cox, who nearly died when Texas denied her a medically necessary abortion, is now happily pregnant, and I’m really hoping everything goes right for her this time.
Judge blocks anti-abortion law in Ohio, citing recently passed state constitutional amendment protecting reproductive rights. There are currently 8 states with abortion rights laws on the November ballot — including, crucially, Nevada, Arizona, and Florida.
Violence and Harassment:
Under the new government, the UK will treat misogyny as a form of extremism.
With harassment and assault increasingly common on UK trains, there’s been a push for bystander intervention. But that’s not enough if there are no consequences for perpetrators.
Chrystul Kizer, who was 17 when she killed her sex trafficker, has been sentenced to 11 years in prison. (When I remember that Kryin’ Killer Kyle Rittenhouse got off claiming self-defense, this one REALLY burns me.) More from USA Today: The man had been previously investigated by the police "for sexual conduct with underage girls as young as 12," arrested, charged, released in February of 2018 and she killed him in June of that year.
Andrew Tate detained in Romania for crimes involving trafficking and exploitation of minors. Yes, AGAIN.
Thousands ofwomen and healthcare workers across Indiaare protesting the rape and murder of a female doctor.
Iraq’s parliament is considering an amendment that would give more power to religious authorities to govern marriages, including lowering the minimum age of marriage for girls from eighteen to nine.
Judge throws out major charges against the cops who shot Breonna Taylor, even blaming her boyfriend for her death.
Damion Surles posted a fake photo of Kamala Harris with Jeffrey Epstein. Surles has now been arrested, for exactly what you’d expect.
Politics:
US voters say they’re ready for a woman President — but sexist attitudes still show up in opposition to Harris.
Space Cadets for Harris To boldly go where no woman has gone before.
The Guardian view on Kamala Harris’s speech: the Democrats have liftoff.
Education:
TheGuardian Afghan women arrive in Edinburgh to finish medical degrees denied under Taliban - the 3-year campaign by parents of aid worker killed in Afghanistan brings 19 trainee doctors to Scotland.
BBC: India's schoolgirls are leading a silent cycling revolution:
State-run free bicycle distribution schemes since 2004 have targeted girls, who had higher school dropout rates than boys due to household chores and exhausting long walks. This approach isn’t unique to India - evidence from countries like Colombia, Kenya, Malawi and Zimbabwe also shows that bicycles effectively boost girls' school enrolment and retention. But the scale here is unmatched.
Work Issues:
TheConversation Gender inequality isn’t just unfair — it’s also a drag on the world economy. Giving women the same economic opportunities as men would add about US $12 trillion to global gross domestic product by 2025, one analysis found. That’s an 11% boost.
Silicon Valley has declared DEI dead, and they’re busy seeing how far they can roll back the clock — starting with an event where hostesses wore lampshades over their faces.
Olympic camera operators were urged to avoid sexism in filming women athletes.
Uncategorizable:
The Taliban has now banned women singing or reciting in public.
Media:
I recently ran across the soundtrack for Suffs, a musical about suffragettes Carrie Chapman Catt, Alice Paul, Ida B. Wells, and others. All the roles are played by women (including President Woodrow Wilson). They pack in a lot of history, including the struggles within the movement (generational conflicts, racism, liberals vs. radicals, etc.).
Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolution is a 2023 book of anthropo-bio-political nonfiction by American scientist Cat Bohannon, addressing “the pivotal role female Homo sapiens have played in making us human".
Native News Online: Choctaw Artist Jane Sample Umsted Inducted into Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame.
From artnet.com: Feminist Art Parade at DNC Disrupted by Anti-Abortion Activists.
From indianz.com a music video, For Our Sisters by First Nations (Canada) violinist, composer, and producer Geneviève Gros-Louis (former surname Salamone) (Huron-Wendat), whose work includes the piece commissioned for the 2023 Cannes Film Festival premiere of Killers of the Flower Moon, and scoring for the National Geographic’s television series, Life Below Zero: First Alaskans.
Inspired by the moving artwork from Unangax artist, Dustin Newman, “For Our Sisters” is an interdisciplinary collaboration featuring original music by @theonewomansymphony, @meka_clothing’s red dress collection, and fancy shawl dancer @stephbigeagle to raise awareness for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls & 2 Spirited peoples.
The crisis is unbelievably underreported despite the fact that murder is one of the leading causes of death in Indigenous women, girls and 2 spirited peoples- with some rates as disproportionately high as 10 times as often as the national [Canadian] average It is for that reason that we demand justice and change- because together, our voices are stronger.
Please see https://linktr.ee/... for resources to learn more about the MMIWG2S crisis and how you can help.