The first time I heard about “baby rapes” was almost eight years ago. Someone had dropped a report on my desk about the widespread belief in South Africa that having sex with virgins would cure HIV/AIDS. The myth was causing a surge in the rape of young girls and even infants, some as young as […]
Author: Anushay Hossain
Anushay Hossain began her feminist career as an intern at the Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) where she worked on microfinance for women and girls in her native country, Bangladesh. A University of Virginia graduate, Anushay joined the Feminist Majority Foundation's Nobel Peace Prize nominated Campaign for Afghan Women before completing her MA in Gender and Development at the University of Sussex. She spent a year at the United Nations Development Fund for Women's (UNIFEM UK) London office before returning to Washington, DC where she invests the majority of her work analyzing the impact of US foreign policy on the health and rights of women and girls around the world.
Like Cattle: Cow Steroid Addiction Among Bangladeshi Prostitutes
Why is a steroid meant for cows so popular among prostitutes in Bangladesh? The use of Oradexon, a steroid commonly used to make cows fatter, is so widespread that the UK charity ActionAid reports approximately 90 percent of the commercial sex workers in Bangladesh are addicted to the drug. Oradexon is favored by many brothel madams […]
Bangladesh: Development Star?
This September, Bangladesh is expected to stand out as the “development star” when countries meet at the United Nations in New York to reaffirm their commitments to the UN’s Millennium Development Goals. The 2015 deadline is looming on the goals, which include ending poverty, achieving gender equality, and improving world health. Bangladesh’s achievements may be […]
Harry Potter Star May Have Been Targeted For Honor Killing
The father and brother of British actor, Afshan Azad, the 22-year-old who has played the part of Hogwart’s student Padma Patil in several Harry Potter films, have been charged with attempting to kill her, according to the BBC. Azad’s brother has also been charged with assault against his sister. CNN reports that the actress, who […]
Got Oppression? Saudi Kingdom Keeps Women in the Stone Age
Dear Saudi Arabia: Has anyone told you it’s the year 2010 and you can stop with the ludicrous rulings scaling back women’s rights and, specifically, their mobility? Last week, a court in Saudi Arabia sentenced four women and 11 men between the ages of 30-40 years to flogging and prison for “mingling at a party.” […]
Sadly, UVA Lacrosse Killing Was Predictable
I have always held the torch so high for my alma mater the University of Virginia (UVA) that I was pretty much blind to any criticism: perfect UVA in perfect little Charlottesville where perfect students study. Needless to say, when I read about the murder of UVA lacrosse player Yeardley Love, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend […]
A Woman Like Benazir
This month, the United Nations Commission of Inquiry investigating the death of Benazir Bhutto released a report [PDF] which tells us nothing we did not already know: The 2007 assassination of Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Bhutto could have been prevented if the government of then-president Pervez Musharraf had provided her with “adequate security”. Thank you, U.N.! […]
Was Desirée Rogers Too Powerful or Too Black?
It is a shame that Rogers only lasted a year into the Obama presidency, and an even bigger shame that we lose out on having such a smart, powerful and public woman of color to look up to. Washington clearly may be ready for a Black man to have power, but the same is not true for a powerful Black woman.
The Case of Japan’s Princess Masako: Sons Over Daughters
Princess Masako, pretty much absent from the public’s eye, suffers from “nervous and emotional disorders” due to the pressure to birth a son.
Sex-selective abortions in Asia, especially in India and China, show us that a son in some parts of the world is still viewed as an investment, while a daughter is considered a burden. The Economist even published an article recently detailing this on-going phenomenon, calling it a “worldwide war on baby girls.”