“What do you care?” asked a friend of a friend on Facebook. Or, as a BBC Radio 4 reporter asked me a little more eloquently, “Why are you protesting on behalf of Pussy Riot?” I have to admit that compared to my Facebook comment response, my answer for Radio 4 was a little more genteel. […]
Europe
Stories about any of the 44 countries on the European continent.
Bad News for Brit Women: Government Brings in More Anti-Choice Ministers
Following a string of anti-choice efforts which began when the British coalition government came to power in 2010, its recent cabinet reshuffle has resulted in even more anti-abortion ministers at the top. Maria Miller, promoted to both culture secretary and minister in charge of women and equalities, has a track record on abortion rights and […]
France’s New Minister of Women’s Rights Misses the Mark
When newly-elected French President François Hollande appointed Najat Vallaud-Belkacem, 34, to the high-profile positions of minister for women’s rights and spokesperson for the government, Muslims in the nation were optimistic. So optimistic that some polls estimate an astounding 93 percent of French Muslims helped boost Hollande into office. In a new era of socialist administration dedicated to […]
Street Harassment Fuels a Viral Documentary
One day, during a typical 15-minute walk from her office to her apartment in the center of Brussels, 25-year-old graduate film student Sofie Peeters was harassed 11 times. To channel her frustration with her inability to commute in peace, she produced a short documentary for her final school project called Femme de la Rue (Woman of the Street). The […]
Saudi Arabia Allows Women in Olympics, But Will Any Qualify?
For the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, women from all competing countries will be offered an opportunity to take part in the international event. That’s because the Saudi Arabia government announced yesterday, through its London embassy, that it will permit female athletes to join its team at the 2012 London Games, which […]
BBC Broadcasts Live From an Abortion Clinic—And No One Gets Hurt
This Wednesday, May 23 marked a first for broadcasting (and for feminism): BBC Radio news anchor Victoria Derbyshire (left) aired her mid-morning show live from an abortion clinic. Her goal was refreshingly straightforward, as explained in her introduction, “What we’d like to do is tell you what happens when a woman considers an abortion and […]
France Has Three Women Candidates—But The Election Largely Ignores Women’s Issues
Women account for 53 percent of French voters but there’s little to suggest they will pack their punch behind any single candidate in the first election since the sex-harassment scandal that dashed the presidential hopes of former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Khan. On April 22, French voters will choose among 10 presidential candidates, three of whom […]
England: 1, Roman Catholic Church: 0
In a precedent-setting decision yesterday, the London High Court ruled that the U.K.’s Roman Catholic Church can be held liable for the sexual misconduct of its priests. The ruling came in the case of a 47-year-old woman who alleged that she was raped by the now-deceased Father Wilfred Baldwin at a children’s home during the […]