Women's Fightback 05, February 2008

Stop stoning women to death!

Zohreh and Azar Kabiri are sisters and mothers. They were arrested on 5 February, 2007 following allegations of adultery by Zohreh’s husband. A month later they were prosecuted and sentenced to 99 lashes. After the sentence was executed, both were returned to prison for unknown reasons; and six months later they were tried again for the same crime but this time sentenced to death by stoning. At the first trial, which was conducted without a defence lawyer, the judge interrogated Zohreh and Azar and unlawfully obtained a highly dubious confession. The women say that the questions were...

Women's Fightback Briefing: sex trafficking

Trafficking, in contrast to “voluntary” migration, is defined as non-consensual migration geared towards exploitation of migrants’ labour whether in sex or other industries. NGOs’ and states’ interventions on this issue have taken place along two lines: establishing protective schemes for victims of trafficking and the tightening of borders and visa regimes. Victim protection schemes offer temporary residence permits to migrants. On the other hand because women are labelled as “victim”, they downplay women’s struggle to transform their lives. Victim protection schemes also lead to anti...

Womens Fightback: Campaigns and activism

Southall Black Sisters face closure Southall Black Sisters, for many years the only militant women’s organisation fighting for ethnic minority women is facing the threat of closure as a result of Ealing Council’s decision to withdraw vital funding in April 2008. The money from the council has helped the group provide advice, advocacy, counselling and support services to black and minority women in the borough who experience violence and abuse. The council say there is no need for specialist services for black and minority women, and that services to abused women in the borough need to be...

Sofie Buckland for NUS Women’s Officer!

It’s time to challenge Labour Students for control of the NUS women’s campaign. For Sofie’s manifesto, supporters’ list and more on the campaign, see the ENS Women website — socialistfeminist.org.uk Since the takeover of the NUS Women’s Campaign by Labour Students four years ago, the potential for student women’s organising to lead an active, political regeneration of the women’s movement has been squandered. The campaign has the potential to reach out to thousands, as well as having plentiful resources (staff support, a budget and a fully-paid officer) with which to build actions. However...

Simone de Beauvoir

“One is not born, but rather becomes a woman. No biological, psychological, or economic fate determines the figure that the female figure plays in society; it is civilisation as a whole that produces this creature, intermediate between male and eunuch, which is described as feminine.” So begins Book 2 of Simone de Beauvoir’s famous treatise on women, The Second Sex . The book was to cause a storm of indignation, and controversy. It was denounced as obscene and pornographic by Catholics and right wingers. Yet women read it, and some claimed it saved their lives. It was an important book for the...

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