Cheers

A Tunisian coalition called "Free Women Union" was recently created "to enhance the visibility of women in public life," reported Business News Sept. 7. It is made up of four feminist associations focused on defending the Arab-Muslim identity of Tunisia, while promoting democracy, an independent justice, press freedom and governmental transparency. The full article is available in Tunisia's Business News in French.

More News to Cheer This Week:

  • Top companies with female CEOs have more women as board directors, and in executive officer positions, according to a Sept. 9 press release from Corporate Women Directors International.
  • Britain's House of Commons has rejected a proposal to bar abortion providers from counseling women about their decisions on whether to terminate their pregnancies, the Guardian reported Sept. 7. Conservative legislator Nadine Dorries had proposed the ban, contending that counseling should not be offered by organizations that are paid to perform abortions.
  • On Sept. 9 pro-choice advocates in Alaska took the new parental notification law to court, reported the ACLU blog Sept. 8. The law forbids doctors from providing abortions to young women without notifying their parents.
  • Planned Parenthood is applauding a victory in its ongoing court battle challenging South Dakota's so-called informed consent law, which dictates what a woman should be told before having an abortion, reported Reuters. On Sept. 2, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against a provision that would require the doctor to tell the woman about an increased risk of suicide after an abortion, because the risk was unproven. But a new study linking abortion to poor emotional and mental health was released by The British Journal of Psychiatry this week, reported The Florida Independent Sept. 9.
  • To celebrate the impact of female entrepreneurs on the future of the economy, SmartGirls' Way launched the 100x100 Project on Sept. 6, according to a Market Watch press release. The 20-week video series documents female entrepreneurs from over 40 industries across the United States.
  • In a public hearing on Sept. 7, physicians testified against Kansas's tightened regulations for abortion providers, reported The Houston Chronicle Sept. 7. Two doctors are suing to block the regulations in a federal lawsuit, in which they argue the proposed regulations would harm women's health by curtailing access to services.
  • France's First Lady Carla Bruni has condemned Dominique Strauss-Kahn, saying that she "feels solidarity" with women who were allegedly abused by the former International Monetary Fund chief, The Scotsman reported Sept. 5.

Jeers

The Chinese Supreme Court's new interpretation of the country's 1980 Marriage Law, which stipulates that property bought before marriage, either outright or on mortgage, reverts to the buyer upon divorce, came into effect on Aug. 13, the New York Times reported Sept. 7. Previously, the family home had been considered joint property. Experts say the change would mostly affect women, potentially leaving divorced women without a home, since men traditionally provide the family home.

More News to Jeer This Week:

  • South African President Jacob Zuma on Sept. 8 brushed aside criticism from gay rights and women's groups and appointed a conservative Christian, Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, to head the country's high court, reported the Los Angeles Times Sept. 9.
  • August marked the 23rd consecutive month that women's employment remained virtually stagnant, according to the Institute for Women's Policy Research Sept. 7. Since the official end of the recession in June 2009, men have continued to outpace women in employment.
  • Many African women are being held in makeshift prisons or refugee camps in Libya awaiting a judicial finding of whether they were mercenaries for pro-Gadhafi forces. The women are reporting rape and abuse by rebel soldiers, reported The Miami Herald Sept. 7.
  • Women are looking like an endangered species in Wall Street's banks, the New York Times reported Sept. 7. After the departure of Sallie Krawcheck from the management team of Bank of America on Sept. 6, only a handful of women will still report directly to the company's chief executive. At Goldman Sachs, women make up little more than 12 percent of the partnership.
  • In Egypt, new government figures indicate that unemployment among young people has risen since the revolution, Al Jazeera reported Sept. 3. More than 20 percent of youth have no jobs. For women with university degrees, the figure is more than 55 percent.
  • Women account for 65 percent of Kenya's annual new HIV/AIDS infections, according to a report released Sept. 6, reported The Nairobi Star. The national gender minister is urging an action plan to curb the epidemic.
  • More than a year after the launch of the Free Health Care Initiative, pregnant women and girls in Sierra Leone continue to face serious challenges in accessing drugs and medical care, Amnesty International reported Sept. 6. Also, many pregnant women and lactating women are unable to afford the medical care they require.