2021 has been pretty overwhelming. Anti-choice laws have been cropping up all over the country, including the notorious “bounty” law in Texas. And nothing has been done about the fact that we don’t have an adequate child care system in normal times, much less during a pandemic.
Ms. Magazine asks a variety of feminists for their Feminist wishes for 2022: "We were never meant to do this work alone":
“As a Black feminist, I have two wishes for 2022—the passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act to protect our right to vote and the education of white women voters so they understand that our very democracy is in jeopardy.”
—Marcela Howell, president and CEO of In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda
-snip-
“I wish that environmentalists would recognize women’s empowerment as a critical solution for combating the climate and extinction crises. Improving reproductive healthcare, like ensuring universal access to all forms of contraception—including abortion—are necessary tools for women and girls to manage their reproductive futures. Improving reproductive healthcare not only helps slow population growth and reduce the pressure we put on the planet but also enables women to have autonomy over their own lives. As we face the climate crisis, that’s particularly important since women are disproportionately affected and yet more likely to support progressive environmental policy. Empowering women is an integral part of building an equitable and sustainable future.”
—Sarah Baillie, population and sustainability organizer with the Center for Biological Diversity.
Lots more at the link.
As always, this diary is a team effort. Thanks to SandraLLAP, elenacarlena, mettle fatigue, and the WOW crew for links and discussion.
Reproductive Rights:
The FDA has permanently allowed distributing abortion pills by mail.
Violence from “pro-lifers”increased 125% last year.
A Planned Parenthood Clinic in Tennessee burned down. No word yet on the cause of the fire, but the the clinic had been targeted for violence earlier in the year.
El Salvador releases 3 women facing long prison sentences under anti-abortion laws. At least 14 others remain imprisoned as a direct result of obstetric emergencies.
France introduces free birth control for all women under 25.
Violence:
Epstein co-conspirator and fellow predator Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty of sex trafficking of minors. When will we see the men brought to justice who paid Epstein and Maxwell to procure children for sexual abuse?
Incredibly, BBC news brought in Alan Dershowitz for commentary on the Maxwell verdict, identifying him only as a “legal analyst,” and didn’t even mention that he’d represented Epstein, and that he’s been accused of sexually abusing one of the trafficked girls. Dershowitz used it as a platform to smear his accuser.
How a Josh Duggar subreddit became a forum for discussing sexual trauma.
Reward increases to $150,000 for missing 3-year-old Lina Sadar Khil in Texas.
Death of young woman after FGM revives call for ban in Sierra Leone.
The pandemic led to a global surge in domestic violence.
Middle East:
In Jordan, an argument over a proposed women’s rights amendment led to a fistfight among some men in Parliament. (Or as one Arab feminist snarkily observed: "Women [aren't] fit to take over leadership positions, if they are overcome by emotion.")
In Afghanistan, Taliban bans long-distance road trips for solo women.
In Egypt, lending apps help women business owners.
Health:
Swelling of armpit lymph nodes is a common COVID-19 vaccine side effect in women, and turns out also with the boosters. Even though Lymph node inflammation like this is a normal immune system response to vaccination, it can look like abnormal findings on mammograms and other types of chest scans.
Exposure to plastic softeners during pregnancy can cause blood pressure increases that last for years.
Media:
NPR Colorado Podcast: Fort Collins poet Camille Dungy on the climate movement, feminist thought.
Oriini Kaipara is the first journalist in New Zealand to have the traditional Maori chin tattoo:
Photos from the front line of second-wave feminism.
Beverly Fitch McCarthy, public servant and feminist champion of the arts, dies at 88.
Classic Rock: Shirley Manson: 'In the 90s I was described as a crazy, angry feminist':
Since Garbage formed in 1993, they've been a vessel for change, encouraging conversations about social issues with biting lyrics and an attitude perfect for ruffling the feathers of misogynists. Now Shirley Manson, the voice behind the band, has revealed that Garbage's affinity for tackling these topics has seen her framed in a less-than-positive light, with many, over the years, dismissing her as a "crazy, angry feminist"....
"Every now and then I get a little despondent that we’re still having to go over this old ground over and over again," she adds. “But I feel like, incrementally, each decade that follows is very fractionally better. I believe in evolution.”
Farewell to Betty White, just days before what would have been her 100th birthday. She was a legend.
Action Items:
There have been no (!) African-American women governors in US history. 2022 may give us as many as five, including the beyond-awesome Stacey Abrams. Let’s get these women into office!