A second opinion

I had this conversation on MSN Messenger earlier today.

R.: Why are you sending me this music with sexist lyrics?
X.: What do you mean?
R.: Now look at this lady all in front of me, sexy as can be, tonight I want a slut, will you be mine? I heard you was freaky from a friend of mine
X.: Hm
X.: That is not sexist. That's just music by guys with tiny dicks.

I guess that is another way to view it ;-)

Besides that there is a new book out on hip-hop and feminism.

Are you a political activist?

People who read this blog have political opinions - but do you consider yourself an activist as well? I would be interested to know. If you even have an extra minute, please leave a comment and describe the ways in which you are an activist. Do you for example consider blogging a form of political activism? Thanks for your answer!

Do you consider yourself a political activist?
	Yes
	No
Free polls from Pollhost.com

Ban mosquitoes

They leave nasty bruises and spread diseases. It seems humankind is successful in getting rid of other species - then why not mosquitoes?

Do they make any vital contribution to the ecosystem? I have never met anyone who appreciates them, so if they don't have a specific purpose (besides nuisance, itchiness and infection), I suggest that we unite to put an end to their stinging. A global movement against mosquitoes - yes, please.

I will still have to consider how, though.

Social classes and integration

I just came across an article about the Danish politician Asmaa Abdol-Hamid who runs for 'Enhedslisten', the Danish Red-Green Alliance. I am very impressed by her commitment to improving the rights of minorities and marginalized groups in society. She has, at the age of 26, accomplished quite a lot socially and politically and I am sure we will hear more from her in the future.

This post is motivated by something she has said which pretty much sums up my take on the debate about integration and ethnic minorities:

"I don't like the word integration. Everyone uses it without being able to define it clearly. Ethnic minorities are not a problem in itself. I prefer to talk about social classes and take a look at citizens' class background instead of their ethnic identity when we need to give reasons for the lack of integration in Denmark." (my translation from Danish)

Applying a class view provides us with new explanations and lines of action. If we remove focus from religion and culture we can instead turn to poverty and other class issues as explanations for what we refer to as 'integration problems'. Some of the poorest and most marginalized people in Denmark are found among the ethnic minorities. An example is child poverty - the poverty risk for minority children is three times higher than for ethnic Danish children.

Bravo, Mika Brzezinski

Better late than never:



The imprisonment of Paris Hilton has become a (controversial) feminist issue. This comment from feministing.com sums it up pretty well:

"It's interesting to see how because of her wealth, power, and behavior, Paris Hilton is considered fair game to say anything about, even the most misogynistic comments. It's as if she's treated as she does not deserve the most basic respect all human beings should get."

Prices on sperm as an equality issue?

A while ago the Danish newspaper Berlingske brought a feature suggesting a men's liberation movement. The starting point is artificial insemination of single women and how that is a threat to men's rights. Fathers' rights are for sure a good cause, but I seriously question the project proposed in the feature.

As the author rightfully points out there are differences in the rights and possibilities of women and men with respect to becoming single parents. Women can have artificial insemination, whereas it is a long and exhaustive process for single men to adopt. Now, I would understand if the purpose of the feature was, for the sake of gender equality, to suggest improvement of men's adoption rights. But no, instead the author comes up with this:

"He should stand up to her and make himself indispensable, but how? For example by increasing the price on semen dramatically. A women has no right to a man's semen as little as he has to his sperm cells fertilizing an egg. Sperm cells in flocks, warm, floating sperm cells, is a precious elixir that makes the world go round! Yes, it is women who gives birth to children but it is men who makes it possible. To give women the right to have children for their own sake and nothing else is to treat men as air." (my translation from Danish)

I will resent from elaborating further on the obvious heteronormativity of this statement (further underscored by a praise of the heterosexual family as society's cornerstone earlier in the feature) and instead raise two different issues:

1. First and foremost the feature appears to confuse an improvement in women's rights with a deterioration of men's rights. Come on, fight for improving fathers' rights and men's possibilities to adopt... but not to worsen the situation of single women! It is not a zero-sum game.

2. Secondly, I am puzzled by the author's anxious assumption about women being less interested in men because of (affordable) artificial insemination. The feature provides no numbers or other evidence to back up the presupposition that less men become fathers because of single women's option to go to a sperm bank. I also find it really sad that the author reduces men to, well, sperm providers. I would certainly hope that there is more to a relationship than the provision of sperm. If availability of semen is what glues the heterosexual family, the praised cornerstone of society, together, I am even more doubtful of the flattering light the feature puts heteronormativity in.

Via Kimporator

Queer & eighties

In case you wonder what 'queer' means I think the French singer Desireless is a brilliant example:



Giving it some thought the eighties was actually a pretty queer decade. Just think of Annie Lennox or Martin Gore from (my favourite band!) Depeche Mode. The band's David Gahan also has a a little 'queerness' to him, sometimes he even resembles an older and 'darker' version of the lead singer of the Ark (that is when Ola Salo is not in glam rock mode).

Good news!

I am probably a bit slow here but allow me to share the good news: The trafficking victim Rose has now been allowed to stay in Denmark: the Danish Refugee Council has reversed the previous ruling of the Danish Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs.

The Danish labour union 3F who led a campaign for asylum is very content.

"First and foremost I doubt there are any women who would put themselves through so much suffering just to get asylum. Secondly, I believe that today's decision will actually help to put a stop to traficking. No people smugglers will find Denmark attractive if they know that their victims can get protection if they help the police uncover criminal gangster networks," says Gunnar Homann who is Rose's lawyer.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the petition.

Disney in 1938

A relic from the period between first and second wave feminism. Click here for a full-size version.

Via feministing.com

Big bro is watching your data

Soon the Belgian company SWIFT will sign the 'Safe Harbour' agreement:

"SWIFT has chosen to join the "Safe Harbour". The Safe Harbour is a specific type of "Adequacy Decision" adopted by the Commission in order to allow the free flow of personal data between the EU and the US. It allows EU controllers to export personal data to US organisations that have joined the Safe Harbour, since the privacy principles it contains are recognized to afford the adequate protection required by the EU for international data transfers." (press release from European Commission, 29th of June 2007)

SWIFT is a Belgium-based company which operates a worldwide messaging system used to transmit, inter alia, bank transaction information. If you have ever transferred money to a foreign bank account you are probably familiar with the 'SWIFT code'; the series of digits that identify a given bank.

According to Danish Computerworld Online the American authorities have been allowed to store information for five years - and not the 40 years which were originally requested by the US. Signing 'Safe Harbour' will also oblige banks that use SWIFT's services to inform their customers of the possible transfer of data to the US.

"It remains unclear what would happen if a bank customer should decide that she does not want her information shared," the article ends.

... and another one!

Yet another paragraph 47 petition has seen the light of the day. This time you can sign for the following:

"I demand a European consultative referendum on the European Constitution, to be held on the same day as the elections to the European Parliament in 2009"

European Fatherhood

I have earlier adressed parental leave for fathers. Today I came across European Fatherhood which sounds like a really interesting project. Head of project is Svend Aage Madsen from the University of Copenhagen.

"Our goal is to promote and assist professionals involved in promoting and supporting men in their role as fathers. The need for knowledge concerning the psychological transition to fatherhood and an examination of methods to overcome gender stereotypes and obstacles to parental leave is also a priority"

The 'best practice' section have a number of examples from Denmark:

Helping employers help male employees become better fathers
Educating professionals in helping men become fathers
German and Danish examples of father-friendly corporate policies

UN's first all-female peacekeeping force

Check out this interview with Seema Dhundia, commander of the UN's first all-female peacekeeping force. The force consists in 105 police officers from India that are currently stationed in Liberia.

Now that your unit has been in the field for a few months, how would you say the presence of a female UN peacekeeping contingent is enabling Liberia to get on the path to rebuilding?

I think that for the first time the Liberian people are seeing a fully trained contingent of female officers out on streets. Their own women are getting inspired and motivated and now they are coming forward. Seeing my girls performing their duties is inspiring young Liberian women to join the regular forces -- in this way we are sort of role models for the young Liberian ladies. They are seeing our girls and are now coming forward and joining the regular forces. Their numbers have considerably increased after our arrival here

The people are watching us here in Liberia. They are seeing the all-female contingent -- which has come all the way from India for the peacekeeping mission -- and they are getting inspired. They might start their own female force.

Have you faced any specific challenges being an all-women's unit?

There is no specific challenge as such. The situation is still volatile –the undercurrents of the conflict are still there, though the politics seem to be calm and quiet. Sometimes, though, it does get out of hand. But since the troops are prepared and they are professionally competent, we are able to cope with the pressures of any kind of situation.

Have you encountered any situations where being an all female unit has enabled you to accomplish things where a mixed gender unit would not have been able to?

No. Whether it's a mixed unit or a female unit or a male unit the point is that everybody has to be professionally competent. Even if it is a fully formed female contingent, even in that case, the female officers are supposed to be professionally competent and trained enough to tackle any kind of situation in that manner. Whether it is a mixed unit or a female unit or a male unit the point is the officers are to be properly sensitized. Irrespective of what you call it, they are to be properly trained and they have to be aware of what is going in their deployment area.

And would you say that Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's presidency has it had any impact on operating as an all-female unit. Has it made things easier or more difficult?

I can't be very specific about it since she is the President. But she does provide a platform for all of us to perform. As far as our duties are concerned we are preparing the same kind of duties that the other peacekeepers are doing so there is no discrimination as such.

What are the primary goals -- if you wouldn't mind giving some background for our readers -- the primary goals of the UN peacekeeping mission in Liberia and how do those filter down into your day to day duties in as a policing unit?

The primary goals of the UN mission here are to establish peace and implement all kinds of humanitarian assistance programs. They call this a post-conflict scenario. The infrastructure of the country had to be repaired from scratch. The primary goal is to establish normalcy -- establish peace and to ensure that state infrastructure is functioning. I think that this is the main goal of the UN mission here in Liberia.

As far as our contribution is concerned, we are here to advise and mentor the Liberian national police and we are provide backup support to the police in their day to day work. We are the only people who carry weapons with us, so we provide a security cover -- a backup to the Liberian national police in their day to day job. We also are providing a great deal of on-the-spot training to the Liberian national police officers, advising them on how to react to a particular situation.

Why did you become a UN peacekeeper?

I was commandant of an all-female contingent in India. Coming all the way from India to a place called Liberia and using my expertise and skills in performing my day to day duties was a good challenge. And obviously, if there is a challenge for a police officer it has to be taken in a positive way. It definitely leads to our own development. We are gaining excellent experience from being here. We have learned many new things, including the function of the UN. And it has provided a good platform for all of us. I think that is why all of us volunteered for this mission. Based on your experience thus far, how long do you think the UN will have a presence in Liberia?

I am not the right person or the right authority to say on this matter but I think it will take some time to bring in a little bit of normalcy. It will take some time -- how much time is difficult to judge, but obviously it will take a few years.

Via feministing.com (generally a very recommendable feminist reader!)

Help Rose

This blog supports the online petition to stop the expel of Rose, a Nigerian woman who was trafficked to Denmark. Rose has helped the Danish police uncover the trafficking network that brought her here.

According to the Danish immigration authorities and the Minister of Immigration Rose has nothing to fear with respect to her return to Nigeria - something which is seriously questioned by a thorough Norwegian report and the Norwegian Embassy in Nigeria.

Sign the petition here.

Imagine all the people

Some time ago I wrote a bit about Yoko Ono and how her importance as a gender-conscious artist has been neglected in favour of a portrayal as the witch that killed the Beatles. In the light of my previous post I found this cartoon by the Danish duo Wulffmorgenthaler rather amusing.

Equal pay - also for super heroines

Link found on Bitch Ph.D.

The war on symbols and the denial of abuse

The debate about the headwear of Muslim women has risen again in Denmark. This time it is fuelled by the case of a child minder who, according to some, wears a burka during working hours.

First of all, I think we should set things straight with respect to religious head wear. As far as I understand this is a burka and this is a niqab. The latter is what the child minder in Odense wears. Secondly, she puts on the niqab when she goes outside. In her home she wears a headscarf tied under the chin; allowing the children to see her face and expressions.

In the Danish debate a major argument for a ban against headscarves is that they are, supposedly, symbols of the oppression of women. In the case of symbols (please pay special attention to the word!) Danish politicians seem very willing to take action. Since the Danish Minister of Family Affairs recognized the municipality of Odense’s right to forbid their employees to wear religious clothing, there has been no end to the political announcements. A spokesperson from the Danish Liberal Party, one of the parties in government, describes it as a ‘freedom right’ that the Danish municipalities are allowed to ban religious clothing to their likening. Next to Odense several other municipalities have declared that they will make use of this freedom. In the case of symbols there is a lot of political goodwill when it comes to using regulation as a tool to, supposedly, improve women’s conditions.

Let us turn away from religious clothing for a moment and look at case that, to me and many others, is an unambiguous expression of the suppression of women. Some call it the oldest profession in the world. Others call it exploitation of women’s bodies. I am talking about prostitution. An estimate is at least 4,730 (the far majority being women) are selling their bodies in Denmark. There is a serious lack of knowledge about prostitution in my home country, but here are some European facts:

- Data provided by the British Medical Journal on the experience of client violence against women prostitutes indicates that 93 % of women had an experience of client violence (British Medical Journal: Do you want the latest evidence? “Personal characteristics, drug use, and experience of client violence by prostitutes working indoors or outdoors”, downloaded 17/2/2003)

- Around 80 % of women in prostitution have been sexually abused in their childhood (Fact sheet on Human Rights Violations, Prostitution Research & Education, Melissa Farley, http://www.prostitutionresearch.com/)

- The average age of women entering into prostitution is 13 or 14; there is no evidence to suggest that this age is decreasing (La prostitution un métier comme un autre?”, Yolande Geadah ; VLB éditeur, 2001, p. 137)

Data is compiled by womenlobby.org

As Reden, a drop-in centre for women in the prostitution environment in Copenhagen, explains on its web page:

“Prostitution – to sell you own body via prostitution and pornography – will always be the extreme sale and a situation that can be compared to nothing else. There are situations where people think they only have their body left to trade with, or situations where the body is the only demanded commodity. […] It often has long-term and destructive consequences when a woman has to let her body invade by thousands of men she does not herself desire. To survive she will have to switch off her emotions and ability to feel. The price can be that it will become ever more difficult to turn on her feelings again. The woman risks developing insensitivity towards other people, depression and the lack of ability to feel herself and her own needs.” (my translation from Danish)

Talking about offense against women’s rights prostitution is an obvious case. Still, myths of “the happy prostitute” and “prostitution is a woman’s personal choice” are alive and well in Denmark (and many other countries for that sake). Unlike the war against headscarves, supposedly symbols of suppression of women, there is not much political goodwill when it comes to prostitution. In the case of symbols politicians are more than willing to make rules and regulations. In the case of physical exploitation of women it is almost a taboo to talk about criminalizing the buyer. Sweden and Norway, two countries we normally compare ourselves to, have already passed laws. Still, there is very little discussion about banning the purchase of sex in Denmark. Maybe the symbolic value is not high enough?

Or perhaps is the suppression of women not really on the agenda of Danish politicians? Many of them seem to regard symbols as a much more grave manifestation of offense than actual physical abuse. At the end of the day the fight against symbols is unrelated to women’s rights. It appears to be just another expression of hostility towards Muslim culture and Muslims.

A selection of the (scarce) resources available on prostitution in Denmark (Danish-language):
Publications from 'Theme Prostitution' ('Theme Prostitution' is an activity under a government agency)
The extent of prostitution in Denmark
Facts about prostitution compiled by the Danish Socialist People's Party

The oldest profession in the world

If anyone should still suffer from convictions such as "prostitution is a woman's own choice" and "the sex industry is fun" this video from the European Women's Lobby is worth watching.

Among some of the video's statistics are:

- 92-95 % of prostituted women wants to get out of prostitution
- In large European cities between 67 and 90 % of prostitutes are foreigners
- In my home country Denmark there is about 7000 victims of trafficking. In Sweden (where it is illegal to buy sex) the number is more than ten times lower; 400 to 600.

Breasts should be respected the way they are

An artist initiates debate about breast enlargements in China. Watch the report here.

British school children learn about alternative family patterns

Danish politician and member of parliament Martin Henriksen (the Danish People's Party) has earlier informed the world about his idea Danish schools should teach children and teenagers about sexual abstinence.

I have my doubts whether preaching abstinence is really necessary but I generally like the idea about updating the sex education of Danish elementary school. May I suggest to Mr. Henriksen to take the suggestion made in this article into consideration?

To me it comes across as a problem if the only types of emotional relationships Danish children learn about are the heterosexual ones. It is heteronormativity at its worst. Martin Spangsbro-Pedersen from the Danish National Association of Gays & Lesbians comments on the fact that British school children (from the age of four) learn about homosexual relationships:

"It is very positive. It is important to introduce children to other family patterns than the 'normal ones'. I would like to see the same development in Denmark."

Besides that I find the book titles introduced to British school children kind of cute: "Tango Makes Three" (about a penguin boy raised by two penguin fathers) and "King and King and Family" (I assume something with a prince who finds his prince and has a fairy-tale wedding).

Sadly I have a feeling Mr. Henriksen will not be too keen on my proposal. Him and his party are not exactly famous for supporting families different from the nuclear one.