Posts tagged "women's rights"

Top 10 Shocking Attacks from the GOP's War on Women

When I was 22 weeks pregnant with my very much wanted second son whom we had already named David, he was diagnosed with a fatal form of Potters’ Syndrome. His kidneys had stopped working and atrophied. As a result, his lungs could not develop. We prayed that we could hold him, regardless of disability, but our options were unspeakable.

We could terminate the pregnancy, if we could find doctors and nurses willing to provide care, and if we could pay for it out of pocket, since my husband’s insurance was restricted from covering abortion care. Or we could wait. We could allow our son to suffer without comfort, to feel his bones being crushed and broken in the absence of amniotic fluid, until he died in utero, or at delivery, suffocating to death in the absence of developed lungs. Two specialists confirmed that he had no chance at life.

We struggled with the moral questions, the ethical questions, the religious questions, the practical questions, and how to explain to our living child that his brother would not be coming home. We questioned the meaning and value of mercy.

We “chose” to end the pregnancy – not for us, but because choosing mercy was the only thing we could do for our unborn son. I would have liked to have held him. Yet, I know our decision was the right one for our child. I know because of this experience that many times the choice to terminate a pregnancy is made because a woman value’s life: because she or her unborn child, or both is dying, or because they are suffering towards no purpose.

It wasn’t a choice I would wish on my worst enemy, but I’m grateful the choice was mine.

Mary Vargas, “The Meaning and Value of Mercy” (via Feministe)

This goes out to you, white male privilege. Let this shit sink in.

Fuckin’ them up with the truth.

(via angrylittledad)

(Source: lostgrrrls)



pantslessprogressive:

“*TRIGGER WARNING - Sexual Violence* Jan wanted to tell someone, but the warden had made it clear that she would always believe an officer’s word over an inmate’s, and didn’t like “troublemakers.” If Jan had gone to the officers she trusted, they would have had to repeat her story to the same warden. Jan was only a few months away from release to a halfway house. She was desperate to get out of prison, to return to her husband and children. So she kept quiet—and the officer raped her again, and again. […]
A large majority of inmates who have been sexually abused by staff or by other inmates never report it. And corrections officials, with some brave exceptions, have historically taken advantage of this reluctance to downplay or even deny the problem. According to a recent report by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), a branch of the Department of Justice, there were only 7,444 official allegations of sexual abuse in detention in 2008, and of those, only 931 were substantiated. These are absurdly low figures. But perhaps more shocking is that even when authorities confirmed that corrections staff had sexually abused inmates in their care, only 42 percent of those officers had their cases referred to prosecution; only 23 percent were arrested, and only 3 percent charged, indicted, or convicted. Fifteen percent were actually allowed to keep their jobs.”

Prison Rape and the Government | David Kaiser and Lovisa Stannow, New York Review of Books



kateoplis:

Rwanda has the highest percentage of parliament seats held by women in the world. Click through for more eye-opening stats. 

kateoplis:

Rwanda has the highest percentage of parliament seats held by women in the world. Click through for more eye-opening stats. 


There is a country where the leading cause of death of pregnant women is murder by a partner. In this same country, more than a million women were raped in 2008 and women are much more likely to live in poverty than men. Local laws don’t protect their right to bodily freedom and integrity; some rape laws even state that once a woman initially consents to sex, she doesn’t have the right to change her mind.

You may have caught on by now — yes, I’m talking about the United States.

Jessica Valenti, in “Equality begins at home: U.S. lags pathetically behind other nations in some basic rights for women.” (via tulletulle)

(Source: thedailyfeed)


catladysoul:

vesuvii:

“Pakistani Actress Defies Mullah Accusing Her of Immoral Behavior on Indian Reality TV Show”

Veena Malik is told by a Mullah that she has not been representing her country and culture appropriately on an Indian Reality TV show. She responds in such a manner that one cannot help but shout DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN

“There are many things to talk about. Why Veena Malik? Because Veena Malik is a woman? Because Veena Malik is a soft target for you?”

standing ovation for her strength. wow. 

(Source: lionza)


catladysoul:

beautilation:

preach.

applause applause applause

(Source: ziltoidia)



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