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This is the global Feminist Blogs aggregator. It collects articles from many smaller community hubs within the Feminist Blogs network. For stories from particular places, groups, or other communities within our movement, check out some of these sites.

Posts tagged World Cup

Women as Furniture

If you have been around this blog in the past month, you must already know how much I hoped Spain would win the World Cup. When they did, I was ecstatically happy but only until I started watching the after-game award ceremony. Just watch the following appalling video, and you will know what I mean. It disturbed me so much I didn't even feel like celebrating. So here we have the happy Spanish

Spain vs Germany 1:0, Puyol’s Amazing Goal

Everybody said Spain would be a lot weaker than Germany but if you are watching you will see that our team RULES!!!!!!! We are in the FINALS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are the best!!!!!!!! Nobody believed that Spain can defeat Germany but we pressed them like crazy all game long. Even my father called to ask if "Spain lost already."
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Pereira’s Goal in Holland vs. Uruguay Semi-Finals (3-2)

Uruguay is unfortunately losing but they still can score: I'm sad Uruguay lost. :-( :-(
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Good Luck to Argentina!!

I'm wishing the best of luck to the Argentinean team in its quarter finals game with Germany! To my Argentinean friends, especially to "Mafalda": Good luck!!!! P.S. We now have a small family conflict because of this game. My father supports Germany because he hates Maradona after his "mano de Dios" incident, while I root for Argentina because . . . well, it's Argentina. P.P.S. Argentina
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Uruguay Vs Ghana [1-1] goal Forlan

And Uruguay scores too, beautifully:
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Ghana – Uruguay at Half Time of the World Cup Quarter Finals

Even though for years I've had somewhat of a collective crush on the very attractive team of Uruguay, I'm kind of hoping that Ghana will win today and get into the semi-finals. Here is Muntari's beautiful goal:
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G20 and World Cup: Latin America and USA prevail over Europe

Maybe Europe should listen more to Latin America- especially if this World Cup is anything to go by. Argentina and Brazil have both voiced their concerns over the savage cutting that is taking place in the Europe, as have USA. Whilst the sceptics have agreed to cut their deficit in half by 2013, Obama still looked uneasy at the prospect of misguided cutting. It is rather ironic that a country based on free market principles is more adverse to pulling out fiscal stimulus before economic growth is obtained, than countries who arguably have more social democratic principles undermining their traditional political outlook.

Whilst claims that other issues such as the environment and banking reform were ignored at the priority of ‘sorting out’ the budget deficit – campaigners and opponents are right to point out that these are just as important and are also intertwined with respective relevance to the economic situation. The missed opportunities of the coalition are an international phenomena, as the economic crisis has provided us a real chance to radically reform our economies to enhance future sustainability. Green growth and environmental reform should be central to the economic strategy, as should measures such as a Robin Hood Tax – which the G20 ruled out; the capitalist ethos of the G20 is largely to blame.

An important aspect however, of the G20 – is as in other meetings between these countries, the discussions aren’t exactly binding. There is still scope for countries to go their own way – and this might be exactly what USA, Brazil and Argentina do, hopefully. However, the bulk of the countries look set on eradicating their deficit as quickly as possible. However, as a liberal economist in the USA, Paul Krugman, says – we should be focusing on the dangers of unemployment and pulling away valuable fiscal measures.

Whilst many have been talking about the threat of inflation, which I have commented on in previous posts, there is also the threat of deflation. There is going to be a rather contradictory possible situation, where interest rates may be increased – especially when the central bank of the central banks, Bank for International Settlements, is arguing for interest rates to go up. As this is used to combat inflation and any increase in inflation is set to be mainly artificial (e.g VAT increase), the increased cutting of jobs resulting in high levels of unemployment will see people becoming less able to afford the increasing prices and therefore, deflation will be on the cards.

The national and international situation looks rather bleak. Hopefully we may see rationality prevail, but the capitalist ethos of the ‘need’ to cut now to scribble away digits from the deficit looks too strong, and dangerous.


Suggested Sunday reading (6/27/10)

Just a quick reminder, you can submit links for this column via e-mail at rosiered23 (at) sparecandy (dot) com, and you can catch up with Spare Candy on Twitter, Facebook or Tumblr as well. Or! Leave a link in the comments! Self-promotion is perfectly acceptable here.

Big news in Australia this week: Julia Gillard was sworn in as the new prime minister on June 24, the first woman to hold that position. (Australians, how do you feel about this? Would love to hear from people in the country.) Read more here, here and here, and check out this list ABC News put together of the first woman leaders of countries who have had them. Wonder when the United States will make the list ...

In other news:
  • Hello Ladies: "Al Gore Accused of Sexual Assault." Great take on the reactions to this story.
  • The Lady Doth Protest Too Much: "On being the feminist who can't take a joke." Some good points in the comments, too.
  • Yes Means Yes: "'Ugly': The Last Refuge Of The Lazy," addressing how feminists get labeled as being ugly, looks-wise.
  • San Francisco Chronicle: "The rise of hugely insufferable women." There is a LOT I agree with in this column. And it's an interesting companion piece to:
  • New York Times: "Now, Dad Feels as Stressed as Mom." Interesting stuff toward the end about perceptions.
  • No Homonationalism: "Judith Butler refuses Berlin Pride Civil Courage Prize 2010." Good for her.
  • The Guardian: "Suits you, madam! The clothes designed for butch lesbians," about Shaz Riley, who just launched the Butch Clothing Company.
  • Jezebel: "South Africa's Lesbian Soccer Team Has World Cup Fever." Great story, minus the way lesbians are treated there.
  • Change.org: "Subsidized Menstrual Pads: Good for Girls, Bad for the Planet." Interesting story.
  • Ms. blog: "Iran’s New Repression Tactic: Make Husbands Inform on Activist Wives."
  • Global Post: "Men join fight against domestic violence."
  • Womenstake.org: "Health Reform Status Check: Our New Patient’s Bill of Rights."
  • New York Times: "Hockey Hall of Fame Set to Induct Its First Two Women." Very cool.
  • Towelroad: "Chicago Blackhawks to March Stanley Cup in Gay Pride Parade." Also very cool. (The parade is today, by the way.)
  • Pandagon: "I’ll feign surprise and call that an altercation," about language the media uses in domestic violence coverage. Good read.
  • Gender Across Borders: "Victory for Trans People in Ireland," on getting accurate birth certificates.
  • Feministe: "on language, and body, and fear." It's about exactly what the title says.
  • New York Times: "No, Sexual Violence Is Not 'Cultural,'" about the Congo. This raises some good points.
  • Broadsheet: "Soccer player slaps female reporter." Secondary headline: "And FIFA does nothing -- not that we're surprised, given its track record on anti-female behavior."
  • CNN: "Burned girl a symbol of Roma hate and hope." If you're not aware, Roma are often referred to as gypsies.
  • A Continuous Lean: "WWII-Era WAVES in Chambray." WAVES is Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service, during World War II. The photos are fantastic.

Abortion/pregnancy:
  • BBC: "'More and more rules' on pregnancy," discussing how recommendations are often made with little evidence to back them up. Also check out The Curvature's post, "UK Health Group Wants to Test All Pregnant Women for Smoking."
  • Huffington Post: "Lawmakers Should Be at Least as Thoughtful About Abortion as Women Are." If only!
  • And speaking of, there's this story out of South Carolina: "Lawmakers say take 24 hours to think over an abortion."
  • Medical News Today: "Changes In Military Reproductive Health Policies Aim To Improve Access."
  • Ms. magazine: "Kentucky Supreme Court Rules Fetus Cannot Be Considered Separate Person." Good news from Kentucky, of all places.
  • Washington Post: "UK doctors: fetus can't feel pain before 24 weeks."
  • Claims Journal: "Louisiana Legislature: No Malpractice Coverage for Elective Abortions." Umm, what?

Film/pop culture
  • Nobody Passes, Darling: "Thoughts after a preview screening of 'We Were Here: Voices from the AIDS Years in San Francisco' (a work-in-progress)."
  • ABC: "Nurse in iconic 'Times Square Kiss' photo dies."
  • Bitch: "Snarky's Cinemachine: Dede Allen, The Coolest Woman in Film You've Never Heard Of!" In case you haven't actually heard of her.
  • Roger Ebert raves about Tilda Swinton and her latest film, called "I Am Love."
  • Sci Fi Wire: "X-Men producer begs DC Comics: Let me do Wonder Woman." That producer would be Lauren Shuler Donner.
  • Jezebel: "The Easy A Script Gives Us A Glimpse Into The Life Of Olive Penderghast." This makes me really want to see this movie.


Anti-Rape Condom Distributed at World Cup

What I’m about to say will fall into the “typical feminist buzzkill” stereotype– but, hey, it wouldn’t be the first time:

While most of you are undoubtedly watching the World Cup US v. Ghana game, think about the following: During one typical 90 minute game, 317 women in South Africa will be raped. It isn’t fun to think about, but one South African doctor is taking action against this sobering statistic. Sonette Ehlers has invented Rape-axe, a female condom-like device that painfully attaches itself to the perpetrator’s penis.

Rape-ax can be worn inconspicuously, but upon penetration, a man will experience teeth-like hooks that do not break the skin, but are very painful. Rape-axe can only be removed by a doctor, which Ehlers hopes will increase the sexual assault arrests in her country. Currently, only 7% of reported rapes result in a conviction in South Africa.

It’s an interesting idea, but there are two things that concern me:

  1. This is being marketed as an “anti-rape” condom, but the fact is, once the rapist becomes attached to the device, rape has already occurred. It may shorten the assault, but it certainly doesn’t prevent it.
  2. It’s generally considered fact that rape is about power and aggression, not sexual pleasure. If an already-aggressive rapist comes into contact with Rape-Axe, I don’t think it’s a stretch to assume he could become more violent. Amidst intense pain and a foiled assault, he could likely take his rage out on the victim. In this case, the attack has the potential to become more traumatizing, more deadly.

Perhaps if it were widely distributed, the condom could have a deterring effect. But I’d be cautious about predicting the positive effects of Rape-Axe thus far. Solving Africa’s sexual assault and HIV/AIDS crises isn’t going to be accomplished through a toothed condom, because it’s much too linked with social attitudes, corrupt legal systems, hypermasculinity and war. Still, in a country where women are resorting to inserting razor blades wrapped in sponges, maybe this device can empower some women to protect themselves in a safer way.


USA! USA!

Well played, boys. America. Fuck yeah.

United States goalkeeper Tim Howard reacts after making a save on a shot during the first half of a friendly soccer match against Brazil at Soldier Field on Sunday, Sept. 9, 2007, in Chicago. Brazil won, 4-2. (AP Photo/Jerry Lai)

Image of U.S. soccer player Landon Donovan, shirtless, holding an American flag