Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Newsday Tuesday: June 23 Edition

Welcome back for the hard hitting feminist news for the week of June 16 through June 23.


This week, we have officially welcomed the start of Summer (on Sunday, June 21), also known as the Summer Solstice, which is the longest day of the year. Let's find out what has been going on elsewhere in the country and around the globe.


Big news in the feminist world was the election of the new NOW president, Terry O'Neill. It was a tight race between O'Neill and opponent Latifa Lyles, who is the current NOW Membership Vice President. O'Neill will be replacing NOW president Kim Gandy, who has served in this position for the last 8 years.

Global ElectionsUS Politics
  • On Wednesday, President Obama signed a presidential memorandum expanding benefits to same-sex partners of federal workers. This would allow civil service employees to take leave to tend to sick partners, add them to a long-term care program, and including the partners of Foreign Service workers in housing assignments and medical evaluations. However, the memorandum has come under some scrutiny for being limited in the benefits that it guarantees.
Global Violence Against Women
  • South Africa - According to a survey by the Medical Research Foundation (MRC), one in four men in South Africa have admitted to committing rape. There were 1,738 respondents to the survey and almost half claim that they have assaulted more than one individual. The study also found that men who commit violence against women are less likely to use condoms and are twice as likely to be HIV-positive.
Enjoy the start to your summer everyone! Time to grab that sunscreen and your favorite book and head outside to enjoy the beautiful weather. Not sure what to read? The Feminist Campus website has a great list of some fabulous summer reading.

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