“Women are being beaten and humiliated in the same streets where they risked their lives for the revolution only a few short months ago,” America’s top diplomat said in a speech at Washington’s Georgetown University on Monday.

“This systematic degradation of Egyptian women dishonours the revolution, disgraces the state and its uniform and is not worthy of a great people.”

“Women protesters have been rounded up and subjected to horrific abuse. Journalists have been sexually assaulted. And now, women are being attacked, stripped, and beaten in the streets,” she added.

10,000 Eqyptian Women in Tahrir Square

Large crowds of female activists — as many as 10,000 across ages, class and religious backgrounds have turned out today in Tahrir Square to denounce attacks on women by the Egyptian military. The women chanted that Egypt’s head of the military, Field Marshall Tantawi, was a coward and that the women of Egypt would not be humiliated.

“The reason for the protest is the picture and the video that was published by news services around the world, and it showed us to what extent the military council has no qualms about trampling on the women of Egypt and the girls of Egypt, and has no qualms about beating them up and stripping them naked,” Islama Thabet told the Reuters news agency.

Raw footage of Egyptian Women Protestors

Al Jazeera Reporting on Tuesday, Dec 21 Protest

From Eve Sussman’s film ‘The Rape of the Sabine Women’Eve Ensler

I am over starving Somalian women being raped at the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya, and I am over women getting raped at Occupy Wall Street and being quiet about it because they were protecting a movement which is fighting to end the pillaging and raping of the economy and the earth, as if the rape of their bodies was something separate.

I am over women still being silent about rape, because they are made to believe it’s their fault or they did something to make it happen.

I am over violence against women not being a #1 international priority when one out of three women will be raped or beaten in her lifetime — the destruction and muting and undermining of women is the destruction of life itself.

I am over rape culture, rape mentality, rape pages on Facebook.

I am over the thousands of people who signed those pages with their real names without shame.

I am over people demanding their right to rape pages, and calling it freedom of speech or justifying it as a joke.

Pro Rape Facebook Pages Up for 2 Months; Breast Cancer Art Photos Down in 24 Hours

As Michael D Colanero posted on my FB wall, “It took facebook 186 THOUSAND SIGNATURES and TWO MONTHS to remove PRO-RAPE group pages - yet survivor images in the Breast Cancer Awareness Body Painting Project (BCABPP) were deleted less then 24 hours after being posted… SERIOUSLY WTF!!!!”

Friedrich Christoph Steinhammer’s ‘The Rape of the Sabine Women’

Kristoff in Brothel Raid in Cambodia

Nicholas Kristoff is in Anlong Veng, Cambodia today, writing Fighting Back, One Brothel Raid at a Time, focused on a true hero Somaly Mam. Originally sold as a child to a Cambodian brothel, Somaly eventually escaped and reinvented herself as an anti-trafficking activist. Mostly American supporters fund her Somaly Mam Foundation.

A U.N. agency estimates that more than 12 million people are engaged in forced labor, including sexual servitude. Another U.N. report has estimated that in Asia alone, “one million children are involved in the sex trade under conditions that are indistinguishable from slavery.”

During a raid on a brothel in Anlong Veng, Cambodia, a Vietnamese social worker reassures several girls who have just been rescued. The girl in the center was a Vietnamese seventh grader who had been trafficked into Cambodia a few months earlier. The social worker herself was rescued from a brothel years ago. Image by Nicolas KristoffIn the car with Somaly, Kristof reports being damn nervous and for good reason. Not only have brothel-owners sent death threats, held a gun to her head and shot up her car.  The sex traffickers kidnapped her 14-year-old daughter and gang-raped her with a video camera rolling. Her daughter was recovered in a brothel, but both women remain close and determined to wage this war. Join Somaly and Kristoff in their brothel raid.

Tostan team members outside of the CCDD Training Center in Thies, Senegal

While American women watch their reproductive rights being attacked and eroded - the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR385 last Saturday adding insult to injury of other offenses and set backs to women’s and human rights that have been bogging down our political system since the last election period  - it is a pleasure to see a program that speaks to subjects such as female genital cutting (FGC) with grace, respect and real results.

FGC is a heavy subject with engrained cultural beliefs driving its perpetuation. The Tostan story also has components of hope, beauty, and community spirit in shared human rights compassions. Watch related video at end of post.

Tostan addresses the issue of FGC along with child/forced marriages, family planning (child spacing), and education in other areas of women’s health and human rights empowerment for African communities with greater success than government sponsored initiatives because it addresses the need for collective reasoning inclusive of all members of a village with the committment to continue to inform and educate their neighbors. The educational program must include women, children, men and top level elders, who are most often the village Imans, Islamic worship leaders.

A Compassionate History l Culture and The Tostan Initiative

Tostan, in Sengali’s dominant West African Wolof language, translates to ‘breakthrough’ and the non-profit, founded in 1991 by Molly Melching has indeed been a breakthrough project. 

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2011 is to be divided in three equal parts between Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work. We cannot achieve democracy and lasting peace in the world unless women obtain the same opportunities as men to influence developments at all levels of society.

Acknowledging the role of women in world wide peace processes, the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize Committee has indeed made a powerful statement in support of peaceful activism, women’s rights and the absolute need for leadership presence and influence of women in today’s global arena.

While African and Middle Eastern countries struggle with tremendous abuses and challenges of civil and political rights, three outstanding women have been awarded the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize.

From Liberia, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and activist Leymah Gbowee, who heads the Women Peace and Security network, will share the almost 1.5 million award with Yemen activist and leader of the human rights advocacy group Women Journalists Without Chains, Tawakkul Karman.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

President Johnson Sirleaf, the only woman head of state elected through democratic process in all of Africa, has held her position since 2006 and is running for re-election this month. After two civil wars that lasted over two decades ended in 2003 a democratic leadership has been uneasily kept in the presence of U.N. peacekeeping forces.

Sirleaf, 72, married at 17, traveled to the U.S. with her husband and holds an economics degree from Harvard. She has held positions at the World Bank, served as Minister of Finance in Liberia until the military coup in 1980, then prominate positions at private institutions until she first ran for president in 1997. She then held positions at the United nations until winning the Presidential election in 2005. Sirleaf has been awarded over a dozen humanitarian and academic awards and honorary degrees.

Leyman Gbowee

Leymah Gbowee was instrumental in bringing an end to the second civil war in Liberia by organizing women of Christian and Muslim faiths to pray, sing and peacefully demonstrate together through sit-ins and daily marches. Additionally, the women arranged sex strikes to get husbands to support their peaceful movement - refusing sex until the fighting subsided proved to be a useful means to the end. The group was also successful in getting then President Charles Taylor to participate in peace talks and negotiate with rebel forces. Trained as a trauma counselor in Virginia and a mother of six, Gbowee counseled child soldiers who had been trained to fight and kill in Taylor’s Liberian army and became convinced that it would be up to mothers to make a difference. “With your society as upside down - we turned it upright!” Thousands of women wearing white shirts are still petitioning successfully to other African governments for peace. Now based in Ghana, Gbowee is general director for Women Peace and Security Network Africa.

Tawakkul Karman

Kenyan environmentalist and 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai died late Sunday from cancer. At 71, Mrs Maathaid was one of the most widely respected women in Africa, wearing many hats as an environmentalist, feminist, politician, rabble-rouser, human rights advocate and head of the Green Belt Movement.

Wangari Maathai was awarded the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize

Born into a progressive-thinking family near Nyeri, in the Central Highlands of Kenya, Wangari Maathal attended Loreto Girls’ High School in 1959, at a time when the majority of girls in Kenya were not educated. Her elder brother Nderitu insisted that she become an exception.

Upon graduation, the young woman became part of the “Kennedy airlift,” a scholarship program of the U.S. government and the Kennedy family that took her to Mount St. Scholastica (now Benedictine College) in Atchison, Kansas, where she completed a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences. writes Green Belt

Not at stake is the Danish acceptance of strong social welfare through high taxes. The parliamentary party differences lie in the protection and implementation of financing the system during uncertain global economic times.

The Guardian UK reports, “Analysts said that in a society that prizes consensus, major changes in key policy areas were unlikely. But with economic stagnation and a rising budget deficit dominating the campaign, the outgoing government promised spending cuts while Thorning-Schmidt argued for more investment in education, welfare, and infrastructure.

Shattered: Human rights investigators interviewed survivors of the siege of Misrata and revealed widespread war crimes by Gaddafi’s men.

The crime emerged from the June interviews conducted around human rights abuses in Libya. The report issued by PHR said that the three girls returned to their family in late April, telling their father that they had been raped in the Alwadi Alahdar elementary school for three consecutive days.

In response, the father slit each of his daughters’ throats with a knife that very day, killing them. Another long-time Tomina resident and mother of three corroborated these ‘honor killings’ to the PHR team.

The report continues with PHR reporting that one obstetrician/gynecologist saying that Libyan women won’t go to the gynecologist after being raped. Another informant interviewed said: ‘If Qaddafi destroys a building, it can be rebuilt. But when Qaddafi rapes a woman, the whole community is destroyed forever. He know this, and so rape is his best weapon.’ The informant said ‘I’d prefer to die if that happened to my wife.’

Gaddafi Maid Suffering from Burns

Burned Gadhafi family nanny being treated in Tripoli CNN

Shweyga Mullah was discovered and interviewed by CNN, then hospitalized in Tripoli for terrible burns she says came when she refused to beat Aline Skaf Gadhafi’s small child, who was crying for an extended time. Mullah was the Ethiopian nanny to Hannibal and Aline Gadhafi’s young son and daughter for the past year.

Evangelical Optimism Global North and South

Global Survey of Evangelical Protestant Leaders Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life

Yesterday we expressed grave concerns about the impact of a particularly virulent form of evangelicalism in America, a vision supported by Texas Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry.

Not only has Perry proposed that Texas succeed from America (a vision we endorse) but that America become a theocracy, much like Iran. Read Hear This Rick Perry, If Oprah Is a Harlot, I Am a Harlot, Too.

This new in-depth report on global evangelicalism is also very concerning, given our focus on improving the lives of the world’s women.  Like Catholicism as expressed by Pope Benedict, global evangelicals do not believe in the advancement of women, except within proscribed roles of submission to male governing authorities.

All women are subordinate to men, according to 79% of global evangelical leaders who agree with the Vatican on the role of women. We are subordinate helpmates, charged with childrearing and maintaining the home, under his guidance.

We are not viewed as both mothers and political leaders committed to the advancement of women worldwide. The latter is men’s work, and evangelical leaders are not committed to the advancement of women, which goes against the core of their patriarchal principles.

It’s not our claim that these religions do nothing for women. The Vatican does invest in treating women with AIDS, but they do not allow her a condom to protect herself from getting AIDS in the first place. Our point is that women’s rights will always be subordinated to the religious belief that men are in charge.

Sexual Harassment File: Sex education as remedy Al-Masry Al-Youm

Photographed by Ahmed AlmasryEgyptian feminists are working to reinstate the October 2010 Ministry of Education decision that removed sex education curriculums from the classroom, replacing them with class discussion topics.

The surprising move triggered violent reactions from professionals and activists. Non-governmental organizations (NGO), such as the New Woman Foundation and the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights, raised their voices in protest.

Egyptian feminists reject the idea that mothers are better in conveying knowledge to their daughters. In an interview with Al Jazeera English in 2007, psychologist and sex therapist Abier Al-Barbary explained, “I think we do not really get that much information from mums. Unfortunately we are dealing with several generations passing down their own discomfort with sex.”

Hela Kotb’s “Kalam Kebier” (Serious Talk) arrived on Egyptian TV in 2006 as the first Arabic-speaking talk show on sexual subjects.

As for sexual harassment, which is a huge problem in Egypt, the feminist activist explains. “It is part of the social and psychological aspects of sexuality, two aspects that are often neglected in Egypt. I link it to the role of perceptions within the framework of patriarchy. In short, men are empowered and believe they have the authority to act as they please toward women.”

Last week 15 feminist associations called for women’s rights to be guaranteed in the new constitution. The groups also requested the establishment of a women’s quota in parliament and at a local level. Ensuring prosecution for sexual harassment is another goal.

“Sexual harassment is definitely an issue that post-revolutionary governments will have to face, whoever they are,” concludes Ebeid. “On the road to change, enhancing sex education will be a cornerstone.”

More Women of Egypt link

Dan Eldon & Somalia in Crisis

By Dan EldonHarry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe has famously said ‘no more action films’ after ending his role as ‘boy wizzard’.

In February 2011, Radcliffe will star in the Broadway revival of “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.” Next, he will play a young lawyer named Arthur Kipps in the ghost story “The Woman in Black”.

Radcliffe’s most important role for us will be playing Dan Eldon in the upcoming movie “The Journey is the Destination.”  Among the spirits that loom large at Anne of Carversville, Eldon’s is unusually strong — probably the strongest male spirit on the website.

By Dan Eldon

Dan Eldon: Safari As a Way of Life

AOC has previously covered the 2008 study by the Egyptian Center for Women’s Rights in which 83 perent of Egyptian women reported sexual harassment and 62 percent of Egyptian men agreed that they had sexually harassed women.

Today’s NYTimes puts a human face on the problem. We tell Warda’s story on our Front Page Daily News blog. Here is Cairo law student Heba Habib’s story:

“Every day, dirty comments, the grabbing when you ride on the bus.”

Once, she said, a cab driver started recounting his sexual fantasies. “I was so ashamed and tried to overcome it by laughing,” the 22-year-old said, flicking her long dark hair behind her left ear. “When I got out of the car and wanted to pay him, I saw that his pants were down and he had been masturbating.”

She threw his fare on the seat and left. “You feel every day less and less like a human being.”

Molly Jong-Fast Says World’s Women Aren’t Oppressed, Feminism Is a Luxury Problem AOC Sexual Politics

EJ: But why is it that feminism is always considered a luxury problem?

MJF: I mean, I think we’ve gotten far enough. We’re not that oppressed.

Trying to channel our anger at Molly Jong-Fast for her comments about feminism in the 21st century, we will now call out individual women’s real stories & statistics as they hit the news wires.

Erica Jong created an international context around her discussion of feminism’s challenges. Molly is answering about the lives of women globally, leaving us speechless over her words.

Deepika Thathaal | Memini

Memini brings dignity to victims of honor-violence Women News Network

Launched in April 2011 a new website called Memini, which means ‘remembrance’ in Latin, gives a digital memorial to the victims of honor crimes worldwide, outlines the lives of women who have been murdered through honour violence.

Created by award-winning Norwegian filmmaker, composer and celebrity pop singer Deepika Thathaal known as Deeyah by her fans, the Memini site brings an unforgettable look at the haunting faces of honor violence. Deeyah was born in Norway of Pakistani and Afghan parents.

A classically trained singer, Deeyah left her burgeoning pop music career because of harassment and disapproval from hardline Islamic groups. She lived in the US and England but the threats against her and her family followed her.  Today Deeyah is associated with Freemuse | The World Forum on Music and Censorship.

In support of Memini, we will call out and honour the women who have lost their lives as victims of murder to restore family prestige and order.

Memini Honour Killing | Noor Faleh Almaleki 20, USA see Memini

Noor and her family had moved from Iraq to the US and settled in suburban Phoenix in 1990’s. When Noor made the decision to live with her boyfriend and his mother, instead of conform to her family’s pressure for arranged marriage, tensions arose between her father Faleh Hassan Almaleki and Noor. On October 20, 2009 in an Arizona parking lot Noor’s father attempted to run over his daughter and the mother of her boyfriend Amal Edan Khalaf, 43, with his 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Noor spent two weeks in coma fighting for her life, but died as a result of the injuries she suffered.

Rumana Manzur

UBC Student Blind After Bangladesh Attack CBC News

Rumana Manzur — who was at University of British Columbia pursuing a master’s degree in political science and is a professor in Dhaka, the Bangladeshi capital — was allegedly brutalized and blinded by her husband earlier this month.

Manzur returned to Bangladesh to visit her five-year-old daughter and husband. Manzur says her husband ‘pinned her to a bed in a jealous rage, gouged her eyes out with his fingers and bit off part of her nose.’

30,000 Global Supporters Sign Petitions to Subaru

Saudi Women Call on ‘Progressive’ Subaru to Leave Kingdom Over Driving Ban Bloomberg

Put ‘Subaru’ in Google news and the top story is the car maker’s record-setting Isle of Man TT run.  That setting is Ireland. Further south, the desert sands of Saudi Arabia are heating up for Subaru and perhaps other car makers, too.

In the #2 spot and #3 is the petition signed by 30,000 global activists as of yesterday morning and led by Saudi Women for Driving. We have signed the petition and Anne is promoting it on Facebook.

Checking in just now, the group is printing bumper stickers to put on cars in Saudi Arabia and around the world

First lady Michelle Obama does push ups with Archbishop Desmond Tutu as they participated in youth activities raising awareness for HIV prevention at Cape Town Stadium June 23, 2011. Image via AP.@Jezebel.com

Did we mention that Smart Sensuality women have a sense of humor and know how to handle the Boys Club? One look at Michelle Obama above, and we rest our case.

First Lady MIchelle Obama, Shakira and Angelina Jolie have all figured prominently in our websites.

Anne created AnneofCarversville.com after reading Angelina Jolie’s July 2007 Esquire interview. See Smart Sensuality Angelina Jolie: Virtue Considered in Carversville’s Country Air.  Shakira became Anne’s muse in June of 2009 with Shakira, a Smart Sensuality Activist, Takes Me Back to Colombia, Where My Life Journey Really Began.

Anne campaigned for Hillary Clinton but loves Michelle Obama to death, like most of America and nations around the world.  We don’t use the word ‘muse’ loosely, and we have only a few. Add Madonna, who is also a cornerstone of Anne of Carversville.

Girls and Boys Clubs

We’re tracking the Boys Club most days now. It’s time to throw in the Girls Club, too.

Not to worry; we’re not going to gender war here. This is a love fest, based on our belief that Smart Sensuality women have a great balance of estrogen and testosterone and represent the ONLY possibility for getting us into the 22nd century, without blowing ourselves to bits. Let’s hit the road.

Michelle Obama

U.S. first lady Michelle Obama, her mother Marian Robinson, daughters Malia (2nd L) and Sasha (3rd L), nephew Avery Robinson (4th L), and niece Leslie Robinson dance with children and caretakers as they visit the Emthonjeni Community Center in Zandspruit Township, Johannesburg, June 21, 2011.

Beyond the Veil| Tova Hartman is a 53-year old psychologist and Jewish scholar, an Orthodox Jewish woman mounting her own challenge to the religious patriarchy, writes Kevin Douglas Grant for the Religion News Service.

“Shira Hadasha came about after trying to change a lot of the local shuls and not succeeding,” she said, using the Yiddish word for synagogue. “We understand and accept that our agenda does not resonate yet with modern Orthodox establishment shuls and that’s OK. They don’t want to change, and they don’t have to.”

Women and men continue the traditional practice of being divided in Shira Hadasha but the Torah sits in the middle, making it equally accessible to both genders.