Though it isn’t a direct result of the gender debate that arose from the attempted rape charges lodged against Dominique Strauss-Kahn, a new campaign by French feminists does indicate they’re more determined than ever to remedy the habitual injustices France’s male-dominated society imposes upon them. As part of that, an …
Gender
At a Gala Dinner in China, Women Serve As Part of the Furniture
Because we are not limited, as Western men are, to business suits, women have greater discretion when it comes to semiformal attire. But it was only when I attended a World Economic Forum dinner in northeastern China that I discovered that the dress code for ladies extended to tablecloths. Dotted around the banquet hall in the …
The Paris Homecoming of Dominique “The Sphinx” Strauss-Kahn
Anyone who had been expecting any significant expression from former International Monetary chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn upon his return to Paris —whether contrite, embarrassed, indignant, or bristling with claims of innocence—wound up sadly disappointed Sunday. Just 11 days after all criminal charges against DSK for sexual …
The Dismissed DSK Case: Everyone’s A Loser
After a certain point, it was probably fated to be so. But less than 24 hours after a New York judge dismissed the criminal case against former International Monetary fund chief for sexual assault, it’s clear the outcome of the drama that mesmerized much of the world leaves everyone a loser. In the end, virtually everybody will …
Rape as a Weapon of War: Men Suffer, Too
It’s talked about in whispers, if at all. But men and boys are all-too frequently subjected to sexual violence, particularly in times of conflict, forced confinement or war. The problem is persistent and global. For the most part, though, nobody wants to talk about it. Over the last few months, however, a handful of reports from West …
New Revelations In France’s DSK Attempted Rape Case Get Surreal — And Really Icky
If New York prosecutors are feeling glum about the credibility concerns about their victim in the Dominique Strauss-Kahn sexual assault case, they might want to cast a glance at a similar attempted rape inquiry in Paris. Because even if the flurry of follies that have suddenly begun swirling around that French investigation won’t …
The Saga of Bibi Aisha Is a Reminder of What We Owe Afghanistan, and What It Owes to Itself
The revelation that the only man ever arrested in connection to the brutal maiming of Afghan teen Bibi Aisha has been set freea mere six months after being taken into custody should not come as a surprise. Dismay and frustration, to be sure. But given the current state of justice in Afghanistan, not to mention official disregard …
A Powerhouse Province Wants to Relax China’s One-Child Policy—But Don’t Bet on a Baby Boom
China’s richest and most populous province, Guangdong, has reportedly asked Beijing for permission to relax the one-child policy. Yesterday, Zhang Feng, the head of its population commission, revealed that the province is pitching a pilot project that would allow some families to have two children, reports the BBC. Under the …
City of Women: No Men Allowed in Saudi Arabia’s Newest University
Saudi Arabia’s largest university for women is, for the moment, a universe of men. Laborers from Pakistan, India, and Syria crawl over the near-finished classrooms and lecture halls, polishing marble and fine tuning light fixtures. In the state-of-the-art library, technicians from Lebanon are putting the final touches on a vast …
Gender Justice: Is Bangladesh Ignoring ‘Fatwa’ Violence Against Women?
Sometimes, the law isn’t enough. It certainly wasn’t enough for Hena Akhter, the Bangladeshi girl whipped to death in January. After surviving rape, Hena, 14, was labelled an adulteress and sentenced, by local elders and clerics, to 10o lashes. “She couldn’t speak or eat afterwards, and she was bleeding through her nose, ears and …
What Tristane Banon’s Novels Tell Us About DSK’s French Accuser
As the battle between New York prosecutors and Dominique Strauss-Kahn continues to disintegrate into what increasingly looks like a legal paintball war using bazookas and rotten fruit (seemingly paralyzing hits of semi-gelatinous melon and fungoid kumquat being regularly scored by both sides), the French are taking closer look at the …
Clashing Op-eds: Recommended (Perhaps Even Required) DSK Reading
Well-deserved props to both the New York Times and Washington Post (What? I can do more than criticize!) , whose op-ed writers today contributed interesting observations and arguments about where the Dominique Strauss-Kahn sexual assault case should go from here—and how the next steps taken in it will reflect upon the American …
As One Alleged Strauss-Kahn Rape Case Cools Off, Another Heats Up
The legal travails of Dominique Strauss-Kahn seem to get messier as the days go by. As noted in our story yesterday, even as Strauss-Kahn’s troubles in New York seem to have dissipated with the prosecution’s case against him appearing to crumble, new charges of criminal sexual misconduct have surfaced back in Paris. On Tuesday, …