What Makes People Tick?

 Have you ever met a woman who has never, not once in her life, had to deal with sexism? If you have, I congratulate you. I've never met one. Sexism, as the definitions below show, is when a person is treated a certain way or discriminated against based on their gender. The term is often used to refer to discrimination or prejudice against/about women, however can be applied to men equally. Every woman will have a different view of what words, actions or behaviour she sees as sexist. Two women, two people, might see an action or event differently, based on their life's experiences and their own frame of reference. What one might see or experience as sexism might just be a joke to another, might be a throw-away comment, or might be something that barely registers.  SEXISM: "Prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination,  typically against women, on the basis of  sex: 'sexism in language is an offensive  reminder of the way the culture sees women' ...

Me Too? Yes. Me Too. #MeToo It's something I don't talk about all that much unless there's a reason to. Partly because it can make me feel weak to admit it. Partly because I'd much rather forget. Partly because society tells us not to make a big deal out of nothing. Partly because I just want to keep going instead of crying or feeling sorry for myself. Partly because being harassed is something so terribly common that we've just accepted it as something to grin and bear, like crying babies on the bus or people loudly yelling into their phones on the metro or intimidating groups of teens on the train. But yes. Me too. Yes I've been harassed. Yes, I've been hassled. Yes, I've had strangers grab different parts of my body while walking down the street. Yes, I've been insulted and assaulted. Yes I've been objectified. Yes I've been told I'm a stuck up bitch because I wanted to enjoy the live music at a pub instead of being chatted up b...

Mary of Magdala, or Mary Magdalene, is possibly one of history's most misunderstood women. A follower of Jesus, she is mentioned in the Christian Bible a number of times. Many think of her as a whore or a prostitute, despite the fact that she isn't actually called anything like that. Ever. I recently came across an article that described the Gospel of Mary Magdalene and was fascinated by what I read. Having read it, now it's time to share it with others. In the age of #YesAllWomen and #MeToo, I believe that it is important to look at how women are portrayed today, and how they were portrayed in the past. Mary, the Magdalene, is a woman branded by history as something she probably wasn't at all - a prostitute, an 'easy' woman, a whore as modern-day people might describe her. Yet upon reading the Gospel of Mary Magdalene , one's views may change, if only a little. While it's never been an official or unofficial gospel, the fragmented pieces of writing ...

The Rock Test: A Hack for Men Who Don’t Want To Be Accused of Sexual Harassment You've probably heard of it and if not, this is your chance to read about it. Because yes, this deserves attention and yes, speaking as a female who's been harassed, felt up, assaulted, insulted and more, this approach is perfect.  "While navigating professional relationships can often require that dreaded thing known as “any amount of work at all”, there is hope. You see, by following this one simple rule, you too can interact with women as people. It’s as clear cut as this: Treat all women like you would treat Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. I know, this sounds weird, but trust me, this is a visualization exercise that will work wonders in your dealings with the women in your workplace. When a woman approaches you, just replace her in your mind with The Rock. Then, behave accordingly." Source: The Rock Test: A Hack for Men Who Don't Want To Be Accused of Sexual Harassment |...

Dear male readers, you might want to skip this article. Then again, you might not. After all, it's only an article about something that happens to all women - including your mother,  sister, wife, cousin, neighbour, colleague, daughter and oh, just about every other woman the world over. The Huffington Post writes a very interesting article about the Pink Tax - what it costs the world's women to menstruate for much of their life. According to the article: "On average, a woman has her period from three to seven days and the average woman menstruates from age 13 until age 51. That means the average woman endures some 456 total periods over 38 years, or roughly 2,280 days with her period -- 6.25 years of her life." Source: Here's How Much A Woman's Period Will Cost Her Over A Lifetime | The Huffington Post | 18 May 2015 The Huffington Post article focuses on the cost of periods with regards to money, however I would like to write about the way soc...

Some quotes by the amazing and inspiring Yoko Ono. Dear Yoko,  You make me want to be a better person.  Thank you for being you. “War is over if you want it.” “ You change the world by being yourself.” “A dream you dream alone is only a dream.  A dream you dream together is reality.” “Remember, each one of us has the power to change the world.  Just start thinking peace, and the message will spread quicker than you think.”

Why is it that some men seem to think it is necessary to treat women as nothing more than 'a piece of ass' or as 'eye-candy'? I understand that as human beings with eyes, we look around us and at others while walking around - most people don't like walking into other people, buildings or parked cars, after all - however does it really need to be accompanied by cat-calls, whistles, groping and lewd comments? Will there ever be a time when women are appreciated as they are and for who they are as human beings? Women are not food, gadgets, mannequins or toys - we make up half the population of the world and are simply just as human as any male. Whatever your religious background or view on a woman's proper place or role - surely it is possible to treat all women as if they are your mothers, sisters and daughters?

Earlier this month, a Turkish young woman was brutally murdered after resisting assault and rape by a stranger. A 20-year old university student on her way home to her family, Özgecan Aslan was aware of the dangers all women face in a world in which men live - she carried pepper spray and she knew to fight back to defend herself - yet also determined to get an education and live her life without fear of other human beings. The burned body of Aslan, who had been missing for two days, was discovered on Feb. 13 in a riverbed in Tarsus in the southern province of Mersin. Ahmet Suphi Altındöken, the 26-year-old bus driver, confessed in a testimony to the prosecutor that he stabbed Aslan to death before cutting off her hands and burning her body. The court arrested Altındöken, while his 50-year-old father, Necmettin Altındöken, and 20-year-old friend, Fatih Gökçe, have also been arrested on charges of being accomplices to the murder.    Turkish women changing names to escape v...

The more things change... The more I hope they change even more! Saudi Arabia grants women right to drive – but with some bizarre conditions http://t.co/jprfDwIZPM pic.twitter.com/M7LED1uJrd — RT (@RT_com) November 8, 2014 I'm one of those people who doesn't drive. Not because I can't or believe I shouldn't, but because I don't want to. I walk, I bike, I take public transport and feel good about doing so, about using environmentally friendlier modes of transport than using a car to get just me from A to B. Driving is not usually necessary where I live as public transport runs on a regular schedule and can get me most places. Sometimes though, especially after being harassed on the bus or tssssk-ed at while waiting for the train or ogled while on the tram or followed home from the metro,  I wish I did drive. I do not ask to be harassed. I do nothing to suggest I might want strangers to approach me. I wear a ring around a significant finger to show that ...

"Surveys suggest that as few as    one in 10 cases [of rape] are ever    reported to the police in many countries" Top 5 Countries with the Highest Rates of Rape  The International Business Times (UK), January 2014 The Times of India reports in a July 2014 article that "If one goes by the latest statistics of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), every day 93 women are being raped in the country." The article explains that the total number of reported rape cases in India has gone up. In 2012, a total of 24,923 rapes were reported while in 2013 the total number came to 33,707. This means that more women are coming forward and filing reports; more women are speaking up about what is being done to them. I can only hope the trend continues, and 2014 will see even more reports.  Wikipedia's article Rape in India puts the above numbers into perspective. Looking at the same data, the article explains that "24,923 rape cases were reported a...

ISIS, Hamas, Al-Qaeda, the Taliban, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, the Muslim Brotherhood, Boko Haram, the al-Nusra front... No doubt there are groups just as bloodthirsty that are not on this list because I can't think of them off the top of my head. These are all names of organisations I wish I'd never heard of. Because these names belong to terrorist groups that seem to find it necessary to kill, hurt, harm and maim; to execute people, to enslave and rape women, to terrorise and kill and cause destruction in an effort to further their own cause.  The cause they are attempting to further (to impose / to enforce) is Islam. Or rather - their own radical and violent interpretation of Islam with current actions seemingly geared entirely toward the spread of (their version of) Islam through any means. While I am a student of the world's peoples and religions and consider myself someone who attempts to walk in another's shoes to understand them and learn what it'...

The Daily Mail reports that more than half of British women hate their bikini body so much they'd rather stay home than go on a summer holiday. Listing a stunning amount of figures, the article explains in percentages exactly what parts of their bodies women are most unhappy with. Tummies, muffin tops, breasts, hips, thighs... It seems that British women really don't like any part of their body when coupled with a bikini. The study asked a 1000 women a series of questions which resulted in some very interesting figures. For instance: * 53% of women admit they hate the sight of themselves in a swimsuit so much that they would rather miss out on a sunshine break than strip off  * Just 1% claim to have no beach hang-ups at all Source:  British women hate their bikini body so much they'd rather stay home , The Daily Mail Online Am I the only one asking WHY for crying out loud women in Britain and the world over are buying into this idea that we need to "look go...

Source : BBC News   Only minutes after writing about how the #YesAllWomen hash-tag is sweeping the world, I came across an article from Al Jazeera. According to the article, two teenage girls were found hanging from a tree after being GANG-RAPED BY FIVE MEN in India's Uttar Pradesh state. A quote from the article: "Records show a rape is committed every 22 minutes across the country of 1.2 billion people, though activists say that number is low because many victims are reluctant to come forward." Source : Indian girls found hanging after gang-rape , Al Jazeera English EVERY 22 MINUTES. How? Why? In what twisted, ridiculous world are numbers like that even reality? In what world are human beings treated as nothing but objects by other human beings? Rape is one of the most vile, inhuman things that one human being can do to another. I can't begin to find the words to express my utter disgust when I read this, when I try to think of the incredible unfairness of ...

Twitter 29-05-2014, 14:24 CET While I try to stay (reasonably) up-to-date with current affairs in order to write about developments I find interesting, sometimes Life Intrudes and reading the newspaper or watching the news really is the last thing on your mind. Often when Life Intrudes in this way, developments surprise me. This is exactly what happened with the #YesAllWomen (Yes All Women) hash-tag action currently sweeping Social Media. The screen capture on the right was taken only a few minutes ago. New Tweets keep appearing fast and it seems like the #YesAllWomen hash-tag is shaking up the world. And rightly so, because the way some men continue to objectify and mistreat women is simply unacceptable. The Guardian explains how #YesAllWomen came to be: "In the days since Elliot Rodger murdered six people in Isla Vista, California, citing hatred of women and sexual rejection as the reason for his rampage, women across the world have come out en masse to share their st...

Source : Pew Research Center Sometimes you need to read the numbers and see the statistics to understand just how often something happens. Take harassment or discrimination based on one's religion, for example. Pew Research reports that in Europe, 51% of Christians, 69% of Jews and 71% of Muslims face harassment. In other parts of the world, the numbers are just as shocking. Take the Middle East and North Africa where 65% of Christians, 70% of Jews and 75% of Muslims face religious harassment. "In nearly three out of every four countries of the world, religious groups experience harassment by individuals or groups in society. The harassment and intimidation take many forms, including physical or verbal assaults; desecration of holy sites; and discrimination against religious groups in employment, education and housing." Source : Social Harassment of Religious Groups , Pew Research Center

Headscarves, hijabs, chadors, niqabs, burkas, you name it - In the West they're a hot topic representing freedom and faith to some while they're seen as a sign of oppression by others. In the Middle East they're everywhere, it seems. Covering the body in proper Islamic fashion is mandatory in countries like Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and Iran. Interpretations vary across the board, however roughly speaking this means that women wear loose-fitting non-see through clothing with only hands and face showing (some include feet, some don't) and the neck, head and hair covered. Some Iranian women have recently turned to Facebook to express their dissatisfaction with the mandatory head- and hair covering. A Facebook post by Iranian journalist Masih Alinejad started the movement, as reported by Vocativ (found through George Takei 's Facebook page ) which has attracted quite a following and a lot of talk since. Iranian women are posting photos of themselves with uncovered h...

Buzzfeed reports that Vagenda Magazine recently asked their Twitter followers to edit headlines featuring famous women in an effort to 'normalise' the scene and provide comments of a less 'snarky' nature. Check out all 13 Snarky News Headlines by following the link. Here's my favourite to give you a preview of the wonderful job Vagenda Magazine 's Twitter followers did! Source : 13 Snarky News Headlines , Buzzfeed Isn't it amazing to see how much of a difference a few words make!

Source: Countries with Sharia Rule Intellectual Takeout The Sultanate of Brunei is a tiny oil-rich country in East Asia with a population of about 440,000 people. Roughly seventy percent of it's inhabitants are Muslim. Brunei's ruler announced in 2013 that the country would be gradually adopting Sharia law. Sharia is the Islamic code of law based on the social and religious rules as laid out in the Muslim holy book, the Koran (Qur'an). CNN reports that during a ceremony last week "the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanel Bolkiah, announced the commencement of the first phase of the sharia-based penal code, according to the government's official website."

Source : The Economist Known as Barbie to the world, her full name is Barbara Millicent Roberts. She was patented in 1958 by Mattel and introduced to the world in 1959. Her creator Ruth Handler (co-founder of Mattel) named Barbie and Barbie's boyfriend Ken after her and husband Elliot Handler's own children Barbie and Ken. Read more about the history of Barbie and Mattel at the Barbie Media website. She is one of the world's best-known children's toys, a fashion icon, a family-loving, friendly, free woman and ultimately - a plastic doll. Yet this plastic doll has inspired millions of girls and women and is the cornerstone of a global brand with worldwide appeal.

Sad but true. Both men and women the world over label and judge others based on how they look, what they wear and how they choose to express themselves.  A recently published study by the Brazilian Institute for Applied Economics ( IPEA ) shows that a stunning 65% of respondents found that a woman who dressed provocatively deserved to be attacked or raped .  "Earlier this week, a study was released that said a startling 65.1 percent of Brazilians either partially or wholly believe that "if dressed provocatively, women deserve to be attacked and raped." In addition, the study revealed a 58.5 percent complacency with the belief that "if women knew how to behave, there would be less rape." ~ Huffington Post