Brief note on the politology of a Catholic discourse
by Massimo Prearo* That words such as “revolution”, “change” or “turn” can be attributed to a religious institution like the Catholic Church, or to the words of a pope, says a lot, in my opinion, about the difficulty of placing the politics of gender, sexuality and family in a long-term perspective. This is especially the […]
Read moreAmnesty International’s Updated Abortion Policy: FAQs
We have updated our position to align with evolving international human rights law and standards, to make it as inclusive as possible, and to ensure it addresses the full range of barriers that impede access to safe abortion and the full range of human rights violations due to criminalization of abortion.
Read moreJudith Butler on the culture wars, JK Rowling and living in “anti-intellectual times”
Thirty years ago, the philosopher Judith Butler*, now 64, published a book that revolutionised popular attitudes on gender. Gender Trouble, the work she is perhaps best known for, introduced ideas of gender as performance. It asked how we define “the category of women” and, as a consequence, who it is that feminism purports to fight for. Today, it is a foundational text on any gender studies reading list, and its arguments have long crossed over from the academy to popular culture.
Read morePedophilia – more of the same?
by Sonia Corrêa & Rajnia de Vito Recently, references to pedophilia have increased vertiginously in Brazilian social networks and the press. At first glance, this phenomenon might be attributed to the unwarranted accusations against YouTuber Felipe Neto, who bluntly publicized his opposition to Bolsonaro. Not only did he publicize it, but he managed to be […]
Read morePedophilia, moral panic and abortion rights in Latin America and Brazil
After six months into the pandemic, a striking feature of the condition under which we are working is that time has not expanded, as initially many of us had predicted, but rather shrank. Although we are fixed in one place, the complete virtualization of work and sociability has triggered […]
Read moreMonsters Under the Bed
A series of memes and messages were recently circulated throughout the continent with the aim of alerting people to an alleged movement that would be seeking to normalize pedophilia. What is behind this strategy? How and from whom should we protect children? by Andrea Dominguez In groups of neighbors on WhatsApp, everyone is familiar, reasonable, […]
Read moreThe case of the girl from Espírito Santo: Is this a new turning point in the long journey for abortion rights in Brazil?
by Sonia Corrêa Since 1940, Brazilian law has permitted abortion in cases of rape, and sexual intercourse with persons under 14 years old is automatically defined as rape. In 1999, the Brazilian Ministry of Health’s issued the Technical Protocol orienting Care for Victims of Sexual Violence (MoH Protocol), considered by WHO as a main global […]
Read moreParadoxes and dangers of anti-lockdown protests
A summary of the article “Corona protests: The cross front for trivialization” authored by Nils Markwardt and published at Die Zeit in May 2020. by Alrik Schubotz Saturday, May 16th, 2020 nineteen demonstrations took Berlin’s streets to protest against quarantine and social distancing measures enacted by the German government. These acts were organized in […]
Read moreAnti-gender activist Sara Winter arrested
On Monday, June 15th, anti-gender activist Sara Winter was arrested in Brasilia in a Federal Police operation. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued a preventive arrest warrant against Winter and five other members of the “300 of Brazil” group at the request of the deputy attorney general, Humberto Jacques de Medeiros, as part of […]
Read moreBiopolitics & The COVID-19 Pandemic: A Feminist Perspective
As part of DAWN’s webinar series DAWN Talks on COVID-19, Sonia Corrêa shares a piece she wrote especially for DAWN on COVID-19 biopolitics from a feminist perspective. Download the article Watch the webinar recording
Read moreSexual Politics in Times of Pandemic: May and June 2020
The global scenario of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed since April, but the crisis is still far from over. Only eight countries are listed as having beaten the virus: Iceland, Jordan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan, Uruguay, and Vietnam. Transmission curves appear to be decreasing in the more drastically affected countries of Europe. Meanwhile, the […]
Read moreSexual politics in times of pandemic: contribution of guest authors
The SPW Announcement for May and early June 2020 will have the same format adopted in March-April 2020, it will organize the newly compiled information and analyses within a frame that charters Sexual Politics in Times of Pandemic. Yet, the scale, intensity and complexity of the political, biopolitical and economic dynamics and related crises arising […]
Read more#NoTenemosMinistra: The crisis in Chile’s Ministry of Women and Gender Equality
by Bárbara Sepúlveda Hales & Lieta Vivaldi Macho The recent appointment of the new Minister of Women and Gender Equality, Macarena Santelices, by President Sebastián Piñera is very worrying and this has been expressed not only by feminist organizations but also by politicians and activists from different sectors. After 54 days without an incumbent […]
Read moreBacklash: A misleading narrative
by David Patternote (Université libre de Bruxelles)[1] On 13 February 2019, the European Parliament adopted a resolution “on experiencing a backlash in women’s rights and gender equality in the EU”. Following a report by the FEMM committee on the situation in Austria, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Romania and Slovakia, this text defines backlash as “a resistance to progressive […]
Read moreTo drink or not to drink – that is not the question: Alcohol consumption in India and South Africa in the time of COVID 19
by Dr. Debjyoti Ghosh* “That’s the problem with drinking, I thought, as I poured myself a drink. If something bad happens you drink in an attempt to forget; if something good happens you drink in order to celebrate; and if nothing happens you drink to make something happen.” ― Charles Bukowski, “Women” For thousands of […]
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