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What Happened to Women in France After D-Day in 1944

They called it the épuration sauvage, the wild purge, because it was spontaneous and unofficial. But, yes, it was savage, too. In the weeks and months following the D-Day landings of June 6, 1944, Allied troops and the resistance swept across France liberating towns and villages, and unleashing a flood of collective euphoria, relief and hope. And then the punishments began.

The victims were among the most vulnerable members of the community: Women. Accused of “horizontal collaboration” — sleeping with the enemy — they were targeted by vigilantes and publicly humiliated. Their heads were shaved, they were stripped half-naked, smeared with tar, paraded through towns and taunted, stoned, kicked, beaten, spat upon and sometimes even killed.

Source: What Happened to Women in France After D-Day in 1944 | Time

Japanese Minister Defends Controversial High Heel Requirement

Requiring woman to wear heels “falls within the realm of being occupationally necessary and appropriate,” said Labor Minister Takumi Nemoto.

Source: Japanese Minister Defends Controversial High Heel Requirement | News | teleSUR English

Feminist speaker Julie Bindel ‘attacked by transgender person’ at Edinburgh University after talk

A leading British feminist, who campaigns against violence towards women, has claimed that she was attacked in Edinburgh last night by a transgender person.

Source: Feminist speaker Julie Bindel ‘attacked by transgender person’ at Edinburgh University after talk – The Scotsman

Isabel Flick, the tenacious campaigner who fought segregation in Australia

The story of Isabel Flick, the tenacious woman and campaigner who fought segregation in Australia and is a recipient of an Order of Australia medal.

Source: Isabel Flick, the tenacious campaigner who fought segregation in Australia

An open letter to Joe Hildebrand from a psychiatrist

Dr Karen Williams, a psychiatrist who works with victims of violence every day, responds to Joe Hildebrand’s comments about violence against women.

You admit men are more violent than women, commit more murders than women, deliberately cause injury to others more than women and are jailed more than women… and yet you argue that being male has nothing to do with it?

It is worth noting that men don’t just commit more violent crimes, it is all crimes. 92% of the prison population is male but you wrote that gender has nothing to do with it. . . .

Joe, you end by saying how “good men”, presumably with yourself included, “don’t need to be told”.

But why would good men want to discredit a legitimate call to arms to address the major risk factor for perpetrating violence or murder? To take attention away from the senseless and unnecessary loss of life of a young woman? It’s hard to reconcile.

Source: An open letter to Joe Hildebrand from a psychiatrist

Sex work legalisation SA: Former sex workers protest against new Bill

Legalising sex work in South Australia will encourage more women to enter the industry and do nothing to protect them from violent attacks, survivors of the prostitution trade warn.

Source: Sex work legalisation SA: Former sex workers protest against new Bill | Adelaide Now

US abortion policy is ‘extremist hate’ and ‘torture’, says UN commissioner

Trump administration’s ban on terminations is a crisis directed at women, warns Kate Gilmore

Source: US abortion policy is ‘extremist hate’ and ‘torture’, says UN commissioner | Global development | The Guardian

Dagny on social media, gender dysphoria, ‘trans youth,’ and detransitioning

This is an edited transcript of a talk given by Dagny, a detransitioned young woman and member of the Pique Resilience Project.

“One fix is not going to solve everyone’s individual problems. Medically transitioning is not going to help every teenager feel better. In my view, the proclivity to provide teenagers with hormone replacement therapy and instant affirmation ignores the larger problems. Why did I want to change my body? Why did I hate being a girl? Why was being a man so much more favourable?

Ultimately, the opportunity to transition made my teenage dysphoria worse. This narrative told me that my hatred for my female body was justified — positive, even. It told me that the only way to feel better was to destroy my body — my female parts.”

Source: Dagny on social media, gender dysphoria, ‘trans youth,’ and detransitioning

I looked at 100 best-selling picture books: female protagonists were largely invisible

Despite a rise in feminist-themed books for children, picture books remain highly gendered overall, writes Sarah Mokrzycki.

In the Dymocks bestsellers list, 46% of books had male protagonists, while only 17% had female protagonists (in 32% of books there was no lead character). There were only seven female led books in the top 50, compared to 26 male led books.

Sixteen books in the list showed characters in specific occupations (outside of parenthood). In the female-led stories, protagonists only showed ambition for traditional feminine pursuits. There were three ballerinas, three princesses and one fashion designer – Claris, a mouse, who “dreamed about clothes” and “read about handbags in Vanity Fair”. (In this story, a misbehaving girl is also chastised for being “neither proper nor prim!”)

In comparison, the male-led stories showed protagonists in roles ranging from farmers and chefs to zookeepers and scientists.

Not much has changed in the past 20 years.