Girls in White Dresses

When people in this country think of child marriage, their imaginations turn to images of child brides thousands of miles away, in West Africa or South Asia. They rarely think of the South Bronx or California. And yet, the Tahirih Justice Center, an immigrants-rights organization that has led the fight against forced marriage in this country, reports that between 2009 and 2011 the U.S. saw as many as 3,000 known or suspected cases of forced marriage, many involving girls younger than 18.

For her part, Reiss says that anyone who wants to make this about any one culture or any one community is wrong. “Our clients come from all major religions and secular backgrounds as well: from immigrant families, from many different countries of origin and families who have been American for generations,” Reiss says. “We don’t see many patterns in our clients other than that they are almost always girls, and always determined to get out of the marriage.”

http://msmagazine.com/blog/2017/10/31/girls-white-dresses/

What are period huts? An old practice of banishing girls on their periods.

In rural areas of western Nepal, many families follow the centuries-old practice of banishing girls and women from the home when they’re menstruating because they’re believed to be “impure”.

As well as being forced to sleep in huts, girls and women having their period have to do outdoor labour during the day. They’re restricted in who they can mix with, and only given limited food. Many are also banned from reading and writing. Most of them report feeling lonely and scared.

Women who have just given birth are also banished, along with their newborns. This contributes to a high mortality rate for both mothers and babies.

Chhaupadi is, in some ways, linked to the Hindu religion. Families who practice chhaupadi are said to fear that gods will be angered if the rules aren’t kept and women stay in the family home while having their period.

Officially, chhaupadi was outlawed by the Supreme Court of Nepal in 2005, but like many harmful cultural traditions, has proven difficult to eradicate. Last year, Radha Paudel from Action Works Nepal claimed that up to 95 per cent of women in some regions of the country were still practicing chhaupadi.

https://www.mamamia.com.au/what-are-period-huts/?

Topshop announces gender-neutral changing rooms after trans customer was refused access to female cubicles

Topshop has announced it now has gender-neutral changing rooms following growing pressure from customers.

It came to light after a trans customer claims they were refused access to female cubicles.

The fashion retailer, owned by Sir Philip Green, revealed it has already introduced the policy after performance artist Travis Alabanza, who identifies as trans feminine, claims they were asked to use a male changing room.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/08/topshop-announces-gender-neutral-changing-rooms-trans-customer/

More than 100 candidates make pro-choice pledge ahead of the election

The question of reforming abortion law in Queensland will resurface next year and more than 100 candidates have already revealed their support for change.

Abortion is the only medical procedure to feature in the Queensland Criminal Code. It has been there since 1899, but has been amended over the decades.

Women’s campaigning group Fair Agenda has surveyed Queensland candidates, with 103 signing up to its “pro-choice pledge” so far, committing to “vote to remove abortion from the Criminal Code and support laws to ensure all Queenslanders can safely and legally access full reproductive healthcare, without being harassed or intimidated”.

Of those who took the pledge, there were 19 Labor candidates or MPs, one LNP, 81 Greens, one Socialist Alliance and one independent – Mr Pyne.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/more-than-100-candidates-make-pro-choice-pledge-ahead-of-the-election-20171103-p4ywsk.html

WA on board with domestic violence orders

WA has joined the National Domestic Violence Order Scheme, which will see all new restraining orders relating to domestic violence enforceable by Australian authorities in every state and territory jurisdiction.

From 25 November, the national scheme will remove the need to register these kinds of court orders across interstate boundaries. An application to the court can also bring orders made before this date within the national scheme.

https://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/wig-chamber/22223-wa-on-board-with-domestic-violence-orders?

The latest on body image law

Many researchers . . . have found that the feelings an individual has about their own body image can be influenced by the images they see in the media, including images of unrealistically thin – and photoshopped – models. This can lead to negative health issues.

Now, you may be wondering, how is law relevant to body image? The connection is this: foreign governments have passed laws that relate to body image.

The Israeli government passed the first of these laws in 2012 and the law commenced the following year. The law requires models to have a minimum body mass index (BMI) to work, and also requires disclosure on images photoshopped to make models appear thinner.

The French government followed Israel’s lead, passing a similar law, which came into effect this year. In contrast to the Israeli law, breaching it attracts criminal sanctions.

The government of London, United Kingdom, banned advertisements that promote unhealthy body image on public transport. Similarly, the government of Trondheim, Norway, banned advertisements that promote unhealthy body image in public places.

https://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/biglaw/22226-the-latest-on-body-image-law?

The unpaid & under-acknowledged ’emotional labor’ that women do

Emotional labor isn’t just about remembering things and performing constant acts of kindness, but taking a significant responsibility both inside and outside the house. And because emotional labor often benefits men, and we live in a society that has been purposely structured to benefit those same men, there is no incentive to change it. After all, if you’re onto a good thing, why change it?

Emotional paid is not paid, not thanked and not even acknowledged. But it has enormous physical and mental costs to the women who perform as part of their all day, every day, expectations as women.

https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/soapbox/emotional-labour-women-perform/

Child Support Debt is Financial Abuse

Between 2015 to 2016, child support payments not being paid increased by more than 1500 cases, prompting a crack down on dodgy dads.

Despite the stopping tactic being enforced for 16 years, it is believed authorities are directing their attention towards frequent flyers living luxurious lifestyles.

The Immigration Department and child support officers have joined together to target some of the country’s wealthiest divorced fathers before they fly out of Australia . . .

Fathers have been forced to pay tens of thousands of dollars in owed child support before being allowed to fly internationally.

Child support debt is used to control and or to inflict financial abuse

Child support debt overwhelmingly harms women heading up a sole family

Child support debt robs children of opportunities

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/childsupportsurvey2017
https://childsupportdebt.wordpress.com/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5012623/Single-mother-owed-thousands-child-support-kid-s-dad.html
https://www.9now.com.au/a-current-affair/2017/extras/latest/171025/bad-dads-grounded

5 minutes with Women in Law winner Angela Lynch

While 20 awards were presented across many different sectors of the profession, Women’s Legal Service Queensland (WLSQ) CEO Angela Lynch (pictured) received the highest score out of every entrant and took home the Women in Law Excellence Award.

Ms Lynch has spent 23 years at WLSQ, taking over as CEO earlier this year.

Under Ms Lynch’s leadership, WLSQ has also launched a financial literacy app called Penda for women escaping domestic violence.

“[Penda] provides really important legal and financial information for women, because we know that domestic violence is the biggest driver behind women’s homelessness in Australia, and also women’s poverty,” she said.

“Financial abuse is both a barrier to leaving a domestic violence relationship [and] a reason that women return.

https://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/sme-law/22209-5-minutes-with-women-in-law-winner-angela-lynch?

Screen industry’s ‘criminal network’ of men needs to be dismantled, researcher suggests

The Australian screen industry puts too much emphasis on data about women and doesn’t focus enough on what men are doing to prop up the patriarchy, the associate dean of engagement and innovation at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Deb Verhoeven has argued at Mumbrella’s MSIX conference.

While discussing the lack of female participation and inclusion in the screen and research sectors, Verhoeven also questioned why industries wait until women have been harmed to examine male dominance.

https://mumbrella.com.au/australian-screen-industrys-criminal-network-men-needs-dismantled-researcher-suggests-481878