This week in India a group of women, who were tired of waiting for the men to get down to business, started an all-woman political party to offer an alternative to the traditionally male-dominated political parties in India.
The United Women Front (UWF) party intends to give special attention to issues affecting women like dowries (because the bride is such a burden on her husband even though she will clean, cook and bear children for him for the rest of her life) and abortion of female foetuses (kill the girl because a boy is far more valuable).
It is about time the women stood up for themselves. For example, there is bill in India’s Parliament requiring at least 33 percent of federal and state legislatures be reserved for women. This bill, called the Women’s Reservation Bill, has been pending in Parliament for over a decade!
According to newindpress.com, UWF President, Suman Krishan, said:
“Despite having the second highest population in the world, of which women constitute 50 percent, the average representation of women in Parliament is a dismal low of just 8.8 per cent.”
The world average is 17 percent, which is still pretty pathetic.
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Categories: Politics · Social · World
Tagged: women
Humans always seem enamored when they encounter people with money, power or fame. It usually takes a lot to impress me, but when I am impressed by someone it is not normally because that person has money, power or fame. A sharp mind and a good heart are what usually impress me instead.
However, I have to admit that I was impressed by money this week when I read that the richest person in China is a woman. Yang Huiyan, the 26-year-old daughter of a self-made real estate tycoon, is worth a US$16 billion fortune.
In a nation where it is still desirable to have a boy instead of a girl so the family can depend on the male to care for the parents later in life (China has a one child policy for population control), this is a remarkable accomplishment for a woman to achieve the position of a billion dollar heiress.
Perhaps I am so impressed because we just do not read much about rich Asian women and I suppose my ignorant assumption has always been that we do not hear about them because there are none. Then bam, the richest person in China is a woman. Way to go, girl!
The British author of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling, is another woman who has recently made her mark on the world as one of the richest people in England. Rowling was a poor single mother who used her fantastically creative mind make her filthy rich.
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Categories: Social
Tagged: , china, women
September 21, 2007 · 5 Comments
Openness in governing remains an elusive goal in many parts of the world, which includes the fact that Freedom of Information (FOI) acts are still non-existent even in some supposedly democratic nations. However, it seems innovation has found a way around any governments’ refusal to openly share information and will no doubt be to the benefit of all free (and not-so-free) people.
Wikipedia is an online source of information that has made a sound impact on modern culture. Anyone in the world can contribute or edit entries on any subject; thereby creating the healthiest encyclopedia that has ever existed.
Now these remarkably inventive Wiki people have gone one step further and created a new site specifically designed for those who have valuable information to share about their governments and corporations. The site is called Wikileaks (www.wikileaks.org). Oh baby, is this going to be so much fun.
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Categories: Politics · World
Tagged: Wiki, Wikileaks
September 19, 2007 · 2 Comments
It now seems a country’s wealth may somehow correlate with the amount of common sense people in that country use when it comes to sex. In fact, according to this month’s issue of Foreign Policy, those who live in some of the wealthiest countries have the most unprotected sex and the most sexual partners.
How ironic that the developed countries pour money into programs to help developing countries stave off sexually transmitted diseases (STD) while their own people seemed to have missed the public service announcement on practicing safe sex.
The result, according to the Foreign Policy article, is 340 million new cases of STDs each year – not including HIV. Obviously there is a factor beyond education that needs to be addressed on this issue. The apparent question at hand is why would someone who has been educated on the importance of safe sex knowingly engage in risky behavior.
Other than sheer masochism, one cannot help but test the theory that money gives certain people a false sense of security when it comes to sex. Perhaps those who engage in risky behavior feel as though modern medicine can cure any ailment (a false assumption) or can at the very least control the outbreak of STDs (also not true).
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Categories: Health · World
In a recent column, I said it was political suicide for a politician from a developing nation to use a pro-West platform to garner support for office. I used the recent Lebanese elections to prove my point in part. I’ve received several comments challenging my assessment.
Far be it from me to encourage anti-West sentiment. Now anti-Bush sentiment - that is a whole other story. I’ve been against this president’s so-called foreign policy initiatives since it was clear that he intended to attack Iraq no matter what. Moreover, his charade of wanting to spread democracy causes me great ire.
I love chocolate cake. However, if it is shoved in my face because someone is trying to force it on me, even chocolate cake will taste horrible. I feel the same about democracy. Introducing democracy in a nation is a decision that should be brought about by the people because they want it. A nation that has democracy forced on it will despise this idea that is by and large very good.
Bush has done whatever he pleases during his terms in office and America has paid for his insolence in so many ways – including, but not limited to the loss of freedoms, the lives of thousands of servicemen, the compromise of America’s national security and by making the US a laughing stock around the world.
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Categories: Politics · World
