Two news reports jumped out at me today.

The first was the report of the gang-rape of a Swiss tourist in India by allegedly eight men. Juxapositioned against this was the report the UN has passed a landmark accord to “combat violence against women”.

Mervat Tallawy, the head of Eygpt’s National Women’s Council, said the accord was needed to counter “a global wave of conservatism, of repression against women.” I looked back over articles I have written on this site over recent months and it certainly seems to me Mervat is correct. From a state in America placing equal pay at risk and a senior politian in the USA believing women’s bodies can “shut down” pregnancy from “legitimate rape” to our own Max Tomlinson‘s verbal nonsense and Tony Abbott thinking women all iron all day, there seems to be a global wave as Mervat states.

The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood had objected to the UN document, saying it could lead to the “complete degradation of society”, however reports don’t tmake it clear which version of the document the Brotherhood objected to. I am of the impression it was an earlier version. Just before everyone jumps up and down about the Muslim Brotherhood objecting, SO DID THE VATICAN!!! Which reminds me of What is it with religion and women?

Not so very long ago, there was the gang-rape on the bus in India which drew world wide attention to the plight of women in India. Not just from the risk of rape: for those who may not have read it then, I strongly suggest you read The Subjugation Capital. That article is written by an Indian woman and is extremely powerful. Around the same time I read an article by a tourist saying India, in her option, was quite safe for tourists. It seems not so much, perhaps. 

WHAT THE FUCK gives eight men the thought this is a normal or acceptable thing to do? Can anyone explain this to me?

Recently I vented about the state of feminism.  I said we need more action at a grass-roots level and less discussion about cyborgs. This UN accord will, I hope, translate into action on the ground. I haven’t read the accord document yet, but I do hope there is no mention of cyborgs in it.

One news item was concrete proof (if we didn’t have enough already) that the other news item is so desperately needed. I know there are many who say the UN has no real power. As we have seen with the ICCPR and Australia, often states become party to UN conventions/convenants but fail to enshrine the provisions in domestic legislation.

What the women of the world need to work on now is ensuring the provisions of this UN document are enshrined in the domestic legislation of all member states. Don’t give a damn about analysing the history of feminism right now. I give a damn about another poor woman having been gang-raped.

Related articles

• India: Tourist Gang-Raped And Husband Beaten (news.sky.com)
• Swiss tourist gang raped in India (latimes.com)