South Asia | Afghanistan | Activism

Give women a seat at the table in Afghanistan!

As rumors swirl about a new round of peace talks with the Afghan Taliban, the first under Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, women are fighting for a place at the table. The view from the front lines of that fight is maddening. Ghani has made negotiating peace with the Taliban a top priority — understandably, given that Afghan security forces, already stretched, depend on foreign donors heading for the exits. Less understandable is that Ghani has offered no indication that there will be a role for women in the talks. For years, Afghan women have advocated for their rightful place in t

Europe | Great Britain | Activism

Women’s war stories are finally being told. But let’s not pretend war is romantic

Source: theguardian

If you accept, as I do, the notion that feminism is by nature anti-war, then the increased presence of women in warmongering action blockbusters like Man Of Steel (which was used by the National Guard as a recruitment drive) and Battleship should not be applauded. This “feminising” of traditionally boys-own pop culture ties into the ongoing debate about whether or not it is a “feminist issue” to have women on the front line. On the one hand, there’s a school of thought that says equality is reached when female soldiers are considered as capable as their male counterparts. The logi