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'Real Reason' for delay in the HFE Bill revealed

The Sunday Telegraph (yes, I know) claims that the HFE Bill has been delayed to the Autumn not because of the Glasgow-East by-election, but rather because Emily Thornberry MP, supported by Harriet Harman, wants to table an amendment to extend abortion rights to Northern Ireland. Considering assurances were given by the Northern Ireland Secretary that this would not happen around the time of the 42 days vote, relations in Cabinet are said to have further deteriorated. Read about the messy politics here

Whether this is true or not remains to be seen, but I shall ask my Westminster spies tomorrow. I love that pro-choice MPs are finally on the offensive and I say bring on the summer campaign!

The Women's Hour over at Radio 4 has been discussing the issue this morning, which you can access here. Although I warn you, you will have to listen to Nadine Dorries MP.

New Statesman piece on the struggles of female Muslim rappers

Though this week's New Statesman will be remembered for 'Heathcliffe-gate' there's also this very good article on the many barriers female Muslim rappers face when they try to launch a music career. Their response to criticism is very empowered. Read about it here

Norwegian Muslims claimed she was a bad role model after promotional videos for the album showed her with her back exposed and dressed in what was deemed to be sexually alluring western attire. Deeyah received verbal threats against herself and her family. And during one concert in 1995 she was attacked onstage.

The following year she came to London, hoping that things would be different, but the problems were soon to return. When the video for her single "Plan of My Own" was aired on an Asian music channel, featuring the singer dancing seductively with a man, the death threats and harassment started again. She is now based in the US and needs the constant protection of bodyguards. "People have said to me, 'If you wore more modest attire, toned your act down a little, you'd be OK.' Well, you know something? I've tried wearing traditional costumes onstage and I'm still the whore. I'm still the person who's wrong."

Have I mentioned how much I hate the misogynist cartoons of Peter Brookes at the Times?

Judith Butler in the British Journal of Sociology

I don't know how I missed this, but the March edition of the BJS is dedicated to Judith Butler's 2007 public lecture 'Sexual Politics, Torture and Secular Time'. The whole edition is online and you can access it here

Responses are from: Chetan Bhatt (Goldsmiths), Jim Beckford (Warwick), Linda Woodhead (Lancaster), Suki Ali (LSE), and Tariq Modood (Bristol).

Weekend Cartoon - The Times takes on Harriet 'Harperson'

Another feminism piece

Rowenna Davis has written a piece on bringing feminism into the mainstream over at Comment is Free on the Guardian website. Not terribly detailed, but this type of thing seems to be a bit of a trend at the moment ...

Weekend Cartoon

Jacqui Smith's atrocious binge drinking/rape analogy

Jacqui Smith in a binge drinking debate in this month's Elle magazine:

Elle: Should we be worried about the amount we drink?

Jacqui Smith: We know that the excessive consumption of alcohol by young people can cause real harm to their health, but we also need to consider the impact it has on women's personal safety - one in three rapes occur after the victim has been drinking.

Thankfully Anna Blundy also participated:

Elle: Is the concern about women binge drinking actually misogyny in disguise?

Anna Blundy: I think there is a horrible misogyny. In general, it is not women committing crimes when they are drunk - they're more likely to have crimes committed against them.

Katherine Rake in the New Statesman

Katherine Rake celebrates women winning the vote 80 years ago in The Long Fight for Equality. Clearly, we have some way to go ...

Women In Art

What a shame this isn't '500 years of Women Artists'. May I direct you all to the Guerilla Girls page in my links section.

Judith Butler on Hannah Arendt in LRB

Great article by Judith Butler in the latest edition of the London Review of Books. She reviews Arendt's The Jewish Writings and focuses on the usual Butler concerns, written in her complex and beautiful style. Buy the paper or read the article online here