#there are so many conservative religious spaces in which it is still mandatory for women and girls to wear skirts

[fatfemmefreaquency]

I attended a conservative christian elementary and middle school from 2004-2008

they were the only local school with learning supports for ‘high functioning’ students with adhd/ autism and my parents bent over backwards to be able to afford to send me there

when i started girls had to wear skirts and knee high socks. skirts only—there was a strict uniform and girls could NOT wear the “boys uniform” (which was the only uniform with pants)

this was the case until the winter of 2006/ 2007 was so cold and snowy in my region that all of us were freezing when walking to school or over lunch period

even though it was so cold that most of the girls were finding excuses to spend all of our lunch break in the bathroom or office, the church elders that made up the board of the school were really resistant to expanding the girls uniform to include pants

in fucking 2006. TWO THOUSAND SIX. it took them until an even worse snap cold in early 2007 to finally relent and let a bunch of tiny, frozen cold girls wear pants in the winter instead of forcing us to wear only knee length skirts and socks

and yeah. the school was run by mennonites/ ex-mennos who claimed they were ‘nondenomenational’ (classic fundie nonsense. they’d left the broader leadership structure of the mennonite church. but they were still fundamentalist mennonites, just sort of closeted about it—lots of ‘nondenominational’ churches and parachurch organizations are like that)

I do want to note that the whole "women are allowed to dress masculine and wear trousers" thing needs to be viewed in its historical context:

People fought for generations to be allowed to dress that way. They fought hard to be allowed to wear pants. Blue jeans were a symbol of feminist revolution. Women were barred from workplaces and schools for wearing them.

This is not some a natural fact that women dressing masculine is less shocking and humiliating. That normalization was fought for and hard-won.

And yet so many people erase the struggles of those people who fought to make that happen and pretend that it's just normal and natural that people don't see women "dressed like men" as ridiculous.

The Marriage of Figaro has what's called a "breeches role" which is a woman wearing men's clothes playing am ale role. This was done partly due to the vocal range requirements, but in many cases it was done comedically. It was risque and sexualized or comic relief that a woman was dressed as a man.

Anti-suffragette posters mock women wearing pants - well they were bloomers and split skirts back then - and mocking more masculine cut styles of clothes. This was meant to portray this as ridiculous.

They mocked the "new woman" in Weimar Germany, lamenting that they were too masculine.

This is a political cartoon from the 1920s depicting a woman in masculine dress deciding which bathroom to use:

Sorry but you're erasing these struggles and flattening history when you say this shit.

Women were killed and institutionalized in the struggle to make this happen. It really fucking bothers me the way it's framed as "people just don't find it as weird when women dress masculine."

Yes they fucking did. Until women and transmasculine people fought for their right to wear what they want. It's normalized because people struggled to normalize it.

And it's not normal everywhere. There are many countries where it's still illegal for women to wear pants. Sudan, Saudi Arabia.

Even in the US, it's forbidden and considered ridiculous in groups like the FLDS, the Amish, and the Hutterites.

We are flattening and erasing the struggles of women when we say these things. I know we're trying to build theory here but you can't build solid theory on a foundation of lies.

[mariacallous]

Women’s rights activists condemned the moves by governments in Central Europe to restrict abortion rights, warning that the conservative-religious forces behind these moves are avoiding normal legislative routes in order to bypass public opinion which is markedly pro-choice.

In a Twitter space organised by BIRN, Edit Inotai, Reporting Democracy’s Budapest correspondent, relayed how the government of Viktor Orban suddenly announced an amendment to the current abortion legislation on September 12 that will require gynaecologists, obstetricians and other pre-natal healthcare providers from now on to present pregnant women with a foetus’s vital functions in a “clearly identifiable manner”.

“It was done via a decree from the Ministry of the Interior and practically out of the blue: there was no public consultation, nothing which preceded this amendment, and people are now wondering whether this is a small step in a bigger attack against reproductive rights in Hungary,” said Inotai.

She explained that behind the legalese lies a clear attempt by the nationalist-conservative government to slip through legislation that puts more pressure on women to refrain from terminating their pregnancies. Since 1992, the legislation allows for terminations to be carried out in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy on medical or social grounds. In cases where the foetus is not viable, it can be performed at any point during the pregnancy.

A recent Ipsos poll found that in Hungary 70 per cent believe that abortion should be legal in most or all cases, while only 14 per cent think abortion should be illegal in most or all cases.

Likewise in Poland, 66 per cent of respondents in 2020 said they favoured legal abortion in the first trimester, yet using the courts, rather than democratic majorities, conservative-religious forces managed to get the nationalist-populist government to amend the law to deliver a near-total ban on abortion that same year.

“As these illiberal governments came to power, they and the ultra-conservative and religious groups found each other as helpful allies… It’s not accidental that these kinds of governments offer political opportunities to ultra-conservative movements to open up further space for these legislative changes that they want despite even societal opposition,” said Claudia Ciobanu, Warsaw correspondent for Reporting Democracy.

Miroslava Germanova, a freelance journalist based in Bratislava, noted how in October 2020 a group of ultra-conservative MPs in Slovakia tried, but narrowly failed by only one vote, to impose new delays on women’s access to abortion by extending the current 48-hour mandatory waiting period to 96 hours.

“There are a lot of signs it might get worse – and do so very fast and very easily – in our countries, including Slovakia,” said Germanova. “We still have a legal abortion, but it’s quite restricted in some ways and there are a lot of attempts to restrict it even more. Since 2015, there have been as many as 15 attempts in parliament to limit the right to abortion in different ways!”

Masenjka Bacic, deputy editor of Croatian investigative portal Ostro, said that the tide of ultra-conservative forces threatening to swamp women’s and LGBT rights for years were eventually turned back by more moderate forces such as the centre-right Croatian Democratic Party (HDZ), in power today.

While in theory the law allows for unrestricted abortion up to 10 weeks, the legislation guiding the abortion regime dates from the early 20th century. In 2017, the Constitutional Court requested the government draft a new abortion law within two years to bring it up to date, yet the government is dragging its feet.

“It does not want to make it a major topic or be forced to choose between drafting a law that is more restrictive, as desired by the ultra-conservative Catholic groups and the church, and a modernised law that is supported by the general population,” Bacic said.

“In practice the situation is not so good: access should be undenied and abortion free, but almost two-thirds of doctors won’t perform abortions because they are conscientious objectors and almost no hospitals carry out medical abortions,” she added.

But there are brighter spots in the wider region outside of Central Europe. Andrijana Papic from the Macedonian NGO Hera, which was part of the protest movement against the attempt by the conservative VMRO government to impose similar measures as those that we are seeing today in Hungary, reflected on the sources of success of the pro-choice movement in her country:

“The civil society implemented successfully its strategy over six years, which consisted of the following pillars: building coalitions and alliances, within civil society and with political parties; researching public attitudes and seeing where the population stands, so as to develop messages that society would react to; using authoritative information; and planning political strategies that use opportunities provided by elections or other such key events.”

In Central Europe itself, Czechia still stands as a place where the right to abortion is free and unthreatened, which is why Polish women, for example, use it as a destination to still get the procedure.

“Several politicians have been very vocal about the fact that the Czech Republic will continue to have free access to abortion,” said Anna Koslerova, a Czech freelance journalist, describing the mood in her country despite all the worrying developments around. “Women have access to abortion until 12 weeks, and afterwards only with a medical indication.”

“The Czech Republic does seem to be a little bit of a safe haven for women from countries where abortion law is stricter and there seems to be no immediate risk of the situation changing.”

[trendingnewsb]

I Visited Saudi Arabia Before They Opened The Country To Tourists, And Here’s What I Saw

Saudi Arabia was the world’s most difficult country to visit for a non-Muslim as it did not issue tourist visas. Only Muslims making the Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, were allowed to enter.

But things may change as Head of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz announced that Saudi Arabia will begin issuing tourist visas in the first quarter of 2018.

A few years ago, the government issued tourist visas for a short time before doing putting an end to it and I was able to obtain one. This rare opportunity to visit a country that regularly makes the headlines allowed me to discover over the course of two weeks a culture preserved in a highly conservative society.

Before setting foot on Saudi territory, one must make sure to leave at home:

– any alcohol (including alcohol filled chocolates);

– non-Muslim religious items;

– pork-based products;

– pornographic books;

– games of chance;

– medicines containing codeine.

More info: ericlafforgue.com

Throughout the stay, a police escort will clear the path for us – officially to make our movements easier

In fact, the Kingdom has been the target of many al-Qaeda attacks against Westerners for years… An additional reason not to open quickly the country to these potential targets.

“Start of the sacred area”

These arches that are highly visible on the roads around Jeddah mark the boundaries of the areas where non-Muslims may travel. Beyond them, the road leads to Mecca. Breaking the law can result in imprisonment or even death penalty.

Saudi people like saying that if you find an open door, you can go in and you will be offered some tea

Most of the time, you will be welcomed by an Indian servant and will never see any woman. This hospitality is a given in small villages, where you will be invited to drink tea and eat dates, the pride of the nation.

No, you are not in a Swiss chalet but in a tent in the Saudi desert

Urban families love to spend a few days in their tent, usually over the weekend. A modern version of the Bedouin life of their ancestors, but with satellite TV, air conditioning, and a fridge.

Falcon hunting in the Al Jouf desert

A pigeon is released into the air before a falcon chases it down. The owner jumps into his four-wheel drive to try and follow his bird of prey. But the hunt is short-lived – in less than a minute, the falcon has killed the pigeon. It receives its head and heart as a reward. The owner never leaves his pet out of his sight, and for good reason: the falcon cost him 20,000 dollars.

The Saudis worship camels

Many own farms in the desert where these animals are raised by Sudanese Rashaida. The most beautiful camels also generate substantial income thanks to the breeding services of the reproductive males.

This is an ancestral passion that can also be found on the rocks of Abar Hima, a site on the ancient incense road…

A hunter chasing a camel with a spear. Saudi Arabia is full of prehistoric petroglyphs on sites that are unprotected and accessible freely.

Each encounter with a Bedouin is an opportunity to taste some foamy camel milk

It is a protein-rich milk sold in supermarkets and it is reputed to have medicinal properties in the prevention of some forms of cancer.

Saudi Arabia is the world’s third largest producer of dates – they are all over the markets

The palm tree is one of the main symbols of the country. The stalls were deserted at the time of one of the five daily prayers because, a few minutes before, the muttawa, the religious police, came to remind the vendors of their duties and punish the ones who cheat.

The only women you will be able to talk to in the street: emigrants, who are all Muslim

Pictured here a Somali girl in the streets of old Jeddah.

Under the weight of ancestral traditions, women are deprived of many rights in Saudi Arabia

To go out, they must wear an abaya, like this young girl.

Without the permission of their male legal guardian, whether it be their husband, father or brother, women are denied freedom to do things

Some of them are as ordinary as enjoying a coffee in a patio, swimming at the pool, enrolling at the university, going to a restaurant with a man who is not a relative, traveling, or even riding a bicycle.

Revolver cases for men on the Najran market

In the south of the country, it is not unusual to see very young drivers

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is the only country in the world where women did not have the right to drive until late 2017. This was not stated in any law, but defying the ban put women – and their guardian – at risk of serious fines.

Saudi society has many rules on people’s social status

Families have a right to special treatment – they board planes first or enjoy reserved secluded space in restaurants. Single people also have special status and will, for instance, be grouped together to take a cable car. As a tourist, I enjoyed VIP family treatment.

Saudi men rub their noses together to say hello, like Eskimos!

They may also walk while holding hands in friendship. Do not mistake it for a sign of homosexuality, which is severely punished in Saudi Arabia though less so than extramarital affairs.

Many imagine the Kingdom to abound with luxury buildings and signs of wealth

But outside of the cities, the country remains rural and in some places, you can see scenes that are reminiscent of « biblical » times, like here with a camel turning the mill for the pressing of sesame oil.

A Somali girl begging in the streets of Jeddah

Since 2013, the authorities have carried out a campaign to send back hundreds of thousands of illegal migrant workers, resulting in abuses against many of them and their forced return in a country at war.

A flea market in Najran

Many places are more reminiscent of the Gaza strip than an oil state. Seeing my astonishment, the man explained that despite State assistance and the existence of many free services, the cost of living has forced him to sell these items. Saudi Arabia is home to many poor people and the government has launched plans to put an end to poverty.

Until recently, these towers were used as granaries

Some villages are surrounded by an outer defense wall and foreigners – including Saudis from other regions – are not welcome as the local tribes have famously kept their traditional way of life and reject the central authority.

The flower men live in Yemen and Saudi Arabia

They wear crowns made of flowers and herbs and live in the hills. Meeting them at the souk of Al Farsha was really special. Hospitality is a concept that is foreign to flower men. Some of them seem to have stepped out of ancient frescos. Our mandatory police escort couldn’t wait to leave.

The Bin Hamsan house in Khamis Mushayt, in the region of Aseer

Many of the modern houses remain brightly painted inside and outside. This art has become classified by UNESCO. Women were responsible for it.

The Sarat Habidah houses are made of adobe

To protect them from the rain, tile-shaped stones are placed all around them at regular intervals in order to ensure proper water drainage. The thick walls help keep temperatures cool in the scorching summer. At the top, there is a terrace to get fresh air.

Heritage conservation is a priority of the Saudi government. The forts were all renovated to perfection

The architecture of old Jeddah typically puts one in mind of the Tales of 1,001 Nights

Tall buildings covered with mashrabiya, wooden balconies that allowed women to see without being seen. Saudis have fled the old city, which has never been restored despite its classification by UNESCO. Only Somali, Pakistani and Yemeni refugees live there in precarious conditions.

Saudi Arabia also has mountains on its territory, like the one acting as a border with Yemen in the south

The Al Faifa mountain peaks at over 2,000 meters and is highly sought after by Saudis having to deal with the searing heat in the plains. Houses have proliferated on the slopes, each new one seeking to tower over the others.

No, this father is not in the desert

His house is at the top of Al Fifa mountain, with the best view in Saudi Arabia. But the real fun for him is to be in a room where he has set up… a Bedouin tent.

These traditional adobe and brick houses in Najran are called midmakh and are typical of the south

They reflect Yemen’s cultural influence in the area. They may have up to seven floors. The ground level is for the livestock. The next level is for human accommodation, complete with small windows to keep out the heat as well as intruders. As you climb up the building, the windows become larger to let in more light as well as cooler air.

Some of these residences were built centuries ago

Now, many Saudi families have kept their old houses for holidays or weekends. Fortunately, some Najran residents seem to be really keen to preserve their traditional homes, often modernizing them with metal roofs and air conditioning.

Madain Saleh is a sister city to Petra, Jordan

It is a UNESCO World Heritage site that is home to 111 perfectly preserved Nabatean tombs. The magic of the site also lies in the total absence of tourists, Coca-Cola sellers or souvenirs shops.

The Hijaz Railway was designed by the Ottoman empire to transport pilgrims to the holy cities of Medina and Mecca in the early 20th century

The railway was built in May 1900 and connected Damascus to Medina. The railway was sabotaged by Lawrence of Arabia during World War I. It stopped running in 1918. Some cars can still be spotted in the desert.

The Omar Ibn al-Khattab mosque

It was built with stones in 633 and is located in the town of Dawmat al-Jandal, an important crossroads of ancient trade routes connecting Mesopotamia with the Arabian Peninsula.

The Al Hamra Open Air Museum in Jeddah is the largest open air museum in the world

It was built during the oil boom in the late 1970s. As a result, Jeddah is home to works by Arp, Cesar, Calder, Henry Moore, Joan Miró and Victor Vasarely. They are placed along the cliff, with no protection. Subject matter is often elements of the traditional Saudi culture. Everything is abstract as Islamic tradition prohibits the depiction of living creatures, including humans.

The only way to reach the Farasan Islands in the Red Sea is to rent a boat for a two-hour ride

The islands are famous for their Ottoman architectural treasures and white sandy beaches where nobody swims. Locals just walk around. To be allowed to go to the islands, one has to go through a very strict security check – forms must be filled, passports shown, bags checked, body searched… both on the way to the islands and on the way back. One cannot help but wonder what secret is hidden in those nearly deserted coral islands.

The relics on the Farasan Islands date back to the first century BC at the earliest and the Ottoman invasion at the latest

Stucco work was very important and everyone adapted their decoration to their taste.

Extravagance is one of the characteristics of urban design in Saudi Arabia

Here, a train coming out of a store in Jeddah, in the main shopping street.

Roundabouts are each more extravagant than the next, like this one representing a coffee pot almost 20- meter high

The government is urging Saudi people to visit their own country instead of going abroad as soon as the heat becomes unbearable

Malaysia, Lebanon, Marbella are popular destinations for Saudi families, while single people prefer Thailand or Morocco. It’s the chance for all to escape the shackles of the strict domestic rules.

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