Feminist News you might’ve missed this week

After its viral and controversial launch onto Netflix, I finally decided to watch Louis Theroux’s
new documentary Into the Manosphere. Having heard mixed reviews online, I was dubious
from the beginning and whilst there was little debate on the show itself, it was nonetheless
deeply shocking and certainly a painful confrontation to the realities of some content existing
across social media. I believe it was this universal shock factor that brought so much media
attention to the film, yet this stunning dread left me desperate for some antidote content.
Therefore, I found five news stories from the past week that may not have been reposted
and clipped as much as Lous Theroux’s “alpha males”, but have made significant impact and
recomposed my belief in the ongoing global women’s rights movement.

1. Activist Dolores Huerta broke her silence
Born Dolores Clara Fernandez, Huerta originally grew to fame in coining the iconic three-
word slogan ‘Si, se puede’ in 1972 when rallying Arizonan farmworkers to fight laws
prohibiting strikes. Translated from Spanish to ‘Yes, it can be done’, Obama later credited
Huerta for the mantra ‘Yes, it can be done’ used in his 2008 campaign. Her ability to unite
and inspire sparked her career as one of America’s most influential labour leaders, civil
rights icons, and feminist activists. At 95, she maintains consistent advocacy for
marginalised groups. On Wednesday 18 th March, Dolores spoke up for the first time,
revealing that Cesar Chavez, her co-founder of the United Farm Workers Union, sexually
abused her resulting in two children. Her courage to vocalise her past even some 60 years
later is only further testament to her courage and may help more girls and women to speak
up, telling ABC News ‘I can no longer stay silent’.

2. The House of Lords Voted to Keep Abortion Reform in the Crime and Policing Bill
On Wednesday, the House of Lords voted against a change to this abortion law, supporting
a clause that protects women in England and Wales from investigation, arrest, or jailtime for
pregnancy termination. However, the laws surrounding abortion in the UK remain confusing.
Under the Offences Against the Person Act of 1861, abortion is technically a criminal
offense, however, in 1967 the Abortion Act created legal circumstances in which it may take
place, that being at an approved NHS clinic within 24 weeks of conception, and with the sign
off of two doctors. Outside these strict guidelines, abortion carries a maximum sentence of
life in prison, despite legally codified before women could even vote. Since 2020, when
abortion pills and telemedicine was made more common by the pandemic lockdown, around
100 women have faced police investigations on grounds of suspicion of illegal abortion,
some having had miscarriages. Whilst this vote has not fully decriminalised abortion it is a
huge move in the right direction. The Bill still needs to return to the House of Commons for
MPs to consider, however, assuming they agree with the decision, England and Wales are
set to join countries like France and Canada, treating abortion as a matter of healthcare not
criminality.

3. New documentary inspires and educated about Iraqi women

Founder of the online platform Iraqi Women Rights, activist Tamara Amer holds a unique
position as a simultaneous dual position of insider and outsider in Baghdad. Resultantly,
Amer uses her voice, experience, and knowledge of the socio-political culture of Iraq to
inspire local women to break their silence. Her new documentary Burning Voice world
premiered on the 13 th March at the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival
and delves into themes of structural gender inequality and violence facing women and girls.
Drawing on painfully personal past experiences of abuse, Amer’s film preaches empathy
and encourages active support of women’s rights where they are in critical conditions.

4. Kenyan Feminist Organisations Receive AFD Funding
The AFD, or Agence Francaise de Developpement, is a public French financial institution
that complements France’s diplomacy, investing in foreign territories to provide aid. As of the
12 th March, said organisation has allocated 811,000 euros to the Kenyan Feminist
Organizations Support Fund (FSOF). This money will now be used to combat technology-
enabled gender based violence across the country, strengthening protections for women
against cases including cyberstalking and online harassment that disproportionately affect
women. The focus on local efforts should ensure an approach grounded in real, lived
experience, enhancing the capacities of grassroots organisations to deliver services such as
psychosocial support and digital security training, keeping real women safe in communities
throughout Kenya.

5. Fifa policy changes seek to increase female coaches
On the 19th March, the Fifa Council ruled that at least two staff members on the bench for
each women’s team must be female, with one in an assistant coach or head coach role. The
rule applies to all youth and senior tournaments, including clubs and national teams, and will
be coming into effect during the under 17s and under 20s Women’s World Cup and
Women’s Champions Cup competitions this year. Fifa’s chief football officer, Jill Ellis, told
BBC News ‘there are simply not enough women in coaching today’. This new policy will give
more opportunities to women hoping to break into this male dominated industry.