Naomi Wynter-Vincent

• Throwing the Last Stone: It is reported that the head of the
  Iranian Judiciary has ordered judges not to sentence women found guilty of
  adultery to be stoned, following pressure from women politicians in Iran
  and massive condemnation of the practice by human rights activists around
  the world. Stoning as a form of punishment will, however, remain on the
  statutes for the time being, although campaigners wish to see it entirely
  abolished. Although stoning has become relatively rare in Iran, there
  were a small number of cases in 2001, which sparked outrage across the
  world. 
• Blowing the Whistle: Time Magazine has given its ‘person of
  the year’ award to three women: Coleen Rowley, Sherron Watkins, and
  Cynthia Cooper; all of whom blew the whistle on unethical practices within
  their workplaces in 2002, namely the FBI, Enron and WorldCom respectively.
  Although Gender Agenda worries a little about Time’s designation of three
  women simultaneously as the ‘person’ of the year, it is interesting that
  they should have taken the unusual step of saluting three relatively
  anonymous women, who commended themselves by having the courage to speak
  out against their bosses within the US business environment which prizes
  the loyalty of its employees and corporate hierarchy.
• Pop-Out Babies: Wal-Mart, the US retail giant, has withdrawn
  stocks of Barbie’s pregnant companion doll, Midge, after conservative
  customers complained about the doll’s allegedly overly graphic depiction
  of pregnancy. The doll, which features a curled up ‘detachable’ baby
  within the doll’s tummy, was on sale as part of an integral ‘family pack’
  featuring Midge’s husband, Alan, and three-year old son. The makers of
  the doll have defended their product by pointing to its wholesome
  portrayal of married life and contented motherhood, but have failed to
  satisfy the staunchly conservative retail giant. Meanwhile, there have
  been no reported complaints against the original Barbie character, whose
  lithe bodyshape and improbably long legs would have rendered her too thin
  to menstruate if she were a real woman.
• Men O’ Pause? Swedish researchers have found that more than
  a third of men in a recent survey had experienced symptoms reminiscent of
  the female menopause over the age of 55. Researchers believe that men may
  experience symptoms such as hot flushes, mild depression and excessive
  sweating, as a result of a protein mechanism which is similar in women,
  which occurs with reduced testosterone levels. Other scientists however
  remain very sceptical of the notion that there could be a male menopause.
• Women forge ahead at Cambridge: The University accepted more
  women than men for the first time on to undergraduate courses starting in
  2003. Women will make up 50.3% of the total undergraduate intake in
  October, although this figure still falls short of the percentage that
  might be expected on the basis of results at A-level, in which women
  outperform boys by some 2.6% in getting A grades at A-level. Oxford by
  comparison still takes marginally more men than women. Additionally, it
  seemed that women were more likely to be given a place if they had come
  from state schools rather than from an independent school. Janet Graham,
  head of Admissions, said this might be further evidence of women’s better
  academic performance in general as it suggests that women were still
  likely to achieve even without the additional material support of a
  private school education.
• Rape Laws: Scottish law was brought into line with the UK in
  November by disallowing rape defendants from conducting their own defence
  in court (and so ruling out the possibility that rape victims could be
  cross-examined in court by their attackers). Scotland has also gone
  further than the UK in its reforms by allowing the prosecution to draw
  attention to a defendant’s previous convictions if the defence choose to
  bring up personal information about the plaintiff.
• Throw-Away Babies: Women’s rights activists in Tamil Nadu,
  southern India, have reported an increase in the number of female babies
  abandoned shortly after birth. Although not uncommon elsewhere in more
  rural parts of India, the incidence of abandoned babies is also rising
  within urban centres such as Madras.