In the Blog
Mid-Week Round Up: February March 18
Illustration: Erin McPhee
Saturday, March 14, was declared a National Day of Action to Protest Bill C-51. Introduced by Stephen Harper’s Conservatives, Bill C-51 would give CSIS new powers to allow search and seizures without a warrant and bans the “promotion of terrorism,” which critics say is vague phrasing that could impede freedom of speech; Amnesty International has been critical of the ban, saying that it “falls short of international human rights requirements.” Check out these great photos of the Toronto protests.
Speaking of Harper, the prime minister recently sparked anger with his anti-Muslim rhetoric (again), calling the niqab (a face-covering veil worn by Muslim women) “anti-women” and calling for them to be banned from Canadian citizenship ceremonies. In response, the hashtag #DressCodePM saw women of all faiths across Canada asking Harper to personally approve their outfits. He knows best!
A woman in Indiana may face up to 70 years in prison for miscarrying. Purvi Patel arrived at an emergency room with symptoms consistent with a miscarriage. Prosecutors claimed that Patel used illegal drugs to induce an abortion and abandoned her fetus, who was born alive; she was therefore charged with both feticide and felony neglect of a dependent. Despite inconsistent and unreliable evidence, she was convicted. This case is a perfect example of how anti-feticide laws can put women, particularly women of colour, in danger.
A new website seeks to highlight women’s contributions to the study of philosophy. Recognizing that philosophy has been dominated by male voices, Project Vox seeks to draw the attention of philosophy students and teachers to “early modern women [who] have been unjustly ignored in our narratives.”
The International Board on Books for Young People has released its biennial list of Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities. The list recognizes great books for and about children with disabilities, including a Braille alphabet learner and Shh! We Have a Plan, a picture book featuring a character with autism.
