feminism

"Be beautiful and vote", the worst campaign flop in Lebanon

Team Observers — Sun, 03 May 2009 18:20:12 +0200

Six weeks before the Lebanese parliamentary elections, this campaign was meant to attract women voters. It didn't.

The ‘Be beautiful and vote' campaign was launched on television and posters around the country by the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM), an opposition Christian party directed by General Aoun, before a key vote on June 7.

You like that, huh?

Sophie Team Observers — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 17:27:15 +0100

Scantily dressed women being roughed up by men in uniform - advertisers might think it's sexy, but Neapolitans certainly don't.

The campaign by Milan-based clothing brand Relish is a sight to be seen in Naples, Bologna, Milan, and even Rio de Janeiro. The posters show attractively dressed women being arrested and sexually abused by men in uniform. A scene that's raising eyebrows on both sides of the Atlantic.

In Brazil, the Rio authorities were not impressed when images of sexual abuse appeared on Ipanema beach - especially as the supposed policemen involved are wearing a uniform based on the city's own. And to make matters worse, the campaign was launched at a time when diplomatic relations between the two countries are very strained: Brazil had just decided to give refugee status to Cesare Battisti, the former guerrilla and convicted killer who Italy is trying to get back into jail.

The campaign is also causing trouble in Italy, particularly in Naples, where residents are trying to get the posters taken down. Relish responded to the attacks by saying that the "Relish woman is dynamic, free, modern and loves to play with her sensuality". They also defended the campaign by saying that it was based on the film Thelma and Louise.

This post was put together with the help of our Observer in Milan, Alberto Celani.

Do girls need their own porn?

Sophie Team Observers — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:12:40 +0100

Is there a need for pornography created specifically for women? A group of French women thinks so. We ask our Observers, from Budapest to Beijing, what they think about the idea.

Sick of male-dominated pornography, a group of French women decided to create a business tailored to the needs and desires of women. "SecondSexe" offers downloadable raunchy readings, female-friendly films, and an online boutique selling lingerie and sex toys. But not all of its target audience are appreciative of the incentive....

One of the SecondSexe adverts.

Fashion crackdown intensifies: arrests captured on film

Julien — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:06:00 +0100

Material compiled by our regional editor for Iran and Afghanistan, Jay Bakht

This video was captured on a mobile phone at the Abouzar roundabout in the eastern Iranian city of Birjand. It shows two girls being arrested by the police for not covering their hair properly. The police are supposed to act like a ‘moral authority’ that protects and enforces Islamic customs in Iranian society. But they are not always official. They can approach people acting ‘inappropriately’, for example an unmarried couple holding hands or a girl with heavy make-up. Many people try to resist; as the girls in the video.

The two girls are approached by two women wearing long black “chadoors”, as the all-enveloping traditional Islamic robes are called in Iran. One of the girls can be heard saying: “Who are you? I’m not coming with you. Wait a second!” One of the women then says, “I’m a policewoman.” The girl screams, “Let me go! People! Help! Help me! God …help me…” In the background a man says: “She hasn’t committed any crime, why don’t they let her go?!”

Post your questions to Farnaz Seifi, Iranian feminist and our observer in Iran, or to Jay Bakht, our regional editor for Iran and Afghanistan.