Solidaritas #36
COVID-19 threatens essential women's services such as domestic violence support and pregnancy termination
Good morning! I hope you are all well. It’s suddenly freezing cold in Canberra and I’m missing Jakarta like crazy.
As you may have realised, I've decided to move this newsletter to Substack.
The new model will be as follows:
A weekly wrap-up for paid subscribers;
Occasional free public posts; and,
Free fortnightly newsletters as usual.
Love and solidaritas,
Kate
Afghanistan
With most domestic violence support services closed by COVID-19, those working with abused women are terrified for their clients. 25-year-old psychologist Marzia Akbari says she is worried that “Many women in Herat may survive coronavirus but won’t survive the lockdown.”
Australia
Who are Australia’s essential workers? Women, it turns out. Almost 80% of healthcare and social assistance workers in Australia are women, including nurses, doctors and hospital support staff. Aged-care workers are in the highest risk environments and have the biggest proportion of female employment at 95%. They are also much more likely to be part-time, lower paid and casual.
Despite apologies for the Stolen Generation and promises of ‘never again’, Indigenous mothers are still living with the fear their children could be taken away from them. Indigenous children are 10 times more likely to be removed from their families than other Australian children.
Devpolicy takes a look at developing a feminist foreign policy in Australia.
Women’s sport has finally been gaining some momentum in Australia in recent years, but that may be all but wiped out due to COVID-19.
Bangladesh
Bangladesh’s garment industry employs four million people to produce clothing for American and European brands, and garments accounts for 84% of the country’s US$40 billion-a-year export sector. Now, garment workers are marching in the streets because they’re being laid off and not being paid; union leader Kalpona Akter explains what’s going on.
Due to COVID-19 lockdowns, an estimated 100,000 women who work in brothels in Bangladesh have no way of supporting themselves or their children. Bangladesh’s government has stepped in to help.
Cambodia
Cambodia’s first trial of surrogate mothers was held at the end of March. 32 Cambodian women who acted as surrogates for Chinese clients were found guilty of human trafficking and handed suspended jail terms. They were also ordered to raise their children “well”.
Scared of coronavirus, pregnant Cambodian women are reportedly staying away from hospitals. This could have a serious impact on their and their babies’ health if antenatal check-ups are skipped or if women choose to give birth at home without trained medical help.
China
The alleged sexual assault of a teenager by a prominent lawyer and oil executive in China has sparked calls for the government to do more to address sexual abuse, including raising the age of consent from 14.
Giving a child their mother’s surname is something that some feminists are increasingly trying to do in China. But it’s far from easy.
Fiji
Women in Fiji are grappling with revenge porn as internet use booms.
Hong Kong
For Hong Kong’s domestic workers, staying at home means living at work.
Indonesian migrant worker and journalist Yuli Riswati takes a look at migrant workers’ participation in the Hong Kong opposition movement.
India
I’ve long been obsessed with India’s accredited social health activists (ASHAs), a type of community health worker. This BBC piece takes a look at how their work is vital to fighting coronavirus yet they government has not sufficiently equipped and supported them to protect themselves from the virus.
The National Commission for Women has received a huge spike in domestic violence reports since COVID-19 began. What’s interesting is that one in six complaints is made via WhatsApp.
India’s coronavirus lockdown has protected abortion as an essential service but women are reportedly struggling to access the services.
Indonesia
Rest in Peace, Dr Ketty Herawati Sultana, a 60-year-old doctor from Jakarta who died of coronavirus on 3 April. One of her last patients was the country’s Transporation Minister, who has since recovered.
Women manufacturing workers are among some of the hardest hit by COVID-19 in Indonesia.
How COVID-19 is forcing Indonesian mothers to do it all.
Remember the commisioner from the National Commission for the Protection of Indonesian Children who said women could get pregnant by swimming in the same pool as men? She’s been dishonourably discharged by the President.
Japan
Japan Airlines has become the country’s first major company to no longer require women to wear high heels and skirts to work. Women may now wear pants and footwear “that suits their needs”.
Kiribati
Four women have been elected in Kiribati’s national election, the highest number of women in parliament so far.
Mongolia
Like everywhere, small businesses in Mongolia have been badly affected by coronavirus shutdowns. This article takes a look at the country’s seamstresses, who had been busily preparing outfits to sell for the Lunar New Year.
Nepal
Nepal’s Ministry of Population and Health developed a COVID-19 tracking app for smartphones. Public health experts say that it would be more beneficial if the country mobilised its female community health volunteers, who have been on the frontlines of rural health for more than 40 years.
Pakistan
79-year-old Yasmeen Lari was Pakistan’s first female architect and spent decades designing glitzy buildings for rich corporations and individuals. Now, she’s turning her focus to the poor and vulnerable, working on buildings such as the Sindh women’s centre, made from bamboo, mud and lime and built on stilts to survive floods.
The Philippines
How volunteer health workers and underpaid nurses are fighting the coronavirus pandemic in The Philippines.
Regional
Personal protective equipment such as face masks, gloves, and body suits aren’t designed for women and that’s putting their lives at risk.
Solomon Islands
Machetes in hand, women join forces to fight logging in the Solomon Islands.
South Korea
On #metoo and Cho Nam-joo’s Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982.
The mayor of Busan has resigned after being accused of sexually assaulting a female public servant.
Taiwan
Meet Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s Digital Minister. She’s a hacker and a trans woman, and is responsible for many of the country’s innovative ways of handling coronavirus.
In Taiwan, divorce requires mutual consent. This can lead to difficulties for partners down track, including even being charged with adultery.
Thailand
With the economic impact of coronavirus worsening, some Thai women report they are considering abortion instead of continuing with their pregnancies.
Tonga
While Tonga has fortunately remained coronavirus-free so far. The threat of the virus nevertheless has its women worried, especially after Tropical Cyclone Harold just ripped through the nation, destroying ‘Eua island’s Women and Children’s Crisis Centre. WCCC only opened a branch on ‘Eua two years ago after Tropical Cyclone Gita.
New Zealand
Is PM Jacinda Ardern’s empathetic leadership style what makes her one of the most effective world leaders in 2020?
Vietnam
The year 1968 marked a turning point in the Vietnam War. In January, the North Vietnamese and Vietcong launched the infamous Tet Offensive - a bloody military campaign against the South Vietnamese, the US and their allies. The retaliations were vicious, and women in particular were targeted with sexual violence and rape. This (admittedly difficult to read) BBC article covers the violence perpetrated by South Korean soldiers - something I’d never heard about before.
Fundraising
Undocumented Migrants Solidarty and Anticolonial Asian Alliance (Kulin Nation) are raising funds for undocumented migrants affected by COVID-19 in Australia. Undocumented migrants and even most migrants on temporary visas are not eligible for Australian government support.
Justice for Sisters and SEED are raising funds for transgender folk affected by COVID-19 in Malaysia.
Sanggar Swara are raising funds for transgender folk affected by COVID-19 in Greater Jakarta. Email me if you'd like to donate from overseas and I can arrange to transfer the money to them.
My own organisation, Jakarta Feminist Discussion Group, is raising funds for single mothers, widows/divorcees, domestic workers, online ojek drivers, massage therapists, and cleaners affected by COVID-19 in Greater Jakarta. You can email me if you want to transfer funds by Australian bank transfer or through PayPal.
Did I miss something?
Think I overlooked a great article, or want to promote your own work/an upcoming event? Hit me up on Twitter or via email: katewalton.au@gmail.com
Thanks for reading!