by Artemis
On Sept. 6, Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled state laws against abortion are unconstitutional and violate women’s rights. This does not automatically make decriminalization the law of the land, and Mexico’s two congressional chambers will need to pass a law eliminating abortion from the country’s penal code. Two years ago, the Court ordered the state of Coahuila to remove sanctions from its criminal code, starting a process of legal battles in which 12 of 31 states decriminalized abortion. Abortion patients and providers will no longer be criminally charged, and women can receive abortions at federal health facilities anywhere in Mexico. This is the result of years of work by GIRE, a feminist, reproductive justice organization based in Mexico City, which brought the test case against Coahuila. Women celebrated on social media, posting heart emojis in green, the color of Latin America’s feminist movement.
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In London, New Ground is Britain’s first cohousing community exclusively for women over 50. The 26 residents, ranging in age from 58 to 94, manage everything themselves with tasks divided among teams of volunteers responsible for maintenance, gardening, communications, cleaning and legal issues. Each woman has two or three buddies to help her during emergencies. Male relatives, friends, and lovers can visit but not stay. In the cohousing model, people rent or buy their own living areas with additional shared space for socializing or classes. Maria Brenton states she and the other women “were fiercely opposed to the ageism and paternalism, the infantilization of older people by social care services.” In 1998, they formed Older Women’s Cohousing Group, networking with groups including Older Feminist Network, Growing Old Disgracefully, and Older Lesbians Network. After much learning, planning and designing, they moved into New Ground in 2016.
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In August, Luis Rubiales, president of Fifa, the Spanish football federation, forcibly kissed forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the medal ceremony after her team won the World Cup final. Her team refused to play again until his removal. The opposing team, England’s Lionesses, supported the boycott, stating, “unacceptable actions (were) allowed to happen by a sexist and patriarchal organization. Abuse is abuse and we have all seen the truth.” Hermoso attended the Women’s Cup final in Madrid and received a standing ovation. “We’re With You, Jenni Hermoso” was on posters, t-shirts, and a meters-long banner the players unfurled. During the week, players, including men, wore t-shirts with #SeAcabo, (It’s Over), the slogan for Spanish women athletes’ #MeToo movement. They had been fighting sexism for years. The player’s unions Fifpro and AFE called for an investigation and immediate action addressing Rubiales’ conduct under Fifa’s code of ethics. Fifa suspended him, demanding his resignation. Rubiales loudly portrayed himself as a victim of “false feminism” but finally resigned in September.