Article here. Excerpt:

'Bumble is launching a women-only filter for its professional networking tool, Bumble Bizz.

The Women in Bizz feature, which can be turned on or off in app settings, excludes men from a user’s pool of potential connections. The idea is to help a traditionally underrepresented workforce connect and build support systems outside the office.

The tool is a sort of extension of Bumble’s core women-first mission. The popular dating app lets women make the first move and message their romantic matches first. Now it’s helping traditionally outnumbered female employees build out a women-only network.

“Representation is critically important for women, especially in traditionally male dominated industries,” CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd said in a statement to CNBC. “We’re helping women connect with other women to show them what’s possible and give them resources as they build their careers.”'

Link here. Excerpt:

'The man picked by the Liberal Party to run in the hotly-contested Western Australian federal seat of Stirling has defended the process which saw him chosen over four female nominees, saying preselectors were given complete freedom.
...
He was chosen to run after frontbencher Michael Keenan announced he would retire at the next election.
...
Mr Keenan today acknowledged he had wanted to see a female candidate succeed him in Stirling, but said it was the local party branch's decision and Mr Connelly was a friend and an "exceptionally good candidate".

Mr Connelly, a vice president of the Stirling branch and a Scarborough local, said each nominee was given the same opportunity to convince preselectors.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Records obtained by The Arizona Republic provide additional detail about Zamora's alleged sexual misconduct with the student. Video, police interviews and Zamora's arrest captured on body-worn cameras describe how Zamora and the boy had sex multiple times in her car and classroom — once with another male student in the room.

The two even sexually touched each other while oblivious students watched a video, records show. 

Zamora was arrested in March 2018 on suspicion of sexual misconduct after a monitoring app on the boy's cellphone alerted his parents to illicit texts between the two.

Zamora, now 28, surrendered her state teaching certificate in December. She continues to be held in a Maricopa County jail on a $250,000 bond, according to public court records.'

As of writing, Amazon is running a banner that reads "Shop women-run businesses" with a link to businesses on Amazon's site that are run by women.

The road to Hell, as they say. Imagine "Shop whites-run businesses" or similar? Never "Shop man-run businesses", not in a million years. This is an effort to appeal to gender discrimination and anti-male sentiment. I wonder how Jeff Bezos would have taken it if when he just started Amazon his site was somehow pushed down in search results, for example, because he was male?

Article here. Excerpt:

'In Tajikistan, where the government often tries to micromanage people’s daily lives, authorities are now even trying to regulate the circumcision of newborn boys.

Family doctors from state-run clinics have been going door-to-door in the capital, Dushanbe, in recent days to make a list of uncircumcised baby boys, several parents have complained.

The doctors then tell the parents to bring their young boys to clinics to have them circumcised as soon as possible, the families claimed.

A mother of two, Jamila, who didn’t want to give her full name, told RFE/RL that she was surprised when a family doctor paid an unexpected visit to her home in Dushanbe and asked if her toddler son was circumcised.

“The doctor told me that the medics have been instructed by [authorities] to register all uncircumcised boys,” Jamila said on February 24.'

---

Wikipedia on T-stan here.

Article here. Google the first paragraph to jump the paywall. Excerpt:

'The roots of toxic masculinity and gender violence run deep in “Boys Don’t Cry,” an affecting short film from Canadian social-advocacy group White Ribbon, agencies Bensimon Byrne and Narrative, and Academy-award nominated documentary director Hubert Davis.

Told in gripping quick-cut style, the narrative packs plenty of punches—literally and figuratively—into its 3-minute runtime, taking us through key events in a boy’s life, from early childhood through his late teen years. This smart, shy, sensitive kid grows increasingly troubled against a backdrop domestic discord, as well as bullying by his classmates. Making matters worse, he’s repeatedly told that he must remain strong—and never cry.

Article here. Excerpt:

'Over the past several years, toxic masculinity has become a catchall explanation for male violence and sexism. The appeal of the term, which distinguishes “toxic” traits such aggression and self-entitlement from “healthy” masculinity, has grown to the point where Gillette invoked it last month in a viral advertisement against bullying and sexual harassment. Around the same time, the American Psychological Association introduced new guidelines for therapists working with boys and men, warning that extreme forms of certain “traditional” masculine traits are linked to aggression, misogyny, and negative health outcomes.
...

Article here. Excerpt:

'Perhaps Mr Furlong was more qualified than his peers. But then again, he’s benefited from privilege throughout his life. And while he’s perfectly entitled to call out discrimination where he sees it, there are occasions such as these when it is justified and – until real equality is delivered – necessary.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'A three-day conference that features two days of talks given only by women scientists kicks off today (February 26) at the University of California, San Diego. The line-up was intentionally designed to highlight the work of women.

“We have decided to demonstrate that it is possible to have a large representation of women presenters in a scientific meeting by inviting only women speakers,” an announcement about the event on a university website says.

Gender imbalance at conferences has become a pressing issue with some male scientists declining opportunities because of the lack of women speakers.

Article here. Excerpt:

'As part of a new recruitment drive, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is holding women only open days in Glasgow.

Around 300 new firefighters are to be trained to join the already 3,000 strong Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Only five per cent of Scotland’s firefighters are women- a figure bosses want to increase in the latest recruitment round.

Liz Barnes, Director of People and Organisational Development, said: “We are very privileged to work for an emergency service that prides itself on working hard each and every day to serve and protect the people of Scotland.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Habitat for Humanity is giving women a place to call home by building the first female-only veteran village in Brevard County.

The organization broke ground Monday on the new community in Cocoa.

According to Habitat for Humanity's Facebook page, there are six, single-family homes under construction on Whaley Street "providing affordable housing in a typically underserved community."

The hope is that these houses will help reduce the homeless female veteran population.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'I was at a women’s leadership summit in October when a woman rose to ask a panel of female leaders and activists a question. It was the same day the U.S. Senate was voting to confirm Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court, and the room carried a mixed sense of relief and dread — at least we were together when so much was still raw. The mother’s question silenced a buzzing room.

“What if,” she wanted to know, “your sons are becoming the thing you hate?” Her teenage sons, whom she loved fiercely, and who she made sure traveled to see the world’s beautiful diversity, had rejected her progressive vocabulary and morality. In a room that had been celebrating women’s progress in a tough time, no one could really tell her what to do about her boys.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'I was traveling Friday and missed a rather interesting and consequential story. Lisa Borders, the CEO of Time’s Up, an “organization born of the #MeToo movement that advocates for safe and harassment-free workplaces,” has resigned. Why? Because her son was accused of sexual assault. But that’s not what makes the story truly notable. Family troubles can cause people to press pause on their careers all the time. What’s notable is that the CEO resigned in part to advocate for her son’s innocence:

Article here. Excerpt:

'A former day care provider convicted of hanging a toddler has been sentenced to probation.

Nataliia Karia received 10 years probation on Monday for hanging a toddler in her daycare and running over two men with her minivan, before attempting suicide. She had faced 13 years in prison. All of the victims of the November 2016 incident survived their injuries.
...
Karia had pleaded guilty to attempted murder and criminal vehicular operation. Karia's attorney argued the cause was mental illness brought on by abuse.

"This offense was aggravated, if not wholly caused, by abuse of Nataliia's husband," defense attorney Brockton Hunter said.

Hunter provided the judge with recordings they say shows her husband's anger.

Karia told the judge, "Please help me back to my children."

The prosecutor argued that mental illness is not a reason to give Karia probation instead of prison.

Press release here. Excerpt:

'Following last week’s announcement of a settlement between the City of Charleston (SC) and a man who had been falsely arrested, the Center for Prosecutor Integrity is warning state legislatures to take steps to rein in use of “victim-centered” investigative methods that presume the guilt of the accused, downplay inconsistencies in witness statements, and bias the investigative report.

These “victim-centered” approaches are known by names such as “Start By Believing,” “believe the victim,” and “trauma-informed.”

Ethical codes require investigators to conduct their work with impartiality, objectivity, and honesty (1).  In contrast, Start By Believing instructs sexual assault investigators to begin the probe with “an initial presumption” of guilt, and then to (2):