Link here. Excerpt:

'At the request of Australia’s 39 universities, the Australian Human Rights Commission has conducted a national, independent survey of university students to gain greater insight into the nature, prevalence and reporting of sexual assault and sexual harassment at Australian universities.

The National university student survey on sexual assault and sexual harassment (the National Survey) also examined the effectiveness of university services and policies that address sexual assault and sexual harassment on campus.

The request to conduct this survey follows decades of advocacy on the topic of sexual assault and sexual harassment at universities both within Australia and overseas. The National Survey is the first of its kind and the first attempt to examine in detail the scale and the nature of the problem in Australia.

Article here. Excerpt:

'Lindsay Wrobel is on a "hunger strike" until the University of Rochester fires a professor accused of sexual harassment in a recent EEOC claim.

Wrobel claims she stopped eating on Saturday night and will refrain from food until she's either hospitalized or the professor is fired, whichever comes first.

Professor Florian Jaege was cleared of the sexual harassment allegations by both an internal and an external investigation. University of Rochester President Joel Seligman has publicly stated that "no violation of the law or University policy was found." Moreover, last week, Seligman announced a third investigation of sorts: an "independent investigator" will look into the complaints, too, just in case the school and law enforcement missed anything.

But some at the school, such as Wrobel, are not satisfied.

"Until Professor Jaeger is removed from the university, there’s going to be no trust among the student body," Wrobel told ABC affiliate WHAM 13.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'After reading through comments and offers to help, the Swede quickly put together a group of 22 project leaders, PR people and organizers to help move the idea forward. Now, the event has been given a title, "Statement Festival".

"The name has been decided as well as that it will be a two-day festival next summer, and we're going to try to have 100 percent women working and playing. We'll gradually release news on things like the location and artists via Kickstarter."
...
Some have suggested the event could be against anti-discrimination laws, but the organizers insist that after consulting legal experts they have been assured it is OK, noting that "creating a safe space" is the goal.

The people behind the festival have also been careful to point out that it will specifically be free from cisgender men and that transgender people for example are welcome. Cisgender is a term for a person whose gender identity corresponds to their birth sex.'

Article here. Jump the paywall by Googling the first paragraph text. Excerpt:

'U.S. District Judge John Padova of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania on Wednesday trimmed numerous claims from the lawsuit Doe v. Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania, but allowed the plaintiff to proceed on allegations that the university failed to adequately train investigators handling the disciplinary case, or provide a disciplinary process "free of gender bias or discrimination."

The case was lodged last year by a black male student who was expelled, but later sanctioned with a two-year suspension after a white woman alleged he had raped her.

The suit raised seven claims, including breach of contract, negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and violations of Title IX, IV and the Civil Rights Act.

Story here. Excerpt:

'Four weeks into the fall semester, Penn State has had one sexual assault reported.

Around this time last fall, there were already five sexual assaults reported between Aug. 30 and Sept. 10 , 2016. This time in Fall 2015, there were already three sexual assaults reported via the University Park Timely Warnings.

There were a total of 62 reported sexual assaults by the end of 2015, according to a previous article by The Daily Collegian.

The year with the lowest amount of reported sexual assaults was 2013, with just 28 overall.'

I found out the other day that the South Australian Equal Opportunity Commission is overseeing the introduction of this initiative across all South Australian public sector agencies (raising serious questions as to whether the commission can impartially fulfill it's conciliatory functions).

Some agencies currently signed up:

SA Attorney General's Department

SA Department of Health and Aging (see also here)

SA Department of the Premier and Cabinet

Article here. Excerpt:

'When Education Secretary Betsy DeVos last week announced plans to revise the nation’s guidelines on campus sexual assault, the predictable din of outrage drowned out the applause from some unlikely corners of college campuses: Many liberals actually approve.

Groups of Harvard Law scholars, feminist lawyers, and other university professors had long argued that the Obama-era policy for policing student sexual charges was unfair, creating a Kafkaesque system that presumed guilt rather than innocence. Now, those academics find themselves atypically aligned with the Trump administration on an issue as contentious as sexual violence.

“Betsy DeVos and I don’t have many overlapping normative and political views,” said Janet Halley, a Harvard Law School professor and expert on sexual harassment who supports the change. “But I’m a human being, and I’m entitled to say what I think.”'

Article here. Excerpt:

Ministry of Health Permanent Secretary Jabbin Mulwanda has urged health institutions to continuously conduct male circumcision.

Dr. Mulwanda says health workers should not wait for the Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision campaign that falls in August and September every year.

The Permanent Secretary says people should be circumcised at every stage when they make the decision without waiting for the campaign to start.

Dr. Mulwanda said this when He toured Kanakantapa Clinic in Chongwe constituency.

And District Health officer Mable Changala informed Mr. Mulwanda that about one thousand and twelve men have been circumcised in Chongwe district so far.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'In an effort to enforce diversity and inclusion, George Washington University’s international affairs school will no longer permit any “multi-speaker event” that does not meet a female quota, even if attempts are made to ensure women participate.

“For any panel, symposium, or multi-speaker event (3 or more speakers) held at the Elliott School, there should be no single-gender discussion panels,” Elliott School Dean Reuben Brigety wrote in an email to faculty and staff.

“If a panel consists of a single-gender [sic], please ensure that the moderator is of a different gender,” said Brigety (below), adding: “Non-adherence to this policy could result in cancellation of the event.” Its stated effective date was July 1.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Fordham University has launched an investigation into one of its Title IX coordinators after he screened a Prager University educational video that called into doubt the controversial “1-in-5” campus rape statistic.

Article here. Excerpt:

'In laypersons terms: The goal appears to revolve around instilling a sense of responsibility and commitment toward changing the behavior of all men for the behavior of some men. The verbiage suggests the existence of masculinity in general results in oppression — including but not limited to violence, racism, and sexuality-based forms of bias and prejudice.

In an interview with LifeZette, psychologist, counselor educator, mother and grandmother Dr. DeAnne Terrell of John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, said she finds Duke's program "really troubling." She said that while the program was likely developed with good intentions, it is based on a false premise.

This article is from the Prescott, Arizona Daily Courier. Four years ago, there was a tragic fire where 19 firemen (all men) died. Yet this isn't even mentioned in the article as all it asks is why there are so few female firefighters. Excerpt:

'Women have been among the ranks of firefighters since the late 1800s, but now, over 130 years later, they still make up a tiny minority of the fire service, with just three in the Quad Cities.
...
With both the Phoenix and Mesa fire departments headed up by female chiefs, it might seem that woman have made significant inroads in the firefighting business — and they have, as far as treatment by their colleagues is concerned.

“When I got on (with Phoenix Fire), it was 2001 and it was much different than it is now,” Captain Reda Bigler said. “And I think now those ladies that are trying to be hired into the fire service have it better.”

But of the 1,900 or so Phoenix firefighters, just 4 percent are women.

Article here. Excerpt:

'A couple of fraternity brothers at Wichita State University did something college men often do -- they slightly changed their behavior in order to slightly increase the odds they'd meet some college girls.

The men in this case hung a banner advertising free house tours for new members in the direction of where sorority recruitment was going on. Now they are under fire for sexual harassment.

A school administrator further argued the timing of their dastardly deed exacerbated its impact, claiming sensitivity on matters related to sexual assault was heightened across campus because of Education Secretary Betsy's DeVos speech last week.

The Internet has made it easier for expectant parents to research everything about having a baby, from choosing a stroller to buying the right diapers. But it hasn't been easy for parents to find reliable information on a question that invariably arises: whether or not to circumcise their son?

Now, a website called CircumcisionDebate.org can give parents, as well as anyone else interested in knowing more about the surgery, an overview from different viewpoints on the topic.

Consumer-friendly and easy-to-use, this new online reference includes a parents’ guide and advice on how to talk to your doctor, as well as possible benefits, harms, and risks from circumcision.

Article here. Excerpt:

'Hillary Clinton has an explanation for why women — white women, in particular — voted against her last November: they caved in to pressure from their husbands, fathers, boyfriends and male bosses.

Clinton made the excuse during an interview with NPR’s Rachel Martin during a promotional tour of her book, “What Happened.”

In the interview, Clinton was asked why, given that she was the first female presidential candidate, she fared worse than expected among female voters.

In typical Clinton fashion, she deflected the blame, suggesting that women who voted against her were somehow manipulated by men in their lives. She also claimed that “sexism” from supporters of Bernie Sanders might have played a part in her poor showing among female voters.'