Palestinian Women: a History of Female Resistance in Gaza and the West Bank

Palestine (Conversation) – Outside observers tend to imagine the face of Gaza as resolutely male: the bearded Hamas “militant”, or the young man hurling stones across the border fence. But Palestinian women, both in Gaza and the West Bank, have a significant presence as activists, protesting against an unjust occupation, but also as the backbone of a fragmented and demoralised society. Women have been active in the Palestinian struggle since its early days. In the 1920s, they protested side by side with men against British control of their country. They…

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Oklahoma and Kansas Enact Anti-LGBT Laws

US (HRW) – In 2018, dozens of anti-LGBT bills have been introduced in state legislatures across the US. Remarkably, none of them have become law – until now. Over the past week, Governor Mary Fallin of Oklahoma and Governor Jeff Colyer of Kansas have signed laws allowing state-funded adoption and foster care agencies to follow their religious beliefs when placing children with families.  Proponents of the bills clearly signaled that they were designed to prevent agencies from having to place kids with LGBT parents, who are six times more likely than heterosexual…

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4 Medical Myths Your Doctors Want to Debunk

Some are old wives’ tales. Others are pieces of mangled trivia that get passed around and retold like gospel. If you’re ready to learn the truth behind some of the world’s most common medical myths, here are the real facts. Myth: The cold makes you sick. Contrary to popular belief, shivering in the snow doesn’t make you sick. While it’s true that things like the flu tend to flourish in winter, it’s mostly the result of humans congregating in small spaces and sharing more germs than usual. At the end…

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