PhIG September 5th

A brief reminder of the upcoming PHIG as well as a call for possible topics to be discussed at the next meeting. I have been mulling over various societal issues in order to make a proposition. What has registered for me over the past weeks though is issues regarding gender, marriage and rights, emanating from the law (recently amended) in Afghanistan which allows husbands the right to starve their wives if they do not comply with their reasonable sexual demands. Afghan women, at least at the political and/or judicial level appear to be opposed to this, but the law has been passed in an amended version to hopefully garner the Shiite vote.

I dont think we philosophised about issues of gender/marriage/rights etc, i could be mistaken, but I am hoping to come up with a more precise recommendation soon. For now though, emotions aside, if possible, it would be useful to have your thoughts on this. The "West" is usually scolded for its judgement of "non-Western" societies and their mores and norms, but I am not sure that an issue like this can be simplistically reduced to West/non-Western characterizations. Dont humans (women) have rights as human beings to be treated as such. I know that in reality politics will exist but lets start somewhere.

Nicole