She Said it - Heard This

NATO Brings Prostitution Industry to Kosovo

From the broken pieces of NATO-shattered Yugoslavia come prostitution services for the piece-keepers.

Most of the women and girls used by the tax-payer supported "peace keepers" were kidnapped or tricked into the pimping industries of Eastern Europe before being brought to Kosovo. The girls and women are now made to service the 45,000 men of the NATO force, personnel of the United Nations and non-governmental organizations.

The United Nations mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) claims to be unable to do anything about the problem. They are preoccupied with the task of the political and economic construction of the province--which apparently includes the introduction of prostitution. Prostitution had been rare in this rural province before the NATO destruction. All the brothels and bars that now exist target foreign customers.

The UNMIK not only refuses to interfere with the pimping of women and girls, they also refuse to set up any assistance or medical regime for the prostitutes. "Trafficking in women is a real problem, but it's not at the top of my list of priorities," said Roma Bhattacharjea, who is in charge of women's affairs with UNMIK.

(Asia Daily News, Jan 5)

Clinton Aims to Weaken Laws Against Trafficking

In the meantime, back in Washington, DC, the Clinton administration is doing its damnedest to weaken international laws against the trafficking of women and children for prostitution. The administration is pushing for wording in the treaty that would define only "forced" prostitution as a form of sexual exploitation. Feminist leaders, including Gloria Steinem and Patricia Ireland, wrote a letter to the State Department pointing out that this wording would make it more difficult to prosecute prostitution rings because the definition "would not cover some of the most common methods of sex trafficking, which prey on and profit from the economic desperation of women, girls, and their families by securing their 'consent.'"

The Clinton administration, as usual, found someone else to blame. They say they do not want to alienate other countries by broadening the definition of exploitation in prostitution.

Human rights groups estimate that each year millions of women and girls are forced or coerced into lives of sexual exploitation, and transported across international borders, usually by criminal organizations.

(New York Times, Jan 13)

Women's Soccer Banned

Women's soccer is growing in popularity in Nigeria, but the country's north-west state of Zamfara has banned women's participation in the sport.

While the Nigerian women's team, the Falcans, currently enjoys status as the African champions, women of Zamfara have no right to even play. Women's participation in soccer is "unislamic," said Shehu Gusau, the state director of sports. He said the government is planning to build new sports stadiums with separate stands for women and men.

Islamic Sharia law has recently been imposed throughout Zamfara. Sharia laws include punishments such as amputation for those convicted of theft and flogging for those caught drinking alcohol.

(BBC News, Jan 7)

Taliban Purges More Doctors

The Taliban, which rules 90% of Afghanistan, is planning to purge all civil servants, including doctors and paramedics, who allegedly had links with the former communist government.

In late December, the Taliban ordered all universities, ministries, and United Nations agencies working in Afghanistan to turn in information on staff members who had received awards from or were educated in a socialist country during the communist regime.

There are few trained health professionals left in the country, even without the current purge. The Taliban has given all key teaching and managerial positions to men who supported the "holy war" against the communist regime, which had ruled the country between 1978 and 1992. The Taliban forced experienced teachers and clinicians to flee the country.

(The Lancet, Jan 1)



NATO Brings Prostitution Industry to Kosovo From the broken pieces of NATO-shattered Yugoslavia come prostitution services for the piece-keepers. Most of the women and girls used by the tax-payer supported "peace keepers" were kidnapped or tricked into the pimping industries of Eastern Europe before being brought to Kosovo. The girls and women are now made to service the 45,000 men of the NATO force, personnel of the United Nations and non-governmental organizations. The United Nations mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) claims to be unable to do anything about the problem. They are preoccupied with the task of the political and economic construction of the province--which apparently includes the introduction of prostitution. Prostitution had been rare in this rural province before the NATO destruction. All the brothels and bars that now exist target foreign customers. The UNMIK not only refuses to interfere with the pimping of women and girls, they also refuse to set up any assistance or medical regime for the prostitutes. "Trafficking in women is a real problem, but it's not at the top of my list of priorities," said Roma Bhattacharjea, who is in charge of women's affairs with UNMIK. (Asia Daily News, Jan 5) Clinton Aims to Weaken Laws Against Trafficking In the meantime, back in Washington, DC, the Clinton administration is doing its damnedest to weaken international laws against the trafficking of women and children for prostitution. The administration is pushing for wording in the treaty that would define only "forced" prostitution as a form of sexual exploitation. Feminist leaders, including Gloria Steinem and Patricia Ireland, wrote a letter to the State Department pointing out that this wording would make it more difficult to prosecute prostitution rings because the definition "would not cover some of the most common methods of sex trafficking, which prey on and profit from the economic desperation of women, girls, and their families by securing their 'consent.'" The Clinton administration, as usual, found someone else to blame. They say they do not want to alienate other countries by broadening the definition of exploitation in prostitution. Human rights groups estimate that each year millions of women and girls are forced or coerced into lives of sexual exploitation, and transported across international borders, usually by criminal organizations. (New York Times, Jan 13) Women's Soccer Banned Women's soccer is growing in popularity in Nigeria, but the country's north-west state of Zamfara has banned women's participation in the sport. While the Nigerian women's team, the Falcans, currently enjoys status as the African champions, women of Zamfara have no right to even play. Women's participation in soccer is "unislamic," said Shehu Gusau, the state director of sports. He said the government is planning to build new sports stadiums with separate stands for women and men. Islamic Sharia law has recently been imposed throughout Zamfara. Sharia laws include punishments such as amputation for those convicted of theft and flogging for those caught drinking alcohol. (BBC News, Jan 7) Taliban Purges More Doctors The Taliban, which rules 90% of Afghanistan, is planning to purge all civil servants, including doctors and paramedics, who allegedly had links with the former communist government. In late December, the Taliban ordered all universities, ministries, and United Nations agencies working in Afghanistan to turn in information on staff members who had received awards from or were educated in a socialist country during the communist regime. There are few trained health professionals left in the country, even without the current purge. The Taliban has given all key teaching and managerial positions to men who supported the "holy war" against the communist regime, which had ruled the country between 1978 and 1992. The Taliban forced experienced teachers and clinicians to flee the country. (The Lancet, Jan 1)


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