Lysistratidai

Hmmm … imitations of the Lysistrata’s ‘sex strike’ seem to be happening more and more, so maybe we’ll start keeping a closer eye on them. The latest comes from Kenya, where women are “boycotting sex” (is “withholding their cervixes” offensive?) “to push for reforms and constitutional review”. Increasingly (as noted on the Classics list), there seems to be no connection made to the Classical precedent, alas. Here’s some representative coverage:

• Women declare sex boycott (Standard)

• Kenyan Women Vow to Withhold Sex in Bid to End Political Feud (Fox)

• Kenyan women hit men with sex ban (BBC)

• Sex Strike in Kenya (AllGov)

A couple weeks ago, we mentioned in passing a post at Spectre Footnotes, which also seems to be gathering these things. There’s also a nice piece at Experience A.R.T. (which does make the Lysistrata connecton) on same. Naturally there will be some duplication of items in those places and what follows, of course.

In December 2008, Neapolitan women threatened same in an attempt to prevent fireworks injuries (!):

• Naples sex strike over fireworks (BBC)

• Naples women go on sex strike over firework injuries (Times)

In April 2008, an Orthodox feminist group in Israel was encouraging a somewhat indirect version … suggesting women don’t bathe until mikveh workers were paid:

• Murky waters (JPost)

Back in 2006, women in the Columbian city of Pereira staged a similar strike in an attempt to get their hubbies to not be so criminal:

• Colombian gangsters face sex ban (BBC)

• Colombian sex strike forces gangsters to sheathe weapons (Times)

In November 2003, Cameroon women brought to an end a three-month strike aimed at encouraging their hubbies to end their scrapping about grazing rights:

• Women call off sex strike (Times)

• Cameroon celebrates end of sex ban (BBC … indirectly)

In 2002, Sudanese women attempted to use their strike to end the war there:

• Sudanese women ban sex in effort to halt war (Telegraph)

In 2001, women in the Turkish village of Sirt went on ‘strike’ in an effort to get their water supply fixed:

• Bedroom Boycott (CBS)

In 1996, women in the town of Palestina in Brazil appropriately called a sex strike until their partners were tested for HIV:

• AIDS Fears Prompt ‘Sex Strike’ in Brazil (Washington Times)

Sadly, I suspect this post will result in rogueclassicism being blocked in assorted places …