Feminists Without Borders

No words needed

2009-06-25T23:51:00.001-04:00

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Danger in Complacency

2009-06-23T21:57:00.006-04:00

Last night, I went with friends to see the movie "The Hangover." After the film, however, the topic of conversation ended up being about a preview for the film, "Bruno" (being released on July 10th, 2009.) "Bruno" supposedly documents the antics of a gay australian fashion writer while simultaneously perpetuating the stereotype associated with a flamboyantly gay man. Of course, much controversy surrounds the films release as people ask the question of whether or not this is good for the LGBTQ community? Many involved in the film's production argue that by being so over-the-top the film exposes homophobia instead of perpetuating stereotypes. Hmmm....tell that to the 8th graders who will undoubtedly use lines from the film to taunt and tease any guy who displays even the slightest bit of effeminate behavior. In other words, a fine line exists between encouraging stereotypes and using hyperbole to expose prejudice. In my opinion, one main factor in crossing that line might be THE AUDIENCE. And, who is seeing these films? Sure -- adults, members of the LGBTQ community, but, undoubtedly a large percentage of people who may not understand that we are laughing at exposed homophobia instead of the homosexual character. (right, I know the movie is rated "R" but I also live on the planet earth where somehow underaged people STILL make their way into the theater...what.a.shock.)

Now, to be clear, this does not mean that I believe the film should not be released. In fact, I am truly excited to see it. But, I also believe some are undoubtedly going to take the wrong message away from the film and I wonder what can be done about this? Should the film have a disclaimer, as has been suggested by some, stating that the film does not encourage bigotry of any sort? I don't know.

What I do know is that there is certainly a little too much complacency--people have been to quick to assume that audiences will laugh at homophobia instead of homosexuality. Read some hate crimes statistics, talk to LGBTQ youth who have come out in junior high and high school, talk to the activists who are still working on EQUAL RIGHTS for the LGBTQ community--opinions might change. I am all for a good movie and a great laugh, but let's also realize that real lives can and will be affected by the sensitive subject matter and it would be nice to hear a little bit more about that and a little less about how this is just a flat-out WIN for LGBTQ visibility.

Here is a NYTIMES article that discusses some varying perspectives.

The women in Iran

2009-06-21T19:27:00.002-04:00

I have been waiting to hear a woman's perspective on the turmoil in Iran, and finally found this article on Forbes.com. As we know, journalists in Iran have been censored, imprisoned or worse, so coverage has not been complete through no fault of the journalists.

The woman interviewed in this article has not returned to Iran since 1984, and although I appreciate her perspective, I would like to hear more from women protesting in the streets. Who knows how this will end, and where women will stand after the ash has settled, but they are absolutely part of the fight.

This just might make you smile

2009-06-15T23:26:00.003-04:00

A blog about global feminism may be many things, but a humor factory it is usually not. The stories we post here often leave me thoughtful, angry, or sad, but rarely amused. I really wanted to post this story, therefore, about a 17th century nun who defied gender norms and played by her own rules. Sister Mary Ward sounds like an intelligent, funny and entertaining woman. And I can't help but laugh at the fact that the same church that imprisoned her and called her a heretic is now considering giving her their highest honor- canonization. I hope her story makes you smile too

Legal Reform and Women's Rights

2009-06-11T00:34:00.002-04:00

I had a professor at Georgetown, somewhat famous for throwing chalk at us in fits of literary excitement, who was a Muslim woman. When we covered "women" briefly in her history of Islam class, she told us that most Muslim women viewed feminism as an exclusively western movement that would destroy families. I desperately wanted to talk about this further, but trying to cover the entire history of Islam in one semester is a bit daunting, so we moved right along.

I thought of her tonight when I read this article, and really wish I could discuss it with her in class (minus the flying chalk). There is often a discrepancy between law and practice, but I do still hold some belief that the laws on the books have some power. I felt encouraged by this article, especially the grass roots, localized movement that inspired the legal reform.

The State of Reproductive Rights in Latin America

2009-06-08T23:13:00.002-04:00

This article was a very informative and quick read about the legislation limiting women's reproductive rights in several Latin American countries. I greatly appreciate that they mention the percentage of women raped or sexually abused as children in Honduras, as these are important facts to remember. (I wish that they had identified the "Honduran NGO" though!)

Congratulations to CNN Women's Refugee Commission Honorees

2009-05-27T23:32:00.002-04:00

Two women were honored for advocacy and services to their communities. Here are the official, and inspiring, bios:

Dr. Shamail Azimi was the first woman physician to return to Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban in December 2001, leading a team of female doctors who delivered life-saving maternal and child health care services.

Mariatu Kamara was 12 years old when young rebels in Sierra Leone captured her and cut off both her hands. Now 22, Mariatu is a successful college student in Toronto, Canada, where she is studying to become a counselor for abused women and children. Her personal experiences of war and its aftermath are the subject of her new memoir, The Bite of the Mango.

Machismo: The "Hidden Genocide" in Latin America

2009-05-27T08:10:00.002-04:00

Whenever women's rights activists compare sexism to something genderless (genocide) they are bound to draw immediate criticism of exaggeration. After all, if it were truly a genocide it would affect more than just one targeted group of people, right?

I do take particular interest in this region, as I work with primarily Latina women who have been victims of gender based violence both here and in their home country. Every woman's story is unique, but the almost unanimous opinion is that the reaction to and criminalization of gender based violence is much stronger and more condemning here than in any of their home countries. (The unanimity might only be disturbed by the few who feel that the police here don't protect them either.)

I would love to hear readers' opinions on this article. Do you think Ms. Ruiz Diaz is exaggerating for shock value? Do you think Latin America's chauvinism and gender based violence are more pronounced/prevalent/ accepted than in other regions in the world?

The Perils of Pregnancy

2009-05-18T22:59:00.005-04:00

On April 6, I posted about the mortal dangers facing pregnant women caught in the violent civil war in Sri Lanka.

I was going to post about the Four women elected to Kuwait's parliament, but NY Times OP ed columnist Nicholas Kristof's piece about maternal morality rates in Sierra Leone caught my attention. One in ten pregnant women dies in childbirth there. One in ten.

If you're interested in learning more or taking action, check out the following websites:

White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood

CARE

Averting Maternal Death and Disability

Also read the bill introduced in Congress meant to increase the United States' awareness and financial commitment to solving this problem.

Read the full OP ed piece here.

The Power of the Powerless

2009-05-16T10:01:00.002-04:00

There are many different ways to be a dissident. Most think of protests, yelling, confrontation, even violence. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been forced to dissent differently than most, but in doing so has created an opposition harder for the military junta in Myanmar to erase. Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for the past 13 years. She has not been able to lead any rallies or march on any capitols, but she cannot be ignored. She was released briefly in 2002 but the overwhelming support, demonstrated by people cheering her on the streets when they saw her, was too disturbing to the junta and thus she was returned to house arrest.

I have spoken with male friends before about the difference between some men and women and their styles of dissent, so this article was particularly intersting to me. How many ways can we fight for change before it finally comes?

Rape as a Weapon of War

2009-05-14T22:46:00.003-04:00

There was a wonderful article in the May 11 issue of the Christian Science Monitor exploring how rape has been used as a weapon of war in Colombia. Although this is nothing new to those of us familiar with the disproportionate amount of violence against women and girls, it's still refreshing to see it explicitly addressed in the media.

At the end of the article, there are links to articles addressing rape as a tactical weapon in the Congo and Iraq.

Does anyone know of any other good articles/books on this topic?

Mahila Paksh

2009-05-11T21:36:00.002-04:00

This is an exciting post! Mahila Paksh is an Indian newspaper started by a man (they can be feminists too!) after brainstorming with his wife and grown daughter about a better news outlet for women in India.

The article says:

Together the three chalked out a plan for the newspaper that would not only inform women, but motivate them to fight for themselves. They would give women a platform to air their grievances, while also teaching them how to individually and collectively tackle their problems. They decided they didn’t want to represent women - they wanted to make women capable enough to represent themselves.

Yes! This should always be our ultimate goal! Supporting others as they fight their own fight. Read the whole article here.

Roxana Saberi to be freed

2009-05-11T08:28:00.002-04:00

Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi is expected to be freed today. She has been jailed in Iran since January, and was originally sentenced to an 8 year prison term. She was first arrested for buying alcohol, but was quickly accused of spying for the US. International pressure from many women's rights groups, as well as political leaders who vocally disaproved of the trumped up charges no doubt helped overturn the original 8 year sentence.

Stay tuned for more news! And read the full story here.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T23:32:00.004-04:00

I couldn't let the day pass without wishing a Happy Mother's Day to all mothers out there.

Thank you for giving us examples of how to be strong women.
Thank you for showing us that women can and do deserve to be mothers and have a career.
Thank you for "staying home" and caring for us even though the work of raising children is not valued as it should be.
Thank you for navigating adoption agencies and foster care systems to find us.
Thank you for bravely living life as a same sex couple, even with all the disapproval you faced.
Thank you for living life honestly as a mom, even though you may have been born with male body parts.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Courage

2009-04-16T08:11:00.002-04:00

Please read this article to be inspired by the courage of Afghan women. (Also see the post from April 5 for a further explanation of the law they were protesting).

Feminism in Sri Lanka

2009-04-06T22:42:00.002-04:00

As you may know, violent warfare between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) is all but destroying the small country. As to be expected, this violence has disproportionately affected women. As they do not participate in the fighting as frequently as their male relatives, they are often left defenseless in areas that are still susceptible to violence. It's hard to report on exactly what's happening due to the extreme censorship, but it is known that violence is tearing apart the population of approximately 20 million.

Among the many medical crises facing the approximately 70,000 people trapped in the main conflict zone (non-government controlled areas), thousands of women are pregnant and cannot access pre or postnatal care or medical assistance during labor. I must admit even I don't frequently think of pregnant women when I think of conflict zones, but this highly vulnerable population is left with much higher risk of death during childbirth when they have zero access to childcare. Although a huge percentage of the female world population never sees a doctor before, during, or after childbirth, this is still an unnecessary risk, and specifically female risk in conflict zones.

Afghani law explicitly discriminates against women

2009-04-05T18:54:00.002-04:00

In a sad follow up to the March 3 post about domestic violence shelters increasing in Afghanistan, the NY Times ran a story today about President Hamid Karzai's disgusting support of a law that clearly limit the rights of Shiite women. The law, among other glaring problems, limits a woman's ability to leave the house, and obliges her to have sex with her husband at all times (unless "ill").

President Karzai's objection, a frequent one with non-western leaders, is that the western media has misconstrued the reality of the law. I call bogus. I cannot stand when discrimination against women is called a "cultural difference". I think when we started this blog, we hoped for a place where non-western and western feminists could convene and share thoughts, ideas and frustrations. Afghani, specifically Shiite women's voices are missing from this debate. If anyone reading this has any thoughts/feelings/connections with this debate, and feels like they lack the platform in which to express them, please do so.

For the full story, click here

G20 Summit

2009-04-01T21:19:00.002-04:00

Because there is far too much to report about it, I would encourage everyone to read as many news stories as possible about the G20 summit. Which leaders seem to realize the important role poverty plays in gender inequality? Which countries' financial stability takes priority?

Abortion Criminalization in Brazil

2009-03-28T14:37:00.002-04:00

The New York Times ran a story today on the controversy surrounding doctors who performed an abortion on a 9 year old Brazilian victim of incest. The girl and her 14 year old sister had been the victims of rape at the hands of their step father for years. Pregnant with twins, the young girl had to travel over 100 miles from her rural town in North Brazil to the nearest abortion clinic. Doctors ruled her womb was too small to support the pregnancy of twins, and performed an abortion. Upon learning of the abortion, a Brazilian archbishop ex-communicated everyone involved in the abortion except the step father accused of rape. In a country with more Catholics than any other in the world, this sentence carried a significant weight.

This story makes me feel tired. What progress have we made? How did this child find the courage to seek out an abortion? What are primarily male governments world wide doing to protect women who seek abortions?

Read the full story here.

Discrimination Against Indigenous Women

2009-03-23T23:00:00.002-04:00

An interesting story about an anti-discrimination lawsuit in Nicaragua caught my eye this morning. Although it starts with a somewhat arbitrary anecdote about not being let into a club, the article then starts listing some nearly insurmountable odds for indigenous women in Nicaragua.

As with many women of color, these Nicaraguan indigenous women often have to chose which "part" of them is being discriminated against, although more than likely both non-white/male characteristics are equally as damning. The hierarchy of indigenous community leaders is almost completely male, as are those of the university, governmental, and corporate worlds. Women are openly discriminated against based on their city of origin, the university from which they graduated, and the accent with which they speak Spanish.

Feminism Without Borders!

2009-03-22T23:23:00.002-04:00

Check out today's theme for the National Young Women's Leadership Conference: From Campus to Congress Given by FMF:

Welcome to day two of our National Young Women's Leadership Conference: From Campus to Congress. Our speakers and workshops have been great! This morning we are discussing FEMINISM WITHOUT BORDERS!

This plenary will be LIVE online this morning! Join us LIVE on UStream at 10:00 am Eastern Time.

What:	Opening Plenary - FEMINISM WITHOUT BORDERS

When:	Sunday March 21 at 10:00 am - 11:45 am Eastern Time

Who:	Eleanor Smeal, President, FMF Anushay Hossain, Global Programs Coordinator, FMF Lorraine Sheinberg, Board Member, FMF; Producer of "CEDAW: The Secret Treaty" Susan Rubin, Writer and Narrator, "CEDAW: The Secret Treaty" Lisa Cohen, Chief of Staff, Office of Congresswoman Diana DeGette (CO-1) Mavis Leno, Chair of FMF Campaign for Afghan Women and Girls, FMF Board Member Atossa Leoni, Actor, The Kite Runner Feroza Yari, Women For Women International, FMF Afghan Scholar Tamana Naveed, High School Student, Kabul, Afghanistan Dr. Sima Samar, Chair, Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission; Founder, Shuhada Organization and Clinic

Where:	UStream

For Women's Lives,

Eleanor Smeal
President

US finally decriminalizes homosexuality

2009-03-20T00:05:00.003-04:00

While those of us who advocate for equal rights for LGBT members of our community so desperately need one right now, I still hesitate to call this a "victory". The United States finally agreed to sign on to a UN declaration decriminalizing homosexuality. I mean... that's great, but this is long overdue and is not taking any steps to give equal rights to gay people, it merely affirms that the private, consensual acts they commit in their homes are not illegal! Oy. We have a long way to go.

Trafficking in Europe and New Zealand

2009-03-18T08:18:00.003-04:00

The BBC ran two articles about trafficking this morning: one discussing sex workers' rights advocates' vocal opposition to the criminalization of buying sex from a "forced or coerced woman" in the UK and the other about child trafficking in Wales.

While the two articles brushed the surface of the complexity of the trafficking debate, neither one adequately explored it. The first article seems to favor the point of view of sex workers, advocating that they chose this profession freely, and the criminalization of their employment was merely a "moral crusade". The BBC cited a few government studies "demonstrating" that the population of women coerced into prostitution was far smaller than previously believed. Both of these statements are troubling to me, because the average reader will probably not scrutinize the population in question closely enough to realize that most trafficking victims would not speak on record to a newspaper!! Women who are under the control of violent pimps, a small extreme according to this article, are the least visible part of this population, and women confident enough to speak to a journalist do often represent the minority, in my opinion, of women in prostitution completely of their free will.

Who conducted these government studies? What was the ethnic demographic of the women? Were these women rounded up in a brothel raid and then told that if they confessed to being coerced they would avoid criminal charges or deportation? In a population with this many complex vulnerabilities, many questions must be asked.

Full disclosure: I personally believe the majority of women in prostitution have been coerced. If not by a gun wielding violent pimp (which is not just a stereotype but something I see at work all the time) then by an intimate partner, a friend, even a parent. This choice is never made in a vacuum, and the dire economic circumstances in which the choice is made, as well as lack of other employment opportunities for women who may or may not have much education, are not to be ignored. I find it ironic that in the same issue the BBC publishes the article opposing the criminalization of buying sex from "coerced women", it also publishes an article on the alarming rate of child trafficking in Wales.

The last line of the article about child trafficking quotes Christine Beddoe, from child protection organization ECPAT UK. "Trafficked children were found throughout Wales but there was evidence of a number of barriers to identifying children and keeping them safe. Of these barriers the most worrying was that professionals didn't believe it could happen. This left children vulnerable. "

This debate continues, and I encourage you to read both articles and add any comments.

European ban on coerced prostitution

Child trafficking in Wales

Iranian women's rights activist freed

2009-03-17T22:15:00.002-04:00

Jinus Sobhani, an Iranian women's rights activist, was released on bail today in a huge victory for the fight for gender equality in Iran. She was sentenced to a three year prison term for participating in a peaceful protest against gender discrimination in Iranian laws. Ms. Sobhani was an employee in the Center for the Defense of Human Rights, started by Nobel Laureate Shirin Ebadi (whose biography can be read here). The Center was started to defend the legal rights of women, political prisoners and minorities in Iran. The Center's doors were forcibly closed by Iranian police in December 2008, and the Center remains closed today.

Ms. Sobhani had been in solitary confinement since January 14, so this release was a huge victory, no doubt partially facilitated by the pressure of international feminists. Another one of Ms. Sobhani and Dr. Ebadi's coworkers remains in jail, though. 60-year-old Alieh Eghdamdoust remains behind bars, also charged for participating in a peaceful protest.

As western feminists, we walk a fine line between supporting in solidarity and dictating from afar. Supporting these Iranian feminists, brave beyond belief in the face of their unstable and dangerous president (I use that term loosely, as I would rather use the term dictator) is crucially important as we all fight for change in Iran together.

For more information, and to show your support, visit Feminist Majority Foundation.

DV Shelters in Afghanistan

2009-03-03T08:01:00.002-05:00

Although it reflects the many struggles they are still facing, I found this article about several domestic violence shelters that have cropped up in Afghanistan uplifting.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/03/world/asia/03shelter.html?th&emc=th

The organization where I work began when one family court attorney let her client and the client's children sleep in her apartment because they had nowhere else to go, and now we have grown into a multi-service non profit with 25 years of experience. The existence of shelters and lawyers ready and able to defend Afghani women's rights is hopeful, because hopefully their education and advocacy will continue to grow into something that is accepted (albeit begrudgingly like in this country) by mainstream society and legal systems.

Crisis in the Congo

2009-02-22T14:50:00.002-05:00

My sincerest apologies for not writing in so long.

I know many of us are aware of V-Day's new campaign to bring awareness to the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, but I wanted to post something about it on our blog as well, to make sure as many people as possible are aware of what's happening.

Rape is being used as a systematic weapon of war in the Congo. This is, unfortunately, not the first time this has happened, but it has never happened in such a great magnitude before- roughly 500,000 women and girls have been raped, forced into sexual slavery, and genitally mutilated by soldiers. These women are often so badly damaged that they become incontinent, further alienating them from the community which has already shunned them as victims of rape.

Several factors are contributing to the rampant attacks. The government is unstable and therefore has made no effort to control the bandit soldiers. Western companies are aware of the problem, as they have to protect themselves when they export (with almost no regulation) Coltan, a metal used in the production of most cell phones, computers, etc. but do nothing to stop it.

I got to see Eve Ensler speak about the crisis along with her partner there, Dr. Mukwege, who has "only" treated 20,000 women for fistulas and other problems due to genital mutilation and rape. He was an amazing man who actually gave me hope that men can and will fight to end sexual violence.

Here is a link to the V-Day website where you can find out more information:
http://newsite.vday.org/

There are several things we can do-
Spread awareness (students and young people were mainly responsible for spreading awareness about Darfur, we can do it again)
Donate money to Dr. Mukwege's hospital (it costs $90 to completely treat one fistula)
Donate money to their City of Joy campaign, which will attempt to provide housing for 100 women after they have physically recovered so that they might stay in the city and organize the other survivors to bring about change

Let's make sure everyone knows about what's happening, so we can start to change it!

state-sponsored prostitution

2009-01-08T14:46:00.001-05:00

It's the first time I've heard about state-sponsored/state-condoned prostitution by the Korean government of Korean women to American soldiers stationed in Korea. I didn't really like the tone of the article (it seemed a little disjointed and doubtful of the ex-prostitutes' claims), but it certainly is an issue that should be highlighted.

It's funny, or perhaps more tragic, the things that citizens are asked to do in the name of "patriotism."

Cross-posted here.

Rwandan women: We are the future

2008-12-17T08:54:00.002-05:00

A friend of mine forwarded me this article that talks about the emerging leadership class of women in Rwanda. In the 80 seat Rwandan parliament, 45 of these seats are filled by women.
I find this fascinating, especially since it could imply that we might need a major shake-up in our societies (like Rwanda's genocide) for women to take on more leadership roles and more responsibilities in the public sphere.

Here is the article.

Does Mr. Clean perpetuate stereotypes?

2008-09-09T17:49:00.007-04:00

After posting the previous video, I read this article which says that Dolce and Cabana are amongst the targets of a new European Parliament vote to "scold" advertisers for sexual stereotyping.

According to the article...

The concern, according to the committee report, is that stereotypes in advertising can “straitjacket women, men, girls and boys by restricting individuals to predetermined and artificial roles that are often degrading, humiliating and dumbed-down for both sexes.”

D & G AD

2008-09-09T17:43:00.004-04:00

Affirmative depictions of same-sex couples in the media are always something to celebrate and, while this ad may have been out for a while, in case you hadn't seen it, I just wanted to share.

The Democrats Olive Branch

2008-09-01T12:57:00.001-04:00

So, it has been too long for me as well since I last posted, but I thought that this op-ed from Judith Warner was interesting (if not a little old). It's no secret that I'm in love with Judith Warner, her progressive pro-choice pro-LGBT stance has always been eloquently discussed with finesse and a little spice that I think everyone here can appreciate.

Her latest op-ed in the New York Times highlights an interesting new trend in the Democrats' communication, chiefly around the topic of abortion rights. Recently, Democrats have been extending the olive branch to the evangelicals in an effort to win the White House in November.

At first, I was a little skeptical. Is this simply ANOTHER case of pandering to the right of center and scaling down firm stances on issues of choice and reproductive health? After reading this op-ed, I'm inclined to believe that this is NOT SO, and that it is a brilliant and long over-due communications strategy. Warner says,

If there is any sort of olive branch on offer to the anti-abortion community right now, it seems to me to consist chiefly of this week’s spin campaign, which gave cover to evangelicals and Catholics who have come out as pro-Obama (or as willing to talk to Obama) and now may well need to save face.

The issue here is not scaling down an affirmative stance on abortion rights, but rather, providing a much broader picture than the old rhetoric offers. Instead of the old dichotemy, Democrats are suggesting a paradigm shift in which they discuss our common goals of reducing the number of abortions keeping women and children healthy.

It's a no brainer that we all cherish these goals and the Democrats, with Obama at the helm have embraced a new communications strategy of rejecting the 10 second media soundbite and REALLY getting into the meat of the discussion and addressing what's really at stake.

UN Makes Violence Against Women a Priority in Ending Small Arms Trade

2008-08-01T10:26:00.002-04:00

Hey there, Feministas--
It's been forever since I posted--or even read!--this blog. My August resolution is to get involved again. Saw this and thought it interesting, don't have time to condense or conclude, but figured you're all smart, active thinkers yourselves :)

July 23, 2008, New York: Advocates for women's rights have succeeded in getting violence against women included in a major United Nations initiative to regulate the global small arms trade.

The UN Programme of Action on small arms (PoA) was launched in 2001, and reviewed last week at the Third Biennial Meeting of States (BMS), held at UN headquarters in New York. After intense lobbying by advocates, gender was mentioned by several governments at the meeting. In addition, the final outcome document refers to both gender and civilian possession of weapons.

Advocates hope that this will open the door to the inclusion of other concerns, particularly armed domestic violence. Worldwide, women are about 12 times more likely to die from domestic violence when a gun is the home.

"I think that we made a small inroad regarding the inclusion of gender, and I think that our presence ensured that women are not forgotten," said Sarah Masters, Coordinator of the Women's Network for the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA), a powerful voice for mitigating the impact of gun violence worldwide.

The IANSA Women's Network, a strategic partner of The Advocacy Project (AP), brought more than 15 of its members to the BMS. During interviews with AP intern Jessie Schwartz, the women talked about the proliferation of guns in their countries, and its impact on women.

According to Rita Santos, from the Economic and Social Council in Portugal, men keep guns at home for hunting, and use this to intimidate their partners. Dr Mirjana Dokmanovic, a leading researcher from Serbia, described a "culture of guns" in post-war Serbia.

In the Middle East, guns are increasingly used by family members against women in honor killings. In Brazil and Jamaica, many women gravitate toward gun-toting men for a sense of protection.

Alba Zelaya, director of women's group Cemujer in El Salvador, said that 99 women have been killed so far this year in her country, and that more than 80 percent died from gun violence.

Concerns about armed domestic violence were widely aired by the IANSA members at last week's UN meeting. Marie Claire Faray Kele from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) gave a formal presentation to delegates on guns and both domestic and sexual violence, and the network held a side event on links between domestic violence and firearms possession. Network members also put together a "clothesline" display of traditional women's clothing that included testimony on the impact of gun violence on women and girls.

The UN has been working for seven years to regulate firearms worldwide, based on the PoA developed in 2001. Women were only mentioned in one sentence in the original document, according to Ms Masters.

This year, the Women's Network released a statement calling on states to include gender data in their national reports on the plan, support research, and push for laws to prevent armed domestic violence. The network highlighted the efforts of Australia, Canada, South Africa, and Trinidad and Tobago; four countries that have harmonized domestic violence and firearms laws.

Ms Masters said the Women's Network hopes to develop a program focusing on armed domestic violence, building on the connections made at the UN.

"The challenges are that women's issues and gender issues should not be sidelined or seen as an 'additional' or 'optional' extra, which is often the feeling that some of us get when we are at such meetings," she said.

France denies a woman citizenship because she is "too Muslim".

2008-07-14T21:21:00.003-04:00

On Friday, it was revealed that the nation's highest administrative authority has denied a woman's naturalization application on the grounds that she's effectively too Muslim.

The July 27 decision was revealed in Le Monde, which began its story asking whether "the burqa is incompatible with French nationality" The story suggested the answer is apparently yes, and unfurled that tale of a 32 year-old native Moroccan woman identified as Faiza M. as evidence. Though married to a French citizen and the mother of their three, French-born children, Faiza M. was denied citizenship on the grounds that she has "adopted a religious practice incompatible with essential values of the French community, particularly the principle of equality of the sexes".

via.

France has gone even farther than not allowing religious symbols in the classroom (effectively discriminating against Muslim women who wear the veil) by actually denying a woman citizenship, because she is Muslim. Wow. Besides the fact that this is clearly the imposition of the religion of secularism by the French state onto this woman, I am appalled at the exploitation of the rhetoric of feminism. I am certainly not the guardian of feminism, but my definition of feminism certainly does not justify xenophobic and discriminatory treatment of women and completely deny their agency as individuals.

Restoring virginity

2008-06-11T13:24:00.003-04:00

I read this article about hymen restoration becoming more and more common among France's muslim women.

Secret Diary of a Call Girl

2008-06-11T13:17:00.002-04:00

The NY Times had an article on a new series that will be shown on Showtime called the Secret Diary of a Call Girl. When the series first came out in the UK there was a lot of fury within soume groups as the show seemed to glorify prostitution and make it "appealing" to young girls.
I am curious to see what the reaction will be in the US, especially given the country's religiosity.

What do you think?

Latent Biases Against Women

2008-05-31T17:24:00.002-04:00

Cathy Tinsley, a professor at Georgetown (woot!) and executive director of the GU Women's Leadership Initiative, wrote this editorial in the Washington Post featuring work that she has done which has shown gender bias in the corporate world. She specifically uses two examples from her research where women are judged more harshly than men when it comes to being assertive and taking time off for an emergency. Check it out.

Alice Walker and Rebecca Walker

2008-05-25T09:44:00.003-04:00

Rebecca Walker, one of the pioneers of third wave feminism, has written an article "How my mother's fanatical views tore us apart." It delves into her personal relationship with her mother, Alice Walker, and how besides being inattentive when Rebecca was growing up, also taught her that "motherhood was about the worst thing that could happen to a woman." Rebecca describes her happiness at being a mother herself and how Alice Walker's feminism has caused a generation of women to dismiss their biological clocks.

Though Alice Walker may not have been the best "mother," I disagree with her Rebecca Walker's view that women nowadays don't focus nearly enough on their biological clocks. People in our generation do. We do think about when we're going to have kids along with our careers and still have godlike images of soccer moms coloring our perspectives.

I agree with Rebecca Walker that motherhood should not be viewed as something bad--certainly it should be celebrated--but with caution, because Mother's Day, while offering some sort of symbolic recognition does not hold up to the truth that childcare providers who do the work of "mothering" everyday are paid far less than most other professions. Alice Walker's feminism really did exclude a lot of women who chose to be feminine, etc, and thus is far too ideological, but I think that that generation's feminism's attempt to wrest motherhood out of its sacred stranglehold was important for women. Has it gone too far? I would say no, but perhaps others would disagree.

Student Protest of Phyllis Schlafly

2008-05-19T16:08:00.003-04:00

I'm sure many of you have heard about the protest of Phyllis Schlafly, professional anti-feminist and conservative leader, as the graduation speaker at Washington University. Here is a clip from CNN that summarizes it quite well and highlights her opinion that marital rape is not rape (refreshing!). Fortunately, around half of the student body was estimated to have turned their backs in protest. Go WashU!

Via.

Contraceptive pills

2008-05-16T14:51:00.002-04:00

Chile banned the distribution of the morning-after pill in the country's public health system. Chile is a Catholic country and abortion is illegal, so many women resort to unsafe underground abortions. Well, banning the morning-after pill will for sure increase the number of the latter.

Article

Little greek island

2008-05-16T14:49:00.000-04:00

I came across this article and I thought I would share.

Abuse in Juvenile Detention Centers

2008-04-10T17:04:00.002-04:00

This article from CNN discusses the horrendous conditions of juvenile detention centers in the U.S. The images that start off the analysis are appalling:
"Girls as young as 13 say they were shackled for weeks at a time in Mississippi."
"A Texas teen was allegedly offered birthday cake in exchange for sex."

Reports about this type of abuse have been public for many years and yet this horrendous abuse still persists, because these teens and children are some of the most vulnerable people in our societies, with no one to speak for them.

On another note, it is interesting how abuse of girls is almost always presented as sexual and abuse of boys is almost always physical, when in reality the children in these jails suffer from both, regardless of their gender.

Vegan Strip Joint?

2008-04-07T17:01:00.003-04:00

In a recent NY Times article I discovered something oh so interesting. There are an increasing amount of strip clubs that pride themselves on being vegan and/or vegetarian. Dancers wear animal friendly outfits and the menus offer a wide array of healthy food items. Article author Kara Jesella writes, "At his Casa Diablo Gentlemen's Club, soy protein replaces beef in tacos and chimichangas; the dancers wear pleather, not leather" (NY Times March 27, 2008: E1 Thursday Styles).

Jesella continues, "Casa Diablo is just the latest example of selling veganism with a "Girls Gone Wild" aesthetic" (NY Times). What do you all think about this?
check out the article!

Women Face Bias Worldwide According to the UN

2008-04-07T14:48:00.003-04:00

This brief article from BBC discusses a UN-commissioned report which as found that women are discriminated against in almost every country in the world. The report was compiled from the legal perspective and focuses on divorce, maternity benefits, legal age of marriage etc.

While it is absolutely necessary that laws do not discriminate, it is also extremely important that in countries where laws do exist, they are enforced. In many countries, the commitment to women is only on paper and fails to become reality. Especially with laws which encroach into the private sphere, like ones that prohibit marital rape, prosecution is often not enforced.

Five brave women take on the system!

2008-04-06T16:28:00.003-04:00

About two weeks ago, I came across one of those little blurbs in The Economist about five women whose husbands were killed by FARC guerillas in Colombia and are now suing Chiquita Brands Int. (you know, of banana fame) for indirectly funding the guerillas by providing them money to look after their banana plantations.

Basically, here’s the story, FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia/ Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia)is a self-proclaimed Marxist-Leninist revolution organization and they are responsible for political chaos in Colombia because of their violent guerilla tactics that include kidnappings and murders. Chiquita Brand International, fearful of a loss of business has sided with FARC and has been paying them off to protect their lucrative banana plantations. Check out the very sketchy Washington Post article here that talks about how Chiquita contacted the United States Justice Department asking them for advice on how to pull-out of this hostile situation, and how the Justice Department essentially turned a blind eye. This quote really captures the central issue here:

What transpired at the Justice Department meeting is now a central issue in a criminal probe. According to these sources' account, the Bush administration was pulled in competing directions, perhaps because its desire to avoid undermining a newly elected, friendly Colombian government conflicted with its frequent public assertions that supporting a terrorist group anywhere constitutes a criminal offense and a foreign policy mistake.

Fast forward to 2008 and five amazingly brave women are now suing because their husbands were kidnapped and murdered by the FARC guerilla group. At the time when both right-wing and left-wing guerilla groups are accused of kidnapping and murdering countless people, Chiquita was paying them to protect their lucrative banana plantations. Now, the five widows of missionary husbands are suing the company for unspecified damages and taking on a huge North American company for aiding and abetting the senseless deaths of their husbands and for the kind of business that profits off of violence. It is a gargantuan task and hopefully, with a successful outcome, this case, led by very strong women, will send a message of warning to other companies that engage in business overseas and are involved in the same sort of gross violations of basic human rights (Coke Inc. ahem).

Read this!

2008-04-06T15:03:00.004-04:00

I arrived last Saturday morning to the WAM! Conference, like so many of my peers, jet-lagged, bitter about the conference being in Boston and not in Hawaii, and desperate for coffee. Fortunately, I got a rush when I spotted the impromptu feminist book store.

Sidenote: I work for a non-profit, I do NOT have the cash to be spending $100 on books.

But I did it anyway. Hooray! Here is a list of some of the awesome reads available (the ones that I can remember) starting with the three books I bought.

Sisterhood, Interrupted: From Radical Women to Grrls Gone Wild by Deborah Siegel

Abortion Under Attack: Women on the Challenges Facing Choice by Rebecca Walker, Gloria Feldt, and Krista Jacob

Front Row at the White House: My Life and Times by Helen Thomas

Watchdogs of Democracy? The Waning Washington Press Corps and How it Has Failed the Public by Helen Thomas

Juicy Mangos: Erotic Collections by Michelle Herrera Mulligan

City of Widows: An Iraqi Woman’s Account of War and Resistance by Haifa Zangana

Women on a Journey: Between Baghdad and London by Haifa Zangana

Latina Politics, Latino Politics: Gender, Culture, and Political Participation in Boston by Carol Hardy-Fanta

Attack of the 50-Foot Mikhaela! Cartoons by Mikhaela B. Reid

It’s a Jungle Out There! The Feminist Survival Guide to Politically Inhospitable Environments by Amanda Marcotte

Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters: The Frightening New Normalcy of Hating Your Body by Courtney Martin

Ugh. Unfortunately that’s all I can remember, but they’re some awesome reads so check ‘em out!

Sexual Assaults in Iraq

2008-04-04T09:53:00.003-04:00

"In fact, a growing number of women employees working for U.S. defense contractors in the Middle East are coming forward with complaints of violence directed at them. As the Iraq war drags on, and as stories of U.S. security contractors who seem to operate with impunity continue to emerge (like Blackwater and its deadly attack against Iraqi civilians on Sept. 16, 2007), a rash of new sexual assault and sexual harassment complaints are being lodged against overseas contractors -- by their own employees." From The Nation.

It seems that the combination of the fact that these contractors are immune to criticism and regulation with the fact that they are operating in an obviously extremely militarized and violent area has led to the immense amount of sexual violence that has yet to be discovered. The description in the article is rather graphic, just to warn you, but clearly the most difficult part to face as a reader is the way she was treated after the the violent rape.

"Even more appalling, the Justice Department, which can and should prosecute most of these cases, has declined to do so. "There is no rational explanation for this," says Scott Horton, a lecturer at Columbia Law School who specializes in the law of armed conflict. Prosecutorial jurisdiction for crimes like Jones' alleged rape is easily established under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act and the Patriot Act's special maritime and territorial jurisdiction provisions. But somebody has to want to prosecute the cases."

Sally Kern is a Hater

2008-04-03T22:15:00.002-04:00

The hysteria surrounding the "rise of homosexuality" and its connection to the downfall of society parallels some of the hysteria that grew when women started to gain a more prominent role in society and began demanding the rights to go along with it. Anyway, its no secret that believe women's rights and the LGBT community are deeply intertwined. So, watch this video, and, if you see Sally Kern out and about, tell her that a bigger threat that homosexuality might just be prominent politicians that like to give speeches in which they foster hatred towards a specific community--but just a thought.

Fem Watch

2008-04-02T15:58:00.002-04:00

Check out Fem Watch, which is Sudy's way of giving an entertaining and insightful look into the way in which the feminist blogosphere can fail to live up to our expectations in terms of racism, homophobia, etc.

Georgetown Grilling Society Uses Sexist Marketing Strategies

2008-04-01T21:11:00.002-04:00

The Georgetown University Grilling Society (GUGS) will be sponsoring a week of events from April 21st- April 25th that they have chosen to call "Grills Gone Wild." In conjunction with this, the t-shirt for their event reads "GUGS Grade A, Size D." Wow. The connection is pretty simple--women are meat. Students are currently mobilizing on Georgetown's campus to find a creative and radical way to counter this sexist advertising! Let me know if you have any good ideas...

Alimony for men

2008-04-01T20:24:00.001-04:00

I came across this article on the Wall Street Journal that discusses male alimony. This is not as common as female alimony for very familiar reasons. It was interesting to read about men's and women's views on alimony.
Something that really bothered me was the fact that in not one of this cases did the men have custody of the children and in most cases where women's alimony is discussed they have custody of the children.
One of the men in fact was talking about how he deserved the alimony payments to take care of his car collection. Children and cars, not the same thing.

Anyhow, I strongly believe that men and women should be treated equally and alimony should be treated fairly for either sex.

Zaha Hadid

2008-03-27T22:37:00.002-04:00

I LOVE LOVE Zaha Hadid and am a great admirer of her work. She is one of the best architects in the world and such an amazing artist that never ever fails to impress me (and a million others).

I was reading about her here and was again impressed by her. Sadly, her being so talented sometimes was just not enough for reasons we all in this blog discuss on a regular basis!!!

Angola's landmine pageant

2008-03-27T21:47:00.002-04:00

Angolan women are hosting a beauty pageant for women who were victims of land mines found all over the country as a result of a long lasting civil war.
These women will be tested on their beauty and brains and ultimately want to raise awareness and become ambassadors for their cause.

BBC article

Sexism and the city

2008-03-27T21:36:00.003-04:00

I came across this manifesto originating from London. The campaign called "Sexism and the city" is to fight sexism in the work force, especially in business.

Well, I think, New York, the original city, could use a similar campaign for sure!!

WAM Conference!

2008-03-27T19:37:00.001-04:00

Hey friends,

Just wanted to let you know that I am off to the WAM Conference in Boston tomorrow and I am SO EXCITED. Check it out! It's pretty cool.

I am speaking on a panel entitled YouthSpeak: The Present & Future of Online Media and Activism. I am going to talk about Georgetown and H*yas for Choice, and how blogging was a way to communicate with the outside world that we didn't really have a chance to explore.

Any ideas/suggestions?

Wish me luck! I'm super nervous. Helen THOMAS is going to be there! EEK!

Love and stuff,
Molly Jane

They're never too young for gender stereotypes!

2008-03-27T19:31:00.002-04:00

Well this is a fun little piece of gender stereotyping!

I was reading an article on Bitch Magazine’s website, and one of the commenters posted a response that included this article. (Hooray for blogging!)

I am just so taken aback by the blatant gender stereotyping here. The “girls’ toys” are baby carriages and kitchen supplies while the “boys’ toys” are basketball hoops and pirate ships. I guess Pottery Barn wants a smidge of credit for including kitchen gear like refrigerators (in fire engine red) and a vacuum cleaner, but where are the medical bags and race cars for the girls and the baby carriages for the boys?! Sheesh.

Black man and white woman

2008-03-26T23:47:00.003-04:00

If you go on the website of Vogue you will see Giselle Bundchen and Lebron James. Giselle is a constant on vogue and Lebron is the first black man to be featured on the cover of Vogue. Both of them are at the top of what they do, sports and modeling, hence the article.
This edition has caused quite a controversy because it portrays the black man as violent and dangerous. Not much was talked about the fact that the white woman was shown as a pretty doll that could be endangered by anything. Are we stereotyping again?

10,000 dreams, by Goldman Sachs

2008-03-26T23:34:00.002-04:00

I really should not be promoting competitors but I think it is really amazing that Goldman Sachs launched an initiative to provide business education and opportunities to 10,000 women in developing and emerging countries.

Out-of-wedlock births are a national catastrophe. Really?

2008-03-26T23:24:00.002-04:00

So, I was reading this article and one of the points that the author Emily Yoffe makes, really troubled me. It seems that she is suggesting that one way to avoid single motherhood is to make women feel bad/ embarrassed about having sex with men that will not make good fathers.

Pregnant man?

2008-03-26T23:11:00.003-04:00

Here is the story of a transgendered man who decided to carry a baby because his wife cannot.

Is this redefining the concept of the woman as the creator of life?

Women in the sports

2008-03-26T22:43:00.002-04:00

Being new to the whole March Madness phenomenon (although with Georgetown losing, I am done for this year) I was not quite sure how the NCAA tournament was organized. To educate myself, I went on Wikipedia (yes, wikipedia is a fine source for such urgent matters) to read about the topic. Well, among other things I was happy to learn that women also have their NCAA. But then I thought, how come I don't hear about it nearly as much? I admit that I only watch Georgetown basketball and our men's team has historically done better than our women's basketball team, which means that men's basketball overshadows women's basketball. So, I am in a way missing out on the women's tournament but the media is giving the women's tournament 1/20 of the attention it is giving the men's tournament?

Why is that? Thoughts?

Article from the Nation

Interesting profiles

2008-03-26T22:24:00.002-04:00

I know, I know that radical feminists are not everyone's favorites but I still think that some of the featured women in this article are extremely interesting.

This is what a feminist looks like

2008-03-26T20:09:00.000-04:00

Thanks Feminist Majority!!!

When women stop being seen as real people

2008-03-26T00:52:00.004-04:00

One of the big problems I had with the way the media covered the story on Governor Spitzer was the portrayal of the 22 year old prostitute as an object that spices up the story. I was very disappointed with the Times even writing about her. It seemed to me that they completely violated her privacy and gave her no options about choosing whether to become a public figure in an eye's blink. She went from unknown aspiring singer, working as a prostitute to get by to being on the cover page of the NY Times and we all know that they get millions of clicks everyday.

On a similar note, I came across this article about (sex) entertainers being viewed and treated as objects by clients and menagers.

Breast implants - Is it a feminist issues?

2008-03-26T00:47:00.002-04:00

I was reading this article in the Guardian about a surging trend in breast implants for young women.
The author touches upon several points that I believe are relevant to feminists.

Thoughts?

Why women should rule the world - Interesting Read

2008-03-26T00:12:00.003-04:00

I have been MIA for a few days now, but have been constantly thinking about feminist issues, so intellectually I have remained connected and dedicated to this blog :)

So, I was reading about a new book by Dee Dee Myers, the first female White House Press Secretary appointed by the former President Clinton. The book is titled "Why women should rule the world" and it combines the author's personal experience as a woman in a male dominated White House with research and relevant topics. The book is particularly relevant with the elections going on in the US right now, and I believe it should be a interesting read.

Myers on NPR

Follow up on Spitzer debacle

2008-03-18T18:40:00.002-04:00

Here's the latest update: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/18/nyregion/18cnd-paterson.html?hp

So another NY Governor is embroiled in a “sex scandal.” This one is a bit different though, and involved infidelity on both sides of their marriage. I am actually, well I wouldn’t say proud, but impressed with the finesse and grace with which Paterson is handling this potential media circus. By pointing out that “I think we have a marriage like many Americans, maybe even like many of you,” he is highlighting the hypocrisy of the press and the sick fascination of many people who read this stuff and feel better about themselves.

Let’s hope that the New York Governor can get past this crap and start working on some of the real issues here, like the immigration problems or the rampant homelessness.

Read this!

2008-03-18T14:12:00.003-04:00

Hey all,

The New York Times posted this article recently about the prevalance of trans students in women's colleges. It is a fascinating article and I think is heralding a new phase in gender politics. When a school is charged with teaching about gender and challenging norms and stereotypes, how can they deny access to transmen? I find this to be utterly close-minded and hypocritical, but I understand the arguments against it.

I would love to hear what you all think. It's kind of a long article, but it's well worth the read!

Hooray CNN

2008-03-17T14:22:00.003-04:00

In response to Aartie's post. This is something I wrote a few days ago for ChoiceUSA's blog Choicewords:

I was totally prepared to just let the Spitzer thing disappear into the black hole of all sex scandals, but when I saw on my iGoogle homepage: the Governor's Gal, I freaked. Are they serious with this crap?

The article is full of a bunch of shitty yellow journalism that our country is notorious for. CNN cited some of the reasons that this woman became a call girl with the Emperor’s Club. They quote extensively from her Myspace page (!!!), even though she explicitely remained tight-lipped with newspaper reporters.

“I just don’t want to be thought of as a monster,” Dupre told the newspaper. She revealed little else in the interview, but her MySpace page offered some insight into her background.

They go on to talk about the abuse she faced at home and her love of music. And all of this was taken from information posted on her Myspace page. Wow. That’s investigative journalism for you folks.

First of all, WHY are you prying into her personal life? I get that she was working with an organization that many have found "immoral" or whatever, and that has found some pretty nifty legal loopholes to avoid penalties, but she is not someone you should be targeting CNN! And, give me a goddamn break with the pictures you post of her! One is of her giving a very seductive look to the camera and the other is of her in a bikini?! They took it off of her Myspace page. God. Come on people, this is not news. Its sensationalism at the expense of a young woman’s privacy. I’m just appalled that someone got paid to write that article.

Governor Spitzer is an idiot, we can all agree. So let’s investigate WHY he’s an idiot, and why it’s so lucrative to pander to his idiocy. And how many young men and women are hurt in this occupation. Don’t drag this woman into it, and DON’T make your wife stand behind you at your press conference and pretend to look supportive when all she’s thinking about is how much better she deserves.

Losing Sight

2008-03-16T13:48:00.002-04:00

The Spitzer affair has started many interesting conversations all over America. One of the most talked about topics has been "Kristen," the twenty-two year old woman whom Spitzer paid for sex. For whatever reason, (because the affair involves a government official, because "Kristen" has a myspace page, because of the amount of money she was being paid...etc..) people seemed to have lost sight of the fact that the subject is PROSTITUTION and not some glamorous publicity stunt. Some have made comments such as "well, its not so bad, this is good publicity for her singing career" or "the girl is lucky she will be so rich after this" or "wow, she is going to have so many more myspace friends...lucky" (yes, someone said that.) ...all of these comments, to me, represent a lack of understanding about the psychological aspects of what has occurred not to mention the greater social problem of trafficking and mistreatment that might not be so apparent in this case, but does occur. This is not to say that "Kristen" or some other girls don't "choose" their occupations, but I do think that speaking about the affair as good publicity masks other questions such as why people sell sex, what are the psychological effects, who are the people operating these rings and why... etc.

Kristof wrote an eloquent NY TIMES op-ed on the subject. One statement he makes is:

"But whatever one thinks of legalizing prostitution, let’s face reality: The big problem out there is the teenage girls who are battered by their pimps, who will have to meet their quotas tonight and every night, who are locked in car trunks or in basements, who have guns shoved in their mouths if they hint of quitting. If the Spitzer affair causes us to lose sight of that, then the biggest loser will be those innumerable girls, far more typical than “Kristen,” for whom selling sex isn’t a choice but a nightmare."

Oh dear...

2008-03-12T13:44:00.001-04:00

This is an old 1960's coffee commercial. I am not sure how I feel about it, except to say that I am glad its 2008--although, lest we forget WE STILL HAVE QUITE A WAY TO GO!

And the results are in...

2008-03-12T13:32:00.004-04:00

How effective is abstinence-only education? This New York Times article hints suggests what the answer to that question might be. I believe we are starting to see the effects of failing to encourage dialogue about safe-sex practices. I am not suggesting that more comprehensive education is a panacea but I do believe it is an important (to say the least) step.

More from the Spitzer Files

2008-03-11T14:16:00.002-04:00

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?cl=6921882

I know this has been the topic of a lot of blogging lately, but I had to get my two cents in here as well. Above is a link to an ABC newsclip that was posted on Yahoo's front page explaining "why powerful men cheat." Reasons include (but are not limited to): needing the "next jolt" after becoming so powerful they fancy themselves "invincible" and (wait for it...) a neurological disorder in the frontal lobe. That's right, sports fans: now men exploit, humuliate and dehumanize women because there is something wrong with their brains.

The clip also explores the "trend" of powerful men who has cheated on their wives/been caught hiring sex workers and compares their explanations. I wonder what will happen the first time we find a powerful woman has strayed from her marital vows-- my guess is that we won't see her husband standing supportedly by as the media paints her to be a homewrecking whore.

As the New York Post Said: Ho No!

2008-03-11T11:52:00.003-04:00

While I have many issues with the scandal Gov. Spitzer created by hiring a prostitute and transporting her across state lines into Washington DC, one thing that noticeably stood out for me was the scene created at his press conference. The governor stands on the podium with the look of remorse and regret, apologizes to the state, and finally his family. But did you notice his wife standing with him? What is it about political wives creating a stand of solidarity with their cheating political spouses? David Vitter's wife criticized Hillary Clinton for "standing by her man" after the Lewinsky scandal, yet did the exact same this when her husband was implicated in the DC Madam scandal saying quote: "He is my best friend." Might I noticeably add that she was clad in the same uniform as Spitzer's wife in pearls and a power suit. How is it that these educated women are placed in this position, and why is it that we have come to accept this "united front" that such wives are complicit in? Noting that in any other circumstance is it more than likely the wife would leave that man behind.

Girls Rock!

2008-03-10T22:50:00.003-04:00

I cannot wait to watch the new documentary film Girls Rock that is about the experience of four girls, 8-18 year old, at a Rock 'n' Roll camp. The experience of the girls seems to be empowering, allowing them to define who they are exactly how they want to. No inhibitions, no limitations!

Feminists are FUN!

2008-03-09T21:38:00.003-04:00

Last week I attended a lecture by Gloria Steinem and she is one of the best speakers ever.
So inspiring and just really funny!

Tulane announcement

Freak the freak out

2008-03-09T20:36:00.008-04:00

Eagle Forum, founded by Phyllis Schlafay, tried to promote the position that International Womens Day is just a day to advance radical feminism. The site condemns the U.S. government for supporting the day, saying:

Today, IWD serves to advance radical feminism in the form of promoting pro-abortion and pro-gay rights legislation, ratification of ERA, affirmative action for women, Title IX, government babysitting services, and government wage control, commonly camouflaged as "pay equity" or "comparable worth.

Well, hmmm...I guess I kind of agree...I mean, if promoting choice and equality is advancing radical feminism, count me in!

Here is the entire post.

Laughing is the best...

2008-03-09T18:00:00.003-04:00

And I love women who love to make other people laugh. Thank you to Joe (one of my favorite feminists...) for sending me this article from VANITY FAIR that, among other things, discusses the visibility of women in comedy in the greater context of women in entertainment and the changing views of women in society.

Happy International Women's Day

2008-03-08T14:11:00.001-05:00

to all the Wonderful Women in this blog and all Women around the world!

Domestic Violence Myths

2008-03-06T21:58:00.002-05:00

I went to a very interesting conference on Monday and wanted to share some of the things I learned there. Several different groups of lawyers organize a training in domestic violence law every year at Fordham Law. Here are a few myths about domestic violence we discussed.

If a man is violent, a woman will be able to get help.

Sadly, this is untrue. You can hit a person without leaving marks. You can break ribs or make someone deaf without any physical signs of violence. Also, there are many ways to hurt someone without using violence. Think of the torture of being screamed at, being threatened with weapons, or being watched or listened to at all times. None of these leave physical evidence.

If a man threatens or hurts his children, the mother will definitely be able to get full custody.

Sadly, the opposite is true. Since the 80s, there has been a movement for "father's rights". This is a friendly misnomer that really means "maintaining the superiority of abusers in a family after a divorce". (This is a quote from a fantastic advocate who made the comparison of calling the KKK "an equal rights for white men" club.) They have coined the term "parental alienation" and have made judges paranoid about excluding any fathers from their children's lives. When wives make accusations of abuse (many of which, as mentioned before, cannot be proven) they are often accused of alienating the father and the father is given even more control over his children.

If a woman leave her abuser, she can start a new life.

If this were true I would be out of a job. Not only are women paid less than men in general, they are also often the parents who leaves work to stay home and take care of young children. They loose out on years in the work force, making them less employable and less able to financially support themselves and their children. Also, victims who are immigrants may or may not have legal status. Without this, they cannot work and definitely cannot support their children.

If a woman is a good mother, she will take her kids and leave.

This is one of the biggest myths. As explained briefly above, financial stability is very elusive to women who have been kept in controlling and abusive situations. If they can't feed their children, they might stay with an abuser to prevent this from happening. Many abusers hurt their intimate partners but not their own children. (This should NOT undermine the psychological effects witnessing abuse has on a child.) A woman in a desperate situation may choose physical safety and food as the best option for her children.
Also, statistics say that women who separate from their abusers and take their children are more prone to be victims of stalking, harassment, and murder. You can take care of your kids with a black eye or a broken leg. You cannot protect them if your abuser kills you.

I just wanted to share these thoughts on this blog. I like that we can discuss complex problems here without necessarily trying to find a solution.

Women are Dumber. Just own it.

2008-03-03T22:18:00.007-05:00

A friend of mine posted this opinion from the Washington Post as her away message...along with the words: "another reminder that my vagina makes me dumb."

This article is outrageous. It starts off with pseudo political commentary but quickly just moves on to the idea that women should own the fact that they gossip, love romantic movies, and are best at "making a house a home". Everyone can probably predict what I have to say about that--so I won't say it...but, I think its outrageous that women's bad driving skills can somehow be innate...as if there are no other factors involved in the statistic from the John Hopkins study...

2008-03-02T13:38:00.002-05:00

I read a very sad article in The New York Times this morning. A man who had originally been hailed a hero for turning in an abandoned baby girl was arrested last night for taking part in her abduction. The unfolding story is tragic. The girl's mother is assumed "14 or 15". She had spoken to neighbors of abuse at the hands of her daughter's father. Several neighbors were taking turns watching the baby but the father worked so many hours as a construction worker that it still wasn't enough. The mother disappeared, so the father's sister hatched a plan with her husband to drop the baby off at a fire station.

There are many things about this story that make me angry/frustrated/sad. The first is the child- born into poverty to abusive, underage children who could not care for her. The second is the very brief mention of the allegations of the abuse against the father. The third is the mother's age. "14 or 15"?? The fourth, and probably most complex thought that I had was that this seemed like a misguided attempt to actually do what was best for the child. Her aunt realized she had been born into desperation. She had no hope of surviving in her given circumstances. Although it does not mention this, I am assuming that most of the players in this story were illegal immigrants. I say this not because their names sounded hispanic, but because of the age, employment, and lack of resources of the people involved. Contact with the police is a constant worry in the immigrant community. The baby's aunt and uncle lied to the police to try to get this girl into someone else's hands; hoping that someone in an authoritative position could save her.

There is link to the article below:

Please share any thoughts you have, especially if you can think of any way to try to remedy the situation.

"How many unfunny rape jokes lead to rape?"

2008-02-28T23:21:00.007-05:00

I cannot tell you how often, from both men and women, I get called "uptight" or a "femi-nazi" or some equally disparaging comment for holding the belief that rape jokes (or "wife-beating" or whatever the sensitive issue is) are just not funny. No exception. When anyone steps back and realizes that to be able to make a joke about these issues is based in a disrespect for the severity of the issue/CRIME, it basically kills the humor. As far as I know, anyone well versed in sexual assault issues, who has been assaulted, or who knows someone that has been, never finds a joke about rape or assault funny--the difference between them and someone else who does probably exists in having the issue hit home. When I hear issues about wife-beating, I don't think about the joke-I think about all the bruised faces I have seen, I see victims and survivors--not objects of humor.

Moreover, as I have mentioned before, if one takes a look back on history--the issues that we have made fun of in the past often reflect society's prejudices. For example, there was a time when African-Americans were made fun of in mainstream newspapers and media and it was "only a joke" because of societal attitudes--that doesn't make it okay, and it wasn't funny then to many people and its even less funny now to most. So to me, yes, rape jokes are not jokes--they are insults to survivors of rape, victims of rape, and all women, they are indicative of the fact that crimes against woman are still not given equal weight or attention.

So, what spurred this post was my googling of an amazing woman--Sonia Ossorio, the President of NOW-NYC. I googled her and came across this video where she was debating the severity of two remarks made by radio hosts concerning raping Condoleeza Rice--how upsetting that anyone could believe that we could ever make light of that issue!...Patrice O'Neal, the comedian defending the comments asks, "how many unfunny rape jokes lead to rape?" Let me say this at the very least: its not necessarily that a rape joke directly causes a person to commit the crime. It is truth, however, that a rape joke is indicative of a societal culture and attitude that doesn't do enough to say that raping someone IS NEVER ACCEPTABLE. NEVER. and, sorry Patrice O'Neal--its NEVER FUNNY either...and, yes, I do have a sense of humor.

Women-only hours at Harvard's gym; Follow-up to MacDonald

2008-02-28T12:42:00.003-05:00

Harvard has instituted a new policy of women-only hours at the gym, which particularly benefits Muslim women. The blogosphere has been especially critical of this policy (a lot of it has a very islamophobic slant, however), and I am wondering what you all think. From my perspective, it seems that having this sort of segregated time may only further gender and religious stereotypes and keep diverse individuals from interacting with one another. What do you think?

On another note, here's a great response to the Heather MacDonald op-ed in the LA Times.

Misogynist men and the women they kill

2008-02-27T21:29:00.003-05:00

It is very frustrating for me to write about the issue of violence against women and how the social system fails to protect them again and again, and again, and again.

This article I was reading tells another awful story.

College rape overestimated?

2008-02-26T13:45:00.003-05:00

LiJia mentioned Heather MacDonald's piece about the fact that college rape statistics are over-estimated. If anything, they have to be under-reported. But one of the questions that came up for me was the fact that MacDonald cited a 1980 study and blamed this over-estimate on the survey questions. Do you think such a study should be done since it has been 20 years, and my belief is that we would find many more cases of rape in college than a study 20 years ago. But then again, I'm sure Ms. MacDonald would find another argument to blame those "drunken college girls" who do this to themselves.

Is the blogosphere gendered?

2008-02-26T12:54:00.002-05:00

I just read an article titled "The Gendered Blogosphere" by Dustin Harp and Mark Tremayne which states that according to their research, only 10% of top bloggers are women. Why do you think that is? Does it have to do with the networking that happens in the blogosphere? Or how about the way we value political blogs and personal blogs?

What do you think?

The dude vote

2008-02-26T00:56:00.003-05:00

Here we go again! Another article, another testimony of how sexist this election is and how much more we are going to see!

Source: Salon.com

The media and girls

2008-02-26T00:29:00.003-05:00

I came across this article that is a good follow-up to a previous post about the much more scrutinizing treatment that girls get in the media.

What a way to go

2008-02-26T00:27:00.003-05:00

We all know that the feminist community and the gay community have had a rough relationship from the start. However, as someone who believes all oppressed peoples should stand in solidarity with each other, I would like to post the following message from Paula Ettelbrick, the Executive Director of International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.

Roc Weiland was an activist during his lifetime, and left an amazing legacy after his death. His monetary gift is impressive, but it is even more impressive that he will continue funding imperative work around the world. Please take a moment to read the following excerpt and celebrate the life of someone who fought for change.

INTERNATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION

IGLHRC Member Update: Ric Weiland's Bequest

To all of you who so generously support IGLHRC:

I want to let you know personally of a very generous bequest made both to the LGBTI community in general and to IGLHRC by Ric Weiland. As you can see from the attached articles published today in the Chronicle of Philanthropy and yesterday in the Seattle Times, IGLHRC is honored to be one of the designated beneficiaries of the single largest bequest ever made to the LGBT community: $65 million dollars that will be given in differing amounts to 11 LGBT groups, including the Pride Foundation in Seattle which will administer the funds.

Ric Weiland, a long time IGLHRC supporter, died in June 2006 at the age of 53. Under the provisions of Ric's will, IGLHRC will receive approximately $198,000 per year over the next 8 years, for a total bequest of just under $1.6 million dollars.

Needless to say, this is an unprecedented gift for IGLHRC, and one that could not have come at a better time for the organization. As was clear from my conversations with him, Ric understood that organizations need to be able to plan multi-year strategies. His gifts to IGLHRC, when he was alive, had evolved into 2-year pledges that allowed us the freedom to plan and strategize with our partners around the world over a period longer than a single fiscal year. He knew that decriminalizing homosexuality or fighting police violence requires that we adopt long-term strategies in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and all of the places that IGLHRC's work reaches. His approach encouraged me to ask many of you to pledge your support over the course of several years as well.

Thus, with Ric's example in mind, IGLHRC will be using this unexpected funding in two primary ways. First, to build the next five-year vision and strategy for IGLHRC's work around the world and at the United Nations. That strategy will incorporate a plan for building multi-year support from our individual supporters through our Global Dignity Fund (GDF). As with Ric's bequest, which will be paid out quarterly, having GDF monthly funds to rely on increases our capacity to sustain ongoing work with grassroots groups and respond to human rights emergencies as they occur.

Second, in light of Ric's specific desire to help build strong community groups, IGLHRC will use a portion of the bequest to establish a paid annual fellowship program in one of our regional offices. The program will allow LGBT activists in Africa, Asia, Latin America or the Caribbean to apply for a fellowship to work with our staff on a project to promote LGBTI human rights advocacy in her/his home country.

Ric's death was a painful and difficult loss for so many. There is nothing any of us would have preferred than to have him with us, working in his very gentle way and witnessing the successes that his generosity has provided to our entire movement in the United States for so many years. Yet, in death he acts as he did in life - encouraging long-term vision, trusting our groups' leadership to know how to do that, and contributing to a grassroots-based movement. There is no individual in the world who has given as generously to the goal of global equality for LGBTI people as Ric Weiland. The lives and work of LGBTI activists in Kenya, Thailand, Chile, China and elsewhere around the world will benefit from Ric's generosity to IGLHRC, and we are truly honored.

We thank you, too, for your extraordinary commitment to fighting for the rights of LGBTI people where ever they live and for your faith in IGLHRC. By building on Ric's generosity, we move closer each day to a world that understands that human rights are the entitlement of all people.

Sincerely,

Paula L. Ettelbrick
Executive Director

Why we should settle?????

2008-02-25T21:36:00.002-05:00

Have any of you read the piece by Lori Gottlieb titled "Marry Him?" The piece says that despite the fact that we call ourselves feminists we still need a man - otherwise sudden panic and desperation ensues as we age. So basically, instead of searching for Mr. Perfect or even being self-reliant, Ms. Gottlieb suggest we settle for Mr. Good Enough because otherwise our lives will be incomplete come 30 years and over. I have issues with this piece, first because of the obvious implication that our own personal security rests on the fact that we need a man in our lives, but also because of the concept of "settling." What does this mean and what do you think?

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200803/single-marry

Women deserve to be raped?

2008-02-25T16:07:00.002-05:00

I found out about this outrageous article via Feministing that was posted in the LA Times. It reminds me so much of the woman-blaming that occurs when it comes to rape. Over the summer, I overheard a conversation between three male students at Georgetown that made me sick to my stomach. The Georgetown student who dominated the conversation was recounting the story of a murder of a girl at Texas A & M that was committed by her boyfriend. He commented that "you know, she was probably one of those girls that loves to date sketchy guys. She probably deserved it." He continued by stating that, "you know what, it's the same with girls that go to sketchy frat parties and get raped. I don't even feel bad for them. They deserve to be raped."

It is incredulous to me that ANYONE, much less a student at my own university, could believe that ANYONE DESERVES TO BE RAPED OR KILLED. Why is he blaming the victims in these situations instead of the perpetrators? Why didn't he blame the person who committed the murder or individuals who commit rape instead?

Let's think about this logically. So, we make the assumption that women who go to sketchy frat parties have some awareness of the risk they are exposing themselves to. We can also make the assumption that soldiers going to Iraq are aware of the risks they are exposing themselves to. Or people that decide to go into surgery. Or people who are walking alone late at night. Do those people deserve to be killed in battle, die on an operating table, or be mugged? Why is it that these women "deserve to be raped" then?

Sex worker murderer gets glory in the New York Times

2008-02-22T16:01:00.001-05:00

*cross-posted on ChoiceUSA

And the New York Times article announcing the verdict could not be shorter.

This is just painfully indicative of how violence against women, NO MATTER THEIR OCCUPATION, is not only acceptable but commonplace.

This man killed five women! FIVE. And they get two sentences in the Times.

I was disgusted until I found this article by Bloomberg.com, a United Kingdom and Ireland online publication that humanizes these women:

Adams spent her childhood in a suburban home, playing the piano, riding horses and going to Girl Scouts, according to U.K. media reports. Clennell was the daughter of a civil engineer and a nurse. Alderton wanted to be a model and spoke fluent Greek. Nicholls studied to become a beautician, while Nicol trained as a hairdresser.

The article isn't perfect, but at least it gives us their names. Shame on you New York Times.

Power Grandmothers - A generation of women who did it all

2008-02-22T00:15:00.003-05:00

Today's 50-60 year old women are truly the first generation of women who did it all, or at least tried to. They built successful careers, had families, raised children and created interesting lives for themselves.

Here is the Guardian article talking about the generation of power grandmothers.

Boys Will Be Boys, Girls Will Be Hounded by the Media -NY Times

2008-02-21T23:29:00.002-05:00

This article in the NY Times talks about the different portrayal/degree of coverage of troubled male and female celebrities in the media, particularly tabloids.
According to the article (and we all can probably testify to it) female celebrities get more bombastic, dramatic coverage than their male counterparts do.
An interesting point, I find, is the fact that about 70% of the tabloids' readership are women and stories of troubled female celebrities seem to be more appealing to them than the stories of the male celebrities.
Now, I wonder why this is. Is it because women having been historically the obedient, less rebel members of society find it fascinating to see other women break out of the social norm and rebel? Any thoughts?

Two Iranian sister face death by stoning for adultery

2008-02-21T22:32:00.002-05:00

The case of the two Kabiri Sisters has drawn quite a bit of attention from activists across the world. The two women have been sentenced to death by stoning for adultery, after already having been punished with ninety nine lashes.

Amnesty International has an Urgent Action for the case so please send your appeals as soon as possible.

Amnesty Urgent Action pamphlet

More white babies wanted, especially in Europe

2008-02-21T21:57:00.003-05:00

The Nation featured a long article about reproductive patterns in Europe and that how old white Europe is not producing enough white babies. The shift in demographics has been a concern for religious leaders especially.

The policies adopted in certain countries(especially Poland being a leader) are really disturbing as they are blatantly racist, violating human rights.

Bill Clinton is wonderful

2008-02-21T13:42:00.001-05:00

We disagree with you. You want to penalize women and their doctors.

'Yours, Rose"

2008-02-20T12:27:00.002-05:00

An article about a transsexual Indian talk show host.

The article makes points about the perceived hypocrisy of American Society regarding attitudes toward sexual minorities as well as presents interesting questions that will arise as Rose tries to balance audience appeal with pushing societal boundaries.

I often hear the opinion that America criticizes other countries for being closed-minded while simultaneously trying to dictate the sexual values of its citizens. I wonder what others think about this statement?

Girls suck at math

2008-02-19T16:16:00.001-05:00

I was very inspired by the quote Aartie sent out to everyone,

"Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no one will say, 'she doesn't have what it takes.' They will say, 'women don't have what it takes.'" ~Clare Boothe Luce

Inspired enough to put it up as my Gchat away message. Ha! Anyway, I got this cartoon in response. Figures.

Rights for Sex Offenders

2008-02-19T11:35:00.004-05:00

A New York Times article that discusses a proposed Massachusetts ordinance that would bar sex-offenders from many public spaces. While my initial reaction was excitement to see the issue being discussed and to see a legislative body taking accountability, I am uneasy about taking away rights of persons when so many grey areas exist as to when a place becomes considered a public gathering place for children and etc. To me, that means the ordinance needs to be clearly defined and tailored and it does NOT mean that the ordinance should be eliminated...but I am interested to see how others feel about it?