elle
Saturday, December 27, 2008
I Cannot Go On Vacation!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Sarah Palin. Sigh.
I know, I know, you're mad. You're mad that we start this amazing blog and then we don't update it for a few weeks. It's my own fault! (This is Lindsay, by the way.) I was the one that started this thing, wrote a few posts, and then Elle and Alisha saved me by putting up amazing, funny and too true posts. They're both gone now, and the guilt is starting to set in for not blogging for awhile. I PROMISE things will be different during the school year. I think.
So, let's just jump right in. Since we last posted Mr. John McCain has added a VP running mate and it is none other than that govenor of Alaska none of us know well enough, Sarah Palin.
I don't even know where to start about how frustrating a selection this is, though I can tell you we've had many a discussion about what a backwards step her selection is for women. (Joe Biden can thank us for that soundbite.) I have a guy friend who told me the other day that he thinks the selection of Palin will energize the Republican party, because all of Hillary's former supporters will hop on the GOP bandwagon, throwing aside their beliefs and ideas to vote for someone who has two X chromosomes.
To him I say: watch this.
To everyone else I say: Voting is one of the most important things you can do, and can we please put someone in the White House who won't take back everything we and our feminist sisters who came before us have worked so hard to get?
So, let's just jump right in. Since we last posted Mr. John McCain has added a VP running mate and it is none other than that govenor of Alaska none of us know well enough, Sarah Palin.
I don't even know where to start about how frustrating a selection this is, though I can tell you we've had many a discussion about what a backwards step her selection is for women. (Joe Biden can thank us for that soundbite.) I have a guy friend who told me the other day that he thinks the selection of Palin will energize the Republican party, because all of Hillary's former supporters will hop on the GOP bandwagon, throwing aside their beliefs and ideas to vote for someone who has two X chromosomes.
To him I say: watch this.
To everyone else I say: Voting is one of the most important things you can do, and can we please put someone in the White House who won't take back everything we and our feminist sisters who came before us have worked so hard to get?
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Want attention? Get naked.
If you're like me, you've probably been watching the Olympics every night. What else is on TV besides re-runs, anyway?
Well, as much as I'm enjoying all this sport focus, I get really tired of how sexualized female athletes are. Don't believe me? Take a look at this uniform comparison. How can anyone justify this?
I love the P.S. at the bottom, about not calling women "girls."
You have to wonder if we'll ever get to the point that we celebrate female athletes purely for the fact that they can kick-ass, and not about if they're pretty or not. Will that day ever come? I don't know, but I sure hope so. And if that day doesn't come, I hope that at least that everyone -- men especically -- can recognize how hard it is to get respect as a female athlete.
I think snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler summed it up best when she told ESPN The Magazine, "It never felt right to take my clothes off. It never felt like me. It sucks. When you're a woman in sports, people want you to show some skin."
Well, as much as I'm enjoying all this sport focus, I get really tired of how sexualized female athletes are. Don't believe me? Take a look at this uniform comparison. How can anyone justify this?
I love the P.S. at the bottom, about not calling women "girls."
You have to wonder if we'll ever get to the point that we celebrate female athletes purely for the fact that they can kick-ass, and not about if they're pretty or not. Will that day ever come? I don't know, but I sure hope so. And if that day doesn't come, I hope that at least that everyone -- men especically -- can recognize how hard it is to get respect as a female athlete.
I think snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler summed it up best when she told ESPN The Magazine, "It never felt right to take my clothes off. It never felt like me. It sucks. When you're a woman in sports, people want you to show some skin."
Friday, August 15, 2008
Top10 Fun and Feminist Things to Do When it’s 100 Degrees
10. Read anything by Jennifer Weiner. Fun summer books that address serious issues about body image, motherhood, etc. with lots of laugh out loud characters and dialogue. Informal poll of the staff recommends her first novel Good In Bed.
9. Write feminist personal ads for you and your friends (or revenge personals for your ex). Send them to us and we’ll post ‘em!
8. Take your clothes off. No bitching about your thighs, tummy, whatever.
7. Have an iced tea tasting. Restaurants always have tons of flavored tea and lemonade in the summer and it’s a great way to go out with the girls, get hydrated, and not spend a ton of money.
6. Hang out at your local bookstore. Chances are it’s air conditioned and you can pick up some beach books to make you feel like you’re at the beach.
5. Volunteer at the humane society to wash dogs. Then you can play with the hose and be making a difference. Plus there’s puppies!
4. Go see Melissa Etheridge in Eugene. It may not be 100◦, but I guarantee it will be hot. If you can’t go, blast music into your yard and play in a kiddie pool or sprinkler.
3. Get and eat the prepackaged raw cookie dough. Then eat microwave popcorn for dinner and watch one of our favorite movies. Who wants to cook anyway!
2. Introduce yourself to some feminist magazines—Bitch, Bust, and Lilith are some of our favorites. It’s to hot to read War and Peace, and admit it, you don’t even want to think about how nice and cool it is in Russia, so get some bite sized feminist fun. Plus magazines work great as fans.
1. Come to the OSU Women’s Center—IT’S AIR CONDITIONED!!
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
You Know What I Want...Do You?
elle
I want a deal where a presidential partner--whoever they are--can either have a job or get paid for the one that they do. It's time to change the role of the political wife, and it's usually the wife. Have we ever seen a male Supreme Court Justice step down to care for an ailing partner? Plus, candidate's (generally) wives and daughters are expected to work for the campaign for free--and the schedules they maintain deserve at least some "pin money".
Somehow I imagine we'll have to see a male first lady before we really see any change, because if Michelle Obama's recent makeover is any indication this country STILL has a hard time with a woman with a job, let alone a powerfull highly paid one!
Michelle Obama Quits to Campaign Full Time
I want a deal where a presidential partner--whoever they are--can either have a job or get paid for the one that they do. It's time to change the role of the political wife, and it's usually the wife. Have we ever seen a male Supreme Court Justice step down to care for an ailing partner? Plus, candidate's (generally) wives and daughters are expected to work for the campaign for free--and the schedules they maintain deserve at least some "pin money".
Somehow I imagine we'll have to see a male first lady before we really see any change, because if Michelle Obama's recent makeover is any indication this country STILL has a hard time with a woman with a job, let alone a powerfull highly paid one!
Michelle Obama Quits to Campaign Full Time
Monday, August 11, 2008
Take Back the News
elle
Headlines have been screaming that a “Motherload of Gorillas” has been found in the Republic of the Congo (not the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which isn’t so democratic, but that’s another post someday!). Usually I try to take a regular news story, like the situation between Russia and Georgia, and do a feminist reading of the situation or its implications, but this is good news! Hooray!! Don’t worry though, we can still do some feminism-ing…and then we’ll talk Olympic sex testing next week!
Perhaps as many as 125,000 Western Lowland Gorillas were found in a completely remote and totally swampy area of Northern Congo. Because of the inaccessibility of the area it has been largely ignored by poachers and developers. Unfortunately this is about to change. The government has recently been selling resource rights to several companies to harvest the area’s timber—which would of course necessitate draining the swamps to create access roads etc. It’s easy for us to sit here and say WOA! BAD IDEA, but before we do that there must be an understanding of the situation of a very poor country with few natural resources attempting to become a part of the world market. Additionally, we have to think about where that timber is going...
There is a western arrogance to the environmental movement, that we should always be able to have our plastic bottles, but we’ll recycle them, without an understanding of the social and economic disparities that developing nations struggle with every day. Organic produce even in the US is generally still picked by underpaid migrant farm laborers and shipped the average 1500 miles (lots of gas even in my VW) to our grocery stores, but the pro-active sounding “organic” label allows us “do the right thing” and to further remove ourselves from the social, environmental and economic problems. BUY SEASONAL and LOCAL!
OK, let me get down off my soapbox. There.
One of the hallmarks of ecofeminist theory is the understanding that the subjugation of women and the subjugation of “mother” earth are, in fact, the same thing. That the idea that nature must be conquered and subjugated or studied by the male dominated rationality drives both the social construction of women through their reproductive functions and the concept of trees, fossil fuels, etc. as resources for humans. Some ecofeminists advocate a return to nature, cyclical living, and vegetarian/vegan living, while others, including Vandana Shiva (queen bee of my environmental consciousness) argue that the current model, particularly of agriculture, further subjugates the world’s poor countries to the demands of the wealthy and that by doing so we are losing the invaluable knowledge of the women who maintain traditional subsistence farming methods.
All in all, hooray for the find. It’s incredibly exciting to hear that a population we thought we had practically destroyed is thriving well away from us—and there’s the catch. How do we both protect this amazing find and yet stay well enough away for them to continue to thrive; it’s only because they have been so inaccessible to people that they have done so well. I would totally advocate for roping that space off and forgetting about it, but we can’t do that. We also can’t avoid the economic and social issues in our rush to “do the right thing”. What has to be done is the best thing for everyone involved or the situation will escalate and the gorillas will be the losers. They always have been.
A Few More Things:
Royal Fun on YouTube
Invest in Women, Invest in Countries
You Don't Say--Violence and AIDS in Women are Linked
Take Back the Olympics
Refugees Suffer (still) as Russia and Georgia Stand Off (again)
Headlines have been screaming that a “Motherload of Gorillas” has been found in the Republic of the Congo (not the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which isn’t so democratic, but that’s another post someday!). Usually I try to take a regular news story, like the situation between Russia and Georgia, and do a feminist reading of the situation or its implications, but this is good news! Hooray!! Don’t worry though, we can still do some feminism-ing…and then we’ll talk Olympic sex testing next week!
Perhaps as many as 125,000 Western Lowland Gorillas were found in a completely remote and totally swampy area of Northern Congo. Because of the inaccessibility of the area it has been largely ignored by poachers and developers. Unfortunately this is about to change. The government has recently been selling resource rights to several companies to harvest the area’s timber—which would of course necessitate draining the swamps to create access roads etc. It’s easy for us to sit here and say WOA! BAD IDEA, but before we do that there must be an understanding of the situation of a very poor country with few natural resources attempting to become a part of the world market. Additionally, we have to think about where that timber is going...
There is a western arrogance to the environmental movement, that we should always be able to have our plastic bottles, but we’ll recycle them, without an understanding of the social and economic disparities that developing nations struggle with every day. Organic produce even in the US is generally still picked by underpaid migrant farm laborers and shipped the average 1500 miles (lots of gas even in my VW) to our grocery stores, but the pro-active sounding “organic” label allows us “do the right thing” and to further remove ourselves from the social, environmental and economic problems. BUY SEASONAL and LOCAL!
OK, let me get down off my soapbox. There.
One of the hallmarks of ecofeminist theory is the understanding that the subjugation of women and the subjugation of “mother” earth are, in fact, the same thing. That the idea that nature must be conquered and subjugated or studied by the male dominated rationality drives both the social construction of women through their reproductive functions and the concept of trees, fossil fuels, etc. as resources for humans. Some ecofeminists advocate a return to nature, cyclical living, and vegetarian/vegan living, while others, including Vandana Shiva (queen bee of my environmental consciousness) argue that the current model, particularly of agriculture, further subjugates the world’s poor countries to the demands of the wealthy and that by doing so we are losing the invaluable knowledge of the women who maintain traditional subsistence farming methods.
All in all, hooray for the find. It’s incredibly exciting to hear that a population we thought we had practically destroyed is thriving well away from us—and there’s the catch. How do we both protect this amazing find and yet stay well enough away for them to continue to thrive; it’s only because they have been so inaccessible to people that they have done so well. I would totally advocate for roping that space off and forgetting about it, but we can’t do that. We also can’t avoid the economic and social issues in our rush to “do the right thing”. What has to be done is the best thing for everyone involved or the situation will escalate and the gorillas will be the losers. They always have been.
A Few More Things:
Royal Fun on YouTube
Invest in Women, Invest in Countries
You Don't Say--Violence and AIDS in Women are Linked
Take Back the Olympics
Refugees Suffer (still) as Russia and Georgia Stand Off (again)
Friday, August 8, 2008
Summer Fun!
elle
So, Dirty Dancing is HIGH on our list of movies about summer fun (and a fun movie to watch this summer), AND there's some political commentary, so we started looking around and found this retrospective of teen queens. Which one defines your generation? Let us know...
Elle: between "Adventures in Babysitting" and Clueless"
Alisha: between "Clueless" and "Save the Last Dance"
Lindsay: Somewhere around "Mean Girls" and "Bring it On"
So, Dirty Dancing is HIGH on our list of movies about summer fun (and a fun movie to watch this summer), AND there's some political commentary, so we started looking around and found this retrospective of teen queens. Which one defines your generation? Let us know...
Elle: between "Adventures in Babysitting" and Clueless"
Alisha: between "Clueless" and "Save the Last Dance"
Lindsay: Somewhere around "Mean Girls" and "Bring it On"
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Wierdly on the Fence
elle
Just a note, Salem and Portland have the delightful Bikini Coffee Company. Just so you didn't think we were all good and liberal and immune. Love in the article where the owner guy says "it gives people something new to look at. My eyes are generally bearly open when I'm waiting for coffee!
Ack--I hate it when my righteous indignation is crushed by people being stupid. So, there's been some controversy recently near Seattle about an "Espresso Gone Wild" stand. Yup, you got it, bikinis, lingerie, or a lot less with your morning fix. Blech, tacky, and just generally offensive.
OK, I was not on the fence about that at all. Every time I think that we've managed to denigrate women and use sex to sell just about everything I am rudely awakened by some other trashy scheme where the men who own the stand make money and the girls working there don't (young appears to be a prerequisite for working there, along with over-the-top and obvious). What bothered me is that in response to residents complaints the stand was ruled exotic entertainment and closed because of zoning regulations.
Good, such a place should absolutely cease to exist, but instead of talking about the serious issues at hand--exploitation, safety, (employees have had to call 911 because of harassment) hyper-sexualization, discriminatory hiring practices (doubt they'd actually hire me, whatever they say, or anyone over 30) etc.--we pull the uptight morality clause. The same one that means that Fred Meyer had an issue of Cosmo with a woman wearing a dress (not underwear or a bathing suit, I checked) covered up.
And there's another problem I have. Fred Meyer's "family friendly" aisle is stuffed full of candy, just no magazines. With all the fuss over childhood obesity isn't the candy more dangerous in the long run?
But I digress. Residents of Gorst (and I suppose the people in the "family friendly" aisle) were calling for blackout curtains, complaining that their children might see something, and thinking about property values. As well as the above mentioned serious conversations that need to be had maybe we should stop demonizing, sexualizing, and objectifying the female body. If people understood the function and beauty of all kinds of bodies perhaps we could get over our national prurience about the body and stop removing breast feeding mothers from airplanes, restaurants, etc. The exact same arguments used by the people of Gorst to shut down "Espresso Gone Wild" were used by the Taliban to force women under the Burqua and by European Christians to burn women at the stake--protect the morality of everyone else.
Anyway, couldn't they really just get them on a health code violation or something?
Just a note, Salem and Portland have the delightful Bikini Coffee Company. Just so you didn't think we were all good and liberal and immune. Love in the article where the owner guy says "it gives people something new to look at. My eyes are generally bearly open when I'm waiting for coffee!
Ack--I hate it when my righteous indignation is crushed by people being stupid. So, there's been some controversy recently near Seattle about an "Espresso Gone Wild" stand. Yup, you got it, bikinis, lingerie, or a lot less with your morning fix. Blech, tacky, and just generally offensive.
OK, I was not on the fence about that at all. Every time I think that we've managed to denigrate women and use sex to sell just about everything I am rudely awakened by some other trashy scheme where the men who own the stand make money and the girls working there don't (young appears to be a prerequisite for working there, along with over-the-top and obvious). What bothered me is that in response to residents complaints the stand was ruled exotic entertainment and closed because of zoning regulations.
Good, such a place should absolutely cease to exist, but instead of talking about the serious issues at hand--exploitation, safety, (employees have had to call 911 because of harassment) hyper-sexualization, discriminatory hiring practices (doubt they'd actually hire me, whatever they say, or anyone over 30) etc.--we pull the uptight morality clause. The same one that means that Fred Meyer had an issue of Cosmo with a woman wearing a dress (not underwear or a bathing suit, I checked) covered up.
And there's another problem I have. Fred Meyer's "family friendly" aisle is stuffed full of candy, just no magazines. With all the fuss over childhood obesity isn't the candy more dangerous in the long run?
But I digress. Residents of Gorst (and I suppose the people in the "family friendly" aisle) were calling for blackout curtains, complaining that their children might see something, and thinking about property values. As well as the above mentioned serious conversations that need to be had maybe we should stop demonizing, sexualizing, and objectifying the female body. If people understood the function and beauty of all kinds of bodies perhaps we could get over our national prurience about the body and stop removing breast feeding mothers from airplanes, restaurants, etc. The exact same arguments used by the people of Gorst to shut down "Espresso Gone Wild" were used by the Taliban to force women under the Burqua and by European Christians to burn women at the stake--protect the morality of everyone else.
Anyway, couldn't they really just get them on a health code violation or something?
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Do They Mean Parents, or Is It Mom's Responsibility?
elle
Interesting article--it's funny how hyper-sexuality of kids has become the media cause de jour, I mean it's been going on for years. New books everywhere!! The Lolita Effect, and now So Sexy So Soon co-authored by Jean Kilbourne of "Killing Us Softly" fame. OK, so we're talking about it, now what? As I read this article I noticed that all the adults (except the one dad who spoke up in the workshop) appeared to be women. This is a cultural as well as a parental issue, and we must get men, particularly dads, involved in addressing what children are seeing. This is not just about booty, it's teen pregnancy and the ways in which we hold girls responsible for their sexuality but not boys, it's violence against women, it's media access, and it's that blurring line of responsibility between parents and schools. Thank goodness the only thing my 5 year old nephew has picked up at school is a fondness for Transformers!
Interesting article--it's funny how hyper-sexuality of kids has become the media cause de jour, I mean it's been going on for years. New books everywhere!! The Lolita Effect, and now So Sexy So Soon co-authored by Jean Kilbourne of "Killing Us Softly" fame. OK, so we're talking about it, now what? As I read this article I noticed that all the adults (except the one dad who spoke up in the workshop) appeared to be women. This is a cultural as well as a parental issue, and we must get men, particularly dads, involved in addressing what children are seeing. This is not just about booty, it's teen pregnancy and the ways in which we hold girls responsible for their sexuality but not boys, it's violence against women, it's media access, and it's that blurring line of responsibility between parents and schools. Thank goodness the only thing my 5 year old nephew has picked up at school is a fondness for Transformers!
I Found A Rave!!
elle
Check this out (click the picture, I'm getting all tech-y on you!). I am really excited about the opportunity not to be a voyeur into the refugee experience, but to see the innovative ways in which communities are addressing the needs of immigrant and refugee populations. I can't wait to hear more about how the school is structured and the experience of the native born Americans attending it.
Check this out (click the picture, I'm getting all tech-y on you!). I am really excited about the opportunity not to be a voyeur into the refugee experience, but to see the innovative ways in which communities are addressing the needs of immigrant and refugee populations. I can't wait to hear more about how the school is structured and the experience of the native born Americans attending it. Monday, August 4, 2008
A Rant and A Rave
elle
OK, so I know it’s been going on for a while now, but when did babies become accessories? More importantly, with all the media on celebrity moms (and the occasional dad, but only if the mom’s not famous enough) and not their nannies, how is it that we haven’t managed to have a real talk about motherhood in this country? Grrr. Suddenly we’ve gone from June Cleaver—who admittedly vacuumed in high heels—or Murphy Brown—bad shoulder pads, but took on single motherhood and the establishment—to sultry sex kitten 3 weeks after giving birth. I want a real discussion as to the message we’re sending women who can’t afford full time nannies, huge houses, personal trainers, and chefs about their ability to be a good mother. And anyway, who decides what a good mother is!?!
On that note, what the hell happened to Michelle Obama!?! A year and change ago when asked on 60 minutes about fears of assassination she pointed out that as a black man, Barack could be shot going to the gas station and now we have the cover of US Weekly (I think) with the pull quote from Barack “Nothing is More Important to Michelle than Being a Good Mother”. Double Grrr. If only I didn’t have to vote for him…Anyway, I agree with Feministing, Michelle Obama for President!! (includes the 60 minutes clip)
Wish I could find a Rave for you, but it’s Monday. Maybe later!
OK, so I know it’s been going on for a while now, but when did babies become accessories? More importantly, with all the media on celebrity moms (and the occasional dad, but only if the mom’s not famous enough) and not their nannies, how is it that we haven’t managed to have a real talk about motherhood in this country? Grrr. Suddenly we’ve gone from June Cleaver—who admittedly vacuumed in high heels—or Murphy Brown—bad shoulder pads, but took on single motherhood and the establishment—to sultry sex kitten 3 weeks after giving birth. I want a real discussion as to the message we’re sending women who can’t afford full time nannies, huge houses, personal trainers, and chefs about their ability to be a good mother. And anyway, who decides what a good mother is!?!
On that note, what the hell happened to Michelle Obama!?! A year and change ago when asked on 60 minutes about fears of assassination she pointed out that as a black man, Barack could be shot going to the gas station and now we have the cover of US Weekly (I think) with the pull quote from Barack “Nothing is More Important to Michelle than Being a Good Mother”. Double Grrr. If only I didn’t have to vote for him…Anyway, I agree with Feministing, Michelle Obama for President!! (includes the 60 minutes clip)
Wish I could find a Rave for you, but it’s Monday. Maybe later!
Take Back the News
elle
Amid allegations of corruption (and possible indictment), Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has announced that he will step down after the September elections in that country—for those of you like me who vaguely understand parliamentary governments, but are fuzzy on the details, here’s the Wikipedia article about Parliamentary Systems. Amidst cautious attempts at peace talks between Israel and Palestine this disruption is potentially unwelcome, and concerns have been raised about how a new PM will affect the process.
After last week’s discussion of women and violence, it is also important to recognize the gendered system of peace. When asked to define peace, most people will say something about the absence of violence, but such a definition makes no place for the lives of women in “peaceful” societies that are battered, mutilated, raped, tortured, and killed by both intimates and strangers. Peace as it is currently defined on the international scene generally means the "dead white guys" who haven't had much interest in women's lives before, sitting at a table trying to lose as little as possible for themselves. Peace activists and theorists define peace as not the absence of violence, but the presence of social justice—an unfortunately nebulous term, but one with a call to action.
For women, this call to action often takes a very different perspective than that of men. In no way am I advocating an essentialist notion that women are better suited for peace and reconciliation than men, but simply that women’s experience with violence is different, often dismissed or trivialized, and that socially construction notions of women, women’s roles, and women’s work must be taken into account as leaders such as Olmert and Mahmud Abbas attempt to hammer out an agreement. South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission is rightfully touted as a triumph of the peace process over retributive violence, but it is rarely discussed that of requests filed for amnesty, rape was almost never considered a crime for which amnesty would be required. Of the 823 pages of the TRC’s final report, the word rape appears 6 times (I love the find button!). Accepting, and I do, that violence is gendered, peace must be as well.
There are some fantastic examples of women throughout the world demanding and working to create a peace that includes them In Somalia a group of women came to the peace negotiations as the 6th Clan (negotiations were being held between the major clans and a coalition of smaller clans in the area) and demanded a place at the table, Women in Black has combined peace activism and performance art sometimes in the face of considerable threat, and multiple organizations of Israeli and Palestinian women have come together to discuss the ways their lives converge. I’m not the type to get all starry eyed and idealistic here, but we do share space in this world, and it needs to be safe space for everyone.
A Few More Things:
Soldier's Death and Mutilated Body Officially Deemed Suicide
I couldn’t find any regular news sources still covering this, and the military ruling appears to be recent. ACK!
Women Giving to Women
The Lost Women of Vancouver BC
When People Stop Paying Attention, the Media Will
IPV in the Military, Why Aren't We Paying More Attention?
Now Really, Was That So Hard?
I'm not really sure that the bathroom issue is what really distracts them from studying!!
Amid allegations of corruption (and possible indictment), Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has announced that he will step down after the September elections in that country—for those of you like me who vaguely understand parliamentary governments, but are fuzzy on the details, here’s the Wikipedia article about Parliamentary Systems. Amidst cautious attempts at peace talks between Israel and Palestine this disruption is potentially unwelcome, and concerns have been raised about how a new PM will affect the process.
After last week’s discussion of women and violence, it is also important to recognize the gendered system of peace. When asked to define peace, most people will say something about the absence of violence, but such a definition makes no place for the lives of women in “peaceful” societies that are battered, mutilated, raped, tortured, and killed by both intimates and strangers. Peace as it is currently defined on the international scene generally means the "dead white guys" who haven't had much interest in women's lives before, sitting at a table trying to lose as little as possible for themselves. Peace activists and theorists define peace as not the absence of violence, but the presence of social justice—an unfortunately nebulous term, but one with a call to action.
For women, this call to action often takes a very different perspective than that of men. In no way am I advocating an essentialist notion that women are better suited for peace and reconciliation than men, but simply that women’s experience with violence is different, often dismissed or trivialized, and that socially construction notions of women, women’s roles, and women’s work must be taken into account as leaders such as Olmert and Mahmud Abbas attempt to hammer out an agreement. South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission is rightfully touted as a triumph of the peace process over retributive violence, but it is rarely discussed that of requests filed for amnesty, rape was almost never considered a crime for which amnesty would be required. Of the 823 pages of the TRC’s final report, the word rape appears 6 times (I love the find button!). Accepting, and I do, that violence is gendered, peace must be as well.
There are some fantastic examples of women throughout the world demanding and working to create a peace that includes them In Somalia a group of women came to the peace negotiations as the 6th Clan (negotiations were being held between the major clans and a coalition of smaller clans in the area) and demanded a place at the table, Women in Black has combined peace activism and performance art sometimes in the face of considerable threat, and multiple organizations of Israeli and Palestinian women have come together to discuss the ways their lives converge. I’m not the type to get all starry eyed and idealistic here, but we do share space in this world, and it needs to be safe space for everyone.
A Few More Things:
Soldier's Death and Mutilated Body Officially Deemed Suicide
I couldn’t find any regular news sources still covering this, and the military ruling appears to be recent. ACK!
Women Giving to Women
The Lost Women of Vancouver BC
When People Stop Paying Attention, the Media Will
IPV in the Military, Why Aren't We Paying More Attention?
Now Really, Was That So Hard?
I'm not really sure that the bathroom issue is what really distracts them from studying!!
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Fantasies for "Bistanders"
alisha
Here at the Women’s Center we thrive on making marginalized populations feel at home and comfortable within the space and then we do some kick-ass activism to create resources to serve their needs.
It’s a cool job, yet it seems our work is never done. Recently it has been brought to our attention (thanks to diligently reading “The Advocate,” from cover to cover) that a population within a marginalized population is being marginalized. I know, it’s complicated but try your best to follow along:
Those who identify as the “B” in LGBTQQIA communities are often left out of conversations and mainstream sexual identity. Their needs aren’
t being met and rarely does the LGBTQQIA community showcase and praise the celebs and gay-friendly icons who enjoy the company of all. Well ladies and gentlemen who swing more than one way, during our down time while snacking on cupcakes, we searched high and low on the big World Wide Web to find you some of the hottest Bi’s from current pop culture A-listers to those sexy swingers from the days of yore.
Angelina Jolie
Laurel Holloman
Marlon Brando
Dave Navarro
Janis Joplin
Margaret Cho
Herman Melville
Jenny McCarthy
Kurt Cobain
Marlene Dietrich
Roy Simmons
William Shakespear
Pink
Natalie Portman
Michael Huffington
David Bowie
Julius Cesar
Cynthia Nixon
Susan B. Anthony (whatever, she's hot, don't deny)
Billie Joe Armstrong
Drew Barrymore
James Dean
Little Richard (
he may appeal to some)
Dr. Kinsey (homeboy was obsessed with sex and we think that's sexy)
Kristy McNichol
Here at the Women’s Center we thrive on making marginalized populations feel at home and comfortable within the space and then we do some kick-ass activism to create resources to serve their needs.
It’s a cool job, yet it seems our work is never done. Recently it has been brought to our attention (thanks to diligently reading “The Advocate,” from cover to cover) that a population within a marginalized population is being marginalized. I know, it’s complicated but try your best to follow along:
Those who identify as the “B” in LGBTQQIA communities are often left out of conversations and mainstream sexual identity. Their needs aren’
t being met and rarely does the LGBTQQIA community showcase and praise the celebs and gay-friendly icons who enjoy the company of all. Well ladies and gentlemen who swing more than one way, during our down time while snacking on cupcakes, we searched high and low on the big World Wide Web to find you some of the hottest Bi’s from current pop culture A-listers to those sexy swingers from the days of yore.Angelina Jolie
Laurel Holloman
Marlon Brando
Dave Navarro
Janis Joplin
Margaret Cho
Herman Melville
Jenny McCarthy
Kurt Cobain
Marlene Dietrich
Roy Simmons
William Shakespear
Pink
Natalie Portman
Michael Huffington
David Bowie
Julius Cesar
Cynthia Nixon
Susan B. Anthony (whatever, she's hot, don't deny)
Billie Joe Armstrong
Drew Barrymore
James Dean
Little Richard (
he may appeal to some)Dr. Kinsey (homeboy was obsessed with sex and we think that's sexy)
Kristy McNichol
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Take Back the News
elle
We think his hair is also a crime against humanity...
On Monday this week one of the world’s “most wanted”, former Bosnia Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, was arrested by Serbian security forces on war crimes charges. After questioning in Belgrade he will be sent to The Hague to stand trial. Karadzic has been accused of genocide by the UN, charges that include the massacre of 7,500 Bosnian Muslim men in Srebrenica in July 1995.
While the conflict in the former Yugoslavia brought the use of mass rape as a tool of genocide to international attention—the racist implications of which are astounding, this had to happen in Europe before anyone started paying attention—there are several issues of international humanitarian law that bear greater feminist scrutiny; particularly this focus in the west on sexual violence against women rather than seeing all of conflict as inherently gendered—and women as a part of the entirety of conflict. This is in no way is intended to imply that sexual violence is not a horrific part of the gendered nature of war, but that it is a part of a large whole.
War, conflict, and violence exist within gendered societies, so it would be impossible for them to exist outside these systems. This does not mean that conflict is gender neutral—on the contrary, the gendered nature of conflict means that its effects are felt differently by men and women and children. For many scholars in the west it has become easier to focus on gender based violence because most people recognize violence against women as having something to do with gender. It is more difficult to explain how legal and educational systems (for example) are gendered. Violent conflict generally exacerbates gender inequity, and so we must address all the ways in which power and social normative are a part of conflict.
OK, mini-lecture over. What this means is that when we look at conflict areas we need to look at why Karadzic ordered the massacre of Bosnian men (many such massacres took place with their families watching) to send a message to those communities, and why violence against women is such an effective tool of war. Also we need to look at the ways in which women rebuild—the need for legal help for women who are unable to own land and who have no male family members left, the ways in which girl children loose advances they had gained in education and healthcare after conflict, and how women can be a part of institutional rebuilding. I don’t claim to have the answers, just more questions.
International law is supposed to provide protections both for those participating and those in the path of conflict, most visibly with the Geneva Convention. Interestingly, international human rights law remains one of the most gendered institutions of the bunch. Of the 42 specific protections for women in the Geneva Conventions, almost half deal not with women, but with the social roles they play. In other words the law is not addressing women as individuals, but as mothers and wives. While this may seem a semantic argument because so many women are mothers and wives, it speaks to the worldview of women not as individuals, but as archetypes.
So, in this year of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights we need to look at how we can make women’s rights human rights, and how we can make these concepts not simply the dream of idealists, but truly universal.
A Few More Things:
A Lay Midwife Gains Unexpectedly Vocal Allies
More Trouble for the One Million Signatures Campaign
Only Woman on the Afghan Olympic Team Flees
We think his hair is also a crime against humanity... On Monday this week one of the world’s “most wanted”, former Bosnia Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, was arrested by Serbian security forces on war crimes charges. After questioning in Belgrade he will be sent to The Hague to stand trial. Karadzic has been accused of genocide by the UN, charges that include the massacre of 7,500 Bosnian Muslim men in Srebrenica in July 1995.
While the conflict in the former Yugoslavia brought the use of mass rape as a tool of genocide to international attention—the racist implications of which are astounding, this had to happen in Europe before anyone started paying attention—there are several issues of international humanitarian law that bear greater feminist scrutiny; particularly this focus in the west on sexual violence against women rather than seeing all of conflict as inherently gendered—and women as a part of the entirety of conflict. This is in no way is intended to imply that sexual violence is not a horrific part of the gendered nature of war, but that it is a part of a large whole.
War, conflict, and violence exist within gendered societies, so it would be impossible for them to exist outside these systems. This does not mean that conflict is gender neutral—on the contrary, the gendered nature of conflict means that its effects are felt differently by men and women and children. For many scholars in the west it has become easier to focus on gender based violence because most people recognize violence against women as having something to do with gender. It is more difficult to explain how legal and educational systems (for example) are gendered. Violent conflict generally exacerbates gender inequity, and so we must address all the ways in which power and social normative are a part of conflict.
OK, mini-lecture over. What this means is that when we look at conflict areas we need to look at why Karadzic ordered the massacre of Bosnian men (many such massacres took place with their families watching) to send a message to those communities, and why violence against women is such an effective tool of war. Also we need to look at the ways in which women rebuild—the need for legal help for women who are unable to own land and who have no male family members left, the ways in which girl children loose advances they had gained in education and healthcare after conflict, and how women can be a part of institutional rebuilding. I don’t claim to have the answers, just more questions.
International law is supposed to provide protections both for those participating and those in the path of conflict, most visibly with the Geneva Convention. Interestingly, international human rights law remains one of the most gendered institutions of the bunch. Of the 42 specific protections for women in the Geneva Conventions, almost half deal not with women, but with the social roles they play. In other words the law is not addressing women as individuals, but as mothers and wives. While this may seem a semantic argument because so many women are mothers and wives, it speaks to the worldview of women not as individuals, but as archetypes.
So, in this year of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights we need to look at how we can make women’s rights human rights, and how we can make these concepts not simply the dream of idealists, but truly universal.
A Few More Things:
A Lay Midwife Gains Unexpectedly Vocal Allies
More Trouble for the One Million Signatures Campaign
Only Woman on the Afghan Olympic Team Flees
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Turns out, the WNBA isn't a bunch of sissies
lindsay
I know a lot of men who say they don't like professional women's sports because the women aren't "tough enough." Last night, Candace Parker -- the new golden girl of the WNBA -- and her teammates showed that isn't necessarily the case.
Parker & Co. engaged in a brawl last night in the LA/Detroit game. Take a look see.
Whaddayathink?
I know a lot of men who say they don't like professional women's sports because the women aren't "tough enough." Last night, Candace Parker -- the new golden girl of the WNBA -- and her teammates showed that isn't necessarily the case.
Parker & Co. engaged in a brawl last night in the LA/Detroit game. Take a look see.
Whaddayathink?
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Tuesday Night Movie Night
elle and alisha
Well, it's summer around here; quiet evenings, less homework (for us anyway!) so we thought we's share a few of our favorite movies. Full disclosure-these are not necessarily feminist movies, but we love them anyway!
But I'm a Cheerleader
Totally worth it for RuPaul's legs (not in a dress).
Isn't She Great
With the gay dream team--Bette Midler, Nathan Lane, David Hyde Pierce, and Stockard Channing
The Contender
You'll be so ANGRY, and it's all worth it for the final full disclosure.
Vera Drake
Where you learn that a cuppa tea will solve any problem, from unwanted pregnancy to incarceration.
Steel Magnolias
Sally Field flips out...again.
Mrs. Henderson Presents
Well, it's about a nude review, but in a retro Brittish way. I LOVE Judi Densch.
The Queen
Your life would suck too if your children were such drips.
Fried Green Tomatoes
They kill off the cute guy in the first 10 minutes, but otherwise it's great.
Thelma and Louise
That car! Those Abs!!
Mona Lisa Smile
I'm NOT a "Wellesley Girl," are you?! But I totally would be for the shoes, and every girl needs a party dress!
10 Things I Hate About You, Brokeback Mountain
A nod to the late and great.
Kinky Boots
The name says it all--or does it...
Mean Girls
Lindsey Lohan before rehab, this time.
Well, it's summer around here; quiet evenings, less homework (for us anyway!) so we thought we's share a few of our favorite movies. Full disclosure-these are not necessarily feminist movies, but we love them anyway!
But I'm a Cheerleader
Totally worth it for RuPaul's legs (not in a dress).
Isn't She Great
With the gay dream team--Bette Midler, Nathan Lane, David Hyde Pierce, and Stockard Channing
The Contender
You'll be so ANGRY, and it's all worth it for the final full disclosure.
Vera Drake
Where you learn that a cuppa tea will solve any problem, from unwanted pregnancy to incarceration.
Steel Magnolias
Sally Field flips out...again.
Mrs. Henderson Presents
Well, it's about a nude review, but in a retro Brittish way. I LOVE Judi Densch.
The Queen
Your life would suck too if your children were such drips.
Fried Green Tomatoes
They kill off the cute guy in the first 10 minutes, but otherwise it's great.
Thelma and Louise
That car! Those Abs!!
Mona Lisa Smile
I'm NOT a "Wellesley Girl," are you?! But I totally would be for the shoes, and every girl needs a party dress!
10 Things I Hate About You, Brokeback Mountain
A nod to the late and great.
Kinky Boots
The name says it all--or does it...
Mean Girls
Lindsey Lohan before rehab, this time.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Take Back the News
elle
Women aren't in the news enough. Wait, let's re-phrase that: women aren't in the news enough, unless it's to talk about how some new celebrity princess has had a nervous breakdown. The media seldom gives credit to women making a difference, and definitely doesn't cover some of the important issues affecting women today. So, we're here to help.
We bring you Elle, one of our grad students passionate about this issue. She plans to Take Back the News. This is her first segment.
Today Al Jazeera’s English language home page led with a call from the World Food Programme to recognize the increasing threat of widespread famine on the Horn of Africa, particularly in Somalia. None of the U.S. news sites I read even mentioned that the WFP has had to request naval escorts to PROTECT FOOD SUPPLIES getting into the area (although the Christian Science Monitor headlines were different and excellent as usual covering a standoff between Thai and Cambodian soldiers at Preah Vihear, an ancient temple claimed by both countries, and a new irrigation project that is a cooperation between the Israeli government and various NGOs in Senegal). In the coming months more than 14 million people in the Horn of Africa will require urgent food aid just to survive, as well as 6.5 million in Afghanistan and an untold number throughout the world facing food insecurity.
OK, OK, sad, shocking, etc., but how is it a feminist issue?
Food is ALWAYS a feminist issue because in cultures around the world the labor of women feeds and sustains us, because women and children around the world produce the majority of the subsistence food crops in the world, and because women and children eat last, have poorer nutrition, and are often denied opportunities for education and autonomy because of their agricultural necessity. In areas that have been mined girls are often sent to clear a field before the family’s livestock can be turned loose, and the “women’s work” of weeding and gleaning fields can make them more vulnerable to violence. Natural disasters have also had a devastating impact this year on women’s food production, particularly in Myanmar, where the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis left families starting from scratch. Additionally, because women start with greater food insecurity and nutritional deficiencies, food shortages and famine impact them faster and with longer-lasting effects.
As we look at rising food prices and the shifts in use of the world’s agricultural lands the effect on women has been profound. As more land is put under cultivation by men for cash crops — particularly corn for ethanol and corn based biodegradable plastics — the women who are providing food for their families are finding it harder to grow enough for themselves, let alone a small surplus to sell at markets to finance household improvements. Women and children make up the vast majority of the world’s poor, meaning that even in areas where food is available they are often unable to get it. Additionally, when families are forced to sell belongings for food, girl children are particularly at risk for trafficking into factories or sex work.
We must look at food within the broader context of the global economy, as part of the feminization of conflict, poverty, and labor as well as the role of the west in global food production.
More on Food:
The Original Article from Al Jazeera
World Food Programme
CARE
A few other world news links:
Here are a few things I found interesting. This is by no means an exhaustive list, please send us your tidbits!
Child Bride Gets Divorce After Rape, Beatings
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and Women
Iraqi Woman Protests Security X-Rays
Native Women Lead
Women aren't in the news enough. Wait, let's re-phrase that: women aren't in the news enough, unless it's to talk about how some new celebrity princess has had a nervous breakdown. The media seldom gives credit to women making a difference, and definitely doesn't cover some of the important issues affecting women today. So, we're here to help.
We bring you Elle, one of our grad students passionate about this issue. She plans to Take Back the News. This is her first segment.
Today Al Jazeera’s English language home page led with a call from the World Food Programme to recognize the increasing threat of widespread famine on the Horn of Africa, particularly in Somalia. None of the U.S. news sites I read even mentioned that the WFP has had to request naval escorts to PROTECT FOOD SUPPLIES getting into the area (although the Christian Science Monitor headlines were different and excellent as usual covering a standoff between Thai and Cambodian soldiers at Preah Vihear, an ancient temple claimed by both countries, and a new irrigation project that is a cooperation between the Israeli government and various NGOs in Senegal). In the coming months more than 14 million people in the Horn of Africa will require urgent food aid just to survive, as well as 6.5 million in Afghanistan and an untold number throughout the world facing food insecurity.
OK, OK, sad, shocking, etc., but how is it a feminist issue?
Food is ALWAYS a feminist issue because in cultures around the world the labor of women feeds and sustains us, because women and children around the world produce the majority of the subsistence food crops in the world, and because women and children eat last, have poorer nutrition, and are often denied opportunities for education and autonomy because of their agricultural necessity. In areas that have been mined girls are often sent to clear a field before the family’s livestock can be turned loose, and the “women’s work” of weeding and gleaning fields can make them more vulnerable to violence. Natural disasters have also had a devastating impact this year on women’s food production, particularly in Myanmar, where the devastation caused by Cyclone Nargis left families starting from scratch. Additionally, because women start with greater food insecurity and nutritional deficiencies, food shortages and famine impact them faster and with longer-lasting effects.
As we look at rising food prices and the shifts in use of the world’s agricultural lands the effect on women has been profound. As more land is put under cultivation by men for cash crops — particularly corn for ethanol and corn based biodegradable plastics — the women who are providing food for their families are finding it harder to grow enough for themselves, let alone a small surplus to sell at markets to finance household improvements. Women and children make up the vast majority of the world’s poor, meaning that even in areas where food is available they are often unable to get it. Additionally, when families are forced to sell belongings for food, girl children are particularly at risk for trafficking into factories or sex work.
We must look at food within the broader context of the global economy, as part of the feminization of conflict, poverty, and labor as well as the role of the west in global food production.
More on Food:
The Original Article from Al Jazeera
World Food Programme
CARE
A few other world news links:
Here are a few things I found interesting. This is by no means an exhaustive list, please send us your tidbits!
Child Bride Gets Divorce After Rape, Beatings
Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and Women
Iraqi Woman Protests Security X-Rays
Native Women Lead
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Do you like the F-word?
lindsay
We at the Oregon State Women's Center Center like the F-word. In fact, we loooove it. We use the F-word whenever we can. We espeically like to use it around people who have never heard of it -- there's nothing like a good teaching moment. In the words of one of our workers, "we throw the F-word around like candy."
We're talking about Feminism, don't ya know.
We work at the Oregon State Women's Center (also know as the little blue house that resides next to the library in lovely Corvallis, Ore.) and we'd like to welcome you to our blog. We're new to this, so please be nice.
It's the summer, so things are a little slow at the WC right now. So this is a perfect time to spend countless hours on the internet attempting to figure out how the hell this is all going to work. We have ideas -- we have a camera and a videocamera and cool, fun people. We'll see how that all translates to the online community.
Send us questions, comments, concerns and (APPROPRIATE) jokes. We also enjoy news updates and fun pictures. And of course, if you have a story to share about women, feminism or anything else, we want to hear it. You can reach us at womenscenter@oregonstate.edu. Don't be shy; we love pen pals.
We'll be back later with more. We'll tell you about our center, about the people that work here and about how we're going to change the world. Stay tuned.
We at the Oregon State Women's Center Center like the F-word. In fact, we loooove it. We use the F-word whenever we can. We espeically like to use it around people who have never heard of it -- there's nothing like a good teaching moment. In the words of one of our workers, "we throw the F-word around like candy."
We're talking about Feminism, don't ya know.
We work at the Oregon State Women's Center (also know as the little blue house that resides next to the library in lovely Corvallis, Ore.) and we'd like to welcome you to our blog. We're new to this, so please be nice.
It's the summer, so things are a little slow at the WC right now. So this is a perfect time to spend countless hours on the internet attempting to figure out how the hell this is all going to work. We have ideas -- we have a camera and a videocamera and cool, fun people. We'll see how that all translates to the online community.
Send us questions, comments, concerns and (APPROPRIATE) jokes. We also enjoy news updates and fun pictures. And of course, if you have a story to share about women, feminism or anything else, we want to hear it. You can reach us at womenscenter@oregonstate.edu. Don't be shy; we love pen pals.
We'll be back later with more. We'll tell you about our center, about the people that work here and about how we're going to change the world. Stay tuned.
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