April 2004 Archives
While the March for Women’s lives generated some media coverage this week (though not nearly enough—punks!), what Feministing found interesting were several stories preceding the March that supposedly focused on young women’s participation in the event.
In a 4/24/04 Washington Post article, “For Abortion Rights, a Changing of the Guard,” young women involved with the March are shown to be middle-of-the-road morons who are trying to separate themselves from the “traditional” feminist movement.
The article quotes a Vassar woman who identifies as “very pro-choice,” but believes in restricting in late-term abortion, as well as a 22 year-old woman who thinks parental-notification requirements are a necessity. (Though she admits she would have been pissed to have to tell her parents when she had her abortions.)
FYI, most minors do tell their parents. And I really love how this chick doesn’t even consider incest as maybe throwing a wrench in her logic. Ugh.
Perhaps my favorite mini-profile in the article though, is that of 24 year-old Grayson Crosby, named one of the top 30 abortion rights advocates under 30 by Choice USA:
Throughout her four years at the University of Florida she heard conversations that convinced her of something previous generations didn’t talk about: Human beings are hard-wired to create life and instinctively repulsed by the idea of destroying it, even when that’s the right thing to do.
I’m sorry, but you’ve got to be fucking kidding me. This chick is a top abortion rights advocate? If that’s really the case, we’re in some serious trouble.
While Washington Post writer Laura Sessions Stepp is right on to point out that “while veteran activists like Eleanor Smeal and Gloria Steinem host a $250-per-person cocktail reception…(while) the younger ones will be in conference rooms at the Omni Shoreman,” and that there’s a lack of space for younger voices, her implication that these several women somehow represent young feminism is appalling.
Stepp also writes:
Another characteristic of this generation, which some young feminists believe to be crucial to their long-term success, is the ease with which young women and young men relate to each other. Increasingly, women say men should be notified when their girlfriends or wives get pregnant and consulted about the decision to proceed with the birth or abort—a concept of inclusion anathema to earlier activists.
Oh, I get it; these new feminists like men. Cause everyone knows that old feminists think they have cooties. And excuse me, but where are Stepp’s stats on this “women think men should be notified” crap? So if you’re a minor you have to tell your parents, and if you’re an adult, you’re still not responsible enough to make your own decisions? Again, ugh.
A 4/24/04 piece in The New York Times is a bit better, focusing on the diversity in leadership among young feminists. However, like the Washington Post article, it makes younger women look like political underperformers. Kate Michelman, president of NARAL Pro-choice American, says in the piece that young women “assume rights,” and “don’t feel a sense of urgency.” Well, this may be true for some, but I do believe I saw a shit-load of young faces on Sunday.
The idea that young women are complacent or too moderate on the issues is insulting. The public just doesn’t want to see radical young women. How much coverage have the Riot Grrrls gotten lately? It makes everyone feel a lot safer if the new crop of feminists are media- and men-friendly.
What young feminists are really doing is being as inclusive as possible, broadening the definition of feminism to include people of all backgrounds and varied beliefs. But we are most certainly not copping out on core principles to get there, no matter what the media's pre-conceived notions of "old" and "new" feminism are.
As Jessica put it in a recent post, "one million people on your front lawn telling you to go fuck yourself" is the not-so-subtle message that marchers brought to President George Bush this past Sunday.
We really didn't expect much reaction from the President or his people on the March for Women's Lives. (at least publicly) To pretend it didn't happen seemed more of his thang.
Yet, as I'm sure everyone knows by now, presidential advisor Karen Hughes decided to put her two cents in on CNN's Late Edition with Wolf on Sunday--right around the same time that the march was forming.
She essentially said that the pro-choice marchers that day--and any other reproductive rights advocate--hold the same values as terrorists in their lack of respect and regard for human life.
This is how it went down:
BLITZER: There is a clear difference when it comes to abortion rights between the president and his Democratic challenger, John Kerry. In your opinion, Karen, how big of an issue will this abortion rights issue be in this campaign?
HUGHES: Well, Wolf, it's always an issue. And I frankly think it's changing somewhat. I think after September 11th the American people are valuing life more and realizing that we need policies to value the dignity and worth of every life.
And President Bush has worked to say, let's be reasonable, let's work to value life, let's try to reduce the number of abortions, let's increase adoptions.
And I think those are the kind of policies that the American people can support, particularly at a time when we're facing an enemy, and really the fundamental difference between us and the terror network we fight is that we value every life. It's the founding conviction of our country, that we're endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights, the right to life and liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Unfortunately our enemies in the terror network, as we're seeing repeatedly in the headlines these days, don't value any life, not even the innocent and not even their own.
Whaaa? Yes you're right Karen, we terrorists and feminists go hand in hand! Our names even rhyme a little!
Hughes' statement has not been without repercussions; Planned Parenthood President Gloria Feldt and Feminist Majority President Eleanor Smeal have made official statements demanding an apology for the offensive allegation from Hughes, asserting that the comments were not only inappropriate, but also completely heinous.
Several Democratic members of Congress have also written a letter to the President calling for an apology from Hughes.
Hughes responded that the outcry over her comments were "gross distortions" of her remarks in the interview. Whatever you say, darlin!
What I really don't understand is how the administration can be so blatantly horrid to--once again--manipulate 9/11 for their own interests and personal beliefs. Soon enough, every non-right wing establishment and thought will be labeled as terrorist.
Shortly after 9/11, President Bush said that it is up to everyone to decide who is with us and who is against us. And if you're not with "us," you are with the terrorists. Looks like what's meant by "us" has narrowed just a bit, don't you think?
Check out Hannah's 4/28 post for Jon Stewart's awesome response to all of this nonsense...
Uh oh ladies. An article in the Chicago Tribune details increased spending among women in their teens and twenties on beauty products. While putting your best foot forward is always a good thing, it's not a great idea when it comes at the expense of your savings account.
It turns out that we are spending more than twice as much today on waxing, tanning and lipstick as our moms did in the 60’s.
Companies who have been documenting our spending have found that we tend to [over]pay for our beauty regimens in cash and then charge necessities like groceries and gas. As a result, money that should be going into a savings account is spent paying off a credit card balance.
The article urges young female consumers to set goals (like paying off your credit card, or saving $50 a month), try DIY services (L'Oreal Jet Set works great for me) and spend on quality (salon hair color lasts a lot longer than the stuff in the box).
Oh yeah, and pay your bills online. Women in their 20s rack up a huge amount of debt on late fees alone.
The bottom line: you don't have to abandon your beauty regimen -- just make sure you spend as much time researching savings & investment options as you do at the salon.
If you don’t already know about Sarah Jones, you’re missing out. A fellow Bryn Mawrtyr, she’s been on the New York urban poetry scene for years (she won the Nuyorican Grand Slam championship in 1997) and has championed the young feminist cause throughout.
She’s also a free speech activist. In 2001, the Federal Communications Commission issued a a $7,000 fine to a Portland, Oregon radio station for playing Jones’s poem, YOUR REVOLUTION. The FCC characterized the poem, which is about misogyny in rap lyrics, as "indecent and obscene". Jones then counter-sued, claiming her first amendment rights had been violated, and she won!
It’s been a few years, and she’s at it again with her new, one woman play, Bridge & Tunnel. The show is produced by Meryl Streep, another badass feminista, and has opened to incredible reviews. If you’re in the New York area, check it out. If not, here are some Jones gems to tide you over.
http://www.sarahjonesonline.com/press/MS_Mag.html
http://www.sarahjonesonline.com/press/MotorMouth.htm
http://www.acfnewsource.org/art/women_cant_wait.html
http://www.immigrationforum.org/conf2001/dream.htm
What does the media love more than a scandalous in-school rape case?
A young woman recanting her story.
The recent Washington Post articles examining the alleged rape of a 15 year-old girl at Mount Hebron High School in Maryland have been remiss in their handling of the girl's recent recantation.
The girl had previously accused three boys of forcing her into a bathroom, where one held her down and the other raped her. The third boy allegedly watched out for anyone at the bathroom door.
The first 4/17/04 article noted that a "physical examination of the girl at Howard County General Hospital showed that her body had signs of trauma consistent with forcible rape."
Later stories implied that the girl's story was dubious--despite the above evidence.
In a 4/21/04 piece, "Rape Probe Flawed, Lawyers Say," the Post quoted one of the attackers' lawyers, Lawrence B. Rosenberg:
Rosenberg suggested that police were eager to make arrests "because of where it happened, inside the school. Maybe it's sexy to charge right away. . . . It was a juicy story."
The rape of a high school freshman is sexy and juicy? How nice.
The real transformation in the coverage, however, took place once the girl recanted her story. The headlines went from "3 Howard Teenagers Charged in Rape Case" to "Girl Who Accused 3 Schoolmates of Rape Recants." Teenagers are scary; schoolmates wear dickies.
The 4/23/04 article makes it seem like the accuser got caught in a lie:
...several students have told police that the girl did not appear upset when she emerged from the restroom..."She's essentially backed off her original complaint completely," (State's Attorney Timothy) McCrone said. "At some point she might have realized that things might have gotten out of control and had a change of heart."
Or maybe she was terrified about the media coverage and the possibility of being vilified in court? There are a myriad of reasons rape victims recant their stories--it is not a direct indicator that they are lying.
It's time that the media took a more in-depth look at the intricacies and politics of sexual assault; but I guess at the end of the day it's just "sexier" to think that a 15 year-old girl would have consensual sex with three boys in a school bathroom.
The girl's mother has stood by her daughter's story.
According to a study by Penn State highlighted in an Associated Press article, young women who get distracted easily may just be iron-deficient.
It's been known that anemia can make you tired and distracted, but the study--which looked at women ages 18 to 35--reveals that even a less severe iron-deficiency can have an effect on concentration and mood.
Apparently 20 percent of the women in the study were either iron-deficient or anemic. Feministing finds the explanation for this a little disconcerting:
Lisa Ritchie, director of the dietetics program at Harding University in Searcy, Ark. says that, "Taking a look at the typical college student, they may be financially strapped, so buying a lot of iron-rich foods may not be their top priority, especially for females." (emphasis added)
What exactly does this mean? We only eat salads? I guess those Penn State girls need to have a steak every now and then. Jeez.
then you should go again on May 8th! Visions in Feminism, a conference at the University of Maryland at College Park, will be a great way to spend Mother's Day weekend.
Their workshops include Our Bobbins, Ourselves: The Craft Revolution, Feminist Movements in the Arab World, and 99 Problems and a Bitch Ain't One: Hip Hop and Feminism/Womanism.
The National Council for Research on Women (NCRW) released “MISSING: Information About Women’s Lives" today, a report documenting a pattern of information concerning women disappearing from Federal Government websites.
The report also covers the trend of government websites providing misleading health information--like the myth that there's a link between breast cancer and abortion.
NCRW President Linda Basch said, “MISSING is a wake up call to the nation that a nonpartisan legacy of government is being destroyed. Decisions to distort or withhold information have a cumulative negative effect for women and girls that is serious and detrimental and must not be left unchecked. Concerned citizens must make their voices heard through communicating to officials and elected representatives the crucial need for unbiased, objective information.”
Word.
As if we needed another reason to love Jon Stewart...
Click on the URLs below to hear him making fun of Karen Hughes's anti-abortion speech.
Nice.
http://www.hatecrime.org/americablog/hughes1.wav
http://www.hatecrime.org/americablog/hughes2.wav
A NY Times article reports today that women-owned businesses are growing at double the rate of other small businesses.
According to a study by the Center for Women's Business Research, companies owned by women have $2.46 trillion in sales and over 19 million employees nationwide.
Good job ladies; our plan for world-wide domination is working. Now if we could just get that wage gap taken care of...
PRESS ME for a great article on young feminists of color.
Am I wrong that it’s 2004? Have I slipped into some sort of alternate universe? That’s what it feels like reading Sherri Day’s recent NY Times article on the Harlem Club.
The Harlem Club is a private New York social society, created by Thomas Lopez-Pierre, for African-American and Hispanic professionals. When the idea was originally conceived, the club was to allow only male members. Men could become charter members for $5,000; for $2,500 they could become general members. But, as Day reports, "this club did not want just any moneyed men. Rap stars, Hollywood glitterati and professional athletes - what Mr. Lopez-Pierre labels the 'ghetto-fabulous crowd' - would not be welcome.” And, in the beginning, women could only join the Harlem Club as associate members if they were “35 or younger, unmarried, childless, college educated and willing to submit a head-to-toe photograph.”
When asked in a recent interview about the criterion for entry, Mr. Lopez-Pierre stated:
“Men have to be professional, preferably college educated. The ideal candidate, who is not college educated, can own car dealerships or maybe a McDonalds or be a very successful entrepreneur who has a proven track record of success. Maybe a recent college graduate, who while does not have anything in terms of accomplishments except for academic success based on his education, should have a bright future…that and $3,500 a year. Women have to be 21 to 39 years of age, college educated, single with no kids, and beautiful. She cannot be overweight in any way. Weight is a big issue. If she is too big, she will not be accepted. There is no height requirement.”
Intense criticism drove the Club to compromise a bit. Now, women who do not meet the physical requirements to become associate members can pay to become general members. The associate women are still, according to the website, required to be “beautiful women who are in great physical shape.”
Yee hah.
Is this for real? Do we seriously live in a world where people think this is acceptable? Not only is it wildly classist and segregating, but it’s insanely sexist and degrading.
Write these people an email and give them a piece of your mind. HarlemClubNYC@aol.com.
Feministing--along with Alas, a Blog and Feministe--was mentioned on Air America by LiberalOasis' Bill Scher as a notable feminist blog.
Listen to the segment here--we're mentioned in the last few minutes of the show. Go us!
As Alix Olson energized Sunday’s crowd in DC with her vision of Cunt Cuntry I found myself reflecting on the state of young feminist movement and our role in this cuntry.
Though excited by the large number of young women who attended the March on Sunday, I was disappointed by our lack of presence onstage. While it was OUR voices that filled the streets with chants, OUR voices were largely marginalized on the microphone.
As I listened to the messages of the mostly middle-aged speakers, I felt that a young feminist perspective and message was largely missing. Instead of inviting young women into the ranks of feminist movement—instead of challenging us to go out and change the world--young feminists were given the simple mandate to “GO HOME AND VOTE.”
As a young feminist, I feel that we have much more to offer the political future of this country than [just] a ballot.
I didn’t vote in 2000. I made the decision not to vote because I did not want to support a system of negative freedom; voting for the lesser of two evils didn't seem like electoral democracy.
And while I still feel largely alienated by electoral politics, four years later I am making a different decision. Howard Zinn aptly described my feelings towards this year’s election in an interview with Punk Planet: “For 30 seconds, you swallow your pride. But before and after the voting booth you are a relentless critic of our policy—whether it’s the Republicans or Democrats who urge it.”
While I refuse to be a “Woman for Kerry”, this year I will be a “Feminist Activist Against Bush.” So ladies, I encourage you to go out and vote, but don’t be fooled. You have a much larger contribution to make to feminist movement. As young feminists we must plan conferences, write articles, organize benefits, volunteer and protest. We must make our voices heard.
In her Riot Grrrl Manifesto Kathleen Hanna wrote, “I believe with my wholeheartmindbody that girls constitute a revolutionary soul force that can, and will change the world for real.” I believe we will too; but only by being active both inside AND outside the voting booth.
Withholding funding from the UNDP for birth control, HIV/AIDS prevention, maternal care and child care: - $34 million
Increasing funds for ineffective abstinence-only education in public schools: + $135 million a year
Falling short in your promise for your HIV/AIDS initiative: - $800 million
Bush's war on women: - 30 years of progress
More than 1 million women and men gathered on your front lawn to tell you to go fuck yourself: priceless
Wow. No seriously, wow! Yesterday's March for Women's Lives drew an amazing crowd of women and men from all over the country.
March organizers are putting the number of people attending at over a million, which if you were there doesn't seem unreasonable at all.
Here's the March coverage so far:
The New York Times' piece is pretty thorough, though I'd argue the headline "Hundreds of Thousands March for Abortion Rights" is pretty limiting--come on now, this was about so much more than abortion.
The Washington Post's article is accompanied by a photo gallery and video.
USA Today's coverage does a good job in describing anti-choice contingent’s mindset: "A small number of opponents to abortion rights lined Pennsylvania Avenue during the march...Jordan Gehrke, 22, of Carson City, Mich., taunted marchers...'It's a good thing you didn't kill her,' he screamed at a marcher carrying a small child." Very nice.
My favorite anti-choicers were the dudes telling me I'm going to hell and carrying a "Rebellious Jezebels" sign. Is it just me, or is that a great name for a band?
Ms. Musings has great coverage of the whole weekend. Christine--how tired are you right now? Wow!
Feminist Majority has a photo gallery, though we personally dig the Feministing pics below...
As my Feministing partners join the million women gathered for the March for Women’s Lives today, I am in New York thinking about the freedoms for which they are demonstrating. I’m also thinking about John Kerry’s defense of women’s rights in the face of the Vatican’s decree that politicians who support abortion rights should be denied Communion. According to the New York Times, Kerry says he is personally opposed to abortion, but supports a woman's right to choose and believes in the separation of church and state. At a recent rally, Kerry stated, “I believe that in the year 2004 we deserve a president who understands that a stronger America is where women's rights are just that: rights, not political weapons to be used by politicians of this nation.”
Kerry’s not perfect on all issues, but demonstrates ideals considerably more woman-friendly than the incumbent President. Then again, anything is better than an administration that champions the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act and the introduction of women's medical records at the trials of abortion doctors.
Gayness is on the collective brain. It’s only April and already we’ve got Jason West, The Fab 5, The Massachusetts Supreme Court, and Ellen’s hit show. Even the two Dicks (Cheney and Gephardt) are playing potentially tolerable roles by avowing their gay daughters. (Election time anyone??)
I’m capitalizing on this trend to talk about the L-Word, an otherwise potentially embarrassing topic.
I think it’s okay. (Is that wrong?) Sure, I like that it takes lesbians out of the dowdy, flannel wearing, Indigo Girls pigeonhole. But that’s not all. In fact, it could be accused of replacing one lesbian stereotype with another. (The show is cast with completely gorgeous, lipstick, fantasy women.)
I watch it because the characters are, by television’s standards, mildly complex -- not just as lesbians, but also as women. (Remember, I said “complex,” not “realistic.”) They struggle with sexual and personal identity; with their relationships to each other and to the community; with addiction and self-control; and, most importantly, with being good human beings.
Because the L-Word is a TV show (and especially because it’s on Showtime), it definitely has its share of gratuitous sex, cheesy drama and hetero-perspectives. But if we get beyond the fact that TV will always one-dimensionalize everything, I think that the L-Word is a pretty good development.
Check it out, and look closely for a cameo by Devon Gummersall (a.k.a. Brian Krakow from My So Call Life) as Lisa, the lesbian identified male. Hee hee.
* If you’ve never seen the L-Word, you’ll have to wait until next year. The first season ended last week.
A recent federal grant bestowed upon New York City police officers a new kind of cell phone – one with access to a 24 hour translation service. The move was made to help non-English speaking victims of domestic violence overcome the language barriers that so often keep them from reporting. By pressing a button, police are now able to reach translators in 150 languages, allowing victims to make immediate and articulate complaints against their assailant.
The need for translators in these cases is large. According to the New York City Mayor's Office to Combat Domestic Violence, “challenges faced by immigrant victims of domestic violence are especially relevant in New York City where 36% of the population is foreign born, and over 120 different languages and dialects are spoken. Immigrant women may be less likely to report abuse than non-immigrant women due to language barriers, cultural differences and a fear of deportation if they are not legally documented to live in the U.S.”
An article in yesterday’s Times reported on the success of this service in allowing non-English speaking victims to communicate with police, and in helping police speak with possible witnesses. The article did not, however, mention any potentially harmful aspects of this arrangement.
To begin with, many translators lack experience in dealing with crime victims. This becomes especially harmful when victims rely solely on translators’ advice for information about rights and actions. Translators may omit words or ideas that they do not think are important, just to convey the “gist” of a conversation. There are myriad confidentiality issues; translators are not legally bound to the same standards as medical and police personnel.
As Lynn Hecht Schafran, a Vice President of Legal Momentum, has written, a victim may feel inhibited about speaking freely to a male interpreter, who may be an authority figure in her culture. Interpreters may lack training on sensitive issues, especially in cases involving domestic violence, rape and emotional trauma. They may purposely undermine women charging men from their own communities with domestic violence or sexual assault because they either dismiss the seriousness of the offense or do not want the community's dirty linen aired in public
The INS Gender Guidelines recommend that women with gender-based claims be interviewed by female officers, and if possible, have female interpreters because “some applicants may have inhibitions about disclosing past experiences to an interviewer of the opposite sex.” This is obviously hard to achieve in the understaffed and low-resourced NYPD, but isn’t it crucial?
Finally, based on cost, these cell phones are a short term solution to a much larger problem. Why aren't there more people on staff in the department with these skills? In a city as diverse as New York, why do we have to outsource this job at $2.00/minute?
Translation services can be enormously helpful to non-English speaking DV victims, and I'm happy that this issue is finally getting some attention. As long as we keep our eyes on the potentially harmful aspects, and keep searching for a broader solution, we’ll keep making progress.
The National Women's Law Center has released a report, Slip-Sliding Away: The Erosion of Hard-Won Gains for Women Under the Bush Administration and an Agenda for Moving Forward. A seriously long name for a seriously scary problem.
The report covers the Administration's record on 10 areas: women at work; girls and women at school; child care and other supports women need to maintain self-sufficiency; tax and budget policies; retirement security; health and reproductive rights; violence against women; women in the military; judicial nominations; and government offices and advisory bodies charged with safeguarding women’s interests. Whew.
And that's just domestic issues; I don't even want to know what a report on Bush's backwards policies towards global women's rights would look like. I'm thinking something along the lines of my old-school Encyclopedia Britannica.
The women who brought you the Million Mom March are gearing up for Mother's Day, May 9th, to launch their new campaign "Halt the Assault." The campaign will begin with a rally in Washington urging Congress to reauthorize the Federal Violent Crime Control Act of 1994.
The act which bans the manufacture and import of assault weapons (including AK-47s and Uzis) is set to expire on September 13th.
Reuters reports that House Republicans oppose renewing the ban and plan not to vote on it. While feelings are more mixed in the Senate, Idaho Republican Senator Larry Craig remarked that: "It's resolved. The ban will expire September 13. They can march, but it will never grace the halls of Congress again."
Come on ladies; let's prove these Republicans wrong. Grab your mom & head to Washington on the big day. Or visit the Million Mom March website and sign the petition to renew the assault weapons ban.
The Bush Administration receives a failing grade for global women's rights according to leading women's organizations. The Women's Environment and Development Organization (WEDO), Feminist Majority and Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) have released a scorecard which grades Bush and his crew on issues affecting women around the world.
Let's just say the President's mediocre Yale grades are stellar compared to his record of action on global women’s rights. Looks like someone needs to be left back.
Fox News has an interesting way of recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness Month—it minimalizes rape. How appropriate.
Wendy McElroy (more about her later—yikes!) wrote a piece yesterday on the University of Colorado at Boulder’s rape scandal, in which at least 8 women have come forward against Colorado football players.
McElroy focuses on Richard Grego, a former undergraduate peer educator in the Colorado University Rape and Gender Educators (COURAGE), who now says the program spread “lies” in its services: "We created at CU a culture of false awareness. … [S]ince I left the group I have suspected that many women have been making false allegations to obtain the attention, sympathy, kid-glove treatment, and power that comes with being a victim of sex assault." Ah, yes, the power of being a victim of sexual assault. Of course.
The “lie” that McElroy refers to is a statistic COURAGE uses in its advocacy materials: that 1 in 4 women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime. In fact, it’s not even the statistic that McElroy and Grego take issue with—it’s the methodology behind it and the fact that it came “from a feminist study.”
Interesting, considering that McElroy is the editor of ifeminists.com. Not so interesting once you check out what "ifeminism" is all about (complete with a glamour shot of McElroy):
And check out this gem:
"Women's studies programs are a good example of why universities should not be publicly funded."
You've gotta love women like this: willing to benefit from all of the hard work feminists have done, but completely unwilling to recognize the reality of women's lives.
McElroy ends the piece by suggesting that rape advocates have no place helping survivors of sexual assault: "It is time to get tax-funded advocates out of the equation and deal with crime on the basis of the evidence presented by each individual case."
Uh yeah, I’m pretty sure that evidence is taken into consideration whether or not a woman chooses to seek support from an advocate.
Thanks Fox News, you never stop reminding me how much work still needs to be done.
The organization Awareness of Rape and Incest through Art (ARIA) is holding an event May 1st, A Night to Heal 2004. (Check out our Events section, at right.)
The event will include performances and a silent auction; all proceeds of the evening will be donated to Mt. Sinai’s Sexual Assault Violence Intervention Program.
ARIA's mission is "to empower and heal survivors of sexual abuse by transforming internal suffering into works of art."
This is a fantastic way to show your support for Sexual Assault Awareness Month; get to it!
After Bob Woodward, Saudi Arabia could use some good press this week. Depending on how you look at it, the story about Rania al-Baz, the Saudi television host who came forward as a victim of domestic violence, could be the ticket. The Associated Press reported this week that after al-Baz suffered 13 facial fractures as a result of a beating by her husband, she immediately went public with the photos “so that other battered women would be encouraged to speak up.” Despite the Kingdom’s conservative reputation, the Saudi public seems to have been supportive of al-Baz’s decision. A Saudi princess even offered to pay her medical bills. Let’s hope this progressive slant persists.
It's always nice to get good news...
Smith college has announced that it is preparing to graduate the nation's first all-female class of engineers.
It's about time; apparently 90 percent of the engineers working in the United States are white males. Eek!
Emergency contraception (EC) has been used for years to avoid unintended pregnancies. And as it has been proven to be safe and effective for this purpose, the FDA had plans to approve the emergency contraceptive Plan B to be available over-the-counter without a prescription. But there has been a change in plans, and the FDA has decided to postpone the approval by 90 days.
Many members of the FDA’s expert advisory committees are arguing against this postponement, saying that the decision made “suggests that the FDA’s decision-making process is being influenced by political considerations.”
When other drugs are proven safe within the same standards of EC, they are quickly mandated. So why not EC? I wonder which “political considerations” may be pulling the strings? Hmm.
In the meantime, Barr Laboratories, the distributor of Plan B, is planning to set restrictions on the selling of the drug: instructing pharmacists to keep it behind the counter to control sales, and to have a minimum age requirement. What about a 14 year-old rape victim? Will they have bouncers at the counter to make sure that her rights and access to reproductive health is stymied?
Not to mention, pharmacists having control over the distribution of EC has not proved to work well in the past. This will be a huge restriction.
Looks like Plan Bleak for now.
If you want more info, the Feminist Majority Foundation has created a campaign to raise awareness among young women about this problem.
The December 2003 issue of Vanity Fair featured an exposé of the substantial sexual assault epidemic at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado. Two months later, Donald Rumsfeld ordered a 90-day review of sexual assaults against female soldiers in Iraq and Kuwait. You know if Rumsfeld cares, this is serious. According to the Pentagon, the Army had 80 allegations of sexual misconduct among service members in 2003, the Air Force had seven, and the Marine Corps had one. What’s worse, Christine Hansen, Executive Director of the Miles Foundation, has reported that only 2 to 3 percent of sexual assault cases in the military are actually court-martialed, and that three-quarters of women sexual assault victims are remaining silent about it. What is going on here? Maybe it’s time we all re-read Susan Faludi’s Backlash. Ugh.
The European Union could move to prohibit gender as a factor in determining insurance premiums, reports The Guardian.
Anna Diamantopoulou, the EU social affairs commissioner, argues that the insurance industry’s use of gender as a “ratable” (a means to assess value) is a form of sex discrimination. However, insurance companies argue that ignoring gender differences “runs counter to good sense."
Were this directive to take effect, it would have several impacts on women in the EU.
For example, women generally have cheaper car insurance premiums because they are believed to be safer drivers. If this directive went into effect British female motorists between ages 17 and 24 could see their premiums rise by 10-30% a year.
Additionally, women generally have less costly life insurance premiums due to greater life expectancy. Were gender-based mortality differences ignored, a 40-year-old British woman’s life insurance premium could be expected to rise by 16%, against an 8% fall in a 40-year-old man's premium.
However, women would benefit from a gender-neutral annunities market. On average, women receive lower payments than men from annuities due to longer life expectancy. As a result, by excluding gendered projections of life expectancy, the annual income a 60-year-old woman would be able to purchase would increase by 2% and the revenue a man of the same age could purchase would reduce by 3%.
In the United States some states already have statutes prohibiting sex discrimination in insurance. For more information on sex discrimination in insurance in the US, check out Jill Gualding's article "Race, Sex, and Genetic Discrimination in Insurance: What's fair?"
5 facts you should know about sexual assault
1. In 2002, there were 247,730 victims of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault.
2. Every two minutes, somewhere in America, someone is sexually assaulted.
3. Every six minutes, someone is raped. (For an explanation of the difference between sexual assault and rape in NY state, click here)
4. Nearly 6 out of 10 rapes occur at the victim's home or the home of a friend, relative, or neighbor.
5. Friends or acquaintances of the victims committed over half of rapes or sexual assaults.
For more information, visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) or the Department of Justice's Office on Violence Against Women.
For help, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE.
Women are less likely to bargain for higher salaries, reports the Associated Press. Women do not negotiate as often as men and are less likely to draw attention to their accomplishments when seated at the bargaining table.
Because the average American woman earns only 80 cents to a man’s dollar, by becoming more savvy and aggressive negotiators women could play an important role in narrowing the gender wage gap with male employees.
The article offers several tips on how to effectively bargain for a higher salary, such as setting a date with your employer in which to evaluate your performance for a potential raise; researching regional wage estimates for your occupation (www.salary.com, www.wageweb.com); and outlining additional responsibilites you are willing to accept with a wage increase.
One more piece of advice: “To maximize your earnings, aim for a raise every year to 18 months, but consider asking for a bump up any time your job duties change significantly or you've done something extraordinary.” When was the last time you asked for raise?
Check out Katha Pollitt's article about Melissa Rowland, the Utah woman who was brought up on murder charges after refusing to get a Caesarean section and giving birth to a stillborn boy and a girl who tested positive for cocaine. The murder chanrges were dropped, but Rowland pleaded guilty to two lesser charges of child endagerment for using drugs while pregnant.
In 2000 Boeing manufacturing engineer Patti Anderson joined 37 other women to file a sex-discrimination class-action lawsuit against the aerospace leader.
Nearly four years later, the class-action lawsuit is set to begin in Seattle.
When the suit was filed in 2000 Boeing immediately denied all charges of a gender wage gap. However, an article in this week’s Business Week revealed that Boeing commissioned a salary assessment in 1997 that confirmed women at Boeing were paid less than the men. In fact, “In a PowerPoint presentation summarizing the group's conclusions, the team wrote that ‘females...are paid less’ and ‘gender differences in starting salaries generally continue and often increase as a result of salary planning decisions.’”
Aware of the gendered pay disparity, Boeing management was unwilling to allocate the $30 million necessary to equalize the wage gape.
As a result, Boeing may now be forced to pay over $1 billion if the 28,000 potential female plaintiffs are successful. Hopefully, this will serves as yet another example that equal pay really is this most effective and efficient business policy.
There are almost 15,000 women serving in Iraq, with many of them on the front lines. As of yesterday, there have been 691 US deaths in Iraq, with last week being the deadliest. With this rapidly increasing death toll, and the highest ever death rate of women soldiers, many are beginning to question the role of female soldiers.
A 4/10/04 LA Times story, partially available at the Omaha World-Herald, says that Americans are beginning "to confront a new military reality:" women are being placed in combat zones and dying. Of course, there is nothing "new" about people dying in wars, and women who enlist surely understand the risks as well as their male counterparts. The piece also points out the obvious fact that "with more women serving in the armed forces, more are exposed to danger."
This patronizing fear of women being in "danger" is why women still cannot serve in various aspects of the military, including direct ground combat.
Extensively quoted in article is Elaine Donnelly, President of the Center for Military Readiness, who puts forth a popular argument: women should not be on the front lines because of the high risk of sexual assault if captured.
Approximately 10 percent of US women have experienced an attempted or completed rape during their first year at college—does that mean women shouldn't go to college?
Donnelly's concern about rape victims hardly seems sincere. Consider her explicit description of Jessica Lynch's ordeal in a National Review article:
American medical records indicate that she was "a victim of anal sexual assault. The records do not tell whether her captors assaulted her almost lifeless, broken body after she was lifted from the wreckage, or if they assaulted her and then broke her bones into splinters until she was almost dead"… If Defense Department officials cannot bring themselves to tell Americans the truth about what happens to women in war, perhaps they should not be sending female soldiers so close combat zones in the first place.
Lovely. And how considerate to use a rape scare tactic to justify blatant discrimination.
Donnelly blames "feminist activists" for permitting women to be in dangerous combat zones, and argues that women lack "the strength to cope with physical burdens" in war.
If you listen to women, however, the front lines are exactly where they want to be. Spc. Karima L. Mares in an Army News Service piece says, "Women take the same oath of enlistment as men, they go to Basic Combat Training and the Basic Officers Course and they qualify with their weapons, yet women do not have the choice to be in direct ground combat."
Even the mother of killed Pfc. Lori Ann Piestewa believes that women should be allowed to serve as they please. Quoted in the LA Times piece, she says "We shouldn't place that restriction on women. That is a right to choose. And that's what Lori chose to do."
No matter how you feel about the war, women have proven themselves just as capable as men – and just as willing to sacrifice.
Since the economy has turned to total poop, a lot of us have decided to return to school. And if you’re like me, and are looking forward to people cocking their head in confusion when you explain what you study, you want to go back to school for Women’s Studies. So if any of you are considering going to graduate school for Women’s Studies, here are some tips on applying:
Apply to as many as possible. Women’s Studies grad programs are few and far between; there are only about 10 PhD programs in the whole country! That considered, along with the fact that the economy sucks so everyone is looking to go back to school, means a ton of competition.
Apply to all at one time. Although schools have different application deadlines, it will be a relief to get them all done in one shot. Also, if you get rejected from a school or two before you even start applying to other schools, it will definitely discourage you from applying to the remainder. (Especially when you get two rejection letters from one school—one from the department and one from graduate admissions. What the f*#$, Rutgers; I get the point!) This happened to me until (luckily) I got my first acceptance letter (I AM A GENIUS!) which gave me the boost of confidence to pump the last 2 applications out.
The personal statement is tres important. Put most of your time into that, and studying for the GREs. While some programs don’t require the GRE, many do, so you should take them regardless. I’m not a big fan of standardized tests (mostly because I suck at them) so I say do the very best you can and trust me, they’re usually not the deciding factor. And if they request writing samples, you should see it as a great advantage. The more you can put in that envelope, the better. So take your absolute best paper from college (or write another one) and show ‘em what you got!
Check out the links we have of some Women’s Studies programs in our links: SUNY Albany has a cool teaching program, and Rutgers is the probably most highly rated. As much of a pain in the ass it was to apply, I am damn glad I did and can’t wait to go back. (Feminist theory, here I come!)
Good luck!
Scientists at the Salvador Velayos Institute in Madrid have developed an electronic tag to protect victims of domestic violence, reported The Guardian. The tag would establish whether an offender is approaching a former victim’s house or a high-risk area such as a school. If the offender violates the 500-meter court order the tag immediately triggers an alarm at an emergency center.
The Institute has a functioning prototype and plans to have a version ready for the market within six months.
The Madrid government funded this research and purchased the industrial rights to the electronic tag. In Spain an estimated 100 women are killed each year by their partners. Government officials hope this new technology will curb those numbers.
Perhaps women in the US can benefit from this emerging technology as well. The Bureau of Justice reports that in the US 32% of all women killed were victims of intimate partner homicide. While the Bureau notes that there has been a decline in the total number of these homicides, everyday three women are killed by an intimate partner in the US.
While most women certainly don't need a special day to remind them that the wage gap is alive and kicking (we make 77 cents to a guy's dollar), the fine ladies at Business and Professional Women (BPW) know that there are some who could benefit from having their memories jogged.
So to make sure that pay inequity is at the forefront of all of our minds, BPW has named April 20th Equal Pay Day. So mark your calendars, and take some of BPW's suggested actions--like an "Unhappy Hour" with a 77 cent admission for women, 1$ admission for men. Now those are numbers I like!
Naturally, Feministing could care less about which celebrities will be attending the April 25th March for Women's Lives.
But just in case you feel like doing some star watching that day, the Feminist Majority Foundation has released a list of over 100 celebrities who have signed on to the March, in addition to the almost 1,300 organizations that are co-sponsoring the event.
Who knew that Christina Aguilera and Meredith Baxter (no more Birney?) would ever work together? I can see the joint video venture now...Family Ties Me Up, perhaps. It would be the greatest celeb pairing since Michael Gross and Vanilla Ice teamed up for Cool As Ice.
Yes, we all know smoking causes cancer, but a recent article by The Journal of the American Medical Association, shows that lung cancer is the biggest cancer threat to women in the United States and is "responsible for as many deaths as breast cancer and all gynecological cancers combined."
The death rate of lung cancer among women has risen 600% since 1930 and according to HealthDay, almost 70,000 US women died last year from it.
The Journal article recommends that sex-specific research be done to explore why women smokers are more susceptible to lung cancer than male smokers, and points out that women are particularly targeted in tobacco advertising.
To find out more about the tobacco industry, check out Infact, a grassroots organization that exposes abuses by transnational corporations, or Truth, popular for their explicit TV ads.
UPDATE: An article in The New York Times today elaborates on why women "show higher levels of tobacco-induced genetic damage in their lungs."
Reel Grrls, a program profiled today in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, teaches filmmaking to young women. Reel Grrls was created four years ago by filmmaker Malory Graham when she worked with teens and saw that "the boys grabbed the cameras and wanted to be the producers and editors, and the girls wanted to be the talent--the pretty faces in front of the camera."
Films created by Real Grrls have covered topics such as race, the difficulties of coming out, body image, and what is apparently an annually covered subject, the destruction of a Barbie doll. Now that's what I call a movie!
For more information on discrimination in filmmaking, check out the Guerrilla Girls, a group of women activists who remain anonymous by taking the names of dead women artists as pseudonyms and appear in public wearing gorilla masks. Their poster, "The Anatomically Correct Oscar" is fantastic--though definitely disheartening: No woman has ever won the Oscar for Best Director, 94% of the writing awards have gone to men, and only 3% of all the acting awards have ever gone to people of color.
During much of last week's coverage commemorating the 10th anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, I found the voices of women to be in shortage--particularly in the context of sexual assault survivors.
However, in a NY Times op-ed on Saturday, Linsey Hilsum gives voice to Rwandan rape victims who contracted HIV during the genocide by focusing on the lack of services for these women.
Though Rwanda is one of the few countries that receives antiretroviral drugs from the US, there are no major programs targeting HIV-positive rape survivors. Instead, "[T]he United States Agency for International Development has selected prisoners convicted of participating in the genocide to receive counseling and testing as they return to the community."
Though I feel I have little control over how my tax money is spent by the Bush administration, we must advocate that USAID reallocate its antiretroviral drugs and development resources to those infected with HIV during the genocide.
Victoria's Secret has announced that it is canceling its fashion show this year, which has been nationally televised since 2001. Partly due to the Super Bowl's Janet Jackson insanity, the lingerie company also cited wanting to look for new methods to promote the brand. Feministing kindly suggests not making underwear that falls apart after two washes.
Olga Vives, VP of the National Organization for Women noted that she was "concerned young women think they have to look this way." While models strutting in their unmentionables certainly doesn't do much for girls' self-esteem, it's hardly the body image nightmare that recent plastic surgery reality shows induce.
Fox's The Swan claims to be a show where "fairy tale turns into reality," and MTV's I Want a Famous Face documents how far young people will go to look like Britney or JLo--complete with bloody video footage of various body parts being stuffed with silicone. Ick.
If you want to know more about the April 25th March for Women’s Lives, or about the Bush administration’s blatant attack on our reproductive health, please check out this clip and related website from NARAL Pro-Choice America.
According to iVillage’s Business Women's Network & Diversity Best Practices, among 128 members of the board of directors of ten entertainment conglomerates, only 16 are women. Of 13 directors of seven entertainment conglomerates, only 12 percent are women. The percentage of female executives in these 10 entertainment companies is similar to that of female directors. Among 193 top executives, 27 are women. Among the 130 top executives of seven entertainment companies, 13 are women.
These statistics confirm my suspicion about the lack of women in the entertainment industry. As an aspiring entertainment lawyer and the music-obsessed girlfriend of a guy in the business, I spend significant time at shows, with people in the music business, and with artists. I have found it to be a shockingly male dominated industry. There seem to be fewer female band managers, fewer female A&R people, a smaller number of women in powerful positions at labels, and recognizable double standards for women performers.
Until July 2003, when Diana Meltzer at Wind-Up Records became the first woman ever to go to No.1 on the HitQuarters.com World Top 20 A&R Chart, the Chart had always been led by male Americans. And, according to Backstage Spotlight, being a female concert producer was such an aberration that people would line up at the box office just to see Gina Zamparelli, the first female producer in L.A. to turn out concerts with national-level artists.
This has got to change.
If you’re a young woman interested in the music business, here are some great resources for us, by us. Check them out…
A resource for women in business, with specific pages on women in the entertainment industry.
A site for women in the music business, with networking events, mentoring opportunities and career advice: http://www.womeninmusic.org and http://www.womeninmusic.com
A site for women in the independent music business.
If you are interested in the classical music scene check out http://music.acu.edu/www/iawm/home.html
Too often, young women's voices aren't heard, whether it's in school, in the media, or at the dinner table. But most importantly, our input is absent where it matters most: on issues that affect us directly.
Reproductive rights, sexual assault, domestic violence, education: these issues and others have distinct and notable effects on young women, yet are almost always addressed in a way that excludes us. What's more, there are areas that are not immediately identifiable as pertaining to young women that we need to lay claim to: child care and equal pay, for example.
Feministing will be an interactive space for young women to stay on top of the news and issues that affect us, and to exchange thoughts and ideas with each other.
Clearly, your Feministing contributors can't speak for all women, but we hope our views and analyses will resonate with many of you, and that we can spark needed discussions.
It's time for women of our generation to have their chance and a place to make their voices heard.
If you are interested in contributing to Feministing, please contact Jessica.
Weekly Feministing Newsletter
Feministing RSS Feed