Feminism | Posted by Fiona L on 04/4/2012
To Educate A Girl
I’ve often wondered if those who are provided with less, make more with what they are given. A few weeks ago, I went to a screening of a documentary called To Educate A Girl, and was convinced once again of the life-changing importance of education for girls and women. More importantly, I also realized the incredible drive to learn that permeates communities where girls are not given such opportunities.
Filmmakers Frederick Rendina and Oren Rudavsky focused on the factors that inhibit girls around the world from getting an adequate education, through chronicling the stories of several girls in Uganda and Nepal, two countries emerging from violent civil wars.
To Educate a Girl begins with Manisha, a daughter of a brick-carrier in Nepal, who has been unable to attend school …
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Feminism | Posted by Claire C on 03/12/2012
Small Steps On The Feminist Journey
I can’t pinpoint one event that transformed me into a feminist activist – rather, a succession of small personal events led to a decision to co-found my own women’s rights organization and make a lifelong commitment to fighting gender inequality wherever it may be.
I feel like I always knew I was a feminist. There were things in life that bothered me, that I knew were wrong. Walking to take the bus to school one morning, at 17 years old, a nagging realization bothered me. The domestic worker (or maid as she is called here in Singapore) was washing the car in her employer’s driveway at 7:30 in the morning. I heard that she wasn’t given a day’s rest, ever. She could only leave the house when her employer allowed …
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Pop-Culture | Posted by Bethan S on 02/29/2012
Yorkie: Not Just For The Blokie
The majority of us in the UK will remember the controversial 2002 campaign for the chunky, ‘King size, not Queen sized’ Yorkie chocolate bar. This campaign’s primary slogan stated daringly: ‘It’s Not For Girls’.
My younger brothers found the campaign a great novelty and drew amusement by purposefully eating the blue-wrapped bar with over-exaggerated pleasure while simultaneously boasting and proclaiming that because I was a girl, I wasn’t allowed to consume the chocolate. Be it petty child-like banter on display, it was clear that the story ran much deeper. Nestle (the company that makes the candy bar) pretty clearly implied through their slogans that women are inferior, if only to persuade males (in particular young male children) to purchase a chocolate bar.
The overall reaction to the campaign …
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Feminism | Posted by Rinckey R on 02/20/2012
Jean Kilbourne’s “Killing Us Softly”
As Grand Rapids, Michigan yawned good morning at 7:45 am and the sun began blinking hello, I sat in my human sexuality and relationships class, watching one of the best videos I have ever seen in an academic setting. I strongly recommend that each and every one of you watch Jean Kilbourne’s “Killing Us Softly 4”.
As an advocate for women’s rights, I found this video very compelling and inspirational. It describes the advertising business and its push for narrowly defined sexuality, materialism, and the objectification of women.
The funny thing is that I have always been infatuated with the glossy covers of Cosmo, Glamour, and Vogue. There was something so undeniably glamorous and appealing to me about these magazines and the flirty techniques they promoted. I even used to …
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Feminism | Posted by Toni FG on 01/23/2012
I Am A Huge Slut
Recently, I participated, in a willing, great hook-up. The week before I participated in a willing make-out session. I just moved to a new town. I don’t know anyone around here that well, and the unfortunate thing about that is that I don’t know who knows who — for instance how close hook-up A is to hook-up B. This is where my story really starts.
Let’s call the two guys I’ve hooked up with Boy A and Boy B. Boy A had a crush on me. Since I had only known him for about a week, I assumed it was casual. I was wrong. At some point during our short time together, he decided we were in a relationship. Now, we’re talking about a guy that I’ve probably seen four …
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Feminism | Posted by Gina S on 01/20/2012
Countering Hatred on the Internet
Let’s face it: hatred on the internet is big. Hatred of all varieties including sexism, racism and homophobia (etc.) are found everywhere online, and some sites in particular are known as a breeding ground for offensive and insulting users (yes YouTube, I’m looking at you… )
Recently I was fortunate enough to stumble upon the Feminist Frequency YouTube channel. For those of you who aren’t familiar it, Feminist Frequency is a YouTube-based video series run by Anita Sarkeesian, who creates intelligent, thought-provoking videos on the rampant sexism in the pop culture of contemporary society. I very much enjoy watching all of Anita’s great videos, and was happy to find that on each there was an intellectual exchange of ideas, praise, and even debating – that’s reasonable debating- going on …
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Feminism | Posted by Katherine P on 01/16/2012
Is This Really What I’m Going To Face?
I’ve always wanted to be a historian, and not just your run of the mill historian but one that changes the study and review of the discipline. But I’ve faced a problem, it’s such a subtle problem that I almost missed it, but in hindsight I realise it’s something I need to tackle head on.
To begin with, you must meet my male friend, J, now J and I are best friends due to our love of history. In fact we both want to study it in university, the difference being that J wishes to be a teacher and I wish to be an academic. During my final year of High School, J and I and others were asked continually what we wished to study.
Friend: So, what do you …
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Pop-Culture | Posted by Brian S on 01/4/2012
Rudolph the Sexist Reindeer
With the holiday season just behind us, we’re all probably a little tired of Christmas movies. Many, it seems, are tired of one specific movie: Rankin/Bass’ “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”. As a young child, I had my mother record this on VHS and I would watch it on loop until well into January.
It wasn’t until I got this movie on DVD a few years ago that I began to notice that the movie isn’t really that good. The animation is crude, even when compared to other stop motion animation of the time. The sound quality is a notch below what you hear in those singing Hallmark cards. The plot barely holds together under even the loosest scrutiny. Also, the messages in the movie are rather objectionable.
A few articles …
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