Feminism | Posted by Rosamund C on 03/15/2011
Why Do We Still Need International Women’s Day?
A week ago today (March 8th), countries around the world celebrated the hundredth anniversary of International Women’s Day. But surely, one hundred years after its conception, women don’t need their own special day anymore? What about an International Men’s Day, hmm?
The answer is that the 364 other days of the year belong to men. It’s more important than ever that a day specifically for women is celebrated: to see how far we have come, and to see how far we have to go.
No one can deny that in one hundred years, huge amounts have been achieved. When I woke up on Tuesday, I was proud to be an independent woman, able to live, work and travel freely, able to study at a university and be awarded a degree …
More >
Awareness | Posted by Julie Z on 02/4/2011
Awareness: “Corrective Rape”
According to a recent report by ActionAid – an international NGO – there’s a rising, incredibly homophobic and violent trend amongst South Africans. In addition to waves of homophobic attacks and murders in townships like Johannesburg and Cape Town, South African lesbians are the victims of “corrective” rape.
“Corrective rape” is the practice of a heterosexual man raping a lesbian with the intent of “turning” her heterosexual. As if the act of rape weren’t enough, many of these women experience after effects of contracting HIV/AIDS and lasting psychological trauma, including a rise in depression and suicide attempts.
What’s even more frustrating than the occurrence of Corrective Rape is the South African government’s complete unwillingness to act on behalf of the victims. South Africa’s national prosecuting authority, in response to the …
More >
Feminism | Posted by Anonymous on 09/7/2010
A Reason to Believe in Feminism
I have for you a tale of feminism in its physical manifestation.
It was only weeks ago that I, a nineteen-year-old girl, sat at a window seat on a bus swindling its way down a road in the city one night. Ere long I felt another’s presence, and turned to find a beefy drunkard leering at me as he stumbled to sit by my side. He had prickly grey stubble covering his weathered cheek; bloodshot eyes and thin lips smacked together as he looked me up and down.
‘How ya going, alright?’ He grunted, and I nodded curtly before stepping away and re-settling myself on a different seat, a couple of rows back. I had smelt the Red Label on his stale breath and seen how his eyes had rested …
More >
Creative, Feminism | Posted by Julie Z on 07/13/2009
Tori Amos on men
Tori Amos just wrote a beautiful a piece for The Guardian’s Observer. She speaks, as a victim of sexual assault, how her life was shaped by the incident, the dangers of masculinity standards and the men in her life.
I think this is really worth reading. I always find it so interesting to read the stories of sexual assault/rape survivors — it’s hard to even fathom the strength that such people have to have in order to continue their lives as normal, let alone the strength it would take to share that story and experience with the world. I’ve always loved Tori’s music, such feminist strength in the lyrics. It’s nice to know that from something so painful she created beauty.
Tori’s story:
I have known the violent side …
More >
