Feminism | Posted by Katherine C on 01/18/2011
Thoughts on Victimization
In ancient Celtic myth, the goddess Macha was forced by Conor mac Nessa of Ulster and his men to race against his horses while trapped in human form, even though she was pregnant. It made her begin labor prematurely, and as she delivered her twins, she let out a scream that stole the strength from all the grown men in hearing. Then Macha cursed the Ulstermen, saying, “From this day forward, you will be afflicted by the weakness of a woman in childbirth for your cruel treatment of me. At the hour of your greatest need, you will become as powerless as I am now, and so will your sons and your son’s sons, for nine generations.”
Maybe this happened in a concrete, historical way, or maybe it happened (just …
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Feminism | Posted by Laura D on 12/17/2010
Survival of the Fittest
Survival may seem like a drastic way to describe the experience of living in a modern Western society, however sexist it is. I have the privilege of geography to thank for the fact that I don’t face an arranged marriage or a ban on education as many other women do. However this shouldn’t stop us from talking about and acting on the challenges we still face. “Survival” may not seem like such an extreme word when we consider the leading cause of death for pregnant women in the US is murder. Anyone in doubt that an ability to negotiate sexism is a sadly vital skill need only look to one recurring symbol of patriarchal power: street harassment.
It’s an assertion of power, a threat described as flattery, a small reminder …
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Feminism | Posted by Liz P on 10/5/2010
Street Harassment and Sluts
I’m currently studying abroad in Quito, Ecuador, and I love nearly all of it so far. One of the things I do NOT love, however, is the prevalence of harassment here. I’m kind of accustomed to harassment because I go to school in Philadelphia. Usually when guys yell, “I loove youuu!” or call us pretty and stuff we’re on the street and they’re in cars, or we can easily get away from them.
However, last Friday, a few friends and I had to sit diagonally across from some 3 drunk harassers while we were trying to enjoy a French-fry break from our discoteca-night. And they would not give up. We ignored them for a while, and then one of them came over with a half-full glass of beer and offered it to us.
“Absolutamente no (Absolutely not),” I said …
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