One Year Later: The women of Haiti Cherie & an American feminist

For a while there it seemed as if most of the world had forgotten about Haiti (again). This week, by all indications from the news media, the ongoing tragedy has not been completely forgotten. Unfortunately, I can't help but feel discouraged when nearly half of the people I speak to about Haiti are sure that it was a hurricane that occurred last January (?!) or believe that Haiti is an island near Africa.

Immediately following the January 12 earthquake I began searching for volunteer opportunities, but quickly found that without a medical or emergency response background, few organizations were interested in taking advantage of my willingness to help. In May, however, I was finally invited to join an amazing group of nurses and doctors to volunteer at a medical clinic run by the organization Raising Haiti. In total, I have traveled to Haiti 3 times, working twice in a general medical clinic and once in a cholera treatment center. I return in 15 days (but who's counting).

There have been so many issues complicating the situation in Haiti this past year, but given my background as a passionate feminist and advocate for women's health & rights, I can't overlook how these circumstances will always disproportionately effect the women of Haiti. Women head nearly half of all households in Haiti, and face a constant threat of gender based violence (GBV).

Prior to chaos of 2010:

• An estimated 72% of girls have been raped
• 40% of women suffer from domestic violence.
• Contraceptive use is reported at a dismal 13.2% (including condoms)
• Pregnancy rates among school-age girls is approximately 3% - compare that to the US, which has the highest teen pregnancy rate of industrialized nations at 0.07%
• Abortion is illegal in Haiti - which leads many women to abandon education, enter into unsafe relationships, or seek risky illegal abortions
• Maternal mortality rates remain high, estimated at about 0.006% (compared to the US's relatively high rate of 0.00008%)
• Only approx. 26% of births in Haiti are assisted by a skilled birthing attendant

And this is all prior to the chaos which followed the earthquake which claimed the lives of over 300,000 people, and lead to increased civil unrest as well as a cholera epidemic whose death toll is approximated to be 2-4 times worse than the official reports of 3700.

But the Haitian people are warm, grateful and funny. They persevere in the face of insurmountable odds and great obstacles, always seeking to do what is best for their families, their community and their country. Every Haitian, whether living in Haiti or building a life in the expansive Haitian diaspora, knows the greatness which lies beneath the surface in Haiti. I've fallen in love in Haiti, in so many ways.

From a Campus Organizer who assisted in a impromptu pharmacy and monitored cholera patients:
"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little" - Edmund Burke
[A quote which can be found on the legendary table of the MMRC HQ in Port-au-Prince.]

For more information on the women of Haiti:
We Advance: NGO in Haiti focusing on GBV and women's health
Kay Fanm: "House of Women" Haitian non-profit focusing on health & GBV in Haiti
Ms. Magazine: Please also check related posts for information on rape & GBV. Additionally the Winter 2011 issue of Ms. has a story dedicated to the women of Haiti.
UNFPA: UN Population Fund work on GBV and maternal health

Sources & information

Senate Subcommittee Hearing on Rape Today

This afternoon Senator Arlen Specter will chair a hearing by the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs, entitled "Rape in the United States: The Chronic Failure to Report and Investigate Rape Cases." The hearing will highlight the under reporting, dismissal and treatment of rape cases by law enforcement.

For a brief introduction into today's hearing listen to NPR's Morning Edition: Power Breakfast featuring today's panelist Carol Tracy of the Philadelphia-based Women's Law Project. Eleanor Smeal will also be a featured panelist on behalf of the National Center for Women and Policing, a project of the Feminist Majority Foundation.

To listen to the hearing live at 2:15 pm today tune into to the live webcast. We will also feature excerpts from FMF President Eleanor Smeal's remarks later today.

Panel I
The Honorable Susan B. Carbon
Director
Office of Violence Against Women
U.S. Department of Justice
Washington, DC

Panel II
Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey
Philadelphia Police Department
Philadelphia, PA

Sara R. Reedy
Butler, PA

Carol E. Tracy
Women's Law Project
Philadelphia, PA

Julie Weil
Jupiter, FL

Scott Berkowitz
President & Founder,
Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network
Washington, DC


Panel III
Lawanda Ravoira
Director
NCCD Center for Girls and Young Women
Jacksonville, FL

Dean G. Kilpatrick, Ph.D.
Distinguished University Professor
Vice-Chair for Education, Department of Psychiatry
Director, National Crime Victims Research
& Treatment Center,
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, SC

Eleanor Smeal
Feminist Majority Foundation
Arlington, VA

Michelle Madden Dempsey
Associate Professor of Law
Villanova University School of Law
Villanova, PA

The Tragedy in Haiti Continues for Women and Girls Living in the Tent Cities

Here is a video clip I found about the issues facing women in Haiti in the aftermath of the tragic 7.0 earthquake that took place in January 2010. The progress in Haiti thus far has been so slow. People currently live in camps with scarce resources, no security and no lighting at night. It is now seven months after the catastrophe and Haitian women and girls are still vulnerable! Many women live as widows, they are surrounded by strangers and have young children to care for.

Walking to use the toilet at night can quickly turn into a dangerous situation. Rape and sexual assault are daily occurrences in Haiti's Tent Cities; both women and children as young as 2 are falling victim.

The women of Haiti are strong however and refuse to back down so this video clip gave me some hope. Those who have been raped are trying to form support groups to prevent others from having to experience the same horrors. Haitian women are taking matters into their own hands and trying to rebuild the foundation of their community which was hit so hard by the natural disaster. The women are banding together to make sure that the people who do fall victim get proper care - especially, sexually transmitted disease and HIV testing, as Haiti has the highest infection rates in the Western hemisphere.

Women are working together to protect themselves and their families. Security is necessary in these Tent Cities because the spike in sexual attacks could potentially cause even more social and health issues for the country. These people have suffered enough. Progress must be made at a quicker pace for the sake of those who are vulnerable!

New method of protection against HIV/AIDS/HSV-2 for women!

Earlier this week my Mother told me about a new product that curbs the risk of HIV infection. At first I was skeptical, I thought her story was too good to be true. I went home later that day and did some research to try and confirm if what my Mother heard on the radio was the real deal.

Within minutes I found an article which supported her claims and made me really excited! Finally some progress is being made! It is true, scientists have reported that there is a new gel that has proved capable of preventing the AIDS virus!

A study conducted in South Africa report that the gel has the potential to reduce a women's chances of getting HIV and HSV-2 virus from an infected partner by half. And though this is not full protection such news brings great hope for women all over the world.

The gel would be a helpful tool in protecting women whose partners won't use condoms. It would have an even greater impact in African countries which have the highest incidence of rape and child rape. The long-lived belief in the so called “Virgin Cure” make young African girls especially vulnerable to rape and infection. In places like the Congo where girls as young as 2 and women as old as 80 are raped such protection is vital!

The new vagina gel is the first women-initiated and controlled HIV prevention and if confirmed it would help end the AIDS epidemic. Thirty three million people are infected today and over twenty five million people have died due to this disease. The AIDS epidemic is a global issue and it has to stop. I personally have lost someone to AIDS and I look forward to the day when people no longer have to suffer. Though we still do not have a cure for AIDS science has brought women some more options for protection and this is progress!

Breast Ironing in Cameroon

It seems that over and over we see a new way people want to control bodies, and more specifically women's bodies.  In Cameroon, mother's are ironing the breasts (here, here) of their young (as young as 9 years old) daughters in order to delay development and "protect" them from early pregnancy and rape.  About a quarter of girls nationwide undergo this procedure.  Their mothers take a hot stone or something similar, and press them on the barely developed breasts while twisting, which is not only physically painful, but probably also causes psychological and long term physical damage.

They do this to stop their bodies from attracting men and save them from early teen pregnancy, which is very high in Cameroon.  Once a girl becomes pregnant, they never finish school.

What we have here is yet another example of not only controlling women's bodies, but of victim blaming.  By placing the blame of rape on her breast development, it becomes the girl's fault for her rape.  And so her body is changed, deformed, made to accommodate the current rape culture, instead of teaching those who rape that the simple existence of breasts is not excuse, reason, or invitation for anything.

In a video from CurrentTV, an anthropologist says that many mothers think, "Maybe if I remove the signs of sexuality on the body, then that body will attract nobody for some time".  This kind of thinking reduces a woman, not just to men but to themselves, as only a body, that ultimately will only be good for sex.

If we still aren't convinced that comprehensive sex education is a necessity, then I don't know what else to show you.

God has a Plan for Incestuous Rape Victim

Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle has been making headlines with her absolutist anti-choice views. This Tea Party favorite has spoken about her belief that all abortions should be illegal, even in the case of rape and incest, on multiple occasions.

Most recently, the buzz has been centered on her radio interview on the Alan Stock Show in late-June. Stock asked about her recent television interview in which the host asked if she would tell a 13-year-old girl that was raped by her father that she has to have the baby. Angle responded with an anecdotal story of how she saved the life of a teen rape victim's daughter from abortion. Angle claimed that "two wrongs don't make a right" in reference to aborting a rape-induced pregnancy and that the people she counseled were able to make "a lemon situation into lemonade."

However, this is extremely problematic. If Angle had her way, girls impregnated by their fathers would be forced to give birth! It is bad enough to deal with the trauma of rape, let alone incestuous rape, but to deal with the government forcing her to give birth to a child that will forever be associated with such a horrendous event is ridiculous! In addition, it can be dangerous. Still developing, teenagers are at a much higher risk of having serious complications.

How is Sharron Angle ok with putting women's lives at risk to save what isn't even a person yet?

Well... She believes that "God has a plan and a purpose for each one of our lives." Personally, I am an Atheist and am accepting of others' religious beliefs, but I take issue with her statement. I am ok with religious individuals making statements like "it's part of God's plan" or "God works in mysterious ways," but would God really want a young teen to be raped and go through a pregnancy to end up dying? Sorry, but isn't God supposed to be just and loving? Why would he want someone to go through so much pain-- is he teaching a moral lesson or punishing these young women?

Sorry, Ms. Angle, but I don't think religion justifies forcing rape victims to give birth. Perhaps, you are confusing religion and politics, or maybe you should let other people worry about their fate and allow them their reproductive freedom.

Photo Credit: Huffington Post

Anti- Rape Condom

I'm not sure if anyone has heard yet, but I came across an interesting article today from CNN.com. It was about an anti-rape female condom developed in South Africa by Dr. Sonnet Ehlers. The condom would help bring rapists to justice by attaching itself with "teeth" on to the attackers penis. The condom would cause considerable pain for the attacker, and is impossible to remove without the help of a doctor.

Women live (in my opinion) in a constant state of fear of being raped. (The prevalence of rape in our society, and that of South Africa, give women justification for being fearful.) And it sucks that we have to go to these lengths to deter men from raping women. Maybe the emergence of this condom will create some fear among rapists so that they think before they rape. I guess in this way, although minimally, the condom will be preventing rape. But at the same time, we are not DIRECTLY addressing the problem. We should talk to young boys about violence against women, and make it clear that it is not to be tolerated.

"South Africa has one of the highest rape rates in the world, Human Rights Watch says on its website. A 2009 report by the nation's Medical Research Council found that 28 percent of men surveyed had raped a woman or girl, with one in 20 saying they had raped in the past year, according to Human Rights Watch."

-CNN

These are disturbing statistics. So it's great that Dr. Ehlers will be distributing 30,000 free condoms in South Africa during the World Cup this year.

Thoughts and feelings about the Anti-Rape Condom??

Photo Credit: DanieVDM on Flickr

A Depraved (Yet Not New) Source of Entertainment

The entertainment industry goes to great lengths for our attention and our money. And we all love music, the Great Unifier. But I took a step back and realized that references to rape in our popular culture happen far more often than anyone would like. As a sequel to my previous blog post (I just couldn't hold back), here are more subtle and not-so-subtle, yet casual, references to rape.

There is, of course, the music industry and its contributions to casual pop references to rape. A blogger for the Washington City Paper compiled a list of the top five date rape anthems. At #5, she placed Jamie Foxx's "Blame It On The Alcohol." Yes, the song was played non-stop on the radio for quite some time, but it saddens me that Jamie Foxx would encourage his listeners to take advantage of drunk women. As if an attractive man like him, or any man for that matter, should "do" a drunk girl without a second thought.

This reminded me of a comedic movie released just last year, Observe and Report.

A usually hilarious actor, Seth Rogan, stars in this as a mall security officer who is supposed to be protecting actress Anna Farris' character from a streaker. Case in point: the two go on a date, she gets horribly drunk, stumbles around, throws up, and Rogan's character still proceeds to have sex with her. Some may claim it was consensual; after all, in the brief pause when Rogan asks himself "Is she unconscious?" Farris' character drunkenly complains for him to keep going.

Glad we cleared that up. Total consent on the nearly-passed-out girl's part! But seriously? Rape is a source of comedy now? I wonder how many people paid 10 bucks to see that and felt they had gotten their money's worth...

But back to Date Rape Anthems of our time. A song blogger Amanda Hess chose for her list is by once-popular ska band Sublime's "Date Rape," which documented a girl who wen through the experience, and her struggle and legal battle to punish the rapist. The song would seem not to fit here, but the end of it advocated prison rape, another horrible yet common phenomenon in our society. "Well, I can't take pity on men of his kind...Even though he now takes it in the behind.” Oh, Sublime, you almost had me.

A final moment in date rape song history, and I do mean history, confused me at first. "Baby, It's Cold Outside." Yes, from back in 1944, and it has stuck around until today, a popular Christmas time song, sung by a woman who plans on going home, and a man insisting that she stay. Will Ferrell's character sang it in the adorable movie "Elf," and I doubt countless generations considered the lyrics. I had a look, and realize now that this song is one of the first of its kind to perpetuate the idea that, if a woman says "no" once, just keep plugging away. She'll give in eventually. *nausea*

Have a look:

The neighbors might think—Baby, it’s bad out there
Say, what’s in this drink—No cabs to be had out there
I wish I knew how —Your eyes are like starlight now
To break this spell—I’ll take your hat, your hair looks swell
I ought to say no, no, no, sir—Mind if I move a little closer
At least I’m gonna say that I tried—What’s the sense in hurting my pride
I really can’t stay—Baby don’t hold out
Ahh, but it’s cold outside

I'll be looking out my window the next time it snows at night, and I'll wonder "How many women are being convinced, right now, that trying to get home in the snow is a horrible idea and wouldn't they rather have a few more drinks and 'cuddle by the fire'?" Or the heating vent, in most cases...

Unless the snow storm is anything like the blizzard the DC area saw this winter, I want to go back to the days of this picture, when the song first came out, and tell this lovely woman, "His ego is the delicate one, not you! Close up that mink coat and get on home, miss!"

Photo credit: cemetarian at Flickr

Video Game Violence Apparently Needed A Boost...So They Added Rape

I guess video games didn't contain enough violence. So the fantasy world includes doses of degradation of females for those moments when men want to take a break from shooting drug dealers and blowing things up.

I have always thought of Japanese people as well-mannered, cultured and intellectual. And of course, their technological advances are known world-wide as far beyond all the rest. But when I read about one of their contributions to the video gaming world, I was shocked and disappointed.

Shown on the left are a few of the characters the video gamer can choose from in "RapeLay," in which the gamer plays a rapist whose ultimate goal, after stalking and raping a variety of females in many scenarios, is to make a mother and her daughters (shown below) into his sex slaves.

The game that was taken off the developer's site soon after it was introduced in 2006. It never made it to America's stores, but got international attention after it was discovered on Amazon.com last year. I'm wondering what kind of appeal there is here: cartoon females with such sorrow-filled facial expressions. Even the developer couldn't find it in him/herself to make these characters smile.

Next, I considered Grand Theft Auto, a very popular game in the US. I have never been an avid video game player. But an article in Jezebel quoted a blogger who gave me a new perspective:

"Samhita Mukhopadhyay of the blog Feministing, spoke out against the misogynistic imbalance in Grand Theft Auto IV based on a now retracted montage posted on IGN showing Nico killing different women after having sex with them. 'If you could kill male prostitutes in the game, then it would be different, but you can only kill female prostitutes. It's clearly a fantasy. [the video game world] is not the real world, and you have the right to fantasize about what you want to fantasize about. I'm more interested in what informs that fantasy. It's not coming out of nowhere.'"

The Jezebel article discusses that women also play Grand Theft Auto, a game that gives the gamer a world of "moral ambiguity," so the gamer can choose to or choose not to take part in a variety of violent crimes. And killing prostitutes is another choice. The author, a gamer herself, explains, "My fantasies don't involve causing harm to other women, so it isn't something I do in the game."

Aside from prostitute rape, female characters in these games are never the focus. It tends to be murder, theft, and every other form of crime and violence. Yet the women are constantly sprinkled throughout, almost like hyper-sexualized props, to be used for sex at the gamer's discretion. The Escapist's Michael Thomsem sums it up in his article, "Vaginaphobia: Fear of Women in Gaming:" "When sex does appear in games, it is almost always connected to phallocentric displays of male prowess." So any feminist gamers can pretty much forget about a strong, positive female character.

Photo credits: Huffington Post, Techland.com

"She Knew What Would Happen" Victim-Blaming at Princeton University

"She knew what would happen if she started drinking. We all know that the more people drink, the less likely they are to make wise decisions. It is common sense.

Therefore, the girl willingly got herself into a state in which she could not act rationally. This, in my opinion, is equivalent to agreeing to anything that might happen to her while in this state. In the case of our girl, this happened to be sex with a stranger."

This is what Princeton freshman Iulia Neagu wrote in the Daily Princetonian.

Princeton...that’s the school for smart people, right? Then tell me why, in the second decade of the 21st century, there are students who actually advocate and partake in victim-blaming? She asked for it. She knew it was coming. She lead him on. REALLLYYYYYYY?

Intoxication does not equal consent. In fact, it means the exact opposite; it is widely, if not universally, accepted that ‘consent’ is understood to be ‘sober and informed.’ If you were passed out on the floor from drinking, and your friends stole your clothes or wrote profanities all over your body, or took offensive pictures of you, have you ‘agreed’ to that simply by drinking? With the ‘understanding’ and ‘expectation’ that you would make bad life decisions? Of course not, and to assert as much would never be widely accepted as legitimate.

What this young writer fails to recognize is that a victim of rape never has the power to make a decision and if (s)he does make a decision, it was not respected; that is why rape is a crime and why it has such profound psychological impacts: it is the performance of a sexual act with force or without consent.

Rape is not a result of "boys being boys." It is not a result of wearing a sexy outfit. Amanda Hess of The Washington City Paper wrote a response to the piece in the Daily Princetonian that is so eloquently written and so clear cut and to the point, paraphrasing would not do it justice. So, I leave you to ponder on the following clip from her response.

"When you say that women who drink with the boys, or have casual sex like the boys, or walk alone like the boys are not sufficiently protecting themselves against rape, what you are really saying is that women who don’t act enough like women deserve to be raped. And what you are really saying is that women deserve to be raped because they’re women."

Victim-blaming has no place in legitimate conversation, it has no place in academia, it has no place at Princeton, it has no place anywhere, ever.

photocredit: Spuz via Flickr

Raped Teenager Receives 101 Lashes For Becoming Pregnant

According to Bangladesh's Daily Star, a 16 year old girl was punished with 101 lashes for becoming pregnant with her rapists child.

The victim was raped 8 months ago by a man who regularly eve-teased her on her way to school. She knew who her attacker was but was too ashamed to report him. She was married off soon after the attack but a month into the marriage it was revealed that she was seven months pregnant and her husband quickly divorced her. Upon returning to her father's house, the local elders were informed of the situation and decided that she should be punished by 101 lashes fatwa (religious edict). Her father was also charged a fine that he had to pay or someone else in his family would receive a lashing. The accused attacker received no punishment or even an investigation.

This is a situation that makes me wonder how people can believe in post-feminism. This is blatant sexism. Not to mention extreme injustice. What did she do wrong that she should be punished for? Having sex out of wedlock? Because that was her fault? Sounds to me like she's being punished for having a functioning womb that fertilized her attackers seed?

Isn't the rape and the unwanted pregnancy enough punishment? Even if they feel like it was her fault, 101 lashes?! The article said that she passed out during the lashing and did not regain consciousness for 2 hours.

And what about her attacker? Apparently because she didn't file a formal complaint, they aren't going to pursue this guy. Did anyone file a complaint about her? If she's being lashed for being a slut he should be lashed for being a terrible person.

Not only did her attacker cause her suffering from her punishment, but he has ruined her entire life. He ruined her marriage and any other future chances at marriage she had, not to mention her emotional state. This poor girl "just wants justice" but is being punished for both getting raped in the first place and keeping her mouth shut.

Fortunately, there is a human rights advocate group that allows victims to file separate cases against their attackers outside of their local governments. Hopefully, this will bring some justice but justice can only do so much for this girl after she has already lost so much.

photo courtesy of oomo via flickr

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Feminism 101: Blogroll

I was inspired by Kat's post on feminist terms to give a quick introduction to some really good blogs for new and curious feminists. Enjoy!

= Frequently Asked Questions/Concepts Blogs=

• Finally, A Feminism101 Blog: A blog created to keep feminist newbies from derailing feminist discussion with common questions. If you're an expert, it's useful as a refresher on the basics. If you're new, I recommend reading through the whole blog because it discusses concepts that are used in nearly every feminist conversation.
  
• Shakesville: This blog goes into depth on more complex feminist concepts. I really like the explanation of rape culture.
  
• Official Shrub: A blog that sadly doesn't update that often. The blog is a really good place to learn about abilism. It also has really great posts on feminism and videogames and what sex positivism means.
  

=Personal Favorites=

• Sociological Images:An all-around awesome blog that shows how people are depicted in the media.
  
• FWD/Forward: A relatively new feminist with disability blog.
  
• Racialicious: A blog focusing on race issues and anti-racism.
  
• Transgriot: "News, opinions, commentary, history and a little creative writing from an African-American transwoman about the world around her."

Belated, But Necessary Post

College newspapers: a forum for students to venture into new endeavors and let their creativity shine, while feeling like Hollywood A list celebs among their peers (unlike FMF bloggers who obviously ARE stars...)

For Fairfield University's "The Mirror" and co-writer of the "He said/She said" column Chris Surette, it's also a means to create "satirical pieces" with demeaning undertones towards women.

His October column entitled "The Walk of Shame," where he elaborates on the fame brought on by one-night-stands, is the one gaining the most attention, due to, well, you'll see. Let me share a couple of the "gems"...

So after flirting with a young swan at a party, you invite her back to your place and she accepts. The road to pleasure town begins and as Johnny Drama would say, VICTORY! Congrats boys, not only did you get laid, but you have a great story for the rest of your life.

Not only is it a story for you and your boys, but others will soon realize what happened when they see your victim walking back to the dorms in her dress from last night, with a disgraceful look on her face as if she was robbed of her dignity. But girls, even though many may consider you a slut after witnessing your glorious Walk of Shame, just realize that you have given this lucky guy a story he can share with others at the Grape for the rest of the year. We ought to thank you for that. And hopefully you got something out of this to … actually, we don’t really care.

And it's not over. He also adds:
Trust me, you don’t want that hood rat giving you a venereal disease... So don’t be a fool and wrap your tool. Now if you follow these tips, the next time you do work, you’ll have a tale to tell your buds for years. Remember to be ruthless and have no shame. We are relying on each other for an entertaining story that is both hilarious and humiliating. Just remember one thing; her walk of shame is an induction into your hall of fame.

While I agree with his promotion of safe sex, using words like "hood rat," "victim" and "robbed of her dignity" makes my skin crawl. Lucky for my faith in humanity, I was not alone. Comments have flooded in from all over:

In an apology letter, Surette explains:
In the past week, I have overheard many people feeling that my article was promoting rape and violence against women... I understand that a few of the words I used could have been easily used to create this idea.
Also, I would like to make clear that even though my language has been derogatory against women, I truly do not feel this way about them. For those of you who do not know, last semester I was the only guy in a feminism literature class called “The Women Question.” I do respect the ideas of feminism and women’s rights, even though it may not be perceived in my writing.

My goal is to write about the ideas that your typical 18-22 year old college male thinks and speaks with putting a humorous twist on it. These articles are not meant to be taken literally. In saying this, I do understand that I crossed the line this past week and apologize for this.

So, moral of the story is that as long as you've studied the subject; horrible, degrading and triggering jokes are totally acceptable in a public forum without any responsibility for your actions because it "wasn't meant to be taken seriously"(While the last sentence is heavily frosted in sarcasm, I am now kicking myself for not taking Anthropology of Locker Room Rituals 101!)

But, I'm gonna take all the pressure off of this one lone writer by looking at the bigger picture, as the problem isn't just this particular article, but the fact that Surette's experiences had lead him to believe these words were "typical" of the 18-22 age bracket (although note: I know many guys who don't talk like this.)

By letting this language go unnoticed, we allow this attitude to leak into our culture, thoughts and actions; leading some criminals to not see or water down actions that should be considered the violent acts that they are. For more information, check out UMASS Boston's Professor Lisak's campus survey and interviews talking to perpetrators and revealing the extent that rape culture is normalized on campuses (warning: interviews are graphic and may be triggering to survivors.)

For more information on men working with their peers to fight back, look into the wonderful work of groups like Men Can Stop Rape or Men Stopping Rape, Inc. A big thanks to all male activists!

photo credit: noodlepie on flickr.com

Former FMF Interns Senior Civic Engagement Project...

I feel like I have been really neglectful in continuing my blogging with FMF. This is mostly because I have been working on my capstone civic engagement project all semester. Now that I have finished, I am in the process of writing my field guide and I wanted to share my experience here.

Basically I organized an event where three unfamiliar organizations; Tri-Iota, Alpha Delta Pi, and the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance, worked together. These organizations donated jewelry; bracelets, anklets, necklaces, etc. Then I held a jewelry sale in our student center, all proceeds went to The Fistula Foundation.

I chose this foundation after I began to understand the international dilemma surrounding obstetric fistula. The World Health Organization estimates that there are over two million women suffering from fistula. Most often to occur after neglected child birth; fistula is a hole that forms between the vagina and the bladder.

To break down my project from beginning to end, it is important to firstly mention what sprouted my brain storming. This summer while interning in the D.C. FMF office, Alison Shigo of Engel Entertainment held a showing of their documentary, A Walk to Beautiful. The film follows the lives of five women in Ethiopia suffering from obstetric fistula.

This film touched me and I was immediately drawn to this global issue that is close to unheard of in the confines of our own country. There has not been an open fistula hospital in the United States since 1875, this fact amazed me. How can something that two million women are suffering from worldwide, not even be heard of in the U.S.A.? Before this film, I had never heard of fistula, I figured that many people at my university had not either. Therefore, my plan began with the idea of incorporating this film, The Fistula Foundation, and my campus.

In March at the National Young Women’s Leadership Conference, while brainstorming during a campus organizing round table I heard a suggestion that stuck with me. Collaborating an FMLA with a sorority, having the groups donate their jewelry, and selling it, so all proceeds go to a foundation of their choice.

This idea stuck with me, it not only raised money, but also enhanced campus involvement within sometimes unrelated groups, and would create dialogue about an issue. When I began solidifying my ideas for my capstone, I immediately referred back to my experience at the D.C. conference and got in contact with our Alpha Delta Pi sorority to collaborate with FMLA and Tri-Iota.

This is an issue running rampant in countries like Ethiopia, Uganda, the District Republic of the Congo, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Fistula is the result of many other issues like child marriage, poverty and rape. Women in the U.S. are virtually worry free of fistula, making the necessary procedures to share this courtesy with women internationally a must.

My goal for my project was to raise $200.00 and bring together organizations to raise awareness. I ended up raising $240.00 and creating various dialogues about obstetric fistula. Through using various forms of media, I organized this event that involved unfamiliar groups. Now, these three groups may use each other as alternative resources and continue to help their networks grow at ETSU. Not to mention, educating those who had no prior knowledge of obstetric fistula.

Feminist movie review: Vera Drake

Sunday was a drizzly, gray sort of day, so I stopped by DC indie video store Potomac Video for a pick me up.

After much indecision, due to my insistence on finding movies with strong female leads, I settled on Vera Drake and Hitchcock's Notorious. If you haven't already seen it, I highly recommend Vera Drake as a solid feminist drama.

The film, starring Imelda Staunton, came out in 2004, but is still timely for its themes of illegal abortion and women in the criminal justice system. The film is set in London in 1950, and the title character is a woman who works as a domestic servant while serving as the glue of her close-knit family.

Vera also "helps young girls out" in secret when they need to end unwanted pregnancies. Her warm personality leads her to gently assist harried mothers, sanguine partygirls, foreign workers, rape survivors, and other young women.

My boyfriend remarked that the film normalized abortion, which was precisely what appealed to me. See also: largely positive review from Christianity Today, despite inaccuracies on the sanitation procedures Drake uses in the movie.



***Spoiler alert***



When one of her patients falls ill, local police identify Vera and arrest her. Although the detectives are sympathetic, including Woman Police Constable Best, you watch Vera's life crumble as she descends into the British justice system.

There is a constant tension between rich and working class, between men and women, and between the medical establishment and Vera's informal, unpaid services. There's lots I could write about, but two components of the movie interested me in particular:

1. The word abortion is not mentioned on the DVD case, and is not mentioned until the British police interrogate Vera. When they ask whether she performs abortions, Vera says, "That's your word for it." Only when they ask whether she has helped girls out does she respond in the affirmative.

Today, of course, we have "choice" as a euphemism for abortion, which has advantages and disadvantages.

2. The film highlights the importance of women in policing and the judicial system. WPC Best accompanies the detectives and gently reassures Vera and her friend Lillian Clark throughout questioning. Although she cannot help Vera, WPC Best guides Vera through the system and puts thought into Vera's comfort to the extent she can.

Vera's trial is heard by a male judge, who decides to make an example of her through a harsh sentence, despite her motivations and lack of a criminal record. It is clear a prison term could break the elderly Vera, but he is unsympathetic.

FMF's National Center for Women and Policing works with women in local and federal law enforcement to promote gender-responsive policing and work environments. But we still need more feminists in high levels of the criminal justice system.

Feminist judges understand that women need protections against abusive partners, that girls may need abortions without parental consent, that anti-abortion laws hurt women.

Vera Drake's reality is not far from our own - it is still the reality for billions of women around the world. Conservatives in the US are waging an all-out war on abortion rights, and we need you to keep working to protect women's lives.

Have you seen this movie? Comment and let us know what you think! Or arrange a film screening on your campus. Drop us a line at campusteam@feminist.org if you want ideas for the screening, and keep up the great work!

Movie Review: Playground.

Where does child prostitution happen? Why does child prostitution happen? Is it a problem Americans have to worry about?

The majority of Americans would probably not like to think about child prostitution as an issue that we have to worry about; we would prefer to maintain the ideas that it happens in other countries, that the only people who have to worry about their children being kidnapped for exploitation are those who are poor or come from impoverished families. But, as the new documentary "The Playground" points out, not only are they wrong, but the mindset of cheerful ignorance helps fuel the robust domestic child prostitution trade.

"The Playground" demonstrates that children in every city are being forced into prostitution and pornography across the nation, from every class and racial demographic. It interviews law enforcement officers, social workers, victims of trafficking, committed sex offenders, and investigators and through their testimonies uncovers startling facts about the domestic child sex trade.

Children as young as 11 are being forced into the sex trade--being arrested for being part of a trade that was forced on them while the "john" that rapes them goes free. (Think about it: if she weren't a prostitute, her rapist would be deemed a pedophile and would be prosecuted as such.)

The Sex Offender registry is so bloated (in some states 6-year olds are being registered as sex offenders) that actual dangerous sex offenders AREN'T LISTED, and can get away with crimes.

By looking at tragic statistics, the viewer must re-examine their understanding of the American legal system, its foster care system, and the American culture--which various interviewees claimed promoted the child sex trade on account of its sexualization of women and children.

For more about the documentary, check out http://www.playgroundproject.com/film/
For more about child sex trafficking, check out http://www.sharedhope.org/

Photo Credit: striatic on flickr.com

Has Ira Glass wire-tapped the FMF headquaters?

While on my morning commute, ( which still involves zoning out to Ira Glass.) I noticed that he and the show have, yet again, picked a show subject that matches up perfectly with my life at FMF.

Yesterday I talked about the documentary Hell House and critiqued the moral-based Haunted House on its extreme scare tactics used to convert it's "Hell bound" visitors to the other side.

Today, I discovered that the PRI radio show This American Life had interview the film's director and Hell House's actors for this weeks show!

For a real Halloween spook tale, you can listen to the show here.

photo credit: sean dreilinger from flickr.com

Ditch the candy, this Halloween sign yourself up for some good ol' fashion fear mongering!

Everyone has their own Halloween traditions. In his documentary Hell House, director/ producer George Radliff shows the not-so-common Halloween traditions of a town on the outskirts of Dallas, where the production of "Hell House" is annually held.

Hell House is a haunted house-style play focused on decisions that will exempt a person from the pearly gates. Teens and parents alike try out in large numbers, hoping to play "rave master" or"school shooting kid."

During Halloween season, "those who dare enter" watch a series of five-minute skits, showing what each character did to get in Hell. There's the boy who "chose the gay lifestyle" and became HIV positive; the woman who cheats on her abusive, alcoholic husband; the girl who took the abortion pill and died from blood loss, the boy who was so fed up with teasing that he commits suicide in front of his class and (can't forget this one!) the girl who goes to a rave, gets drugged and raped and commits suicide because of her guilt!

After seeing the characters tortured and burned in the final "Hell" scene, the audience is taken to calm room. Here, a person asks the group if they know where they would go if they were to die that night. Those who would like to go to heaven are offered entrance into a room where they can pray with church members.

This is where I sat on my couch, watching and thinking "WHAAAAAT! WAY TO BLAME THE VICTIM!"

This movie put things in the most disgusting terms: It's not the rapist who goes to hell, its the poor survivor. It's not the abuser or the mean students, it's the abused and the taunted.

It's time to identify this as what it is: fear mongering! They are showing extreme situations as scare tactics to sway their audience towards their unrealistic cause. To find out more about Hell House, rent it!

Rape: A Pre-Existing Condition

Several years ago, Chris Turner was denied health insurance because she had sought treatment for rape. Health insurance agencies told Turner that the anti-AIDS medication her physician had prescribed her and the counseling she took made her uninsurable, even though she tested HIV-negative, The National Women's Law Center reports. She was told to come back in three years, if she was still HIV-free.

The Huffington Post Investigative Fund’s citizen journalism project has uncovered many similar stories, indicating that Turner's situation is not an isolated case. Women have been denied health coverage for conditions resulting from rape, such as sexually transmitted disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, and mental health care that their doctors said was critical for recovery. In one case, a woman received treatment for rape, but was later discovered the insurance company would not pay because they looked through her record and discovered she "had been raped before".

"Insurance discrimination against rape victims will only further discourage them from coming forward to law enforcement and seeking medical help," Sandra Park, staff attorney at the Women's Rights Project with the American Civil Liberties Union told the Huffington Post

This is what gets me," Turner said in a statement (see PDF), "There are so many rape survivors who can't or don't get the help that they need--they have to push down their suffering and pain and just try to survive. I feel like I did the right thing by going on medication and getting counseling. And yet I was punished for doing the right thing to take care of myself and my livelihood."

Photo Credit: Steve Rhodes on flickr.com

Rape Is Rape

On Saturday, October 10, rallies were held in front of movie theatres across the country and abroad in response to the startling media and Hollywood support of Roman Polanski, the film director convicted of sexual assault and fleeing the country. These powerful demonstrations are part of a global campaign, Rape IS Rape.


Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment (PAVE), the sponsor of this campaign, held the event to combat the support for sexual assault perpetrators:

According to the US Department of Justice, every two minutes someone in the U.S.
is sexually assaulted. Sexual assault is one of the most under reported crimes,
with 60% still being left unreported. The outcry of support for a sexual assault
perpetrator is a strong message we are sending out to victims across the country
that they will be forever silenced and blamed for these atrocious acts.

Did you go to these protests? If so, please share your experiences. If you haven't signed the petition yet, you can sign it here.