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

Ms. Magazine: Reclaim the Name

This last week, Natalie Hart wrote a post about Reclaim The Name, a project she undertook in school to replace “I’m not a feminist but…” with “I am a feminist because…” Natalie notes that her idea behind the campaign was to:

"remove any damning myths associated with the feminist movement by coming out, loud and proud, about the reality of what being a feminist really means."

Natalie, we couldn’t agree more with you.

Here at Ms., we want people to feel comfortable identifying as a feminist. Our strength is in numbers and in sisterhood–and our silence about feminism will only strengthen those who oppose our feminist ideals.

We wanted you to know why we are feminists. So we will be posting a few videos of the Ms. and Feminist Majority staff telling you some of the many reasons why we are feminists.

And we want your story too!

Send your videos to msreclaimthename@gmail.com telling us why you are a feminist. We will post some of the submissions here on the blog, and the others will go up on our YouTube page. If you’re an individual, your video should be no more than two minutes long; if you have done a group video, keep it to no more than 4 minutes.

We’ll start with some of our stories, then we look forward to yours!



Cross posted with permission from Ms. Magazine blog.

I am a feminist because. . .

On the first day of my first women's studies course my professor confronted the class with a question, "How many of you consider yourself a feminist?" I did not give it a second thought and raised my hand immediately. I figured that since this was a women's studies course the majority of people sitting around me would too claim their feminist title.

I could not have been more wrong. In a class of nearly 45, I was one of only seven or eight people who fully raised their hands. There were a couple maybes but the majority of the class seemed to be afraid of being associated as a feminist. When questioned on why they were so afraid of the F-word, they responded with the same old feminist stereotypes, "I'm not angry," "I don't hate men," and "I'm not a woman/lesbian."

Hearing these people combat the word only made me think about why I was a feminist (and proud of it I may add.) Although that was one of the first times I had claimed the name, I had always been a feminist. From a young age I often questioned why I was treated differently then the boys I knew and I wondered why I had to take responsibilities for my actions when boys were protected by simply stating, "Boys will be Boys."

After taking more women's studies courses and educating myself on feminist issues, I fully embraced my feminism. After leaving FMLA meetings or WS classes, I feel a deep sense of empowerment. I am inspired to take action and introduce more people to the idea that we should all be equal no matter what race, gender, sexual orientation, weight etc. We are all humans and we deserve an equal chance. For me, feminism is far beyond what my classmates thought. We are not about hating men or being unjustly angry (and I'm sure you know this) So here I am, once again Claiming the Name for Ms. Magazine, for myself and for all the people around me that I hope will soon be proud to Claim the Name.

I am a Feminist because. . .

I don't want my younger (female) cousins to have to defend their decisions

because of their sex.

I am a Feminist because. . .

I believe that women can be strong, independent and powerful

I am a Feminist because. . .

There are still women who do not have a voice

I am a Feminist because. . .

Being a female of mexican decent means I will make 59cents to every male's dollar

I am a Feminist because. . .

Thinking of all the Feminist who came before me inspires me to strive harder and remain active.

I am a Feminist because. . .

As a woman I should have rights over my body

I am a Feminist because. . .

Feminism is Awesome

Again, share your stories with us by submitting your video to msreclaimthename@gmail.com (read the guidelines here)

You can watch more videos at Ms.Magazine's YouTube page

Cross posted with permission from Ms. Magazine blog.

A Round of Applause for Courageous Female News Anchors

In case you hadn't noticed, this has been a big week for coverage of the tactics of anti-abortion extremists, and the ways in which they terrorize abortion providers and clinic staff.

The recent buzz began 2 weeks ago when Rachel Maddow announced that she would be airing a documentary on Mon Oct 26, "The Assassination of Dr. Tiller." In the same week she announced this, it came to light that a grand jury was questioning associates of Scott Roeder, who is serving life in prison for Tiller's murder. The grand jury is investigating whether or not Roeder acted as part of a conspiracy, a subject which has been explored previously in the Ms. Magazine piece from the Spring 2010 issue, "Not a Lone Wolf," by Amanda Robb.

Following the airing of Maddow's documentary this past Monday, Katie Couric pointed her focus towards the ongoing harassment of abortion providers during the CBS Evening News (video). Highlighted in both the Maddow and the Couric videos is the fact that WANTED posters have preceded the murder and violent attacks of dozens of clinics, including the 1993 shooting of Dr. Tiller.

Common in the early 1990's, posters have begun to resurface in Charlotte, NC, where earlier this year, Feminist Majority Foundation's National Clinic Access Project helped defend clinics from Operation Save America's annual clinic siege.

While we ultimately wish that women could receive care peacefully from doctors who did not fear for their safety on a daily basis, we are grateful for Maddow and Couric's national coverage of this issue, exposing what is happening every day at clinics across the country.

What you can do to keep clinics in your area safe and open:

• Adopt-a-Clinic! Contact us to see what clinics in your area are in need of volunteers, escorts, and defenders.
• Thank a provider! Send your local clinic a thank you card to remind them that there are people who appreciate their work and their bravery.
• Keep an eye out for warning signs of clinic violence. If you see WANTED posters and protests in your area, report this to your local law enforcement agencies and/or Feminist Majority Foundation. This kind of activity too often has preceded violent attacks of clinics.
  

A Short Bite

If you are like me, you cringe when you hear about the explosive, all-encompassing Twilight phenomenon among young people. From midnight premiers, deafening screams, and week-long camp-outs, the twilight phenomenon clearly reigns supreme among teens. But this has simply gone too far. Teens are now physically biting each other to "demonstrate their love." Bite marks have even become a new status symbol. Does anyone else see this is as a MAJOR problem? If this vampire craze leads young adults, both boys and girls, to associate a physically violent act like biting with a romantic gesture-- we are in serious trouble. Sex education classes need to reiterate the fact that "No Means No" and that physical violence (in any form) should NOT be accepted in a relationship.

See past Ms. Magazine blog for more details.

Women's News: equality or segregation?

Ruth Rosen of Alternent.org raises an interesting point today in her posting titled “Gender Apartheid Online”—that female and male media is not only segregated, but that male media remains the “default.” In Rosen’s own words

"The quality of the writing and analysis in these "separate sections" is quite high. So what's my problem? My concern is that gender equality will only emerge when men are educated about women's lives and when women stop being quarantined as "the other.""

Now, this immediately reminded me of male as the “default” in marketing children’s toys (see here, here, and here) and white-as default, but can also be applied on a larger scale—reaching from sports (baseball versus women's softball) to the classroom (history opposed to women’s history).

But in writing this I’ve realized that this kind of disagrees with my previous argument—the idea that there should exist separate spaces for groups who then have the power to act in their own interests without having to accommodate to others. And now I am conflicted—is it a bad thing to create separate spaces for female-centered news/media? I immediately thought this when I discovered Slate’s Double X—how could they separate women’s news from men’s news?! I read Slate, I enjoyed Slate, I did not want to be partitioned into a new site specifically for me because I identify as female. I do, however, find pleasure in reading feministing and Ms. magazine—I think they are valuable outlets, valuable resources for an audience interested in articles on women’s rights, LGBTQI rights, immigrant rights—the list goes on…In fact, maybe that holds some of the answer.

Why are these sources positioned as female news sources when they encompass much more than female-centered stories? Maybe this is somehow connected to popular media and the generalization of all women as consumers of beauty and fashion products (as seen by “women’s magazines” like Glamour and Cosmopolitan)—women are assumed to be the prime audience of human-rights centered media. But why isn’t that the norm? Why does this have to be gendered? (For example, today’s New York Times front page draws heavily on “terrorism” and Petraeus while its specifically "female" section features a story about women and men’s rights in Sweden).

Do you agree that news is gendered? Let me know!

Photo credit: bravenewtraveler on flickr

PR intern needed for Ms. magazine.

Ms. magazine is look for a public relations guru for the Los Angeles Office.

We’re looking for detail-oriented, outgoing people who are very comfortable doing phone outreach and enthusiastic about Ms. and feminism. Interns will help promote each issue of Ms. Duties include booking interviews for Ms. authors and editors, researching and compiling contacts from websites and electronic databases, coming up with timely promotional ideas, and creating press materials. Interns will also help with research projects for the Feminist Majority Foundation, and during the spring internship will be involved in organizing our annual global event. Event-planning experience is helpful. Microsoft Excel and internet research skills a necessity; Word, Filemaker, Access, and html a plus.

Please send a cover letter and resume to Noelle Williams at nwilliams@feminist.org.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Good luck!

What To Give a Feminist for the Holiday Season

Are you bogged down with last minute holiday shopping? Not sure what to get for those secret santa office holiday parties? Tired of the same 'ol consumerist approach to gift-giving? Well, have no fear!

Here are some cool ideas for great purposeful and world changing gifts to make the season bright...with a little enlightenment!

• Stickersisters.com has a great collection of t-shirts, buttons, magnets, posters, and even school supplies that would entice any spunky young feminist in the making. Girl power!

• Books, books, and more books! It never hurts to build someone's personal library. So spread some holiday cheer with Scroogenomics: WhyYou Shouldn't Buy Presents for the Holiday by Joel Waldfogel or They Take Our Jobs!: And 20 Other Myths About Immigration by Aviva Chomsky. I bet these would be great conversation starters during your holiday feast!

• We can't forget about the children. What better gift to give than schoolin' the next generation of leaders. Here are some great children's books to consider: A Kid's Guide to Hunger & Homelessness: How To Take Action by Cathryn Berger Kaye; Grace For President by Kelly Dipucchio; A Life Like Mine: How Children Live Around The World presented by UNICEF; and VOTE! by Eileen Christelow.

• Support your local independent book or video store by purchasing dvds like: Persopolis, an animated film based on the graphic memoir following the life of a young Iranian girl during the Islamic revolution of the 1970s. The documentary Lioness directed by Meg McLagan and Daria Sommers about women in the military is a great one to pick up. And, of course, one of my favorites, Chisholm '72: Unbought & Unbossed, details the experiences on the campaign trail as the first African American congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm runs for president of the U.S.

• Subscribe a friend to a year's membership of progressive, feminist magazines such as Ms. Magazine, Bitch, BUST, and Off our backs. Let's keep these babies alive!
  

• Give to a cause you believe in! Offer a donation on behalf of a friend or family member to local shelters, charities, rape crisis centers, community organizations or your local community radio station and/or newspaper.

Lastly, if all of these ideas for some reason just don't do the trick, give a gift that keeps on giving by sponsoring a young feminist to attend our National Young Feminist Leadership Conference in Washington, DC on March 20 - 22.

You can also find more gift ideas at our feminist online store!

Be sure to share with us your holiday gift ideas.

Happy Holidays from your FMF Fam!!

US Lags in Family-Friendly Work Policies

The United States lags behind most other industrialized countries in failing to provide paid sick leave, paid paternal leave, breastfeeding breaks and other policies to support workers, according to an eight-year-long worldwide study released this week that focuses on family-friendly workplace policy. Raising the Global Floor: Dismantling the Myth that We Can't Afford Good Working Conditions for Everyone, is the most extensive study of its kind. The report compiled information from 190 of 192 United Nations countries and from 55,000 households on seven continents. The study was led by researchers at Harvard and McGill Universities.

Researchers found that US law does not guarantee paid leave for new mothers (177 countries do), paid paternal leave (74 countries do), paid leave to care for an ill child (48 countries do), paid annual leave (164 countries do), paid sick leave (163 countries do), and a day of rest each week to workers (157 countries do). The report sought to examine the economic feasibility of implementing these policies as well as the costs and benefits of providing this safety net for working families.

"The world's most successful and competitive nations are providing the supports the United States lacks, without harming their competitiveness," lead author Jody Heymann of McGill University said in a press release. "Globally, we found that none of these working conditions are linked with lower levels of economic competitiveness or employment. There simply is no negative relationship at all between decent working conditions and competitiveness or job creation. In fact, we found that a number of these guarantees are associated with increased competitiveness."

This study's release follows the publication of the Shriver Report last month, which was a comprehensive study of women becoming the majority of the American workforce. Ms. Magazine recently addressed the need for US legislation to develop women-friendly economic policies like those detailed in Raising the Global Floor, in light of women becoming more than 50 percent of US paid workers. Authors Karen Kornbluh and Rachel Homer said in Ms., "True reform of our safety net would mean that American families are assured that their income will be replaced not only as a result of retirement, disability or unemployment but also when they have to care for a new child or an ill relative."

Source: Feminist News

Image credit: EverJean on flickr.com

Looking to intern with Ms. magazine?

Hello feminists! Ms. magazine is looking for Spring and Summer interns in their West Coast Office.

Ms. Editorial Internship

West Coast: L.A. Office

Open to highly motivated undergraduates, recent graduates and graduate students. We're looking for bright, energetic, resourceful people with excellent research and writing skills. Applicants with background in both journalism and feminist activism will be given priority. Our interns help gather and fact-check information, work on specific office projects, and participate in creating the magazine's National News section. This is a great opportunity to learn how the editorial side of a non-profit magazine operates -- from the inception of an idea to the final printed product -- and a great place to gain new feminist perspectives. We¹re currently looking for applications for Spring (Feb­-May; apps due by Nov 10) and Summer (May-July; rolling deadline).

To apply, mail or e-mail a cover letter, resume, writing sample (journalistic writing preferred), and two letters of recommendation or two references to:

Jessica Stites
Ms./Feminist Majority Foundation
433 S. Beverly Drive
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
phone: 310. 556.2500
fax: 310. 556.2509
e-mail: jstites@msmagazine.com

Good Luck!

eBay will NOT host auction for alleged murderer

Ebay announced yesterday that it will block an online auction planned to support the legal defense of Scott Roeder, the alleged murderer of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller, MD. According to the Los Angeles Times, eBay said, "Based on the details we know about the anticipated listings, we believe these would violate our policy regarding offensive material." The company intends to remove any listings that are posted due to policies that bar listings promoting or glorifying violence or hatred.

After plans for the auction were announced, Kathy Spillar, executive vice president of the Feminist Majority Foundation told the Kansas City Star that "the network of extremists promoting and defending the murder of doctors is contributing to escalating threats against clinics and doctors across the country." Items Roeder's associates planned to sell included an Army of God manual, an autographed protest bullhorn, and a prison cookbook written by Shelley Shannon, who shot Dr. Tiller five times in 1993.

The trial for Roeder has been postponed until January 2010. Roeder's trial for first degree murder and two counts of aggravated assault had originally been set to begin in September of this year. If convicted of all charges, Roeder faces life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years.

Dr. Tiller, who was medical director of the Women's Health Care Services clinic in Wichita, Kansas, was killed in May at his church. The Department of Justice opened an investigation in June to look into possible federal crimes associated with the murder. The federal government also convened a meeting of the National Task Force on Violence Against Reproductive Health Care Providers in the days following the murder and Attorney General Eric Holder deployed US Marshals to protect highly threatened clinics and staff.

Source: Feminist News

Image credit: liewcf on flickr.com

Green Festival in D.C. this weekend!

Having trouble figuring out what to do this weekend? From October 10-11, the Global Exchange and Green America are putting on a Green Festival in Washington D.C!

Over 125 speakers (including Ralph Nader and Deepak Chopra) will be making an appearance and talking about issues related to going Green. Also, a ton of green businesses--such as those invested in renewable energy and sustainable agricultural products--will be selling their wares at this awesome event! But, if the speakers and green businesses aren’t your thing, come and enjoy a delicious variety of natural and sustainable food items.

Ms. Magazine and the Feminist Majority Foundation will be there too, so it will be a great way to support the green movement.

For more information, check out their website here.

Photo Credit: L'Enfant Terrible <3 on Flickr.com

Responding to Bitch Magazine

Ms. Magazine's new cover has certainly sparked controversy with Bitch Magazine's blog. The new cover (left) is a remake of Ms. Magazine's first cover (right), which was originally printed in 1972. While yes, this image does parallel to the many Hindu Goddesses with numerous arms (Kali, Durga, Parvati), Ms. is NOT trying to poke fun at religion.

In fact, the cover reads "Mom 2.0: She Blogs, She Tweets, She Rises up!" There is no indication of religion, but instead Ms. is trying to point out the many responsibilities that the modern woman (or mother) has, between balancing a typical "mom" with a career. As for the stressed look on her face, of course, who isn't stressed out? With so many responsibilities, she cannot help but look that way.

I am not writing this blog to snap back at the writers of Bitch, but rather to share some of the commentary that followed this blog. Anonymous writes (and I'm really hoping this isn't a FMF intern):

"As a feminist myself, I find it really sad that fellow members of the movement feel the need to bring down allies and other feminists. By spending time hating and demeaning each other, it takes away from the bigger fight of the feminist movement - equality for women and all people. Why do some feel compelled to make this fight harder? Maybe instead of breaking each other down, we should support one another's efforts and recognize the good in each other's work. It's that what feminism and being feminist is all about?"

The point of this blog post is to point out that feminist organizations need to work together to achieve common goals. As feminists, we all have a hard enough time trying to get the respect that we deserve, and writing demeaning commentary about one another is not the best way to handle our differences. I think that both Bitch and Ms. have the public following that they do because of the quality of their work, as well as the public's interest in the subject matter. There shouldn't be a need to fight over who gets the spotlight in blogs or magazine covers when bigger issues are at hand (wage gap, domestic violence, health care inequalities...the list goes on).

Photos Complements of Ms. Magazine

Ms. Magazine Pledge to honor Dr. Tiller

In Dr. George Tiller's memory, Ms. invites you to honor his life and work by thanking and supporting abortion providers and by speaking the truth about abortion - it saves women's and girls' lives! We invite you to sign a pledge to speak out and stand up for Abortion Health Care Workers - before it's too late.

"Trust Women" was Dr. Tiller's motto. We must defend a woman's right to make her own decision about their bodies and their lives and we must support the courageous health care workers who provide abortions.

You see, the murder of Dr. Tiller is not just one horrific, isolated event. As I write this e-mail abortion providers and their clinics are being targeted, harassed and threatened in more than 10 states.

In Ohio a truck with grotesque pictures of fetuses and a blown up picture of Dr. Tiller with a bullet hole in his head is driving by clinics in two cities. In North Carolina, an abortion clinic owner was taunted with "You're Next" chants. On the internet t-shirts with a picture and name of a doctor who performs abortion procedures and words blazing "Your Next Dr. Hern," are being sold.

Yes we must stops the threats and violence. Take the pledge and stand up for abortion providers.

Ms. will send the signed pledges to the White House, members of Congress and state legislators. We need tougher laws and we need law enforcement to enforce the laws we already have on the books to protect abortion providers. We must break the cycle of violence.

And we ask signers to make a contribution so Ms. can promote the pledge and provide needed funds to support targeted abortion providers and counter anti-abortion terrorism.

Your name and your voice will make a difference.

For Womens' Lives,

Eleanor Smeal
Publisher

P.S. Sign the Ms. Pledge today -- Forward it to a friend. In Dr. Tiller's honor let's have a massive outpouring. We must stop the violence.

End of Semester Survey Gift-Pack Raffle!

Most of you are probably wrapping up the school year, or in some cases, have already moved on to bigger and better things. Once again, though, we want to remind our feminist campus leaders that it is time to fill out our End of Semester (EOS) Survey if you have not done so already!

EOSes are a great way for us to get in touch with groups, to find out who is taking over if a leadership transition is happening, and to get constructive feedback about our campus program from our student leaders.

We really appreciate those of you who take the time to fill out the survey in a timely manner, and as such, we've decided to raffle off a feminist gift pack to folks that have filled out the survey by Monday, June 1st!

The feminist gift pack includes:

• 1 year's free membership to the Ms. Magazine Community
• 10 "This is what a FEMINIST looks like" buttons
• 1 18x20 poster of the Ms. Inaugural Edition cover

Remember, surveys have to be completed by the Monday, June 1st deadline to be eligible to enter the gift pack raffle. So get in touch with your campus organizer if you haven't already, and get those surveys filled out! Click here to access the survey online.

Alternative Mother’s Day Gifts!

As a friend recently wrote to me in an email… “Does your mother need another teddy bear to put in an overstuffed closet?  Does she need flowers grown by underpaid workers exposed to dangerous chemicals, then brought to the US with tons of fossil fuels? Does she need chocolate, with lots of added sugar and cholesterol?”

If you, like I did, answered no to any of these questions, why not make a donation to a women’s organization in the name of your mom/grandma/aunt/partner for mother’s day!? 

Here’s a short list of incredible women-centered organizations to consider. 

• The Feminist Majority Foundation
• Ms. Magazine
  • National Center for Women & Policing   • Echoppe 
  • CARE
  • WEDO
  • National Domestic Violence Hotline
  • Your Local Women’s Shelter
  • Your Campus Women’s Center

More ideas?  Please feel free to add to our list via the comment section!

 

Ms. Magazine Summer Internships Still Available!

Interested in interning with Ms. Magazine?  Summer internships are still available in the Feminist Majority Foundation's Los Angeles office!

To apply, send the following to jstites@msmagazine.com :

- cover letter

- resume

- 2 references 

- 2 journalistic writing samples

For more information, click here or call 310-556-2500.