West Africa—and much of the rest of the world—is facing a food crisis. A growing movement of local farmers—largely led by women—argue that the surest path to food security is securing food sovereignty.
Month: January 2012
New Fire From Cherríe Moraga
Feminist icon Cherríe Moraga’s play New Fire is a “ceremonial performance”–an intricate interweaving of documentary video and live performance, of fact and factual fiction, of real ceremony and the performance of myth.
If You Were Raped in the Military, Would You Turn to a Fundamentalist Chaplain for Help?
For female enlistees, the war on the domestic front—within their units—trumps that of the battlefield. A recent Veteran’s Administration survey revealed that 30 percent of female vets reported being assaulted by a male colleague and/or supervisor, and 20 percent reported being raped in the military multiple times.
Lesbian Films: Alien No More
What a banner few weeks it has been for lesbian-themed films gaining general release: Albert Nobbs by Roderigo Garcia, Pariah by Dee Rees and Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same by Madeleine Olnek. Perhaps the recent critical and financial successes of more mainstream lesbian films have encouraged distributors to take a chance. Or perhaps, as I prefer to think, lesbians are just interesting.
Beauty and the New LEGO Line for Girls
The true beauty of LEGO is its ability to inspire creativity, not enable conformity — something the toy brand seems to have forgotten with its new line “for girls.”
Trust Women in 2012!
The official toll from 2011’s War on Women is in. According to the Guttmacher Institute, a record-breaking 92 new state-level restrictions on abortion were passed last year, the most ever. In response, reproductive-rights groups hope to make 2012 the year that women fought back—and won.
Too Many Victims of Gun Violence Are Women
We don’t need stats to understand how much gun violence affects women; we see it on the evening news — from children killed by stray shots from a handgun left around the house, to women who are victims of domestic violence.
The FBI’s “Forcible Rape” Definition is Officially History
In an important step, the Obama administration announced today that the FBI will update its archaic definition of “forcible rape.”
“Work It” and the “Mancession”
“Where ‘Work It’ goes from merely inaccurate to downright offensive is with the notion that Lee and Angel are so marginalized and put upon by our female-dominated society that they are forced to adopt an unconvincing drag act to get a job.”
Marketing by Masculinizing the Feminine
Another roundup of brands that are masculinizing the feminine, including unnecessarily gendered candles, nail polish, paint, and more.