There’s no doubt that sex work in its various manifestations, ranging from stripping to prostitution to pornography, remains a contentious issue. It’s one on which even feminists notoriously disagree–a “fracture in ideology,” according to Kate Holden–with discussions veering back and forth between victimization and empowerment. Of course there’s a substantial difference between becoming a sex […]
Author: Aviva Dove-Viebahn
Aviva Dove-Viebahn is an associate professor of film and media studies at Arizona State University and a contributing editor for Ms.' Scholar Writing Program.
Future of Feminism: It’s Easy Being Green
Since yesterday’s post highlighted the need for women in the tech sector, it seems apropos to follow up with a further exploration of how women can and should make a difference in business and technology–in our present and for our future. Today, I’m featuring the Women in Green Forum, an annual conference that brings together […]
Future of Feminism: Beating the Gender Gap in Tech
With much of the country still struggling to come out from under the recession, it’s always heartening to hear that some well-paying sectors are actively recruiting–especially when they’re actively recruiting women. The STEM sector (science, technology, engineering and math) seems to be one of the stubbornly impenetrable “old boys clubs,” but many tech companies have […]
The Future of Feminism: Rachel Maddow and Melissa Harris-Perry
Local reporting from regions around the globe is absolutely essential. And, with the rise of blogs and social media, increasing power resides in the voices of independent writers who have the courage to speak their minds. However, mainstream media still has incredible reach and influence; and the sad truth is that women and people of […]
Future of Feminism: The Power of Local Journalism
A few days ago, the Global Press Institute, an organization devoted to training women to report on local and regional stories for national and global news outlets, celebrated its sixth birthday, and with it, ushered in what hopes to be a new era of responsible, home-grown journalism. After all, who better to tell the stories and […]
Future of Feminism: Let’s Talk About Sex
In the words of the venerable ’90s hip-hop sensation Salt-N-Pepa: “Let’s talk about sex, baby. Let’s talk about you and me.” Okay, take a minute. Now that you’ve stopped singing, let’s get serious for a second. While yesterday’s post dealt with the negative sexualization of women and girls, it’s equally important to encourage a positive outlook […]
Future of Feminism: No More Media Sexualization of Women
It’s hard to ignore the sexualization of women and girls in the media these days; it’s everywhere, from Carl’s Jr. ads to films supposedly meant to empower women. Dr. Jean Kilbourne, creator of the film series Killing Us Softly (1979-2010), has been tracking advertising images of women since the late 1960s. In a recent interview with […]
Future of Feminism: The Pen is Mightier Than the Sword
The fact that blogging and social media have become such prominent avenues for discourse is of vital importance to the future of feminism. A powerfully articulated idea can spread like wildfire. Social media allows us to do in just a few days what physical protests and boycotts might have taken weeks or months to accomplish–take, […]
Future of Feminism: Building Bridges to World Peace
As children we’re taught that even those who seem different from us share, at heart, the same hopes and dreams. We learn in school that world peace and equality are the ultimate of aspirations. But by the time we’re adults, most of us are more cynical, even jaded: World peace is nothing more than the […]
Future of Feminism: Ending Rape As A Tool of War
Sexual assault and rape during wartime cannot–and should not–be brushed off as mere collateral damage. Rather, rape has long been a systematic tool of strategic violence against women. The public and policy makers should know this in order to help prevent future violence–and that’s the mission of the newly launched Women Under Siege, a Women’s Media […]