Senegalese rapper Fatou Mandiang Diatta defied her country’s traditional expectations for women in order to succeed in Senegal’s male-dominated hip-hop scene. A new documentary shows how, using her music as a medium, “Sister Fa” campaigns against female genital mutilation, which she herself endured as a child.
Author: Christie Thompson
Christie is a senior Journalism and International Studies major at Northwestern University. Recently returned from a semester in India, she is ready to take on international women's issues and the L.A. public transit system.
How Can We Interrupt Violence?
Ameena Matthews is used to being the only woman in a group of men. She even broke into the male-dominated world of organized crime to become the only woman lieutenant […]
School District Allegedly Expelled 7th-Grader for Reporting Her Rape
The Republic School District in Springfield, MO, is facing a lawsuit for allegedly ignoring a young victim’s multiple rapes and then expelling her for reporting her attacker. The story is […]
“Circumstance” Explores LGBT Oppression in Modern Iran
Iranian American director Maryam Keshavarz had a story of modern-day Iran that she thought needed telling. A story for which she and her cast were willing to give up the […]
No Comment: Zazzle’s Pro-Anorexia Kids’ Tees
Last week, the online retailer Zazzle–which “empowers” customers to create custom T-shirts, cards and other paraphernalia–ended sales of a kids’ T-shirt and onesie that featured a pro-eating-disorder message in a […]
Women Senators Call for Action on Rape in Burma
On August 10, a group of 13 women U.S. senators sent a letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling for support of a U.N.-led investigation of rape in conflict-ridden […]
This Week in “Blame It on Emasculation”: The London Riots
Talking heads, academics and news outlets have been speculating about the motives behind the recent London riots. Most have agreed on a complex combination of deep-seated racial and economic inequality, […]
Don’t Skimp on Aid to East Africa–Women Will Pay the Price
This week, President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton pledged a total of $122 million to famine relief in East Africa, putting the total U.S. contribution to the crisis […]
No Comment: “Always”‘ Transphobic Drag Queen Ad
[Update: It seems the viral video was either a spoof or a potential ad that Always decided not to run. We apologize to Always, but still find the ideas behind […]
Hate Crimes Against Transgender Women Raise Questions
In April, the brutal attack of 22-year-old Chrissy Lee Polis at a McDonald’s outside Baltimore, Md. put the issue of violence against transgender women into the national spotlight. Polis was […]