More Than A Magazine, A Movement
I recently attended a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the Equal Rights Amendment—the first such hearing in the U.S. Senate since 1984.
My country, Sweden, is known for its commitment to gender equality, and we have always looked to the U.S. for leadership on issues related to democracy and human rights. So how can I reconcile the vision I have of this great country with the debate I heard in the Senate? How is it possible that equal rights are not yet guaranteed by the Constitution?
An excerpt of Real Self-Care: A Transformative Program for Redefining Wellness (Crystals, Cleanses, and Bubble Baths Not Included) by Pooja Lakshmin, out March 14, 2023.
“The work of real self‑care is about changing our relationships with ourselves, and, in turn, what naturally follows such internal change is a reorganizing of larger systems. … The energy and collective power that was harnessed by individuals in 2021 has led to real and tangible changes at the state level and in the corporate sector.”
In 2021, more than 360 Black women died of maternal health causes across the country, according to the CDC—up from just over 290 in 2020 and more than 240 the year prior.
Despite advancements in medicine and technology over the years, the racial gap in who is suffering the most severe consequences of childbirth is growing, and most Black maternal and child health experts point to systematic racism as the root cause.
In a post-Roe United States, we should look to the reproductive justice movement created and led by Black women for the future we want and how to build it. We are far from that vision today. Banning mifepristone would only put it that much farther out of reach.
In her newest book, Girls and Their Monsters, Audrey Clare Farley addresses the Morlok quadruplets’ earliest years as a singing-and-dancing sensation and zeroes in on their coming of age and eventual descent into schizophrenia.
“I want to stress that I don’t view the quadruplets only as victims. They looked for and found joy. The book is about people living under fascism, but it’s also about bravery and defiance.”
As a chorus member in my last opera production, I watched our (male) stage director lean toward the lead soprano (a woman) and say, “If you put some dark makeup between your breasts, it will make them show up more.”
Sexism in opera extends far beyond small-town productions like mine: There are 3.5 times more jobs for men than women in mainstage opera. A 29 percent pay gap exists between women classical performers and their male counterparts. Women opera singers also hold more debt and receive fewer scholarships. For opera to be an industry where women are respected, its leaders need to adopt more progressive practices that make women feel safe and comfortable.
Clearly, Wakanda Forever did something right, since it was the only source of nominations and the solitary triumph for Black women at the Oscars this year. Yet the film is also an ironic case study demonstrating how Black women are marginalized in the film industry.
Weekend Reading for Women’s Representation is a compilation of stories about women’s representation.
This week: Women Talking wins best adapted screenplay at the Oscars, a film about ““a radical act of democracy in which people who don’t agree on every single issue manage to sit together in a room and carve out a way forward together”; actor Michelle Yeoh on her experiences with crises and how they illuminate the need for women in leadership; allies in Minnesota are working toward ranked-choice voting; remembering Pat Schroeder, a women’s rights pioneer; and more.
The Taliban’s oppression and violence against women in Afghanistan are undeniable atrocities that demand the world’s attention and immediate action.
To achieve meaningful progress towards gender equality in Afghanistan, a comprehensive approach is necessary that addresses not only the specific needs of Afghan women, but also the political and economic factors that contribute to their oppression.
Elsie Robinson was a journalist known for her syndicated Hearst column “Listen, World!” Born into poverty in 1880s California, Robinson risked everything to chase her dream of becoming a writer and lead a life beyond what was prescribed to women at the time—even working in a gold mine as the sole female mucker as she tried to break into magazines. Ultimately, after a long and bumpy road, she succeeded and used her nationwide column to advocate for the rights of women, people of color and other underrepresented groups.
