I never thought much of gender construction as a child. I just knew what I wanted to wear, how my hair should be cut, and what interested me. Did I want to proudly wear my new matching dragon shirt an...
The quote I have taped to the lower right hand corner of my bathroom mirror is "I no longer think about marriage." Nujood Ali spoke those words after successfully gaining her divorce at the age of 10....
Since I’ve been a die-hard Harry Potter fan since I was ten, I immediately followed Feminist Harry Potter on Tumblr when I heard of it. Within the last year, I’ve become more interested in gender stud...
I’ve often wondered if those who are provided with less, make more with what they are given. A few weeks ago, I went to a screening of a documentary called To Educate A Girl, and was convinced once ag...
It’s a common presumption in our society that if you’re female, tall and skinny, you have it all. You are the perfect woman: you have the attributes of a high fashion model, and you should be extremel...
“'Let it be that human rights are women’s rights and women’s rights are human rights.' So said Hillary Clinton before the 1995 U.N. Women’s Conference in Beijing. Since then, Clinton has led a crusade...
When we hear about conflicts in foreign countries and imagine terrible acts, our thoughts don’t turn immediately to rape. We think of bombings and refugees and government suppression.
While I understand that there is humour in provocation, this meme (the picture to the left) that's been making the rounds on websites like 9gag and We Know Memes made me throw up in my mouth a little....
Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Firefly, and many more) was once asked “Why do you write such strong female characters?”
His reply?
“Because you’re still asking me that question.”
...
In honor of International Anti-Street Harassment Week please enjoy these awesome guys demonstrating "Shit Men Say to Men Who Say Shit to Women on the Street." And if you know guys like this, please se...
The International Women’s Rights Collective (IWRC) went to the third annual Women in the World Summit last weekend. The Summit, as I expected, was built on post-imperialistic rhetoric where women from...
I can honestly say I’m sick of hearing about, talking about and thinking about fat. And yet it's everywhere – whether it’s the fear-mongering headlines that claim our country has been consumed by an o...
When I first saw Miss Representation it stunned me—in the best of ways. I didn’t immediately take the time to reflect on it, but then a few nights ago I was unlucky enough to witness the newest Carl’s...
Laura Gibson grew up in a small town in southern Oregon called Coquille. Her family lived in the middle of the woods, as her father was a forest ranger and her mother a teacher.
Her introduction to m...
Political disagreements aside, I have to respect Meghan McCain's recent discussion about her body: specifically her criticism of the way the media has responded to her body and her refusal to change a...
Is it a widespread tendency of conservative politicians to both promote abstinence-only sex education, which research shows contributes significantly to increasing teen pregnancy rates, and be anti-ab...
When I was 13 years old, I was raped by my then 15 year old boyfriend. For years, I held back from telling anyone except for some of my closest male friends. Why did I hold back from telling anyone? I...
I can’t pinpoint one event that transformed me into a feminist activist – rather, a succession of small personal events led to a decision to co-found my own women’s rights organization and make a life...
After attending a recent event commemorating past voices of the women’s health movement, I turned on the news to watch the recent contraceptive hearings, and realized just how far we haven’t come.
As...
I’m currently a senior at my high school here in the Dominican Republic. I was born in the States and have lived overseas almost my entire life. I’m also Hispanic-- both my parents and the rest of my ...
I've always hated numbers.
Ok, maybe not "hate" since they do impact my daily life in positive ways.
But overall I really dislike numbers.
Not for what they inherently are or what good they've done fo...
HEY EVERYBODY. Watch this video. And even if it might be around 25 degrees where you are, just remember the message is always important (and it also applies to tanning!).
...
If you had asked me six months ago if I was affected by the media’s presentation of women, I would have responded with an unequivocal no. Yes, TV and magazines bombard us with horribly warped images o...
As nightfall approached on July 30, 2010, hundreds of armed men streamed into the village of Luvungi in eastern Congo from the nearby forests surrounding the area. At first they told the villagers they were just there for food and shelter and that their presence should cause no alarm. However, what unfolded over the next four days marked one of the worst attacks against a civilian community in Congo in the last two years.