Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Bus stories

As some of you know, you see the craziest things on MUNI, and today was no exception. I was heading home when a group of middle school students got on the bus. It was crowded for an evening bus, so we were all smushed inside. A seat was vacated later on and one of the girls sat down. Then one of the boys sat on top of her, and all the other teens started yelling "RAPE!" First of all, the comment was completely inappropriate. It reminded me of the "That's so GAY!" comment. Other passengers stayed quiet and didn't say anything, even though they repeated it several times. The boy sitting on the girl said that it was not rape because she was younger than he was. Throughout this incident, I really wanted to say something about rape and how it isn't something that you can joke around with, but I didn't know how to approach it without it sounding like a lecture. It goes to show that even in San Francisco, people still have uninformed perspectives on rape, as seen in the Steubenville rape case. There is no education on sexual issues, apart from a college setting, even though we live in a sexualized environment. I believe that a movement has to be created to educate the youth about sex and all other issues that relate. Like Swati Parashar said, we have to be uncomfortable and angry at these issues to stimulate change. I wish I would have said something, but the issue is too complicated to explain in a 30-minute bus ride.

Walk against Rape and the Boston Bombings


     I was thinking about what Valeria said in class about the Walk Against Rape and it reminded me of what Cynthia Enloe said in her talk. The Boston bombings were in a demilitarized environment and after, it was completely different, especially since the FBI [and SWAT teams] showed up as a response. But in the Walk Against Rape the police was guarding the route. My "feminist blinkers" were automatically on because of the dynamic of the walk. Rape is about control, regardless of sex and the policemen/policewomen were a symbol of control. It could be intimidating or even a trigger for some of the participants. 
     It could be argued that they are also for protection, but I think that just like the Boston marathon, the walk should be just the participants. It gives them the control and power of walking for their cause, without the help of outside influences. Or maybe I'm completely wrong? Any thoughts?

Monday, April 29, 2013

Rape: A Lack of Conviction

Click the link to see the visual - out of an estimated 78,000 rapes in the UK each year, only 1,153 are convicted of their crime (data from 2009-2012) via Information is beautiful.

Updates from Ann Jones...

I thought you might be interested in what Ann Jones has been up to since she visited us, so here are two pieces she wrote (the first one is an update on her long-term involvement in Afghanistan & the second one, she said to me, was inspired by her visit to us!):

***

Afghan Women Face the Future



This is a personal story, and it’s hard to tell because nobody knows how it will end. I first went to Afghanistan in 2002, where I volunteered with two small nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) staffed by Afghan women: widows, university students, teachers. I’ve gone back to Afghanistan to work with those women almost every year—except for part of 2010 and 2011, when I embedded with the US military instead, to learn more about its “mission” in the country. The military was so out of touch with the actual Afghanistan that I may as well have been on the moon.
I went back to Kabul again in January, eleven years after first meeting my Afghan colleagues, and more than a year since I had last seen them. I thought I would find them changed, and I did—but not as I had imagined. I was worried about their future. They’re worried too, but they’re also stronger and more determined than ever.

Read on here 

***

Men Who Kick Down Doors: Tyrants at Home and Abroad 

By Ann Jones
March 21, 2013

Picture this.  A man, armored in tattoos, bursts into a living room not his own.  He confronts an enemy.  He barks orders.  He throws that enemy into a chair. Then against a wall.  He plants himself in the middle of the room, feet widespread, fists clenched, muscles straining, face contorted in a scream of rage.  The tendons in his neck are taut with the intensity of his terrifying performance.  He chases the enemy to the next room, stopping escape with a quick grab and thrust and body block that pins the enemy, bent back, against a counter. He shouts more orders: his enemy can go with him to the basement for a “private talk,” or be beaten to a pulp right here. Then he wraps his fingers around the neck of his enemy and begins to choke her.
No, that invader isn’t an American soldier leading a night raid on an Afghan village, nor is the enemy an anonymous Afghan householder.  This combat warrior is just a guy in Ohio named Shane. He’s doing what so many men find exhilarating: disciplining his girlfriend with a heavy dose of the violence we render harmless by calling it “domestic.”

Read on here.

Human Rights Film Festival: Reportero


During the Human Rights Film Festival I saw the film Reportero, which was directed by Bernardo Ruiz. This documentary follows the journalistic life of Sergio Haro and his colleagues at Zeta, a weekly paper based in Tijuana. Because of corruption and danger (granted this is the case in most of Mexico but Tijuana is worse by far) it is very difficult to be a reporter. Rather, it is very difficult to be a good reporter who is willing to write the truth. This idea of the moral responsibility for truth telling is central to the work of Sergio Haro, whose life is in constant threat. Three people have been attacked, resulting with founder Jesus Blancornelas barely surviving and the death of two other main reporters. This documentary illuminates the dangers of living within a “drug war zone”. It shows how the Mexican government has consistently failed to take care of its people and allowed drug lords to govern the country through corruption and impunity. Along with this is the issue of media censorship on the behalf of the government.
This film effectively shows how the truth can be a threatening force for a system. Tijuana drug cartels are still threatened by the possibility that the masses can know the truth. In the film they describe how Haro and the other editors of Zeta published the faces of every hired gunman for the cartel. These were normal men who were a part of the community and now their dark secret was revealed. And of course this is unsettling for the assassins—whether for issues of accountability, secrecy, or shame. The public officials involved in drug cartels are also at risk of exposure so controlling the media is in their best interest. There needs to be a standard of truth and freedom of speech but the budding relationship between the Mexican government and drug cartels stands in the way of this.

Reflection on the Davies Workshop

I really enjoyed today’s workshop but wished that I could have stayed longer or been there in the morning. My favorite part was being a part of the drawing exercise on violence and well-being. I noticed as we were sharing our drawings in small groups that my drawings ended up being very personal and emotion based. In a group with Erika and Sarai Aharoni, we noticed that all of our drawings ranged in theme and abstraction. The thing that struck me most was that a lot of the drawings had something to do with balance and time. There is always a time for something—as cheesy as that sounds. There is a time to contemplate, a time for friends and community, a time for working, etc. This exercise reminded me that balance is very important to have in one’s life. Balance, for me, is the ultimate expression of well-being. It is the best way to clear the mind and reorient your life. I think this is why I am intrigued by the idea that anger should be productively channeled, which is something Swati Parashar kept talking about. Anger can be used as a force of good if controlled and understood. Emotions themselves are not bad and can be expressed constructively. Similar to anger, silence can be used as a powerful tool as well. Silence can have as much power as any other method and speak volumes.  

Response to Anu Bhagwati


Anu Bhagwati, executive director and co-founder of the Service Women’s Action Network, came to talk to our class before her evening lecture. I also had the opportunity to go out to dinner with her, Professor Wibben, and two fellow classmates. Anu’s visit was refreshing because she has a completely different take on women in the military than most other visitors we have had. She is pro-equality in the military, leading her to endorse policy such as equal standard fitness tests. I completely agree when Anu says that this patriarchy is preventing women from exceeding because they are held at a lower standard. Women in the military exist in this limbo where they cannot act too feminine or too masculine because they are ridiculed either way. There is no win. The pressure of this environment leads women to be ultra feminist or a misogynist, as Anu admitted to being at one point.
            Although Anu’s visit was refreshing, I found myself getting frustrated at times because her views were so pro-military and I cannot agree with this. I kept forgetting that she was still a willing participant and representation of the military. One comment that rather annoyed me was when she was explaining the job of female engagement teams. These women are not trained to have tea but rather to carry out a mission and determine when the next air strike should be. This completely shocked me because, again, I kept forgetting her positionality. It makes sense to think that this is a natural sentence to her, which it totally is, but I cannot get passed the thought that this method of attaining information violates the women at the other end. They are blatantly being used by the military; well I guess that is what is involved in war. So yeah, I guess my problem is not Anu but the existence of what she represents. 

Response to Cynthia Enloe

During her lecture Monday evening, Cynthia Enloe ended up talking about the bombings at the Boston Marathon. She focused mostly on how the incident was being portrayed by the media, an observation made possible by her feminist curiosity. All stories surrounding the Boston Marathon seem to be based on pure speculation. I am glad Enloe brought up the hasty terrorist accusations that were jumped to immediately. She raises a good question when asking why this was a terrorist act and not any other recent shootings. Is it all based on race? How is it justifiable to tie these two kids to an ethnic war and disregard everything else? The connections that the media has been making to their Chechen ethnicity are so over stretched. Are we that concerned with security? Must we always create this phantom menace? Not to mention that all this reporting and reactions just cause more fear which is then blanketed by a false sense of security. Everything seems to be blown out of proportion so emotional responses are the first to be had. I mean, have you seen the footage and pictures they have been showing in the news? The graphics are so unnecessary. Yes, there should be transparency and the people have a right to know what has been going on but the way it is presented is completely unclassy. But of course, the more “in your face” it is, the bigger the response will be, and the easier it is to gain control. Haha, this totally sounds like a conspiracy theory. I think we should always be wary of the information we are presented and approach it with a critical eye.  

Sunday, April 28, 2013

MSA's fundraiser for Somalia

When Somalia was first declared in a state of famine in 2011, awareness skyrocketed and people all over the world were doing their part to aid the country. However, like most crisis, people forgot and moved on to the next international crisis being publicized by the media. We are now in the year 2013 and the crisis is still crucial. In fact, the famine has most affected women and children. Because of the lack of food, women are forced to scavenge and venture far from home in hopes of finding food for their families and this leads to dangerous situations. Men and rebel armies formed from the chaos and conflict a famine creates, use this opportunity to exert dominance and proceed to rape, rob and kill women. A year into the famine, and mothers still feared sexual violence and worried for their daughters’ safety. Women are being displaced at an alarming rate, suffering from the corruption of militias who distort aid distribution to their advantage.

What’s happening in Somalia is telling of the role of women in the country. The treatment of women in Somalia is very similar to that of Sierra Leone, Liberia and many other countries we studies in Jones “War is not Over When it’s Over.” On top of the fact that they are starving and can’t feed their children, they can’t walk outside without being harassed or raped by a man or a soldier. A crisis rarely ever stays within its limits and will spin out of control if not handled. A famine turns into conflict, which can turn into a civil war. In addition, those that have the least rights have even worse living situations in times of crises. From history we know this, so governments should predict this and focus their energy on keeping women, the fruits of society, safe because they always bear the brunt of these crises.

The Vagina Monologues

I went to go see the Vagina Monologues on Saturday. This was my second time watching them (I watched them last year) and I enjoyed them just as much. I was surprised at all the men in the room and they all seemed to be enjoying themselves. Before college, this wouldn't be something I would normally be interested in watching. Now, I think the concept is really inspiring. It simply tells the stories of women and how they feel about their vagina's in a world where having a vagina gives one less rights. There are stories that women in the audience can relate to, laugh with, and cry with. It was also cool because they added in parts about SF and USF. My favorite one was one the story about how the women's vagina was pissed off and angry. This one was especially funny, but it also made a point. That it's time vaginas were treated with respect and allowed the freedom without being scared or restricted. It's time they were treated gently and given the opportunity and most importantly priority in receiving pleasure. Basically, women are becoming fed up, and are going to fight for what they want until they get it. "Hell hath no fury like a women scorned."
One thing I found interesting is that women go for years without even looking at their vagina. Why is that? There was a story about a woman who finally saw it and was empowered, and another about a woman who when a man saw her vagina and thought it was beautiful, it empowered her. You would never hear of a man never looking at his penis. It really makes you think of what each sex prioritizes and why.
I also liked how they paid tribute to rape victims and in the end each actress said why she was performing these women's stories in the Vagina Monologues. It makes me think what I my vagina would wear, say, or think if I were to be interviewed. 

Cynthia Enloe's Visit

Cynthia Enloe has to be my favorite speaker. I loved her attitude and her approach to feminist studies. I think it takes a certain amount of skill to be able to collect the stories of women who have been through so much and make them come alive without even meeting them. I think it was very important that these women's stories be heard, even if they don't know it. Everyone should get the chance to have an outlet to share their struggles and achievements, because people can learn from the unexpected and it sends a message of empowerment. I like that she said she wonders if it really is her place to be spreading awareness of the issues these women face. Where is the line drawn between making a difference, and using privilege to do it?
I also liked that for her public lecture she chose to talk about something that hit close to home, but she did it in a different light. The Boston bombing brought so much light to the corruption in the media and journalism. One thing that really struck me was her explanation of the news interviewing the mother of the brothers who bombed the Boston race. She asked what was the point of that? They purposely interview her to blame her for her horrible parenting skills that caused her sons to carry out the bombing. They have no interest in hearing her side of the story or her feelings, and they go in there with judgement already. And what is else is she going to say but how her sons were good boys and she didn't expect this? No mother expects her son to commit such a horrible crime. It's interesting that the mother is always to blame and not any other guardian for these types of situations. Americans watching the news at home see that the women are always to blame for the way children turn out, and that has an affect on families. It's a fact that is talked about quite often, that women are always gossiping and judging each other's parenting. Each mother feels like she is right. The mother is always portrayed as weak and not in control of her children. If we go by parenting stereotypes, shouldn't the father figure to be to blame for not disciplining his sons enough? Cynthia Enloe definitely expanded my feminist curiosity. 

Film Festival- 5 Broken Cameras

5 Broken Cameras was an amazing movie documenting a Palestinian man and his view of the occupation through each of his five cameras which each represent a new moment in his life. It was so real and raw and unlike any documentary of Palestine I've seen before. He bought his first camera to capture the birth of his son. He watches his son grow threw the lens of his camera and also ended up catching protests, the IDF abuse, and his land being taken away in the process. Each year his son grew represented something monumental happening in his town in regards to the occupation. His camera gave him the strength and courage to document these heart-breaking moments--his brothers being taken to jail by the IDF, him getting shot, his best friend dying, and his house being invaded. He felt that his camera was protecting him. He witnessed not only men on the front lines of protests for the town to get their land back, but women as well. He watched strong young and old women fight back against the soldiers and not take the humiliation. He watched them hold signs and march through the streets right along their fellow Palestinian brothers.
I've always believed that when a community stands for something strongly enough, it brings together men and women and the differences in biology cease to matter. I think that is one of the reason the army is so unequal--because the soldiers don't believe in the cause and the lies the government is feeding them. They have no reason to unite with their fellow soldiers, because the cause isn't important to them. They end up not focusing and not respecting the female soldiers. If they were truly passionate up fighting for the sake of their country, rape and power would not be a priority.  In the end this community got their land back. People died in honor, people fought together, they didn't lose hope or focus and it paid off. 

Reflection on Anu B. visit

As I mentioned in class, the thing that struck me most about Anu is the fact she identifies as three seemingly contradictory things: academic, veteran, and activist. It's not uncommon that scholars are involved in activism and vice versa, but very rarely (in my experience) do military members associate with academia or the non-profit world. I think that this is because liberal academia and non-governmental organizations are often critical of the military. That said, I like how she maintained respect for the military but not without believing the military (and our government) is incapable of any wrongdoing. She demonstrated (I think) that you can be critical of the U.S. military but can still very much be a patriotic person.

Cynthia Enloe's Visit

Cynthia Enloe had some great points about the process of writing a paper. My favorite was how she mentioned to not gloss over any thought, quotation, reference, or assumption that comes up during writing which causes discomfort. Instead, use this productively. Include it as a footnote. As she said, "It should always feel a little uneasy, because there is no such thing as universal knowledge". Love this. I also appreciated how she encouraged us to view our essays as part of a broader conversation. This gives me more incentive, more initiative, to really take seriously the claims I make in my essay.

During her presentation in Fromm, however, she made some remarks I didn't agree with. I remember her asking "Why was the religion or race of the shooters in the Gabby Giffords or Aurora incidents not considered? Why was it all the focus in the Boston shootings?" I think it's inaccurate to portray all three of these shootings as one in the same, especially given the fact that Dzokhar Tsarnaev himself stated "We did this in the name of religion."

We are the Future

It's interesting that Feminism is inherently a response to something. As long as there is inequality and violence against women, feminism will continue to develop as a reactor for these issues. For each generation of females, different inequalities exist, and so there will be different forms of feminism to respond. Can feminism stand as a concept on its own? Can there be feminism without inequalities? Would there be a point? I used to think that feminism was a form of extremism, and I'm glad I was able to take this class because it makes me realize that women's rights isn't about extreme ideas, but the main idea is that they need to be singled out in the sea of inequalities, because women are different from men. They aren't worse or better, just different. And different problems need different courses of treatment. One of the biggest problems surround the fact that we are trying to solve algebraic and trigonometric equations the exact same way! And the fact that men are the standard just reemphasizes that point. Statistics really help me put it into perspective. There are over 200,000 victims of sexual assault each year in the U.S. I know that I can't be passionate about everything, but the fact that is new information to me really makes me upset. How can we help others, if we don't even help ourselves first? WHY is this number new information? It's overwhelming to think about this answer. It's because there is a carelessness about women that has been institutionalized since the founding of this country, and so the citizens of the U.S. grow up not knowing or not caring. Because of the frustration and the slow improvement, women have taken up other measures. Although I don't agree with them, I understand where they are coming from. Oppression makes people do some crazy things.
For example, the Femen movement sprouted up recently in the media because of their means of exposing "female oppression." Although I deem it to be crazy, to them it is their way to stand up for justice. Even though this is a blog, and I am supposed to write about my feelings, I'm tired of it. Honestly, I'm just tired of having to be on the defensive all the time and every where go. From class to the comments on the streets, to conversations with friends, I feel like it never ends. I have to take an intro to the Quran class for major and it is very difficult to sit in that class with a room filled with people who are so clueless about Islam, especially during the class on what the Quran says about women. I feel like that is my life condensed into one room. Sometimes there are so many things I want to say that I end up saying nothing at all. Then I regret it. I don't want to victimized myself and after this class, I know that there are way worse problems happening to women around the world, but that doesn't mean I can shut off my feelings.

This facebook page has some great articles regarding how a community of Muslim women feel about Femen.

Workshop Reflections

Like Professor Wibben said, this workshop could've taken place for 3 days instead of 3 hours. I think because there were so many speakers it was hard to grasp all the information I could've were it one speaker. I felt like we barely had enough time to discuss topics into detail, and we only covered surface level information. I liked the meditation and "drawing violence" exercise, because it reminded me of the activities and meditations we would do in high school. Sometimes it's nice to just go back to the simple ways of delving into difficult topics than the more complicated ones like analyzing research right off the bat. It was hard at first to go from the calm meditation to drawing acts if violence but then I thought that was the best way to get a clear and neutral pallet first. If we were to be angry and thinking up violence before we drew, I think we would have had different outcomes. It was great that we could interpret others drawings and hear their own interpretations. It helps to put thoughts on paper because I think it makes it more real.
I especially liked what Swati said about getting angry. That's usually what motivates my passionate side. Sometimes it makes me go on long rants, but helps to get all the emotions out there, because then you can go back and look at your thoughts and fine tune it. I believe that it's passion that drives success and change. I also found my conversation with Caron very interesting. When you look at her, she is this jolly, sweet woman and then you find out that she teaches terrorist studies in Scotland. I wish that we could've had a deeper discussion about her line of work. I feel like every time I asked a question, her answer reflected her sweet disposition. I wish I could've seen more of the Caron that got riled up when she had a discussion with one of the other guest speakers who was questioning her. It was nice to see successful feminists get together and just talk with each other and reminisce. I used to have a very specific opinion about what feminists's views are, and it was nice to see the diversity in person that proved me wrong. 

Anu's Visit

I loved the Anu that came to class and had a conversation with our class. That Anu was open and more critical and seemed to stand firmly with out any hesitation for what she believed in--women's rights in the military. I am very critical of the military and usually judge those involved very harshly, but she helped me see a new perspective. That through women joining the military, it makes a statement for women's rights. The U.S. needs to take it one step at a time. For example, have equal training requirements for men and women. She made a good point when she said when you tell women that they only need to do 50 push-ups instead of the 100 that men do, that's all they will think they are able to do. Women have been striving to reach goals set by men for a long time, and if that is the standard then women will meet it. She was critical of her behavior along with other soldier's behaviors from the military environment.
I have met others like this as well. When I went on the Beyond Bridges Israel Palestine trip, our group met with members of the IDF who were also critical of their behavior and even  regretted some of their actions and what they one stood for. Although I think it's great that we can be critical after the event as happened, I wonder what good does that do? The actions have already happened and the words have already been spoken. There is only so much one can do. Have these reflections affected those in the military today? I can only hope that the work done to spread awareness will be enough or make a dent in all the inequalities occurring the military. It made me realize why I am so critical of the military. It's because it is one institution that has the ability to affect millions of other's lives, not just american lives.
When Anu gave the public presentation to all of USF, her attitude totally changed. She seemed very defensive of the military and had more pride in the institution that was part of the reason for women's inequalities. She barley touched on what it was that affected women in the military and more on female's achievements. Some things she said didn't sit right with me. For example, she talked about one of her heroes [Martha McSally] who worked to get the requirement for wearing a scarf in Saudi Arabia banned for female soldiers. I think this was just disrespectful because of cultural norms--no matter where you are. You are invading a country, invading women's privacy, destroying their lives and the least you can do is accept the cultural norms. The hardest thing is that she didn't believe that what the military was fighting for was corrupt. She was fighting for women's rights in American while at the same time taking away rights of women in Afghanistan. The irony is so blatant to me I don't understand how people miss it. It just emphasized the fact that America's "freedom" is all that its cracked up to be so to speak. We claim that these countries in African and the Middle East and South Asia are jealous of our freedoms and our democracy when the reality is I think we are just as "uncivilized," we just know how and have the resources to cover it up a lot better.

~Sarah

Walk Against Rape

(This is me!)

Overall, the Walk Against Rape was very... revealing, I would say. There were a lot of emotions throughout the 3.5 mile walk that started in the Women's Building, at 18th and Guerrero, up 18th, then on Castro, down Market, down 16th and all the way to 25th and Potrero, at La Raza Park. 
At times, I felt like crying. Other times I felt really empowered. I felt supported. I felt hostility. I felt a unease.

I am a runner and have ran many races that benefit diseases. I realize how different advocating for such a cause really is. Then I also realized that rape culture can also be a disease. 

The whole time I was walking, I felt myself almost going through phases. Sometimes I would drift away only to be brought back to the reality of the march, of the blazing sun, of chanting, by cars driving by honking in support. Then I would remember to smile. To scream. To whoop loudly and bang my sign up in the air. To scream YEAAHH!!!!!! as passerby's smiled on, snapping pictures, as I saw people faces peeking out from their apartment windows, as people on the street would just stare on, as police-men riding their motorcycles and bikes regulated us, as tourists passed by on foot or on tour and thought "San Francisco". 

The whole time I was walking I thought about aspects of my personal life and moments when I have felt rejected, assaulted, or violated for the reason that I am a woman. I thought about my Mexican heritage and how I was raised and still live in a highly machismo-dominated culture. I thought about all the gender norms within my family, and the gender norms to which I been conforming to my entire life. I thought about the times I, too, have victim-blamed. Of the times I've discriminated. I thought about all the times I've used the word slut, whore, or hoe to refer to someone. Of the times I've been to college parties and seen girls passed out on the ground, some half-naked, and I just looked at them in disgust. I thought about the rape accusations against some boys on the soccer team at USF last year and how I had been called to share information with someone in the dean's office; even then I had thought, "some girls ask for it; they ask for it. They should know their limits." My goodness. How fucked up was I. 

Nobody deserves to get raped. It is NOT the woman's fault.

I don't know how many people in the walk had been victims themselves. But it didn't matter. We were one. We weren't going to be defeated. Nobody was going to tell us that we couldn't march. Not the police, not the government, not rapists, not anyone. I scream-responded with the women from Mujeres Unidas y Activas in Spanish as they chanted: "Si signifier si! No significa no!" and "violadores al carajo!" among many others.    



When I saw the sign "what causes rape", I thought about all the times I have been protected and told not to go out at night, to be careful about leaving babysitting gigs here in SF too late and taking a cab home because I can get raped, to not drink too much because I can get taken advantage of......... The list is endless. And it's so wrong. And I know I'm not alone.






One thing that really made me ponder and ... scared me... is something we've already discussed in class.  The whole time I was walking I couldn't stop judging all the men, and especially the police officers that were there. In this class especially, we have discussed a lot about militarization (obviously) and in the term paper that I am writing for this class, I focus on uncovering a lot of crimes perpetrated by legal officers and law enforcement. Some girls have mentioned nightmares as a result of all the information we read about, the crimes, the realities. I know I can't look at every man as a potential rapist. And I was trying to refrain from doing so. But it was hard. I saw them and saw patriarchy. I saw machismo. I wondered what they thought about my sign. I wondered if they felt attacked. I know rape is also committed by women. And that not all men are rapists. Nor abusive. But it's so hard for me look at them the same. It's really hard to continue having a relationship without closing myself off as a result of everything I am learning. Every time I get in an argument with my boyfriend or my dad now, patriarchy is everywhere, and so are my rights as a woman. It's so hard for me to identify the line between what is okay, what is normal, what isn't. 



How can I?


I know I'm never going to be "normal" again. Feminist blinkers are on. Everyday. All the time. It's scary when you slowly start to realize how blinded you were. When you are about to make a judgement on something and then stop yourself and think, "wait, that's not what I've learned." It certainly causes a lot of disruption in one's life. But I certainly have never felt so content, gratified, and hopeful (although extremely confused) about myself as a woman, my body, my rights, my voice, and the power I hold as a woman. 





Cynthia Enloe's Visit

Cynthia Enloe is the most adorable speaker I think we've ever had at the Davies forum AND for my entire college career! She was so pleasant and seemed genuinely interested in our class; I didn't feel intimidated by her presence, but definitely felt her intelligence and knowledge from both her work and our discussion. I think she might be one of my favorite speakers to date!

Enloe's book, Nimo's War, Emma's War: Making Feminist Sense of the Iraq War talked about the effects of war also including gendered dimensions in marriage, motherhood, women's sexuality, women's access to education and work. Her stories about the different perspectives and circumstances of women - from Nimo and her beauty salon to Charlene, the mother of a US serviceman, were eye-opening and informative about the different facets of the Iraq War. Like with Anu Bhagwati, I only had a minimal understanding of the Iraq War and its effects on women; I've learned about the Iraq War in my US Foreign Policy class, but we focused more on the systematic result of United States' approach.

Enloe's visit to our class, however, focused a little less on her book, but more on the concepts of writing and the reasons why she wrote the book, as well as the process. It was interesting to learn about her politics of choosing a title, as well as the way she retrieved information in order to write the perspectives of these women. I appreciated her insight into writing, as well as her explanation of her experiences in academia. I also loved how she divulged in how she got into feminist research in the first place - it was very humbling of her to admit that the chaos and unease of doing difficult research was common for anyone, even the experts themselves.

Saturday, April 27, 2013

Human Rights Film Festival


“The Invisible War”

During the Human Rights Film Festival I attended the documentary The Invisible War written and directed by Kirby Dick. After Anu Bhagwati’s visit to our class, and hearing great reviews about the documentary I decided to watch the film. The documentary highlights the controversy surrounding sexual assault within the United States military. I wasn’t able to attend the discussion following the film, however, I was extremely moved by the film’s content. I was shocked by the overall statistics of rape within the military, the amount of cases that go “unreported” and unresolved, and the stories of women who were forced to experience physical and mental abuse, sometimes even from commanders. I was shocked by the irony of the situation. Here, were women [and men] willing to fight and protect our country, however, they received no protection for themselves.
How could such an “admirable” institution have high levels of corruption and dishonesty?  Levels so high that statistics revealed in the documentary state 3,230 women reported assault during the last fiscal year in 2009, and 80% of sexual assault victims do not report. At the time of the documentary they estimated that 16,150 women were sexual assaulted in the military. Statistics continue to rise, and cases continue to go unreported. Although I had already had knowledge of sexual assault within the military from previous readings and Anu’s visit, there was absolutely nothing like seeing the personal detailed stories of the women and male survivors. The stories were heartbreaking. I watched as the lives of women and men were destroyed by the effects of the sexual assault and abuse they experienced while serving in the military.
The movie stated that “40 percent of female homeless veterans have been raped,” and “Women who have been raped in the military have a PTSD rate higher than men who’ve been in combat”. We have all heard the stories of men who experience post traumatic stress disorder after combat, however, I was extremely shocked to hear that statistics prove women who have been raped in the military have an even higher PTSD rate. After I watched the movie I thought about our idea for a rape campaign, simply stating: “DON’T RAPE”. I thought of the rape victim in the film who said “if a woman makes a rape case there always people asking questions, what was she doing there, what was she wearing? Whether or not she had a boyfriend”. I wondered what type of effect our slogan could have. How instead of victim blaming we can teach ways to prevent rape. 

Davies Forum Workshop


The Davies Forum workshop was truly a great experience. From the discussion I acquired new information and heard different perspectives on feminist research. I loved that the workshop allowed us the opportunity to hear from four very different women. I enjoyed hearing about their research and methodologies. I thought the workshop was beneficial, however I do wish we had more time to sit and discuss topics. I can only imagine what knowledge could have come out of a week's worth of conversation with the panelists.

One of the opening exercises that we did during the workshop was to draw three images of violence. I was very surprised at the many different perceptions of violence within my own group. Some of the images included depictions of violent acts, words such as “silenced” and really abstract lines and circles. I was very surprised by my own drawing: a depiction of violence on animals and nature. We had never discussed violence in that way, however, that was one of the things that I thought about so I decided to go with it! 

One of the instances that struck me during the discussion was Caron’s comments on the issues of the books Fifty Shades of Grey and Twilight. She stated that women are always depicted as falling in love with their captors. I was intrigued by this statement because surprisingly I had never heard anyone reference either story in that way – I had only heard people reference both stories as “romance novels”. I am completely disgusted with the Fifty Shades of Grey series, and it still surprises me how the series could receive such high levels of popularity. Caron’s comment made me think of the way that both books could influence readers to change their perceptions of “romance”. The books essentially romanticizes violence and promotes physical and psychological partner abuse.

Overall, I thought the workshop was a success and it was nice to interact with our guest speakers, even if the time was limited! 

Cynthia Enloe Visit


I truly enjoyed meeting Cynthia Enloe! Although I wasn’t able to make the class discussion, I refused to miss the opportunity to see her speak after class. I was very surprised that she spoke about the Boston Bombing, and I’m so happy she did. Before the discussion I hadn’t really followed the event closely, only hearing bits and pieces of the story. It was nice hearing her feminist perspective on the Boston bombing. The overall lecture struck me, but what stood out to me the most was when she questioned why the killings weren’t linked to Aurora and Newtown etc., how the method of weapon choice has distinguished the association to a “terrorist narrative” and how regarding the Boston bombing we’ve gone into a terrorist motive as opposed to a criminal motive. She also helped reinforce the idea that we must dig deeper than what’s being presented through the media and authorities, and do our own research to formulate our own opinions.

Cynthia Enloe was such a fascinating woman, and she had such a welcoming spirit. I felt so privileged to engage further with her at dinner! Although I tend to be very shy, I felt so comfortable in her presence! I loved that during dinner she invited everyone into the discussion and was interested in our own lives. I’m so happy that I got the opportunity to read some of her work, and listen to her lecture. The fabulous dinner and delicious dessert at Zazie’s was just the icing on the cake!