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My Sheroes Part III

Continued...

 

I am stoked that it is still Women's History Month (and last week was International Women's day, with which I made many rants about intersectionality and appreciating and recognizing women from all over the globe and their tremendous efforts to promote women's roles, etc, as well as to progress all of our respected women's movements, etc). So in this week's "Sheroes" blog post, I'd like to focus on two international women who held significant roles in social justice movements in their communities:

 

Ani Pachen:

Ani Pachen(1933–2002) was a Tibetan Buddhist nun who led her clan in armed rebellion against China. She is known as the Tibetan Joan of Arc due to her peaceful protest and revolution against the Chinese invasion in Tibet. At the age of 17 she took her future into her hands and fled to a monastary after hearing of plans of an arranged marriage. She spent 18 years in the monastery. She inherited the leadership of the Lemdha Clan after he father died (and would also inherit accusations from the Chinese, due to her father's connections, helping to land her in jail). She led her clan in rebellion against the Communist Chinese. She led a guerrilla campaign of 600 fighters on horseback againstChinese tanks until her capture in late 1959. Pachen was released from prison in 1981, having endured many painful years full of torture (starvation, physical torture, etc). She dedicated her the rest of her life to resisting the Chinese in Lhasa and pushing towards Tibetan independence. She fled to the border upon learning that she was to be arrested again and wandered for several days in deep snow. She walked 25 days to Nepal and her lifelong dream to meet the Dalai Lama came true after she was granted a personal audience shortly after her arrival.

Her autobiography Sorrow Mountain: The Journey of a Tibetan Warrior Nun is one of my favorite reads. Much like the autobiography of the Dalai Lama, it portrays a young individual not much different than myself and my peers (snobby, selfish, rude) who learned from their mistakes and passions and grew up into one of the greatest heroes of our time. She pioneered the way for many revolutionists and is still a wonderful symbol of peace and justice.

 

 

 

 

Ani Pachen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wangari Maathai:

(1 April 1940 – 25 September 2011) was a Kenyan environmental and political activist. In the 1970s she founded the Green-Belt Movement, an environmental and non-governmental organization focused on planting trees, conservation and women's rights. In 2004 she became the first African woman to win the Nobel peace Prize for "her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.". She was an elected member of parliament and served as assistant minister for Environment and Natural Resources in the government of President Mwai Kibaki between January 2003 and November 2005. Furthermore she was an Honorary Councillor of the World Future Council. In 2011, Maathai died of complications from ovarian cancer.

 

I highly recommend reading Unbowed: A Memoir which highlights much of her achievements. Maathai was extremely involved in, not only her government, but globally, as well. In topics such as AIDS awareness, women's health, environmental justice, issues of racism, governmental/politics, etc. A prominent figure of the world.

 

 

 

 

 

Wangari Maathai

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Anna Ruhland

PBS Documentary "Makers: Women Who Make America" Thoughts and Criticism

I finally got to watch PBS' new documentary charting the women's rights movement in America (thanks PBS for posting the entire 3 hour film online for us to enjoy here).  As much as I (someone majoring in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies) or anyone else may know about the eruption of second wave feminism in the 1960s and 70s, it is still powerful to reflect on these histories.  The film does a great job of featuring countless interviews with men and women, including people involved in organizations that countered feminist movements (pro-life activists, anti-ERA activists, etc).  It is impossible to feature every aspect of a social movement, especially one as far-reaching and revolutionary as the women's liberation movement - which affected men, women, children, the economy, popular culture, law, education policies, labor rights, etc.  However, I was a bit disappointed with the gentle highlight of women of color and their response to the second wave, which I think could have been better handled; especially considering that these fierce conversations between women of color feminisms and tradtionally white, middle-class feminism are what brought on the third wave.  As many others have recognized, I also wish that the film had ventured into the late 1990s up until now, with young feminist movements and their utilization of the Internet (hello!).  Perhaps they will continue making segments of "Makers," and continue this story, but for now, here are some articles and reviews that I find critical to the film:

Women's HERstory Month

Each year, I am ashamed to say, it always slips my mind that March is Women's History Month. I just totally forget that there is a month dedicated to the history of women. Why is that? It isn't because I don't think it's a good idea. It isn't because I don't love women (I think I have made it very clear that I do). It isn't because I don't consider myself a feminist (I mean...obviously...I'm interning at the Women's Consortium. I'm a die-hard feminist). I think the reason I forget is because, quite honestly, as a woman, as a women's studies student, EVERYday and EVERYmonth is Women's History month to me. I think about women, my makers and educators and those powerful individuals that have shaped me, I think about them and the stories they created, every waking second. These women are so powerful to me that they transcend a month of dedication. I'm not saying I disagree with this. I think it's wonderful (just as with Black History Month) that we have four weeks dedicated to the greatness of these oppressed peoples. I would hope, though, that after March (or February) is done that this awareness would continue on. However, despite the memoriams throughout these months, we tend to slip back into the rut of ourselves, of a patriarchal hegemonic society, once they are over. So I want to inspire us to notice these people (and, just in celebration of the impending month I will focus solely on women) in our everyday lives because, in all truth, they have impacted us in every way (even when we do not realize it).♀ I love ALL women (both transgender and cisgender women). I love womyn of all sizes, colors and sexualities. I love womyn of all ages, classes, nationalities and abilities. From all political backgrounds and passions. Women are my friends, my lover, my mentors and advisers, teachers, heroes, mother/grandmothers/aunts. I love women because they are strong, intelligent, capable and beautiful beings. I love women because they teach me how to be the woman I want to be. I love working with women, playing with women, collaborating with women, learning with women, talking to women and being artistic with women. Although the feminist movements had&have flaws, I am still proud to say that I am an advocate for feminism trying to champion and fix those failures. Because my love for all women is so strong, enduring, intense and true ♀ xoxo 

My SHEroes are the women who pioneered for me the notion that a woman is so much more than what societies allow her to be. A woman is more than a textbook history, more than a media portrayal. More than any of us may even know about ourselves. These women taught me how to be more...

♀♀♀♀For each week of this month

                  I will post a miniature bio

           of 2 of the women I most admire.♀♀♀♀

 Here is the beginning of the list of some of my personal SHEroes...

 

• Willa Cather: Was an American Novelist. Her stories detailed life on the Great Plains (some of her greatest works are O' Pioneer, Song of the Lark and My Antonia), her protagonists almost always were young women. She grew up in Nebraska, attended the University of Nebraska (where she often used the name "william", dressed in "man's clothes" and cut her hair short) and, later, won a Pulitzer Prize for her novel One of Ours (set during WWI). There is a lot buzz around whether or not Cather was a lesbian, but not much proof either way. Some debate that her writings had queer tendencies or could be applied to queer theory. Despite whether or not these accusations are true Cather's most significant and impactful friendship was with the editor Edith Lewis of whom she lived with for 39 years, until her death. Towards the end of her career she started receiving negative criticism that attacked her supposed "romantic" (etc) manner of writing. This criticism was hard on her and she became reclusive. Due to this she destroyed most of her drafts, letters, notebooks, etc. Her style of writing can be dubbed romantic (which has negative connotations), but I believe it is better described as poetic and detailed. Her depiction of women is that of strong individuals who hold powerful positions (they aren't made out to be bimbos or femme fatales). As a young girl in home-school my mother had me read My Antonia, and later I would be drawn to O, Pioneers as well as Song of the Lark. As a thirteen year old I loved having a strong, literary, woman figure to idolize and admire (the way they adventured, made friends, followed their dreams, kept the farm running, held a business, inherited their father's land, etc). Her characters made me dream of this life. They inspired adventure in me.

                                                        Willa Cather

• Sophie Scholl: *9 May 1921 – 22 February 1943* (along with the other members of the White Rose non-violence resistance group). Executed because she was convicted of high-treason, because of her/their resistance and revolutionary ideas/actions against Nazi Germany (non-violent opposition). Initially the group just consisted of her brother and his friends, they later realized what a vital role S.Scholl would have in the movement (being a woman, she was less of a suspect for the SS). They co-authored several anti-Nazi pamphlets. One of my greatest heroes & role models. She taught me the power of peaceful resistance and dedication to what you believe in. A wonderful, inspirational and brave individual to recognize and look up to.

                                                            Sophie Scholl
        

 

To be Continued...

-Anna Ruhland

My Ode to Menstruation

Usually I am not the biggest fan of Vice Magazine, --->but this article<---Usually I am not the biggest fan of Vice Magazine, but an article that was posted on their blog brings up some issues/ideas/opinions that I don't normally feel towards most things written for/by them. It's an article that consists of everyday images of female/woman-bodied individuals, doing monotonous, mundane things. The aspect of these photoraphs that is so "unique" or, "unusual", however, is that they are all bleeding/menstruating and the blood is soaking their garments or dripping down their legs. At first I thought 'wow, cool, this is advocating for women to embrace their natural, bodily function rather than hide it away!" but again, I thought "but would I do that? I'm very open about my period and am verbal about how much I love and embrace it but I would never let it drip all over me for everybody to see, just like I would never let any of my bodily fluids drip all over me and my clothing". But I'm hesitant to liken menstruation to other natural bodily fluids or excrements, bowel movements or urine, which are dirty soils and are associated with dirty things, things our bodies want to dispose of, things that pop-culture and the media like to make fun of and use as fodder for crude jokes. I want periods to be discussed in a manner that provides an arena for this beautiful, natural occurence to receive the recognition and acknowledgement that it deserves. I don't want it to be made into a joke, to have to go as far as to be made into this intense-in your face-sexualized bodily function or to have to stoop to the level of being subdued or stiffled. I want menstruation to be something that women can talk about comfortably, ask questions about. Maybe not necessarily blab about it at volume 10 in their co-ed classroom. But, then again, maybe male-bodied individuals need to learn how to respect menstruation enough to understand that it isn't something to be grossed or weirded out by. That, even if you ignore it or don't want to listen to people talking about it doesn't stop it from happening ALL THE TIME. I want women to be able to understand their bodies, to leave shame behind and learn how to completely and totally feel free and one with their physical selves. I want women to know how to adequatly take care of themselves, dote on their bodies, know what the different textures and colors mean, what varying menstrual products are best for their bodies, for the environment. I also want female/woman-bodied individuals to feel comfortable reading about their periods, looking at art creations (see: May Ling Su "On My Period", Carolee Schneemann *pulling a scroll out of her vagina*, Zanele Muholi, Ingrid Berthon-Moine, Judy Chicago "Red Flag", etc etc) that depict periods in an aesthetically beautiful, abstract and artistically rendered way. I want women to know where to search these resources out. I want women to come together and embrace one another and their shared, united similarities/experiences as well as their wonderful, apparent differences. I want women to be able to feel whole, welcomed, to realize that NO aspect of their body is wicked or dirty. To be able to sucessfully do this, however, we need to find a means in which we can talk about menstruation but also avoid conflict. How can we create a menstrual imagery without simultaneously creating menstrual hate, or, furthering societal/media stereotypes? Many artists have tried and succeeded, but many have also been silenced and, in their wake, have left behind a movement, despite it being one that is equally silenced. I despise how I feel like my period is pornographic, X-rated. I hate how, even posting this, I feel like I need to censor myself. Replace "period" with childish, flowery phrases like "my monthly visitor" or "when mother nature calls". It's called a PERIOD, dammit! There is nothing wrong or evil about that. There is nothing shameful or wrong, and this is what I am thankful for these artists, social media (some) and individuals for attempting to do. I love my period because it reminds me of who I am, who the women before me were. And this is my personal account, because I am fortunate enough to have been born in a body that I feel right in. Menstruation is a constant reminder of that. I celebrate when it arrives, despite my groaning. I look forward to it coming because it makes me feel alive, like a woman, like a functioning body that operates the way I want it to operate. We need to reclaim menstruation, for ourselves (if our bodies are those that we are comfortable living in), and for others and to recognize the constant beauty and wonderful functions and creations that it can and does provide.

 

-Anna Ruhland

Leave the NFL Alone; Gun Control Will End Domestic Violence, Just Be Careful Dumping Your Boyfriend

On December 1st, Jovan Belcher shot and killed his long-time girlfriend and mother to his child, Kasandra Perkins, before shooting himself. 

While it is not clear the exact catalyst for this murder, apparently the couple's relationships was strained and they had been arguing frequently. It would be unsurprising to discover Perkins had attempted to initiate a break-up before Belcher had shot her. Eight times. Clearly there was a lot of anger involved in this situation, and according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, women who leave their batterers are at a 75% greater risk of severe injury or death. Belcher's mother, who was living with them, reported hearing him say "You can't talk to me like that" shortly before shooting Perkins. The couple had also been getting counseling.

NBC's Bob Costas' response to the tragedy was a call to action for gun control. This is a huge problem. The response of the media blames weapons and excuses domestic violence as the root of the problem. Remember the old adage 'Guns don't kill people, people kill people'? True story. 

Anything can be a deadly weapon, including a person's bare hands. Gun control will not eliminate domestic violence or murders, these horrible things will still happen via different means. The root of the problem needs to be addressed, and the root is domestic violence. 

Approximately 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence during there lifetime. Domestic Violence results in nearly 2 million injuries and 1300 deaths in the US every year. 31% of all women murdered are killed by a current or previous intimate partner.

It is extremely unfortunate that Costas didn't take advantage of such a prime opportunity to address the dangers and unacceptability of domestic violence. He had millions of viewers tuned in, a large percentage of which who would likely not otherwise be reached by anti-violence campaigns. 

The NFL itself may be an important target area for addressing domestic violence. While many NFL coaches claim to uphold certain standards for their players, ultimately those players are hired who will be the best athletes, not the best role models. 21 of 32 NFL teams, at one point this year, had employed at least one player with a domestic violence or sexual assault charge on his record.

Gender Neutral Bathrooms: An Easy Solution?

To many feminists, myself included (until recently), switching over to gender-neutral bathrooms seems like a no-brainer. Mary Ann Case, a law professor at the University of Chicago, called restrooms a “fault line,” saying, “very few spaces in our society remain divided by sex. There’s marriage and there’s toilets, and very little else". However, is it possible that gender-neutral bathrooms might present as many issues as sex-specific? 

First, allow me to highlight the issues with sex-specific bathrooms. 

    1. Male & female bathrooms force people who don't fit into societal gender norms to choose one of two bathrooms, both of which may be inaccurate at describing their identity. Forcing people to choose a bathroom when they may identify as androgynous or gender-fluid often causes them discomfort or frustration.

    2. People who appear to be a different gender than their anatomy can receive various levels of harassment, intimidation, and violence in sex-specific bathrooms-often no matter which they choose, and in some places can even be arrested for 'disorderly conduct' if the bathroom they choose doesn't match their driver's license.

    3. Sex-specific bathrooms also cause issues for families with children (such as mothers bringing sons, or fathers bringing daughters, to a restroom), and people with disabilities who need the assistance of an attendant of a different gender.

So, it would seem that switching over to gender-neutral bathrooms would solve a lot of problems, but what problems might this cause? Here are some issues with gender-neutral bathrooms:

Happy Veteran's Day for Women?: The Epidemic of Military Rape & Sexual Assault

• In 2011, the Pentagon ruled in civilian court that rape and sexual assault are occupational hazards for women in the military.
• One in three of active-duty women serving in the U.S. military have reported being the victim of sexual assault while serving, which is double the rate for civilians. 
• An estimated only 13.5% of rapes and sexual assaults in the military are reported, and only 8% of these are brought to trial.

Why does such a small percentage of these crimes receive justice? Why does such a small percentage get reported? Why do so many sexual assaults occur in the first place? Why is the military so dangerous for women, not because of outside hostiles, but because of their fellow servicemen?

Kids Belong In Homes, Not Alleys

November is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month.

Approximately 1.6 million children are homeless each year. Along with the hardship of losing one's home, family, friendship, and routine, many homeless youth are also the victim of trauma. Homeless youth are exposed to countless dangers while living on the street, with an increased likelihood of substance abuse, early parenthood, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, and a vulnerability to being trafficked. 

In 2010 in Minnesota, there were 15,898 homeless children. Although Minnesota ranks 2nd best among the states for its homeless youth population, this is still 15,898 too many. Here are some statistics on homeless youth in Minnesota via Youth Moving Forward:

• 47% of the total homeless population in Minnesota are age 21 and younger
• 52% of homeless youth are female (national statistic)
• 66% of homeless youth are Black, American Indian, Asian, Hispanic or of mixed race compared to 18% of all MN youth
• 49% report a significant mental health problem
• 51% had been physically or sexually abused

These number are all very sad, but the one that really stood out to me is "89% of homeless youth 17 & younger are enrolled in school". This means that teachers and other staff have the opportunity to recognize these children are homeless, and are not doing anything about it. I strongly feel that we need better programs implemented in schools to recognize homelessness as well as abuse. I think teachers are a resource for insuring children are safe and healthy that is not being used.

Show Your Breasts Some Love!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

 

via 

Magickal Graphics

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in the United States other than skin cancer, and the second leading cause of cancerous deaths. While rare, breast cancer also appears in men. In 2012, it is projected that about 227,000 women and about 2,200 men will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the United States alone.

Susan G. Komen for the Cure recommends breast self-exams every month starting by age 20. Komen also recommends women in their 40s and older have mammograms every 1 or 2 years, & women who are younger than 40 with risk factors for breast cancer speak with their healthcare provider about whether and how often to have mammograms.

 

Pro-Choice Night: The Changing Landscape of Reproductive & Sexual Healthcare

College Feminists Connect is proud to be part of this event! We hope to see you there. 

Hamline University, Kay Fredericks Ballroom, Klas Center (1537 Taylor Avenue)