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Women's Rights and Feminist Activism
Last updated December 2012
Contents:
Articles and Information
Womanifesting Movement Launches in Celebration of International Women's Day
Men Outearn Women in Almost All Occupations
Four Women Journalists Kidnapped by Supporters of Female Genital Mutilation
Links to other relevant web pages:
WIFP Support of Efforts at the United Nations, click here.
Statistics and More, click here.
For information on Equal Rights Amendment efforts: http://www.equalrightsamendment.org/
For National and International upcoming media events, click here.
For articles on Media and Issues of Peace & Justice, click here.
A few historic women's campaign buttons from our collection:
The Shirley Chisholm campaign for President was in 1972.
Humor: Quotations from Women About Women
Articles and Information
Womanifesting Movement Launches in Celebration of International Women's Day
WASHINGTON (March 8, 2010) Today, a movement was launched by the
non-profit Womanifesting, Inc. (WOMA). The WOMANIFESTING Movement
is a descendant of both the Women’s Movement and the “Womanist”
Movement (coined by author Alice Walker).
“The term womanifesting defines the actions of a self-determined
woman; to recognize, celebrate, and share one’s brilliance and to use
that brilliance to serve, uplift, and inspire,” said Founder and
Executive Director of WOMA Inc., Tracy Chiles McGhee.
WOMA, Inc. was born in January 2010 based on a word created out of
reverence for the essence of womanhood and the legacy of strong
action-minded women throughout history. WOMA is more than an
organization; it’s a movement and community. WOMA seeks to harness
this incredible energy to engage in earnest social action to improve
the membership’s immediate communities and beyond. WOMA’s mission is
to spark a renewed sense of sisterhood and to inspire women to do amazing work
in communities, eventually reaching women globally and in every segment of
society.
JOIN THE MOVEMENT NOW!
WOMA is seeking like minded individuals to join the WOMANIFESTING
Movement now! To learn more about the organization and join the
WOMANIFESTING Movement, please visit www.womanifesting.org and join the
community, become a fan on Facebook or follow the movement on Twitter
@Womanifesting.
For more information about WOMA, please contact:
Yasmin Zialcita Ali
Womanifesting, Inc.
woma [at] womanifesting.org
http://www.womanifesting.org/
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Giumarra Vineyards Sued by EEOC for Sexual Harassment and Retaliation Against Farm Workers
Farm Workers Fired for Assisting Teenage Female Employee Who Was Being Sexually Harassed in the Vineyards, Federal Agency Charges
LOS ANGELES – Giumarra Vineyards Corporation, one of the largest growers of table grapes in the nation, violated federal law by subjecting a teenage female farm worker to sexual harassment, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit announced today. Further, the EEOC said, the company retaliated against a class of other farm workers who came to her aid at its Edison, Calif., facility. All of the victims identified in the lawsuit are indigenous Indians from Mexico, a minority among the Mexican farm worker community.
According to the EEOC’s suit (EEOC v. Giumarra Vineyards Corporation, et al, Case No. 1:09-cv-02255), filed in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, the young female worker was subjected to sexual advances, sexually inappropriate touching and abusive and offensive sexual comments about the male sex organ by a male co-worker.
The EEOC further alleged that after witnessing the sexual harassment, a class of farm workers came to the aid of the teenage female victim and complained to Giumarra Vineyards. However, just one day after reporting and complaining about the sexual harassment, the teenage victim and the class of farm workers were summarily discharged in retaliation for their opposition to the sexual harassment.
“What happened to this vulnerable young girl was intolerable and illegal,” said EEOC Acting Chairman Stuart J. Ishimaru. “And what this employer did to others who simply came to her defense was outrageous. Whenever workers alert their superiors about unlawful discrimination in the workplace, employers should act immediately to end the illegal mistreatment. If they don’t – if employers won’t protect their own workers from illegal harassment and instead retaliate against the whistle-blowers – then the EEOC will make sure they face the legal consequences.”
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it unlawful to harass employees based on sex, and prohibits an employer from retaliating against someone who complains about employment discrimination. The EEOC filed suit after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement. The agency seeks injunctive relief to end the discriminatory practices, plus back pay and compensatory and punitive damages to compensate the victims for their monetary losses and emotional pain and suffering and to deter Giumarra Vineyards from engaging in future civil rights violations.
EEOC Regional Attorney Anna Y. Park said, “The EEOC takes seriously charges where teenage victims are subjected to egregious acts of sexual misconduct in the workplace. Moreover, aggressive acts of retaliation against workers who exercise their right to oppose unlawful harassment will not be tolerated. The Commission will vigorously enforce those rights and will be vigilant in protecting employees from this type of retaliation.”
EEOC San Diego Local Office Director Marla Stern added, “Employers must understand that they have an obligation to their employees to provide a safe workplace free of the type of sexual harassment that took place here. They also must be aware that retaliating against an employee for complaining of such unlawful harassment is as much a civil rights violation as the harassment itself.”
The EEOC enforces federal laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Further information about the EEOC is available on its web site at www.eeoc.gov.
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Men Outearn Women in Almost All Occupations
A new analysis released by the Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) today on Equal Pay Day shows that men out-earn women in nearly every occupation for which data are available.
Of the more than 500 occupational categories for which sufficient data are provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in only 5 occupations do women earn the same or more than men.
Men earn more than women even in jobs that are most common among women, such as
Administrative assistants: women earn only 83.4 cents for a man's dollar
Elementary and middle school teachers: women earn 87.6 cents for a man's dollar
Registered nurses: women earn 87.4 cents for a man's dollar
Men and women still tend to be concentrated in very different jobs, with the most common jobs among women paying less than the most common jobs held by men. For example, the highest paying of the ten most common occupations for women, 'Registered Nurses,' pays $1,011 in median weekly earnings, whereas the highest paying of men's top ten most common jobs is 'Managers, all other,' which pays $1,359 per week. The lowest paying of the most common jobs for women is 'Cashier' at $349 per week, whereas the lowest paying most common job for men is 'Cook' at $404 per week.
Ariane Hegewisch, Study Director at the Institute for Women's Policy Research, says, "Women tend to be in the minority of workers in the occupations with the highest earnings. We need to ensure that women are fully informed about the earnings potential of an occupation before they choose their careers."
The analysis uses data from the Bureau of Labor statistics from 2008.
IWPR Director of Research Dr. Barbara Gault notes, "The data paint a clear picture of a workforce that remains strongly divided on the basis of sex -- with women landing in the worst jobs our labor market has to offer, and earning less than men even in the exact same jobs. Our economy can only thrive when opportunities are equally available regardless of gender or race."
To view the Fact Sheet, see www.iwpr.org/pdf/C350a.pdf
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The Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) conducts rigorous research and disseminates its findings to address the needs of women, promote public dialogue, and strengthen families, communities, and societies. The Institute works with policymakers, scholars, and public interest groups to design, execute, and disseminate research that illuminates economic and social policy issues affecting women and their families, and to build a network of individuals and organizations that conduct and use women-oriented policy research. IWPR's work is supported by foundation grants, government grants and contracts, donations from individuals, and contributions from organizations and corporations. IWPR is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization that also works in affiliation with the women's studies and public policy programs at The George Washington University.
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Four Women Journalists Kidnapped by Supporters of Female Genital Mutilation
Reporters Without Borders is shocked and appalled by the abduction and intimidation of four women journalists in the eastern city of Kenema on 6 February by members of a women's secret society that practices female genital mutilation (FGM). One of the journalists was forced to walk naked through the city's streets.
"Such disgraceful behaviour worthy of a bygone age is very damaging to Sierra Leone's image," Reporters Without Borders said. "We urge the president to personally intervene in this case to ensure that the perpetrators receive an exemplary punishment. We also urge the minister of social welfare, gender and children's affairs, Haja Musu Kandeh, to take note of this incident, which is very traumatic for all women in Sierra Leone."
The four reporters – Manjama Balama-Samba of the United Nations radio and the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service (SLBS), Henrietta Kpaka of the SLBS, Isha Jalloh of Eastern Radio and Jenneh Brima, also of Eastern Radio – were kidnapped on 6 February by members of Bondo, a secret society that practices FGM. The next day, their abductors forcibly undressed Balama-Samba and made her walk naked through the streets.
The journalists had been conducting a series of interviews jointly with the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices in order to mark International Day of Zero Tolerance of Female Genital Mutilation, which was celebrated on 6 February for the 5th year running. The Bondo group regarded their questions and comments as a sign of disrespect for their traditions.
According to UN estimates, 94 per cent of women in Sierra Leone have been subjected to FGM. Sources in Sierra Leone put it at more like 65 per cent, partly as a result of the country's Christians taking a stand against the practice. The government publicly undertook last year to adopt a law banning FGM but has not yet done so.
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WIFP t-shirts and buttons
Media Democracy Activist Buttons Available from the Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press (WIFP)
This attractive button is available upon request to contributors to WIFP. Contributions are tax deductible. For more information, contact WIFP, mediademocracy [at] wifp.org. The buttons are 2 1/4" in size, purple with white lettering.
Organic 100% Cotton T-shirts Available from the Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press
T-shirts are available to WIFP contributors who make a tax-deductible donation of $30 or more. The light blue shirts are made of 100% organic cotton. Sizes come in Small, Medium, and Large.
Bonnie Carlson displaying her WIFP t-shirt during the Nov. 15 demonstration in Washington, DC, against California's Prop 8.
Text on back:
If you are not careful, the newspapers will have
you hating the people who are being oppressed and
loving the people who are doing the oppressing.
-Malcolm X
www.wifp.org
Working for Media Democracy
Since 1972
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The Equal Rights Amendment:
Sect. 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.
Sect. 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Sect. 3. This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.
A few ERA buttons from our collection:
Valuable Activist Links
National Committee of Women for a Democratic Iran
The National Committee of Women for a Democratic Iran is a non-profit organization advocating since 1990 on behalf of women's rights in Iran. NCWDI was formed to fill the vacuum of a women's organization devoted specifically to monitoring and promoting women's rights in Iran. Our tasks range from accurate reporting, to public appearances, to engaging in discussion and exchange with relevant authoritative bodies.
Women's Forum Against Fundamentalism in Iran
E-ZAN VOICE OF WOMEN AGAINST FUNDAMENTALISM IN IRAN
First issue: JUNE 15, 2004 VOLUME 1
Women's Forum Against Fundamentalism in Iran is committed to promote a greater awareness of the challenges women face living under the fundamentalist regimes like Iran. Our tasks ranges from raising public awareness, conducting research projects, initiating outreach programs, to policy discussions and analysis. We firmly believe the political presence, participation and leadership of women are the essential elements in achieving social, political and economic equality. We are a group of individuals concerned with the growing threat of fundamentalism worldwide. We submit to the definition of fundamentalism explained in the comparative study of religions, as embodiment of backwardness in its host cultures or religion .Our primary area of focus is the Islamic Fundamentalism in Iran, established as a form of government in 1979. For more information, please visit http://www.wfafi.org
Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (RAWA)
"RAWA was established in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1977 as an independent political/social organization of Afghan women fighting for human rights and for social justice in Afghanistan. The founders were a number of Afghan woman intellectuals under the sagacious leadership of Meena who in 1987 was assassinated in Quetta, Pakistan, by Afghan agents of the then KGB in connivance with fundamentalist band of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar. RAWA's objective was to involve an increasing number of Afghan women in social and political activities aimed at acquiring women's human rights and contributing to the struggle for the establishment of a government based on democratic and secular values in Afghanistan. Despite the suffocating political atmosphere, RAWA very soon became involved in widespread activities in different socio-political arenas including education, health and income generation as well as political agitation."
Organisation for Women's Freedom in Iraq / Equality in Iraq
Organisation for Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) - a women's a women's political organisation working in Iraq, advocating Iraqi women's rights and setting up women's shelters etc. Publishes a regular newsletter. http://www.equalityiniraq.com/
The Feminist Peace Network is dedicated to building an enduring peace, with the ending of violence towards women and children as a first priority. This group is dedicated to the urgent need to immediately work towards providing shelter, food, education, and a safe environment for women and children in all parts of the world, as well as creating economic conditions to ensure these rights in the future. A strong bias towards matriarchal thinking is assumed.
FPN is a global network, open to pacifists and feminists of all denominations, nationalities, and persuasions willing to share ideas and work together across borders and cultures to achieve these goals. At the present time, the group is open to women only.
Women are emerging on the global stage, as their voices echo through the halls of power. From Kosovo to Colombia, women are deeply involved in peace efforts in some of the most violent areas of the world, developing innovative strategies and creating new paradigms to resolve age-old conflicts:
Women Waging Peace recognizes the essential role and contribution of women as a valuable resource in preventing deadly conflict, stopping war, reconstructing ravaged societies, and sustaining peace in fragile areas around the world.
Women Waging Peace supports the work of individual and collective groups of women working in peace-building capacities in areas of violent conflict and does not align itself with individual government leaders or the actions of their respective governments.
Women Waging Peace works with a network of women activists, educators, health professionals, political figures, entrepreneurs, religious leaders and journalists who represent a wide variety of often opposing political views. With varied backgrounds, perspectives, and skills, our members bring a vast array of expertise to our network.
Women Waging Peace supports the efforts of these women as they work for peace in their respective fields; it does not necessarily advocate the political views of network members.
Women Waging Peace recognizes that even in situations of tragic wrongs committed on all sides of a conflict, women can be critical agents toward reconciliation.
4ERA is the only national single issue ERA organization in the country. We are a non-partisan group and have members of both sexes, all political parties, across all age groups and from 45 states. Our site is the most current, up-to-date and only interactive ERA site on the internet. We send out news announcements, news alerts and action alerts to our members sometimes within minutes of our receiving the information. Membership is free and the only obligation is that you support ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. We do however, urge members to support our mission and goals.
We are either leading or assisting with ratification efforts in 11 of the unratified states and will be hosting a Conference of ERA Unratified States in June.
Women's Center for Legal Aid and Counseling
"The WCLAC established in 1991 in Jerusalem as an independent Palestinian organization, aims to contribute to the establishment of a democratic Palestinian society, based on social justice and equality between women and men. To achieve this aim, the Centre has developed and is further developing, through its activities, a new Palestinian feminist discourse."
Women's Action for New Directions (WAND)
"The genesis of WAND was captured on film in the documentary about Helen Caldicott, "Eight Minutes to Midnight." It shows Helen speaking out, and women approaching her to see what they could do. Her reply, "We must start a women's party!" ...
WAND is now a major presence on Capitol Hill both with members of Congress and with peace groups. The grassroots pressure for a reduced military budget and greater attention to human and environmental needs continues unabated, especially after the unusually draconian program cuts of 1995 and 1996."
Women's Caucus for Gender Justice
"The Women's Caucus grew out of the work of a last minute organizing effort of a small group of women human rights activists at the February 1997 Preparatory Committee for the Establishment of an International Criminal Court at the U.N. These women realized that without an organized caucus, women's concerns would not be actively defended by the mainstream Human Rights NGOs or the NGO coalition monitoring the proceedings for the establishment of the ICC (the CICC), although it must be recognized that the latter played an important role in the creation of the caucus.
Building on the work of previous caucuses formed around the Vienna, Cairo and Beijing Conferences, and due to the success of this ad hoc caucus in integrating a gender perspective, in brackets, into the definition of crimes against humanity and war crimes, these women decided to form a permanent caucus which would be part of the CICC but autonomous in its function."
"The Women in Black stand in silent vigil to protest war, rape as a tool of war, ethnic cleansing and human rights abuses all over the world. We are silent because mere words cannot express the tragedy that wars and hatred bring. We refuse to add to the cacophony of empty statements that are spoken with the best intentions yet may be erased or go unheard under a passing ambulance or the wound of a bomb exploding nearby.
Our silence is visible. We invite women to stand with us, reflect about themselves and women who have been raped, tortured or killed in concentration camps, women who have disappeared, whose loved ones have disappeared or have been killed, whose homes have been demolished. We wear black as a symbol to mourn for all victims of war, to mourn the destruction of people, nature and the fabric of life."
Female Genital Mutilation Education and Networking Project
The website has undergone a lot of changes, including changing its name to the FGM Education and Networking Project. Excellent resources and information.
National Council of Women's Organizations
The National Council of Women's Organizations is a bipartisan network of more than one hundred women's organizations, which together represent more than 6 million members.
Sisterhood Is Global Institute
Sisterhood Is Global Institute is an international non-governmental, non-profit organization dedicated to the support and promotion of women's rights at the local, national, regional, and global levels. With members in 70 countries, and a network of more than 1300 individuals and organizations worldwide, SIGI works toward empowering women and developing leadership through human rights education.
National Council of Negro Women
Extraordinary educator and political leader Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955) founded NCNW in 1935 and envisioned it to be an "organization of organizations" that would represent the national and international concerns of Black women. It would also give Black women the opportunity to realize their goals for social justice and human rights through united, constructive action.
Today, the National Council of Negro Women, Inc. (NCNW) is a council of 39 affiliated national African American women's organizations and over 240 sections - connecting nearly 4 million women worldwide! Our mission is to lead, develop and advocate for women of African descent as they support their families and communities. We fulfill our mission through research, advocacy and national and community-based health, education and economic empowerment services and programs in the United States and Africa. Through section and affiliate volunteers in 34 states, NCNW addresses local needs while impacting communities nationwide.
Human rights violations against women have for too long been denied the attention and concern of international organizations, national governments, traditional human rights groups and the press. Meanwhile, hundreds of millions of girls and women around the globe continue to endure debilitating and often fatal human rights abuses.
National Council for Research on Women
The National Council for Research on Women, founded in 1981, is a working alliance of 92 women's research and policy centers, more than 3,000 affiliates and a network of over 200 international centers. NCRW's mission is to enhance the connections among research, policy analysis, advocacy, and innovative programming on behalf of women and girls.
WomenWatch is a UN Internet gateway to information on women's issues. It was created to monitor the results of the Fourth World Conference on Women, held in Beijing in 1995.
National Women's History Project
"The National Women's History Project is an educational nonprofit organization. Our mission is to recognize and celebrate the diverse and historic accomplishments of women by providing information and educational materials and programs."
"WomenAction is a global information, communication and media network that enables NGOs to actively engage in the Beijing +5 review process with the long term goal of women's empowerment, with a special focus on women and media."
Women's Human Rights Resources
The purpose of the Women's Human Rights Resources Web Site is to provide reliable and diverse information on international women's human rights via the Internet. The site is developed by the Bora Laskin Law Library of University of Toronto, Canada. Women's Human Rights Database Group
National Organization for Women
International Directory of Women's Media: media owned and operated primarily by, for and about women. Print and internet periodicals, publishers, media organizations, and much more.
"Our mission is to build a support network for women radio producers and broadcasters worldwide. " We thank them for the article on their website about the founder of the Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press, Dr. Donna Allen: http://www.womensradiofund.org/dallen.htm
Women's Human Rights page of Amnesty International USA
National Committee of Women for a Democratic Iran
The National Committee of Women for a Democratic Iran is a non-profit organization advocating since 1990 on behalf of women's rights in Iran. NCWDI was formed to fill the vacuum of a women's organization devoted specifically to monitoring and promoting women's rights in Iran. Our tasks range from accurate reporting, to public appearances, to engaging in discussion and exchange with relevant authoritative bodies.
Association for Progressive Communications
We are a global network of women who support women networking for social change and women's empowerment, through the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). We promote gender equality in the design, development, implementation, access to and use of ICTs and in the policy decisions and frameworks that regulate them.
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Historic buttons from the first National Women's Studies Association conference (from collections of WIFP Director and Founder):
History of the Women's Movement
Some early women's buttons from our collection.
"Year of Living Dangerously: 1968" by Dana Densmore
A History of Women's Media, 1963-1983 by Martha Leslie Allen
For historical women's buttons, articles and more, Jo Freeman - feminist scholar and author - has a site for you to see: http://www.jofreeman.com/
National Women's History Project "The National Women's History Project is an educational nonprofit organization. Our mission is to recognize and celebrate the diverse and historic accomplishments of women by providing information and educational materials and programs."
History of a women's martial art for self-defense and self-empowerment: Ja Shin Do
Black Belt Woman: The Magazine of Women in the Martial Arts and Self Defense Black Belt Woman
Historic Originals: Select early women's periodicals of the nineteen sixties, seventies and eighties still available.
Redstockings early documents and materials: http://www.redstockings.org/
Women's Studies & Women's Media: University of Wisconsin System Women's Studies Librarian http://www.library.wisc.edu/libraries/WomensStudies/media.htm
American Women's History: A Research Guide
A NOTE FOR WOMEN'S MOVEMENT PIONEERS:
Were you or anyone you know active in the women's movement (for the ERA and/or other issues) between 1963 and 1975? All who were should send in their stories to be included in the upcoming definitive reference work, "Pioneers of the Second Wave of the Women's Movement." Twelve hundred biographies have already been submitted -- this is no time for false modesty! To participate, go to the Veteran Feminists of America (VFA) website, www.VFA.us, scroll down to "Click here to access the print version of the Pioneer Directory Form," and follow the simple directions. Or, you can e-mail BJLove@msn.com, to request an e-mail application. But hurry, as the final deadline is fast approaching.
Celebrations commemorating the winning women's suffrage on August 26, 1920.
a few buttons from our collection
Quotations from
Women About Women
Things are going to get a lot worse before they get worse.
-Lily Tomlin-
Laugh and the world laughs with you.
Cry and you cry with your girlfriends.
-Laurie Kuslansky-
A man's got to do what a man's got to do.
A woman must do what he can't.
-Rhonda Hansome-
Every time I close the door on reality it comes in through the
windows.
-Jennifer Unlimited-
Whatever women must do they must do twice as well as men to be
thought half as good.
Luckily, this is not difficult.
-Charlotte Whitton-
Thirty-five is when you finally get your head together and your
body starts falling apart.
-Caryn Leschen-
When I was young, I was put in a school for retarded kids for
two years before they realized I actually had a hearing loss.
And they called ME slow!
-Kathy Buckley-
I'm not offended by all the dumb blonde jokes because I know I'm
not dumb . . and I'm also not blonde.
-Dolly Parton-
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to Voices of Women Living Under Fundamentalism
to Media and Issues of Peace, & Justice
web editor: Martha Leslie Allen
Washington, DC
www.wifp.org