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II. Women's Media Highlighted on this web page (continued)
III. Women's Media Articles & News
IV. Women's Media History Resources
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II. Highlighted Women's Media, continued:
Virtual Reality highlight
Woman Vision: Do you see what I see? highlight
(W)rightful: Your Right to Write highlight
When the RAINBO is enuf highlight
Girls, Women + Media Project = An Opportunity for Change highlight
A Room of Their Own highlight
The Ahfad Journal: Women and Change highlight
Abafazi: The Simmons College Journal of Women of African Descent highlight
Creative Traces: Life as Art highlight
Who Doesn't Want a Hip Mama? highlight
Bamboo Girl Zine highlight
Not (A)Bridged: Jewish Feminist Women Document Their Experiences highlight
It's a (Wo)man's World: Women's Education and Artistic Voice Expression highlight
Conversing with Lilith highlight
Bust Magazine highlight
The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology highlight
Bloodroot Feminist Bookstore and Vegetarian Restaurant highlight
Boundless Herizons highlight
Mother Warriors Voice highlight
Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture highlight
About-Face highlight
Minnesota Women's Press, Inc. highlight
Notes From EMILY highlight
WomensMedia.com highlight
The Venus Theatre highlight
Ms. Magazine At It Again highlight
the f word highlight
Women Make Movies highlight
A Room of One's Own Feminist Bookstore highlight
Women's Feature Service highlight
Colorado Woman News highlight
Curve Magazine: Celebrating the Reading Curve highlight
Girlfriends highlight
What's on the Agenda?: Giving voices to unheard issues highlight
off our backs highlight
Women's Radio Fund: "Raising Women's Voices Through Radio Worldwide" highlight
The Journal of Women's History highlight
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By Sarah Misailidis, WIFP
December, 2005
In the past, men and science careers have been synonymous, however, today more girls are bravely venturing forth into the technology world that was previously "not for them." These girls are the few who do not heed the messages that they are continually bombarded with in order to prove societal standards wrong. When ethnicity and socioeconomic background are factored into the equation, it is not hard to see why there is a gender gap in technology.
Digital Sisters (DS), Inc. was founded on the premise that technology education and enrichment for women and children who are traditionally under-served should be at the forefront of their agenda as an organization. DS is a 501(C) 3 non-profit organization that works with community based organizations, schools, and technology centers to assist women in enhancing their technology skills. By promoting such programs, Digital Sisters is equipping these women with life skills that will be of much use to them in their prospective futures. Digital Sisters' services will help participants to gain knowledge that can help to fight the discrimination and non-participation in technology related environments for those who are disadvantaged.
DS utilizes a method of education, which allows participation on the parts of the women involved, as well as interactive learning through in and out of school activities, outreach, and workshops. The programs assist with familiarity of equipment in computer labs, but also they develop self-confidence in their ability to enhance their learning through different methods and venues. The programs build self-esteem through encouraging gender equity and personal growth. With the empowerment they have gained through these programs, these women and girls can in turn further strengthen their families.
By Sarah Misailidis, WIFP
November, 2005
Many have heard the saying, "Don't just talk about it, BE ABOUT IT." Woman Vision stands in accordance with this mantra. Since 1993, Woman Vision has helped to promote tolerance and equal treatment of all people through the production and use of educational media. In order to best understand diversity as a core value, the organization has set up numerous diversity trainings, lectures, and other means of implementing educational outreach opportunities. As a result, the world, and specifically women, are presented with positive role models and supportive images of societally marginalized people.
The accounts of the 1992 Republican National Convention were very disturbing to Dr. Dee Mosbacher. She noticed the gay bashing and anti-woman tendencies that were displayed and she was deeply bothered so much so that she was motivated to do something about it. Dr. Mosbacher founded Woman Vision to counteract the right's extremely well funded and misleading anti-gay media campaigns. As a practicing psychiatrist in San Francisco, she understood the kind of suffering caused by homophobia from a psychological and psychosocial point of view. She is also a film-maker, and she uses her insight from psychiatry to help her form her vision. Her goal is to provide people with the means to transform and with that tool people will be able to tackle taboo issues.
Films that Woman Vision have produced have not only touched the individual but have also had national acclaim as well. Woman Vision has produced three award-winning educational films (including the Academy Award Nominated Straight from the Heart and All God's Children, selected Best Documentary at the 1996 National Black Arts Festival. The most important purpose of these films is to act as conversational starters and blueprints for outreach programs that facilitate meaningful dialogues about prejudice and social justice. Women Vision challenges people too appreciate everyone and question their ability to see what others see.
By Sarah Misailidis, WIFP
November, 2005
Amongst the rich culture of mythology, classic literature, and towering architecture, Greece exists as a model for other civilizations to admire. Greeks themselves strive to uphold the greatness embodied by their past.
In that same mold, the group (W)rightful formed in an effort to once again abolish voicelessness through setting up a framework where writing could be used as a form of dialogue to resolve social, ethnic, and religious conflict as well as illiteracy problems in the country. (W)rightful communicates that writing is by no means a privilege but rather a right that everyone should utilize for the betterment for the country.
The organization had its beginnings in June 2000 with only fifteen members. (W)rightful sponsors workshops and they also put together publications. The activities range from creative writing, playwriting, and translation workshops, conflict resolution theater, illiteracy projects, women's literature seminars and symposia, and documentation center.
The organization is comprised by a plethora of folk ranging from the women in the Turkish minority in Greece to other immigrants, illiterate women, and ex-prisoners from the civil war.
Their programs also span throughout the world and not just in Greece. They include interfaith programs, projects with immigrants and refugees from Eastern Europe, the Balkans, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, in their own languages; summer writing workshops for women in the Greek islands; a violence and sexuality project with adolescents; workshops with street children; a continuing reading project with urban gypsy women; and writing performances to advance and support women in Greece, such as one in March 2002 in support of the battered women's shelter in Athens. Because of the wide spread effect of (W)rightful's programs on women, the caption "feminism" now appears in the largest newspapers in the country before the announcement of (W)rightful's projects.
As a result, (W)rightful is now launching a feminist publishing project, the first of its kind in Greece, to promote women's writing in the areas of theory, literature, and philosophy. The first book, published in February 2002, Re-claiming Barbie: Essays on Women's Writing, ed. Christiana Lambrinidis, was called a breakthrough in the largest newspaper in the country. In its first week of publication, the book became tenth on the best-seller list, proving how urgent it is to fill the void of women's discourse in Greece. So far, (W)rightful is doing an excellent job by serving as a catalyst for change.
By Sarah Misailidis, WIFP
November, 2005
Research, Action, and Information Network for the Bodily Integrity of Women was established in 1994 and commonly goes by the name of RAINBO. It centers on the African development agenda as an international non-governmental group that tackles issues of gender, reproductive health, sexual autonomy, and freedom from violence. Most importantly RAINBO concentrates its efforts on eliminating the practice of Female Circumcision/ Female Genital Mutilation through global social change. RAINBO holds the reputation of the lead technical agency in the field of FGM and continues to spotlight FC/FGM in the context of violations of gender and human rights.
The programmatic thrust of RAINBO has two components: the Integrated Initiative Against FGM which includes the Small Grants Project as well as AMANITARE which is the African Partnership for the Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights of Women and Girls.
The Integrated Initiative Against FGM started in 2003 and focuses on technical tools and assistance, information exchange, and the Small Grants Project. Through the Small Grants Project RAINBO extends direct grant making to organizations that cater to FC/FGM issues in Africa. This project began in 1995 and since that time has worked with 76 organizations in 20 different African countries. In total, RAINBO has given over $850,000 in grants. The project also allows organizations to build within themselves b assisting with project design or evaluation assistance.
Amanitare was formed to improve the conditions of African women and girls by protecting sexual and reproductive rights as well as promoting healthy behavior. Amanitare is a ten-year initiative that formed in 2000 and currently it has 51 partners in 18 different African countries. They work to build a network that exchanges and supports the efforts around the issues of sexual rights, to advocate for effective policy reform, as well as to impact the international scene through spotlighting injustices and encourage dialogue as to how to create permanent change.
If you would like to support the work of RAINBO you can make a donation at the organization's website: www.rainbo.org.
Girls, Women + Media Project = An Opportunity for Change
By Jasmine Hillyer, WIFP
November, 2005
S-E-X. It seems like this three letter word dominates our society and in pop culture it's impossible to turn the channel from it's existence. The Girls, Women + Media Project evolved from the constant frustrations from women and concerned men who grew tired of the media's portaryl of oversexed women and negative sterotypes of females. The Project has an interesting beginning. Their founder, Tamara, noticed an offensive advertisement while passing a liqour store in New York City. The ad displayed a faceless, huge, fully clothed man straddled over a bikini clad "supernaturally buxom" woman. Many of Tamara's colleages admitted that they were also appalled by the way the media portrays women. The ads were eventually removed from the store. Here lies the Alpha of the Girls, Women+Media Project. The Project considers itself to be a resource for students, parents, mediamakers, and businesses. They encourage men to participate as well. They are a non-profit organization working to increase the awareness of how pop culture and the media represent, affect, and employ girls and women. The promotion of universal media literacy is one of the Project's main goals. They have organized "I-CAN", which is a list of active, concerned people and organizations. This particular network offers information regarding consumer issues related to girls and women.
The Project has gathered some alarming statistics. According to the Project, the average young TV viewer will see about 14,000 references to sex each year. Teenagers admit that they receive much of their information on sex and sexuality by watching television and movies. The average boy or girl will spend 6.5 hours a day interacting with some type of media (internet, t.v., videogames, etc).
The Girls, Women + Media Project is constantly working to provide the most updated resources for those concerned about the negative influence of pop culture on our vulnerable yet curious youth. For more information log onto www.medianadwomen.org. Let's see what we can do to help.
By Sarah Misailidis, WIFP
November, 2005
The NONA Multimedia Women's Center is a multi-faceted place of communication, creativity, and healing for women and children from Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina who live in the city of Zagreb, the capitol of Croatia. "NONA" is the word for "grandmother" in the Dalmatian dialect. The name signifies safety that is found in a nurturing atmosphere and grounding for women in a country still ransacked by the turmoil of war. NONA was developed primarily as a response to refugee and displaced women's needs for a "room of their own". In the winter of 1993, two women who strove to establish a center based on the concept of self-help for women. They wanted to provide a stable environment for all women to gather and share concerns, interests, and experiences regardless of ethnicity, religion or background. These women could write, paint, sculpt, and perform based on their experiences. There are also educational workshops and other ways in order to further develop their skills. Through this outlet, war survivors could more aptly help other war survivors. The psycho-cultural services provided by NONA Multimedia Women's Center allows women to uplift one another despite the circumstances of the world around them.
The Ahfad Journal: Women and Change
By Sarah Misailidis, WIFP
October, 2005
Often in our world today education has been linked with emancipation. Women in Africa suffer from all forms of discrimination and therefore the urgency for education on their parts is much greater. Women are boxed in by stereotypes and socio-cultural traditions that miseducate the people and allow for the same tendencies to continue. Education, especially in institutions of higher learning, may indeed be the gateway to women's empowerment and life-long learning in more ways than one.
The Ahfad University for Women is a private university in Omdurman, Sudan that encourages women with these same principles, which will not only educate them but also strengthen their roles in national andrural development in Sudan and throughout Africa. Most importantly, the university strives for women to achieve equity in Sudanese society.
Dr. Lee G. Burchinal, the founding editor of The Ahfad Journal in 1984 was a professor at The Ahfad University for Women at that time. However, since 1987 upon his return to the United States, Dr. Amna Badri, Associate Professor and Vice President for Academic Affairs, has been the editor. Now in its 15th year of publication, The Ahfad Journal: Women and Change is the only scholarly journal published on a regular basis in Sudan.
The Ahfad Journal: Women and Change is published twice a year, in June and December. Articles are written in English, but they also have Arabic and English abstracts. Each issue contains 4 to 6 articles, 8 to 12 summaries of senior research projects conducted by Ahfad students, 3 or 4 book reviews, and news about developments at the Ahfad University for Women.
Women's access to education through The Ahfad University has created a tool for growth, equality, and peace. Equality is referred to in terms of daily issues that women in Africa struggle with such as divorce, abortion, family planning, violence, and polygamy. The knowledge from the journal that these women acquire is attained in different ways and equips them with skills well beyond their imagination. The journal is a medium through which women can contribute directly and benefit indirectly. There is an evident gender gap in terms of education in African nations, and the solution lies in tackling issues of great importance to those same people. The Ahfad Journal has molded the spoken word into action to insist upon change for women.
Abafazi: The Simmons College Journal of Women
of African Descent
By Sarah Misailidis, WIFP
October, 2005
Contrary to what once was popular belief, we have come to find that the world is not flat. There are stories that lie deep on the other side of the globe, that find its roots in the continent of Africa, waiting to for someone to delve deeper and reveal them to the literary world. So Abafazi was born, and as a refereed journal that is published twice a year, it has accomplished the feat of spreading knowledge since 1991.
The current issue is the tenth anniversary issue that spotlights Dorothy Roberts, a professor of law at Northwestern University School of Law. Other articles touch on race and welfare as well as art, book reviews, and poetry. The website encourages women of African descent to contribute essays, no matter what their path of study. The collegiality that the publication invokes mirrors the purpose of the journal itself: to uplift the Black woman.
Afabazi's main thrust as a journalistic mechanism is to heighten feminist scholarship in all fields of study by making reader's aware of black women's intellectual traditions by bringing to light social, cultural, and political issues that exist in the African world. This resource would allow readers to discover emerging scholars, activists, writers, and artists.
Dr. Michael Williams, who currently lives in Ghana, first started the journal. During the early nineties, he was the chair of AfricanAmerican studies and an associate professor of sociology at Simmons College. He created a work that now reaches subscribers as far as Zimbabwe, Turkey, and even Switzerland. Institutional subscribers include the Schlesinger Library at Radcliffe/Harvard, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture at the New York Public Library, the Boston Public Library, Dartmouth, Bryn Mawr, and Mills colleges as well as the University of Denver, Tulane University, and Northwestern University.
Abafazi has published the works of well-known black women scholars, which include Nellie Mckay, co-editor of The Norton Anthology of African American Literature; Judith Rollins, author of Between Women: Domestics and Their Employers; Joy James, author of The Angela Davis Reader; and Elizabeth Amelia Hadley, author of Bessie Coleman: The Brownskin Lady Bird.
The journal has received strong support from many notable persons such as Bob Johnson, the former CEO of Black Entertainment Television (BET), Leonade Jones, an independent management consultant and former treasurer of the Washington Post, Ann Fudge, president of Maxwell House Coffee and Post Cereal at Kraft Foods, Harriet Elam, the U.S. ambassador to Senegal, and FleetBank.
The publication has endured fourteen years since it's inception because of the substantial hold it has within the literary community. Abafazi allows women to be portrayed as the heroines that for so long were made to be invisible by the media. Survival of this legacy in its purest form exists in writing and Abafazi, or woman as it is translated from Zulu, makes it their responsibility to advance the cause.
By Sarah Misailidia, WIFP
October, 2005
Creative Traces is an organization that has spun out of the cloth of creative expression. Dottie Moore, a studio artist for over 25 years, saw the possibilities that were attainable through the process of quilt making and weaving. With this mindset, she started a new type of project in 1996. She began a quilt with other women quilters over the age of fifty. What started out as a personal curiosity about the creative process metamorphisized into "Piecing a Quilt of Life." The quilt serves as an international testament that the life process and therefore the creative process changes as people age. The wisdom of these women is reflected in exhibitions, lectures, a biannual newsletter, an ETV newsletter, and a book manuscript that is pending publication.
These women use the process of creativity to grow within themselves mentally, physically, and emotionally. "Piecing a Quilt of Life" is a visible sign of various women's stories over the after of fifty. It is also a grassroots project that showcases these women's work on a level that defies the context of societal norms. The project is supported by a handful of volunteers who work as poets, writers, editors, teachers, and visual artists who collectively brainstorm as to how to celebrate the lives of senior women through art. The wisdom of age is molded into artwork for all to behold and gain insight. Through this project different kinds of women come together for the common purpose of teaching one another creativity as well as offering them to live the lives they imagine.
Women are creative not only in the art they choose to give birth to, but also in every way they lead their lives. From having raised children to balancing work and family life, senior women have a breadth of knowledge as to how self-expression has defined each of their lives. Through the "Piecing a Quilt of Life" project, women can rely on one another to trust their intuition and honor their counterparts and most importantly, themselves. Consequently, quilting as a medium for self-development has been a successful formula thus far.
By Jasmine Hillyer, WIFP
September, 2005
Gone are the days of traditional mothers with 2.5 children, a dog and loads of laundry. Now mothers of all ages from various backgrounds can commune with one another in front of their computers. HipMama.com is described as "a magazine bursting with political commentary and ribald tales from the front lines of motherhood". HipMama.com began as a forum for young mothers, single parents, and marginalized voices but has grown to represent progressive families of all varieties.
The online mag offers everything from polls to chat groups. You can even find any type of recipe known to woman! Of course there are baby food recipes, casserole dishes, potluck favorites, seafood dishes and vegetarian & vegan courses. The site offers it's members access to a blog as a way for hip mama's to meet. The zine has feature stories such as the one where a young mother giving a heartfelt description of what life has been like for her and her young son living with cerebral palsy and the discrimination she faced while her son spent four weeks in the hospital only to be told that her newborn would need open heart surgery. Another offers the story of a mother who was asked to leave Starbucks because she was breastfeeding. She returned to the same coffee shop later that week with over one hundred supporters and held a nurse-in. They want Starbucks to create a friendlier environment for nursing moms.
The website's creator, Bee Lavender also created a website for young mom's, girl-mom.com. The site features articles on topics such as affordable daycare, escaping abuse, birth control options, custody rights and child support issues. Young mothers tell their stories through articles and essays. Both sites offer a great outlet for mothers to express their opinions and their real life experiences.
By Sarah E. Misailidis, WIFP
September 2005
Bamboo Girl's primary goal is to unlock the notions that surround the stereotypes about Asian women. Bamboo Girl is a publication built on the dreams of one woman who saw the world as more than just a dichotomy of black and white. White male patriarchy has forced people of other ethnic groups to be pushed to the periphery, and now Bamboo Girl is claiming its space.
In an effort to create new truth, this independent print publication comes out either annually or biannually to reach the masses through a collective of newfound truths. The publication is primarily funded out of pocket, and therefore serves as a labor of love before anything else. Funding comes in part from the Bamboo Girl Zine Benefit Parties during the summer or very early fall. The publication reaches about 2000-3000 people yearly.
On the Bamboo Girl website it lists that the publication strives to "Challenge racism, sexism, & homophobia from the Filipina/ Pacific Islander (API)/ Asian mutt feminist point of view since 1995." Merchandise and paraphanelia are available to increase communication about how to better the situation through internal dialogue. The first zine started as a way to vent frustration, but today it has blossomed into projects that encourage awareness for Filipina sisters worldwide. Issues such as feminism, government policies, violence and human rights, gay rights, and other critical matters within the Asian community as addressed through the Bamboo Girl Zine.
Not (A)Bridged: Jewish Feminist Women Document
Their Experiences
By Sarah E. Misailidis, WIFP
September 2005
Contemporary feminist Jewish culture is fine-tuned between the pages of Bridges: A Journal for Jewish Feminists and Our Friends. Each issue highlights fiction, poetry, art and reviews, and essays that center on feminist Judaism for activists, lesbian, and other women. Some of these pieces are translated from their Ladino, Spanish, and Yiddish originals. Important issues that arise in the journal are ones about class, identity, women of color, violence against women, young Jewish women, and living up to the standards of text and tradition.
Social justice activism through writing brings to light the situation of working class Jews, lesbians, Jewish women of different ethnic backgrounds, and reports on Israeli women peace workers. The goal for the publication is to create unity while promoting expression within and for the Jewish community. Building the connections they need through celebrating Jewish women's identity effectively sends their message of upliftment across. Bridges also provides its issues on audiotape through the Jewish Braille Institute.
In order to raise awareness and offer new opportunities to Jewish women, the editors strive to bring to light inequalities. The journal is a collaborative effort edited long distance by women writers who live throughout the United States and Canada. They use women's stories and articles as testimonies to the progressiveness of the Jewish Feminist Movement.
The publication utilizes these women's common religious affiliation to stir political action for eventual change. Emerging consciousness spurs out of traditional beliefs and consequently provides these same women with plenty of food for thought. Bridges helps ease the transition by documenting women's experiences to understand new perspectives within the Jewish female community.
It's a (Wo)man's World: Women's Education and
Artistic Voice Expression
By Sarah E. Misailidis, WIFP
September 2005
WEAVE amplifies the woman's voice. Created to support black women's writing and publishing in Cape Town, South Africa, it serves as a collective outlet for many. The organization thrives on mutual exchange through skill sharing and moral support. In 1997, the dream became a reality when WEAVE exploded on the literary scene through its affiliation with the umbrella organization Women's WORLD, an international free speech network of feminist writers.
The situation in South Africa has been one inundated by racial struggles. The institution of apartheid had become so defining to their culture that even when the premise did not apply, it was still hard to break out of that mold. Hence, their writings were criticized for not branching out and exploring anything new. Black women writers felt it as their duty to make their voices heard and work together in order to overcome their frustrations. These black women writers wanted to define themselves indefinitely, and WEAVE was a means to an end. No longer was conflict the central focus of their writings nor were there wrongful depictions of black people by white authors.
The women in WEAVE organize publications as well as public poetry readings, cultural festivals, and writing workshops. They also set a precedent by forming the first self-published, multi-genre collection of black women's writing to come out of contemporary South Africa called ink@boiling point.
WEAVE made new feats possible by the simple act of defiance mixed in with hope. Out of crisis came better forms of change, and consequently more media venues in which to express that change.
Conversing with Lilith
By Jordan Conn, WIFP
August 2005
Named after Lilith, a woman in a Garden of Eden story who said, "we are equal because we are created from the same earth," Lilith: Independent, Jewish & Frankly Feminist covers poetry to recent news. Hardly a fashion or mainstream publication, Lilith feels personal, almost like you've come upon a short stories collection.
It opens with news of films, books, and reactions to news interspersed with inspiring or interesting quotes from today. A new product line's motto "Yo Semite" and an article about how "gay rights are a natural extension of Jewish feminism" make you feel more comfortable reading a religious magazine. Then it becomes a little more personal with a story of growth marked by the Seder. "Like our ancestors, I have been on a journey I didn't want. I seem to have traveled from angry-and-passive participant [child], to happy hostess [married socialite], to angry-and-determined leader [divorcing], to reluctant-and-uncomfortable leader [uncomfortable being a woman in a man's role] to active-and creative leader [full feminist]." The account is truly engaging and strikes a cord with everyone.
Then it gets ultra personal with poetry, essays, fiction and art negotiating the personal relationship between G-d and womanhood. Leni Sonnenfeld's photographs of separated families and Israeli fishing are aesthetically pleasing and emotionally moving. A mother's disclosure of her life with her autistic son is easily the highlight of the Spring issue. She asks, "But what if a member of the people of the book can't read the book? Or wants to read it in Braille, or while sitting on the floor of the sanctuary, or run in circles and flap his arms while the rabbi davens?" Her story is vulnerable, real and sincerely resonates with every parent and child.
Even for non-Jews, the magazine is inspiring, spiritual, and relevant. Of course, there is a section for books and movies that feels much lighter but for the most part the quarterly periodical is a full meal. And a satisfying one.
Bust Magazine
By Jordan Conn, WIFP
July 2005
Debbie Stoller editor-in-chief and publisher of Bust Magazine, describes the June/July issue as "probably our most butch issue ever." While Bust has never been Glamour magazine, this is pretty un-femme. Bust is one of the only feminist magazines that really likes men, make-up, and fashion. Some people believe that it's too girly and link it with Cosmo, but Bust comments on the straight, young, feminist experience, "with an attitude that is fierce, funny, and proud to be female."
The "Bust-ing stereotypes about women since 1993," begins with a feature on camping. From a city girl perspective, the author goes through the joys of the outdoors, hiking necessities, and describes the ropes for less serious camping. Her advice for how to make alcohol go the furthest is quite entertaining. "High Anxiety" is a truly motivational article about a clubbing sloth that decides to hike Mt. Kilimanjaro. This may sound cliché, but the ending and personal honesty make the story unique. Finally, a piece titled "Mother Truckers," explores women in the trucking industry. The women come clean about their motivations, being in a "man's world," mothering, and "lot lizards" (truck-stop prostitutes).
Interviews of Sandra Oh and Sleater-Kinney," the ultimate It Grrrl band," balance out the butcher side of the issue. Sandra of Sideways discusses age in Hollywood, her open feminism, and love of her native Canada. The S-K interview discusses the femme side of political rock and being part of the outskirts of mainstream music while still being embraced by older male rock critics. Interspersed throughout the magazine are reviews of media, advertisements, and fashion as well as international news ("News from a Broad"). Covering topics from Iraq to trucking, Bust "provides an uncensored view on the female experience."
The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology
By Ursula Jonsson, WIFP
July, 2005
The Institute for Women and Technology was renamed The Anita Borg Institute for Women and Technology after founder Anita Borg passed away in 2003. The organization sponsors programs allowing women to become more involved in technology-related areas since it has become so prevalent and impacts our lives more and more.
The organization, based out of California, offers meetings and conferences dealing with technology as an opportunity for women in today's culture. They provide information to young women in academia trying to get the young students to realize the opportunities for them as scientists, engineers, and other similar areas of study.
The Institute celebrates women who work in these male-dominated fields and supports many programs that deal with women in technology including Women of Vision, The Virtual Development Center (VDC), and The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing. Many include lectures and conferences that provide research and publicize the message about women. The organization also tries to link up with colleges and universities to spread the message on campuses across the country.
There are several publications directly linked to The Institute including "Contextualizing Technology," "Gender and Technology," "Engineering Well," and "Technology and Democracy." In addition is the publication, "Systers," a scientific newsletter that is aimed at women. Borg played a role in this publication specifically.
The website, www.anitaborg.org, provides resources that parallel the message in which The Institute conveys through programs and projects. On the Resources page, there are careers, communities, conferences, mentoring programs, publications, scholarships, speakers, university programs, and finally the women and technology section which includes the research conducted on the topic.
If nothing else, the organization wants to promote the message that women can indeed study in fields that are science-related and the fact that men may dominate the positions shouldn't discourage women from pursuing their interests. The site also presents programs that anyone can become involved in to promote women in technology and scientific fields.
Bloodroot Feminist Bookstore and Vegetarian Restaurant
By Jamie Carroll, WIFP
July, 2005
Only a few hours outside the hustle and bustle of New York
City, the Bloodroot feminist Bookstore and Vegetarian restaurant
has been serving the enlightened community of the North East since
the mid-seventies. In order to create a unique bookstore, the
owners decided to attach it to a restaurant, understanding the
way food can bring people together. Although not all feminists
are vegetarians and not all vegetarians are feminists, Bloodroot
still serves a diverse community of people looking for a good
meal and hearty debate. The New York Times called it "A Salon
for Activists," with a casual dining room and outdoor patio
creating an atmosphere of relaxing acceptance. The Bookstore itself
is available to all diners while waiting for their meal to be
prepared. The owners, Selma and Noel, were once centered in the
feminist movement and pride themselves on being able to recommend
any of the titles in the shop, all of which they have read. Along
with the food and the books, Bloodroot offers classes on Sunday
afternoons in different traditional activities. This months classes
include Vegan Cooking and Weaving.
Bloodroot, 85 Ferris Street, Bridgeport, CT 06605
Boundless Herizons
By Jordan Conn, WIFP
July, 2005
If you didn't consider moving to Canada after the draft or the Bush election, maybe it's time to reconsider. Herizons, a magazine from Manitoba, is showing everyone how to make an entertaining yet serious periodical with international news and feminist views. "Oh. And absolutely no beauty tips." While the magazine started printing in 1979, it still empowers women and broadens the boundaries of feminism.
What truly makes the magazine stand out is its unison with other alternative press. Editorials promote its alternative press counterparts, which in the US are known as "competition." Herizons feels wholeheartedly for the feminist movement without commercialism and rivalry. The magazine also gives props to men, specifically in the Summer 2005 issue, to Dr. Henry Morgentaler, who spent time in jail years ago to insure the women's right to abortion. And of course the intelligent stories that have the kept the magazine selling for so many decades are unique.
The interview of Miriam Toews, author of A Complicated Kindness, is easily comparable to in-depth exposes done by NPR or The New Yorker. Talk of themes, heritage, growth, and empowerment really made the interview intriguing. Another wonderful story features female First Nation Chiefs who have taken on abuse and women's issues as well as fishing and debt, formally male-only arenas.
Herizons discusses being a third wave mother and new feminism. Our second wave mothers fought for the right to breastfeed instead of being forced to use formula but man, breastfeeding is hard. Similarly, domesticity has been snubbed but as one third wave mother says, "I am suggesting that we give women's work its props as something valuable, interesting and important. It's not stupid and it's not easy; it's damn hard work, and dismissing it only doubles the injustice already done to women who didn't have any choice but to be domestic in the first place."
With all this talk of third wave and explicit feminism, you can't help but feel like part of a movement: it feels wonderful. Yet as one writer points out, "the idea of waves is an obscuring construction that keeps us focused on whether we're, um, swelling, and on when we did or did not crash." And we're not gonna crash! Especially not with Herizons.
Mother Warriors Voice
By Ursula Jonsson, WIFP
July, 2005
The grassroots publication, Mother Warriors Voice, is a compilation of letters to the editor, facts and figures about events like the war in Iraq, updated laws and regulations regarding disable people, and recent events around the world promoting an array of social issues.
The quarterly news journal is "by, for, and about mothers in poverty" trying to give a voice to the voiceless. It provides opinions and recent news about the Bush administration that it feels need to change.
Issues like Social Security are broken down so readers not only understand the basics of Social Security, but also learn why it has been in the news recently, what progressive actions can be taken, and how it affects the lower wage sector of society.
The publication compiles blurbs from all kinds of sources including PlanetOut, Workers World, Housing Works, and MindFreedom Support Coalition. Since the Warriors give the name and sometimes contact information of the groups it acquires the information from, it allows interested readers a way to learn more. Warriors promote educating oneself and ones families about issues in the world, not just issues in the local community.
There is a feature section devoted to women in music promoting equality, feminism, and motherhood. There are reviews of bands and URLs are provided for those interested in supporting and buying the music.
Gay News fills a whole spread updating readers on recent events related to the LGBT community. One notice reported that two million people came together in Sao Paulo, Brazil to celebrate Gay Pride and rally for progressive legislation recognizing civil unions between people of the same sex. Another article reported that CBS and NBC, in an effort promote the Bush administration or at least stay neutral, refused to air a commercial whose goal was to promote tolerance and acceptance of homosexuals in United Church of Christ denominations.
The largest section was the Letters to the Editor which displayed the uplifting words and tragic stories of women across America struggling with poverty, restrictive governmental funding, and/or disabilities. There are also some helpful hints like how to stop bill collecting calls, sent in by a man from Washington DC. Another shares the struggle of a welfare mother pleading for the return of AFDC the now-defunct welfare program that was replaced by W-2 in Wisconsin.
The efforts of this Wisconsin-based publication educate women and serve as a support network. Mother Warriors Voice is a reminder to all people that there are struggling women, men, and children who need help in many different ways. The activist approach is the motivating factor that keeps this newspaper alive.
Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture
By Jordan Conn, WIFP
June, 2005
This spring Bitch: A Feminist Response to Pop Culture graced newsstands with its "masculinity issue" which featured a urinal surrounded by pink tiles on the cover. The editor's letter explains that, "masculinity isn't just about men. It's about women appropriating cultural images that have long been defined as male, women coming to terms with aspects of their bodies that are considered to be unfeminine, and women and men refusing to let labels of "masculine" and "feminine" define their self-images." The quarterly magazine examines television, politics, sex, body hair, film, and music to explore how men are portrayed in the media and what that means for women.
Bitch looks at gender in the political language behind the 2004 election. As Democrats and liberals are attacked for being wishy-washy, indecisive, and ultimately more "feminine," conservatives and Republicans are described as harder, tougher on war, drugs, and terrorism. The right wing control of language (think "flaming liberals," "bleeding hearts") that depicts conservatives as "stricter" and "harder" appeals to women who want a protector and men who want to kick ass. Also, Democrats are described as "out-of-touch" and upper class ("limousine liberals") making them effeminate and not willing to get their hands dirty. "As a culture, we no longer want a president who's smarter or more visionary than us; instead, we want a frat brother." Bitch comments on the historical meanings of political words as well as the source of their new ones.
"Living on the Down Low" discusses a much talked about issue just featured in The New Yorker in May: HIV involved with men who have sex with men or men who live on the DL. Many black women have been infected with HIV due to their black male partners who secretly live on the DL while living a heterosexual lifestyle. Bitch explains that, "'because black men have been more marginalized in the economic, educational, and social spheres than other men, researchers say, they tend to be more hesitant to surrender what they may consider a crucial and defining element of their masculinity -- heterosexual sex -- by defining themselves as bisexual or homosexual." Instead of instilling fear like many popular news reports, Bitch asks "If women are socially programmed to have sex without insisting on condoms, whose fault is that? Instead of asking hard questions, many articles have stuck to the same old easy-to-regurgitate story: Black men will do anything- even kill- for sex."
Masculinity in film, television, and music is being heavily discoursed in the organization. Wes Anderson's commentary on masculinity in his four movies with Owen Wilson depicts the balance between responsible fatherhood/marriage and dangerous "masculine" passions (deep sea exploration, for example). Sideways is also shown as both misogynistic and breaking the gender binary. Spike: Television for Men is given a good look and thankfully does not seem to be representative of the male gender. Punk music makes a feminist nod, cock rock embraces women who want to imitate cock rock but not just rock, and Tim'm West of Deep Dickollective, a "revolutionary queer hip hop group" discusses his experience as a gay, black man in the hip hop scene.
Although this spring is devoted to masculinity, many women's only articles are scattered throughout the issue. The "too posh to push" trend relating to an increased amount of women opting for C-sections rather than natural childbirth seems to be derived from women who do not want extra weight at the end of their pregnancy and also would like to plan for birth at a convenient time. Is this a new freedom of choice for women's comfort and regulation over bodies or is it simply an upper class trend at new heights? The magazine also speaks out about China's Miss Plastic Pageant, a pageant version of "The Swan," Gwen Stefani for her promotion of underlying prostitution in her Harajuku girls, and the Vermont Teddy Bear Company for featuring a bear in a straightjacket saying "Crazy for You" (call 1800 829 2327 to tell VTBC what you think). Bitch is also doing a wonderful job of reviewing books both in the print magazine and on their online website at http://www.bitchmagazine.com.
About-Face
By Ursula Jonsson, WIFP
June, 2005
For those people, specifically women and girls, who are seeking some sort of solace from mainstream media advertising this website (www.about-face.org) is certainly a forum for open dialogue. The website endorses media education with examples of the good, the bad, and the offensive in advertising. It began in San Francisco in the summer of 1995 with a poster campaign meant to galvanize the fashion industry's attempt at insisting, via advertising and other visual imagery, that skeletal figures are conventional, desirable, and healthy. The organization maintains that currently they do not draw attention to ad campaigns simply for exhibiting women of the thinner persuasion, but instead focus on the exploitation of women on many levels.
In the "gallery of offenders" the website highlights specific negative advertisements accompanied by brief explanations -- often laced with sarcasm -- as well as contact information in the event that a particularly interested, eager, or angry reader wants to send along a note. While About-Face affords its share of derision, the contempt proves effectual with statistics related to eating disorders, domestic violence, and substance abuse.
To counter, there is also the "gallery of winners" including paradigmatic ads from Target, Keds, and Talbots sans the sarcasm of the previous gallery. About-Face does provide the necessary information for the recently calm, yet still, eager reader to thank the companies for focusing on natural beauty, commitment, and achievement. Sample letters -- and in some cases the responses -- are available in both sections.
The organization certainly does not fall short of representing the media attention more suitable and appropriate for the women who desire their strengths as individuals to be the focal point, rather than have their bodies be catalysts to the judgmental eye.
"Our goal is to show you some of what's out there and suggest that you look more critically at what you see. It is not to censor, not to demand that ads be pulled, not to stamp our feet and have a hissy fit." (http://www.about-face.org/goo/why.shtml)
The site has dedicated a section, aptly titled, "your voice" to the options and actions of supporters and visitors. For the people whose goals align (or overlap or even differ) with About-Face, there are plenty of interactive opportunities. Website visitors can submit and view images, essays, and letters all ranging from honors theses on media influence to comical rants on why underwire has taken over lingerie stores. Since www.about-face.org is one big technologically advanced sounding board, it is fitting that a large portion allows for any and all visitors to respond.
Rachel Pleatman, WIFP
June, 2005
Minnesota Women's Press, Inc. is a communications company based in St. Paul, MN, whose goal has been to further information transmission for, by, and about women since its inception in 1984. Minnesota Women's Press is the company's biweekly feminist newspaper.
The newspaper focuses on articles that would be of interest to women-they profile "regular" women, include columns written by known and unknown Minnesotan women and tackle heavy subjects like sexism and racism while also covering things like one woman's experience with breastfeeding.
Of the regular features, "On Your Mind," "She Said," and "Consider This" are the most prominent. "On Your Mind" allows readers to voice their opinions about previous articles and columns written by the staff of the Minnesota Women's Press, while "She Said" is written by a columnist who adds a personal touch to recent news items by adding her own perspective and insights. In "Consider This," women write about weighty issues like sexism in the music industry's portrayal of Black women and the repeal that shut down Minnesota's Legislative Commission on the Economic Status of Women. The other regular columns cover a variety of issues from Green Peace to religious fundamentalism to moving to Brazil.
The newspaper also includes a profile of a woman from the community; a review of local performances, dance troupes, and other artsy things entitled "Words and Pictures;" a calendar of important events and local job listings.
By Jamie Carroll, WIFP
June, 2005
Notes from EMILY is the newsletter of EMILY's List, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC that works to make it easier for women to get into the political world. The acronym EMILY stands for "Early money is like yeast," meaning early money in an election makes the dough rise. EMILY's List understands how necessary money and support is in an election. By aiding candidates in raising money and raising popularity, EMILY's List promotes democracy, getting different people to represent the non white, males in society.
The Newsletter, which comes out four to five times a year, gives information on new candidates the organization, news on how current women in office are doing, and other articles pertaining to their current mission "to win elections to turn back the Bush Republicans and their right-wing agenda." The March 2005 edition includes a section entitled "What's Cookin" that outlines the government elections that are in the near future, who they want to win, and what they are doing to achieve just that.
With each woman that EMILY's List helps to step through the doors of the government, they make it easier for others. The more women the better, I always say, but especially when representing the country. EMILY's List will not stop until the percentage of women in the country is equal to the percentage of representation.
WomensMedia.com
http://www.womensmedia.com/
By E.J. Yi, WIFP
May, 2005
WomensMedia provides the latest in-depth material to help working
women advance. Its aim is to provide more in-depth material for
working women than has been available on the Internet. This website
consists of four sections, resources, book, discussion, and learning
club. Each of them have useful tips for struggling women at work
and home as well. Some of them are from renowned people who give
professional tips. But it is not all about WomensMedia.com. In
the discussion section, you can post what you want to share with
other members or you simply ask help for from others like how
to balance between your work and family.
One of recognizable thing of this site is that it shows a list
of members, which lets you contact themto communicate more personally
and intimately. Especially its Coaching and Self Improvement sections
are unique and helpful in that on-going discussion is possible.
If you are willing to pay a little bit to join its customized
service, Learning Club, you can make like-minded women and send
an email mini-lesson and activity each week. You read the lesson,
print it and start your personal book, click the link to be lead
directly to your private discussion board where you can discuss
the lesson with friends.
In Computers Are For Girls section, they provides lots of tips to help you girls see hot fun and useful computers can be, then when these girls are women, they'll most likely be using computers at work, but they won't enjoy the technology salary benefits. This is where WomesMedia think they can make the biggest difference. This is when girls-in great numbers - decide computers are for boys. They also won't be involved in designing software products that appeal to women.
Three professional women with experience in management training and educational publishing founded WomensMedia with a belief that today's male business culture, women need to carry a few more tools than men, but fortunately for women, this is not difficult.
By Emily Schwend, WIFP
June, 2005
The aptly named "Venus Theatre" in downtown DC is producing the city's foremost feminist theater. In a time of theater that is marked by more revivals than original shows, the Venus Theatre is formidable not only for its almost guerilla feminism, but for its willingness to produce new and never-before-seen plays. The voices and visions of women in the arts have been underheard and overlooked since the beginning of theater. To promote the honest portrayal of women on stage, backstage, even in the audience, both new and old works by women must be produced.
The Venus Theatre takes risks. The company produces out-of-print plays on women's suffrage, as well as producing shows that many of the more rigid and cautious DC theatres would shun. They work to change the future and defy ingrained stereotypes by touring schools and museums, creating improvisation workshops for the public, and developing youth theater programs. The Theatre recently closed its successful and award-winning show in the attic of the Warehouse Theatre, Cigarettes and Moby Dick, an explicit and provocative play about two women in a turbulent relationship. They have not announced the title of their next production, but, chances are, it will be just as exciting and thought-provoking for the audience.
As they say on their website, Venustheatre.org, "the women in our audience tend to become unified and sometimes even healed and men tend to have a greater understanding of what the world looks like through female eyes." Everyone can benefit from the Venus Theatre, because they provide an accurate portrayal of women that no one has clearly seen before stage. They show women in roles that are honest and complicated. They give female directors, stagehands, set and lighting designers and playwrights a chance to work with material that challenges them as women.
Venus Theatre: http://www.venustheatre.org
By Jordan Conn, WIFP
June, 2005
Of all women's print media, Ms. Magazine is arguably the most visible at bookstores and occasionally grocery store checkouts. Nobody predicted when their first issue was published in 1972 that they would have lasted longer than a few years. Luckily, they have been around for over thirty, making it one of the longest running magazines owned and operated by women. This summer Ms. takes on everything from international politics to art, and per usual shows why they have had an audience for so long.
Both the Global and National sections offer state-by-state and country-by-country updates on women's news. While the National dispatches are not light by any stretch of the imagination, the Global dispatches can seem depressing. Not to worry though, each section is interspersed with inspiring accounts around the world of women being effective in bringing change. The best this issue being women taking a stand in prayer and hip hop in the U.S. and Rwanda's healing a decade after genocide.
The urgent report this season is "Hanging by a thread," discussions of what's at stake if Bush appoints conservative Justices as he intends to. The loss of the Supreme Court could potentially deteriorate filibusters, birth control, abortion, affirmative action, and work leaves for pregnancy. While it feels like the 1950's, Ms. calls on their readers to take action to preserve women's rights to privacy and control over their body.
Other highlights of this issue is the interview with Hana Ashrawi, a longtime female voice of Palestinians, perception of fat through time and cultures, and sexual assault amongst immigrant agricultural workers. Ms. also shows a dedication to art though photography, fiction, poetry, and book review section. In "Ms. Musings" and "No Comment," the writers offer analysis of the representation of women in media and pop culture. This issue is interesting, has minimal advertisements, and proves that Ms. is indeed a "media expert on issues relating to women's status, women's right, and women's points of view."
By Ursula Jonsson, WIFP
June, 2005
With feature articles, reviews, and blogs all written from the "contemporary UK feminism" angle, the f word is a webzine meant to encourage and educate feminists. While the focus is feminism in the United Kingdom, the issues do not differ from those of feminists elsewhere in the world.
The monthly publication reports on movies, music, books, television, and special events. While they are not exclusively by, for, and about women, the reviews are written from the feminist point of view often questioning stereotypes and gender roles represented in medium like the movie "The Incredibles" and the book Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. The webzine provides fresh perspectives on media fodder that delve deeper than summaries and release dates.
One recent feature article criticized the lack of concern many female students at Trinity College in Cambridge (UK) had for their own freedom as women. The young female student was upset that her fellow students were perfectly comfortable slipping into the masses allowing inequality to rove the campus. Her story focused on the importance of independent women rather than the importance of primping for hours in front of the mirror in the hopes of accepting an invitation to an exclusive society that allegedly admits only the most beautiful looking and most fashionable students.
The blog section provides summaries of news stories that relate to topics like abortion, gender inequality, and women in the workplace. Links to the articles in question are provided, as the goal seems to be educating rather than ranting.
Contributions are welcomed as are comments and reactions to articles published on the site. The site stresses that it is an open forum for the everyday person. The entire webzine does a solid job of applying feminism to everyday life. Feminism isn't talked about as an unobtainable goal or an alternative lifestyle that requires major changes, but instead feminism is realistic and prominent just as feminists are.
By Rachel Pleatman, WIFP
June, 2005
Women Make Movies was established in 1972 to "address under representation and misrepresentation" of women in the film industry. Based in New York City, WMM is an organization for users and makers of movies, with an extra emphasis on supporting women of color.
One of their goals is to further feminist media through an international distribution service. Their library includes over 400 titles in the categories of documentary, experimental, animation, and drama. The distribution service is their primary endeavor, and WMM works with organizations that use their media for non-commercial, educational means, for example, museums, media arts centers, galleries, schools, and other places like hospitals, prisons, and labor unions.
Women Make Movies also has a production assistance program that was started in 1988. They provide support for independent media artists through training and "consultations on fundraising, proposal writing, and production management."
A Room of One's Own Feminist Bookstore
By Jamie Carroll, WIFP
June, 2005
A Room of One's Own Feminist Bookstore is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. Since 1975 it has been serving the feminist community of Madison, Wisconsin with its collection of women's literature, including fiction, nonfiction, periodicals, and even music, posters, tee shirts and non-sexist children's books. They are proud to hold products "for and by women." But these books and novelties are not the only way the Bookstore has helped the community. A Room of One's Own Bookstore has become a center of the women's community in Madison, Wisconsin, providing book clubs and readings, as well as a coffee house for these and other community events to occur. My favorite book groups currently listed on their website are "Shameless Hussies Book club" and "Steve's Big Gay Book Group." The bookstore also advertises women's events occurring in the area that are not hosted by the bookstore, including counseling, information on housing, workshops and special events that would be of interest to the women's and LGBT community.
The bookstore periodically will create newsletters on different topics for the Madison community. One current newsletter is a "Summer Reading" edition that lists and critiques new books coming out this summer that may be of interest. The other newsletter is "Bird Watching," a listing of different books on bird-watching to give the people of Madison a new summertime activity. All of the books listed were published by women's publishers and written by women.
A Room of One's Own Bookstore also has an online store that is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week so people all over the country can prosper from the great selection of books at the small store in Madison - http://www.roomofonesown.com.
By E.J. Yi, WIFP
June, 2005
Women's Feature Service began in 1978 as an UNESCO-UNFPA initiative to create "Women's Feature Services" with the specific purpose of impacting mainstream media. Until 1991, it was a project of Inter Press Service (IPS) Third World News Agency. Since 1991, WFS is an independent organization headquartered in Delhi and run by an all-women staff. From 1978 to 1983 UNESCO played a major role in supporting the feature services both programmatically and financially. As of April 2001, WFS has launched its own website, which can be viewed at www.wfsnews.org.
The international women's news/features syndicate, Women's Feature Service produces crisply written features and opinions on development from a gender perspective. WFS has a global outlook, with writers from 40 countries and media clients all over the world. The WFS covers development issues -- national, regional and international -- with a view to informing public policy. It interprets development as a social, political and economic process of change, which, to be just and sustainable, must ensure the participation of all class, race and gender groups. Small and large newspapers, magazines, journals and newsletters publish the articles brought out by WFS across the globe. WFS' wide range of clients ensures penetration at the grassroots, in small towns as well as metropolises, providing a wide coverage of issues and dissemination of information.
WFS articles are also useful as reference material for researchers, academics and specialist publications. In its "theme of the month" is a collection of articles to create awareness and focus public attention on an issue. This month's issue is Rape and Sexual Violence. You can see how a society takes action against the increasing incidence of rape and sexual violence against women from Pakistan to USA.
One of the reasons why WFS is outstanding is that they provide a wide range of media services including radio, video programs, and publications. Some are available only in Hindi, but the most awesome programs are in English and its themes are various and interesting enough to satisfy any inquisitive feminist. Their most recent program, aired on AIR FM, dealt with adolescent sexual and reproductive health and included a segment on HIV/AIDS.
A recent addition to the website is the Media Centre - an online resource center that provides the latest information on HIV/AIDS and Gender issues in India. The Media Centre is a valuable tool to build bridges between the media, NGOs, UN agencies and other organizations that are engaged in developmental work. The Media Centre was launched on March 8, 2004, at the joint UN function to celebrate International Women's Day.
As part of the NGO community, WFS frequently collaborates with other organizations. Recent examples include contributions to initiatives such as Best Practices Surveys, a report on 'The World and Its Peoples', strategies to bridge the digital divide, preparation of a gender-sensitive media tool kit, and so on. WFS is on the Executive Committee of Women Action, an international network of women's groups.
WFS is headquartered in New Delhi, India, and is staffed by an all-women team.
By Emily Schwend, WIFP
June, 2005
In a world where women's magazines not only trivialize important news and dumb down their articles, Colorado Woman News raises the level of intelligence and tackles, dare I say, "real" news. The magazine describes its audience as "today's succesful women," and they clearly cater to the businesswomen of Colorado and America, a niche that is very much underrepresented in most periodicals at this time. Besides business, the magazine includes indepth articles on such topics as Community Affairs, Sports, Careers, Arts and Entertainment, Health, Consumer Info, Travel and Views, opinion pieces by the publishers.
The magazine includes profiles of women succeeding in business; this week Colorado Woman News features Julie Draguns, a Division President of Richmond American Homes of Colorado, and Carey Conley, Regional Vice President of Arbonne International. The magazine also focuses on current legislative issues that women face and struggle with every day. Also, every month, the editor publishes a letter that covers recent women's issues in a casual and intellectual manner. The most recent Letter from the Publisher, as they are called, discusses women's opportunities in engineering and science in these traditionally male-dominated fields.
The online version of this magazine has a wealth of archived information, a well-organized and aesthetically pleasing layout and frequently updated pages. Coloradowoman.com also serves as a network for Colorado women to share information, develop community events and even advertize individual or corporate projects. Perhaps if Colorado Woman News expanded and established Missouri Woman News, Virginia Woman News, Hawaii Woman News, etc., a larger network would be devised and a greater number of women could be reached.
Curve Magazine:
Celebrating the Reading Curve
By Jordan Conn, WIFP
June, 2005
Curve Magazine, the nation's best-selling lesbian magazine, is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. Originally called Deneuve, when it launched in 1991, it became Curve in 1995 after a legal dispute with French actress, Catherine Deneuve. Now it "spotlights all that is fresh, funny, exciting, controversial and cutting-edge in our community with lesbian-related interviews, news, politics, pop culture, style, travel, social issues and entertainment." Its lightheartedness and fun amidst political lesbian issues is what makes the magazine unique.
The June issue focuses on celebrity interviews with Roseanne Barr, Joan Chen, and Michelle Clunie. Most people know Barr as vulgar and honest Roseanne, from her hit sit-com show Roseanne. The show was the first to feature a regularly appearing lesbian character, two gay men, and an elderly lesbian mom, and of course, a woman in the lead. Barr opens up about her lesbian following, her future, and commitment to pushing boundaries. Joan Chen, dubbed the "Elizabeth Taylor of China," discusses playing a lesbian in numerous roles, including the first feature-length Asian-American lesbian film in the United States. Michelle Clunie, who plays "spitfire dyke" Mel on Queer As Folk, dishes about her youth in Oregon, activism, and life after the show. She also discusses new fame: When her character Mel finds out that her girlfriend is cheating on her, "gay men would come up to me and go, 'God, you're being such a bitch to her!" Whereas women would come up to me and say, 'Don't you ever take her back!'"
This month divulges all the information you could ever want about Pride. "Five Great Places to Stay" highlights great hotels in all the Pride cities as well as tour dates. "10 Pride Fest Must-Haves" features great buys from T-shirts saying "Bush Used to Be Such a Pretty Word" to kits with all overnight needs for the random hook-ups that invariably occur at the event. Not to mention colorful cocktail recipes, packing lists, and film festivals.
The only time the magazine gets serious and cute is when discussing
the marriage craze. The writers confess, "as corny as it
sounds, we just have to admit certain things that brings us great
joy, like bringing home a new puppy or seeing our best friend
get married to the girl of her dreams" This feature includes
great lesbian-friendly honeymoon spots, cakes, gifts, and where
to get pride rings. Cheratra Yaswen writes about the sadder side
of marriages and how "our 'weddings' didn't (used to) count.
And neither did our 'divorces'This time, the divorce will have
to be real, too."
The rest of the magazine reviews books, displays a photography
contest, and gives updates on lesbian celebrity gossip, music,
and the like. With all the fun and excitement in Curve,
it's not a surprise so many praise the magazine, even one letter
to the editor admits, "I am a straight boy and I love you."
By Ursula Jonsson, WIFP
June, 2005
Claiming to be "the word on lesbian lifestyle," girlfriends is a monthly magazine providing advice, reviews, and features much like mainstream magazines on newsstands. The only difference is that girlfriends writes exclusively for a gay audience. The July issue happens to be the sex issue and the editor-in-chief, Heather Findlay's favorite one to work on each year.
The magazine includes recent gossip about public figures like Mary Cheney, Portia de Rossi, and even Eva Longeria who apparently shared with a British tabloid that she liked the experiences she had with women and wished she'd had more. There is also information about any recent laws regarding civil unions, gay marriage, and other rights in the LGBT community.
The relationship section read remarkably like the relationship section in a magazine geared more towards the heterosexual relationship. It shouldn't be a surprise that lesbian struggle with the same issues like where to go on a first date, how to avoid giving your phone number to someone you just met, and even when is the time right to move in together. While the magazine is scattered with phrases like "same-gender loving people," "dyke dating," and "butch-on-butch relationship" the issues are not entirely different.
All the ads in the magazine are angled toward lesbians-vacation spots, musical artists, lesbian literature, and LGBT events. Rather than make-up advertisements there are AIDS walk notices and promotions to donate blood.
The publication is sensitive to the legality issues related to being gay in America today. There are opportunities to ask questions about what and where are certain things related to gay life legal. In the July issue a lesbian wrote in asking if gay sex is still illegal in some states. She wasn't so much concerned for her and her partner's preference to abide by the laws, but rather curiosity especially since a major attack on gay sex was in Texas in 1998.
The magazine covers all angles of lesbian lifestyle and tries to conquer the sensitivity often needed in today's homogeneous society. It stands to celebrate lesbianism as well as stand up for it. There are no apologies necessary for reporting on "the word on lesbian lifestyle."
What's on the Agenda?: Giving voices to unheard
issues
By N'Mah Yilla, WIFP
January, 2005
Agenda, a feminist journal, holds the following as its Mission statement:
"Agenda, as a feminist media project in Africa, is committed to giving women a forum, a voice and skills to articulate their needs and interests towards transforming unequal gender relations.
We target, in particular, members of women's organizations, individuals and organizations interested in gender equality.
We aim to question and challenge understandings and practices of gender relations. We contribute to the development of new knowledge about how gender relations can be transformed. In particular, we contribute to the development of women and their capacity to organize themselves, reflect on their experiences, reflect on their experiences and to write about this.
We, as a feminist project, value participatory and transparent processes and provide opportunities for individual growth and development.
We are committed to the principles of non-sectarianism, anti-racism and anti-homophobia. We will guard against all other forms of discrimination."
Does Agenda hold true to its mission? Does it in fact accomplish the goals it sets out in its statement of intent? Let us examine the journal a little more closely to find out.
Agenda's thematic structure is basic and easy to follow. The journal takes a theme and explores it throughout an entire issue. For example, issue #59's theme was Women in War, and issue #52's was Sustainable Development: An Oxymoron? This thematic structure helps with the organization and appeal of the magazine to readers, who can have a general idea of the contents of each issue by simply looking at its cover. The articles in Agenda are based upon fairly recent information. This makes it a valuable resource for someone researching women's issues in a global context as well as those interested in particular issues covered by individual articles. In effect, the journal does accomplish its goal of being a link between action and theory. It is a blue print for activism. Because it is clear and up-to-date, Agenda is an attractive tool filled with identifications of problems in various communities' worldwide as well as suggestions or theories on how to solve or at least abate them.
To describe Agenda articles in one word would be to use a word that denotes many different things: diversity. Although based in Africa, the journal covers issues that affect all types of women; from guerilla fighters in Sri Lanka and Iran, to feminism in the Caribbean, to the African women's peace table conference hosted in South Africa. The journal especially tackles issues not mentioned in the mainstream media highlighting issues and concerns of women in places not usually addressed through "normal" mediums. For example, the status of women war refugees in Sierra Leone or the problems planted by the cultural identity crisis of colored women in South Africa are both topics discussed in the Agenda.
In addition to this, Agenda also recognizes the importance of having male voices as active partners and thinkers in the fight for gender equity. Men contribute to the journal, writing articles that do not have a strong link to feminism. In this capacity the journal adheres to its mission statement by not participating in discrimination and by being true facilitators of dialogue about gender relations. For example, In issue # 59 Charles Sylvester Rankotha writes an article entitled "Do traditional Values Entrench Male Supremacy?" In effect, not only does Agenda offer a diversity of voices and opinions among women feminists, but the journal also offers itself as a forum in which male feminists can contribute their philosophies and convictions as well.
Agenda, although a feminist and at least on the theoretical level a political project, also deals with less serious or tangible issues. It uses other forms of writing in addition to standard articles to convey these thoughts and ideas. The Agenda reader is given more insight into feelings, passions and fears of the writers and the Staff. For example the theme for issue #51 was Food: Needs, Wants and Desires. There are also articles that are in which the writer shares her personal experiences and writes in the first person. In addition, there are works of poetry in every issue. These are all examples of how Agenda recognizes the importance of and encourages different mediums of expression. It also allows the journal to have a little something for everyone, to be both a vehicle of political insight as well as a vehicle for emotional cognizance.
Agenda is indeed a journal that delivers on its promises. Everything from its structure to article topics, to writers, denote a project that is the product of commitment to women's issues, to inter-gender understanding, and to cultivating the minds, bodies and souls of the theorist, the activist, and most importantly, the feminist.
For more information about Agenda visit their website at http://www.agenda.org.za
By Caitlin Esch, WIFP
May, 2005
With a mission statement a mile long that comes just short of claiming its goal is to save the world, off our backs, the feminist news journal out of Washington DC, is a unique news source created by women, for women. As stated on the off our backs website (http://www.offourbacks.org), the purpose of the journal is:
To provide news and information about women's lives and activism. To educate about the status of women around the world. To serve as a forum for feminist ideas and theory. To be an information resource on feminist women's and lesbian culture. And to seek social justice and equality for women worldwide.
And just what this journal aims for, it achieves. Feature articles are often written in a series within each issue. Recent series' include: 'Women and Work,' addresses the problems confronting women in the workplace, with specific focus on the plight of the female working poor; true to its activist intentions, the series concludes with prescriptions for leading a meaningful life amidst an all-consuming capitalistic world (January 2004). 'Women, War and Peace,' highlights feminist activism worldwide, with a focus on the World Social Forum in Mumbai, India (March 2004). 'Women, Men and Violence,' details the horrifying trend of rising violence against women. In addition to revealing scary truths on this subject, the issue goes on to analyze where this violence stems from and how it can be battled by both sexes. And finally, 'Radical Love,' which discusses ways in which hetero and homosexual partners alike can step outside the confining boxes of traditional, patriarchal relationships.
Off our backs stands as the longest surviving feminist news journal in the United States. The first issue was published in February 1970, and has been published without interruption up to the present day. Back issues of the journal can be viewed online, and are categorized into the following for the readers' convenience: Feminist Values, Dating, Postmodernism, Media, War, and others. New issues are published bi-monthly, and can be ordered online through the off our backs website. Off our backs offers a refreshing perspective for a woman with a conscience. It is instructive, inspirational, and offers new insights into women's issues. The journal also serves as an open forum for all women, as readers are encouraged to submit letters, articles, etc. As a longtime subscriber, WIFP highly recommends taking a look at this revitalizing publication.
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Editor's note: oob is celebration its 35th anniversary in 2005. To see an article celebrating their 20th anniversary go to http://www.wifp.org/oobarticle.html
Women's Radio Fund: "Raising Women's Voices
Through Radio Worldwide"
By Heather Grimm, WIFP
May, 2005
The mission statement of the Women's Radio Fund is simple and to the point. It pronounces:
Our mission is to build a support network for women radio producers and broadcasters worldwide.
This is both highlighted and further explained by the specific aims listed on the group's website (http://www.womensradiofund.org):
* To develop and distribute funding for women's radio broadcasting, production, and distribution projects.
* To promote and showcase the work of women in radio worldwide, using web pages and netcasting.
* To forge links between radio women and their allies: funders, a worldwide audience, technical support people, strategic partners, and the global women's movement.
* To help women worldwide develop their own low-power micropower broadcasting stations. And in doing so to provide technical assistance, production equipment, and training.
As the recent and ongoing projects that the Women's Radio Fund is involved with demonstrate this group is working diligently to meet these goals. These projects include the Women's Radio Archive Project, Radio Production and Distribution, Women's Community Radio Networking and Development, and Netcasting. For the Women's Radio Archive Project, a project that is being done with Women's International News Gathering Service (WINGS), the fund is striving to get matching funds for female graduate student labor to create a women's radio archive on the Maryland Institute for Technology in the Humanities website. With the Radio Production and Distribution project, the group is looking to get contributions for WINGS, an independently syndicated radio program by and about women around the world. As for the Women's Community Radio Networking and Development project the group is trying to get funding for regional coordination, training of trainers, and project development in Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America for the Women's International Network branch of the International AMARC (a world association of community radio broadcasters). And with the Netcasting project the Women's Radio Fund is attempting to get general and project support for Feminist International Radio Endeavour (FIRE), which provides live coverage of women's conferences worldwide and training sessions in this technology via the Internet.
Dorothy Abbott founded the Women's Radio Fund in 2000. Abbott is a multimedia producer and cultural activist, who specializes in radio and print media that emphasizes social justice and women's culture. The Women's Radio Fund is currently in the process of creating an Advisory Board. This group is working to revitalize and reinvent the medium of radio by bringing women's voices into the fold at all different levels.
The Journal of Women's History
September, 2005
The Journal of Women's History has entered its second year at the University of Illinois, and we continue to seek submissions on a range of subjects animating women's and gender history. In particular, we are interested in enhancing the Journal's consideration of international, transnational, and global issues, from pre-modern times through the recent past.
Journal of Women's History Guidelines for Contributors:
The editors invite submission of article-length manuscripts (not exceeding 10,000 words including endnotes, 35 pages in length). We are interested in articles based on original empirical research as well as reflections on conceptual, theoretical, and methodological issues in womens history. The Journal also welcomes letters to the editor in response to recent articles. We regret that we are unable to return manuscripts.
Each manuscript or letter to the editor must be on one-sided pages and double-spaced throughout, including quoted material. Endnotes should be used and appear double-spaced on pages following the text. The authors name and addresses (department and/or home address and e-mail address) should appear on a separate page in order to facilitate anonymous review.
While the authors preferences will be considered, it is the editors policy to refer to women by their last names and to use African American to designate U.S. citizens of African descent. Gender specific terms should not be used to refer to mixed groups (i.e., using mankind to refer to all people) or to personify such groups as male (i.e., the historian's perception of his role).
Authors should follow The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition. Direct quotations in the manuscript (text and endnotes) require corresponding page numbers in the endnotes.
Please send four copies of manuscripts, an abstract of your article (no more than 150 words giving the argument and significance of your article), and an electronic copy on disk (word processing file on a 3.5 MS-DOS IBM-compatible disk or CD-ROM, preferably in Microsoft Word) to:
http://www.press.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_womens_history/guidelines.html
Contact: womenshistory@uiuc.edu
Jean Allman and Antoinette Burton, Editors
Journal of Womens History
c/o Department of History
The University of Illinois
309 Gregory Hall
810 S. Wright Street
Urbana, IL 61801
--from the September, 2005 issue of Agenda
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The following are a few more women's media that indicated
to us that "failure is impossible:" See the Directory
of Women's Media on this web site for a full listing.
Rain And Thunder, P.O. Box 813, Northampton, MA 01061. Radical Feminist Journal of Discussion and Activism, a quarterly publication welcoming women's writing. Seeking contributions; news, reviews, artwork, cartoons, photos.
Media Report to Women 38091 Beach Road, PO Box 180, Colton's Point, MD 20626-0180. 301-769-3899 fax 301-769-3558 website: http://www.mediareporttowomen.com/ Quarterly, covering all the issues concerning women and media. Edited by Sheila J. Gibbons. Founded in 1972 by Dr. Donna Allen, Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press, now published by Communication Research Associates, Inc. Continues to be a most important periodical for women in media and those concerned with this central issue in our lives. Media Report to Women is also a resource for all those in mass media who want to know what women are doing and thinking about the communications media. Women and media courses in universities will find these issues invaluable.
(These are highlighted media. See the Directory of Women's Media on this web site for a full listing.)
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For Women's Media Articles & News & Resources, go to Page 3
Women of Color Media on this website.
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Women's Institute for Freedom of the Press
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