create a world where women can walk ANYWHERE, EVERYWHERE

Tonight I had the opportunity to meet the women of the National Organization of Women
(NOW) at their Cambridge, MA office. I recognized most of them because of a past event where they showed the movie, “Iron Jawed Angels” with Hillary Swank and
I liked the movie so much I even purchased a copy for myself. The movie depicts how women won the right to vote and how they were arrested, and mistreated and abused all to put pressure and win their “right to vote.”

Artwork from Kaetlyn Wilcox’s collection.

Artwork from Kaetlyn Wilcox Collection

Artwork from Andria Arch Broomfield Collection

Artwork from Andria Arch’s collection.

Anyway, tonight two gifted artists, Kaetlyn Wilcox and Andria Arch
Both lovely young and very talented artists have a unique and personal style and I loved their pieces. Kaetlyn has a whimsical, highly detailed and very expressive style which uses fantasy images, wildlife, birds and nature while Andria has a abstract and creative imaginary style, using inkblots, micro-organisms and color combinations which make her artwork come alive! But what do I know about artwork. I am just in awe of these two gifted artists and how they seem to create a life of their own on their canvasses and whatever else they can find. Thanks to NOW I had this opportunity to hear their stories and see where they received their inspiration from.

It is good to see NOW honor these women artists as a celebration of art made by women artists and hopefully it will serve in the future as inspiration for young girls and young woman “artistic” students. Kudos and many thanks to Katyln and Andria for sharing their artwork with others. Thank you.

Held at the Boston State House and attended by over 500 women (and men) the event was hosted by a number of women’s group and organizations including: Massachusetts Teen PregnancyPromise the ChildrenPlanned Parenthood

I was happy to volunteer that day serving refreshments because my dear friend Alison from Mass Ten Pregnancy asked for help, so I did and so glad I had the chance to see this wonderful event and the many inspirational stories from young teen mothers who sacrificed there freedoms to have their children and go back to school to finish their education, work and support their families. The hundreds of teen parents lobbied throughout the State House so they could promote the bill going through Senate and finally towards to Governor to sign. It was a very emotional and inspirational experience to behold indeed.

one person cant do it

Yea girl u go u kno how it do

when someone refers to women as “the underdogs”? at the time i was too busy laughing to consider being mad.

In the UK women buy more than three billion disposable sanitary products every year. It’s something we take for granted.

But millions of women in Zimbabwe go without these basic products. As a result many are suffering from infection, depression and, in some serious cases, infertility. There have also been examples of women being beaten by their husbands who wrongly attribute their infection to infidelity.

As Robert Mugabe’s leadership plunges Zimbabwe deeper into crisis – basic goods like sanitary products are becoming a luxury item only available to the rich.

Thabitha Khumalo from the Zimbabwean Congress of Trade Unions is angry about the lack of sanitary wear for women, which she says not only threatens women’s health but also their dignity.

“Ordinary women cannot afford sanitary wear. We are inserting old pieces of cloth or newspapers, but the ink from the newspaper is causing infections, and there is no medication to cure this. It’s immoral for the leadership to deny us our biological rights.” she says.

Working in solidarity with the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions, Action for Southern Africa has launched a campaign to raise funds to ensure that they can buy large quantities of sanitary products in South Africa, and distribute them free of charge to Zimbabwean Women. Thabitha and her colleagues are asking you to help the women of her country take back their dignity.

She urges you to donate generously. Your gift will make a huge difference now, and for many months to come, and provide the support that will improve women’s lives.

Together we can lessen this serious and devastating problem in Zimbabwe.

Visit the goal “Campaign for access to sanitary products for women in Zimbabwe” for more information on what you can do to help.

A woman airman in the US Air Force who was allegedly raped by three of her male counterparts is being charged with indecent acts, according to an AP report. If convicted, the woman could face a year in prison, a pay cut, a bad-conduct discharge, and would even be registered as a sex offender, the woman’s defense lawyers told the AP.

Cassandra Hernandez, who was stationed with the Air Force in North Carolina, was allegedly assaulted six months ago while in another airman’s room; she fled partially clothed, she said. After reporting the attack she received a medical examination, but declined to testify after she was allegedly interrogated by an Air Force defense attorney without her lawyer present. “The pressure of the judicial process was too much for me, and I felt like no one was looking out for my interests,” Hernandez wrote to the AP. She was subsequently charged with one count of consuming alcohol as a minor (she admittedly was drinking the night in question) and one count of committing indecent acts.

The Air Force Public Affairs division said that its investigation did not find sufficient evidence to support the woman’s claims of sexual assault, reported KVUE, a Houston television station. The accused men were granted immunity from the sexual assault charges for their testimony against Hernandez in the US Air Force’s case against her, KVUE further reported.

Hernandez worries that the handling of her case will impact others in the Air Force as well. “Will other women come forward after a rape when they hear that this is how they may be treated?” she wrote in a letters to the US Congress and Texas Gov. Rick Perry, according to KVUE. “The process has almost been as painful as the rape.”

Hernandez is scheduled to begin court marshal on September 24.

Media Resources: Associated Press 8/7/07; KVUE 8/1/07

I realize that I have not made it safe for all women to walk the world over, but I think “giving up” isn’t appropriate either. In my world, wherever I am, women will be able to walk unthreatened by me or anybody in a group I’m in. A woman will be not be harrassed, intimidated, gawked or made uncomfortable by me or anyone within (verbal) smacking distance of me.

At this time, that’s really all I can do. I can control my world and the world I create around me. I can continue to give money to organizations like Heifer that value education for women and girls.

I’m retiring the goal, not the ideal.

I’ll do what I can but it’s rather out of my hands for the most part.

Male lecturers and schoolteachers in Nigeria routinely pressure girls for sex in return for passing grades, reports the Washington Post.

When Nigeria’s education minister faced an audience of 1,000 schoolchildren, she expected to hear complaints of crowded classrooms and lack of equipment. Instead, girl after girl spoke up about being pressured for sex by teachers in exchange for better grades. One girl was just 11 years old.

“I was shocked,” said the minister, Obiageli Ezekwesili, who has several children herself. “I asked – was it that prevalent? And they all chorused ‘yes.’”

Most of the victims of this particular brand of sexual harassment, however, are university students. The Post interviews one 22 year old who has been prevented from graduating for three years, because she will not have sex with a political science lecturer. In one survey carried out by a student, 80% of female students said they had been blackmailed for sex in this way.

Only now is the government starting to act, which it horrendous in itself, and no doubt points to wider problems.

“We’ve had cases where the girls have complained and the heads of their department have called them and said, ‘Give him what he wants.’”

Article from a blog post at The F Word.