Throughout my work with domestic violence survivors, as well as the trainings I’ve participated in on domestic violence issues, one thread weaves through our constant efforts: empowerment. And the truth is that the language we use – subtle as it may be – makes a huge impact. I am of a firm belief that we…
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, chances are you have seen your Facebook and Twitter newsfeeds blow up with reposts of Invisible Children’s (IC) new viral social media campaign, “Kony 2012,” intended to make Joseph Kony, the rebel leader of the Lord’s Resistance Army, infamous worldwide — so that the international community can bring…
Women put in the most work and reap the least benefits in agriculture. Women grow the largest share of the world’s food, but very few women (1% in Africa) own the land they farm on. Sadly, rural women who grow food are actually the most likely to be hungry, and their families have higher rates…
Ah, yes. The shallow pounding of the heart, the sweaty palms, the sudden inability to focus on the task at hand. The overwhelming feeling that everything might be lost, at any moment now. Fear. A sadly familiar friend of mine. My worst enemy, turning me from a confident woman to a cowering child unable to…
I’ve had some time this weekend to read a lot and catch up on social media. Still, things these days move too fast even for me. I constantly feel like I’m missing out on interesting links being posted or fascinating discussions happening on Twitter. I barely have time to finish reading something (forget absorbing/analysing everything…
Today, feminism has practically become a dirty word. So many young women I’ve talked to have told me: I am an advocate for women’s rights and gender equity, of course! But I am most certainly not going to call myself a feminist. There is increasingly a perception that feminists are man haters, bra burners, or…
Yesterday, I ran into a truly amazing new organization – Namati: Innovations in Legal Empowerment. Frequently here, I have written about the need for a legal empowerment and access to justice movement, and a greater focus on funding programs that provide legal services to the poor, especially community based paralegals and outreach workers. Namati is…
As my last post discussed, I’m fascinated by the idea of what goes on behind the screen across the world. What is everyday life like, despite the media sensationalism and rhetoric focusing on the worst parts of any society? In my last post, I wrote about media representations of rape in the DRC, and how…
Women Under Siege is a fascinating new initiative of the Women’s Media Center that focuses on rape and sexual violence used as tools of control in instances of war, conflict, and genocide throughout the world. The project is spearheaded by Gloria Steinem and hopes to increase our understanding of the causes of mass sexual assaults…
A new article by Kathryn Mathers called “Mr. Kristof, I Presume? saving Africa in the footsteps of Nicholas Kristof” is a scathing – and much needed – critique of Nick Kristof’s reporting. Not only this, but Mathers delves into the deeper history of American relations with Africa, and how we came to the current age…
