news and links from make/shift

  • The new issue of Utne Reader recognizes “50 Visionaries Who Are Changing Your World”—and three of them are regular contributors to make/shift! Coeditor/copublisher Jessica Hoffmann, writer brownfemipower, and columnist/reviews editor Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore all made the list.
  • EVENT: MAYRA SIRIAS: LEARNING FROM NICARAGUA, Saturday, November 1, 2008, 2 p.m, Southern California Library

    Mayra Sirias of La Red de Mujeres Contra Violencia is in Southern California for just a few events. In her only L.A. event, she will speak about Nicaraguan women’s work to end violence, reproductive justice, grassroots feminisms, and more. This is a bilingual (Spanish/English) … FREE event … cosponsored by make/shift and INCITE! LA.

  • The latest issue of make/shift magazine features “Without You Who Understand: Letters from Radical Women of Color” (a special section guest-edited by Alexis Pauline Gumbs); a multi-article spread on feminist/cooperative economics; an excerpt from Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore’s new novel, So Many Ways to Sleep Badly; notes on solidarity among queers and feminists in the U.S. and Nicaragua; report-backs from the WOC Lockdown at the University of Michigan and the gender-justice convening in Oakland; and much, much more. Continue reading
  • muncitoare imigrante in romania

    “exploatarea muncitorilor imigranti in romania”

    In prezent mii de muncitori straini lucreaza in Romania, suferind de pe urma atitudinii exploatatoare a companiilor angajatoare care ii forteaza sa lucreze ore suplimentare, refuzand sa ii plateasca si santajandu-i cu desfacerea contractelor de munca si deportarea. In absenta existentei unor structuri care sa le protejeze drepturile, acestia sunt nevoiti sa se descurce pe cont propriu…

    (stiri mai vechi: “revolta muncitoarelor chinezoaice din bacau”)

    si un eveniment relevant (14 octombrie): Lansarea studiului “Imigrant in Romania – Perspective si riscuri”

    Joi, 4 septembrie, orele 18:00, deschiderea Spatiului de proiecte – Feminisme

    [EN] Opening of Project Feminisms – Histories, free spaces, participative democracy, economic justice

    image001.jpgIstorii, spaţii libere, democraţie participativă, justiţie economică.
    Feminisme.ro
    Prin intermediul evenimentelor care vor avea loc într-un Spaţiu de proiecte în Timişoara, prin campanii în spaţiul public şi prin intermediul unei cercetări care va lua forma unei publicaţii şi a unui website, proiectul Feminisme va reflecta asupra întrebărilor şi contextelor a diverse practici feministe, în cadrul unor discuţii despre ce anume este relevant şi ce anume este vizibil în spaţiul public.

    „Feminism” e un cuvânt dificil de folosit în România, în prezent. Deşi politicile de emancipare a femeilor din anii ’50 au dus la o dezvoltare a mişcării femeilor, mai târziu, în timpul regimului lui Nicolae Ceauşescu, “emancipare” şi “feminism” au devenit doar nişte cuvinte goale care acopereau morţile a mii de femei ca rezultat al politicii pronataliste. După 1989, în perioada de tranziţie şi în prezent, femeile şi bărbaţii care se declară în mod public ca fiind feministe/feminişti trebuie să facă faţă unor duble acuzaţii. Pe de o parte, cuvântul poartă implicaţiile fostului regim comunist şi pe de altă parte, în discursurile publice din prezent (în marea lor majoritate conservatoare) feminismul este considerat în general ca fiind un concept „importat din Vest” care nu are relevanţă pentru societatea noastră bazată pe „tradiţiile creştine”.

    Ca o condiţie a integrării în Uniunea Europeana, România a adoptat o serie de legi cu un conţinut de gen: Legea pentru prevenirea şi combaterea tuturor formelor de discriminare (2002), Legea egalităţii de şanse dintre femei şi bărbaţi (2002), Legea pentru prevenirea şi combaterea violenţei în familie (2003). Adoptarea unei asemenea legislaţii este un pas important. Totuşi faptul că aceste legi au fost importate la un nivel pur legislativ, fără să fie însoţite de un cadru instituţional adecvat şi faptul că au fost adoptate ca urmare a unor presiuni externe şi nu ca un câştig al presiunilor făcute de societatea civilă, de către cei cărora li se adresează, le diminuează eficacitatea şi puterea de schimbare. Aceste legi reflectă faţa „democratică” a capitalismului. Aspecte cu un important conţinut de gen, cum ar fi precaritatea, sărăcia, migraţia, care au ca rezultat direct violenţa şi discriminarea, nu intră sub incidenţa acestor legi. Dacă consideri că trăieşti într-o societate în care toate problemele cu încărcătură de gen au fost cu succes normalizate, atunci problemele pe care le trăieşti devin doar eşecul tău individual şi nu au nici o relevanţă mai generală. Aparenţa de normalitate pe care o dau aceste legi are un efect de desolidarizare în condiţiile unei societăţi în care toate faţetele vieţii sunt transformate în mărfuri şi în care fiinţele şi ideile sunt importante doar în măsura în care contribuie la acumularea de capital.

    O discuţie eficientă despre patriarhat poate fi făcută doar în măsura în care este arătată legătura dintre acesta şi capitalism, în măsura în care sunt analizate relaţiile de privilegii şi putere pe care capitalismul global este structurat. O discuţie care să se refere nu doar la enumerarea diferitelor feluri de oprimare ci şi la responsabilitatea fiecăruia/fiecăreia dintre noi de a ne opune acestora.

    Feminisme este un instrument pentru interpretare şi acţiune. Continue reading

    Global Research Project on Women in the News Media

    August 13, 2008 – The International Women’s Media Foundation is launching a research project to examine the news media industry structure worldwide from a gender perspective. The project, called the Global Report on the Status of Women in the News Media, will document the levels of involvement by women in the news media at professional, decision-making and governance levels.

    “Women journalists’ full participation in the news media furthers freedom of the press,” said Jane Ransom, the IWMF’s executive director. “We want to be aware of gaps in women’s leadership so that we can continue to create opportunities for women to participate more fully in the news media worldwide.” Continue reading

    make/shift

    “Feminist Media Reconsidered: An Interview with make/shift

    … It’s about making – making media, making change, making communities, making movements, making art, and making shifts – shifting power, shifting paradigms, shifting society. And it’s about doing it with what you’ve got, in a non-institutional, resourceful, do-it-yourself makeshift way.

    via la chola

    Feminist Midwifery Zine call out

    A feminist midwifery ‘zine’:
    Is midwifery a feminist issue? How do feminists practice midwifery? What are feminists currently thinking about childbearing? What do feminists think about midwives?

    This is a ‘call out’ to feminists who would like to contribute to an upcoming ‘zine’ about feminism, midwifery, pregnancy and birthing. A ‘zine’ is an informally published / DIY magazine. If you’ve never seen one then imagine a cross between a leaflet for a local jumble sale, a comic and a text book.

    This particular zine will be distributed free or for donations – via free PDF documents and cheap printed copies… contributors will retain original copyright but agree for ‘copy-left’. This means anyone is welcome to copy the zine as long as it’s not for profit and says where the info comes from.

    [*Contributions deadline – first draft = 30th August 2008]

    You can contribute anything printable to the zine – writing, rants, poems, cartoons, drawings, photos, quizzes and crosswords, origami birth plans, cut out and keep guide to your womb, birth in the NHS self defence tip cards… anything flat!

    Please think about making your writing understandable to a wide audience – how you write is up to you, but it might be useful to avoid midwifery jargon or writing in a very academic style.

    We are interested in the views of student and qualified midwives; doulas; mums and other parents; birth activists and feminist health folk – if you don’t want to use your name you’re welcome to use a nickname.

    Some ideas so far…feminist midwifery: birth without borders? – refugee women birthing in the NHS; queer parenting; freebirthing; trans-men birthing; techno-birth ‘v’ ecofeminism; independent midwifery radical or elitist?; dykes midwives and homosexual panic; earth-mother consumerism; birth as power; birth crisis and birth trauma; sexuality and breastfeeding; dads in the labour room; babybonding – myth and reality; Where are the male midwives?; midwifery, horizontal violence and sexism… Continue reading

    carte si articole interesante: “tovarase de drum”

    @ Observator Cultural:
    O carte in dezbatere: Tovarase de drum. Experienta feminina in comunism.

    Despre „epoca de aur“ au apărut, mai ales în ultimul deceniu, mai multe cărţi – fie documente istorice, fie istorii personale, subiective, care reconstituie, retrospectiv, viaţa cotidiană într-o lume din care intimitatea, individualitatea şi, nu în ultimul rînd, feminitatea fuseseră extirpate sistematic. Volumul coordonat de Radu Pavel Gheo şi Dan Lungu aduce în prim-plan o serie de istorii „despre lucrurile aparent fără însemnătate care trec, în timp, printr-o viaţă de om“ (apud Adriana Babeţi). Relatate de scriitoare din generaţii şi medii sociale diferite, istorioarele din Tovarăşe de drum sînt mărturii despre efectele nocive pe care regimul comunist le-a avut asupra destinelor individuale, dar şi radiografii tulburătoare ale procesului de naţionalizare a corpurilor femeilor, iniţiat de partidul unic. (C.M.)

    Detalii si discutii in jurul cartii:
    “Cum a pornit proiectul, ce spun coordonatorii volumului?”
    “Cît de relevantă e diferenţa?” de Bianca Burta-Cernat
    “Rîsul şi (r)Estul” de Theodora-Eliza Vacarescu
    “Femeia din spatele Cortinei de Fier” de Şerban Axinte
    “Ce mişto ar fi fost să fim femei!” de Ovidiu Şimonica
    “Radu Pavel Gheo: „Am avut senzaţia că textele erau gata scrise şi abia aşteptau să iasă la iveală“”
    “Dan Lungu: „O lumină nouă asupra totalitarismului, dintr-un unghi prea puţin explorat“”
    ———————————
    Info de la editura polirom:

    “Lucrurile stau in felul urmator: se da o tara plina de betoane, fonta si salopete, se adauga magazine doldora de conserve de peste si cozi la orice, un sef timpit, plus doua-trei culori, destul de terne. Nu, nici vorba de pantofiori pastelati, ciorapi fini, tocuri sofisticate, sampoane si rujuri de firma sau, ma scuzati, sanitary pads. Nu, nici urma de mall-uri. Aaa, neaparat trebuie adaugate croitoresele de cartier, mici vrajitoare intr-ale modei, tragind cu ochiul in revista Burda. Ei bine, in aceasta tara se da drumul unor sufletele sensibile si li se spune: Fiti femei!. Va intrebati cum se descurca? Hmmm, greu de povestit, trebuie citita cartea.” (Dan Lungu)

    Volumul cuprinde texte semnate de
    : Adriana Babeti – Sarsanela; Anamaria Beligan – Halatul Veronicai; Carmen Bendovski – Lungul drum al comunismului catre sfirsit; Rodica Binder – Chiar asa?; Adriana Bittel – Servus, Reghina; Mariana Codrut – “Atunci am invatat sa renunt”; Sanda Cordos – Din umbra viitorului luminos; Nora Iuga – Scrisoare catre un prieten; Cerasela Nistor – Cerul negru-rozaliu; Ioana Ocneanu-Thierry – Eu, una, n-am suferit!; Simona Popescu – HoRor! Cool!; Iulia Popovici – X si Y; Alina Radu – O zi din viata Alinei Viktorovna; Doina Rusti – Ginecologii mei; Simona Sora – Bibliotecile spitalelor mele; Mihaela Ursa – O poveste de fata; Otilia Vieru-Baraboi – Aha.

    ps: eu n-am citit cartea inca si nu stiu cum e, ma ingrijoreaza putin treaba cu “feminitatea” si “sufletele sensibile” (sper sa fie ironie), dar abia astept sa vad. [momentan recomand calduros textul de sus al theodorei vacarescu.] ceva ce scriam in 2004:

    “Ne amintim, cantarim si analizam prea putin din ce a insemnat viata noastra inainte de ’89… Dar acea istorie ne influenteaza pe toti la nivel individual si la nivel societal — este o greseala sa continuam sa nu vorbim de experientele noastre, ce au insemnat si cum ne leaga de lumea (lumile) in care traim astazi. Nu pot sa nu vad o paralela intre aceasta tacere si tacerea — pe care ca problema la scara globala am ajuns totusi s-o constientizam si s-o analizam — creata istoric (deci impusa) si in acelasi timp “aleasa” de femei drept modus operandi in cadrul sistemului patriarhal. Cand e vorba de vietile femeilor in societatea romaneasca din perioada comunista, atunci, nevoia de a rupe aceasta tacere are o dubla importanta. …”

    interview lf-ro: “how to intervene”

    Ladyfest Romania contribution to the book:
    Are you talking to me? Discussion on Knowledge Production, Gender Politics and Feminist Strategies,
    eds H.arta/Katharina Morawek

    How to intervene?
    Practices of her-stories

    A conversation between Veronika E., Regina W. and Andreea, Ruxandra from the Ladyfest Collective Bucharest.

    “A grrrl from Timisoara—who is involved in the local “underground” scene there—decided to start a Romanian Ladyfest after attending the one held in Amsterdam in 2003. Impressed by the premise of a feminist festival showcasing woman artists and by her whole Ladyfest experience, she felt that it would be a good idea to also try something like that, infused with the riot grrrl spirit, at home. Finally, in late 2004, she started planning the festival together with a girlfriend of hers who is the bass player of a political punk band from Timisoara and a few other grrrls they knew; in time the two of them were able to spread the word and get more help from several Romanian girls and women living in different regions and even outside of the country. Ladyfest Timisoara 2005 was a small scale event, but it was a much needed action that brought together Romanian feminists of various ages and younger ones especially, and everyone involved felt that it should be kept going. Afterwards, the organizing collective decided to stay together to plan more events and ultimately a second Ladyfest in October 2007.” Ruxandra

    Ladyfest is one example of (re)claiming feminist/queer spaces through a collective process where different structures enable self educational space. For us Ladyfest is an intervention which re-appropriates and re-claims (public) space to inscribe an anti-discriminatory space to secure a feministic queer space that is able to provide structures through which “counter” knowledge is transmitted and produced. It can and should work as a tool, backed by a big network. There are different Ladyfest events with local priorities which are shaped by the people who plan it.
    Most of them have in common that they are self organised gatherings with non hierarchical structures working non-institutionalised and including workshops, bands, talks, performances, debates, films, marches to struggle together against homophobia, sexism, racisms, anti-semitism, capitalism, discrimination…

    The first Ladyfest in Romania was in 2005 in Timisoara. The second Ladyfest was organised in 2007 and took place in the capital of Romania. We talked with Ruxandra and Andreea about their experiences organizing Ladyfest Bucharest 2007…
    Continue reading

    culture, gender and math (and reading)

    about recent research:

    in The Economist
    “Vital statistics: Girls are becoming as good as boys at mathematics, and are still better at reading” [h/t /etc list]

    ABC News story
    “Study: Girls in Sexist Societies Worse at Math – Countries with Higher Gender Equality Produce Girls Who Are Better at Math”

    the original study in Science Magazine: “Diversity: Culture, Gender, and Math” [restricted access] & Supporting Online Material

    “The existence (1), degree (2), and origin (3, 4) of a gender gap (difference between girls’ and boys’ scores) in mathematics are highly debated. Biologically based explanations for the gap rely on evidence that men perform better in spatial tests, whereas women do better in verbal recall ones (1, 5, 6). However, the performance differences are small, and their link with math test performance is tenuous (7). By contrast, social conditioning and gender-biased environments can have very large effects on test performance (8).

    To assess the relative importance of biological and cultural explanations, we studied gender differences in test performance across countries (9). Cultural inequalities range widely across countries (10), whereas results from cognitive tests do not (6). We used data from the 2003 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) that reports on 276,165 15-year-old students from 40 countries who took identical tests in mathematics and reading (11, 12). The tests were designed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to be free of cultural biases. They are sufficiently challenging that only 0.6% of the U.S. students tested perform at the 99th percentile of the world distribution.”

    1164-1-med.gif

    1164-2-med.gif
    Science 30 May 2008:
    Vol. 320. no. 5880, pp. 1164 – 1165
    DOI: 10.1126/science.1154094

    below the fold, some commentary in romanian (english quotes)
    Continue reading

    on feminism, violence, patriarchal culture, religion (& more)

    REFLECTIONS ON ‘ARTEMIS’ – A ROMANIAN FEMINIST PROJECT (PDF)
    by Maria Diaconescu

    … Even so, with these East-West differences, violence and sexual abuse against children and women is a reality in Eastern European countries, as it is in the Western countries. The East and the West share the same patriarchal ground that makes possible the cultural and structural violence that we live in. Violence of any kind means taking advantage of the power difference. The societal/ cultural or structural violence refers to all actions, attitudes and values of a society which block or delay the development of the other who has no “voice” in society, or who is not heard (children, women, people from a different ethnic or religious background, etc.). This kind of values and attitudes are responsible for inequalities of chances, and violence against women, children, Roma people, etc.

    What do I want to highlight in this paper? There is a high support of patriarchal culture via the educational environment, the political environment, and the church. In the name of the so-called national and traditional values, strongly supported by the church, there is a high support of patriarchal culture. In my opinion, patriarchal values have to do a lot with the skin of religion – the temporal and social norms, known in Romania as “the national and traditional Christian values.” The patriarchal values have nothing to do with the core of spiritual and religious meanings. The spiritual, transcendent, essential part of any religion of the world has to do with the essence of the human being which transcends any skin: gender, culture and religion differences; this is the core part of any religion. According to Peseschkian, the religious externals that are influenced by time, the rituals and dogmas – the skin – are put in the foreground, while the actual religious contents – the core – are put aside. This produces a shift in form and content, misunderstanding and confusion because of the lack of differentiation between faith – religion – church.

    My hypothesis is that the religious skin ideology – put in the foreground – patterns in a paradoxical way any other subsequent ideology/ politics or philosophy of life, even if (and especially when) people reject or ignore the core religion. This is what happens after any revolution. Subsequently, the revolution patterns the relationships in the same way: another form of patriarchal, changed roles. …