Follow up from previous post--violence in advertisements

My most recent post included a number of advertisements--specifically the recent hair ad which minimizes the black eye the woman has with the statement, "Look good in all you do." When this ad was recently published there was an outcry (thankfully!). The owner of Fluid Hair Salon of course reported that no harm was meant. Why, though, would the implication of intimate partner violence be needed when advertising for a hair salon? "Look good at all you do." What is this even supposed to mean? Is the message: make sure you have nice hair and are dressed nicely when your partner decides to hit you?

I recognize and support the right to free speech (as the owner of the salon cites). I am all for it! But, as I've heard many times before: just because you can do something, doesn't mean that you should. This is an important lesson, I think.

Fluid Hair Salon has published a number of other ads in which women are depicted in more empowering situations (though of course the women are sexualized--as usual). Take a look:

Now, Fluid Salon is known for their edgy and controversial ads. While the most recent ad showing IPV makes me particularly unhappy and uncomfortable and quite frankly angry, Fluid has published other ads that I also find distasteful. Such as the below ad featuring homelessness or homicide.

(Note: I believe the above ad resembles a sex a worker--which is, in my opinion, horrible too.)

Now, in the previous post I made a point to include a number of other ads from years past that also demonstrated violence against women.  Some ads may be more subtle (such as the ad where the man is firmly grabbing the woman's face), while others are quite blatant (as was the case with the Fluid ad).  The messages of violence are all around us. While I applaud those individuals that stated their dissatisfaction over the Fluid ad, I remain concerned that there are so many other advertisements like this one that stay under the radar and are accepted widely.  In my opinion, advertisements depicting gang rape, IPV, sexual objectification and the like are simply crossing the line. Why would these scenes be important to the ad agencies anyway? Seriously.

Interestingly, there is an organization specific to hair salons that fights IPV.  Check out the organization--Cut It Out.

For another good article on the Fluid ad, check this out. (There's a video included as well.)

Hiatus...but think about this

Sorry for the hiatus. I'm back and ready to blog. Well, correction--I'll be back in full swing in a couple of days. For now, though, I wanted to leave you with some images that I'll be blogging about come next post. Look at these, think about them.

The first picture is an advertisement that recently came under great scrutiny. The other pictures are older ads. Trend? I think so.

The below are the older advertisements.

Be back in a couple of days to discuss these and other similar advertisements. Keep your eyes out for my next post and your mind open for the messages we see daily.

New Documentary: "A Way to Justice"

The following is from UNAIDS (www.unaids.org):

A new documentary film following the lives of four people in Africa aims at challenging patriarchy, end men’s violence against women and promote gender equality. Produced by Sonke Gender Justice and MenEngage, the film titled A Way to Justice: Engaging Men for Women’s Rights and Gender Transformation focuses on gender, HIV and human rights issues.

“We need to build creative initiatives, to transform gender norms and break through cultural barriers to create new masculinities. By fostering women and men’s leadership for gender equality, we can succeed in creating safer, more just societies and stopping violence against women and girls.” said Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of UNAIDS.

Violence and the threat of violence hamper women and girls’ ability to adequately protect themselves from HIV infection and assert healthy decision making. The prevalence of forced first sex among adolescent girls younger than 15 years ranges between 11% and 45% globally. Adolescent girls and young women are among the most vulnerable groups to HIV infection.

In the film individuals speak about the difficulties they confronted and transcended. David Tamba, a Sierra Leonean fleeing from civil war whose wife was gang-raped by rebels, began working with other men in refugee camps. “All men were viewed as bad men. But there were also men who were peaceful, who equally suffered, so the way to turn the story around was to start talking to our colleague men and go out and campaign for gender equality and empowerment of women,” said Mr Tamba.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

You can also watch some of the film by clicking here. 

____________________________________________

I'd also like to draw your attention to another film, "Can't Just Fold Your Arms." This film follows 3 activists as they train, discuss, debate, and listen around the reality of South Africa over a period of two years. Read more about this film here. 

Domestic Violence in Muslim Communities

Today as I read through the news I came across an article entitled, "Nazish Noorani, Domestic Abuse and American Muslims." This immediately caught my eye because the American Muslim population is an understudied population when it comes to issues related to violence within intimate relationships. As I read this article, I came to appreciate that it not only discussed resources, such as Turning Point for Women and Families, but that it attempted to break the dynamics of abuse down and additionally examine the components of intimate violence that might be not only specific to Muslim populations, but to faith-driven relationships of all denominations. For example, the article details that it takes on average 10 attempts at leaving before a woman finally leaves. Previously that number was 7 attempts. This rise in attempts demonstrates added elements that religion and culture play within intimate relationships, including or absent of violence. And, did you really just think about that. 10 attempts. This alone demonstrates that need for support women seeking exit from violence require. And, keep in mind that the research shows the most dangerous time for a woman in a violent relationship is as she leaves.

Furthermore, I appreciated that this article discussed the impact on children. When I teach Violence against Women and Girls, I spend quite a bit of time on this topic. Sometimes it seems adults forget how aware children really are.  While the statistics represented in the article are a bit different from the research I draw from, I think the commonality that everyone would agree on is that children are affected.

I've included a link below of an actual 911 police call made by a 6-year-old girl named Lisa (Nov 21, 1991).  While the audio in this video is extremely upsetting, the police report that upon arrival, the violence was actually rather minimal. What we have to remember, however, is that the perception of a child can be much different from that of an adult.

WARNING: This may be graphic and emotionally upsetting for some. If you choose not to hear the audio, you may read the transcript of the call by clicking here.

To listen to the 911 call, please click here. Note, there are parts of the tape that get quite loud. Be aware of the volume of your speakers.

When Lisa was found approximately 15 years later, she was in an abusive relationship herself. When she was pregnant with her second child, she reported that something snapped and she decided to get out of the relationship. She stated that she didn't want to end of like her mother.

So, this article was full of great things to think about. The impact on children, resources available specifically to the Muslim population, how religion impacts the experience of domestic violence and/or help-seeking behaviors. I highly recommend checking it out. Let me know what you think of the article and/or of the Lisa tape.

Lastly, since today brought up the intersection of religion with VAWG, I also found the following article on the Huffington Post. Check it out if you're interested: What Christians Need to Learn from Sl*twalks

New Children's Book: 'Maggie Goes on a Diet'

I'm at a conference and don't have a lot of time currently. But, I came across this book and wanted to go ahead and post it. Yes. I recognize we have an obesity problem in our society. Yes. I recognize we have an obesity problem within our child and youth populations. Why, however, is there a book about dieting when you are 14? Why is the book about dieting and not health more generally?  AND, why is it specifically about a young GIRL?  Are girls the only sex with a weight issue? Are females the only group that should be concerned with weight?  Where is the line drawn between health and development of eating disorders? The following statistics are from the National Eating Disorder Association:

• In the United States, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting a life and death battle with an eating disorder.
• In a 2003 review of the literature, it was shown that 40% of newly identified cases of anorexia are in girls 15-19 years old.
• In the same review of literature, it was shown that between 1988 and 1993, the incidence of bulimia in women ages 10-39 TRIPLED.
• Furthermore, it has been shown that 46% of 9-11 year-olds are "sometimes"  or "very often" on diets, and 82% of their families are "sometimes" or "very often" dieting (Gustafson-Larson & Terry, 1992).
• 81% of 10-year-olds are afraid of being "fat" (Mellin et al. 1991).

Oh, the questions could keep coming. Look at the book cover alone. Do you see the image in the mirror?

This book is scheduled to be on bookstore shelves on October 16. The author of the book, a male named Paul M. Kramer, states:

"This book is about a 14-year-old girl who goes on a diet and is transformed from being extremely overweight and insecure to a normal sized girl who becomes the school soccer star. Through time, exercise and hard work, Maggie becomes more and more confident and develops a positive self image."

Barnes & Noble recommends the book for children ages 6-12.

Read the below articles for more:
Dangerous? Book about Dieting Teen Targets Kids 6-12

New Book Encourages Young Girls to Diet

Maggie Goes on a Diet & We Search for a Fat-Friendly Children's book

Feminism: Need a new word?

I was reading an article today on Jezebel.com that really caught my eye. When I teach the feminism comes up in most, if not all, of my classes at some point.  I remember when I labeled myself as a feminist one time someone asked me how I planned to be a mother and a career-oriented woman. I responded that the two were certainly not mutually exclusive in my mind. What comes to mind for you when you hear the word feminist? Are you one? Are you proud or do you identify as a feminist in only certain situations or around certain people? These questions are not to lay on a guilt trip, but truly to help start a dialogue around this word and what it means to different people. I often ask my students whether men can be feminists. Usually they all jump to yes (surprising perhaps). But, I can see some of them thinking more and more about it. I can see that this "yes" response doesn't sit perfectly with everyone. Can a man be a feminist?

For me a feminist is someone who supports equal rights between men and women. There is no set appearance, sexuality, education level, religion or any other social characteristic that dictates whether someone is a feminist or not. Take a look at this video:

What do you think? Surprised by any of the responses? Maybe not surprised, but disappointed. Yes. I am.

So, this article I read, it was all about renaming feminism. Making it more socially acceptable. Softer. Jezebel solicited suggestions and the following list was created:

Misogylypse
Non-Cookers
Flesh-Hungry Young Slutism
Lieutenant Ripleyism
Legitabitch
Reallyism (as in "really? In 2011 that's acceptable behavior or thought to have about women? really?")
Equality for everyone regardless of their genitals
Equaligasm (an adherent of equaligasm would be an equaligasmitist)
Vagarchy
She-quality
FYATPHPHYRIO? (Pronounced Fee-Aht-Fee-Ree-Oh): Fuck You And The Privileged Heterosexist Patriarchal Horse You Rode In On
GEM (Gender Equality Movement)
eGALitarian
Clitanetics
Decency (feminists are "decentists.")
Vaginist
Femalicious
Vagenius
Feminis-awesome
Gendequality
Equalia
Genégalitism
Equalettes
Gynocrat
Vagitarian
Uteritarian
Antiobjectificationist
Diva-is-a-female-version-of-a-hustla-ism
Gynequity
and special mention to [a symbol of our choosing]

But the winner?

Equalism

I'm not going to lie, some of these suggestions are funny. Some I don't like. And some, well, are very bluntly correct, in my opinion.

So what is wrong with feminism? Do we really need a new word? Is there harm in using a new word? Won't it too just be labeled and negatively sanctioned?

I think this topic is important because we're picking on a word. A word that symbolizes equality between sexes. Is it really a battle against a word, or is it really a battle against equality, which our society is scapegoating a word?

If you'd like to read the jezebel article, click here.

Girl Forced to Apologize to Boy Who Raped Her

Girl Forced to Apologize to Boy Who Raped Her

News Article by Kevin Drum | Wed Aug. 17, 2011 1:38 PM PDT

---

A special ed girl in a Missouri middle school reported that she was raped a couple of years ago. But school officials insisted that her story was made up and badgered her into recanting:

Following instructions from the school, the girl wrote an apology to the boy she accused of raping her and had to personally give it to him, according to the lawsuit. She was then expelled for the remainder of the 2008-09 school year....The girl returned to the middle school for the 2009-10 school year and tried to avoid the boy, according to the lawsuit. It didn't work. She was sexually assaulted again [in the school library] but didn't tell anyone because she was afraid of being expelled again.
....School officials were notified of the incident and allegedly doubted the girl's claim, saying they'd "already been through this," according to the lawsuit. The girl was also examined and found to have been sexually assaulted. However, she was suspended from school for "disrespectful conduct" and "public display of affection," her lawyers wrote in the lawsuit.

I'll grant that it's impossible to know for sure what happened based on just one side of the story. Still, a forensic exam after the second rape showed that the girl had indeed been sexually assaulted, a DNA match was made to the boy she had accused of raping her, and the boy then pleaded guilty to charges in juvenile court. But the school district continues to say that it bears no responsibility for any of this. WTF?

---

Source URL: http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2011/08/girl-forced-apologize-boy-who-raped-her

*******   ********   *********   ********   ********   

For more about this case, I encourage you to read:

MO. Girl Expelled for Making Rape Claim

Middle School Girl Expelled, Forced to Apologize to Boy Who Raped Her

School Accused of Forcing Girl to Apologize to Her Rapist, then Kicking Her Out

Though I do not know this particular girl, this demonstrates just another case of revictimization by a system that is supposed to assist the victim. And, as we see, one of the consequences is that individuals fail to trust authorities after this occurs.

It seems inconceivable that a middle-school-aged young lady would be expected to apologize to a boy who raped her. Heck, it seems ridiculous to think that any female who is raped would forced to apologize. After all, it really isn't a claim of rape if DNA proves it occurred.

My critique of the news coverage of this case: nearly all of the stories make it clear that the young lady is categorized by the school system as "special ed".  None of these stories explain why this is important, how it impacts the case, or why they mention it. Why do you think this is mentioned? How does this affect the case?