Home

Journalism can never be silent

Written by a 20-something aspiring political and community journalist, this blog will be filled with little bits and pieces that I find newsworthy with my occassional piece of writing. Inbox me if you have any questions/topics that I should answer/look into.

"There can be no higher law in journalism than to tell the truth and shame the devil - remain detached from the great" - Walter Lippman

Recent Tweets @

Posts tagged "feminism"

As a man, I am, and many others are, deeply indebted to feminism. Whether we choose to identify as a feminist, or pro-feminist, or nothing at all, we must recognise that feminism has progressed important dialogues about intimacy, education, politics, religion, health, law and culture. Instead of repudiating feminist labels then, we should embrace feminist dialogues to help build more inclusive politics and communities.

Senthorun Raj, Managing Editor of Men and Feminism. | Can Men be feminists? published in The Vine on June 25th 2012.

The characterization of fantasy as “boy fiction” is offensive to the genre and offensive to women. That we for the most part will only read what Oprah has picked, and especially if a woman wrote it, is a stereotype that is not only demeaning to women — it is also untrue. Like Bellafante, I can offer personal anecdotes to back up my assertion, some of which involve stunning young women dressing up as Martin’s characters at Worldcon. Sometimes in very tight spandex. But that would be beside the point.

When we categorize books as “boy fiction” and “girl fiction” it’s just another way to promote gender stereotyping. It is predicated on the assumption that people will only read books that reflect their personal experiences, so therefore women will only deign to read about dating, shopping, and kitchen intrigues. This is patronizing to women and undermines one of the core purposes of literature, which is to take us on voyages beyond the scope of our personal experience so that we expand in our understanding and capacity for empathy. And I think most women get this; I think most women are willing to read novels with male protagonists in worlds apart from their own. To imply otherwise is an offense to the gender.

Dear New York Times: A Game of Thrones Is Not Just For Boys | Ilana Teitelbaum, published at Huffington Post on 16th April 2011.

Interesting quote in regards to feminism and fantasy. This was inspired by this article in the New York Times written by Ginia Bellafante.

brainbeats:

“The Price of Sex is a feature-length documentary about young Eastern European women who have been drawn into a world of sex trafficking and abuse. It is a story told by the young women who refused to be silenced by shame, fear, and violence. Emmy-nominated photojournalist Mimi Chakarova, who grew up in Bulgaria, takes us on a personal journey¬–exposing the shadowy world of sex trafficking from Eastern Europe to the Middle East and Western Europe. Filming undercover and gaining extraordinary access, Chakarova illuminates how even though some women escape to tell their stories, sex trafficking thrives.
(2011 Nestor Almendros Award Winner)

Human Rights Watch has documented the trafficking of women and girls into forced prostitution in places such as post-conflict Bosnia and Côte d’Ivoire as well as exposed the abuses and violations sex workers face at the hands of police, officials, and private individuals–sometimes in the name of combating trafficking. Human Rights Watch has also been a leading advocate in exposing human trafficking–predominantly of women and girls–in other fields such as domestic work, where women and girls are often deceived into working in slave like conditions, enduring physical, mental and sexual abuse with no access to justice.” from http://ff.hrw.org/film/price-sex?city=4

(via the-metres-gained)

feminism