Hey folks! Apologies for my long absence- I have had the world’s worst flu, but thanks to a team of vitamins and orange juice, I’ve kicked it in the pants! Now for some linkage, since it’s been so long.
Thailand voted in their first woman prime minister, but some of the Thai feminist community remains skeptical about whether this can be considered a victory.. Having marginalized faces in high places doesn’t always mean that social justice will be achieved- in fact, the tokenization and idolization of said faces is often used to justify the workings of the status quo, and ignore the continued effects of systemic oppression. Solidarity with the activists on the ground in Thailand, let’s hope they are able to continue their work, and that this new prime minister will turn out to be an ally.
According to national statistics, the abortion rate in Spain has decreased in the last year, due to increased access to contraception, sexual health education, and less restrictive abortion legislation. See, anti-choicers? You just don’t make sense.
This ad from Eska Water is made of fail on so many levels. It features three non-indigenous people dressed up like indigenous people in another case of race-face, defending the so-called purity of the water. It’s doubly offensive considering that many indigenous communities in canada don’t even have access to potable water. Plus, bottled water is like the worst thing for the environment and a huge scam BECAUSE IT IS WATER. A BASIC HUMAN NEED. AND FREE. WHY ARE WE BUYING IT.
Local and feminist bookstores are disappearing. Go out and support your local/feminist bookstore today!
Indian feminists talk about Slutwalk in Delhi, offering the whys of their critiques of and support for the walk.
Elaborating on why this particular women’s movement has ruffled feathers, Nivedita Menon, feminist scholar and professor at JNU said, “There are some issues with the Delhi chapter of SlutWalk, the first being the word itself – slut isn’t relevant in India, other than the upper class, people wouldn’t even know what the word stands for. I don’t think it makes sense to use a word, which has no cultural context on the streets of Delhi. Also, since it started as an online campaign, by definition you can’t imagine people who don’t speak English to participate.”
Despite the issues, she conveyed her support, “Western SlutWalks have faced similar critiques but all critical writings ended with ‘We’ll join the walk’. We feel the same here, agreed there’re many problems but the idea is genuinely feminist – stop blaming the victim. We can make the movement context-sensitive and build solidarity between different classes. I really hope it happens in a legitimate way and becomes a memorable event in the history.
Flavia over at tigerbeatdown on why the News of the World scandal should matter to all of us. Her piece also includes a limited list of how much media Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp actually owns, and when you look up how much it actually does, you will want to cry.
Of course someone made a documentary about Sarah Palin. Of course they did. At least no one is going to see it so far?
Via Racialicious:
Who is picking our produce? Child labour and immigrant exploitation are alive and well in america.
The Fair Labor Standards Act prohibits most child labor, but leaves out the agricultural sector. It is legal for parents to bring their children to work in the fields and for employers to hire them. A child can legally begin to work full time in agriculture at 12 years old.
Wisconsin continues to be an important battlefront for the interconnectedness of women’s and worker’s rights in america.
I’m sure many of you have seen the new “Got Milk?” ads. Feel free to vomit at the website accompanying the ad campaign. Then cleanse your palate with this take down.
Via Art Threat:
Out of Toronto, a pretty cool mapping project charting the history of the LGBT community in the city. Plus, this awesome documentary about how marching bands make the revolution dance dance!