Emma Charlotte Duerre Watson is a British actress, model, and activist. Emma has been very successful in all aspects of her life. She was recently pointed the good will ambassador UN women. In this role shes taken the opportunity to speak up against sexism. At the World Economic Forum she gave a speech about gender equality and established important points and apposed important questions that will all need to answer and act upon in order to created gender equality. She stresses the importance of young girls having a positive women role models, treating your children equality, boys and girls a like, husbands supporting their female partners towards fulfilling their dreams, speaking up when a women is degraded/belittled, engaging women in leadership positions, challenging the portrayal of women in the media, and implementing principles of female empowerment.


https://www.bustle.com/articles/60240-7-feminist-questions-emma-watson-asks-at-the-world-economic-forum-that-we-all-need-to

Can you tell the difference?

Men are respected and honored with the claim they have slept with multiple women. But, on the other hand, if a women claims she has slept with multiple men for the same reason, pleasure and enjoyment, the women are “slut shamed” and are seen as women who have little to no self- respect. Men can easily take off their shirt on a warm day and receive no negative judgement. Women on the other hand can’t wear too short of clothing or show too much of their shoulders because society says if they do, they are asking for sexual attention. I understand that in intimate situations, a woman showing her shoulder or lifting her clothing up her leg is an action involved in sexual attention. However, a woman in broad daylight wearing a spaghetti strapped shirt or a mini skirt isn’t asking for any more sexual attention than a male is by wearing his pants low (so the underwear shows), or taking off his shirt because it is hot outside. It is necessary to understand that there is a difference between a woman showing shoulder in a sexual manner, and showing shoulder in an everyday, going to the grocery store, “it’s hot outside and this is the best she can do to keep herself cool other than taking her shirt off” manner. If you can’t tell the difference, that’s your own problem to solve, not the woman’s. You can’t expect the woman to solve your problems by making her feel forced to change her attire.

Media’s impact on body image

Adolescents are the most vulnerable for falling for Media’s idea of beauty. In the adolescent years boys have more confidence than girls. Girls go through puberty before boys, and have a hard time seeing the changes to their bodies. They turn to media to see what puberty should bring. When they don’t look like the girls on the screen or the magazines they go to extremes to do so because of the low self- confidence they develop from going through puberty and having their bodies change.  

“The National Eating Disorders Association reports that one in every 3.8 televisions commercials conveys an “attractiveness message,” telling viewers what is considered attractive. These messages convey the idea that extreme thinness is much more attractive and desirable than a normal, healthy weight. The typical American teen sees more than 5,260 of these “attractiveness messages” every year. You can see why there would be a connection between eating disorders and body image.” These “attractiveness messages” are false advertising. The people in the commercials, magazines, and social media are re-touched and edited. Adolescents are going to extremes, such as starving themselves or bingeing to look like the impossible “body goals” that media displays.

Women are better of today, but still far for equal to men

 

 

There have been huge changes for women in terms of employment in the past decades, with women moving into paid employment outside the home in ways that their grandmothers and even their mothers could only dream of. Even those women working in factories or sweatshops have more choice and independence than if they remained at home. But their experience is contradictory, as feminist economist Ruth Pearson points out:

"As individual workers they experienced both the liberating or the “empowering” impact of earning a regular wage, and of having increased autonomy over their economic lives; at the same time many were also well aware of the fact that their work was low paid, both in comparison with male workers but also with women workers employed in industrialized countries."

"Short film on Women. Justice delayed is justice denied...Its time to wake up people and keep the agitation alive!!!
We need to have a safer INDIA where the women community can live free from abuse and fear!!!
Please share and show gratitude to our Women!!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYHi85VlrWU

World War II impact

 

World War II showed the biggest impact for women gaining their rights. Women proved they could work side by side with men and like them. For the women who didn’t enter the military, they stayed home and worked in factories to support the war and provided much needed labor work. The women were able to get jobs because all the men were away at war. “World War II was instrumental in the origins of the Women’s Movement. The classic image of “Rosie the Riveter” reflected the fact that millions of women went into factories when men were mobilized into the military” ("Women′s Rights in the Late 20th Century"). There were many working mothers, so many that married women outnumbered single working women. For the women who served and wore the uniforms right with the men, they were, amazingly, paid equal. Women joined the Women’s Army Corps, Army Nurses Corps, Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service, Navy Corps, Marines, and the Coast Guard. Many women used their traditional role as women in the military, taking on jobs such as nursing, or non-combat jobs.

World War II was a huge part of the Women’s movement. Men going off to serve in the military left many openings for jobs. The men leaving gave the women the opportunity to show they could handle the manual labor and work just as well as the men did. Women risked their lives working near and in combat zones. They showed they had the bravery like the men did. “We gain strength, and courage, and confidence by each experience in which we really stop to look fear in the face… we must do that which we think we cannot” ― Eleanor Roosevelt. World War II eliminated the differences between gender roles.

Hope for change

The stock market crash left many Americans unemployed. “In 1932 and 1933, they hit bottom, down about 80% from their highs in the late 1920s. This had sharp effects on the economy. Demand for goods declined because people felt poor because of their losses in the stock market. New investment could not be financed through the sale of stock, because no one would buy the new stock” ("The First Measured Century"). Gender roles tightened up because men were employed over women. If a man in the family were available to work, the wife legally wasn’t allowed to. Men are traditionally defined by their work ethic, so if they couldn’t find work they felt as if they weren’t true men.

Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected president in 1932. He was elected in hope for change, change in the economy and equality. “Roosevelt fought to keep protective legislation for women in terms of working hours or physical tasks, and Paul wanted an Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) that made women completely equal under the law” ("Women′s Rights in the Late 20th Century"). Together, FDR and his wife opposed racism and publicly supported women’s advancement in politics. They believed women could seek success in important decision-making positions in the federal government. The First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, pushed hard and supported women groups; she impressed generals to accept women into the military. “In May 1942, Congress instituted the Women’s Auxiliary Army Corps, later upgraded to the Women’s Army Corps, which had full military status” ("Women in the Twentieth Century and Beyond"). Women began to be treated equally, working side by side with men once again. Women also started to be viewed as just as important to men in the military, as they took care of and nursed the injured soldiers.

Flappers

With the 19th Amendment granting women with political rights, they now had a say and more power. In 1920 “flappers” emerged into society. Flappers were known as young, single, middle-class women who tried to draw themselves away from the idea of the traditional identity of women from their previous generations. With the American economy changing, the women who were known as flappers were able to hold a steady job. Flappers were a representation of women revolving themselves.  Flappers were criticized by the women who kept the traditional identity. The women of traditional value saw flapper’s care-free attitude and party lifestyle as a disgrace to society. They felt that flapper's poor behavior reflected on the men, making them worse then they already were.

Flapper women also developed a new trend in fashion. They wore short skirts, bobbed their hair, and danced their nights away with jazz music. They smoked and drank publicly, side by side with men, flaunting their sexuality. Flappers looked at sex in a casual manner. “Their hair was cut shorter than in the past, to be more associated with men’s traditionally shorter hair, and indeed the “bobbed” hair became a symbol of freedom. Women began smoking, and they worked toward attaining sexual freedom, as well, trying to combat the traditional double standard which saw men who had taken many lovers as healthy but women who had many as evil or flawed. Cosmetics and change in dress styles are marketed to women during this time period to represent that new freedom, and that freedom was ultimately represented by the flappers of the time” ("Women in the Twentieth Century and Beyond"). They aimed to please just themselves. As soon as women thought they were heading down a path to gain more rights and independence, the stock market crashed, tightening up gender roles once again.

Hope for Women

The long hard battle for equality had its first big accomplishment in 1920 when the 19th Amendment was passed. This granted equal voting privileges to both genders. Women voted in their first federal election in 1922. The 19th Amendment gave women hope for future rights and gave them the courage to begin engaging in “male activities” in public. This era occurred during the Prohibition, a time where drinking alcohol was made illegal. Yet men still found a way to drink and women began to join in.

Is equality still a problem?

This post is a collaboration with Who Rules the World, a blog about female stereotypes, roles in society, and much more.

An article posted back in October by the LA Times explains how 1 in 3 homeless people in LA are women. This number of more than 14,000 women is 55% higher than the total in 2013. Some of the reasons for this rise are due to higher rents and domestic violence. Homeless women are more likely to face violence, whether in shelters or on the streets. Half of homeless women interviewed in LA had been abused, and a quarter of them had been sexually assaulted. The programs in LA to get homeless of the street are mainly for veterans or families, there's little help for these women. Many shelters are designed for male clients, and women often feel scared or intimidated staying in them.

Feel free to read the entire article at this link http://www.latimes.com/projects/la-me-homeless-women/

After watching a documentary on India, I learned of sad stories suffered by the India women and young girls. Nyati, one woman who was interviewed, was dedicated to the “goddess” at nine years old, meaning she was owned by the man of the village and anyone could sleep with her. When she was fourteen, she was married by a man so that she could be a slave to his family. “I was a sex slave as well as a house slave”, she said. She ended up having twelve children, seven of which died from disease and lack of medicine, two of which became blind, one who became paralyzed, and none of which she knew of their fathers. Nyati isn’t the only young girl in India who is involved in prostitution or is sexually abused. There was another young girl interviewed who was gang raped at only ten years old by her father, uncle, and their friends. It is quite common for girls and women to be abused and raped due to their inferior position in society in India. The problem with this situation, other than the obvious, is that many lower class children (Dalits or Untouchables as they are referred to) are constantly segregated and oppressed, and will therefore fall easily for any promise to better their lives, making them vulnerable and easy targets for false promises made by traffickers and child laborers. The sad, statistical truth about this is that every day three Dalit women are raped, two are murdered, and eight children (under fourteen years of age) commit suicide per day. India is an underdeveloped country, years of progress behind the United States. But one is led to believe that there is a correlation between the rates of female sex trafficking and the rates of suicide. This is not okay.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j6LR7JBIKU

World War II paving the way for feminism 

The women’s rights movement achieved success throughout the 20^th Century. Throughout the 19^th century women pushed and fought aggressively for equality with men. Women had little to no rights. A married woman’s status was based on her husband. A single woman’s status was based on the wealth of her fathers. Men defined a woman’s place in society. “In 1900 women’s legal standing was fundamentally governed by their marital status. They had very few rights. A married woman had no separate legal identity from that of her husband” ("Women in American Politics in the Twentieth Century").

Men of the house worked in factories or in a family business; they did the “skilled” work. The women of the houses were seen as maids to their husbands, teachers to their children, and a gardener for the crops. The unmarried women, who worked side by side with men, were paid less, which created great financial hardship for them. Women’s work wage was not kept on an official file in order to keep the perspective of female work ethic low and so the male's would appear greater. Work days for women were very challenging and long with the pay cut shorter than the men's. Women weren’t allowed to own property or serve on the jury; they were treated like they were invisible and useless. “She had no right to own property in her own name or to pursue a career of her choice. Women could not vote, serve on juries, or hold public office. According to the Supreme Court, they were not “persons” under the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which guarantees equal protection under the law” ("Women in American Politics in the Twentieth Century").

 

 

Feminism 

The article” Global Feminism” also changed the way I look at feminist. Showing me the fight for women against patriarchy and male domination is happening everywhere. Women are coming together to fight for equality. Feminism isn’t about just fighting to be seen as equal as the men but also fighting to end racial segregation. “Radical feminists were dismayed to witness so many women (of all races) appropriating feminist jargon while sustaining their commitment to Western imperialism and transnational capitalism.” American women are seen to have the most “freedom” and “rights”, they are helping women of all races globally. “women in the United States have more rights than any group of women globally, are “free” if they want to be, and therefore have the right to lead feminist movement and set feminist agendas for all other women in the world, particularly women in third world countries.” Reading this article made me want to be part of the change. “Global Feminism” made me realizes the importance of feminist.

Brock Turner released from jail after serving 3 months for sexual assault

http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/02/us/brock-turner-release-jail/

My senior year is coming to a close, and I'm in the stressful process of looking for a college that best fits me. Sadly during this process my parents have been very concerned about the large amount of college campus rape cases that has been reported recently. Their worries soon became my worries. I began starting to research many different rape cases that have happened on college campus's, wondering what the most common reason for them was. What I found sickened me. In most of the reports I searched, the incident happened at a party. And in almost every case where the offender was a male and the victim was a female, the offender pledged that the victim was "asking for it by what she was wearing." I felt anger and frustration throughout reading these. 

Women should be able to wear what they feel comfortable in. As a woman, I don't look at another woman who is dressed a certain way and think, "Woah, she's asking to be raped". And I'm sure many others can say the same. So how is it that a man can say it with such ease? How is the statement, "she was asking for it" even a consideration for a fair justification of a rape case? 

Now, I will say that women should be taught to carry themselves with respect and be taught to have some sense of what is, and what isn't, appropriate to wear in different situations. For example, ripped jeans might not be the the best idea to wear for a professional job interview. Or a cropped t-shirt is better worn over a bathing suit on the way to the beach than it is when you're babysitting younger children. But men should also be taught how to treat women with respect as well. We were all taught growing up to keep out hands to ourselves and to treat others the way we would want to be treated. Nowhere along the path of growing up should that change due to an inability in controlling our body language and desires.

Moral of the story is, what somebody wears does not automatically write on their forehead, "Yes, I am asking for it". I think that this seriously needs to be taken into consideration when handling rape cases, specifically college rape cases, and listening to the offenders plead of innocence. 

..

 

Women for Trump

 

"Before last week’s election, polls and pundits suggested that Donald Trump’s presidential campaign was doomed to failure, because it could not attract enough votes from women, who saw him as a misogynist—and worse. Conventional wisdom crashed and burned, however, as 42 percent of women, most of them white, came out to support him."-Fortune

 

1.) He received the strongest support from white women without college degrees, 62 percent of whom voted for him.

 

 

Reason:  Many supporters’ families work in blue-collar occupations such as construction, transportation, and infrastructure; live in low mobility areas; and have little personal contact with immigrants. “Us vs. them” rhetoric framed diversity as an impediment to American greatness, and—consistent with historical racial and socioeconomic fractures—global trade and immigration, the increasing presence of white women and people of color in government, and “dangerous inner cities” emerged as threats.

 

 

2.)The second largest contingent of women supporting Trump was white women with college degrees. Forty-five percent of them voted for him.

 

Reason: He reinforced the masculine, leader-as-savior image with repeated claims that he alone could make America great again. Those drawn to this view, by extension, place a higher level of scrutiny on those who do not fit their image of success. Thus, Secretary Clinton’s handling of her emails was considered far more egregious than anything Trump had done, an assessment fueled by his systematic dismantling of Clinton in virtually every stump speech.

 

 



Saudi Arabian Women have been struggling with freedom for quite some time. They have little to no rights. In Saudi Arabia women cant leave the house without a male, cant not drive, and can not get medical help without permission from their male spouse. The women of Saudi Arabia are fighting back, some have recorded themselves behind the wheel showing hey are willing to fight for their rights.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rQwJXaRN88&t=56s