(More Than) Grrrl Power! Girls Studies at UCF

So, yeah, girls can get pregnant. But your son can get a girl pregnant. Does that make you less responsible for the baby? I don't know. This article is interesting, especially since it comes with a pretty convincing statistic. It's a little scary to think that people would choose the sex of their babies, thereby creating an unequal population where it's impossible for women to meet men and make more children. I think maybe the preference for boys is due to the gender roles that society chooses for children. Girls will be too emotional and sensative. Boys will like sports and be tough. Or maybe that's not it at all. Enjoy!

I wanted to find some relevant topics to post on the blog so I googled Girls and was surprised to see that more than 75% of the hits that came on the first page were of sexualized women or of adult nature. This goes to show how intertwined females are to males objective of sexiness.

We are supposed to be this extremely developed country. There are over 80 countries that have more women in nation parliament than the U.S. (this is including Pakistan and China)

I am so excited to see the final product.

Here's an article on CNN interviewing Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill) on her new music, other people's music, and the music industry as a whole. Amongst other things. It's great.

Great girl movie that shows a struggle most of us females encounter throughout school, and how it is so easy for a girl to ruin her reputation, simply because she is a girl. With ideas that come from the Scarlett Letter this is a great movie for girls to watch. if you haven't seen it i recommend it. I enjoyed it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oftOCN1jkNo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dyLSstqMvH8&feature=related Funny comedies on feminism by Ali G.

I thought this was really interesting and applied to this class. I hope you all have the opportunity to look at this information so we can all work to end sex slavery. I have enjoyed reading all of your posts! Enjoy your summer. Kathryn Rudder http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/23/demi-moore-sees-plight-of-rescued-sex-slaves/?hpt=hp_c2

http://www.worldstarhiphop.com/videos/video.php?v=wshh6894XQ45OsUZLsxb I found this video interesting, this girl talks about Beyonce's song "Run the world" expressing her views on how it is not possible for us as women to "run the world" because of how men already do.

Positive Thinking is filled with true stories about real people and real life. The stories show how a positive attitude changed their lives and how it can change yours.  My grandmother sends me these monthly and it contains short stories that are easily read.  Check it out.  

Girl Power! is a 501(c) 3 non-profit, community program designed to promote positive behavior, enhance social skills and improve the academic performance of at-risk girls ages 11 – 17 throughout Miami-Dade County. Since its inception in 2000, Girl Power! has reduced the number of girls re-entering the juvenile justice system, improved overall academic performance and reduced in-school/out-of-school suspension among program participants.  

As an anthropology major, we've often times talked about ethnic psychoses.Ethnic psychoses are mental disorders specific to certain ethnic groups. In the western world, anorexia nervosa would be an example of one. With that being said, I found this article very interesting. It questioned the link between anorexia and culture. It's still in my opinion that anorexia nervosa is a western ethno psychosis. I think that the findings in this research has more to do with colonialism of those countries. Friday April 24, 11:55 pm  Eastern Time Anorexia's link to Western culture questioned BOSTON, April 22 (Reuters) - A review of hospital records is challenging the conventional wisdom that anorexia nervosa, a sometimes fatal eating disorder, is caused by the preoccupation with thinness in Western culture. The disease, which killed singer Karen Carpenter, prompts sufferers to starve themselves, or to use vomiting or laxatives, in an effort to become increasingly thin. Victims deve...

Victoria Woodhall was the first female presidential candidate that was pro-life. After doing some research I found a quote by her that I liked and wanted to share it. "The rights of children as individuals being while yet they remain the foetus."

By now, we've all heard about how people of the same sex can now get married in the great state of New York. It passed by a very close margin, which is unfortunate for 2011. However, it did pass, nonetheless. What's interesting about what happened is, even some Republicans who weren't even that keen on the idea ended up voting for because they recognized a changing world and didn't want to stall something that was going to arrive anyway. What's signifigant about this is the fact this is the biggest state yet by far to give equality on nearly all fronts (I think) in the legal world. Although the problems regarding marriage as an institution can be debated (and they certainly can), the fact that children that are growing up now in New York won't have to wonder why the government treats certain orientations differently will have a profound effect on how young LGBT people learn to see themselves. Government sanctioning is a very strong message, whether you realize i...

I asked a few questions to Alicia, a local web developer about women, girls and the industry of Web Development, which is a male-dominated field and related to cyberactivism in the readings this week. Also, it's interesting to think about how efforts to encourage girls in maths and sciences could influence the look of web-based professions in the future. What kind of technology did you use when you were a preteen and teen? (Myspace, IMing, etc.) Myspace for sure, I lived on yahoo messenger, and was addicted to  neopets.com .  What got you into web developing? Neopets is where I discovered table and style based html so that I could style my shop and layout. That is what tweaked my curiosity for how the web worked. What kind of things do you make or develop? I develop/make websites.  What do you like most about web development? I am not very good at alot of things, so I think I enjoy web development most because it's something I know I can do,...

Article and video on feministing.com about girls and early on-set body image issues.

This article is about Megan Fox deciding that   she did not want to play in Transformers  anymore,setting off a very public back and forth between her and director Michael Bay characterized by Fox calling Bay “Hitler” .

Across the US, more and more prosecutions are being brought against women who lose their babies. Photograph: Alamy Rennie Gibbs is accused of murder, but the crime she is alleged to have committed does not sound like an ordinary killing. Yet she faces life in prison in  Mississippi  over the death of her unborn child. Gibbs became pregnant aged 15, but lost the baby in December 2006 in a stillbirth when she was 36 weeks into the pregnancy. When prosecutors discovered that she had a cocaine habit – though there is no evidence that drug abuse had anything to do with the baby's death – they charged her with the "depraved-heart murder" of her child, which carries a mandatory life sentence. Gibbs is the first woman in Mississippi to be charged with murder relating to the loss of her unborn baby. But her case is by no means isolated. Across the US more and more prosecutions are being brought that seek to turn pregnant women into criminals. "Women are being stripped of th...

this This article reminds me of the SL paper paper I submitted. Adolescent and teenage girls have to be very careful with who they talk to on the internet. Thanks to the undercover cop that he was arrested.

I had yet to meet or hear of a pro-life Feminist but I ran across  http://www.feministsforlife.org/who/aboutus.htm  and I found out there were such people! On the website it was interesting to know a few of the forerunners of Feminism Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were anti-abortion, as well as the first Female Presidential Candidate Victoria Woodhull. Whether a woman got pregnant intentionally, or "accidentally", there are many alternatives besides abortion. Just as our lives are a gift and are precious, so are the lives of every child to be. Choose life, not death. Kiara J. Nair

http://feministing.com/ Great blogging website check it out. It is by the author of this book full frontal feminism that takes feminism to the next step by revealing the evil truths behind the inequality and discrimination we women face.

This girl makes me want to run the streets screaming, I love her and her passion. I am new to the feminist movement, but I am so excited to actually be able to put a title to the feeling of inequality that I have had for so long. I am working to reorganize 24 years of thinking, and I am so excited to see the world as it truly is, a boys playground, and to do something about it!

I love his music, and that was before I even knew we had the same minor. It is so reassuring to know that there are men in the world that believe that women deserve more than what we have been given in today's society.

My dear friend in California is working on this documentary. It is all about the effects that media has on women , young and old, in today's world. It is an amazing project and I cannot wait to see the ending product. I encourage all of you to take a look and join the campaign!

Save the Date!!!!! July 9th in Palm Coast FL there is going to be a "Girl Power" convention. I am still awaiting final details so stay tuned....

I don't understand America's obsession with Kim Kardashian. I don't understand the world's obsession with Kim Kardashian. As far as I'm concerned that butt is fake. No one can tell me otherwise. Real or fake it is irrelevant. She has done nothing substantial for the world. She's putting food on nobody's table but her own. She's a poor excuse for a role model for young girls and women. After all, what is she famous for anyway?

Although Planned Parenthood found an opponent in Indiana's legislative body, the judicial branch came to its rescue. As " A federal judge on Friday blocked the parts of Indiana's tough new abortion law that cuts off most of Planned Parenthood's public funding in the state because the organization provides abortions." I personally believe that states should just let Roe v. Wade ride out and not try to enact laws to exert their values. It's better that abortions occur safely and are regulated than dangerious, closeted massacres. The United States Justice system filed a siding as well with Planned Parenthood. The battle is likely to wage on.

This saddens me to see girls and women being used and abused around the world even more so than they are in America. Many of them come from families who do not know any better and these girls, most of them children, are turned into baby prostitutes fighting for their lives. This woman working to save them is truly a saint. CNN did her and the poor girls justice by shedding light on her cause. " More than 17,000 women and girls from Nepal become sex slaves every year. Many end up in India, China or other Southeast Asian countries, and roughly half of them are children."

The law being extended allowing seventeen year old girls to purchase Plan B is a good thing in my eyes. I wish the FDA would allow ALL girls to purchase the pill without parental consent. Whether parents like it or not teens are having sex. Most teens are not getting parental consent to have sex so why should the pill be any different? The pill does not teach teens to have unprotected sex. Unprotected sex happens and it happens at a cost. Not only is the pill expensive, it does not protect individuals from HIV/AIDS and other STDS. PILLS FOR ALL!

Kenneth Del Vecchio, a Republican candidate for New Jersey state Senate and a producer of conservative-themed films, is premiering a psychological thriller this weekend with a pro-life twist:  Three pregnant women, who intend to have abortions, are kidnapped and forced to carry their pregnancies to term. The movie, called "The Life Zone," was produced by Del Vecchio's "Justice For All Productions," and is premiering Saturday at the Hoboken Film Festival in Teaneck, N.J. A press release describes the festival as "one of the nation's largest film festivals, which Del Vecchio founded and chairs." From the release : The controversial premise of THE LIFE ZONE: three women have been kidnapped from abortion clinics and are being held for seven months--until they all give birth. The film, which appears to cut right down the middle, examining the topic from both sides, offers a powerful, anti-abortion climactic twist. The press release also invites pro-l...

The Women's U.S. soccer team begins play on Sunday.  Support these women and let them know that you are rooting for them.  They are trying to give women a bigger name in the sport.  Go team U.S.A.!!

F or the past 18 years, Serene Harbor has offered safe refuge and provided life changing services to more than 20,000 women and children who were victims of domestic violence in our community. Their vison  is a community that is educated about and welcoming to victims of domestic violence and their needs. Our mission is to be a leading advocate for reducing the incidence of domestic violence in Brevard County through intervention, prevention, social change, information, enlightenment, education and engagement of our community.  O vercoming the effects of domestic violence is a monumental task for survivors and their children. The role of the domestic violence shelter in assisting survivors to break away from this abuse is significant. Serene Harbor provides a safe and protective environment to support the survivors as they struggle to build a life for themselves and their children free from fear and violence. O vercoming the effects of domestic violence is a monumental...

http://www.thegrio.com/money/do-negative-stereotypes-actually-help-black-women-in-business.php?page=2 This is an interesting article that I found about stereotypes and Black women. It states that the negative stereotypes against black women, may be empowering many Black women to become more successful in order to dispel the stereotypes. Being a Black woman, I hate when people automatically assume that I am going to have an attitude, be loud or overly aggressive, especially when I am a laid-back person. I am assertive in situations where I need to be and I do strive to do my best in everything that I do, including my career. I am glad to see that a lot of young Black women around my age are being more assertive in reaching their goals.

Many black girls & women are going "natural" (ceasing to relax their hair) and I'm not sure that most are genuinely commited. Will this fad stick around and become commonplace? I find many girls around me going through with the BC (big chop)--shaving their relaxed locks and starting brand new. I know that relaxers came about to help assimilate African Americans and those of African descent into this eurocentric society, but I have grown to love my relaxer. At nineteen, I have had relaxed hair for longer than I have not. I received my first relaxer when I was nine. I can hardly picture myself without it. I can't help but wonder what women are getting out of it. I feel as if many of them are getting a false sense of authenticity.

 First Lady Michelle Obama is what I believe is one of the few greatest examples of a strong and classy African-American woman. This may seem like a cliche' post but it is refreshing to have someone besides Oprah, Tyra Banks, Beyonce' and Halle Berry to look up to as a woman in the African-American community. I respect all of these women in their own right but Mrs. Obama exemplifies who I want to be one day: professional, college-educated, a mother, married with exuding class  and a splash of sass :) -Kiara J. Nair

This is an interesting article from NPR about the evergrowing trend in America of queering gender. NPR is usually very unsensational, however, this article does seem to mix things that have always existed, such as transgenderism, with social trends. One is something that can exist on its own without a social trend. The other, such as hiding the gender of a child, is just a reaction to a new acceptance alternate views on gender. Transgender people are not some rebellious trend, they are people. The article is actually pretty interesting, but I wanted to state my few problems with it. Check it out.

This is a youtube channel that was created by the brand always as a place for girls to talk. They have videos on periods and using tampons and pads. Hopefully through projects like these the idea of periods will not be seen as something to hide but a natural process.

I'm signed up to receive e-mails from planned parenthood. Recently I got an email about certain bills that Governor Rick Scott passed which hurt women's health. They include " HB 97- a private health insurance abortion ban, HB 1127- mandating an ultrasound prior to abortion, and HB 1247- making it harder for minors to access the judicial bypass process. " This is a health care issue, not only a women's issue. The link I provided will take you to a form so that you're able to contact governor Scott and tell him exactly how you feel.

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/06/07/kanye-wests-new-dead-model-music-video-called-misogynistic-vile/?test=faces So this article is about a music video that premiered a few weeks ago by rapper Kanye West. He is a very controversial rapper and recently people have been questioning him in regards to his latest video "Monster" In the video it shows women in all types of "dead" poses, while the rappers rap around them. There are also other scenes where women are shown partially nude, hanging from nooses etc. Fox recently put out an article about the video being misogynistic; Kanye West states that the video is "art" I just wanted you all to take a look at it and decide how you feel about it. I personally think it was not of good taste and is in some ways misogynistic; although I see what he was trying to do with the message in the video, it just shows that some men view women as money hungry people who are "dead" inside. There are so many ...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/post/human-rights-spotlight-saudi-arabian-women-want-to-drive/2011/03/29/AGbd8chH_blog.html This is something that I came across today about women in Saudi Arabia petitioning for the right to be able to drive in the country. It made me think about the fact that in some countries, there is much slower progression in the fight for woman's rights. In the article it states that they use religion as a base of reason as to why they do not let women drive. As the article goes on, it talks about many of the more horrific acts against women that are ignored in some of the Western countries. Women get punished for rape along with the rapist? How can this be justified for a person to be punished for a violent act that is done against them? These women in these countries have a long way to go in fighting for simple rights that some of us take for granted. I commend them for not just accepting this wrongful treatment as a way of life, and for stand...

http://www.funfactsgirls.com/Interesting-Facts-About-The-Bra.html I found this site interesting because I didn't know that the bra had so much history behind it. Check out the link and learn something new.

I slam allows female children to be married and engaged in sex prior to their first menses ( prepubescent). In the Muslim faith a Muslim man can marry a child as young as 1 year old and have sexual intimacy with this child, consummating the marriage by 9. The dowry is given to the family in exchange for the woman (who becomes his slave) and for the purchase of the private parts of the woman, to use her as a toy. Even though a woman is abused she can not obtain a divorce. To prove rape, the woman must have (4) male witnesses. Often after a woman has been raped, she is returned to her family and the family must return the dowry. The family has the right to execute her (an honour killing) to restore the honour of the family. Husbands can beat their wives 'at will' and the man does not have to say why he has beaten her .

Top Girl is a game for the iPhone/iTouch that allows you to be an "it girl" and work your way to the top in the modeling world. Increasing your "work hotness" is what allows you to land a great position! Along with being "sexy for success" you can go to all the nightclubs and pick your very own boyfriend who gives you gifts and tells you "We're exclusive! That means you can't date anyone else-not even in real life!" With a game like this who needs brainteasers????? http://blog.games.com/2011/06/16/top-girl-crowdstar-mobile-it-girl/ In all honesty this game is similar to a lot of girl games that are online. I have even ran across a game that you earn points by kissing different guys! If a little girl plays these games all she learns is that "sexy" can get you places and we have to be dependent on boys. Sad life, sad story.

If you have not seen this movie, Bridesmaids , you are missing out! Despite the frequent sexual content, the story of the dynamics of a true best friendship is what I absolutely loved about this movie! The truth is, sometimes we take ownership of our best friends and we want them all to ourselves. And to be honest we get jealous whenever we see another girl with our bestie! But in the end, love conquers all and when we truly love our besties, we have to realize that one day, the road may split, marriage and kids may come but it doesn't mean it's the end of our friendship, just a new dynamic! Kiara J. Nair

Do we really need to sexualize ads for breast cancer awareness in order to gain support?? I guess it gets people's attention but why does it have to be about "saving second base" so guys can play with them?!

This is an interesting piece that discusses the rising trend of sex selection in the developing world. Many families are choosing to terminate pregnancies when they learn that they are females with modern ultrasound technology. This makes one wonder what the perception of girls are in societies where they are being prevented from existing. What will the environment be like for the girls that are born? How will they feel when they find out that others like them are commonly rejected before being born?

http://www.salon.com/books/review/2006/10/18/kipnis This is an article I came across that illustrates the unfortunate differences encountered within the terms feminism and femininity. These two words are often unfortunately looked upon as polar opposites as women and society struggle with the relationship of these two terms. "The absurdity comes from the disparity between our rapidly changing social landscape (including the advances of feminism) and the recalcitrant internal map Kipnis calls "the female psyche."Feminism, she writes, has collided with "an unanticipated opponent: the inner woman."" Katherine Hall

http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2011/06/22/are-men-better-than-women-at-online-networking I was browsing the internet and came across this article; basically it states that in a poll men were found to be better "online networkers" than women. The article made me think about women and how hard it is to advance in some careers being that you are a woman. Even though women have come a long way in obtaining woman's rights there are still a lot of industries and opportunities in which we get overlooked because we are a woman. I have even found that some job postings even list job descriptions that are sexist. I recently was looking for job postings for Audio Technicians and ran across a posting that had the following phrase: "We need guys who are proficient in terminating audio/video cables including crimping and soldering, dressing equipment racks, troubleshooting and testing a/v systems." Now even though there are many women (including...

Over the weekend my cousin was surfing the web and she showed me a video that she thought was "really cool!". Turns out that video she showed me was about a woman by the name of Millie Brown who was a professional Puke Artist. Mind you my cousin is only sixteen and is witnessing this video that looks like to me bulimia on a canvas. I’m not sure why anyone would think this is creative because to me it is just gross and inappropriate. I’m not saying that this woman cannot be a puke artist but for my sixteen year old cousin to show me this thinking it is cool makes me upset and extremely bothered. It’s ok to be different but throwing up food coloring resembles bulimia, which is a sickness that has haunted many teens for years which is "NOT COOL!!" Click on the link below and tell me how you all feel about this video. I would love to hear your take on it this. http://www.buzzfeed.com/somegameguy/meet-millie-brown-puke-artist-33sc

I thought this was interesting. The excerpt is about  a journalist that spent nearly two decades writing about girls, thinking about girls, talking about how girls should be raised. Yet, she  got pregnant herself, and was terrified at the thought of having a daughter.

I was randomly looking through Yahoo news and I found a lot of different articles on how to keep calorie counts low, how to boost my metabolism if need be, etc... Then I realized that all the articles were marked with images like these. Why is it that all articles about how to fix your body have women in their images? Do you think it is to draw other women in for jealousy reasons, or maybe the women are appealing to the eye, therefore luring men in.

Check out this post I found by Marisol Garcia Westberg, Ph.D. It relates to some of the discussions we had on one of the previous sections in our class. What I found most interesting was that apparently you can buy an "artificial hymen" if you want to pretend that you are a virgin in order to be of a "privileged status," as Westberg writes. http://hymenshop.com/

I just so happened to catch this show on Oxygen this morning. This is a show about a female CEO (yay!) named Monica who runs a promotional modeling company (boo!). This episode is about the girls fighting each other, throwing a tantrum because they lost a go-go dancing competition, and reinforcing typical beauty stereotypes (huge boobs, long hair, narrow features, etc.). What is this show really teaching society? That even women values these plastic bodies? http://www.mun2.tv/shows/beauties-and-the-boss/beauties-and-the-boss-full-episode-meet-the-girls-episode-1

While on the UCF website I saw a picture with the title Lasers and lights spark girls' interest in science. It is a week long summer program that helps to get more girls to pursue science degrees and careers. This seemed relevant to our readings that show men dominate those types of fields. Hopefully more programs like this will help show that science is not just for boys.

Taken from the website- Step Up Women’s Network is a national, nonprofit membership organization dedicated to connecting and advancing women and girls. By bridging communities of professional women and underserved teen girls through mentorship, networking and advancement, we ensure women and girls have the opportunities they need to create a better future.Simply stated, Step Up connects you to the professional women you need & the underserved teen girls who need you. They have a teen empowerment program that helps girls reach their full potential and help them in being confident and continue their schooling at college.

I don't know if you guys have checked out Adbusters before, but here's the link. They have a magazine out as well as a website. Their purpose it to question the motives behind marketing and advertising. It is indirectly related to Girl's Studies, but nevertheless a great resource (in my opinion).

Did you hear the news??? YWLP was on the radio! Yes this is true! A few weeks ago YWLP was on CBS Radio’s WJHM-102 JAMZ radio station. They were invited to do a “Real Talk” segment one morning. Sarah who is a YWLP facilitator and myself sat down with radio personality Jay Love to discuss and bring awareness to YWLP for those in the Orlando community who did not know about this exceptional program. The “Real Talk” segment was more like an informational show where Sarah and myself explained to the people listening what YWLP is and the different things that go on in the community with the Big and Little sisters in the program. The segment encouraged other schools to participate as well as stress the need for donations. This was an amazing experience for me because not only was it apart of my service learning project but I also had a good time talking about an organization that I know and love. You can click on the link below to download and listen to the “Real Talk” segment on 102 JAMZ wi...

this Female Genital Mutilation has always been a cultural issue. However, since some are ready to proclaim that it is God’s will for young girls to be circumcised in such a fashion, it would become more difficult to persuade mothers who are the proponents of such a misguided practice to desist from doing it. Thankfully, some religious leaders are speaking out. One can only hope that they are speaking from their hearts.

What parents need to know Parents need to know that this made-for-TV movie takes a frank look at teen sexuality. The young characters all discuss promiscuity, unsafe sex, drug use, and their assumed invincibility to STDs at length -- as well as their belief that parents are more judgmental than understanding. (Teen viewers might not be surprised by the characters' active sex lives, but parents could be -- consider this a wake-up call!) The movie works to dispel common myths associated with HIV, including how it is (and isn't) contracted, who's at risk, and how much exposure is required to infect a person. Teens drink, use drugs, text- and instant-message each other constantly, and get pretty intimate (though the movie stops short of nudity), but there's no language or violence to speak of. I just saw this movie and I think that every parent, teenager, etc. should watch it.  It's in all reality what is going on out there in the world.  As much as some people don...

Has anyone seen this show? It is ridiculous. I thought in light of experiencing other people's customs....that I would share this little gem. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HAUmII_hcg

I thought this website was interesting. It gives an insight on the pressures that girls experince throughout their lives.

I think this is really interesting personally because my major is art history, and womens studies is actually my minor. This documentary seems extremely interesting and I think we could all benefit from checking it out.

Hey everyone! I teamed up with a group for the service learning project and we are hosting a Spirit Night at Chic Fil A tomorrow night. The event is from 5-8 and is located at the Chic Fil A on the corner of University and Rouse. The proceeds will be going to UCF's Young Women's Leadership Program. It would be awesome if you all could come out and show your support! Unfortunately we can not hand out flyers at the event, and you do need a flyer, so if you can come please print out the attached flyer. We look forward to seeing you, and again, it would be REALLY GREAT if you could come out and show your support! Thanks!!

"In my heart, I think a woman has two choices: either she's a feminist or a masochist." —Gloria Steinem. -Kathryn Rudder

I thought about this this week as we learned about Female genital mutation. It really pisses me off! the link below has some facts about FGM. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/ -Kathryn Rudder

I thought this was a cute story. LOVE THEM! Kathryn Rudder

This short documentary was made by Avijit, one of the boys that appeared in the documentary Born in Brothels. This documentary shows the differences between American culture and Indian culture. http://www.myspace.com/video/vid2225100

I thought I would share this link that gives an update as of 2010 on some of the children in the documentary Born into the Brothels. It is amazing how well they are doing! www.kids-with-cameras.org/news/?page=2010-07-15-calcuttaupdate.incl

With so many of our young girls being bombarded with images of what the ideal woman should look like, it's important to help them to develop a positive body image. We can't stop girls from being exposed to these images and messages, but we can help them to realize that we all can't look the same. It's important for them to realize that their are other qualities that are more important than looks.

In this article Lyn Mikel Brown says that the reason girls care so much for their friendships is because they are conditioned to do so. He gives the example of how parents buy baby dolls for their girls, so the girls can care for them and how parents always tell their girls to be nice to everyone. Eventhough this article is more a guide for parents to understand their girls, I think that this article touched on some of the subejcts we talked about in our discussions.

I read this article in National Geographic Magazine about child brides in the middle east, and thought it tied in with our class. This article particularly ties in with this week's readings/viewings, as it deals with trying to view different cultural practices from an objective perspective even though some of these issues may be very controversial. While some of the young girls' stories are less concerning than others, some of these very young girls (as young as 6) are being married off to men in their 30's, 40's, 50's and even 60's! This article is extremely informative, and I encourage anyone interested to read it.