(More Than) Grrrl Power! Girls Studies at UCF

http://girlsrockorlando.wordpress.com/ Check out the Rock N Roll Camp for girls website!! This is such an awesome camp in Central Florida! I volunteered with it this last summer and had an amazing time!!! You should volunteer too!

Original post HERE I saw this and just felt like it was the most perfect beautiful thing...

Who thought of this phrase and what inspired it? I always thought it was cute but did not realize its implications in this sexist society. What are little girls made of? Sugar, spice, and everything nice.  The photo above is of Pippi Longstocking who I grew up watching. Pippi was absolutely amazing. Though she sat on money, she always looked like a rag but her heart was kind and loving. According to the definition, Pippi is a girl yet why was she an outcast? She was nice with the exception of criminals who continually tried to rob her and she ate sweets all the time; doesn't that count for sugar?  Now let's dissect spice. What exactly did they mean by that? When people think of a spicy woman they think the sassy speak-her-mind type. Check mark for Pippi. So if she passes, why is she not the model we teach our girls to be? Why is the model we emphasize today based on a medieval type of princess who does what she's told, marries who she's forced to, and re

UN Committee Calls for Ban on Female Circumcision Female genital mutilation, a longstanding practice in a myriad of cultures across the world and a sensitive topic pertinent to Girls Studies, is finally on the road to being banned, at least "legally.". Although this will not be implemented overnight it is about time that an initiative is taken to eliminate this heinous act and educate individuals in ALL communities, countries, and cultures why girls' rights to their bodies are human rights and choices they should be able to make for themselves.

Sarah Kay began her career as a spoken word poet at age 14 and presented her first TED talk at age 22.  Titled "If I should have a daughter, " Kay tells of the things she wants her future daughter to know: life, love and navigating it all.  She shares her experiences with performing to an audience and breaks it down into three steps.  I think the first is something we all need to remember:   " Step one was the moment I said, 'I can. I can do this.'"  For the complete talk, please listen at:  

There are inspirational blogs, videos, sites, songs and books; some independent, others affiliated with products.  The Dove campaign challenges traditional beauty ideals with diversity in size, shape, skin tone but we have to remember they are still a company and they are still out to sell us a product.  We still need to measure up someone else standard of beauty and theirs are products to get or keep us there. Look at the women in the Dove campaign, now look again.  The women in the campaign are all attractive by mainstream standards with  no physical attributes that might detract from beauty, no expansion of sex and gender ideas.  While they have taken a step in the right direction, we need to keep in mind that we are still seeing a media campaign.

'Tis the season and all that jazz.  We are inundated with marketing, at this time of year more than ever.   Before plopping down the plastic on something a store or manufacturer proclaims is the perfect gift for your daughter, sister, niece, etc.,  think about her interests, spend some time talking about subjects you enjoy and maybe you'll discover a shared hobby.  One place I like to browse for ideas is the http://www.amightygirl.com site.  The same idea applies to adults as well;  that dremel rotary tool on my wish list would a welcome surprise under the tree.  I might use it to make a piece of jewelry but that's okay too.  Girls don't have to eschew all "traditional" girl toys and activities, but they need to know they aren't limited to them.

http://feminspire.com/no-means-no-a-lesson-in-consent-for-all-ages/ It's an unfortunate outlook that seems prevalent in our society today: "Don't take no for an answer." Persistence is certain areas of life can be a good thing, but when it comes to consent, no always means no. As this article points out, "Society as a whole has a huge problem with accepting the fact that no means no." It's prominent in the media, on TV, in the movies, and all around us every day, and it's an extremely problematic way of thinking.

VDAY - A global movement to end violence against women and girls. Vday is a global movement created by Eve Ensler, the author of The Vagina Monologues, that aims at ending violence against women and girls around the world. " V-Day is a catalyst that promotes creative events to increase awareness, raise money, and revitalize the spirit of existing anti-violence organizations. V-Day generates broader attention for the fight to stop violence against women and girls, including rape, battery, incest, female genital mutilation (FGM), and sex slavery. " Link:  http://www.vday.org

http://www.nerve.com/entertainment/ranked/ranked-disney-princesses-from-least-to-most-feminist I've always been interested in looking at media from a feminist perspective, and I think it's important to look at movies and television geared toward children, especially. The supremely popular Disney Princesses aren't exactly groundbreaking in the ways of gender roles and stereotypes, but here's an article I found interesting that ranks them from least to most feminist.

With the CrossFit  movement growing across the country, more and more women have taken up the high impact exercise lifestyle. The CrossFit program is designed for universal scalability making it the perfect application for any committed individual regardless of experience. We’ve used our same routines for elderly individuals with heart disease and cage fighters one month out from televised bouts. We scale load and intensity; we don’t change programs. -  Read the Full Article Here The fitness program is doing more than just reshaping the bodies of individuals participating, it's changing the way men and women view the female body. In a world where 'thin is in', Crossfit argues that fit, not thin, is sexy. Strong is Beauty! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zvqNHDTf8Y https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kksQ_V6al1k http://fit-not-thin.tumblr.com/

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/11/24/war-on-men/ This article just proves that misogyny is alive and well, and sometimes it comes from other women, too. The author of this article, Suzanne Venker, says that the big problem is that "women aren't women anymore" and so men don't want to marry them. Apparently, all women have to do is "surrender to their nature - their femininity - and let men surrender to theirs" and then marriageable men will "come out of the woodwork." This article is so completely backwards that I almost can't believe it was written just a few days ago.

Being a new first time mother , this article really struck a cord with me. I will refrain from giving my personal opinion as this is such a arguable subject. However I want to ask a few questions. Where in the debate of abortion does the line between religion and law lie? How can we consider science in a topic so often characterized by religion? Do the two go hand in hand or are they entirely separate? How reliable is the study of science when technology is continuously evolving and so are our discoveries? Does the government have a viable role in such a personal issue or should our personal lives not be dictated by law?  How can we protect women and ensure their rights without infringing on the rights of others?  http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/28/can-neuroscience-challenge-roe-v-wade/

This particular article I felt a very strong connection to.  I was highly amused by how relatable the material was and yet felt the description to be one that I have never heard given quite like this before. It is baffling how we continue to fuel stereotypes in our society and I feel we should spread knowledge rather than consistently spreading these ideas that are false generalizations of such a large group of people. http://thecurrentconscience.com/blog/2011/09/12/a-message-to-women-from-a-man-you-are-not-“crazy”/

I recently came across this posting through a friend of mine who is a women's studies major at American University. Truly inspirational campaign to empower women and make them appreciate all forms of their beauty. Check it out !

Lifetime network recently created, in my opinion, a very fascinating reality show concept. One week without women . Check out the social experiment here.. What would your expectations be for a week without women ?

Why are we treating our young tweens as if they are adults?  Who is behind the decision to get between us and our children?    Prescribe 'Morning After' Pill For Teens Before They Need It, Doctors Say   Enlarge image Currently, you need a doctor's prescription to purchase emergency contraception, such as Plan B, if you are under 17. AP Currently, you need a doctor's prescription to purchase emergency contraception, such as Plan B, if you are under 17. AP The nation's largest group of pediatricians is urging its members to write prescriptions in advance to enable teenagers to have fast access to the so-called morning-after birth control pill. "Emergency contraception is an important backup method for all teenagers," says a policy statement issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics . "Advanced provision increases the likelihood that teenagers will use emergency contraception when needed, reduces the time to use and

 Today in media photoshop is used to manipulate women's bodies in an incredibly harmful way. I was shocked to come across this video and learn of the many incidences of which photoshop was used in some of the most popular ads today. It was encouraging to see how some celebrities are fighting back and I hope to bring this issue to the forefront. What do you think we could do to change the use of such editing? Is it possible to implement regulations or change laws?

http://www.empoweringparents.com/Girl-Violence--in-the-News-and-how-to-talk-to-your-child-about-it.php# The more information we have the better we can help our children understand what violence does. We need to teach our kids how to be better people and treat other people like we would like to be treated.

I was standing in my kitchen when I overheard the television in the other room. The new Katie Couric morning show was on and my attention was suddenly grabbed by her voice relating anorexia with women over the age of 50. I just as many had always believed in anorexia being a disorder most commonly found in young women who often are going through puberty. Self esteem issues, peer pressure and many other factors of learning about yourself  are generally the fuel behind this fire. However Katie expressed that in fact women over 50 often go through these same issues ..almost "relearning" who they are and struggling with the onset of menopause along with the great changes not only to their bodies but their households as well. Children are moving away ,financial strain, retirement is edging closer ..all of these factors make a woman of this age more susceptible to this issue as well.  I was very surprised to learn of how a woman who yo yo dieted constantly had a great influence on

" For their annual holiday campaign,  Barneys New York , has taken the lead and transformed beloved Disney characters into -- Gasp! -- high-end fashion runway models."-  Read the Full Article HERE Soon following the controversy with the Skinny-Minnie characters, Disney has rolled out there knew "I Am a Princess" commercial. The commercial shows girls of various ethnicities describing what it means to be a princess. "I am a Princess. I am brave sometimes, I am scared sometimes, Sometimes I am brave, even when I am scared. I believe in loyalty and trust. I believe loyalty is built on trust. I try to be kind, I try to be generous, I am kind even when others are not so generous. I am a Princess. I think standing up for myself is important, I think standing for other is more important, But standing with others is most important. I am a Princess. I believe compassion makes me strong, Kind

http://www.elephantjournal.com/2012/03/mean-girls-meaner-adults-heidi-broecking/ No more than 75 years ago, girls were placed into two categories: Saint or Sinner. You were one or the other. Today that continuum is much more fluid, yet remnants of the old way are still valued. Even though more people have sex before marriage than waiting, it seems the word "whore" has not lost its power. If it's more acceptable to satisfy one's sexual desires, why does it still have a taboo attachment of whore once this information is public? As girls are taught to wait for the right one and until marriage with great emphasis, while boys are barely confronted on the subject, are we also teaching and implementing the whore word? And with this word comes it usage. Bullying and isolation, depleted self-esteem and depression, and sometimes suicide are always next. Is there not a middle ground where you can be sexually active without being labelled a whore by your peers, especiall

In India, because of the gender discrimination that is so prevelant in this society, there are girls who's names mean "unwanted" in Hindi. There are re-naming ceremonies that are taking place for girls who want to change their names. This story is sad with a happier ending in which these girls give themselves meaningful names for their much more meaningful and precious lives. http://news.yahoo.com/285-indian-girls-shed-unwanted-names-122551876.html

Honey Boo Boo Dilemna http://blogs.babble.com/famecrawler/2012/09/19/10-reasons-honey-boo-boos-mama-june-is-yes-a-good-mom-photos/ So my first time watching this show was an experience. I couldn't quite decide what I thought about the show. The little girl is the main character known as Honey Boo Boo. She is basically a plus-sized child pageant participant. Her family is definitely not the cream of the crop in her town yet she looks just as gorgeous as the other participants in the pageant. I am not aware of how the show came about, but from conversations I have had with individuals, most feel it to be an embarrassment to the human species and white race. Admittedly, I was embarrassed for them as I saw the show and could only why would they expose their borderline "hill-billy" lifestyle to the world only to be criticized. And then I thought about the Kardashians. Don't they do the same thing? Isn't the only difference the social and economic status of t

The NGO, Walk A Mile Toronto, highlights that gendered based violence is not just a women's issue.  To show the impact, men donned high heels for a mile trek on September 27, 2012.  The organization brings awareness to the violence done to women, but I have to wonder if it is somehow more legitimate after being recognized by men than it was before.  Read more about the organization on their site:  http://walkamiletoronto.ca or their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/walkamiletoronto

Original post HERE

Brother Micah above -pins say "homo" and "porn" with lines through them Brother J above These two men have been on the UCF campus during the last couple of weeks. They have been going from major school to major school for years spreading their interpretations of the word of God. They call everyone sinners and every girl seems to be a "whore" and they speak of homosexuality in disgust among other things. They speak in the free speech zones, so they are allowed to be there doing that. I took these two pictures in front of the Student Union and the traffic of people in that area is immense. It scares me. I am comfortable with my sexuality, for example, and I can laugh off the things they say, but all I can think about is those people who can't just laugh the discrimination off...

http://www.cbsatlanta.com/story/20140225/ather-13-year-old-step-daughter-killed-his-2-year-old-daughter I came across this link and could not believe my eyes. An Atlanta are girl named Tyasia Jackson stabbed her two year old sister to death because her sister told her parents she had a boy in the house. My heart goes out to this family because now they are on the verge of losing both of their daughters. All of this over a boy. Very saddening.

I have to be honest. I'm really glad that I'm not a teenager anymore. I cannot understand the fashion industry or the media's fascination with thinness. I found a blog titled: The Hunger Blogs: A Secret World of Teenage 'Thinspiration' that was sad to read. It is imperative for parents to understand the pressure girls...and boys face in order to be considered "normal" or "pretty" in a society that places too much value on weight and outward appearance. Here's a quote from the article that I found to be particularly disturbing: "Sixteen-year-old Antonia (last name withheld) also runs a popular, photo-based thinspo blog out of her bedroom. "I like images that show skinny, happy girls," she writes in an email to the Huffington Post. "They look so confident and we can see their bones through their skin. It's the most beautiful thing ever. I also like tips about food or how to ignore hunger."" Here's

I think it's really interesting to see how much more we know now about menstruation. This video was made in 1946 and is produced by Disney. We have come a long way in our knowledge! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/26/vintage-disney-video_n_2193232.html?utm_hp_ref=women&ir=Women

  It doesn't matter what you look like, if you hang with the wrong people, bad things can happen: Mexican Beauty Queen Killed in Shootout Between Soldiers and Drug Gang   In this April 26, 2012 photo, Maria Susana Flores Gamez poses for a photo for a story about upcoming representation of Mexico at a beauty pageant in China, in Culiacan, Mexico. Flores, who was voted the 2012 Woman of Sinaloa in a beauty pageant in February, was killed in northern Mexico on Nov. 24, 2012 during a running gun battle between soldiers and the gang of drug traffickers she was traveling with. (Credit: AP) CULIACAN, Mexico (AP) — A 20-year-old state beauty queen died in a gun battle between soldiers and the alleged gang of drug traffickers she was traveling with in a scene befitting the hit movie “Miss Bala,” or “Miss Bullet,” about Mexico’s not uncommon ties between narcos and beautiful young pageant contestants. The body of Maria Susana Flores Gamez was found Saturday lying near an assaul

When Australian skater Oliver Percovich first visited Afghanistan a few years ago, he was surprised by how excited the children he encountered were by his skateboard. Since then, he has started Skateistan, a skate school in Kabul that draws in nearly 400 students a week. Most thrilling of all is that 40% of these students are girls. Skateistan offers more than just instruction in skating — the school also provides girls with lessons in creative arts and multimedia, as well as special programs meant to integrate child refugees into the Afghan school system. It's all very cool, but nothing beats watching these little girls as they hop on their boards and shred. Could Kabul be the new Dogtown? For more information on Skateistan, click here !

A General Observation of Classical Disney Princesses http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Disney_Princess So there's basically two types of Disney princesses: those who save and those who need saving. Look at the picture, from our memories, do you notice anything about the ones who need saving versus those who seem save themselves in general.There is a color barrier between these two types. White princesses, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, are typically saved by their prince charming's. Yet, United States minorities are represented in their films as those who save themselves or have an active role in challenging or changing society. Why is that? Why do characterizations go the way they do and what is it teaching our girls? Do minority girls need to work harder for a better outcome as opposed white girls being saved and swept off their feet? Do Disney princess movies subliminally set up the expected lifestyles of young girls? Is this characterization changing? Barely,

This is about an engineer who has designed a construction toy for girls called "Goldie Blocks." Girls are more than princesses! http://www.upworthy.com/move-over-barbie-8212-youre-obsolete

You have to ask yourself what is going on with our young girls?  Where are their Mothers?  What happened to respect, dignity, self-control?  I have never g one anywhere near shopping on a Black Friday and after this story, I never will.  This Out-of-Control Black Friday Brawl Started Over Women’s Underwear at Victoria’s Secret “Black Friday” of 2012 has come and gone, but videos of the wild confrontations are still surfacing. In Roseville, California, a dispute over women’s undergarments at Victoria’s Secret led to a massive fistfight drawing in spectators of both genders, it seems. The New York Daily News summarizes : “ I’ve been in the retail business six years now, and I’ve never see a Black Friday this bad,” Jessica Wilbourn, an employee at the lingerie store, told the station. “They were throwing merchandise in the air, and we had some boxed gift sets and it hit another girl in the head ,” she added. “Some people got trampled on, and a 15-year-old got punched in

Could you imagine if every time we went to leave this country this happened to us!  We need to value and protect our freedom ladies! Saudi Arabia unveils system of 'electronic tracking' for women Saudi Arabia      Saudi Arabia has instituted a new system that sends a text message to the "male guardian" of any women who leaves the country. Reports of the new system emerged, ironically, on Thanksgiving Day. Manal al-Sharif -- who became the symbol of a campaign women's right to drive campaign launched in 2011 -- began posting information of the new system on Twitter, after she was alerted by a couple. The couple who alerted al-Sharif was travelling toegether. As they did, the husband received a text message from immigration authorities informing him that his wife had left the international airport in Riyadh. While details are sketchy, it sounds like the service is not opt-in. Since the husband in the couple above was surprised b

 I thought this was a cute insert of the cartoon Spiderman. I think it is important to recognize how cartoons are even changing to show feminism in a new light. I liked this because it is the first time I see woman super heroes being recognized or their accomplishments. Also there is even a scene where Spiderman contemplates her independence. What do you think about this cartoon? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b972F5S5ATo

I came across this story about children.  It is very disturbing, but needs to be addressed: Gruesome Discovery Puts Attention on Over One Million Children Living On The Streets In China A gruesome discovery in China’s montainous Guizhou province has put the spotlight on the 1 to 1.5 million street children living in the world’s second largest economy. Last week in Bijie, five male street children ranging from ages seven to thirteen were found lifeless in a 1.5 by 1.5 meter dumpster, succumbing to carbon monoxide poisoning after one boy lit some charcoal to keep warm within the closed bin. Chinese users of social media have expressed shock and disgust at the news over the last week, with CNN reporting that many in the nation are now asking broader questions like how society could have allowed such young children to fall through the cracks: One user on Sina Weibo, China’s version of Twitter, wrote: “China is supposedly an intermediate developed country but still can’t prot

You wore your keys. You hosted events. One of you even shaved our logo on your head! And all with the goal of raising awareness that slavery still exists today. Key2Free—the annual awareness and education initiative organized by The A21 Campaign—was a massive success last month! Each of offices and thousands of abolitionists worked to shine a light on the dark industry of human trafficking. Children in London wrote letters to their government about abolishing the modern slave trade. Volunteers in Bulgaria marched with a giant key to Parliament as a symbol of freedom. We even had over 3,000 runners in Greece marathon for the cause! If you were a part of Key2Free on October 18, we encourage you to take a look at our Facebook and blog for pictures and stories! And even if you missed it this year, it’s never too early to get inspired for next year. So now what? After working to raise awareness, or maybe hearing of modern slavery for the first time, what can you do to make a difference

http://girlsstudies.blogspot.com/2012/11/toddlers-and-tiaras.html I am definitely late when it comes to this, but I could not believe my eyes when I saw this article. I do not understand how mothers enter their young girls in these types of pageants let alone think it is okay to have their daughters use cigarettes as props or imitate a prostitute. This was really shocking and disheartening to view, and this definitely confirms my belief that some people really do not need to procreate.

"Common relationships clichés are flipped and we see what it looks like when the tables are turned. Directed by Jay Diaz. Produced by Brian Thomas Smith, Daniel Marcha, Tony Joun, and Jay Diaz." Click HERE to see "The Flip Side - Dating" Video The video portrays women as the masculine stereotype, showing clips of relationship clichés and spotlighting men performing the female relationship stereotypes. 

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have released statement promoting over the counter availability of oral contraceptives. Citing "cost, access, and convenience" as barriers to consistent use of birth-control pills, the ACOG believes these challenges could be reduced by making the pills available without a prescription, thereby reducing the numbers of accidental pregnancies.  Known side effects and risks are less than those of pregnancy, postpartum or other OTC medications.  The price barrier may prove to be a more difficult challenge to overcome, as OTC medications are not covered under most healthcare plans.  Unfortunately,  as we have seen in the past months, coverage for oral contraceptives is challenged by conservative corporations and politicians alike, so increased accessibility could promote competitive market price control and benefit there as well.   For the ACOG press release, please visit http://www.acog.org/About_ACOG/News_Room/News_Re

Okay so this youtube video had me feeling really good about myself and the way I look. I have never really followed Tyra Banks, but I see now that she is an advocate for young women and girls. She has so much passion when it comes to what we as women are seeing in the media and how the real woman is portrayed. I think it makes it even more amazing because she is a SUPER SUPER model and one of the most beautiful woman in the media. I find her outlook on women in the media so refreshing, and I love how she is not afraid to share her own imperfections with the world. We are so use to shining the light on the negative parts of the media, but I want to take the time to shine the light on something positive. Please go and watch this uplifting video and follow the link to subscribe to Tyra's channel http://youtu.be/n1h9qajF7vY

Little Riley rants about how toy companies try to trick girls into "buying the pink stuff instead of stuff that boys want to buy." It looks like girls younger and younger are starting to see how companies divide girls and boys into strict gender roles, starting as early as in the aisles of toy stores. And Riley is having none of it! After all: "Some girls like super heroes, some girls like princesses! Some boys like super heroes, some boys like princesses!"

I am posting this under discussions and blogs.  My daughter just turned twenty-one and I am going to pay for her a class for a Concealed Weapons Permit for Christmas.  Since I am doing this, we decided to go to the shooting range today so she could practice.  She invited one of her close friends to come along.  While we were there, we noticed a good number of teenage girls there.  It appears that a lot of fathers and/or grandfathers are taking their daughters and/or granddaughters to the shooting range.  The days of gender stereotyping for this sport appear to be over.  All the girls seemed to be enjoying themselves while learning an aspect of self-defense.  There was more teenager girls there than teenage boys.  I know there are some out there that might have different opinions about gun control or the Second Amendment rights.  This post is not intended for an argument on these subjects.  I am just making observations about father/grandfathers and daughters/granddaughters spendi

A 13 year old girl riding the bus to school is accidentally shot and killed. This story is horrifying and tragic. How did the shooter get access to the gun? In my personal opinion, I believe we need stricter gun laws and more gun safety education in schools.  Here is the link to the article:  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/20/student-shot-on-school-bus-near-miami_n_2164883.html?1353423871&icid=maing-grid7|maing5|dl1|sec3_lnk2%26pLid%3D236612

The amount of young girls who want plastic surgery is incomprehensible. The promotion of perfection in our society hits the youngest of its victims. Not only is plastic surgery not necessary for older women, (as long as it isn’t medically necessary), but for girls who are still growing, it can set her up for problems in the long run. The United States is a plastic surgery nation. The media distorts our societies view on how a woman should look based on a man’s perspective. This obsession with the perfection of a woman’s body generates disinterest in a woman’s capability beyond the visible surface. A woman’s intellectual value is contingent upon a society that rejects the patriarchal ideology that ultimately degrades women. It starts with the mental wellbeing of girls and the promotion of positive role models that show and display powerful and strong women who have given back to humanity in a constructive way. Plastic surgery promotes the insecurities that are created by our atti

Shame on you, Hasbro. Leave is to a six year old to call out Hasbro on the gender inequality on their popular children's game, Guess Who?  There are only 5 girls to the 19 boys in the game, making it difficult to win if you choose a girl as your player. http://games.yahoo.com/blogs/unplugged/six-old-schools-hasbro-gender-equality-182500683.html

. Evan provides a good point about the woman who killed her eight newborn daughters in the documentary "It's A Girl". Here's a blog that he published. . . Evan Grae Davis (Director) Indian Mother Kills Eight Daughters - The Story Behind the Story Posted on Tuesday, 19 June 2012 in Documentary Updates Comments Print . The Indian woman who is featured in It’s a Girl for killing eight of her own newborn daughters has generated a lot of hostility. Many of the hundreds of comments on the It’s a Girl trailer on YouTube reflect anger and disbelief: “The woman laughing while saying that she killed eight of her children just makes me sick…” “wtf..is she a mother?? how can someone kill eight children..man this is sick..” “… brought me chills. I am going to have nightmares about her.” “…pink lady needs a beating!” “Those who kill these baby girls should be killed!!! There are no excuses for this kind of cruelty.” “WTH is wrong with that woman?????” T

Girls, backed by the UN, take a stand against child marriage  http://www.mediaglobal.org/2012/06/20/girls-backed-by-the-un-take-a-stand-against-child-marriage/  One-third of girls in developing countries marry before they reach their eighteenth birthday, sometimes as young as 7.  The practice breaches most countries’ domestic legislation, and more importantly, violates the nearly universally ratified Convention on the Rights of the Child.  

Goldie Blox is Debbie Sterling's answer to lack of engineering toys developed for girls, instead of recolored pink and purple. In the article on Upworthy.com includes a link to her (fully funded!) Kickstarter video , where Sterling shares her development into as an engineer and desire to see more women in engineering.  Goldie Blox takes a construstruction set and couples it with a book where you can help Goldie, the girl inventor, solve problems through engineering a solution along side of her. From the Goldie Blox website: Engineers are solving some of the biggest challenges our society faces. They are critical to the world economy, earn higher salaries and have greater job security. And they are 89% male. We believe engineers can’t responsibly build our world’s future without the female perspective. We are here to bring the female voice into engineering.  

This was an article I found about a teenage girl who attends Evans High school. The City of Orlando has recently advocating anti-bullying rallies. Violence is becoming a huge issue in schools. Children can hardly go to school without worry of viewing or participating in violent acts. Bullying is real and it is effecting and hitting girls the hardest. Read below if you would like to skim the actual article you can go to the link I provided. Girl, 14, Arrested In Slashing On Bus Orange County Teen Suffers Cuts Across Her Body Published On: Oct 25 2011 08:23:00 AM EDT  Updated On: Oct 20 2011 12:54:03 PM EDT ORLANDO, Fla. - A 14-year-old girl was arrested Thursday on allegations of slashing another girl during a fight on an Orange County school bus. The girl, a student at Evans High School in Orlando, was arrested on a charge of aggravated battery in the fight, which occurred about 2 p.m. Wednesday near North Lane and Westgate Road. The victim, a ninth-grader at Evans High

Here's an interesting blog that I found that relates to the Weeks 12 and 13 module in my Girls Studies class. The module is titled "Violence Among and Against Girls." This blog by Donald M. Petersen, Jr is titled "Soft Drinks = Teen Violence." My first thought was disbelief because girls...and boys have been drinking soft drinks since they have been invented. As I read the blog and the abstract of the study published in the Injury Prevention Journal, I realized that the soft drinks of my generation and the generations before me are very different from the soft drinks of today.Caffeine infused drinks are being marketed as similar to soft drinks. I know that the celebrities drink Red Bull (and so does my own daughter and her friends) which is a fairly new drink. There have been several deaths recently that are linked to the caffeine drinks like Monster and Rockstar that are also new to the market. Attached is the link to the blog by Mr. Petersen, Jr which includ

This 15 year old girl started an anti-bullying movement at her school by wearing pig tails!! Check out this awesome article about how this girl started it! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/02/maisie-kate-miller-15-fig_n_2064594.html?utm_hp_ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false

 As we have discussed in class, the media is a very big attribute for why people feel pressure to be "Beautiful". Now, a new pressure has been added to the media and that is of Disney characters getting a makeover. Here is an article, including photos, of Disney characters gone slim. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/29/disney-characters-barneys-supermodels_n_1840220.html

Here is an article that concerns violence against women and gendercide.  I was so grateful to see this. It's a Girl Premieres at British and European Parliaments We're thrilled to report that It's a Girl recently premiered at both the British Parliament in London and the European Parliament in Brussels! Director Evan Grae Davis, producer Andrew Brown, and Reggie Littlejohn, president of Women's Rights Without Frontiers , attended both events. By all accounts, these events were extremely successful, uniting audiences with diverse political beliefs around the critical issue of gendercide. In London, Baroness Howe and Lord Alton, who delivered powerful opening remarks , hosted the screening at the British House of Lords on October 30, 2012. In Brussels, Gay Mitchell MEP, President of the Human Dignity Group hosted the screening and Q&A at the European Parliament. You can read more about both of these amazing events in our report on the It&