Plan B Age Limit Lowered

On April 5, 2013, U.S. District Court Judge Edward Korman ordered the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to lift the age restriction on emergency contraception, known commonly as “the morning after pill” or “Plan B.” The FDA has since approved Plan B One-Step, a brand of emergency contraception, to be made available over-the-counter for women aged 15 and older.

Plan B is intended to be used when other contraception methods fail, such as when a condom breaks. The pill contains the synthetic hormone levonorgestrel, and works by preventing a fertilized egg from attaching itself to the uterine wall. It must be taken within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse. Plan B prevents pregnancy from occurring. Contrary to the arguments put forth by anti-choice lobbyists, it cannot terminate an existing pregnancy.

“This is a thinly-veiled attempt to get an abortion drug over-the-counter,” said Dr. Donna Harrison, president of the American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

Central to the contentious debate over the ethics of the drug’s use is the disagreement over the exact moment that pregnancy begins. Pro-life arguments contend that pregnancy begins with fertilization, which typically occurs within 24 hours after intercourse, if a woman has just ovulated. However, many obstetricians and gynecologists maintain that, as it takes 5-7 days for the fertilized egg to implant in the uterus and begin to grow, if one interrupts the process before this implantation takes place, pregnancy never begins.

Despite the controversy associated with emergency contraception, the good news is women seeking to purchase Plan B will now be able to find it in the family planning and female health aisles of commercial retail stores, instead of having to rely on regular pharmacy opening hours. Cecile Richards, President of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, welcomed the decision, stating:

“While there are still practical questions to resolve, this is an important step forward to expand access to emergency contraception and for preventing unintended pregnancy.”

The Everyday Sexism Project

The Everyday Sexism Project was created a year or so ago by Laura Bates, with a simple, but meaningful goal in mind – to create a safe place for women to share their experiences with sexism.

Since its creation, its popularity has exploded. There have been thousands of posts from many different countries. Women around the world are speaking out against the sexism they experience, and it’s making waves.

Women are empowering each other, and (of course) someone, somewhere, has a problem with it. Bates has experienced a ridiculous amount of backlash and hate mail. I considered giving examples, but the messages are so disturbing they don’t deserve to be repeated.

The Everyday Sexism Project wasn’t established as a political statement, nor to bash on certain groups or beliefs. It simply provides a space for people to talk about their encounters with sexism, and find comfort and support in shared experiences.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the negative, and focus on the hate we see every day. And as I’ve found this year, it’s also easy to become absorbed in the humanity and compassion.  The Everyday Sexism Project is inspiring, and it will continue to empower people around the world.

“Anyone who describes feminism as an in-fighting, back-biting movement has clearly never been as lucky as I was, at those lowest moments, to discover in it the strength and kindness, advice and support of so many other women and men.”

~ Laura Bates, founder, The Everyday Sexism Project

Year-end Reflection: Andrew Blake

Blogging for the Women’s Center this semester has been a great opportunity to explore social justice and gender equity issues that are not as always as keenly fixated in my mind as they should be. Unfortunately, it sometimes seems that there is a general consensus that gender equity issues have been largely resolved in our society, and that feminist ideology or goals are no longer necessary. Being involved with a blog like this is a great illustration of how far from the truth this is. In staying attentive to news or headlines that would be pertinent for pieces in this blog, I was surprised to see the frequency of discriminative practices or unequal treatment.

What was particularly nice about this course is the flexibility that has been built in to allow bloggers to write about subjects they are interested in. By doing this, I think it not only motivates bloggers to write better pieces, but it has also allowed for me to further explore issues within my degree programs. Particularly, it was nice to have the freedom to write pieces about feminist movements or gender policies in several nations as it has furthered my understanding of women’s issues in the international arena and in some ways has given me an additional lens through which to analyze and understand world events. As an International Studies and Political Science major, this is an invaluable tool and something I believe will help me in my studies.

This being said, there are definitely things that I would like to try in further blogging. Often times, my interest and comfort lay in writing about policy or events relating to gender equity. While this was great, I would enjoy exploring more local issues and events, and also would enjoy writing a more reflective or personal piece.

Farewell, my friends.

By Heather Shea Gasser

A few weeks ago, in advance of my official UI going away party, I had a dream about feathers (hang with me, here). It was one of those really vivid and realistic dreams, and I awoke wondering (as we often do when we have those kinds of vivid dreams) what it meant. So, I googled “feather symbolism” and learned a variety of interesting things:

-          Feathers symbolize renewal and transformation (birds shed feathers when they are ready for new ones)

-          Feathers in many cultures are associated with communication and messages

-          In Egyptian myth feathers are a symbol of the goddess Maat, the matriarchal figure of truth and justice who judged the souls of the underworld based on the “weight of a feather”

-          In the Greek myth, Icarus crafted a pair of wings made of feathers and wax, which upon flying too close to the sun melted and he came crashing back to the sea

-          Meril Crabtree writes: Yet feathers are more than history. For many, they are mystical signs, messages, or opportunities. They are scraps of synchronicity in the flowing patchwork of universal meanings. Feathers appear in unlikely places as assurances of wellbeing, as a comforting sign of abundance in the universe, and as unmistakable messengers of hope and encouragement.

Feathers, and birds generally, speak to us of lightness, freedom, of going beyond boundaries, of “getting above it all” (Above the Fray) and the need to “let it go”.

Do you remember the opening scene from Forrest Gump? The white feather floating through the air? Getting caught by a breeze, floating through the town square, amidst the trees, and eventually landing at Forrest Gump’s very dirty running shoe? He picks it up and puts it inside of a copy of a Curious George book. Tom Hanks spoke about the feather symbolism in the movie: “Our destiny is only defined by how we deal with the chance elements to our life and that’s kind of the embodiment of the feather as it comes in. Here is this thing that can land anywhere and that it lands at your feet. It has implications that are really huge.”

When Ray and I made the move from the Desert Southwest to the Palouse over five years ago, I could have landed anywhere but I landed at the University of Idaho Women’s Center, and for me the implications have been really huge.

I have learned, grown, changed, shed tears (and my feathers) a time or two. I have been renewed as a feminist and as a leader through working in the Women’s Center. I have grown as a student affairs professional, as an activist, and as a scholar.

When I think about where the Women’s Center was when I arrived, I am also gratified at the difference we have collectively been able to make over the past five years we’ve spent together. I’d like to take this opportunity to look back and note five key accomplishments of the past five years:

Five years ago when I arrived as the then “interim” director of the Women’s Center, the office was existing on a skeleton crew and missing an admin assistant. And, all of the board-appointed staff members, other than myself, were classified/hourly employees on 10-month appointments. The summer was a lonely place in the Women’s Center! Today, both program coordinators have been moved to non-faculty exempt status and have 12-month contracts, and we just recently hired a new admin assistant to fill the shoes left by two others who went on to program coordinator roles in other units on campus. The Women’s Center provides opportunities for staff professional development and encourages growth.

Five years ago, the 10-month GLBT program advisor shared an office with another staff member, was funded entirely by the Women’s Center, and focused primarily on overseeing the Safe Zone program. Today, the LGBTQA Office is located in a separate space outside of the Women’s Center, receives student fee funding to support about half of the programming and salary expenses, and has grown to be a fully-functioning office with a shared relationship with University Housing. The Women’s Center continues its support of the LGTBQA Office and aligns with the office to promote inclusion on campus of LGBTQ faculty, staff, and students including promoting the policy to add the words “gender identity and expression” to the university’s non-discrimination statement.

Five years ago, the Women’s Center published a paper newsletter (in the format of a traditional feminist ‘Zine) with a distribution of about 250 copies (sent in postal mail) quarterly. Today we have an extensive social media presence on Facebook (538 “like” us) on Twitter (502 follow us) and an active blog, since launch in 2011 has had nearly 300 posts primarily by student blog contributors who receive academic credit with over 35,000 views. Through our social media and outreach efforts, the Women’s Center’s voice, perspectives, and advocacy for gender equity reach far beyond the campus borders.

Five years ago, the Women’s Center’s programming included regular brown-bags and films, as well as several traditional annual events, truthfully, our programming was just as extensive, vital and relevant then as it is today, responding to the current needs of college students…but we have grown in the past five years, adding permanency to the annual production of Eve Ensler’s celebrated play “The Vagina Monologues”, the monthly “Got Sex?” sexual health series, Mad Men Mondays, and other regular programs to our line up. And this past fall, we saw the largest attendance at a Women’s Center event yet, when over 3,000 packed into the Kibbie Dome south stands to hear feminist icon Gloria Steinem speak in honor of the Women’s Center’s 40th Anniversary Celebration. The Women’s Center’s programming continues to bring together the campus and community for important dialogues around issues of gender equity and social justice.

Five years ago, our student staff had dwindled to only three active and engaged individuals and several of our most vibrant student organizations had seen key leaders graduate. Today, we work with a dynamic engaged and energized contingent of student staff and volunteers. Eight work-study students and many more volunteers, service learning students, and interns connect with our office each semester. Further, we have an extensive core of students who comprise our Women’s Mentoring Program, and many more student groups who are collaborators and connected to our office. Despite our off-the-beaten-path location, the Women’s Center sees significant traffic and

I share with you these accomplishments to highlight the significance and relevance that the Women’s Center has on the University of Idaho campus. Directors (11 of them) have come and gone over the years. Few of us have stayed for more than 5 years. So, to what can we attribute the growth and success? It’s because of the tremendous support that the UI Women’s Center receives from the university community, it’s because of the dynamic individuals who form the inner core team responsible for the day-to-day operations and behind the scenes activities, and it’s because of the students who continue to come through our doors with passion and activism.

In dreams feathers mean travel or the ability to move freely in live. White feathers indicate a fresh start. I leave for a fresh start and I leave the Women’s Center for a fresh start as well. For the opportunity to work with all of you, to engage around issues of social justice, feminism, activism and to grow as an individual, I will be forever grateful for my time here. This isn’t good bye, simply “see you soon.” I will be watching with interest form Michigan to see where the Women’s Center is headed next.

To all of the individuals who have shared this journey with me, thank you for making the path worth travelling.  And finally, feather rhymes with Heather.

What’s in our Feed

Bringing you timely stories of women in the news

The Feminist Revolution—lily-white and over-exposed? White women are promoted as the universal standard for femininity, humanity, and moral worth, while the mainstream media perpetuates stereotypes of Black girls as “hostile and ineducable.” Read more…

Kuwait launches a sports club for women, illustrating how the landscape for women athletes is improving across the Persian Gulf, where hard-liners have long opposed women playing sports. Read more…

Mike Jeffries, CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch, wants to exclude plus-sized customers from his stores. Jeffries “doesn’t want his core customers to see people who aren’t as hot as them wearing his clothing. People who wear his clothing should feel like they’re one of the cool kids.” Read customer responses to his controversial decision here, here and here…

The already out-of-control digital alteration of women’s bodies in media images has progressed to the utterly ridiculous. Apparently, even cartoon women now have to suffer the humiliation and injustice of having their bodies “improved” with extensive Photoshopping. The character Merida from the Disney movie ‘Brave’ recently received an unnecessary makeover. Read more…

Poetry as a Feminist Practice

By Erin Heuring

A poet, essayist, and one of the most prominent voices in modern feminism, Adrienne Rich explored the rich experiences of women through the written word. Hailed as “one of the most widely read and influential poets of the second half of the twentieth century,” it seems fitting to honor her in the aftermath of April’s National Poetry Month. Adrienne Rich passed away March 27, 2012, but her poetry will endure for generations to come.

Adrienne Rich was born in Baltimore, Maryland on May 16, 1929. She attended Harvard and studied poetry, and later married an economics professor she had met there. After the birth of her third child, Rich produced a book of poetry which mark a dramatic shift in the themes she explored in her writing. Entitled “Snapshots of a Daughter-in-Law,” the volume included more personal poetry and an exploration of what it was to be a wife and mother in the 1950s. Rich was also involved in politics and the New Left and began teaching at Columbia University. Rich’s “Diving into the Wreck” split the 1974 National Book Award for Poetry with Allen Ginsberg. After divorcing her husband, Rich began a long-term relationship with her life partner, Michelle Cliff, and acknowledged lesbianism as a political and personal issue. Rich also wrote socio-political essays, including “Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence,” which was one of the first to bring to light the theme of lesbian existence. During this period of Rich’s life, she seem to “cross a threshold into a new relationship with the universe.” Rich died last year at her Santa Cruz, California home at the age of 82.

The poet W.S. Merwin said of Rich’s writings:

“All her life she has been in love with the hope of telling utter truth, and her command of language from the first has been startlingly powerful.”

Diving into the Wreck

First having read the book of myths,
and loaded the camera,
and checked the edge of the knife-blade,
I put on
the body-armor of black rubber
the absurd flippers
the grave and awkward mask.
I am having to do this
not like Cousteau with his
assiduous team
aboard the sun-flooded schooner
but here alone.
There is a ladder.
The ladder is always there
hanging innocently
close to the side of the schooner.
We know what it is for,
we who have used it.
Otherwise
it is a piece of maritime floss
some sundry equipment.
I go down.
Rung after rung and still
the oxygen immerses me
the blue light
the clear atoms
of our human air.
I go down.
My flippers cripple me,
I crawl like an insect down the ladder
and there is no one
to tell me when the ocean
will begin.
First the air is blue and then
it is bluer and then green and then
black I am blacking out and yet
my mask is powerful
it pumps my blood with power
the sea is another story
the sea is not a question of power
I have to learn alone
to turn my body without force
in the deep element.
And now: it is easy to forget
what I came for
among so many who have always
lived here
swaying their crenellated fans
between the reefs
and besides
you breathe differently down here.
I came to explore the wreck.
The words are purposes.
The words are maps.
I came to see the damage that was done
and the treasures that prevail.
I stroke the beam of my lamp
slowly along the flank
of something more permanent than
fish or weed
the thing I came for:
the wreck and not the story of the wreck
the thing itself and not the myth
the drowned face always staring
toward the sun
the evidence of damage
worn by salt and sway into this threadbare beauty
the ribs of the disaster
curving their assertion
among the tentative haunters.
This is the place.
And I am here, the mermaid whose dark hair
streams black, the merman in his armored body.
We circle silently
about the wreck
we dive into the hold.
I am she: I am he
whose drowned face sleeps with open eyes
whose breasts still bear the stress
whose silver, copper, vermeil cargo lies
obscurely inside barrels
half-wedged and left to rot
we are the half-destroyed instruments
that once held to a course
the water-eaten log
the fouled compass
We are, I am, you are
by cowardice or courage
the one who find our way
back to this scene
carrying a knife, a camera
a book of myths
in which
our names do not appear.

Carolyn Kizer: Feminist Poet

Contemporary poet and Pulitzer Prize winner, Carolyn Kizer, is a Pacific Northwest native, born in Spokane, Washington in 1925. After graduating from Lewis and Clark High School in Spokane, Carolyn Kizer went on to study at Sarah Lawrence College and graduated in 1945. She then pursued graduate studies at Columbia University and the University of Washington. Due to strong encouragement from both her mother and father to study poetry during her childhood, Kizer elected to study poetry at the University of Washington under the direction of Theodore Roethke. In an interview, Kizer spoke of the years she spent studying poetry:

“I was then in my late twenties, living in Seattle. I had never taken myself seriously as a poet, and at that point the poetry didn’t deserve it. But then, most women poets of my generation didn’t dare take themselves seriously, because the men didn’t take us seriously—-I was almost middle-aged before the idea penetrated.”

Kizer moved to Pakistan in 1964 and served as a U.S. Department specialist teaching at the Kinnaird College for Women, as well as at several other institutions, eventually serving as the first Director of Programs for the National Endowment for the Arts in 1966. Through this position, Kizer promoted programs that distributed aid to struggling writers, as well as promoting poetry to be read aloud in schools. Kizer was an up-and-coming poet in a male-dominated world during the 1950s and 60s, and feminist ideology had a strong influence on her work. Kizer’s poems were consistent in speaking out against the inequality between men and women, both at work and at home, and offered a window into the historical changes that were taking place throughout her career. Carolyn Kizer went on to win the Pulitzer Prize in 1985 for her poem Yin, and has been recognized as one of the most influential feminist writers of the century.

Excerpt from Carolyn Kizer’s poem Pro Femina

I take as my theme “The Independent Woman,”
Independent but maimed: observe the exigent neckties
Choking violet writers; the sad slacks of stipple-faced matrons;
Indigo intellectuals, crop-haired and callus-toed,
Cute spectacles, chewed cuticles, aced out by full-time beauties
In the race for a male. Retreating to drabness, bad manners,
And sleeping with manuscripts. Forgive our transgressions
Of old gallantries as we hitch in chairs, light our own cigarettes,
Not expecting your care, having forfeited it by trying to get even.

But we need dependency, cosseting, and well-treatment.
So do men sometimes. Why don’t they admit it?
We will be cows for a while, because babies howl for us,
Be kittens or bitches, who want to eat grass now and then
For the sake of our health. But the role of pastoral heroine
Is not permanent, Jack. We want to get back to the meeting.

Knitting booties and brows, tartars or termagants, ancient
Fertility symbols, chained to our cycle, released
Only in part by devices of hygiene and personal daintiness,
Strapped into our girdles, held down, yet uplifted by man’s
Ingenious constructions, holding coiffures in a breeze,
Hobbled and swathed in whimsy, tripping on feminine
Shoes with fool heels, losing our lipsticks, you, me,
In ephemeral stockings, clutching our handbags and packages.
Our masks, always in peril of smearing or cracking,
In need of continuous check in the mirror or silverware,
Keep us in thrall to ourselves, concerned with our surfaces.
Look at man’s uniform drabness, his impersonal envelope!
Over chicken wrists or meek shoulders, a formal, hard-fibered assurance.
The drape of the male is designed to achieve self-forgetfulness.

So, Sister, forget yourself a few times and see where it gets you:
Up the creek, alone with your talent, sans everything else.
You can wait for the menopause, and catch up on your reading.
So primp, preen, prink, pluck, and prize your flesh,
All posturings! All ravishment! All sensibility!
Meanwhile, have you used your mind today?
What pomegranate raised you from the dead,
Springing, full-grown, from your own head, Athena?

For more information about Caorlyn Kizer, please visit http://www.poetryfoundation.org/bio/carolyn-kizer and http://flavorwire.com/290406/10-feminist-poets-you-should-know/9.