Smart Girls Bust Food & Drug Co.

In 2004, 14 year-old Jenny Suo and Anna Devathasan of New Zealand tested the vitamin C content in Ribena juice as a science experiment. The girls found that the juice contained no vitamin C which led to busting the second-largest food and drug company in the world for lying. The company was fined $217,500 after admitting to 15 breaches of the Fair Trading Act.

See the full article.

ask yourself...

WHAT IS CHASTITY...
WHO DECIDES WHAT IT IS
AND WHY???

Vancouver Feminist Action Project

The Vancouver Feminist Action Project is holding a conference May 24-26 titled "Feminism(s): Strengthening the Ties." From what we have heard it will be a very interesting and empowering conference.

"This conference will continue to focus on the work of undergraduate feminists, while including feminists from graduate programs as well as activist and business communities. The idea is to begin bridging the gaps between different feminist groups so that stronger networks and a more cohesive movement will emerge.

We hope to create new interactions between activists, academics, students, and others; to strengthen ties between different branches of feminism through sharing knowledge and experience. This conference will showcase and increase the representation of feminists and feminist organizations."

For more information about the conference and the Vancouver Feminist Action Project go to:

www.feminisms.ca

WAVAW

ashamed, humiliated and hurt?

"but that's my boyfriend" or
"that's my husband" or
"that's my father" is NOT an excuse!
If you have experienced violence against you, and you don't know where to go, the WAVAW website is for all the ones who never dared to tell...
(Remember, it's not you!!)

Disney's First Black Princess

Disney has just announced that they have begun production on a new, 2D animated film called "The Frog Princess". The movie will feature their first ever African American princess, Maddy, in a story set in the 1920's New Orleans jazz age. The film is set to be released in 2009.

I think this is a great step forward, though it is a long overdue one too. Maddy will be added to Disney's lines of consumer products and theme parks, giving girls a new princess to look up to (if they should be at all). Hopefully we will see more ethnicities featured by Disney in the future. My final thought is, if Maddy will find herself a prince, will he be black or white?

FGM and North America

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is mostly practiced in African countries, few Middle East countries and few Asian countries.
FGM takes on three different forms (WHO):
1) removal of the clitoris
2) removal of the clitoris and labia
3) removal of the clitoris and labia, as well as sewing the vagina (leaving a small hole for urine and menstural blood to excrete)

sounds pretty harsh, doesn't it? I , along with many people in the North American society, concider this practice very brutal. But I stopped to think about it... and came to realize that our society does not differ with the cruel customs practiced today- Stilettos, "boob jobs", waxing (especially brazilian) and dieting obsession. Are we really that different? I think not. Next time you put those heals to go to the party, think about the problems that will be caused to your back, knees and feet. Next time you wax (or pluck out) your body hair, think about all the benifits it will contribute (is there really any??). Next time you question your body, just remember that not all of our bodies are the same; not all of our bodies are supposed to be the same; and just because one type is concidered to be the ''norm'' (which keeps getting thinner and thinner) doesn't mean we all have to conform and suffer to look like a toothpick. After all, men prefer voluptuous women with something to grab on!

Calling All the Cap Students

Dear Capilano Students,



Students from our women's studies class are doing a drive for WISH and the Downtown East Side Women's Center (these are centres for women living and working in the downtown eastside)

Any of the following donations will be appreciated:

TOILETRIES, TOWELS, UNDERWEAR, BRAS, SOCKS, GLOVES, MAKEUP, and of course, ANY WOMENS CLOTHING (PARTICULARLY WARM THINGS).

-boxes will be in the food court and women's centre-

Doris Anderson, Women's Rights Activist, Dies

At the age of 85, Doris Anderson, former editor of Chatelaine Magazine and women's rights activist, died on Friday. Here is an article from CBC about this remarkable woman.

Penis Envy? A little education is all we need!

I’ve encountered Freud’s theories many times in my studies recently, and like most feminists, I cannot help but think that penis envy is nonsense. The only envy I have is that boys know what they’re equipped with at a much younger age. Girls get little or no education about their vulva and vagina and so, yeah, maybe there is a little envy, but we can end this by educating our daughters. With the proper education about what we, women, are born with, there will be no penis envy. Masturbation will no longer be a male dominated sport, and men will be having multiple-orgasm envy.
See a diagram of the vulva from www.vaginaverite.com

Check out the "Cunt Coloring Book" by Tee Corrine. Originally used for sex-education, this is one of the many fun ways to explore our bodies!

“A Girl Like Me”

“A Girl Like Me” is an excellent short film directed by Kiri Davis, a young African American woman. I really feel that this is a must see. Why are our ideals of beauty those of the white Europeans? Must we conform? These are the stories of four young women who are dealing with these pressures. Though the whole film was really meaningful to me, one part I keep thinking about is the reproduction of the doll test. I can’t help but wonder what the last girl was thinking about when asked which doll was most like her. Hopefully this video will help bring some awareness to the needed change in our society!

International Women's Day March 8th

International Women's Day is Thursday, March 8th. Click the link above to learn more about International Women's Day and about events in your area!

Happy Women's Day!

Anti- Rape Female Condom

also known as:

- vaginal bear trap
- czipa trap

The anti rape female condom was invended by a woman from South Africa whose name is Sonette Ehlers.
The decvice looks like a woman's condom where the girl can insert it in her vagina; it's not supposed to hurt. The condom contains plastic barbs in it, so when the attacker inserts his penis the condom will get hooked to his penis and will cause him pain, making some time for the girl (or woman) to run away. The condom will not cause any harm to the guy (except pain) if he properly removes it, by a surgery. If the attacker decides to remove the condom by the surgical procedure to avoid any harm that could be caused if he tries to remove it himself, there's legal testimony of an attempted rape.

Sounds like a great idea doesn't it? That's what i thought...

but as I looked more into it, there's a few severe ethical issues that are preventing from the condom to be sold.
For instance, the usage of the device may put the female in a more dangerous position that she was in initially. The attacker can get mad and beat up the victim, or maybe even kill her.
Also the device is insufficiant and even more dangerous in a gang-rape situation.
Some simply claim that this device is barbaric, medieval and see it as the concept of going back to chastity belts.

It is unfortunate that in our socity (and most) women have to take very careful precautions when going to a pary, making guy- friends and even walking alone on the street, especially at nighttime. Why did we reach a point where women at a party have to hold their drinks at all times, where women can't walk alone on the street without constantly turning their heads right and left, or even trust their guy- friends, or coworkiers to give them a ride.
why is there sex division? Don't we all, guys and girls alike, want the same thing, safetly and trust? Why are we still divided into distinct groups of race, sex and class?

Will there ever be equality.....?

The Three Waves of Feminism

FIRST wave:
A period of feminist activity that was in the eartly 19th century. During that period the women fought for their right to vote. The wave lost its momentm in the 1920s after the women gained their suffrage (right to vote)since they thought that voting would lead to political, social and economic equality.

SECOND wave:
A period of rebirth of the feminist movement that lasted from 1960s until the 1980s. Since the women gained their right to vote, but they have not achieved any other equality, they focused on other acts of opression. During this wave the Association of Women in Psychology (AWP) was formed and several Conscious- Raising groups were formed in which the women could informally discuss about their lives, providing the women with 'feminist therapy' and educating women about different issues like violence, discrimination.

THIRD wave:
The period of the third wave began in the 1990s and lasts until this day. During the current wave, feminists try to tackle some 'unfinished business' of the first two waves. Today, femisists are trying to gain reproductive freedom, ending violence against women, and incorporate women into politics.

we're getting there... but not quite at the top yet!

Countries like Iceland, Israel and Panama had (or still have) a female president.. yet in Canada women still gain 71% of male's earnings and occupy most of the part time jobs (when the men take on the full time).
How do we fight this? And how long is it going to last?