Does that surprise you? It’s time for more realistic expressions of what American mothers and families look like. We have single mamas, queer mamas, young mamas, immigrant mamas, mamas who are incarcerated, and so many variations. In response to this, the Strong Families Initiative created “Mama’s Day Our Way,” a campaign centered around free e-cards that honor of all different types of mamahood. Artists from around the country created original artwork that you can send as an e-card to a mama in your life.
Mother’s Day is way more complicated than buying flowers, going to brunch, pink greeting cards with lace and assumptions. Mother’s Day can bring up a wide spectrum of emotions as a reflection of our relationships with our mothers and ideas of motherhood. Working with this campaign, I’m able to understand the diverse personal and political meanings motherhood has for all of us. There are many women who are mamas whether or not they’ve ever given birth and Mother’s Day should be a time where we include them in our recognition and celebrations.
Wishing a blissful and restful Mama’s Day to all the mamas!
We’ve seen many a flash mob thanks to the Interwebs…kids doing the “Harlem Shake,” Oprah & her fans dancing to “I’ve Got A Feeling,” and countless more. But what about when a flash mob is used for activism?
Earlier this week, members of the New York National Women’s Liberation visited a pharmacy near Union Square with their own flash mob in support of unrestricted access to Plan B, the “Morning-After Pill.” While it is legal to get it without a prescription if you are 17 or over, you still have to ask the pharmacist to get it for you (behind the counter).
Activists from NY National Women’s Liberation have been involved in a lawsuit, Tummino v. Hamburgto win unrestricted access to the Morning-After Pill. The suit has been going on since 2005 when it charged that the Food and Drug Administration (under George W. Bush) was creating anti-birth control policies not based in science but for political gain. Despite President Obama and Health and Human Services’s 2011 decision to allow access to women 17 and over, the age restrictions still prohibit young women from having agency over their reproductive health decision-making. Not all young women can safely go to their parents for permission to get the “morning-after pill” because of political, religious and social reasons.
According to NY National Women’s Liberation:
There is no medical reason to limit women and girls’ access to the Morning-After Pill, based upon the FDA’s repeated review of the scientific and medical evidence. Over 60 physicians and health organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, agree with the FDA that the MAP should be over the counter. Women and girls in at least 63 other countries can get the MAP without a prescription.
Last week the judge issued an order that indicated he expects to make a decision on the case by the end of the month so there is still time to support this ongoing action. Sign the petition and spread the word to your lady friends and male allies!
LargeUp is bringing some-much needed dancehall flavor to this year’s Winter Music Conference, with our second annual Winter Music Massive on Thursday, March 21 at Blackbird Ordinary in Downtown Miami. (more…)
Every year, the NYC chapter of Women, Action and the Media (WAM!) gathers up an awesome array of progressive women journalists and media makers for a “prom,” a party full of mashups, wicked time-period costumes, and revelry. Folks, especially women and/or feminists, working in progressive media certainly need some unabashed party time.
This Friday, we are kickin’ it live with WAM! Prom 3: 90′s New Jack Riot Grrl Grungefest Jammy Jam from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. at Littlefield in Brooklyn. We’ll be playing mashups from DJ Marc Faletti and Amanda Marcotte, along with a costume contest with prizes from Babeland (gotta LOVE Babeland!). There will be plaid. There will be Cross Colours. There will be crushed velvet. There will be neon. And there most certainly will be Doc Martens.
In 2010, only 24% of the news subjects were women. Women were also more than twice as likely to be portrayed as victims and three times as likely to be identified by family status (for example, as wife or mother). In contrast, men made up 80% of the cited experts and 81% of the spokespersons.
The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film found that women made up only 9% of the directors and 15% of the writers for the top 250 US films in 2012. This figure rose slightly to 29% and 21% respectively in independent film. Only 26% of those working behind the scenes on broadcast television programs were women.
Women account for only 11 percent of game designers, and a paltry 3% of programmers (Boston Globe, 2013).
NYC is the media hub of the world so if we are going to change this, we must start here! If you’re not in New York, Women, Action and the Media is building a robust, effective, inclusive movement for gender justice in the media with chapters in Los Angeles, Boston, Ottawa and Vancouver. Join the movement!
When the mercury has dropped, the stanchions have been placed at Lincoln Center and photographer are capturing your favourtite stylephile’s look of the day, it is safe to say that Mercedes Benz Fashion Week New York has begun.
