Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons^™

El Caso De Mapuches Urbanas Y Su Relación Al Estado Chileno, Rachel Schmidtke

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study investigates the daily lives of Mapuche women who have migrated from the south of Chile to the city of Reñaca in the north and more specifically, how they’re lives as women have changed from living in a rural area to an urban one. This study also investigates urban Mapuche women and their relation to the Chilean government, with specific emphasis on political organizations such as the National Women’s Service, the Foundation for the Promotion and Development of Women, and the National Corporation for Indigenous Development. Interviews, research, and a month long anthropological observation provide the information for this …

Employing Empowerment: Developing The Discourse For Women’S Empowerment In Uttarakhand, India, Harriet Napier

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The following research study was conducted between the dates of 12 April, 2011 and 6 May, 2011 in the district of Dehradun, Uttarakhand, and in surrounding rural villages. The investigation focuses on the empowerment of marginalized women through NGO and government programs, particularly through their employment in the field of public health within the role of Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) and related Community Health Worker models developed by NGOs. The study will consider how empowerment through employment in the health sector works to decrease gender inequities by improving the status of the woman, increase the woman’s confidence, training her …

Rise Of The Veil: Islamic Modernity And The Hui Woman, Zainab Khalid

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Hui are a familiar sight in most cities in China; famed for their qingzhen restaurants and their business acumen. Known usually as the “Chinese speaking Muslims,” they are separated from the nine other Muslim xiaoshu minzu by a reputation for assimilation and adaptability that is a matter of pride for Hui in urban areas.

A conversation with Hui women at Nancheng Mosque in Kunming revealed that they believed Hui to be at an advantage compared to other xiaoshu minzu because of their abilities to adapt and assimilate, “we are intelligent; we know what to do in order to survive …

El Papel De La Educación Y Las Ong’S En Mejorar El Acceso A Derechos Para Inmigrantes: El Caso De Los Derechos Sexuales Y Reproductivos = The Role Of Education And Ngo’S In Helping Immigrants Obtain Better Access To Their Rights: The Specific Case Of Sexual And Reproductive Rights, Amy Torres

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In January of 2004, Argentina approved a new immigration law that guaranteed the protection of human rights for all immigrants in the country regardless of their legal status with the State. Among the rights explicitly guaranteed by this law were the right to migrate, the right to education and the right to health care. While this law represents a significant advance by the Argentine government in protecting the human rights of immigrants, oppressive mechanisms still remain in everyday practices that inhibit actual access to their rights.

Considering the changes in the law and the breach between the laws and everyday …

Transformación De La Mente: Desarrollando Una Conciencia De Empoderamiento Ideológico En Mujeres = Transformation Of The Mind: Developing A Consciousness Of Ideological Empowerment In Women, Amber Lakin

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El objeto de esta investigación es estudiar cómo se hace el cambio mental en el empoderamiento. Esta pregunta se contesta primero por un estudio de la vida de Rosa Amelia, una mujer empoderada quien vive en la comunidad de Jocote en el país de Nicaragua. Esto sirve para averiguar cómo ocurre el proceso de empoderamiento ideológico. Después se examina por un análisis de su vida con la información suplementaria del proceso de otras tres mujeres de Jocote, Blanca Nubia, Cándida y Juana.

Esta investigación identifica cinco causas principales del empoderamiento ideológico: conocimiento, solidaridad, empoderamiento económico, la oportunidad de salir de …

Cosmopolitan Romance In Nepal: An Investigation Of Young Newari Women’S Emerging Views Of Marriage And Dating, Rachel Williams

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

For decades Newari women have been limited to marriages arranged by their families and lamis, or matchmakers. There has been a recent shift in marital views among the youth has led to more courting among young Newars as well as a significant increase in the number of love marriages. Through in depth interviews with fourteen young Newari women, this ethnography attempts to illuminate current attitudes towards marriage and courtship exemplified by young Newari women in Kathmandu. I also argue that being a cosmopolitan Newari woman requires a negotiation of traditional gender roles and requires a balance between tradition and …

Discursive Study On Centrality Of Dutch Society, Religiosity, And Female Body: How Five Women Reflect, On Faith, On Embodiment, And On Dutchness., Mollie Rachel Garber

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My research examines the personal narratives of five (5) women living in Northern Netherlands, in and around Amsterdam. The focus of these narratives is on the diversity of national and religious backgrounds as these bear on body-image in Dutch culture. My purpose is to bridge the gap of knowledge between modern female body image, religiosity, and the conflicting messages of modernity and traditionalism. These five personal narratives begin to unpack my informants‟ “Dutch” identity, their social and personal views concerning the female body, and how religion conflicts, combines and in some cases complements the modern, secular female body message communicated …

L’Abandon De L’Excision Au Sénégal D’Ici 2015: Une Analyse De La Collaboration Entre L’Ong Tostan Et Le Ministère De La Famille, Karen Kirk

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The practice of female genital cutting (FGC) in Senegal continues today despite a law banning its practice. This study is a discussion of the collaboration between the NGO Tostan and the Senegalese government (Direction of the Family) as they work toward their goal of complete abandonment of FGC in Senegal by 2015. It examines the different roles of these two entities and how this collaboration will make this goal a reality. Key interviews with representatives from Tostan, the Direction of the Family and a third party provide opinions about this collaboration and whether or not this goal is realistic. La …

“It’S A Ripple Effect”: Global Mamas In A Developing Ghana, Mara Dold

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My research took place almost entirely in Cape Coast but was supplemented with time in Krobo-Odumase and Accra. I worked exclusively with the nonprofit and fair trade international organization Women in Progress, specifically focusing on the women working for their brand name product line Global Mamas. I was a part of 2 batik workshops and 1 bead making workshop, led by Ghanaians hired by Global Mamas. Participant observation and informal interviews went hand in hand during the workshops. I had many an informal discussion and just 5 formal interviews overall. Book research was key to my more general findings and …

Marriage In Conflict: Formerly Abducted Women’S Struggles With Marriage Upon Return, Julie Bailey

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

With the end of the twenty-year war in Northern Uganda, the area has begun the long process of rehabilitating, rebuilding, and reintegrating. For women who have now returned from abduction and forced marriage, reintegration has proven difficult, specifically in regards to these women’s desires to marry upon return. The experiences of these formerly abducted women in the bush as well as the conflict-induced changes to traditional marriage often limits their ability to remarry and thus prevents them from fully regaining their place in Acholi society. Ultimately, this study sought to examine these difficulties by looking at the societal norms for …

The Role And Potential Of Businesswomen In Morocco’S Civil Society, Teresa Mbagaya

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The expansion of women in the private sector not only affects the economic sphere, but further influences women’s participation in social and political decision-making. In aiming to strengthen the roles of women in the economy, professional organizations hope to equip women with the skills necessary to succeed as leaders in the businesses sector. The capacities of these organizations vary from region and often employ different strategies to achieve their missions. What links them, however, is the objective to enhance the capabilities of women as heads of households, students, professionals and leaders. This focus on social and economic development takes the …

Reserved Women: The Implementation And Efficacy Of A Reserved Seat Quota For Women In The Tibetan Parliament In Exile, Carolyn Griffiths

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

By studying a specific example of a system which requires women to be part of the government, policy makers can better understand how to use tools such as a quota to improve the lives of women. I researched whether and how women gain political agency through the quota system implemented by the Tibetan government in exile. I used in-depth interviews from both parliamentary members and those affected by the decisions made by the Tibetan Government in exile to discover the social climate surrounding the quota system. I gained an understanding of how the condition of women’s lives has changed as …

The Legalities And Realities Of Emancipation Policies In The Netherlands And Their Associated Welfare State Typologies, Leigh Ellis

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The Independent Study Project (ISP) investigated how Dutch emancipation policies have affected female labor market participation in the Netherlands. The ISP focused specifically on The Working Hours Modification Act, The Childcare Act, and The Work and Care Act. The ISP explored both the legalities and realities of the emancipation policies. Additionally, Esping-Andersen’s welfare state typologies were incorporated and each emancipation policy was classified according to the welfare state typology that it best reflected. The legalities of the legislation were researched using literature and the findings of other comparative studies done on female labor market participation in the Netherlands. A qualitative …

Ending Violence…Creating Peace? Rediscovering The Connections Between The Women´S Movement And A Culture Of Peace In Nicaragua, Sami Poindexter

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My project, Ending Violence…Creating Peace?: Rediscovering the Connections between the Women’s Movement and a Culture of Peace in Nicaragua, explores, both in theory and practice, the relationships between the Nicaraguan women’s movement and building a culture of peace. Through an extensive literature review that covered everything from history to feminist and peace theories and from reconciliation and peacebuilding to the militarization of society. Through the process of the literature review, I was fully able to make the theoretical connections between feminism and peace which then allowed me to establish a framework for my research and fieldwork. To investigate the links …

Critical Mass Representation In Uganda, Daisy-Cynthia Nneamaka Adi

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

In general, most societies of the world are patriarchal and as a result women’s participation in politics has historically been minute. To correct this fault, proponents of critical mass representation advocate for explicit quota systems that create special seats for women (e.g. women’s MPs), reserve spots for women or those which mandate the inclusion of women on national party lists. Proponents advocate critical mass with the expectation that female Members of Parliament (MPs) will enhance women’s rights. However, little is known about the actual contribution of female MPs to the enhancement of women’s rights in the countries where critical mass …

Smarter Mothers, Healthy Children, Smaller Families: A Look At The Impact Of Women’S Education On Family Planning Decisions In The Sultanate Of Oman, Kerala Hise

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Is there a single, perfect, cure-all policy that a government can enact to achieve sustained development? This is a question international organizations and individual leaders ask themselves every day. There will always be ‘less-developed’ nations, this is a reality of having ‘developed’ nations, but there is no reason that humanity should allow there to be ‘under-developed’ nations, not when we have at hand the tools and knowledge to enact immediate, sweeping changes now. However, because different people, different groups feel that their idea or proposal is of the utmost importance, that change is often never realized. Often, too much value …

The 2008 Municipal Elections According To Nicaraguan Women: Nihilism, Hope, And Pragmatism, Teresa Cheng

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

Kilombo Do Kioiô: The Use Of An Artesanato Program As A Program Of Social Justice, Anna Losacano

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

The women’s artisan group, Kilombo do Kioiô, part of the Ação Social da Paróquia Sao Bras (Sao Bras Parochial Social Action Group) in the neighborhood of Plataforma, Salvador, Bahia, works to insert poor Afro-Brazilian women into the economic market and wider society. This community of women is struggling to survive in a society in which they are marginalized by their gender, race and socio-economic position. They are also struggling to survive two types of violence that are pervasive in Plataforma: domestic violence and violence related to drug trafficking.

This research project studies how working as artisans affects the participants’ social …

Dutty Wine: Ooman Big Up Or Dis?, Nicole Cruz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study explores the extent to which females are liberated or oppressed in dancehall in Kingston, Jamaica. Using a qualitative approach and feminist perspective, I explore dancehall culture and the ghetto communities on which it centers. Participant observation allowed me to experience the dynamics of the dancehall space. Using in-depth interviews, I assessed my observations with the opinions of dancehall fans and other community members. Ultimately, it becomes clear in this study that though heterosexual females are liberated with their freedom of sexual expression, dancehall is still has a deeply patriarchal structure. Heterosexual males dominate dancehall by oppressing heterosexual females, …

Sex-Education And Preventative And Contraceptive Services: Educação-Sexual E Serviços Contraceptivos E Preventativos, Elizabeth M. Ortiz

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Maternal morbidity is one of the leading causes of death amongst women in Latina America. Lack of access to Reproductive Health services has incited a continental epidemic amongst adolescent women - and should be considered a public health crisis. Yet, there is little being done by the governing male bodies to secure access and the Right to Reproductive Health services. This is not only a means of re-enforcing gendered inequalities- but also class, and racial disparities. Reproductive Health in Brazil and Northeastern Brazil in particular, serves as an allegory for socio-economic, gender, ethnic, and racial inequality in the region. The …

Mujeres De Frente: Conciencia, Amistad Y Voz En La Cárcel De Mujeres El Inca, Rachel Nordberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Pasé el mes de este proyecto de estudio independiente en Quito, la ciudad capital del Ecuador. Hablaba y participaba con el grupo Mujeres de frente, externas e internas en la cárcel de mujeres de Quito, un colectivo de mujeres dentro y fuera de la cárcel de mujeres que está en el barrio quiteño el Inca. En este ensayo, estudio desde las perspectivas de las Mujeres de frente, el ambiente sociopolítico del Ecuador y la resultante caracterización y criminalización de las internas, además de la pobreza y cómo se relaciona a las experiencias de criminalización. Comento en las distintas concepciones qué …

¿Hay Mujeres En Las Minas? En Busca De Oportunidades Económicas Para La Mujer En La Minería Del Cobre Pública Y Privada De Chile, Leah Bell

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Copper mining is a key activity of the Chilean economy that traditionally has remained within the masculine domain. This paper, written in the first months of Chile’s first female president’s term, investigates whether women’s political inroads have translated into greater economic opportunity in the mining industry. Through interviews and a questionnaire circulated in two copper mines, one public and one private, the paper evaluates women’s perceptions of their opportunities for professional advancement, their educational opportunities, and how they feel in their work environment. The experiences are then compared between the public and private mining sectors to determine which has best …

El Movimiento De Mujeres Y El Estado Nicaragüense: La Lucha Por La Autonomía, Sarah Moberg

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

El Movimiento de Mujeres ha sido un movimiento social vital, diverso e influyente en la historia de Nicaragua, comenzando a mediados del siglo veinte. Ha tenido tres etapas en su evolución, bajo las tres diferentes estructuras del Estado: la dictadura Somocista, el gobierno Sandinista, y los gobiernos neoliberales. Durante las tres etapas, el Movimiento tuvo cambios en sus agendas, sus debates, su membresía y su forma de organización. La relación con el Estado es un gran factor en el rumbo de un movimiento social. Ha influido en las estrategias políticas y las formas de participación, las cuales también han influido …

The Bond And The Beautiful!, Nicole Rearick

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

My Independent Study Project (ISP) research was conducted in Mombasa, Kenya. I initial intention was to focus on Swahili beauty alone and then it led me to a more in depth study. I came upon the idea of women, beauty, and how they come together for beauty processes and how it creates a bond between them. I was aiming to focus on ways females pull together and help each other in order to become beautiful. I also wanted to discover the many traditions which Swahili women use to beautify themselves and what they consider to be beautiful.

Les Filles De Marianne: La Laïcité, La Libération, Le Voile, Et Le Féminisme Chez Les Femmes Françaises Ou Daughters Of The Republic: The Perspectives Of French Women On Laïcité, Liberation, The Veil, And Feminism, Kirsten M.Y. Wesselhoeft

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

As Filhas De Oyá: Warriors In The Eye Of The Storm, Sheela Bringi

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

This study follows the trail of Oyá, a black feminine Orixá, or goddess, within the Afro-Brazilian spiritual tradition of Candomblé, through her elemental forces as the winds, storms, tornadoes, the river Niger, and buffalo. I unearth the influence of Oyá on the lives of three black female followers as she is manifested in the world as a black woman, a mother, a warrior and a lover.

I interviewed three black followers of Oyá and found that she is primarily a motherly force which provides protection, guidance and security for her followers. As a warrior, her energy inspires perseverance, determination, and …

Feministica: Creating Feminist Consciousness In The Former Yugoslavia, Meghan Boone

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.

The Depoliticization Of Czech Female Art, Roya Amirsoleymani

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

Contemporary Czech art is heavily influenced by a history of Communism, the 1989 transition to capitalism, and the impact had on visual culture by the political and economic changes after the Velvet Revolution. Czech female art, defined as art made by women that is informed by themes of female identity, image, the body, sexuality, feminism, sexual identity, and gender theory, responds to how female identity has been affected by these social changes. This essay argues that Czech female art is depoliticized by its artists, through either neglect or resistance to political connotations and ramifications, but that it is simultaneously engaged …

The Maidens Of The Maiden City, Lauren Herman

Independent Study Project (ISP) Collection

No abstract provided.