Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons^™

Teaching Aberrance: Cinema As A Site For African Feminism, Corinna Mcleod

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article examines the influence of colonialist instructional cinema on modern African cinema production. The four films – Neria, Everyone’s Child, Wend Kuuni, and Taafe Fanga – differ in national origin, thematic approaches, and cinematic technique, but they share in displaying an element of instructional cinema. The instructional nature of the films asserts the value of women in post-colonial African societies, who, in the space of the films as in real life, are the double-colonized subject.

Women And Post-Conflict Society In Sierra Leone, Hazel M. Mcferson

Journal of International Women's Studies

Gender inequality in Sierra Leone, after colonialism among the worst in Sub-Saharan Africa, has been heightened further by the civil war of 1992-2002--which was related in part to the struggle for control of “blood diamonds” but also to long-standing social and regional disparities, and to collapse of formal institutions and widespread corruption. Sierra Leonean women are today among the most marginalized in the world, socially, economically and politically. However, there are differences among three groups: the better educated, comparatively richer “Krios” (descendants of the original freed slaves); relatively enlightened tribes; and the more traditional patriarchal tribes. The main route to …

Book Review: Gender And The Economic Crisis, Betty C. Mubangizi

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of Gender and the Economic Crisis, edited by Ruth Pearson and Caroline Sweetman

Book Review: Jackie Cochran: Pilot In The Fastest Lane, Zitha Mokomane

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of Jackie Cochran: Pilot in the Fastest Lane by Doris L. Rich

Relations Of Feminization Of Agriculture And Women’S Occupational Health: The Case Of Women Farmers In The Philippines, Jinky Leilanie Lu

Journal of International Women's Studies

This study on women in the Philippines, particularly in Benguet which is the largest vegetable producer in the country, was undertaken in order to provide a wider interpretation of the contribution of women farmers to agricultural productivity, as well as to look into the relations between feminization of agriculture, and women’s occupational health. Methods employed in this study included personal interviews to look into the knowledge, involvement, and contribution of women in agricultural farming as well as a survey to look into women’s perceived occupational health issues and healthcare provision by the local government. The study showed that women play …

Security Through Solidarity: Honduran Women’S Post-Coup Strategies Of Support And Survival, Christine Gervais, Betsy Estevez

Journal of International Women's Studies

As a follow up to the article “From Discovery to Dissidence: Honduran Women’s Conceptions and Claims of Human Rights,” published in this journal in May 2010 (Vol. 11, #4), this paper examines forty-eight Honduran women’s experiences of state-based insecurity and feminist-based solidarity following the June 2009 coup d’État. The authors reflect on the ethical implications of the participant-centered and solidarity-oriented qualitative methodological approaches constrained by state repression. The women’s testimonies shed light on the potential of a solidarity-security symbiosis.

Homing Desire, Cultural Citizenship, And Diasporic Imaginings, Anh Hua

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article examines the relationship between homing desire, cultural citizenship and diaspora communities. I begin by examining how citizenship is a deeply gendered concept. From there, I will explore how citizenship practices, although promising enfranchisement and equality, sometimes socially exclude certain gendered and racialized individuals and communities as inauthentic citizens, non-citizens, or denizens. Finally, I will analyze the concept of cultural citizenship and how it is being used in various diaspora communities as ways to imagine multiple modes of belonging within and beyond the coherence of national boundaries. I argue that to fully comprehend the lived experience of migratory and …

Gender Imbalance: The Case Of Women’S Political Participation In Turkey, Aytül Kasapoglu, Necmettin Özerkmen

Journal of International Women's Studies

The primary aim of this paper is to show the links between women’s demographic characteristics and their political participation. Focusing on low female participation in politics, we carried out a survey with 408 women living in Ankara, Turkey. The paper attempts to answer the following questions: What is the level of female political participation? What are the obstacles preventing female political participation? What is the level of female participation in political parties and Non-Governmental Organizations? What kind of links can be made between women’s demographic characteristics and their political attitudes and behaviors? What suggestions could be made to increase female …

Gender Dimensions Of The Global Crises And Their Impact On Poverty, Santosh Nandal

Journal of International Women's Studies

The crisis in the global economy continues to affect many men and women living in poverty, but it brings different meaning for both men and women. However, the concept of gender equality gives women and men the same entitlement to all aspects of human development including economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights; the same level of respect, the same opportunities to make choices; and the same level of power to shape the outcome of these choices. But the ground realities are totally different. Pre-existing inequalities, which include under representation of women at all level of property rights, economic decision …

Shifts In Treatment Of Women’S Rights In Egyptian Media, Aliaa Dawoud

Journal of International Women's Studies

Egyptian media’s treatment of introducing the khula law which gave Egyptian women unprecedented divorce rights was overwhelmingly negative. However, the treatment of other more recent legal changes that granted women more rights has on the contrary been overwhelmingly positive. This paper analyzes this change and considers whether it can be explained using the theory that media’s criticism of government policy is in reality a consequence of and reflects divisions within the political elite regarding the issue at stake. It also analyzes the discourse utilized by feminists to call for women’s rights and argues that Egyptian feminists are drastically shifting the …

An Analysis Of Women’S Participation In Peace Negotiations; 1992 - 2010, Tuohy Ahern

Capstone Collection

This paper will present an analysis of several women’s peacebuilding movements and describe their efforts to participate in formal peace negotiations. This analysis includes the design, development and implementation of the female and community-based initiatives as well as the strategies, tactics and approaches used by these women throughout the peace negotiation process. It is important to consider the central role women’s organizations have played in ensuring women’s involvement when examining peace negotiations. Despite a lack of formal invitations to participate in negotiations, many female community-based initiatives have gained entry through efforts outside the political realm.

To provide a framework on …

Book Review: Refiguring Women, Colonialism, And Modernity In Burma, Maurice Oscar Dassah

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of Refiguring women, colonialism, and modernity in Burma by Chie Ikeya

Book Review: Understanding South Korean Economic Growth Through The Eyes Of Militarism, Sex Work And Migrant Labour, George Opendjuru

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of Understanding South Korean Economic Growth through the eyes of Militarism, Sex Work and Migrant Labour by Jin-Kyung Lee

Book Review: Recognizing Transsexuals: Personal, Political And Medicolegal Embodiment, Desire Chilwane

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of Recognizing Transsexuals: Personal, Political and Medicolegal Embodiment by Zowie Davy

Book Review: Women In Leadership: Contextual Dynamics And Boundaries, Faith Rakate

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of Women in Leadership: Contextual Dynamics and Boundaries, edited by Karin Klenke

Book Review: Tanu Women: Gender And Culture In The Making Of Tanganyikan Nationalism, 1955- 1965, Estella Musiiwa

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of TANU Women: Gender and Culture in the Making of Tanganyikan Nationalism, 1955- 1965 by Susan Geiger

Book Review: Citizen, Invert, Queer: Lesbianism And War In Early Twentieth Century Britain, Sanya Osha

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of Citizen, Invert, Queer: Lesbianism and War in Early Twentieth Century Britain by Deborah Cohler

Book Review: Just A Dropped Stitch, Stafford Osuri Osuri

Journal of International Women's Studies

Review of Just a Dropped Stitch by Laurie Levinger

Meaning Of Hijab According To Urban Egyptian And Yemeni Muslim Women, Kenneth E. Jackson

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Meanings of hijab held by urban Egyptian and Yemeni Muslim women were the focus of this study. In addition to the meanings held of hijab, the study also explored the relationships between demographic variables and perceptions of hijab. Three null hypotheses led the analyses pertaining to the differences between Egyptian and Yemeni respondents in their perceptions of hijab, demographic differences between those that wore a hijab and those that wore a niqab, and the demographic differences between those that wore a hijab and those that did not wear a hijab. Data analysis was based on the …

Exploratory Study Of Countries Lacking Data On Female Genital Mutilation In The Middle East And Africa, Nazia Rose Naeem

Sociology & Criminal Justice Theses & Dissertations

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the cutting off of female genitals for nonmedical purposes (WHO 2008). FGM is a gender specific practice, which has no health benefits and severe consequences. In addition, the victims of this form of physical, sexual, psychological, and emotional violence are predominantly children between birth and age 15 (WHO 2008). Female genital mutilation is an egregious act, which must be eradicated. This study sought to begin the process of securing preliminary estimates for FGM in countries that lacked data on FGM in the Middle East and Africa, thereby shedding light on this extremely detrimental and oppressive …