Women's Studies Commons^™

Medieval German Christian Women’S Religious Experience, Elliot Knell

Departmental Honors & Graduate Capstone Projects

In the medieval period, both professed women and laywomen were deeply involved in manuscript production, and the use of books was often a vital part of their religious practices. In order to fully understand the value that manuscripts held for medieval women it is important to understand the medical and philosophical understandings of sex that permeated medieval society in order to better understand gendered experiences within Christian spaces. Additionally, examining how vision was understood as both a physical and spiritual process allows for a deeper understanding of how visual art is used in religious contexts. In the medieval period, understandings …

Feminism In Practice: Learning From The Barefoot “Solar Mamas”, Neda Parvin Shaikh

Journal of International Women's Studies

The Barefoot College (India) is an NGO working in the fields of education, skills development, health, drinking water, and solar power mainly to train older, rural women who are determined to challenge restrictive gender roles in their respective communities. Since its inception, the NGO has trained over 2,000 rural women as solar engineers across 93 countries worldwide and has brought electricity to over 18,000 homes. Barefoot trainers employ non- normative methods of sharing knowledge such as color coding, sign language, and practical experience. This paper conducts a critical assessment of the Barefoot College Solar Electrification Programme to explore how it …

Trends In Family Planning Methods: An Intergenerational Study Of The Lived Experiences Of Tribal Women In Attappady, India, Asha Sankar V., Moly Kuruvilla

Journal of International Women's Studies

Family planning methods have the potential to improve maternal and child health outcomes; thus, ensuring the right to family planning methods is critical in safeguarding the sexual and reproductive health rights of women. Despite the high standards of maternal and child healthcare in Kerala, a southern state in India, tribal pockets within the state such as Attappady have a high prevalence of maternal health issues and infant death rates. The present study conducted in Attappady, which focuses on an intergenerational comparison from an intersectional approach, is intended to explore the trends, practices, and experiences of tribal women regarding their awareness …

Rights Of Women Laborers In The Indian Legal System: A Critical Analysis, Kirandeep Kaur

Journal of International Women's Studies

Women laborers form an important part of the labor workforce in India; however, not all are recognized, not many are protected, and very few are treated equally to men. The Equal Remuneration Act of 1976 clearly states that persons doing “same work or work of a similar nature” are not to be discriminated against on the ground of gender. The Factories Act of 1948 has special provisions for women workers pertaining to washrooms, changing rooms, creches, and work hours. The Maternity Benefit Act of 1961 entitles a woman, inter alia, to twenty-six weeks of paid maternity relief. The protection given …

Professional Black South African Women Speak Out In Resistance To Patriarchy: Overcoming Barriers To Self Development, Padhma Moodley, Corné Meintjes

Journal of International Women's Studies

The professional and social spaces occupied by educated Black South African women are arenas marked by multifaceted challenges and struggles. This study looks into the resistance strategies employed by Professional Black Women (PBW) against patriarchal norms and the ways they navigate cultural, gender, and self-development barriers. Utilizing a qualitative research design grounded in the Interpretative Phenomenological Approach, the study aims to elucidate the lived experiences of PBW as they confront various barriers. The purposive sample comprises three professional Black women pursuing doctoral degrees and serving as lecturers within higher education institutions. This paper illuminates the familial and cultural patriarchal structures …

Assessment Of The Economic Empowerment Of Women Before And After Establishment Of The Economic Community Of West African States (Ecowas), Agatha Itohan Oseghale, Abigail John Jirgi, Faith Dabaniyu Ibrahim, Abu Ogaji, Alaba Olanike Ojo, Ramatu Usman Bako, Halima Sallawu

Journal of International Women's Studies

Gender forms an integral element of every aspect of the economic, social, and private lives of individuals and societies. Growth and development can only be achieved if all resources and talents are harnessed; however, all over the globe, there are laws and regulations which can restrict or encourage women’s economic opportunities. This study analyzed the before and after trends in women’s economic empowerment among the members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) union. The study utilized the Women, Business, and the Law Index Score from 1970 to 2021 for the 15 member countries of ECOWAS which was …

Hashtag Counterpublics: #Lifeinleggings As Feminist Disruption To Mainstream Public Media Discourses, Alicia Haynes

Journal of International Women's Studies

This essay explores the disruptive impact that the hashtag #LifeinLeggings, founded by the Caribbean Alliance against Gender-Based Violence, had upon mainstream media, highlighting its role in reshaping public discourse from feminist counterpublics. It examines how women, through the sharing and documentation of their stories, unsettle mass media spaces to initiate crucial conversations about their mundane experiences with sexism and misogyny. Through a critical technocultural discourse analysis, I interrogate the disparities in discourse and representation of the movement in online newspapers at the start of the movement. The article contrasts the silence of local media in Barbados, with more detailed reporting …

“Everyone Here Is Smarter Than Me”: Imposter Phenomenon Among Indian Women Returning To Technology Careers After A Career Break, Swati Singh, Sita Vanka

Journal of International Women's Studies

Research on the imposter phenomenon (IP) is burgeoning. Most research, however, has studied the role of personality factors, attitudinal disposition, and individual beliefs as a determinant of IP. Surprisingly, the role of context has not been explored enough. Recent research indicates that context can trigger the experience of the imposter phenomenon. This study confirms these results and calls for contextualizing IP from a systemic or organizational perspective rather than as a personal challenge. In this study, we argue that women returning to careers in the technology fields after a career break may experience IP due to contextual and situational factors. …

Epistemic Injustice Against Khoi-Coloured Women From The Cape: Connected Encounters With The Matriarchal Lineages Of Krotoa, Darlene Miller

Journal of International Women's Studies

Epistemic injustice towards Indigenous women is a global reality. In South Africa (SA) and beyond, Black pain is a recognized experience. “Coloured” pain is less familiar terrain since “Coloured” identity is accepted by some South Africans but rejected by others. Racial identities, however, often manifest as a material reality in society, shaping the life possibilities and potentialities of people. “Coloured” women have experienced limited upward mobility in post-Apartheid SA, and experiences of non-belonging accompany “Coloured” consciousness, collectively and individually. Claims attached to Khoi-Coloured heritage are growing more assertive in the current body politic and concentrated in provinces like the Western …

Moralistic Science: Socio-Cultural Norms About Sexuality In Indian Biology Education, Panchami Jose, Sugra Chunawala, Deepa Chari

Journal of International Women's Studies

This paper takes the position that the discourses of science and morality are not distinct within biology education; rather, they inform each other to produce, discipline, and regulate human sexuality. Our analysis of the medical and moral discussion on sexuality in a secondary school science textbook (the 12th standard National Council for Educational Research and Training textbook), along with insights from interviews with teachers, reveals that the texts portray a romanticized notion of sex that is limited to a monogamous heterosexual relationship. In the first part of the paper, we analyze how the biology textbook discusses “safer sex” in the …

Re-Envisioning Community-Engaged Healing For Black Women, Reanae Mcneal, Marqua Harris, Vanessa Oliphant

Journal of International Women's Studies

Black women in the United States continue to face multilayered forms of anti-Black gendered oppression leading to severe health disparities and inequities that have a dire impact on their well-being. This paper recognizes the urgency to attend to Black women’s health and healing in the pursuit of creating health equity. The authors call for the creation of sacred spaces for Black women to participate in embodied and community-engaged healing, grounded in a gender justice that is inextricably tied to racial justice. This research is inspired by the long, rich line of Black American women activist-healers that have called for the …

Forced Migration As A “State Of Exception”: The Precarious Lives Of Migrant Women Of Jammu And Kashmir In Kulvir Gupta’S Embers The Beginning And Embers The End Of Mirpur, Rishav Bali, Isha Malhotra

Journal of International Women's Studies

This paper explores the lost stories of the precarious lives of thousands of migrant women from the community that the Indian government officially calls Displaced Persons of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (DPs of PoJK). We examine the stories of those who survived the painful migration that followed tribal raids in the western parts of the kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir, which ceased to exist after its accession with the Union of India on October 26, 1947. Drawing on the concept of precarity as propounded by Judith Butler, this paper critically examines the torturous experiences of women in Kulvir Gupta’s autobiography, …

Dalit Feminist Literature From South India: New Models And Perspectives, Sujatha Moni, Miruna George

Journal of International Women's Studies

Twenty-first century Indian literature has been enriched overall by Dalit feminist literature written originally in regional languages and available in English translation. What are the contributions of South Indian Dalit women’s writings to literature and to feminism? How is the representation of women in South Indian Dalit literature redefining the images of women in contemporary literature? These questions are answered through an analysis of Bama’s Karukku, select short stories by Gogu Shyamala and Joopaka Subhadra, and select poems by Swaroopa Rani, Sukirtharani, and Vijila Chirappad. Using Dalit feminist theory, we examine how the texts analyzed here represent the standpoints of …

The Impact Of Childhood Sexual Abuse On Interpersonal Relationships: A Cross-Sectional Study In Trinidad, Bernadette Marson

Journal of International Women's Studies

Child sexual abuse (CSA) is a pervasive social problem that can have long-term effects on women’s relationships because it makes them vulnerable to revictimization. Girls are more vulnerable than boys to be victims of CSA, and those abused by someone they trust are at higher risk of experiencing increased trauma and interpersonal problems. This quantitative research study investigated the association between CSA and interpersonal relationships. Participants completed anonymous surveys exploring these two variables. Results showed that among other vulnerabilities, women who reported sexual abuse within the family reported overall greater interpersonal problems compared with non-abused participants. Given the prevalence of …

Introduction: Selected Papers From The 9th World Conference On Women’S Studies, Bangkok, Thailand, 2023, Alicia Haynes, Asma Noureen, Marlene Johnson

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Menstrual Pads On Parliament: Women’S Activist Strategies In Challenging Conservative Gender Ideologies In Kosovo (2020s)., Djellza Pulatani

Senior Theses

Two decades after the gender-based violence weaponized in the Balkan Wars, women in the region have acted as catalysts for social and political change. In Kosovo, the journey of women in challenging patriarchal ideologies exemplifies this broader movement. This study examines one feminist NGO, QIKA, tracing its multiple strategies ranging from protests to menstrual product distribution to respond to aspects of violence against women and girls. The cultural qualities in Kosovo reflect both Albanian and Islamic influences, embodying conservative patriarchal norms. In this research, I explore the ways in which women activists employ certain strategies in addressing gender inequalities within …

Perreando To New Lyrics: Integrating Feminist Reggaeton In Expressive Art Therapy A Literature Review | Perreando A Nueva Lírica: Una Revisión Literaria Sobre Integrar El Reggaetón Feminista A Las Terapias Con Artes Expresivas, Marilina Arsuaga

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper presents how feminist reggaeton can be used as a creative tool for women's empowerment. The literature review explores the work that has been done with feminism in expressive arts therapies, defines what feminist reggaeton is, and presents different considerations to incorporate the musical genre into a therapeutic intervention. Among these considerations, there is the social stigma that is held about the musical genre and female gender; the community-based work; the importance of cultural identity centered on the Latinx, more specifically Puerto Rican; and recognition of the LGBTQ+ community in the creative spaces. To navigate these issues, the author …

The Women Of The Oregon State Insane Asylum: 1900-1910, Rebekah Catherine Averette

Dissertations and Theses

This thesis explores the lives of female patients at the Oregon State Insane Asylum between 1900 and 1910 and examines the significance of that decade as a period of transition in asylum care from a moral treatment model to a focus on moral hygiene practices to subvert insanity before it took root and medicalized psychiatric treatment for severe or chronic cases requiring institutionalization.

At the turn of the twentieth century, state insane asylums were in the aspirational early stages of transforming into specialized psychiatric and medical hospitals. Ultimately, the hoped-for transformation would not materialize in a meaningful way until well …

'I Didn't Know What Sex Was': Effects Of Christian Youth Group Involvement On Women's Sexuality In Adulthood, Aubrey K. Rhoadarmer

Honors Projects

This article analyzes the ways Christian youth group involvement in high school affects women’s perspectives and opinions on sex later in their lives. Through the intertwining of 12 stories, this research sheds light on how both implicit and explicit social and religious messages can shape women’s opinions of their sexuality. Themes include harms caused by purity pledges, unfair expectations placed on women during their “first time,” the pressure women feel to become wives and mothers, the importance of openness around discussing sexuality — particularly by parents — and how multiple communities influence women’s sexual development.

Sport As A Means Of Emancipation: A Global Feminist Perspective, Exploring The Case Study Of Sahrawi Athlete Inma Zanoguera, Olivia Alexandre

Master's Theses

This thesis explores how sport can serve as an effective means of emancipation against intersecting forms of oppression, framed in the colonial context of Western Sahara. Through the case study of Sahrawi athlete and activist Inma Zanoguera, this research examines the emancipatory potential of athletics at the intersection of feminism, decolonization and the pursuit of self-determination.

Chronicling the multidimensional journey of Inma Zanoguera, her narrative becomes the vehicle of a bigger message : How athletic pursuits provide a platform for subverting entrenched systems of patriarchal, racial and political oppression. As Zanoguera states, "I believe in the power of sports to …