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Gender Studies In Nigeria: Growth And Institutional Contexts Of Semi-Autonomous Centres, Adedeji Adebayo

Journal of International Women's Studies

The study discussed a micro-level dimension of the institutionalization of Gender Studies (GS) in Nigeria, emphasizing the growth of semi-autonomous centres over the last two decades. It focused on a case study of one particular centre; the Centre for Human Rights and Gender Education (CHURGE), based in Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED) in the southwest of the country, offering an analysis of how funding, institutional politics, and a dearth of specialist researchers have shaped the evolution of GS in 21st century in Nigeria. The study employed a qualitative research approach with samples purposively selected among researchers at CHURGE. Although …

Introduction: Gender Knowledge: Epistemological And Empirical Contributions From The Global South, Emmanuelle Bouilly, Virginie Dutoya, Marie Saiget

Journal of International Women's Studies

Women’s and gender studies are now accepted academic subjects in many Global South countries, whether the field is well established—even institutionalized—or still emerging. However, this phenomenon is under-studied, even though the history, ideas, and key concepts of women’s, feminist, and gender studies are becoming well documented in Europe and America (Lagrave; Brown; Bard; Clair and Heinen). This special edition therefore aims to shed light on knowledge production about women and gender in and by Southern countries, and not about these countries, as is often the case. On the one hand, this edition brings out the local, regional and global dynamics …

Women’S Empowerment And Antenatal Care Utilization In Pakistan, Kashif Siddique, Raana Malik, Irum Batool, Ahmed Usman, Salman Bin Naeem

Journal of International Women's Studies

This study aimed at examining the role of women’s empowerment in antenatal care utilization among married women in Pakistan. The population of the study was based on secondary data from the Pakistan Demographic Health Survey 2017-18. A sample of 6,996 married women was selected, and the women reported their antenatal visits in the last five years. The descriptive, Chi-square, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regression methods were used for data analysis through SPSS. The results of the study showed that only 15% of women had adequate antenatal visits. Bivariate analysis showed that women who had higher income status, higher education, and …

The Mundane Female Space: Re-Evaluating The Dynamics Of Women In The Transnational Kitchen, Kashyapi Ghosh, V. Vamshi Krishna Reddy

Journal of International Women's Studies

The kitchen space has often been read as the ultimate arena for women’s manifold repression, discomfiture, and gendered labour. This article aims to evaluate the nature of the kitchen space through the analysis of movies, which give a significant amount of visibility to the kitchen space. The arguments investigated in this article are laid out in two ways: one, to re-assess the stereotypical notions about the mundane space as prevalent in the literature, and two, to problematise the space and understand it from multiple perspectives and dimensions. We consider these two arguments while conducting a textual analysis and thematic network …

Feminist Knowledge, Self-Empowerment And Sisterhood, And Safe Space: How The “Perempuan Berkisah” Community Group Empowers Indonesian Women In The Pandemic Era, Rouli Esther Pasaribu

Journal of International Women's Studies

This research aims to understand how the Perempuan Berkisah community group empowers women during the pandemic in Indonesia and how to critically interpret the phenomenon of women’s empowerment. The research employed a content analysis method investigating Perempuan Berkisah’s Instagram account and interviewing and distributing a questionnaire to the community’s founder, committees, and general members. This study analyzed the kinds of empowerment narratives offered, identified the dynamic narratives on the Instagram account since its first establishment in 2019, and critically read the results of Instagram feed content analysis and interviews about women’s empowerment. This research revealed three elements to build a …

Insidious Interlocking Of Gender And Caste: Consequences Of Challenging Endogamy, Mayurakshi Mitra

Journal of International Women's Studies

The Caste system in the Indian subcontinent is characterized by hierarchy or gradations according to occupational status. The evaluative standard that places a caste higher than others or lower compared to the rest is rooted in the Hindu Dharmashashtras. The high and the low are opposed to each other because of their associations with notions of purity and impurity in terms of the nature of their occupations. Since each caste is regarded as a closed group, special emphasis is placed on eating, physical contact, and marriage. Out of these three, the institution of marriage plays a significant role in the …

Casteing Gender: Intersectional Oppression Of Dalit Women, Bhushan Sharma, K. A. Geetha

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Book Review Essay: White Feminism: From The Suffragettes To Influencers And Who They Leave Behind, Elizabeth Venell

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Book Review Essay: Misogynoir Transformed: Black Women’S Digital Resistance, Francesca Sobande

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

‘A Night Of Shame’: A Quantitative Content Analysis Of Newspaper Narratives Of The Mass Molestation Event In Bangalore, India, Vaibhav Shwetangbhai Diwanji, Awais Saleem, Jaejin Lee

Journal of International Women's Studies

On December 31, 2016 amidst New Year’s Eve revelry in Bangalore, India, about 700 young women faced a mass molestation. This research analyzed and compared 299 news articles (N=299) between January 1, 2017 and February 1, 2017 from three leading English language newspapers in India through a quantitative content analysis. Results indicated that there were differences in how the regional and national newspapers framed their stories. While national newspapers deployed the episodic frame in their news stories, the local newspaper used both thematic and episodic frames. The episodic frame focuses on individual events, whereas the thematic frame focuses …

Understanding The Hidden Aspects Of Sex Trafficking Of Girl Children In Central India, Usha Rana

Journal of International Women's Studies

This study examines the deep-rooted socio-cultural practices of institutional prostitution, which is one of the factors contributing to sex trafficking in Central India. There are some states where women and girls are vulnerable to trafficking. The Honorable Supreme Court of India became aware of the issue and directed the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) to make a special report on the missing women and children. According to the NCRB report, Madhya Pradesh (M.P.) state ranks first in child trafficking and third in women's trafficking. The study discusses traditional prostitution practices among some communities in the state, such as Banchhada, Bedia, …

Role Portrayal Of Women In Advertising: An Empirical Study, Sangeeta Sharma, Arpan Bumb

Journal of International Women's Studies

One of the sensitive areas in the world of advertising and marketing is the portrayal of women. Women are an indispensable part of Indian society as they constitute half of the population and play critical roles. However, the depiction of women as sex symbols, objects of desire, and as having subservient behaviours has presented a great concern to feminist scholars, activists, and researchers. The objective of this research paper is to study how women’s role portrayal impacts consumers’ willingness to buy and to identify the difference in views of Indian men and women when it comes to the stereotypical role …

Poverty And Difficulties In Participation Of Urban Social Life: Young Women In Istanbul, Ilkim Markoc

Journal of International Women's Studies

Women’s poverty has long been a topic discussed in worldwide literature. However, no recent study has been conducted which examines the causes and outcomes of women’s poverty in Turkey. The objective of this study is to reveal the obstacles young women in Istanbul’s Bagcilar District face in seeking to develop urban lives due to poverty. Accordingly, there is a need to contextualize geographically and provide rationale for the case study area: Bagcilar was selected for the field study because it has one of the largest population of immigrants as well as one of the cheapest levels of rent in the …

2001 Article In Feminist Teacher “Interdisciplinarily Speaking” By Angela Bowen, Angela Bowen

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Witnesses To Inspiration, Eve Oishi, Holly A. Smith, Jennifer Abod, Lore/Tta Lemaster, M. Jacqui Alexander

Journal of International Women's Studies

Introductory essays by Jennifer Abod, Eve Oishi, and Holly Smith, the editors of a Special Issue of the Journal of International Women’s Studies dedicated to pioneering Black Lesbian Feminist scholar, activist, artist, teacher Angela Bowen, Ph.D. (1936-2018.) Also included is a piece by Lore/tta LeMaster, a former student of Bowen’s and M. Jacqui Alexander, a close friend and co-conspirator. These essays describe the authors’ personal and professional connections with Bowen and situate the special issue in relation to their fields of expertise, including International Women’s and Gender Studies and Black Archival Feminist Practice.

Editors’ Introduction—Doing Her Work, Eve Oishi, Jennifer Abod

Journal of International Women's Studies

The editors’ introduction to a Special Issue of the Journal of International Women’s Studies dedicated to pioneering Black Lesbian Feminist scholar, activist, artist, teacher Angela Bowen, Ph.D. (1936-2018.) Bowen was a friend and early scholar of Audre Lorde, and examples of her writing about Lorde are included. The special issue contains sample materials from Bowen’s archive, which will be housed at Spelman College, including writings, audio and video of speeches, and photos documenting her career as a dancer, her activism on Black lesbian and gay issues, and her career in Women’s Studies, among other topics.

Note On The Authors, Eve Oishi, Jennifer Abod, Holly A. Smith

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Book Review Essay: Highway Of Tears: A True Story Of Racism, Indifference And The Pursuit Of Justice For Missing And Murdered Indigenous Women And Girls, Heather Mark

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Brahma, Sukhdev Singh

Journal of International Women's Studies

The poem ‘Brahma’, not Brahmā who is a god entrusted with the charge of creation, refers to creative element in general. A mahāvākya, or the great saying, “Aham Brahmāsmi!”, or I am Brahma, or the creative element, from the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad, a Hindu scripture, deems, especially, the male human as the creator. The practical creative element with which males have been endowed is recognized as vīrya, or semen, throughout the Indian tradition. Since males are placed on par with the creator, who has been recognized above as god Brahmā, due to semen, the semen becomes an asset whose wasteful expenditure …

Moving Beyond Controversy: A Cross-Cultural Genre And Gender Study Of Rigoberta’S Testimonio I, Rigoberta Menchú And Malala’S Memoir I Am Malala, Asmaa Mansour

Journal of International Women's Studies

The two women Nobel Prize winners Rigoberta Menchú and Malala Yousafzai and their “bestselling” books have stirred numerous controversies over the past few years. The credibility of both writers is questioned and their books have not achieved much fame in their own countries (Guatemala and Pakistan, respectively) compared to Western countries. Rigoberta is blamed for representing “all” indigenous people, and Malala is accused of misrepresenting Islam and enhancing the West’s stereotypical assumptions about Muslim women as oppressed. While Rigoberta is accused of attacking the Guatemalan government, Malala is accused of inviting the “Western saviors” to come to post-9/11 Pakistan and …

Reframing Gender Complementarity: Dance And Women’S Empowerment In Post-Genocide Rwanda, Carine Plancke

Journal of International Women's Studies

Post-genocide politics in Rwanda aim to construct a new, modern and developed nation. Gender equality is one of the issues highlighted to this end. However, in order to defend current reforms, politicians and feminist lobbyists generally refer to women’s traditional position as wives and mothers, embedded in the sacred value attributed to fertility. This article explores Rwandan dance to examine the evolution of views on feminine specificity and gender complementarity within the socio-political context of the promotion of gender equality. Through examining a government-supported youth troupe, founded by Tutsi returnee students, and contrasting it with a female drum troupe, which …

Shattering Or Supporting Stereotypes? Examining Gender In/Equality In English Language Textbooks In Brunei, Rommel Curaming, Sharifah N. H. Alkaff

Journal of International Women's Studies

This paper examines the representation of gender relations in textbooks used to teach the English language in public secondary schools in Brunei. The country is currently ranked 95th in the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s 2020 Global Gender Gap Index among 153 countries analysed. This fact seems to suggest that there is a significant gender gap existing in the country. As textbooks used in schools are considered among the most potent tools for promoting gender in/equality, they deserve to be examined in detail. Using Content Analysis and Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as methods of analysis, this paper seeks to address the …

Intersectional Alliances To Overcome Gender Subordination: The Case Of Roma-Gypsy Traveller Women, Laura Corradi

Journal of International Women's Studies

By linking the oppression of women with other axes of oppression, the intersectional theories and methodologies employed in the last few decades have proved to be strategic in building awareness, forming alliances, and influencing transversal politics. In this paper, the case of Roma/Gypsy/Traveller (RGT) women is discussed through the multiple discriminations they suffer from, the birth of feminism and gender activism in the communities, intersectional alliances with non-Gypsy feminists, and the anti-racist and LGBTIA-Queer movements. In the second part of the paper, I offer a focus on shared political ‘emotions’, ‘fluid identities’, ‘travelling activism’, and the need for decolonization of …

Entrenched Fissures: Caste And Social Differences Among The Devadasis, K. A. Geetha

Journal of International Women's Studies

The religiously sanctioned Devadasi system in India exemplifies intersectional oppression of gender, caste, and sexuality. Historically, Devadasis, or “servants of God,” were women wedded to God who performed temple duties and were considered sacral women with ritual powers. As part of her duties, the Devadasis offer sexual services to her patrons, invariably the economically and socially powerful patriarch/s in society. The Devadasis were not a monolithic community; there were caste-based segregations within the Devadasi community which delineated their social positions. Devadasis were drawn from castes lower in the hierarchy (non-Brahmins) and the Scheduled castes (Dalits). To distinguish the two categories, …

Societal Security Of Iranian Women: A Challenge Of Subjectivity Vs. Objectivity, Hamid Sajadi

Journal of International Women's Studies

Critical theories in the field of security have revealed the incompatibility of government-based approaches to security studies and the nature of domination and repression structures in society. The Copenhagen and Welsh Schools of security studies have made many attempts to reconceive the concept of security and security studies by criticizing the neglect of domestic security issues and the ignorance of the community and individuals. The formation of the concept of societal security, and in particular women's security, is one of the achievements of these theoretical developments. Assuming that the acceptance of new approaches in developing societies is strongly influenced by …

Women's Studies: The Possibility Of Rethinking And Designing The Foundations Of Modern Culture, Hamid Sajadi

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Gender Disparities In Witchcraft Beliefs: A Challenge To Nigerian And African Historiography, Uche U. Okonkwo, V.O Eze, Victor Ukaogo, Stella Okoye-Ugwu, F.O Orabueze

Journal of International Women's Studies

The understanding of how gender roles are assigned to abstract issues like witchcraft beliefs, remains a challenge to contemporary African historians. Witchcraft as a significant area of humanistic study, has not sufficiently engaged historians and literary critics. Scholars in Religious and Cultural Studies in Nigeria have made efforts to interpret witchcraft as an aspect of the tradition of various Nigerian groups. In this paper, witchcraft is examined as a phenomenon and a historical assumption based on gender disparity. Combining primary sources from the National Archives of Nigeria and secondary sources in books and journals, this research dissects witchcraft stigmatizations in …

Including The ‘Invisible Middle’ Of Decoloniality, Su-Ming Khoo, Anique Vered

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article traces a conversation around how to theorise and approach the inclusion of experiences, concepts and bodies situated in the ‘invisible middle’ of decoloniality. If coloniality is an immense, lengthy process resulting in colonial/modern structures (Mignolo 2007) comprising the ‘colonial present’ (Gregory 2004), ‘decoloniality’ requires surfacing, baring and bringing to bear the invisibilities and erasures of bodies that exist and resist with, through and in spite of colonial extraction and appropriation.

We explore and connect different ideas of ‘being in the middle’ of decoloniality, paying particular attention to the notion of ‘the invisible middle’ in embodied practices of solidarity …

Decolonizing The Womb: Agency Against Obstetric Violence In Tijuana, Mexico, Ester Espinoza-Reyes, Marlene Solís

Journal of International Women's Studies

Obstetric violence is a human rights violation that consists of actions or omissions of healthcare personnel that harms people during pregnancy, childbirth or puerperium. Some practices through which it is expressed are the mistreatment, unnecessary procedures, denying of medical attention or provoking damage either physically or mentally. In particular, we understand obstetric violence as the result of a colonization of the womb, that is, of the occupation of the concept of motherhood by the dictates of patriarchal ideology (Fineman, 1991; Ehrenreich, 1993) and of the Colonial/Modern Gender System, proposed by Lugones (2007). The objective of this paper is to analyze …

“Valli” At The Border: Adivasi Women De-Link From Settler Colonialism Paving Re-Enchantment Of The Forest Commons, Deepa Kozhisseri

Journal of International Women's Studies

The forests of Attappady Hills part of the Western Ghats in Kerala homeland to Adivasi people is a frontier region where a settler population is now predominant. This paper aims to bring the concept of borders as a heuristic device to interpret gender-ecology-indigeneity in Attappady. The conversations among Adivasis, between Adivasis and settlers, between Adivasi women and their children become in media res dialogues of their border subjectivity. This was an empirical study in Attappady in which life experiences, oral history and myths were studied using narrative analysis. The paper discusses four findings: First how land dispossession disproportionately impacted Adivasi …