Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Commons^™

Real Heroines In Life: Acid Attack Survivor Turns Tragedy Into Empowerment, Hiruni Jayaratne

Journal of International Women's Studies

No abstract provided.

Scarred For Life: Thoughts On Legal Perspectives Of Acid Attacks In Selected Countries With A Focus On India, Shaheema Hameed, Bhupal Bhattacharya

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article discusses acid attack victims in India—who are primarily women—while examining the related laws dealing with such issues. While these attacks can be associated with societal and other factors that relegate women to an inferior position in a society of male-dominated patriarchal culture, cases of acid assaults are on the rise in India. This research examines the related laws that deal with such issues in India and recommends suggestions for future scope for its remedies. Acid attack victims and survivors are at the receiving end of social stigmas that prevent them from achieving fulfilling lives. They are ostracized and …

Personal Narrative As Shaping The Activist Identity Of Religious Women In Israel, Ayelet Makaros, Edith Blit-Cohen

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article is based on the life stories of 14 religious activist women in Israel. It aims to understand the extent to which these women’s stories and their childhood and maturation experiences shaped their activist identity. In this qualitative, critical-feminist study, the women activists’ life stories were examined using semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate that personal or social events perceived as significant in the women’s lives as children and adolescents acted as catalysts for activism. These events were central to their personal narratives and became embedded in the women’s activist identity, as they came to perceive activism as the most …

Political Empowerment Of Women And The Mediating Role Of Political Awareness:The Case Of Oman, Victoria Dauletova, Houchang Hassan, Yari Zainab Hussain

Journal of International Women's Studies

Despite commitments by the Arabian Gulf countries to promote gender equality and policies of nondiscrimination against women, the underrepresentation of women in the political sphere remains unchanged. Using the case of the Sultanate of Oman, this paper endeavors to analyze the reasons behind the persistent political disempowerment of women in the Middle East and North African region through the lens of public opinion. The findings are based on 288 surveys conducted with two groups of participants – a group of undergraduate and postgraduate students majoring in political science, and a group of Omani citizens with no political education. These findings …

Florence Nightingale, The Colossus: Was She A Feminist?, Susan Hogan

Journal of International Women's Studies

Nightingale displayed a particular brand of feminism that reflected the circumstances of her era. The question of women’s involvement in healthcare is addressed through an analysis of Nightingale’s most famous work, Notes on Nursing. What it is, and what it is not (1859/60). Then other key works are scrutinised with reference to ideas about female involvement in healthcare and how she addresses the position of women in general terms. Nightingale’s works, Notes on Hospitals (1859); Suggestions for Thought to the Searchers after Truth among the Artisans of England (1860); Introductory Notes on Lying-In Institutions (1871) are focussed upon illustrating her …

Is Women’S Beauty Used As A Means To Achieve Certain Ends?:Pakistani Women’S Perceptions Of Body Objectification, Subaita Zubair

Journal of International Women's Studies

This qualitative ethnographic paper analyzes women’s perceptions of whether their beauty is utilized to achieve certain ends in Pakistani society. It highlights the objectification of the female body particularly in the field of academia and various job sectors. Female participants were both students and professionals. The age range of study participants included late adolescents (aged 18-24) and early adults (24-34) from the area of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. In-depth, semi-structured interviews (17 interviewees) and focus group discussions (8 respondents, age 20-24) were used, and a thematic analysis was conducted. Results showed that women whose bodies reflect the commodified and sexualized …

Combating The Misrepresentation Of Women In Quran Translations: Translational Interventions, Alalddin Al-Tarawneh

Journal of International Women's Studies

The discourse concerning Islam, and in particular the translation of the Quran, has had a profound impact on Western views of Muslim women. Most Quran translations are stained with mistranslations, resulting from translators adopting the literal approach for religious reasons that we will explore. This has an impact on many aspects of meaning, but especially the representation of women. It should be noted that this article is not influenced by the views of feminist groups who focus on seeking new interpretations of the Quran. Instead, it pinpoints the genuine interpretation lost in translation. This article endeavors to identify the translational …

Acceptable Minimum Threshold Of Universal Access To Social Services For Women In Nigeria: A Review Of Selected Issues In The National Gender Policy, Oko Chima Enworo, Vivian Chizoma Njemanze

Journal of International Women's Studies

Efforts at guaranteeing gender equality and women’s empowerment in Nigeria reached its crescendo with the approval of the National Gender Policy (NGP) in 2006 by the Federal Executive Council, which came into effect in 2007. Objective 5 target (a) of the policy seeks to provide equal opportunities for women [and men] to enjoy and attain an acceptable minimum threshold of universal access to potable water and sanitation, electricity, transportation, and general security of life and property by the year 2015. At present, very few reviews have been done on that policy target. As a result, this paper adopts a literature …

Health Issues Of Mothers In Assam:An Analytical Assessment Of National Family Health Surveys, Abdur Rashid Ahmed

Journal of International Women's Studies

Maternal mortality is one of the most serious public health concerns around the globe especially in developing countries like India. WHO estimated that almost 40% of pregnant women and 42% of children less than 5 years of age are anaemic globally and one-third of all women of reproductive age is also anaemic, and around half of maternal deaths in the world occur due only to anaemia. But the prevalence of anaemia among pregnant women in India has marginally declined as reported by the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS). Using secondary data provided by NFHS, the study reveals that the …

Mobilizing Masculinity: Conscription, Gender, And Community Wellbeing In Lithuania, Frances Harrison

Journal of International Women's Studies

In the wake of Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, the conscription law in Lithuania has been reinstated for men, and partnerships with Western security structures reinforced. While young men are otherwise mobilizing to navigate socioeconomic uncertainty to improve their livelihoods under depressed conditions, the revitalization of mandatory military service increasingly polices individual experiences of wellbeing in gendered and nationalistic ways. Drawing from feminist analyses of securitization and from theories of gender performativity, this article examines how the Lithuanian State, together with the Lithuanian Armed Forces (LAF), mobilize masculinity and the construction of militarized identities in order to shape public support …

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 …

Women’S Sexual Health Rights In Egypt, Mira Ayman

Journal of International Women's Studies

The Egyptian youth makes up 60% of the Egyptian population. Accessing proper reproductive health information still continues to be one of the main issues that the youth in Egypt faces, especially the unmarried fragment. This situation is largely due to religious conservatism. Because this issue remains a taboo, information on STI’s, FGM, contraception, sexual consent and other sexual health-related issues remain very limited. Private hospitals and clinics in Egypt do not offer youth-friendly services and only focuses on activities that would generate income (antenatal care and delivery). The lack of knowledge leads curious young adults to refer to online sources …

Guide To The Helen Delores Nunamaker Collection, 1948-1952, C. 2010, Elizabeth Ezekiel, Orson Kingsley

Archives & Special Collections Finding Aids

This small collection contains a variety of items relating to Helen Nunamaker, including player documentation and league affiliations, news clippings, one scrapbook, and a multitude of photographs. Folder seven contains 15 (majority signed) photographs of Parichy Bloomer Girl players from the 1947 NGBL championship team. All but two of these signatures have been deciphered. The biographical sketch of Nunamaker largely derived from the letter her sister, Bonnie, wrote in 2010 to the donors of this collection (located in folder one).

Helen Delores Nunamaker was born on March 8, 1928 in New Stanton, Pennsylvania. She was born to Daniel Roy Nunamaker …

Guide To The Mary Pratt Collection, 1940-1959, 1982-2010, Undated, Orson Kingsley

Archives & Special Collections Finding Aids

The Mary Pratt Collection is part of the Kathleen Bertrand and Linda Lundin, Honoring Women in Sports Collection. The Mary Pratt Collection is part of the Kathleen Bertrand and Linda Lundin, Honoring Women in Sports Collection. It includes original content by Pratt while she was a player in the All American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) and original content from players and others associated with the league well after the league ended in 1954. The collection also contains some artifacts, including Pratt’s game used glove and cleats from her playing days in the AAGPBL. Beginning with the AAGPBL’s …

Guide To The Bertha Levi Collection, C. 1935-1945, Elizabeth Ezekiel, Orson Kingsley

Archives & Special Collections Finding Aids

The Bertha Levi collection is part of the larger Kathleen Bertrand and Linda Lundin, Honoring Women in Sports Collection. The collection contains two boxes containing a photographic album created by Levi, photographs, one postcard, and a softball players patch.

Bertha Levi played in the Amateur Softball Association (ASA). Levi was also known to participate in basketball, rowing, and track and field. The ASA was founded in 1933 and would later be called USA Softball (USAS). She played for J.J. Kreig’s Alameda Girls team, based out of Alameda, California. The Alameda Girls team won the Amateur Softball Association championship in …

Guide To The Babe Didrikson Zaharias Collection, 1931-1956, Elizabeth Ezekiel

Archives & Special Collections Finding Aids

The Babe Didrikson Zaharias collection is part of the larger Kathleen Bertrand and Linda Lundin, Honoring Women in Sports Collection. This collection contains two boxes of materials. Box one contains 21 photographs of Didrikson Zaharias and one newspaper advertisement. Box two contains an original baseball of the touring House of David Team from 1934, a barnstorming baseball team. The ball contains team member signatures, including a “Babe Didrikson” signature in bold letters.

Mildred Ella “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias (1911-1956) was one of the most accomplished women athletes of the twentieth century. She grew up in Port Arthur and Beaumont, Texas; …

Guide To The Madeline “Maddy” English Collection, 1940-2003, Undated, Orson Kingsley

Archives & Special Collections Finding Aids

The Maddy English Collection is part of the Kathleen Bertrand and Linda Lundin, Honoring Women in Sports Collection.

Madeline “Maddy” English was born in 1925 and grew up in Everett, MA. Lacking opportunities to participate in local sports while growing up, in 1939 at age 14 she joined a traveling Massachusetts softball team that played summer exhibition games. This experience also gave her initial exposure as an up-and-coming athlete. Not restricted to one sport, English was also successful in track and field as a young athlete. In 1941, at age 16, she participated in the women’s USA Outdoor Track …

Guide To The Joanne “Jo” Winter Collection C. 1943-1958, Elizabeth Ezekiel, Orson Kingsley

Archives & Special Collections Finding Aids

This collection is part of the larger Kathleen Bertrand and Linda Lundin: Honoring Women in Sports Collection. The entire collection is comprised of scrapbooks documenting Winter’s athletic career. These scrapbooks contain news clippings, AAGPBL ephemera, and material pertaining to Winter’s time in the NGBL and ASA.

Joanne “Jo” Winter, 1924-1996, was a well-known ball player of the twentieth century. Winter was born in Chicago and grew up in the suburb of Maywood, Illinois. A versatile athlete, she competed in basketball, swimming, volleyball, soccer, track, handball, tennis, golf, and baseball. Winter began her career in the Amateur Softball Association (ASA), …

Guide To The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League Collection, 1945-1952, 1976-2020, Elizabeth Ezekiel

Archives & Special Collections Finding Aids

The All-American Girls Professional Baseball League collection is part of the larger Kathleen Bertrand and Linda Lundin, Honoring Women in Sports Collection.

This multi-media collection contains a variety of primary and reproduction materials related to the history of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. These materials include paper media with league-specific news (Series 1), a growing collection of AAGPBL newsletters (Series 2), player write-ups and AAGPBL news in non-league media (Series 3), and reproduction materials (Series 4). The reproduction materials include 248 AAGPBL team photographs, all 4”x6” or 5”x7”, with many player names identified on the back, and 24 …

Guide To The Edith Dennison Bloomer Girl Collection, C. 1910-1918, Orson Kingsley, Elizabeth Ezekiel

Archives & Special Collections Finding Aids

The Edith Dennison Bloomer Girl Collection is part of the Kathleen Bertrand and Linda Lundin, Honoring Women in Sports Collection. The collection contains two items: one large, oval photograph of Dennison pitching in 1910, and one scrapbook of newspaper clippings possibly compiled by Dennison. This scrapbook tracks Dennison’s baseball career from 1911-1917. The large photograph may be found in smaller reproduction in articles within the scrapbook on pages 32 and twice on 43. Note that the pagination of the scrapbook begins on page 20.

Dennison was a star “bloomer girl” baseball pitcher in northern Massachusetts, playing from 1910 through …

Guide To The Margaret “Marge” Russo Collection, C. 1950-1954, Elizabeth Ezekiel, Orson Kingsley

Archives & Special Collections Finding Aids

This collection contains items relating to Margaret Russo. Materials include letters, telegrams, and photographs; three scrapbooks containing league contracts, newspaper clippings, letters, cards, and photographs; two baseballs belonging to the 1952 Battle Creek Belles, one signed by team players, one baseball used between 1950-1953, one baseball (9 inch diameter) used during the 1954 season, and game worn cleats, stirrup-socks, and short bloomers. The biographical sketch of Russo is largely derived from her player profile on the AAGPBL database.

Margaret “Marge” Russo Jones was a third baseman and shortstop for the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League (AAGPBL) from 1950-1954. In the …

Practical Femininity: The Student Development Of Legally Blonde’S Elle Woods, Elizabeth S. Rodericks

The Graduate Review

College experiences often involve challenges that can provide the impetus for personal and professional growth. Likewise, Elle Woods of the film Legally Blonde undergoes multiple significant changes in her sense of identity, morality, and ability to take charge of her own life after she is forced to radically change her perspective and priorities. This paper covers her development as a law student and individual according to the student development theories of Chickering’s Seven Vectors of Identity Development, Gilligan’s Theory of Women’s Moral Development, and Baxter Magolda’s Self-Authorship Theory. As a result of her growth, Elle Woods flourishes into a confident, …

The Women Organizations And Activism In Combating Domestic Violence In The North Caucasus, Saida Sirazhudinova

Journal of International Women's Studies

There are a wide range of forms of domestic violence in the North Caucasus. Recent years have shown the scale of its spread and the complexity of the fight against domestic violence in the region. The spread of domestic violence in the region is facilitated by the residents themselves, traditional institutions, and religious structures that increase their influence. In addition, the authorities are not interested in solving the problems of domestic violence, and they hinder the work of human rights organizations and activists in every possible way. This article describes the features of the fight against domestic violence in the …

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 …

Survival Strategies Of Hiv-Positive Transgender Women During The Covid-19 Lockdown In A South African Rural Community, Azwihangwisi Helen Mavhandu-Mudzusi

Journal of International Women's Studies

South Africa, as a country where there is a gross gap between the rich and poor, has seen the worsening of inequality during the Covid-19 lockdown. The lockdown impacted different groups in various ways including transgender women living with HIV. This interpretative phenomenological analysis study presents the experiences and survival strategies of HIV positive transgender women during the Covid-19 lockdown in a South African rural community. Data were collected through in-depth individual telephone interviews from ten transgender women selected through the snowballing technique. Data were analysed guided by Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis framework. The findings revealed that transgender women living with …

Lesbian Single Parents: Reviewing Philippine Covid-19 Policies, Hazel T. Biana, Rosallia Domingo

Journal of International Women's Studies

The novel coronavirus pandemic magnifies existing inequalities experienced by single lesbian parents in the Philippines. While single parents already face huge challenges with having to combine work and care for children, dealing with inadequate income and social security, lack of childcare facilities, and debt, the unrecognized subgroup of lesbian single parents also have to deal with the detriments of a heterosexist and homophobic society. Reflecting on the countries’ existing Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity or Expression (SOGIE)-related single parent policies and possible inclusive strategies that may address such vulnerabilities, an analysis is done on the concerns faced by Filipino lesbian …

The Efficacy Of Turkish Metropolitan Municipalities On Combatting Violence Against Women Within The International And National Legal Framework, Ayşe Güneş, Feriştah Yılmaz

Journal of International Women's Studies

Gender equality policies make women’s subordination visible in both private and public spaces in local governments. Local governments have important roles and policies, such as gender awareness-raising public meetings, promoting women’s participation in the labour force, and advocating for women’s empowerment. These seek to build gender-inclusive and democratic urban centres and municipalities. Failure to achieve these objectives lead to deepened inequalities between women and men during times of crisis. The effects of measures taken to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, including stay-at-home orders, lockdowns, temporary school closures, along with increasing unemployment rates, have made women's private space open to male violence. …

Covid-19 And Domestic Violence In Pakistan: An Analysis Of The Media Perspective, Rabia Ali, Asma Khalid

Journal of International Women's Studies

There has been an alarming increase in domestic violence (DV) cases in different parts of the world amidst COVID-19 related lockdowns in 2020-2021. This paper aims to understand the prevalence of DV in Pakistan through the analysis of online media sources published during the lockdown period. The objectives of this research include the questions (1) how was the issue of DV presented in the Pakistani media during the lockdown period? and (2) what messages were conveyed by the media discourses? A summative qualitative content analysis was used as a method for data collection and analysis. Three national newspapers were selected …

Case Study: Effects Of The Covid-19 Lockdown Restrictions On Eight Mongolian Single Mothers, Khongorzul Amarsanaa, József Rácz, Mónika Kovács

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article discusses a comparative case study of eight single mothers’ lockdown experiences during COVID-19 in Mongolia. The case study investigated single mothers’ experiences and the psychological impact of the lockdown. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight single mothers, four of whom were survivors of intimate partner violence. All interviews were carried out online. Thematic analysis identified patterns and themes regarding lockdown experiences. The four months (from late January to early May 2020) of lockdown had both positive and negative psychological consequences for these single mothers. For both survivor and non-survivor single mothers, uncertainty was the primary psychological state reported, …

Diminishing Inequalities? A Study On Reconstituted Gender Relations In Bangladeshi Households During The Covid-19 Crisis, Soma Dey, Sanzida Akhter, Tasnim Nowshin Fariha

Journal of International Women's Studies

This article explores the gendered impact of the COVID-19 crisis in Bangladesh by analysing everyday practices within the household. Conceptually, we have followed R.W. Connell’s model of the structures of gender and Naila Kabeer’s perspective on women’s power to examine how a normative gender order involving heterosexual marital partners tends to be sustained during ‘normal’ times but can often be destabilised in the context of an unprecedented crisis. Based on an analysis of data collected through an online survey and in-depth interviews, our findings show that the COVID-19 crisis has generated an opportunity for challenging gender inequalities by diminishing the …