Feminist Peace Network » Feminism

The Komen Story Take-Away

Fempeace — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:39:38 +0000

There are many take-aways from the recent Komen fiasco. Not that there has ever, in anything vaguely resembling recent history (say the last 5000 years or so) been a time when women’s health and rights have not been under siege, but the level of attacks the last few years has been horrifying and women have been working full tilt to combat them. While there have been a lot of successes, there have been dreadful losses too, perhaps the worst of which is that we haven’t been able to stem the tide of these attacks. But the one thing that we most certainly have done is found amazing ways to work together on these issues and very effective ways to respond quickly and loudly.

What I see in the way that we reacted to the Komen debacle is perhaps the perfection of our coming together to say,

NO MORE! We have had enough!

For me, the Komen story has been deja vu. Many of the issues that have been highlighted by the many wonderful people who have documented this story are things I have written about before and I am so glad they have finally been aired in a way that has reached critical mass.

Without hesitation, I can say that of all the many topics I have ever written about, the Komen story is one of my least favorites. But yet I have felt compelled to write about it again last week and I am gratified by the attention the two pieces that I wrote on this blog received. Today The Washington Post ran a piece that linked to my work and last week, the Institute for Public Accuracy included a link to one of them in a press release, the result of which was requests for numerous interviews with radio stations and print media from all corners of the country. Here are links to two of them:

Sonali Kolhatkar interview with FPN’s Lucinda Marshall on KPFK’s Uprising

FPN’s Lucinda Marshall interviewed on WORT’s Her Turn

Let’s take what we’ve learned from the Komen incident about raising our voices together and keep this rolling because enough is enough, women’s rights are human rights and our lives and our health can no longer be used as political footballs!

Unpackaging The National Action Plan On Women, Peace and Security

Fempeace — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 14:02:06 +0000

Several weeks ago I wrote a post about the new National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security (NAP). In this piece for the Women’s Media Center (WMC), I elaborate on the concerns women’s peace and human rights organizations have about the NAP. which to be very clear, is a very positive addition to the tools we have to advocate and work for women’s human rights. But as I conclude in the WMC piece,

The National Action Plan On Women, Peace and Security offers a powerful opportunity to move towards a gender responsive and informed framework of peace and security, but it will require vigilance to insure that it is truly implemented in a way that assures women’s human rights.

Click here to read the entire WMC piece.

This Is What Occupying Patriarchy Looks Like

Fempeace — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:59:12 +0000

Cross-posted from Occupy Patriarchy:

Feminist activists are making their presence known in the Occupy movement in many locations, in the U.S. and throughout the world:

Occupying Patriarchy in Rome

The Occupy Albany Women’s Caucus takes on the Department of Social Services

In San Francisco

Creating a safe place in New York

The OccupyDC Gender Equality Committee mic checks the anti-abortion March for Life

This says it all.

The Ukrainian group Femen protests at Davos (warning–nudity)

Wonderful graphic by Liza Cowan

Special note–I thought Liza’s graphics rocked so much I hired her to design a new logo for the Feminist Peace Network website. Also check out her other work here.

Robin Morgan Talks About Feminism And Occupying Patriarchy On The First Episode Of Feminist Peace Network Radio

Fempeace — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:04:09 +0000

On the inaugural episode of Feminist Peace Network Radio, I had the pleasure of talking with feminist shero Robin Morgan about feminism and the role it plays in the Occupy movement and as Robin so aptly pointed out, the role Occupy should play in the feminist movement.

My great thanks to Allie McNeil of A World of Progress Radio (AWOP) for helping with the chat room and providing much needed support for my pre-first show jitters and to everyone who listened in. For those of you who are wondering, yes there will be more shows after the first of the year, stay tuned!

Lucinda Marshall Talking About Feminism And The Occupy Movement Nov. 30th On Feminist Magazine

Fempeace — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:17:40 +0000

Feminist Peace Network Director and Occupy Patriarchy co-author Lucinda Marshall will be a guest on KPFK’s Feminist Magazine, Tuesday November 30th between 7:00-8:00 pm pst talking about how feminism fits in the Occupy movement and how Occupy fits with feminism along with Alternet’s Sarah Seltzer and Occupy LA activists Dava Juno, Sheila Nicholls, Alex Banks, and Regina Quetzel Quinones. You can listen to the program here.