Category: Maltreatment of Women
Limbaugh: A Sexist, Disgusting Asshole!
Today Limbaugh once again showed what a sexist asshole he is when he called the female law student who was denied a spot at the Contraception Hearing a “Slut” and “Prostitute” on his radio show.
First of all, Limbaugh just doesn’t get it! The whole point Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke was trying to make was that women often need birth control for non-contraception related medical reasons, such as managing ovarian cysts, which otherwise lead to serious complications and surgeries. Sandra Fluke’s whole point was that some female college students need birth control not because the are sluts or prostitutes or as Limbaugh put it “want to be paid for sex” but because they may face serious medical issues if they don’t take their birth control.
And then, to top it off – Limbaugh manages to somehow add insult to injury by suggesting that this Georgetown law student should post sex videos online (I guess so that everyone can see what they “paid” for).
He never bothered to actually consider what she may have had to say – and automatically concluded that she must be a slut if she is standing up for her rights.
Read more at MSNBC
Women Beaten & Assaulted in Egypt by Military
Watch this HORRIFYING video!! The Eqyptian military and police are attacking, sexually assaulting and torturing women for the sole reason that they are female!! It appears the Eqyptian government has declared a full war on women! This is big news – and completely unacceptable. Please help these women in any way you can.
Disappearing Daughters in India
A shocking and horrifying video that will bring nausea to your stomach and put a lump in your throat. The expensive cost of dowry for the woman’s family, as well as the low status of women in general has lead to a nationwide trend of killing daughters. Families have become quite sophisticated in their elimination procedures, which include ultrasounds and abortions. The video below suggests that the issue has become so severe, that many men are unable to find a wife in certain Indian villages. Watch the video below:
Raped Afghan Women Sentenced for “Moral Crimes”
The European Union recently blocked the release of a documentary commissioned by the EU about Afghan women in prison for moral crimes, known as Zina. The film follows two girls, one who was raped and another who ran away from domestic violence/ The documentary highlights the many injustices and human rights violations currently being carried out against women in Afghanistan. And even though the Afghan women had made recent strides in women’s rights, the film points out that sentencing of women for moral crimes has gone up.
Half of female prisoners in Afghanistan are sentenced for “moral crimes,” which Human Rights Watch estimates to be in the hundreds. These women are imprisoned for anywhere from 2 to 12 years, and sometimes there is a way out: in the case of rape you can choose to marry your rapist.
And when these poor women are set free? They have to worry about being murdered by their family members for bringing shame. One source quotes ”Quite a few of them feel like they’re going to be forced back into the abusive situation that they escaped from and some have said very clearly that they expect their families are likely to kill them, because they’ve brought shame on their families by ending up in prison.”
The reason the release was blocked, an EU official stated, was to protect the safety of the women in the film.
Read more here.
Wiretaps, Berlusconi & Sexualization in Italy
Not only is Berlusconi an Italian media mogul, he is also the Italian Prime Minister. The 74-year-old seems to have a sick, teenager-like obsession with young girls, and has set out to share this obsession with the nation. As Italy’s third richest man ($9 billion in 2010), he has his influences spread across television, newspapers, publishing, and cinema. Berlusconi owns the three largest national television channels, the leading Italian advertising and publicity agency, and the largest Italian publishing house.
You can see his disgusting influences on Italian television here. He made female objectification, female nudity and plastic surgery a regular backdrop to his shows, advertising and news.
Now, wiretaps released due to suspicions of Berlusconi’s involvement in a prostitution ring, show clearly his unhealthy obsession with young, sexualized girls. Wiretapped telephone conversations between Berlusconi and a businessman charged with recruiting female escorts for sex parties were made public Saturday.The transcripts include gems like Berlusconi saying that he tries to act like a “prime minister in his spare time,” and “not to bring tall [girls], as we are not tall” (Berlusconi is 5′ 5″). He also boasts to “having been with eight [girls] in one night, even though I could have had eleven.”
Read more at MSNBC
Interview w. Awesome Woman Steph, creator of I am Dr. Tiller.com!
Check out our 5 Questions w. Awesome Women page.We have a new interview with the creator of the site IamDrTiller.com and creator of the Safe Abortion Project. She is a tireless fighter and advocate for women’s rights and especially women’s reproductive rights. She is a frequent lecturer and guest speaker on the Women’s Rights circuit because of her inspiring work and accomplishments. Steph is an inspiration to us all! Thanks for your work Steph!
Don’t Take Your Reproductive Rights For Granted
by Kate Pittman:
If you haven’t been paying attention to the anti-abortion, anti-contraception, anti-woman legislation that is currently being put forth and passed in state and national government, it’s time to wake up. The ultra-conservative anti-choice religious right has gained a very loud and powerful voice in government while we, the women who believe in reproductive freedom, stand by. Far too often it seems we have no voice at all. I watch in horror as I read about each new attack on my body and my life.
The individual laws requiring biased counseling, restrictions on insurance coverage for abortion and contraceptives, waiting periods, restrictions on method, and other attempts to reduce our reproductive rights are too numerous to list here. But you should know how serious this is right at this very moment. Please check these links if you have any doubt the Tea Party has something on its agenda other than jobs, jobs, jobs:
Center For Reproductive Rights, Can You Afford a Huge Step Back?
Planned Parenthood Action Center
Yes, this is personal to me and it should be personal to anyone who is a woman who believes that she has the ability to make the right choices for herself in her own life. What can be more personal than the choice to have a child? Yet there are many who seem to think I am incapable of making serious choices about my life. I boil over with rage when I read about my rights being infringed upon by people who purport to want to “protect life.”
Let us be clear about one thing: this battle is not about life. It is not about saving unborn fetuses from murder. It is an attack on women’s sexual freedom, and consequently women’s autonomy, plain and simple.
When you get right down to it, you would be hard-pressed to find many people in the world who think abortion is a good thing. The overwhelming majority of pro-choice people will tell you that we also believe that if you don’t want to have a baby, the absolute best course of action is to never get pregnant in the first place. Women do not choose abortion lightly. Yet there are those who seem to believe that we are incapable of knowing when we are ready to raise a child. These are the same people, by the way, who are always proclaiming that the government should stay out of our personal lives. Oh, unless they disagree with the way we live those lives. They always seem to forget to add that part.
A woman, in this view, is nothing but a walking, talking set of reproductive organs.
If the Anti-Choice movement really cared about reducing the number of abortions, they would focus on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies. Yet they do just the opposite, taking every opportunity to reduce sexual education and availability of contraceptives.
Making abortion illegal does not stop abortion. Making it difficult to obtain an abortion by adding obstacles ensures that the only people who will still be able to choose whether or not to abort a pregnancy are the rich, who can afford to travel to a place where abortion is available. Relegating abortion to back alleys only harms women, and is sometimes even fatal; it does not save fetuses. When a woman wants to make this decision, she will find a way to make it. When abortion is legal and safe, women are protected. When abortion is illegal and hidden, we are not.
This is a scary time for anyone who believes in reproductive freedom. According to the Guttmacher Institute, in the first quarter of 2011 alone, 916 measures related to reproductive health and rights have been introduced in the 49 legislatures that held regular sessions. Seven states enacted 15 new laws on these issues.
Laws Affecting Reproductive Health Rights: Trends in the First Quarter of 2011
If you feel strongly about these issues, now is the time to stand up. Let your voice be heard. Make sure to vote. Don’t let their voices be louder than ours.
The disappearing Long Island Serial Killer
An emerging profile of a serial killer on Long Island, NY:
If you watch or read any form of the news, you may have heard emerging details of a serial killer on Long Island in the past month and a half. The more bodies that were uncovered at the beginning of April (evidently 10 in total currently), the more the media sensationalized, speculated, and closely followed the authorities every move and new discovery. Authorities started to create a profile on this confirmed serial killer….
He is most likely a white male in his mid-20s to mid-40s. He is married or has a girlfriend. He is well educated and well spoken. He is financially secure, has a job and owns an expensive car or truck. He may have sought treatment at a hospital for poison ivy infection. As part of his job or interests, he has access to, or a stockpile of, burlap sacks. -Time’s expert source
“He has to be persuasive enough and rational enough that he is able to convince these women to meet him on these terms. He has demonstrated social skills. He may even be charming.” -Drew University’s Scott Bonn, serial-killer researcher (via New Yorker Mag) That gives me an idea that he is a sadist. That would be reflected in his relationship and jobs. He is the one who laughs when a cat gets run over or a kid falls off his bike. He likes the suffering of others, and he really likes it when he can cause it or witness it.” -Jim Clemente, retired FBI profiler
And Then Media Coverage Ceased to Exist:
Then something interesting happened; we became aware of the typical sadistic pattern this serial killer had, and everything changed. Upon the discovery of his murder victims being prostitutes, the media began to taper out on the coverage of this story. How did it go from such complete sensationalism and the preeminent news story, to absolutely no coverage on any station any more? Shocking. Was it because the victims were prostitutes? Would the same story have completely disappeared from news sources if the victims were supposedly more respectable individuals? Something tells me that if the victims were not prostitutes, that there would be every effort made by the media and their resources to track down this monster, and instead, the story has fallen into obscurity. Interesting…
Of course the L.I.S.K.’s methods and typical pattern, has almost become synonymous with many serial killers. Is the prostitute-as-victim simply because they are more easily accessible, or is it a power/dominance aspect to it that these killers get off on? Why are their victims so commonly prostitutes? It’s entirely obvious that the treatment much of the media gives these tortured prostitutes (lack of coverage and relevance compared to other stories), is not so far above how these serial killers may view these women as well (like second class individuals, disposable and meant to be degraded). A message to the media: these women were daughters, some mothers; they were human beings too, not people to be devalued for any reason. Their occupation and methods for survival makes them no less of a human being who deserves honor, respect, mourning and justice. In fact, one of the woman’s lives might have been saved as a local man recalls her coming to his door screaming for help and then her subsequently running off after he said he would call the cops. No doubt she ran off for fear that she would have been severely penalized by the police (jailed and fined at the very least) upon realization of her selling sex and now instead, she is dead, and probably by a rather unpleasant death.
Is there something to the fact that a collective public has been chronically exposed to watching the most mundane details of a royal wedding for months and day after day, but a substantial story that needs people’s attention, falls off the radar after a couple of weeks. After all, this killer has not been caught and theoretically if not realistically, could still be preying on women. At the same time, it is questionable to provide too much attention to a person who may actually be seeking it, like some serial killers do. They admire themselves for being able to outsmart the authorities. If their actions are something that has become a sensational public story and mystery, this may greatly magnify their feelings of grandiosity and false superiority making them liable to continue their atrocities with no fear of being caught.
Real murders becoming films/TV programs for the public’s viewing pleasure:
Stories of horror, torture, terror and death that happen to real people and families become entertainment for our viewing pleasure. Is this not entirely sick? Craigslist Killer, Summer of Sam, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Zodiac, Monster, Ted Bundy, The Boston Strangler, Helter Skelter, this list goes on and on. Perhaps it would be less entertaining if it were someone we knew who had been a victim? This is blatant, despicable exploitation of a person or families suffering, to make a buck…and the sad part is that people buy it. Have we become so apathetic that we don’t even consider this to be morally perverse and disrespectful to the deceased who suffered a terrible death? While people sit and view these films from the comfort of their couches or movie theaters, real people like them also, induced torture and horrific terror and fear that we cannot even fathom, to become entertainment for the masses.
Real life Craigslist Killer
The precedent Craigslist has set for providing creeps to the general public, what they can do about it, and the discussion of legalizing prostitution:
Craigslist has become a catch-22. It is a potentially abundant resource/mechanism to save money, get great deals and provide utmost convenience under many different circumstances, but also a forum for sadistic creeps and predators. With the rapid advent of online social networking and technology providing access to anyone and everyone, there is a rise in suicide, murder, bullying, stalking and tangible fears that we must all be aware of. I hope stories like this may act as a catalyst for these sites’ demographic to take a more precautionary approach when utilizing their services. Occurrences like this are not a unilateral responsibility among one participatory party, but a combination of circumstances for all parties. It arouses the question of whether prostitution’s legality would perhaps save lives? The argument here is that prostitution will exist for forever and making it illegal is not going to stop it, but just cause it to be a taboo that as a result, creates a dangerous underworld because it is not regulated and/or protected. Besides politics and how they would come across to the voting population, I’m sure politicians would revel in delight over a clause like this. After all, how many have been caught with prostitutes and escorts now? Doesn’t it look worse when something is illegal and therefor uber taboo?
What can Craigslist do to protect their users? Not much, and unfortunately with the good comes the bad. They have removed any erotic services forums that they previously provided so they are taking some sort of accountability, but still, it is a vast medium to meet up with any random person. So although on one hand, Craigslist has proven to be a valuable resource for many users, for those who partake in risky behavior, it can mean their untimely end. I’d hope that after the prevalence of dangerous predators who prey on women advertising ANY kind of service, that it will cause women to protect themselves better and at least carry some sort of protection and have an escape plan (at the very least).
Advertising for erotic services has not been the only service on Craigslist with dangerous outcomes. Common services like selling goods which lead to face-to-face transactions, have also led to home invasions, and ultimately murder. http://www.ktvb.com/news/regional/3-arrested-in-Craigslist-home-invasion-murder-92876094.html
Be smart. Think twice before you have a stranger come to your home to buy something from you, even if you aren’t there alone. Don’t ever be too trusting. And for the sick (expletive expletive) who get off on killing women, what can we hope for you but for there to really be some sort of hell in the after life that you will eternally burn in…or your eventual arrest which can also lead to your being ass-raped and tortured in prison for the rest of your life (probably worse than any theoretical hell).
Some of the victims of the Long Island Serial Killer, may you rest in eternal peace:
HELL YES! Rep. Thompson her passionate speech on Disrespect to Women – May 26, 2011
PROTEST in NYC Tomorrow, May 27th 5-7PM
If you are in the New York City area please attend this rally and protest tomorrow to protest the acquittal these 2 NYPD officers received after a very graphic, detailed and proof-laden account of them raping a young woman they should have been helping! This is a perfectly obscene example of victim blaming when it comes to rape and sexual assault and how the men who commit these atrocious acts are sometimes simply slapped on the wrist. This must end!
Read the NYTimes article here (Two New York City Police Officers Acquitted of Rape):
And here is the rally information for tomorrow:
http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2011/05/26/protest-the-nyc-cops-rape-acquittal/
Rape is not a “Sex Scandal”
By Kate Pittman
Two unrelated events happened in rapid succession recently. On May 14, Dominique Strauss Kahn, former head of the International Monetary Fund, was arrested for sexual assault of a maid at a Manhattan hotel. On May 17, Arnold Schwarzenegger, bodybuilder, actor, and governor of California, acknowledged that he had committed adultery and fathered a child with a woman who was part of his household staff.
Perhaps it seems natural that these two events should be covered by the news media in tandem. Both events involve powerful male politicians and women who were in subservient roles to wealthy, influential men.
But the similarities stop there. Conflating these two events frames the sexual assault charges as something other than what they are, criminal violence. Dominique Strauss-Kahn is innocent until proven guilty. But discussing this alleged crime using terms like “sexual antics” and “sex scandal” illustrates that socially, we still do not take crimes involving sexual acts as seriously as other crimes.
If Dominique Strauss Kahn was charged with locking a woman in his hotel room and beating her with a baseball bat, do you think the news media would be talking about it in the same breath as Arnold’s cheating ways? Adultery, appalling as it may be, is not a violent crime. Attempted rape, forced oral sex, and holding a person against her will, are criminal acts.
All over the news media we are hearing that nobody is surprised at these charges due to DSK’s well-known history of inappropriate sexual liaisons. I find myself thinking only of the victim of this alleged crime. How would it feel to read that the person who assaulted you was known to have a violent sexual temper and that nothing had ever been done to reprimand him or bring his actions in line? How would it feel to read that many people do not believe this could happen? As one commentator mused on FoxNews.com, “ Strauss-Kahn is accused of having assaulting a cleaning lady in the luxurious $3,000-a-night room in the Sofitel Hotel where he was staying in New York City. Couldn’t he have afforded a high-class prostitute? Or was he too impatient to bother calling one up?
How Can We Solve the Riddle of Dominique Strauss-Kahn
We all know rich and powerful men are entitled to sex at their whim, right? Isn’t this a victim’s worst nightmare, and one that is realized again and again- that she will have the courage to report the abuse and will not be believed?
Arnold Schwarzenegger is receiving much of the same treatment in the media. Nobody seems particularly surprised by his infidelity. How could anyone really be surprised? If you’ve paid any attention at all to his history with women, the surprising thing would have been if he had remained monogamous.
In both cases, dissimilar as they may be, a major focus of the news coverage seems to be to discredit the victim/mistress. In the case of Arnold’s mistress, Mildred Baena, the internet is abuzz with discussions about her appearance such as this, Why Arnold Schwarzenegger bedded ‘Unattractive’ Mistresses: He Wanted to Be with the ‘Beautiful One!’ The implication being that as a rich and powerful man, Arnold Schwarzenegger deserves any woman he wants, so why not choose a really hot one? This is of course, about really Powerful Men. The women involved are discussed as if they are objects to be used and abused for the amusement of these men.
There have been no indications that Schwarzenegger’s adulterous relationship was not consensual, but you can’t help but wonder about the imbalance of power between employer and employee and how that might have played into the relationship.
Maria Shriver’s reaction is the silver lining of this scandal. I am so proud to see that she has decided not to “Stand by Her Man.” Granted, it is the individual couple’s decision how to handle their relationship going forward, but it sickens me every time a politician or celebrity gets caught in an affair and the wife stands silently beside him, implicitly accepting the adultery. I always want to cry out to them, “You deserve better than this!” Shriver’s statement is short and to the point. Nothing more needs to be said:
“This is a painful and heartbreaking time. As a mother, my concern is for the children. I ask for compassion, respect and privacy as my children and I try to rebuild our lives and heal. I will have no further comment.”
Anne Sinclair, third wife of Dominique Strauss-Kahn, has issued a statement that she does not believe the charges against her husband. Yet it is clear that his reputation as a womanizer is not news to her. In an interview in 2006 she said, “No! I’m even proud of it. It’s important to seduce, for a politician. As long as he is still attracted to me, and I to him, it is sufficient.”
Backing Her Man With Impressive Resources
Whether or not this affects Arnold Schwarzenegger’s return to Hollywood (I don’t expect so), or Dominique Strauss-Kahn is found guilty or innocent of the criminal charges he faces, these stories are once again shedding light on the imbalanced way we react to sexual impropriety. We are too quick to blame the victim and too enamored of scandal. We seem to forget that where relationships, sex, and emotions are involved, there is a lot of vulnerability and unpredictable fall-out for all involved. Where violence and rape are concerned, there is no excuse. We need to be careful not to belittle the criminal aspect of the charges against DSK, or we belittle the rights of all victims of sex crimes.
If you are in the D.C. Area! Today!
NOW President Terry O’Neill Says: “IMF Chief Must Go!”
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“The National Organization for Women is calling on Dominique Strauss-Kahn to resign or be removed immediately from his position as managing director of the International Monetary Fund,” said NOW President Terry O’Neill.
NOW will take its message public today and is encouraging women’s rights supporters to join in an action outside IMF headquarters.
| Who: | NOW President Terry O’Neill and other feminist leaders and activists |
| What: | Demonstration calling for resignation or removal of IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn |
| When: | Wednesday, May 18, 5:00 pm – 5:30 pm |
| Where: | IMF headquarters – 19th St. NW, between G and H Streets (Foggy Bottom Metro, Blue/Orange) |
| Facebook Event: |
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=222015691157371 |
| Foursquare Check-In: |
https://foursquare.com/venue/22425136 |
“Our society has a history of downplaying the seriousness of violence against women and re-victimizing the brave women who come forward to seek justice,” said O’Neill.
“NOW will closely monitor how law enforcement, the courts and the media handle the Strauss-Kahn case. Blaming and shaming the woman who was allegedly attacked and employing gender, racial, ethnic, economic or other stereotypes to discredit her are absolutely unacceptable.”
A Rite of Torture for Girls: Nicholas D. Kristof for NYTimes
A Rite of Torture for Girls
By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF , Published: May 11, 2011 , HARGEISA, Somaliland
Damon Winter/The New York Times (Nicholas D. Kristof)
Original Article NY Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/12/opinion/12kristof.html?scp=5&sq=Nicholas%20D.%20Kristof%20&st=cse
People usually torture those whom they fear or despise. But one of the most common forms of torture in the modern world, incomparably more widespread than waterboarding or electric shocks, is inflicted by mothers on daughters they love.
It’s female genital mutilation — sometimes called female circumcision — and it is prevalent across a broad swath of Africa and chunks of Asia as well. Mothers take their daughters at about age 10 to cutters like Maryan Hirsi Ibrahim, a middle-aged Somali woman who says she wields her razor blade on up to a dozen girls a day.
“This tradition is for keeping our girls chaste, for lowering the sex drive of our daughters,” Ms. Ibrahim told me. “This is our culture.”
Ms. Ibrahim prefers the most extreme form of genital mutilation, called infibulation or Pharaonic circumcision. And let’s not be dainty or euphemistic. This is a grotesque human rights abuse that doesn’t get much attention because it involves private parts and is awkward to talk about. So pardon the bluntness about what infibulation entails.
The girls’ genitals are carved out, including the clitoris and labia, often with no anesthetic. What’s left of the flesh is sewn together with three to six stitches — wild thorns in rural areas, or needle and thread in the cities. The cutter leaves a tiny opening to permit urination and menstruation. Then the girls’ legs are tied together, and she is kept immobile for 10 days until the flesh fuses together.
When the girl is married and ready for sex, she must be cut open by her husband or by a respected woman in the community.
All this is, of course, excruciating. It also leads to infections and urinary difficulties, and scar tissue can make childbirth more dangerous, increasing maternal mortality and injuries such as fistulas.
This is one of the most pervasive human rights abuses worldwide, with three million girls mutilated each year in Africa alone, according to United Nations estimates. A hospital here in Somaliland found that 96 percent of women it surveyed had undergone infibulation. The challenge is that this is a form of oppression that women themselves embrace and perpetuate.
“A young girl herself will want to be cut,” Ms. Ibrahim told me, vigorously defending the practice. “If a girl is not cut, it would be hard for her to live in the community. She would be stigmatized.”
Kalthoun Hassan, a young mother in an Ethiopian village near Somaliland, told me that she would insist on her daughters being cut and her sons marrying only girls who had been. She added: “It is God’s will for girls to be circumcised.”
For four decades, Westerners have campaigned against genital cutting, without much effect. Indeed, the Western term “female genital mutilation” has antagonized some African women because it assumes that they have been “mutilated.” Aid groups are now moving to add the more neutral term “female genital cutting” to their lexicon.
Is it cultural imperialism for Westerners to oppose genital mutilation? Yes, perhaps, but it’s also justified. Some cultural practices such as genital mutilation — or foot-binding or bride-burning — are too brutish to defer to.
But it is clear that the most effective efforts against genital mutilation are grass-roots initiatives by local women working for change from within a culture. In Senegal, Ghana, Egypt and other countries, such efforts have made headway.
Here among Somalis, reformers are trying a new tack: Instead of telling women to stop cutting their daughters altogether, they encourage them to turn to a milder form of genital mutilation (often involving just excision of part or all of the clitoris). They say that that would be a step forward and is much easier to achieve.
Although some Christians cut their daughters, it is more common among Muslims, who often assume that the tradition is Islamic. So a crucial step has been to get a growing number of Muslim leaders to denounce the practice as contrary to Islam, for their voices carry particular weight.
At one mosque in the remote town of Baligubadle, I met an imam named Abdelahi Adan, who bluntly denounces infibulation: “From a religious point of view, it is forbidden. It is against Islam.”
Maybe the tide is beginning to turn, ever so slowly, against infibulation, and at least we’re seeing some embarrassment about the practice. In Baligubadle, a traditional cutter named Mariam Ahmed told me that she had stopped cutting girls — apparently because she knows that foreigners disapprove. Then a nurse in the local health clinic told me that she had treated Ms. Ahmed’s own daughter recently for a horrific pelvic infection and urinary blockage after the girl was infibulated by her mother.
I confronted Ms. Ahmed. She grudgingly acknowledged cutting her daughter but quickly added that she had intended only a milder form of circumcision. She added quickly: “It was an accident.”
Do You Like Blogging & Feel Passionately about Feminism?
You’re in luck… because Loose Garments is looking for contributing writers!
About Us
Loose Garments is a blog community dedicated to all things feminist. The title “loose garments” is generated from a utopian ideology of “bursting free of restrictive/limiting convictions by a patriarchy that has unfairly burdened and oppressed women for too long.” Throughout history women have been constrained by everything, and most insignificantly, their physical image and the clothing they were expected/told to wear. In the 1800′s you had bodices, corsets, petticoats and girdles. In the 50′s/60′s you had tiny waisted, tight dresses and heels to dress in while preparing dinner and waiting for your husband to arrive home from work! Who can do all that work in heels and a stiff, uncomfortable dress!? UGH! So you get the picture that “loose garments” reflects the freedom and relatively new wisdom of women and by women, to do what they want and to not be oppressed and bound any longer. There is still very much work to do. The hardest part is changing a large collective unconscious that has been ingrained for so long. We hope to make a difference by creating a blog that will help move things towards a more equitable reality by providing perspective and informational material.
Our Audience
Loose Garments is 5 months old and growing rapidly in daily visitors. Friends and authors Kiki (Washington D.C.) and Claire (New York City) are active and determined bloggers. In the first month (January 2011) Loose Garments had an average of 11 views per day, and then in March it was up to 75. In April we hit 100, and are now at 250+ daily views. Our fan base is about 20% male and 80% female and the bulk of our followers are between the ages of 25-34. As our fan base is growing we want to provide them with more, more, more and need your help!
Position Specifics
The position requires 1 blog per week (and at least 6 month commitment) and is unpaid. If you are interested in joining Loose Garments, please email your resume and a blog-sample to LooseGarments@gmail.com. Let us know why you are interested in the position, and why you feel that you would be a good fit. The application deadline is May 31st 2011.
Below some of our fave Loose Garments blogs:
Lens On: Important Issues Told in Photos
Startling Statistics on Women & Girls
5 Questions with Awesome Women
We look forward to your responses!
Kiki & Claire
