No Woman No Cry: A Review

Model Christy Turlington Burns recently released the documentary film, No Woman No Cry. Inspired to learn more about women's health issues because of the complications associated with her own pregnancy, Christy and a film crew sought to cover some of the major issues affecting maternal and women's health around the globe.

In the film, Christy travels to three different countries to highlight some of the health issues facing women. In Tanzania, she concentrates on women's lack of access to health care. In Bangladesh, she shows that sometimes the problem isn't a lack of available care, but rather the stigma or other problems associated with the care that is available. In Guatemala, she focuses on the dangers associated with a lack of access to family planning solutions. Finally, in the U.S., Burns shows that even in developed countries, women are not given the care they need, often because of a lack of insurance. Such a problem indicates the true lack of concern toward women's health issues most often practiced by health care companies and law makers.

A particular strength of this film is that it highlights not only the various aspects of maternal health, but also that it recognizes the fact that these issues are not isolated to women in developing countries and rural areas within. Even in the United States, maternal health is not always given the coverage or priority that is needed.

Some of the maternal health statistics Burns shares in the film are staggering, but as she later shares in the final interview, she chose to make this film partially as a way to educate her friends on some of the things she has seen and the health challenges that women around the world face. In that regard, she is 100% correct. These are stories that need to be shared. Despite the tireless efforts of organizations such as Planned Parenthood, Every Mother Counts, and Half the Sky, maternal health issues and women's health issues are still largely ignored. The general public needs to become more aware of the challenges women face -- not only domestically, but globally.

As such, Christy Turlington Burns and the Opera Winfrey Network have posted the full length film to YouTube. (Hurry though! It is only streaming for a limited time!) Finally, to learn more about the issues discussed and what you can do to get more involved, visit Christy's foundation, Every Mother Counts.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Entertainment Weekly

Mr. Mom: Trend of the Future?

Image from Mr. Mom, via 20th Century Fox

For some time now, it has been little secret that women outnumber men on college campuses. However, for the first time ever, the number of women receiving post-grad degrees has surpassed the number of men receiving advanced degrees in the United States.

Many celebrate this milestone as a true achievement in women's parity. Partially as a result of such changes in education demographics, we are starting to see the softening of gender roles within the home. Today, nearly one in five stay at home parents is a man. Such a shift has been partially enabled by the fact that as women receive higher levels of education, in many cases, they are earning just as much, if not more than their husbands. This is not to say the number of stay at home parents is on the rise. In fact, less than 25 percent of married households include a stay-at-home parent.

Paternal leave policies have also broadened recently thanks to the passage of the Family and Medical Leave Act, enabling more men to take on a greater role in the child rearing process. However, compared to many other countries, the US still has a long way to go, ranking towards the bottom of the top income countries in terms of amount of time designated for paternal leave and funding towards paternal leave. Several of the top income countries, such as Sweden, Norway, and Germany offer paid time off for paternal leave. But even with minimal policy liberalization, we have started to see a shift, so one can assume that if the US were to liberalize family leave laws even further, it is likely that we would see the number of stay at home fathers increase even further.

Finally, the Great Recession really took it's toll on men in the American labor force. The typically male-dominated sectors of manufacturing and construction were particularly hard hit, leaving roughly nine percent of the US male labor force unemployed. In fact, at one point during the recession, the gender jobless gap stood at 2.7 percentage points apart- the greatest unemployment disparity between genders in the last 50 years! As such there are a large percentage of stay at home fathers who became so by default. In any case, this will be a very interesting trend to follow as we continue our long journey out of the Great Recession, or as it has been cleverly dubbed, the 'Great Mancession'.

So where does this leave us? Are we likely to see a convergence between men and women- where a fairly equal number of men will stay at home to raise their children as we see with women? Will the number of women pursuing advanced degrees plateau as the earnings gap further decreases?

MAKE CHANGE: International Planned Parenthood Federation

Planned Parenthood has been in the news a lot recently as a result of the budget crisis in Washington. While Democrats and Republicans squabble over how many resources Planned Parenthood clinics devote to abortions, a point not mentioned nearly enough is how much Planned Parenthood does to alleviate suffering internationally. The International Planned Parenthood Federation, to which Planned Parenthood is a subsidiary organization, supports women's health initiatives throughout the world.

A recent report by the US Center for Citizen Diplomacy highlights the work of the International Planned Parenthood Federation as an organization that works tirelessly to address the needs of women in the international community, particularly through the SPRINT initiative. The SPRINT initiative is a rights-based initiative that aims to uphold the right to life and security of persons as well as the right to the highest attainable standard of heath- including sexual and reproductive health -- for all people affected by conflict and natural disaster.

The SPRINT initiative identified a serious gap in response to women's health and reproductive issues during humanitarian crisis. Most often the humanitarian aid delivered to people in conflict zones or to areas affected by natural disasters is intended to address issues of food and shelter. While such assistance is needed to address basic human needs, oft neglected are equally basic needs such as maternal care. Childbirth is one of the most basic functions of life, yet maternal care is consistently one of the last services provided to women in crisis zones.

As the report makes clear, such organizations are absolutely fundamental to strengthening the well-being of women throughout the world and in making strides towards achieving the goals established at the 1995 Beijing Conference. Though much progress has been made in the last fifteen years, due in part to the wonderful work of organizations such as the International Planned Parenthood Federation, as the current fights in our own US Congress make clear, too many people are still undereducated on women's rights and health issues. In the spirit of Margaret Mead, who famously said, "Never doubt that a group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world…," the report identifies five ways the average citizen can get get involved to work to improve the lives of women everywhere:

• Utilize social media



• Create straightforward, informative, and creative awareness campaigns



• Facilitate direct contact with women in need



• Make fundraising efforts flexible and relateable to the average citizen



• Raise funds and spread awareness through the sale of tangible goods

For more ideas on what you can do to get involved, visit the US Center for Citizen Diplomacy.

How Far Have We Come? UN Resolution 1325 Ten Years Later

Last month, the UN released the results from its evaluation of UNSC Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security. Resolution 1325 was adopted in 2000 for the purpose of protecting women and children in conflict zones. Unlike Resolutions that went before it, 1325 explicitly recognized the unique role women play in conflict zones and sought to create greater protections for women, while at the same time welcomed women into the peacemaking process.

The report evaluated UNSC Resolution 1325 on the basis of achievement as defined by six major themes:

1. Women's participation in peace negotiations and peace agreements
2. Women's participation in political processes and governance structures in conflict-affected countries.
3. Gender sensitivity and women's participation in disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration.
4. Gender sensitivity and women's participation in security sector reform.
5. Legal and judicial reforms
6. Protection of women IDPs and refugees'

Not surprisingly, the findings were rather mixed; while the report found that generally women gained serious traction in their political standing and well-being, there are still serious issues concerning women’s physical safety.

Many of these points are even reflected by the early reports coming out of Libya. The New York Times recently reported on the brave work of female volunteers in the refugee camps in Tunisia. Women students and professionals alike are flocking to the camps to assist the refugees pouring in from Libya. “You can see in their faces that they have been through a lot, and we want to show them our solidarity,” said Dorsaf Hmidi, a 23 year old student volunteer from Tunisia. Whether it is female refugees taking on leadership roles within the camps, or an increase in the number female volunteers going to the camps, there has been a serious increase in women’s involvement in such roles since the passage of Resolution 1325.

However, just as the report outlines, violence against women, particularly sexual violence against women, persists, often with few repercussions for the attackers. One must look not further than the case of Eman al-Obeidy, the now internationally famous women who ran into a Tripoli hotel two weeks ago screaming that she had been attacked and gang raped. Rather than treating her with the concern owed to a victim of such a brutal crime, her story was suppressed and riddled by Libyan security forces. The protections afforded to women in war have come a long way but there is still much work to be done.

Al Qa’ida Takes on the Value of Fashion

Image courtesy of BBC

Earlier this month, al Qa’ida released Al-Shamikha, "The Majestic Woman." At first glance, it would look as if al Qa’ida has acquiesced to Western calls to liberalize and expand women’s rights in the Arab world. But this 31-page glossy magazine written exclusively for women isn’t meant to empower them in the Western sense. Rather, the magazine pairs beauty tips right alongside the merits of marrying a martyr. According to the magazine editors, the key to a perfect complexion is achieved only by staying in the home with a covered face.

Is there a real danger in exposing women to such nonsense propaganda disguised as a glamour magazine? The answer, at this point, is that it's hard to tell. This isn’t al Qa’ida’s first attempt to reach the female Muslim population through media. Just last year, they launched a different magazine, The Granddaughters of Khansa, much akin to Al-Shamikha, but that endeavor only made it two issues before collapsing. So while demand may not yet be high for such antagonistic materials, it is quite clear al Qa’ida is continuing their battle to control and proliferate women’s minds and lives.

According to the Al-Shamikha editors, "The nation of Islam needs women who know the truth about their religion and about the battle and its dimensions and know what is expected of them." Thus it is Al-Shamikha’s role to educate them. Scary thoughts, when you consider the headlines from the most recent issue "Marrying a Jihadist," "Sharia Law that Applies to You," and "Your House is Your Kingdom."

The Other Protest

With the raging unrest throughout North Africa and the Middle East last month, you may have missed the protesting in Europe. In February, over 100,000 women took to the streets in Rome crying for the Italian Premier, Silvio Berlusconi, to resign, and more so, to be thrown into prison for his crimes.

Berlusconi, 74 years old and a notorious womanizer, has most recently been charged with unlawful sex with a minor. Though this is only the latest charge to add to the laundry-list of misogynistic behaviors, it is becoming quite clear that Italian women have finally had enough. It is time, they say, for their leader to step down. Many women have complained, saying, "His dalliances with young women humiliate the sex as a whole and degrade female dignity."

His offensive behaviors range from extramarital infidelities to demeaning public commentary about women.

Back in 2009, in response to the rape of a young woman on New Years Eve and the role the government should take in protecting its citizenry from violent crime, Berlusconi quipped that "You can’t consider deploying a force that would be sufficient to prevent the risk. We would have so many soldiers because our women are so beautiful." Rather than declaring the crime as an outrage, Berlusconi seems to imply that men are defenseless against the beauty of Italian women, and hence their urges can’t be controlled, the (obviously ridiculous) idea being, it's simply not their fault.

Less controversial, but no less offensive, is that earlier this year he introduced Emma Marcegaglia, the first female head of Italy's national labor federation (and arguably the most powerful woman in Italy), as "a good looking chick."

Thus, it's no wonder that the women of Italy have decided to take a stand. The people of Italy deserve a leader that respects all of its citizens for the contributions they are able to make -- and not simply the way they look.

How can a leader possibly claim to promote equality among the sexes, while turning around and mistreating women the next minute? Such blatant hypocrisy sends the wrong message to both men and women throughout Italy. Not only that, but it seems as if Berlusconi has avoided real legal trouble simply on the basis that the majority of the women he's been involved with are call girls and not women of a more generally accepted social strata.

I can’t help but draw a parallel to an editorial that appeared in the New York Times earlier this week called "The Disposable Woman" by Anna Holmes, which commented on the Charlie Sheen scandal. Just as with Sheen, many of the women Berlusconi is acquainted with are prostitutes (and while prostitution is not illegal in Italy, the trade still maintains the standard negative connotation). As such, the loss of dignity and respect of the women involved seems to be an assumed part of the transaction:

‘These sorts of explicit and implicit value judgments underscore our contempt for women who are assumed to be trading on their sexuality. A woman’s active embrace of the fame monster or participation in the sex industry, we seem to say, means that she compromises her right not to be assaulted, let alone humiliated, insulted or degraded; it’s part of the deal.’

Berlusconi's behavior not only undermines the credibility of women in general, reducing them to nothing more than "good looking chicks," but also sets a dangerous precedent for men -- political leaders and the general population alike -- that it is fine to objectify women, as men are defenseless against their good looks. To borrow the sentiments of James Walston of Foreign Policy, "It would be a delicious irony indeed if the people who finally pushed Berlusconi out of power were the women he has spent so much of his career exploiting and degrading."

Miss Representation: Exploring the Media's Portrayal of Women

Anyone who watched the Superbowl would most likely agree, hyper-sexualized commercials featuring women in scantily clad outfits have taken over mass-media marketing. GoDaddy.com have actually begun prompting viewers to access their web site in addition to watching the TV ad, in order to see Danica Patrick, GoDaddy’s spokeswomen, in a more provocative setting (click the link to that ad if you're interested in what that entails, or better yet, don't bother). In doing so, the company avoids compliance with the more stringent FCC regulations regarding offensive content of a sexual nature. Is this simply good marketing? Companies knowing how to accurately target the predominately male audience and lure them to their products? Or, are such campaigns actually harming the way both men and women view women in society?

Jennifer Siebel Newsom explores these issues, and so many more, in her new feature length documentary, Miss Representation. Miss Representation debuted at this year’s Sundance Film Festival in January and is on its way to theaters across the country and educational institutions throughout the world. Newsom evaluates the messages sent by today’s media: that a woman’s true value lies in her physical attributes and sexuality, not in her actual abilities. Troubled by both the impact these messages have on young boys -- that women are objects of beauty meant to be enjoyed -- and the way the same messages are internalized by young girls, Newsom gathered a top-notch group of female activists to emphasize that something must be done to change our media.

This documentary comes at a rather fitting time when many argue that women have finally achieved greater parity with men, as exemplified by Hilary Clinton’s strength in the 2008 elections. Yet, Newsom shows how the same election highlighted just how much further there is yet to go. Yes, the United States finally had a woman running for the highest office, but the U.S. still ranks 90th in the world for women in national legislatures. That’s embarrassing. Newsom goes on to show that the issue goes so much deeper than just a lack of government representation. What is really at issue is how women are portrayed.

Society has become so fixated on a woman's appearance that even women have started attacking other women for not conforming to media's fabricated definition of beauty. One glance at the Miss Representation trailer and you’ll see clips from women in the media minimizing the accomplishments of other women because of physical attributes. Sitcoms, commercials, and even news shows continuously over emphasize the importance of a woman's age, beauty, and sexuality.

Despite the failings of today's media in portraying a sense of equality among the sexes, Newsom gives her viewers hope and offers real solutions. You can learn more about the film and what you can do to make a difference by visiting the Miss Representation website.

Check out the screening section to see if the film is playing near you or to find out how you can host a screening.

Photo credit: Image courtesy of Miss Representation

Half the Sky: Revisited

Two years ago, journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn published the Pulitzer Prize winning book, Half the Sky. Derived from an old Chinese proverb, "Women hold up half the sky," the title invites readers to be reminded that the world is run on the shoulders of women and men, equally.

The book traces the lives of women struggling on a global scale and also the unsung heroes who have dedicated their careers to helping these women. Be it economically oppressed, physically abused, or otherwise ignored, women throughout the world and throughout history have been left in the shadows of silence. Therefore, many of the stories reported in Half the Sky vividly describe the violence faced by women around the globe: brutal rapes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, girls as young as eight-years-old bought and sold within the sex trade in India, and women left in a state of total Pariah as a result of the cultural traditions created by misogyny.

Having first read the book shortly after it was released, the stories that have stuck with me most are those of the women left not as victims of violent crime, but victims of neglect. Specifically, I am talking about the women who bravely face childbirth without the protections afforded them by proper pre-natal and maternal care. For me, this was the first time I had read in such detail about the extreme suffering many women are subjected to for lack of proper care.

I frequently revisit the story of Mahabouba Muhammad, a young girl who was raped and left pregnant by a sixty-year-old married man. Embarrassed and afraid, Mahabouba ran away and had the child without the assistance of a midwife. Due to her young age, and consequently her immature reproductive system, Mahabouba ended up with an obstructed labor. Without medical attention, Mahabouba lay for days in agony as her child slowly rotted. This left her with a fistula, which happens when the wall between a woman’s vagina and the bladder or rectum tears.

Sadly, Mahabouba’s story is not unique. Thousands of women, mostly in under-developed countries, suffer fistulas -- and death -- each year as a result of inadequate access to prenatal and maternal care. In fact, each day more than 1,000 women die in pregnancy and childbirth. Of those 350,000 plus deaths annually, over 90 percent are preventable.

And, what is being done?