Women's Views on News

A new struggle in the feminist discourse

The online news forum, Zimbabwe Situation, has published an interesting article about the emergence of feminist voices in post-colonial Zimbabwean literature.

These include internationally-acclaimed authors such as the late Yvonne Vera, and Tsitsi Dangarembga. Others include Barbara Makhalisa, Lillian Masitera, Spiwe Mahachi-Harper, and Vivienne Ndlovu. These writers have all used their literary voices to register their discontent at the way patriarchal societies are seen to clip women’s wings.

Through their literature, the authors raise gender issues such as the perception of women as sexual objects in society and the physical and economic power men use to abuse women.

Prominent sociologist Professor Rudo Gaidzanwa has also used her work to discuss the negative portrayal of women in colonial and post-colonial Zimbabwean literature, mostly by male authors, and their struggle for basic human rights like education and health.

For more information, go to TheZimbabweSituation.org.

Eminem and Rihanna song: working class reality?

Jenny McCartney, a columnist in The Telegraph, has written that she felt a ‘ a little bit behind the times, a touch stuck in the 1990s. You see, I'm just not getting the new domestic violence chic.’ 

McCartney was referring to the new Eminem and Rihanna song ‘Love the Way you Lie’ which depicts a violent relationship between a couple which appears to end with the woman being tied to a bed and burned alive. (See previous WVoN coverage). 

She acknowledges that the video has provoked very different responses - between those who have criticised Eminem for romanticising domestic violence and those who applaud him for raising the "difficult issue" at all. 

Although she seems to think that violence can be "reciprocal", she is critical of the underlying message from the video which is that women stay in abusive relationships because they get some sort of kick out of it. As she points out, the reasons are usually far more complicated. 

Read the full story in the Telegraph.

Casting couch alive and well in India

A Bhojpuri film actress, Ritu Pandey, has alleged that casting director Vansh Pathak had asked her to 'compromise' with him. 

Police have registered the offence after the actress approached them accusing Pathak of sending her objectionable text messages asking her to 'compromise' with him to get a career boost.

"I asked him for roles in films. However, ever since I met him … he has been asking me to 'compromise' with him. Otherwise, he says, he would ruin my career," said Pandey, who has reportedly acted in 15 Bhojpuri films.

The police are currently investigating the claim and will be filing against the accused after a preliminary inquiry if necessary.

Read the full story on OneIndia News. 

The wait is over - this year's Formula 1 "Grid Girls" have finally been revealed

The wait is over. Thank the lord. This year's top 12 "Grid Girls" have finally been revealed ahead of the the Formula 1 (F1) SingTel Singapore Grand Prix in September, according to asiaone. 

All 12 will be allowed to hold up the national flag of the driver and the number of his car (because of course there aren't any women drivers) before each race. Oh, the privilege. Of these 12, however, only three will be crowned as winners. Oh, the tragedy. 

To "prove themselves", the "girls" have four challenges to test how "well-rounded" they are - an outdoor challenge, a presenter assignment, a test of their catwalk skills and racing on an F1 simulator. 

The three winners will be crowned at the Grid Girls party on 16 September, so I expect you'll all want to book your ticket now. See how well we keep you up to date with things here on WVoN?

Author brands Orange literary prize "sexist"

Acclaimed author AS Byatt has branded the Orange prize for female writers as "sexist" and claims females who pen intellectual books aren't taken seriously.

Byatt told the audience at the Edinburgh Festival that: "The Orange prize is a sexist prize," she said. "You couldn't found a prize for male writers. The Orange prize assumes there is a feminine subject matter – which I don't believe in."

She also said females find it hard to gain acceptance if they write challenging fiction. Quoted in The Guardian she says: ""If you are trying to think, there are always reviewers who take the attitude that it's like a dog standing on its hind legs, as Samuel Johnson put it: it would be better if you didn't do it."

But it is the Orange prize, which has been awarded for the past 15 years, that has brought to public attention stimulating women writers who may otherwise struggled to gain wider recognition outside or inside the publishing world, and past awards have gone to Linda Grant, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and this year's winner Barbara Kingsolver.

Byatt last night was awarded Britain's oldest literary award - the James Tait Black Memorial prize - for her latest novel, The Children's Book which is a haunting, absorbing read.

The "cougar" phenomenon is a myth

Madonna and Demi Moore may be fuelling talk of a trend among older women for younger men, but a study published this week has said that the phenomenon of the "cougar" is a myth, confined to the world of celebrities. 

The study of online dating, by the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC), found men and women are still quite traditional when it comes to searching for their ideal partner.

Women generally seek an older and, therefore hopefully, wealthier man, according to the UWIC study. Men, on the other hand, desire a young and attractive female, and often prefer a much younger partner as they themselves age.

Psychologist Dr Michael Dunn of UWIC's Cardiff School of Health Sciences led the study which involved analysing the age preferences of 22,000 men and women using online dating sites across 14 countries and two religious groups.

His results showed "clearly" that women across all age groups and cultures were attracted to men either their own age or older. Younger men, aged 20 to 25, were interested in women their own age or marginally younger. But as they got older, they much preferred women increasingly younger than themselves.

Read the full story on Reuters. 

Enter the Tiger Girls - Burma's answer to the Spice Girls

If you miss the Spice Girls (and there must be some people who do), you can relax. Because Burma's answer to the girl band has just launched itself onto the music scene, the Guardian reports. 

Called the Tiger Girls, each tiger has a stage name and persona. So instead of Posh, Scary, Sporty, Ginger and Baby, we now have Tricky, Chilli, Electro, Missy and Baby (maybe it's compulsory to have one baby in the band?)

The group's mentor, dance tutor and singing coach Nicole May, was teaching in Rangoon orphanages when she saw a "gap" in Burma's music scene - the need for a girl band. A call for auditions produced 100 hopefuls, out of which five girls were picked. 

It's funny - I can think of many things that Burma needs but one of them is not a girl band. 

Hairy and proud

We all know the extent to which the main stream press tend to over-react when any woman in the public eye ventures out with visible evidence that she is not some hairless genetic anomaly, something actresses Mo'nique and Julia Roberts can probably relate to.

But if body hair is still a taboo for women, then facial hair is even more so. In an article in the Guardian today Julie Bindel discusses her own struggles to reach a state of acceptance of her stray facial hairs, and argues that women should overcome the stigma.

A Bristol based campaign (the catchily titled Hairy Awarey!) encourages women to just let their hair grow as it pleases with the rationale that if enough women stop conforming to myths of hairlessness, facial and body hair on women will become normal and acceptable again.

Interestingly the article also references several women's feelings of freedom and 'elation' on abandoning the razors, if they are able to get past the societal disapproval and judgement such decisions tend to entail.

Surely the point here is choice. There is something very wrong with a situation where women are judged and criticised for keeping their bodies in what is an ultimately natural state (the particularly unpleasant Daily Mail article about Mo'nique seems to imply that her lack of 'personal grooming' is somehow more important than the Golden Globe she has just won).

Hair removal, or not, should be a case of personal preference, but until it ceases to be a cause of public scandal perhaps we all have a duty to embrace and celebrate hairy women!

No one should have to "like the way it hurts"

As reported in a previous WVoN post, Rihanna, the singer who was assaulted last year by her then boyfriend, Chris Brown, has teamed up with rapper Eminem on his latest video about domestic violence. 

But Ivey Dejesus writes on pennlive.com that advocates who work with victims are worried that the song's lyrics and video send a dangerous message - that people are sometimes abusive and controlling, but that "it's ok because I like the way it hurts". 

“There is nothing in this video that speaks to mutual respect, safe communication and understanding of each individual. It’s truly an unhealthy relationship,” said Rhonda Hendrickson, director of the Violence Intervention and Prevention Program at the YWCA of Greater Harrisburg. 

“Nobody should ever have to say those words,” Hendrickson said. “A loving, healthy relationship should never hurt and that’s really the message we would like to portray here. A healthy relationship should enhance two people. It should never be burdensome or scary.” 

Some young people aren't offended by the song and dismiss it as a catchy tune. That troubles Peg Dierkers, executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence who says the video's only saving grace is that it can be used as a discussion point with young people.

Thanks to @PixelProject for this story. 

Do UK newspapers believe that only attractive girls in low cut tops do A-levels?

Ever heard of a blog called sexy A-levels? No, neither had I until a minute or so ago. But as it's A-level results day, it seems like the right day to mention it. 

As with many of these sites, it's actually very funny while making a serious point. The blog explores "the hypothesis that UK newspapers believe that only attractive girls in low cut tops do A-levels". 

What is the basis for this outrageous idea? Just scroll down to look at all the pictures (with their amusing captions) and you'll see just what they mean.