I've been trying to think about what to write here regarding Haiti. It's been so much on my mind, and probably on yours, but this is a blog about Fertility Awareness and related issues, and there didn't seem to be much link. But then today I was reading today about three Haitian leaders who died as a result of the earthquake, and I want to draw your attention to them. I do so because these women did so much for the women of Haiti, and also because (as you may know) I believe that Fertility Awareness should encompass women's issues that result from our biological status as women, such as rape, domestic violence, and female genital mutilation. And I suspect that many of you don't know about how women suffer in the wake of a disaster, in a different and more acute way than men often do.
The names of the women who died were Magalie Marcelin, Myriam Merlet, and Anne Marie Coriolan.
Haiti's troubles were innumerable even before the earthquake, and in countries (and societies) where poverty is as endemic as it is in Haiti, women often suffer the extra burden of violence and sexual exploitation. A recent study by Kay Fanm, a women's rights organizations founded by Magalie Marcelin, found that 72% of women surveyed had been raped, and at least 40% had suffered domestic abuse. Spousal rape is not recognized as a crime in Haiti. Sexual harassment is not specifically outlawed. There are 523 maternal deaths per 100,000 births (vs. 12 in the US). This situation is only likely to worsen as a result of the quake. It's well known that women are at greater risk after major disasters. Rape and domestic violence become more common, women may not be able to gain access to emergency food aid, human/sexual trafficking may increase, and women's maternal health care needs go unmet.
This piece in the Huffington post by Taina Bien-Aime, the director of Equality Now, discusses both the remarkable women who died, as well as the precarious situation of women following this disaster:
"Haiti's Women in the Aftermath of Disaster"
You can read more about these women in this piece by Jessica Ravitz, for CNN:
"Women's Movement Mourns Death of 3 Haitian Leaders"
Here is an elegy to Myriam Merlet on the V-Day website. Myriam approached Eve Ensler in 2001, as she wanted to bring V-Day to Haiti. Together, they established a safe house for women in Port-au-Prince.
V-Day Mourns Myriam Merlet
The Haitian recovery will be going on for years. Even if you have already donated, I hope that you will consider donating, either now or in the future, to some of the organizations that will continue to fight for the rights and safety of Haitian women. Some of them are listed below. There is a Haitian saying, "When the women dish out the food, everyone eats." Help fill the pots of Haitian women so that all Haitians can be fed.
Dwa Fanm
Kay Fanm
V-Day Haiti Sorority Safe House
Fonkoze
Madre (Madre also has a piece about how women are uniquely vulnerable after disasters, and how their model of relief puts women front & center, which you can read HERE, and there is also a nice piece about the midwives and maternal health care practitioners they helped send to Haiti, to assist the 37,000 pregnant women estimated to be among the survivors of the quake. You can read that HERE.)
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
More re Kenya Experience
As I indicated in my last post, the work I signed up to do in Kenya and the work I ended up doing turned out to be rather different. The title of the project was, and I quote, "Impact of harmful cultural practices - Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Early Marriages for the Girl Child." So you can imagine my surprise and disappointment when I got to the project site and learned that the project actually had nothing to do with that topic, and that the primary activity would be making bricks out of mud. Now mind you, brick-making is very important in Kenya. Nothing gets built until the bricks are made. The community group with which we were working, the Mowankwe Women Group, has a long-term goal of building a health clinic, as there is none nearby and most people go without any type of medical care except for major emergencies (and even then it's not always possible). Many women birth at home, unattended, and while I'm all in favor of home birth here, in rural Africa it often leads to very unfortunate outcomes, including mother to child transmission of HIV.
So brick making is an important activity, but not what I had signed up for, and definitely not one for which I'm particularly well-suited. (The fact that I had recently had surgery for a broken and dislocated thumb did not help matters.) But as several friends with development experience had told me before I left, when attempting to do any kind of development work in Africa, it is very important not to have fixed expectations, and to go where the flow takes you. That advice served me well. They wanted bricks; we would make bricks. We managed to make a few thousand of them, despite the daily rain. (It was the rainy season, arguably not the best time to make bricks out of mud.) It was unclear when we left whether the bricks would be sold, to raise income for the community, or whether they would be used to expand the one room building that currently serves as church, school, and community meeting place.
But I had done a ton of preparation regarding FGM, and here I was in Kuria, an area with an extremely high prevalence rate of FGM, so the Mowankwe group and I decided that I would give a presentation, during the last of our 3 weeks there. Mind you, this community has no electricity and no running water, so although I had been told that I would be able to show a dvd (Africa Rising), I was truly astonished when I saw that they had in fact procured a generator, a dvd player, and a tv. They even had a chalkboard and chalk. So with the help of 2 translators, I was able to give a presentation about FGM.
When one is a white person talking about FGM in Africa, one needs to be very cognizant of the complexity of the issue, including the history of it. Attempts to eradicate FGM have largely come from outside Africa, and from outside the cultures which practice it. A lot of resistance to change centers on this fact. I structured my talk in such a way that I left room for arguments in support of the practice. My intention was to have a discussion, not to give a lecture. I used the term Female Circumcision, rather than Female Genital Mutilation, so as to leave open as fully as possible the doors to dialogue. I was fully expecting to encounter the Cultural Imperialism argument. In the end, I encountered no resistance whatsoever. The women (and men) who attended my presentation expressed a pretty uniform opposition to FGM. I think this is because these women are activists within their community, working together to improve their own lives and those of their families. They are poor and in many cases of limited education, but they are engaged. Although most of them had themselves been circumcised, they seemed committed to not inflicting the same damage on their daughters. They lamented the lack of sexual desire/pleasure and were aware of the health risks. I realize that the people continuing the practice were not at the presentation, but it was heartening to see that the tide is in fact turning in Kenya, and to know that these women who are working to bring about change in their community are set against FGM. I hope that they will spread the message to their fellow villagers and lend them, especially the girls, the support they need to resist the tradition.
Btw, the video Africa Rising had been donated to me by the makers of the film, and I left it with the Mowankwe group. Thanks to EQUALITY NOW for the support.
So brick making is an important activity, but not what I had signed up for, and definitely not one for which I'm particularly well-suited. (The fact that I had recently had surgery for a broken and dislocated thumb did not help matters.) But as several friends with development experience had told me before I left, when attempting to do any kind of development work in Africa, it is very important not to have fixed expectations, and to go where the flow takes you. That advice served me well. They wanted bricks; we would make bricks. We managed to make a few thousand of them, despite the daily rain. (It was the rainy season, arguably not the best time to make bricks out of mud.) It was unclear when we left whether the bricks would be sold, to raise income for the community, or whether they would be used to expand the one room building that currently serves as church, school, and community meeting place.
Mudmaking photos lifted from my friend Malcomb's Facebook page. Here you can see mudpit at rear, and Hitomi and Oska transferring bricks from mold onto ground.
In this photo I'm on the left. Mineshi (center) and I are trying to mix the mud that Oska is making, with
our legs. Way harder than a Stairmaster.
But I had done a ton of preparation regarding FGM, and here I was in Kuria, an area with an extremely high prevalence rate of FGM, so the Mowankwe group and I decided that I would give a presentation, during the last of our 3 weeks there. Mind you, this community has no electricity and no running water, so although I had been told that I would be able to show a dvd (Africa Rising), I was truly astonished when I saw that they had in fact procured a generator, a dvd player, and a tv. They even had a chalkboard and chalk. So with the help of 2 translators, I was able to give a presentation about FGM.
When one is a white person talking about FGM in Africa, one needs to be very cognizant of the complexity of the issue, including the history of it. Attempts to eradicate FGM have largely come from outside Africa, and from outside the cultures which practice it. A lot of resistance to change centers on this fact. I structured my talk in such a way that I left room for arguments in support of the practice. My intention was to have a discussion, not to give a lecture. I used the term Female Circumcision, rather than Female Genital Mutilation, so as to leave open as fully as possible the doors to dialogue. I was fully expecting to encounter the Cultural Imperialism argument. In the end, I encountered no resistance whatsoever. The women (and men) who attended my presentation expressed a pretty uniform opposition to FGM. I think this is because these women are activists within their community, working together to improve their own lives and those of their families. They are poor and in many cases of limited education, but they are engaged. Although most of them had themselves been circumcised, they seemed committed to not inflicting the same damage on their daughters. They lamented the lack of sexual desire/pleasure and were aware of the health risks. I realize that the people continuing the practice were not at the presentation, but it was heartening to see that the tide is in fact turning in Kenya, and to know that these women who are working to bring about change in their community are set against FGM. I hope that they will spread the message to their fellow villagers and lend them, especially the girls, the support they need to resist the tradition.
Btw, the video Africa Rising had been donated to me by the makers of the film, and I left it with the Mowankwe group. Thanks to EQUALITY NOW for the support.
Me, teaching.
Carol and Oska translating for me. They are laughing, despite the serious subject matter, because they are NOT used to saying these words out loud! And that of course made me laugh.
Watching the video Africa Rising.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
On Female Circumcision (FGM) in Kenya/Tanzania
As you may know, the project in which I was participating in Kenya was supposed to have had a focus on Female Genital Mutilation (called female circumcision in Kenya) and early marriage, i.e. the cultural practice wherein girls are married at very young ages to older men. As it turned out, the project had nothing to do with those practices. More on that later.
The area in which I was working is called Kuria, after the people who populate it. Kenya has dozens of different tribal identities, and Kuria people are found in the southwest of the country, in an area that spans the border with Tanzania. About 2/3 of Kuria people live in Tanzania, and about 1/3 live in Kenya. Although some Kenyan tribes don't practice female circumcision, among the Kuria it is a very strongly held cultural tradition. In that area of the country, the prevalence rate is believed to be over 90%. The good news is that the tradition seems to be slowly waning, and is not as common or accepted among the younger generation. I met many women who said that the practice stops with them; that they will not subject their daughters to it, although they themselves were circumcised. It is very easy to criticize the practice of FGM, especially if you do not understand the cultural context, and hard to understand how difficult it is for women and girls in these communities who counter tradition. Women and girls who resist FGM face enormous pressure and censure from their families and their communities. They may be shunned, or become victims of violence or other human rights abuses. Here is an ARTICLE about the cultural forces at work among the Kuria (here spelled Kurya) people in Tanzania, and how some women are resisting FGM, forced marriage, and other cultural traditions that violate their rights and their endanger their health.
In related news, the Ugandan Parliament officially OUTLAWED FGM on December 15th of this year. Mind you, FGM is illegal in many countries, including Kenya, yet still widely practiced. But having a law on the books, and stiff penalties, is of course an important step.
(links to articles are in caps)
(links to articles are in caps)
Sunday, December 13, 2009
I'm Back! Article in NY Times re Menopause and Drugs
I got back from Kenya last week and I'm happy to say that things went very smoothly. And I didn't get sick! The project turned out to be rather different than I had anticipated, but I had been told by people who had done development work in Africa that I should not have fixed expectations, and that turned out to be very good advice. As I anticipated, there wasn't much internet access, so I was unable to post from there. I do of course want to tell you about the trip, and I will, but I haven't even uploaded photos to my computer yet. In fact I haven't finished unpacking yet! I just wanted to check in, and also draw your attention to an article in the New York times regarding the pharmaceutical "treatment" of menopause.
I'm not sure what prompted this article, as it's not linked to a specific topical event. Rather, it presents an overview of the pharmaceutical industry's cashing in on menopause, and how recently the tide has turned against the drug companies as women are winning big suits for damages caused by these drugs. Of course no amount of damages will bring back the tens of thousands of women who have died from endometrial and breast cancer as a result of these drugs, but it's good to see that the judicial system is holding the drug companies accountable. Ultimately, they will only listen to their bottom line. If women stop buying the drugs, and if the lawsuits make these drugs unprofitable, they will turn their attention elsewhere, and find some other condition to pathologize and exploit.
Like premature ejaculation. (The illustration alone is worth clicking on the link.) Good lord! I love the quote from Lenore Tiefer, my colleague from The New View Campaign: “Rapid ejaculation as opposed to slow ejaculation is common, but there is slow and fast everything in the world: slow and fast walkers, slow and fast eaters, slow and fast breathers,” said Dr. Tiefer, who is a psychologist specializing in sexual problems. “When you tell someone they are a fast ejaculator, it makes it sound like there is a right time to ejaculate and, if you ejaculate before, it’s a medical problem.”
I'm not sure what prompted this article, as it's not linked to a specific topical event. Rather, it presents an overview of the pharmaceutical industry's cashing in on menopause, and how recently the tide has turned against the drug companies as women are winning big suits for damages caused by these drugs. Of course no amount of damages will bring back the tens of thousands of women who have died from endometrial and breast cancer as a result of these drugs, but it's good to see that the judicial system is holding the drug companies accountable. Ultimately, they will only listen to their bottom line. If women stop buying the drugs, and if the lawsuits make these drugs unprofitable, they will turn their attention elsewhere, and find some other condition to pathologize and exploit.
Like premature ejaculation. (The illustration alone is worth clicking on the link.) Good lord! I love the quote from Lenore Tiefer, my colleague from The New View Campaign: “Rapid ejaculation as opposed to slow ejaculation is common, but there is slow and fast everything in the world: slow and fast walkers, slow and fast eaters, slow and fast breathers,” said Dr. Tiefer, who is a psychologist specializing in sexual problems. “When you tell someone they are a fast ejaculator, it makes it sound like there is a right time to ejaculate and, if you ejaculate before, it’s a medical problem.”
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Why You Won't Be Hearing From Me For A While
I think most of the people who read this blog already know this, but for those of you who don't: I am super happy and excited to say that I will be soon be going to Kenya, to participate in a volunteer project. The project is being administered by the Kenya Voluntary Development Association, and the organization with which I signed up is called Volunteers for Peace. The project for which I originally signed up had a focus on "harmful cultural practices" affecting women, i.e. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and early marriage. My project was merged with another one, and now the focus is broader, and includes work around HIV/AIDS, and work with children, as well as tree planting and brick making. There should be around 20 volunteers, from 6 different countries including Kenya. Conditions are going to be, well, basic. We need to bring our own eating utensils, sleeping bag, mosquito net, etc, and we will be cooking for each other. The project itself will last 3 weeks, and I plan to stay in Kenya for another week or so after that.
Since I will be away and without much internet access, and since there is a tremendous amount of preparation involved in a trip like this, I am currently on hiatus. I plan to be back to work on Monday, December 7th. (For details re whom to contact during my absence, see below.)
The organizers asked us to bring materials related to the project. Among other things, I will be bringing a few copies of Katie Singer's book(let), Honoring Our Cycles in Africa. From Katie's website: "The book describes what happens during a healthy menstrual cycle, how the traditional practice of Female Genital Cutting affects a woman's reproductive health, and what happens in the male reproductive system." It's a wonderful, simple book, and I only wish that I could bring more copies with me.
I will also be bringing a copy of a film that will soon be having its premiere in the US. It's called Africa Rising, and it focuses on the movement to end FGM in Africa, and the brave women (and men) leading the fight. Although headway is definitely being made, approximately 6000 girls still undergo FGM everyday, primarily in Africa. The people behind the film (see below) very generously sent me a copy. Despite the sadness of the topic, it's a beautiful, inspiring film. I hope you'll be able to see it when it opens in the US. See the website for screenings.
Africa Rising is brought to you by the amazing people at Equality Now. Their website and newsletters are decidely unglamorous, but they are at the forefront of the movement to stop FGM and other forms of violence against women. I encourage you to support their efforts with your time and/or your dollars.
Sarah Bly
graceofthemoon.com
Since I will be away and without much internet access, and since there is a tremendous amount of preparation involved in a trip like this, I am currently on hiatus. I plan to be back to work on Monday, December 7th. (For details re whom to contact during my absence, see below.)
The organizers asked us to bring materials related to the project. Among other things, I will be bringing a few copies of Katie Singer's book(let), Honoring Our Cycles in Africa. From Katie's website: "The book describes what happens during a healthy menstrual cycle, how the traditional practice of Female Genital Cutting affects a woman's reproductive health, and what happens in the male reproductive system." It's a wonderful, simple book, and I only wish that I could bring more copies with me.
I will also be bringing a copy of a film that will soon be having its premiere in the US. It's called Africa Rising, and it focuses on the movement to end FGM in Africa, and the brave women (and men) leading the fight. Although headway is definitely being made, approximately 6000 girls still undergo FGM everyday, primarily in Africa. The people behind the film (see below) very generously sent me a copy. Despite the sadness of the topic, it's a beautiful, inspiring film. I hope you'll be able to see it when it opens in the US. See the website for screenings.
Still from Africa Rising
You may know, or you may not, given the dearth of media coverage, that Kenya has been devastated by drought in recent months, and years. Semi-annual rains have just begun to fall, so I hope that, by the time I go, the situation will have been somewhat ameliorated. But that's not guaranteed, and regardless of how much rain comes, the impact of the last few years will be long-lasting, especially among nomadic communities. I don't know how the drought will affect my trip.
For most of my time away, I anticipate having very little internet access. (The community that I'm going to has no electricity.) So as of now until after my return, I am on hiatus. Two of my colleagues will be covering for me in my absence. Should you need assistance before I return, please get in touch with one of them: Sarah Bly
graceofthemoon.com
(541) 821-2522
Lisa Leger
fertilityfairy at hotmail dot com
(250) 951-0243
Please note that both Sarah and Lisa are West Coast gals, on Pacific time. Lisa is in Canada and Sarah is in the US.
Thank you to those of you who have supported my trip with your donations of funds and goods. I look forward to sharing stories with you after I return.Monday, September 28, 2009
Vulvagraphics
Hey everyone. Today we present an announcement from the folks at The New View Campaign regarding an upcoming event that looks like it'll be wonderful. Even if you're not in NYC, you can still participate in the Campaign. And join the International Vulva Knitting Circle!
VULVAGRAPHICS: An intervention in
honor of female genital diversity!
Recent years have seen increased concerns about genital appearance for women, alongside publicity about labiaplasty and other procedures to cosmetically alter female genital appearance. It seems that there is a general lack of knowledge of vulva diversity, meaning that:
· Many women don’t know whether their vulva looks ‘normal.’
· Some women compare their vulva to a perceived norm or ideal, and don’t like how theirs looks. This supposed ideal vulva is often depicted on the websites of surgeons who offer genital cosmetic procedures, in ‘after’ photos that appear alongside ‘before’ photos.
An upcoming Brooklyn event provides a challenge to this cultural shift, offering a very visual celebration of diversity. Vulvagraphics is the second (annual) activist event organised in NYC by New View Campaign in response to the rise and promotion of female genital cosmetic surgery.
The New View Campaign opposes the medicalisation and corporatisation of (female) sexuality. Past work challenged Big Pharma, but last year we turned to the rise of female genital cosmetic surgery and conducted a vigorous street protest, complete with street-theatre, outside a Manhattan surgeon’s office. It was covered in both BUST and TIME!. This year we celebrate the role of art in activism, with a multi-media show to promote understanding and appreciation of female genital diversity.
Vulvagraphics is a 2-day exhibit of explicit photography, drawing, print, craft, video, and film, including the premiere of the international vulva knitting circle! It features a brunch salon on ‘critical issues in genital activism,’ as well as numerous activism opportunities!
If this sounds like you, bring your intrigue, passion and creativity, not to mention your relatives, friends and partners, and come down to Vulvagraphics to learn about, and celebrate, vulval diversity. If this doesn’t sound like you, even more reason to head on down! We look forward to seeing you there!
WHEN: Saturday October 24th: 6-9pm (opening reception & exhibition);
Sunday October 25th: 12-6pm (exhibition); 1-3pm (brunch salon).
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Another Awesome Blog
"re: Cycling is the new blog of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research. re: Cycling is written by members of SMCR about all matters menstrual, especially sociocultural aspects of menstruation and new research about menstruation and women’s health. Currently, the bloggers are Chris Bobel, Associate Professor of Women’s Studies at University of Massachusetts-Boston; Giovanna Chesler, filmmaker and Assistant Professor of Communication Arts at Marymount Manhattan College; Chris Hitchcock, researcher at the Centre for Menstrual Cycle and Ovulation Research at the University of British Columbia; and Elizabeth Kissling, Professor of Women’s Studies and of Communication at Eastern Washington University. The new blog can be found at MenstruationResearch.org/blog.
The blog was developed as a way for the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research to discuss issues related to menstruation with a wider audience. Most posts on the site are open to public comment. We welcome readers and links from other feminist blogs."
From the Society for Menstrual Research.
The blog was developed as a way for the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research to discuss issues related to menstruation with a wider audience. Most posts on the site are open to public comment. We welcome readers and links from other feminist blogs."
From the Society for Menstrual Research.
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