sydneycamille

[sydneycamille]

This article that I chose today is called “The Martial Hill Women: Sabitri Devi & Puralimaya Devi Poddar” which discusses two prominent women freedom fighters who participated in the nationalist struggle for the independence of their nation-state. Especially for women in India, conforming to the culture of the ‘nation-state’ makes them “...feel unnoticed or ignored even if not devalued when it comes to their historiographical narrative” (Sharma). I think this stands to be true in many other countries as well, even the United States. Historically, women are not equally represented in leadership positions in government, both local and federal, and also in recognition for major accomplishments in fields across the board. This makes it easy, as Sharma put it, to feel unnoticed, ignored and devalued in the historical and cultural narrative of our respective countries. 

In the region of Darjeeling, India specifically, many men have fought for the independence of their religion but the women who have made similar contributions to this fight have not been accurately acknowledged or represented. Sabitri “...had led a rally of laborers of Jharia in 1921 as a part of the Non-Cooperation Movement” (Sharma). She also gathered volunteers to start a campaign against foreign goods in Siliguri and led resistance rallies back home. An entire anti-government case was open against her, and she met with Gandhi in 1925. She was given many titles and awards and deserves to be recognized for these accomplishments. Putalimaya Devi Poddar also participated in the nationalist struggle by keeping in touch with Congressmen while she was a student, and eventually organized a ‘massive procession with other Congress members’ in 1942. As women of such a conservative and patriarchal society, they had to break major barriers that restricted their growth of women as political figures. 

[sydneycamille]

The upcoming 2020 election is of concern of all of us, but specifically of feminists as we are currently having to choose between the sexist and misogynist disgrace that is Donald Trump, and democrat Joe Biden who has recently been accused of serious sexual misconduct. Unfortunately, it is not a new concept for us to have to consider such garbage entitled men for major political roles in this country, but I’m hoping that it will be the last. It is funny, in the most sarcastic way possible, that women are so quick to come to the defense of men who hold political power and status. This article specifically mentions how Gloria Steinem, a pioneer of the modern feminist movement, “...downplayed the allegations against Clinton as ‘clumsy’ and ‘dumb’ sexual passes” (Valenti). Another example of this obscene and unnecessary denial of sexual assault from powerful feminists is when WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was accused of rape by two Swedish women. Naomi Wolf, famed feminist author, “...mocked the charges as being brought by the ‘dating police’ and suggested the women were simply jealous and made the accusations out of ‘personal injured feelings’ (Valenti). 

How do we reach feminist solidarity when women who are famed in the feminist sphere are so quick to defend these men? Are these women just products of the capitalistic society that they benefit so heavily from? I find that we are quicker to defend rapists and assaulters who do not fulfill common stereotypes of the ‘kind of men’ who commit these crimes. As stated by Jeff Dion, deputy executive director of the nonprofit organization National Center for Victims of Crime, “Perpetrators will set themselves up as pillars of society to hold themselves above reproach. People might go out of their way to establish themselves as charitable, compassionate ... so that when an allegation does come up, that’s their first line of defense” (Dion). 

[sydneycamille]

The feminist anthem, Un Violador En Tu Camino is a perfect example of transnational feminist solidarity. This kind of solidarity beyond borders has been historically difficult to attain and I feel that this performance in Santiago, Chile, is a beautiful attempt at reaching this goal. This song has been performed by Spanish women in both urbanized and rural Latin American spaces, including indigenous communities as well. It has also been done across other areas of the world, including in Paris, Palestine, Turkey and New Delhi, India. The song itself specifically refers to sexual violence and rape, which is experienced by women in varying ways according to different historical, regional and socioeconomic factors. Although the women and the places they are from differ, the core themes in this act of transnational feminist solidarity remain the same: “ the state as an oppressive patriarchal institution; violence against women as normalized and thus socially and culturally invisible; feminicidio, disappearance and rape of women as a practice that must be repudiated and urgently eliminated; the institutionalization of misogyny and the legalization of corruption systematically protecting men who have murdered women and the rejection of blaming women for their own victimization” (González-Lopéz).

This example of global feminism attempts a better understanding of not only the disgusting and increasingly harmful universal rape culture, but also of global gender inequities and contributes to a new wave of inclusive feminism. 

[sydneycamille]

**Sources Used**:

“A Timeline of HIV and AIDS.” HIV.gov, MHAF, 11 Jan. 2020, www.hiv.gov/hiv-basics/overview/history/hiv-and-aids-timeline.

Anderson, W. “The New York Needle Trial: the Politics of Public Health in the Age of AIDS.” American Journal of Public Health, vol. 81, no. 11, 1991, pp. 1506–1517., doi:10.2105/ajph.81.11.1506.

“How To Stop an Epidemic.” The Impact, performance by Jillian Weinberger, season 3, episode 1, Vox, 8 Jan. 2020.

Kunzmann, Kevin. “Addressing Stigma That Limits PrEP Use for HIV.” HCPLive, MD Magazine, 8 Jan. 2019, www.mdmag.com/medical-news/addressing-stigma-that-limits-prep-use-for-hiv.

“President Reagan Delivers First Major Speech on AIDS Epidemic in 1987.” ABC News, ABC News Network, abcnews.go.com/Health/video/president-reagan-delivers-major-speech-aids-epidemic-1987-46492956

“The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program: The Basics.” The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, 3 July 2019, www.kff.org/hivaids/fact-sheet/the-ryan-white-hivaids-program-the-basics/.

Useche, Bernardo & Cabezas, Amalia. (2007). The Vicious Cycle of AIDS, Poverty, and Neoliberalism.

Murrell , Daniel, and Rachel Nall . “The History of HIV and AIDS in the United States .” Healthline , Healthline Media , 24 Feb. 2020, www.healthline.com/health/hiv-aids/history#numbers.

This timeline that we created describes key events that have occurred within the conversation about how neoliberalism has failed those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and how neoliberalism has created harmful economic environments for those with chronic diseases as a whole- especially ones with so much historical stigma such as HIV/AIDS. 

[sydneycamille]

https://www.preceden.com/timelines/538822-the-failures-of-neoliberalism-highlighted-by-hiv-aids

^^here is the link! 

This timeline that we created describes key events that have occurred within the conversation about how neoliberalism has failed those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and how neoliberalism has created harmful economic environments for those with chronic diseases as a whole- especially ones with so much historical stigma such as HIV/AIDS. 

[sydneycamille]

This timeline that we created describes key events that have occurred within the conversation about how neoliberalism has failed those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and how neoliberalism has created harmful economic environments for those with chronic diseases as a whole- especially ones with so much historical stigma such as HIV/AIDS. 

[sydneycamille]

Spain is currently experiencing a new wave of feminism in light of backlash from far right politicians. This new wave is largely run by a number of teenagers who have continued to join these rallies to fight for gender equality that started two years ago. This flourishing of feminism was triggered by “...a gang rape verdict that many saw as unjust” and although the protests began with a call for acknowledgement of sexual violence, they have continued to discuss other women’s rights issues such as equal pay. This article specifically references the work of two students, Ari and Klaus, who are a part of the feminist collective at their high school, called Sakmis “...after and ancient Egyptian goddess”. This collective has 68 members, starting from the age of 13. Just like in the U.S., the alt-right has emerged as a powerful force in Spain, calling Spain’s gender violence law “as unfair to men” and calls for parents to stop their children in “taking part in school activities on socially controversial moral issues or sexuality”. Thus, a surge in teen feminism was born as young people all over the world, not just in Spain, have taken leading roles in various social justice campaigns and movements. 

This article, calling attention to the feminist discourse increasing in popularity among young people, points out the imperative and powerful force that teenagers and young adults represent. This current political climate, both in our own country and internationally, has resulted in a surge of backlash from millennials and generation x’s. The importance of young people’s contributions to social justice movements and politics in general cannot go unnoticed at this time. 

[sydneycamille]

So...

Hi! I’m Sydney Smith-Cooper and I am a sophomore International Studies and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies double major. I just returned from a Women’s Equity in Education study abroad trip to India, so the topic of transnational feminisms is fresh in my mind. At TCNJ, I am a part of the WTSR Music Staff and am a part of the Vagina Monologues 2020 cast, which is happening very soon! 

I am super excited for this course, not only because WGS is one of my majors, but also because I know that I lack knowledge on feminisms across international borders. I am excited to expand this knowledge with you all!