#rjl194

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Race, Gender and the 2016 Election

I recently attended the Center for Women and Politics’ talk on Race, Gender and the 2016 Election by Senior Political Reporter, Nia Malika Henderson. Coupled with the mentors’ plenary, these discussions really got me thinking about how identity is shaping the current presidential election. One of my professors started the The Center for Women and Politics, the first research center of its kind over 40 years ago and the center has been doing amazing work ever since. Lat month I saw Justice Sonia Sotomayor and this month Henderson spoke to a large audience candidly about her thoughts on how each candidate was affected by stereotypes, primarily about gender. For instance, Hilary Clinton is often ridiculed as hawkish or manipulative simply because of gender stereotypes. One of the things that really struck me was when someone commented that us college students didn’t understand how revolutionary a female president is. That was true of myself, I realized I always assumed we would have a woman president, it never felt out of reach, so I never thought about its importance. Whereas Trump always accuses Clinton of playing the “woman card” he plays the much more valued “man card” constantly, just one example of how strongly gender is affecting our election. 

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Plenary: Podcasting and Women

When Caitlin Kenney came to speak about her career in storytelling and her success at Gimlet she talked about the trials and triumphs that led her to where she is today. She didn’t focus specifically on being a woman, which is interesting because in her industry it may not have held her back much, or she might not have been very aware of its effects. Storytelling is historically feminine although most people on the radio are men, I’ve even heard a lot of people say they have preferences for male voices. One thing she did discuss however was her tendency to underestimate herself, for the imposter syndrome feeling that she didn’t know what she was doing and conversely her ability to surpass people’s expectations and excel in her job. She told risks, challenged her mindset and critically analyzed her reporting which was really inspiring to see.

Although Caitlin worked at Gimlet, this site and podcasts are very interesting feminist commentaries on current issues- check it out! https://bitchmedia.org 

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Panel on Women, Sex, Gender and Religion

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/08/women-religious-leaders_n_4922118.html

I loved hearing Dr. Traci West, Dr. Sandy Russell Jones, Rabbi Esther Reed share their opinions on being female religious leaders. They were all really strong women in the community and had very different experiences in their roles in their respective religions. It’s interesting because they seemed to agree on most things and to enjoy working together when so often that isn’t the story the media paints for us. I recently found the link above featuring other powerful female religious leaders. Feel free to check it out!

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Plenary: Mentors the Election, Microagressions and More

When the mentors asked their first question, there was a moment of hesitation before dozen’s women jumped up to share their stories and thoughts. I loved hearing everyone’s experiences, different perspectives and ideas about how we should try and change (or not change) our microagression filled world. However, I found myself at one point getting kind of tired, I had dozen’s of experiences to share and so did everyone else in the room. It was exhausting to think about how many stories of being told we shouldn’t try to be so smart or not to dress to provocatively we could share. That tiredness is just a little window into what really happens when you are repeatedly told you can’t or you shouldn’t. Yet more so than tired, I was really inspired by what my fellow students thought, by their resilience, their humor, their drive to change things. I want to thank all the mentors who put this event together. Yes, it can be draining to hear presidential candidates repeatedly make microagressions towards women, but we need to and we can enjoy talking about it, to fighting it and to hearing each other’s stories. 

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A popular website runs ads used to arrange child rape, and we as a society allow it.

Slavery still exists, and girls and women sold into sex trafficking are some of the most vulnerable. It is inexcusable that our society simply turns a blind eye to the millions of people exploited, abused and raped everyday. I think that one of the reasons we ignore sex trafficking is because women and other vulnerable populations, including minorities and immigrants are the main targets. Changing our mentality, the laws and educating girls around the world is one place to start. There are multiple groups on campus addressing these issues including IJM and CCAT if anyone is interested. Also- Nicholas Kristof blogs on this issue and other important issues, follow him at this link and check out his and Sheryl WuDunn’s book, “Half the Sky” it’s an awesome movement to empower women and really opened my eyes to how much potential women have around the world.