Always Wear Your Invisible Crown

Saturday was International Women's Day. I wanted today's post to be inspired by that greatness.

I don't know what it was that made me such a strong-willed girl power enthusiast. It could have been my hours of watching Power Puff Girls and Johnny Quest; it could have been from hanging out with my cousins; or it could have been from growing up in the 90s "Girl Power" era.

Personally, I think I was born this way.

From a small age, I was concerned with inequality. Why does he get to do that and I can't?  I did not realize that it was gender inequality until I was much older. I just didn't like being told what to do. "You can't do that" motivated me to do just that, and then some more. I'm still like this...I don't like to be bossed around. [Side note, check out the Ban Bossy campaign! I'm in love!]

Anything you can do, I can do better. This was my mantra as a kid.

Girl Scout camp was my favorite as a kid (I'm the blondie) 

In 5th grade we played this game called "Peg Ball." Basically, it was like kickball, only you tried to hit the other team members. The boys liked to play boys against girls. One day, the ball flew at me and hit me in the face, knocking off my glasses. I was livid.  

I picked up my glasses, put them on and marched over to Justin Whatshisface and said "Apologize. You're not supposed to aim for our heads." He wouldn't. Instead he decided to attempt to threaten me with his fist? He was waving it around like he'd never hit anyone before. I was a purple belt in karate.  

He was too scared of me to say anything, so his friend spoke up with the words "He'll hit you, he's hit his girlfriend." I glared at him and shot back "Do I look like his girlfriend? He should respect girls and women and apologize to me for hitting me in the face."  

Finally he did and rumors swirled around school that I was a bad ass. I was just standing up for myself...

Throughout my life, from whenever I first heard the word "feminist," I knew I was one.

Girls and women tend to shy away from the term - believing that it is synonymous to "feminazi," a term created by patriarchy because they're terrified of what us girls can do when we get together. Heaven forbid marriages are partnerships and tasks in life are split 50/50 or by who has a less strenuous work schedule, rather than be dependent on gender.

My favorite words to hear out of a man's mouth are "I'm a feminist." 

If you want a true definition of the word, check out this post. In short, "feminist" means you believe women should have rights. All of the other stuff, is what's tacked onto it by others and society.

Yes, I think that the glass ceiling is bullshit and believe that women should be offered the same rate of pay as a man based on skill not gender. 

When Iman and I first became serious and moved in with each other, I felt like a fraud as a feminist because I wanted to cook him dinner and I didn't mind cleaning up after him. I battled with my feelings of women's rights and that guilt led to quite a few fights that he probably isn't aware of.

This man doesn't take away my feminism. 

Because I am a feminist and I did these things for him out of love, I felt that I deserved to have things done for me out of love. That isn't true though. I deserve to be loved but I can take care of myself - as can any woman out there. I don't need Iman to clean up my mess or cook for me.

Girls, we don't need a man, even though it is the most wonderful thing to fall asleep next to the person that I love.

I know this post probably jumped all over about women's rights and feminism, but I hope it at least made some sense to you. I hope you realize how much self-worth you have without any other human being taking any of it.

Also, I've been on the hunt for a girl's group to work with or be a part of and would love any recommendations. I have been dreaming of being a Girl Scout leader for awhile, but I'm not sure if I have enough time. I'm in the LA/OC area, so if you know of any wonderful organizations looking for something more than monetary support, please comment below!



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A WQ Discussion: Anti-Rape Wear

Remember at the beginning of the year when I said one of my goals was to return to more "girl power" posts? This is one of those posts. It is probably pretty controversial, and I am hoping it sparks a conversation. I would love to hear what you think of this post and of the content!!

I've gotten in many debates on the topic of anti-rape clothing. Some people think that the idea is ridiculous in the ways that some people think the idea of rape is actually ridiculous. Others can't wrap their heads around how it could help. Personally, I love this idea but I am saddened that we have to resort to this for girls not to be raped.

In Orange County and Los Angeles there seems to be an increase on female attacks and attempted kidnappings recently. I'm not sure if it is really an increase or just an increase in coverage. Either way, I have opted against doing a morning walk around my work because of this. If I ever found myself in such an unfortunate situation, I would be happy to have clothing like this.

Below I have taken the words directly from AR Wear's Indiegogo campaign that ended in November. They reached their funds and are in the process of completing their project.

We developed this product so that women and girls could have more power to control the outcome of a sexual assault. We wanted to offer some peace of mind in situations that cause feelings of apprehension, such as going out on a blind date, taking an evening run, “clubbing”, traveling in unfamiliar countries, and any other activity that might make one anxious about the possibility of an assault.
Although we believe that self-defense skills can help to resist an attempted assault, they cannot be used in all situations and will not always be effective. Other tools of self-defense currently available are also not effective in many common settings of sexual assault. Products such as pepper spray, tear gas, stun guns, etc. require that the potential victim be very alert and might be taken away to use against her.
We read studies reviewing the statistics of resisting assault, whether by forceful or non-forceful means. We learned that resistance increases the chance of avoiding a completed rape without making the victim more likely to be physically injured. We concluded that an item of clothing that creates an effective barrier layer can allow women and girls to passively resist an attacker, in addition to any other form of resistance they may be able to carry out at the time of an assault.

Via

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Our goal is to offer a wide range of wearable items, which will include assorted types and styles of underwear, running shorts, traveling shorts, etc., suitable for different situations and the styles of individual users. The challenge was to design products that can be worn comfortably while still being able to frustrate an assault effectively. The garments must be very difficult for someone else to remove by either force or stealth (in situations where the victim cannot resist because she has had too much to drink, was drugged, or is asleep).
They need to be resistant to pulling, tearing and cutting while being comfortable to wear during normal activities and, as in the case of underwear, fit smoothly under form-fitting outer clothing

Via

Since we did not find a single material that fulfilled these requirements, our solution was to strengthen specific elements of our garments using an innovative skeletal structure which allows them to remain soft and ergonomic. The waist, thighs, and central panels are protected with specially designed, cut resistant straps and webbing. Once the waist girth has been adjusted and secured with its unique locking device, the garment cannot be pulled down. Since a female’s waist measurement is generally less than that of her pelvic area, the waist strap can be locked at a comfortable position and still prevent unwanted removal of the garment. The thigh straps, after an initial adjustment by the wearer, prevent the leg openings from being lifted or shifted to the sides by someone else. The center panels are connected to both the waist and thigh straps to create a unified protective skeletal structure.

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Do you have a lot of questions about this product? Skepticisms? I urge you to read this Feministing article about it and then read the comments at the bottom. Particularly, those of K. Cecilia Sequeira.

By sharing this article, I am not saying it is the only answer to rape. Nor am I saying that it is the best answer. I do believe that it is a good answer to those expressing anxiety about being raped.

I would seriously, seriously love to hear your thoughts on this! Let's have a Twitter chat! Hashtag #antirapewq or mention me at @raetothewyn



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Warrior Queen Things

My oh my!

Yesterday was a day filled with Warrior Queen things in my inbox. I love when that happens. I noticed them all while I was at work and had to keep telling myself to write about it today!!

First, I wanted to share Angelina Jolie's article about her double mastectomy. I think it is beautiful that she shared the story and what she has done for her family by sacrificing in this way. I've read that we shouldn't be applauding her for this courage, but that we should be applauding the courage of women who suffer silently. Why can't we applaud both of them?

Angelina Jolie made an educated opinion - which she highlights the need to educate lower and middle class women about preventive measures - and instead of keeping it private - something she does have the right to do - she decided to use her celebrity for good. 

The second email I received yesterday that I want to share is a new crowdfunding site for women. 




From the website:

Because equality for girls and women makes a better planet for everyone.
To some people — it’s about rights. To others — it’s about smart economics. Either way — we cannot see progress in our world without addressing gender equality.
There are so many organizations already doing brilliant work for girls and women. They have the expertise, the cultural understanding, and they’ve scoped solutions for big changes.They just need funding.

Let's start a team? :)

Raewyn

P.S. Bonus Warrior Queen thing. This guy who made this video. #FitchTheHomeless

8-year old WQs make my heart smile

I found this while browsing Buzzfeed during work one day (don't tell my boss!) and have been forgetting to share with my favorite WQs ever since. This girl is the definition of a WQ, especially considering she's a part of the girls we want to help - the adolescent girls who are a little unsure of themselves!

So I wanted to give her a great big pat on the back and share her awesome-ness with you all!

RYAN SODERLIN/THE WORLD-HERALD

Via: omaha.com

What do you think?

Raewyn

Miss Representation: Come on WQs, It's our first contest!

Today, I signed the Miss Representation pledge.

 I was unaware I hadn't already signed it and admonished myself for this. So to make up for it I also signed up to be a rep. You don't have to do this but take the pledge! Miss Representation is everything that Warrior Queens stand for!

Here's a copy of the email I got so you can see WHAT easy things you'll have to do, and sign up yourself. Try it out today :)

Thanks for joining our movement to end sexism!

Now that you've taken the MissRepresentation.org pledge, here are some actions you can take immediately to make a difference:

1. Tell 5 people about the film and share one thing you learned from watching it.

2. Parents- watch TV and films with your children.  Raise questions like “What if that character had been a girl instead?”

3. Remember your actions influence others. Mothers, aunts and loved ones- don’t downgrade or judge yourself by your looks. Fathers, uncles and loved ones—treat women around you with respect.  Remember children in your life are watching and learning from you.

4. Use your consumer power. Stop buying tabloid magazines and watching shows that degrade women. Go see movies that are written and directed by women (especially on opening weekend to boost the box office ratings). Avoid products that resort to sexism in their advertising.

5. Mentor others! It’s as easy as taking a young woman to lunch. Start by having open and honest conversations with a young person in your life.

You are now dialed into a national movement to stand up to sexism and challenge the media's limiting portrayals of gender. Together we will make a huge impact on contemporary society.

Don't forget to visit missrepresentation.org for frequent updates and other ways of getting involved.

Each week we'll send you additional steps you can take to make change. Thanks!

Warmly,

Jennifer Siebel Newsom and the MissRepresentation.org Team

GO GO GO!

In fact, let's make this our FIRST contest.

Miss Representation has the #NotBuyingIt Campaign and it is beyond simple so here are the contest rules.

1. Take a picture of an ad or magazine you see that exhibits sexist attitudes (this is EASY). 
2. Tweet the picture with the hash tag #notbuyingit.
3. IN YOUR TWEET, include the tag for the product or company (@___________) AND the @beawarriorqueen tag. 
4. On Friday, March 2 I will randomly pick a name to username to win some WARRIOR QUEEN SWAG :) 

Have a beautiful Tuesday!
Raewyn

Important WQ Links 2/17/12

International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Cutting, Hosted by Hillary Clinton - ABC News

Oh No They Didn't! - The View discusses Feminism & Santorum

BIG day in Politics

Hello,

This will be brief today because I have a lot of homework to do and a little bit of time to do it. I'm trying to keep up on blog posts, but you know how it gets during the semester. Luckily this is my last one. When I don't have time to write blog posts I do reblog important posts on the tumblr.

Today! You should feel victorious and galvanized. Big things are happening for women and equality today and I want you to be a part of it.

I have three things for you to do today in the moments that you read this:

1. Sign the petition for birth control. (copied from an email from Planned Parenthood)

We recently secured a major victory for women's health when the Obama administration issued a rule requiring all employers to provide coverage for birth control with no co-pays. Now, women are in danger of losing these protections as birth control opponents pressure President Obama to reverse his decision.

It's up to us to show President Obama just how many people are willing to stand up and protect access to birth control for all women. If 25,000 of us sign this petition, the White House will respond. It takes just two minutes to log in (you will need to create a whitehouse.gov account if you don't already have one) and add your name — click here.

We need President Obama to stand strong — and the best way to make sure that happens is to make so much noise that we can't be ignored. The White House will respond to any petition that gets 25,000 signatures. Birth control opponents have their own petition up and are nearing the 25,000 threshold. I know we can reach that number too — but I want to do more. I want to prove just how strong the movement to protect women's health is. I want to show that we will not stop fighting to defend access to care, no matter what.

We need every person who believes that birth control is essential health care to sign the petition. Everyone who believes that women and their doctors, not their employers, should be making personal medical decisions. Everyone who wants President Obama to stand strong by his commitment to women's health. Are you in? Click here to add your name.

2. Read and SPREAD the word on Prop 8!! It has been declared unconstitutional!!

3. Feel galvanized and do something great for your community or country.

Have a great Tuesday,
Raewyn

2012 Challenge

Real fast, let's clear up something. Something that's crucial to your pursuit of life as a Warrior Queen. I have a few questions for you.

1. Do you believe women have rights?
2. Do you want women to have rights?
3. Do you want to make your own choices and decisions?

If you answered yes to one or more of these then i have some BREAKING NEWS for you. You are a feminist. Why? How?