In our Newsroom Roundup on September 21st, 2022, we discussed local, national, and global news stories from a feminist perspective. This discussion included reviewing intersectionality in feminist conversations, the hurricane that devastated Puerto Rico, and the French Cycling Federation’s unequal use of funds.
Local
The student-run blog, Feminism is for Everyone, covers a wide variety of feminist issues. Their main goal is to focus on intersectionality and cover the whole picture of feminism. One of the main problems that still happens in today’s society is the white woman pushing her agenda. With white women pushing their ideas and opinions onto the feminist movement, it takes other diverse women’s voices away. Being a feminist should mean that one is taking into account all women and not just the average white woman. Every woman has their own beliefs and opinions that stem from their personal experiences. It is important to incorporate these diverse opinions into the feminist movement to capture multiple perspectives. Overall, being a true feminist means that you are a supporter for women of every background.
National
This past Sunday Hurricane Fiona made landfall and devastated Puerto Rico. Many communities have continued to try to recover from the damage done by Hurricane Maria in 2017. Simple household maintenance and daily activities are entirely halted to a stop. Cooking, cleaning, and bathing begin to become difficult and overwhelming challenges that many have to endure. During natural tragedies, women are disproportionately affected and displaced due to the damage. Ecofeminism is a feminist concept that highlights the relationship between natural disasters and events and their role with gender. This Washington Post article is not inherently about women but using an ecofeminist framing can begin to expose how women experience a different experience from those around them. Syndia Maria Sotomayor recalls the struggle in Post-Maria Puerto Rico and in preparation for Fiona, she had to organize and prepare herself and her family for impending damage. In something as unpredictable and inevitable as a hurricane, there can be an impact that women experience at a different level. While we can’t stop the impact of a hurricane, we can support impacted groups to help rebuild their communities.
Full Article: https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2022/09/20/hurricane-maria-five-years-later/
Resources: https://www.npr.org/2022/09/20/1123971208/puerto-rico-hurricane-fiona-how-to-help
Global
On September 17th, 2022, the French Cycling Federation made the decision to fly the men and women’s teams in two separate classes to the Cycling World Championships in Australia. In some cases, business tickets can cost almost four times the amount of economy tickets. This sparked a media fire as the world (through Twitter) criticized the decision. However, Christopher Manin, the French cycling nation technical director, told the public that the decision was based on the men’s “better chance of winning” (BBC). This argument has been used by many professional teams across multiple countries, the US Women’s Soccer Team being one that sparked a lot of controversy. After discussing in our class, unequal treatment in sports starts with the expectations placed on women athletes as early as middle school: forced skirts as uniforms, the sexualization of athletic ability, second-class equipment, etc. This article highlights the fact that women in sports are still not taken as seriously as men in sports, despite the efforts of some women’s teams. Let’s continue to push women’s sports to the forefront of social media and our conversations; let’s make it mainstream.
Full article: https://www.bbc.com/sport/cycling/62939984
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