8 pages on a feminist organization that is fighting globalization. le sigh
What I’m learning is that most feminist organizations don’t actually do much fighting anymore. Mostly they just raise money and “awareness”.
Anyone have suggestions for interesting feminist anti globalization orgs that are actually taking some kind of concrete action that might be interesting enough to write about?
I can relate. A thousand years ago, I got a temp job at Local University, working for the then nascent women’s studies department. The what? I said. The women’s studies department, they said. So, I shrugged, sure, whatever…
Now, before this time, I had been thinking that what a women’s studies department was about was proving to all the world that the male academics of Local University didn’t have hair one. But actually, it was a full employment mechanism for intense, humorless lesbians. Hey! I already know that’s not funny. It’s not even really true, but, damn! some of those women were a stone pain.
Anyway, they were just getting all warmed up, but they had to pretend they were like all the others, they had traditions, and shit. Had a academic journal, with the same ten names. Full of adverstisements for books by the same ten names, with glowing endorsements by the same ten names (“Boldly rips the mask off…Courageously rips the lid off…Exposes the hidden sexism of the Laws of Thermodynamics…”), and citations referencing…you guessed it, the same ten names. It was kinda like you cite me, I cite you, we both pad our CV!
So I ducked downstairs to scarf my lunch, and three of the ten names are in town for a conference, and they plunked themselves in a table close by and started talking shop, about how the most likely candidate for department head, was she a lesbian, well, yes, but maybe not lesbian enough, not a seperatist lesbian, which was the cutting edge. Cutting.
Now, I’m mostly a pretty evolved guy, because the only women I can stand are the ones smarter than me. But I walked away ever damn day muttering “Barefoot and pregnant…barefoot and pregnant…barefoot and pregnant…”
I’m here for the free booze.
Ah! Well, you are looking for Robert Bly’s outdoors adventure for discovering your inner manliness. Got your mask, your bongoes? Permission slip from your wife? Very good, right over there, then…
Globalization isn’t exactly a hot feminist issue. Feminists have more feminist centric things they fight for - abortion rights, equal rights in the third world, equal pay, women’s health issues, family issues (maternity leave).
And honestly, feminists of late don’t seem to be fighting for much. The last big push seems to have been Afghanistan and the Taliban ten years ago.
You could try this: http://feminist.org/other/sweatshops/index.html - it isn’t exactly anti-globalization but the anti-globalization movement as I understand it (which is limited) is tied pretty closely to the abuse of labor.
Talk to your professor. Say, “I’ve researched these organizations and found this - which isn’t sufficient for a paper…” Show the work you have done and ask for guidance. Its a crummy paper topic.
you’re right, it is a crummy paper topic, all of the paper topics have been crummy.
There is definitely only one correct line of thought in the class, which doesn’t leave room for much actually learning or discussion, but such is the way of women’s studies everywhere. Believe it or not this is a required core studies class.
I’ll check your link, and thanks for the advice. I did email the instructor asking more or less if she needs me to find a group that is literally fighting in the streets or what?
The upside is that this is the final paper and by the time the yogurt in my fridge expires the class will be over.
It’s ironic that women who want to see the empowerment of women choose to study such completely useless stuff instead of pursuing engineering or other high-paid professions in which they are underrepresented. I guess it will allow them to articulately voice their unhappiness when they are waiting tables.
Oh boy. Here we go!
It’s also ironic that a group that purports to help women would be against a trend that provides jobs, increases wealth, and spreads liberty and capitalism like, oh I dunno, globalization.
Any minute now!
How narrow is “globalization” defined?
There are a lot of excellent organizations working to ensure that globalization’s gender-specific impacts on women are minimized and to protect their rights during various processes.
For example, reforestation is becoming a source of carbon credit generation (don’t get sidetracked into the pros/cons of the example, just recognize that it’s happening), creating incentives to alter land use. Some nation’s property laws are constructed such that women’s ownership and titling of land is nonexistent or weaker in relation to men’s. Is an organization working to prevent such dislocation–ostensibly making the process more expensive and less attractive as an outcome–fighting globalization?
You also seem to be painfully unaware of the rationale behind simply “raising awareness.” While it’s awfully fun to gripe about classes and shit on assignments, what about taking a moment to find out what it’s all about? Unless you’re talking about groups that work exclusively in Scandinavian countries, there is a tremendous disparity in access to information in the developing world. Information on upcoming votes, information on how to register for political candidacy, on how to run a campaign, on how to get health, safety, and security assistance, on the benefits of vaccination… the list is enormous.
And if not direct outreach to the individuals, there is room for “awareness raising” at the community and national level. Similar to carbon sequestration, it doesn’t matter if you think women should be able to vote or should be able to hold property in their own name post-marriage, assume for the moment that there are a lot of people out there who think of things like these in terms of universal human rights. And what are they supposed to do? Just wish it? Or raise money to conduct lobbying and public interest campaigns (i.e., raise awareness) within the nation to change attitudes or outside the country to add pressure.
It’s a shame you took a challenging assignment and let the educational opportunity pass you by. Beyond educating yourself about the non-hyperbolic pro and cons of globalization, just finding out about the issue itself and what the missions of various organizations are is a research project alone. It’s one you’re obviously unfamiliar with and one that’s far from threadbare. I hope you don’t have large student loans, because it sounds like you’re not taking advantage. (Of course, this is just one post about one class about one assignment, so it’s fairly absurd to read into it and suggest that you’re wasting your time, but you fuck one goat… 
)
Oh, as for recommendations, I’d start with an organization such as UNIFEM (the link is to their section on women, poverty, and economics). Look to see what projects and programmes they’re funding, and who their partner organizations are. You should find all sorts of practical, pragmatic, and concrete initiatives that will satisfy a range of criteria.
It’s not ironic, Alanis. It’s unfortunate.
It’s like ten thousand spoons.
And a free ride when you’ve already paid.
Heh, reminds me of humanities academia generally - only moreso. 
I have a Women’s Study minor. My job title is Engineer. (I now do project management, my job title hasn’t switched due to a freeze on that sort of thing under the economy - but my previous position was IT Engineering). I think I’m highly paid. I make significantly more than the U.S. average household income. The only waiting tables I’ve done in my life has been for charitable dinners (I’ve slung pie at church).
Care for any other gross generalizations on people who pursued Women’s Studies?
How about “shrill and humorless?”
What was your major?
I think that’s one reason its hard to find an organization working against globalization. Most feminists I know see globalization as a pretty good thing worldwide for women. When combined with other women’s rights efforts (like the ability to own property - which is an issue in the third world) it improves the lives of women.
But I don’t know a lot of Birkenstock wearing bra burning militant lesbian feminists. I know a lot of capitalist, MBA holding, joined the country club under their own name feminists.
I have a B.S. in Accounting.