FEMEN: You’re Doing It Wrong
An edited version of this post has been published on Al Akhbar English FEMEN: You’re Doing It Wrong Paola Salwan Daher and Joseph Daher A lot has been said and written about FEMEN, and now that their publicity stunt has died out a bit (until they find another struggle to coopt/another feminist of color to … Continue reading
Solidarity with our Egyptian Sisters!
‘Ok so you want to talk about women’s human rights defenders, ok great they get harassed and then what else can you say about them?’ The question hung as my blood boiled. There he was, the white male in all his glory, dismissing with a flick of his hand one of the most pressing issue … Continue reading
Body and Mind: A Tale of Women’s Oppression
This article was first published on the Young Feminist Wire http://yfa.awid.org/2013/01/body-and-mind-a-tale-of-women%E2%80%99s-oppression/ I find writing about women’s body image, self-esteem and their relationship to their bodies extremely complex and risky. Complex, because so many factors, both internal and external, play a role in how women view their bodies and themselves, and risky, because falling into clichés is … Continue reading
Thou Shalt Not Wear This: The pursuit of controlling women’s bodies
The ad jumped at me. A pair of heroic, photoshoped breasts clad in a bra, with the slogan underneath: Thank You, Prima Donna. Of course, the woman whose breasts belonged to was nowhere in sight. She didn’t need to exist: the company was selling you a bra for your breasts to make them look … Continue reading
On Keeping the Nasawiya Cafe Independent and Self-Funded
As Nasawiya’s membership gets wider, the need for debate and conversation within the collective remains as important as ever. This is why it is crucial to define clearly what Nasawiya stands for, and why certain directions and choices are taken and made by the movement. More particularly, discussions have arose with regards to the Nasawiya … Continue reading
On Women, Work and Maternity
An acquaintance of mine got fired when her employer learned she was pregnant. The fact that is contrary to the law of the country she resides in was circumvented by some clever talk about budget and funds. This woman was fired in an organisation you wouldn’t suspect to practice such policies. Not in a million … Continue reading
About a Feminist Collective…
Nasawiyas apply feminist analysis to their social justice work, meaning that they always have an eye on gender dynamics and oppression within social and political struggle, address the systematic structural problems rather than the symptoms, and place women’s experiences and voices as central to any solutions and activist work. Feminism is a learning process for all of us and we are … Continue reading
