Updating an Incorrect Statistic

This December, it will have been five years since I created the "It Only Takes a Girl" video. Like any piece of information or media that is five years old, this video is a little outdated. Don't get me wrong: child marriages are still a huge issue around the world, and girls' education is still an area that demands significant improvement. In fact, the Malala Fund recently announced that, according to a new UNESCO report, more than 130 million girls around the world are still out of school. This is completely unacceptable.

No matter how bleak the facts are, though, we want to be careful never to exaggerate or overstate what’s going on. Honesty and transparency are vital to any movement.

I received an email recently from a friend of a friend pointing out an incorrect statistic in my video. She said:

There’s some powerful stuff in [this video] and this is certainly a worthwhile cause.

However, with all due respect, [you] may want to correct some erroneous statistics about property ownership by women in [your] video. Check out this article.

The key paragraph is:

"She cited a paper that she co-wrote with Quisumbing and other researchers, based on studies across Africa, that found that on average, across 10 countries in Africa, 39 percent of women and 48 of men reported owning land. This was often joint ownership, as 'only 12 percent of women report owning land individually, while 31 percent of men do so.' So men generally own more property than women. But women own far more than just 1 percent."

I think it’s very important to be as truthful as possible so as not to give critics a foothold for their arguments.

I really appreciated this email, and I completely agree that it is vital to be as truthful as possible, especially in activist work. One stumble, and people tend to discredit the whole movement.

Since posting my video five years ago, I have indeed come across the research that has corrected the “1% of property myth.” I had gotten my original statistic for the video directly from the UNIFEM website, which actually no longer exists. At the time that I was making the video in 2011, there was no research to suggest that this statistic was not true (at least, none that was readily available to me). Since then, smart people have actually looked into and disputed this statistic, which does not hold up under scrutiny.

Now, of course, it is too late for me to change my video. But moving forward, I always plan to be extremely discerning in the statistics that I choose to use. In fact, I want to go into a career in data science, which is all about interpreting data and using statistics to tell as truthful a story as possible about the state of the world we live in.

I appreciate being challenged, and I always respect when people do not take information at face value. As the saying goes, there are three types of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics. (I was tempted to attribute this quote to Mark Twain, but going along with the theme of this post, I actually did some research to see who the source of this quote really was. Turns out, it was not Mark Twain who originally said it, and the actual source is unknown!).

If any readers notice any other errors in my video—or in any other media you consume—I encourage you to do your due diligence and challenge the source. It is vital to spread the message that girls around the world are still being oppressed on the basis of gender, but exaggerating the facts does no one any good.

Sólo se necesita una niña

Back in May, two different Peace Corps volunteers--one in Paraguay and one in the Republic of Georgia--separately emailed me, asking if they could recreate my video and translate it into the local languages of the countries in which they were working. I enthusiastically granted them permission, excited about seeing my video (or a version of it, at any rate) become more accessible to more people.

I admit, I had since forgotten that these email exchanges had taken place--that is, until I heard back from the volunteers, both within the past couple of weeks. Both volunteers worked with youths in their countries to recreate and translate my video (and, in the Georgian version's case, add more Georgia-specific information and statistics).

Check out some of the highlights below--the full videos are embedded at the bottom of this post, but the Georgian version can also be viewed here and the Paraguayan version here.

Some boys even got involved!

________________________

The video that the youths in Georgia created is a little longer than my original was, and it is awesome.

This says: "Georgian youth from all around the country joined together...
...To raise awareness about the effects of early marriage on girls' education in Georgia."

The beginning of the video seemed pretty familiar...

"Imagine a girl... any girl."

"Now, imagine she is married before she is 15, usually to a much older man."

But then, there was some new stuff.

"Child marriage still exists in Georgia today...
...The regions of Kvemo Kartli, Kakheti, and Samstkhe-Javakheti are the most affected areas in the country."

The Georgia-specific information was pretty unbelievable.

"In Georgia, cases of forced marriage, abduction of girls,
and marriage deals made between parents still occur."

"The WHO and other organizations called on Georgia's government
to formally declare early marriage a human rights violation...
...And they did it."

But no matter where in the world child marriage is happening, the message is still the same:

"Girls have a RIGHT to stay in school."

There is still so much that needs to change. 

"As of 2015, 17% of Georgian women were married before they turned 18."

"Girl brides in general are less likely to know their rights,
and are more likely to be the victims of domestic violence...
...However, getting married and having children is often seen
as a woman's most important role."

But there is hope.

"An educated girl has a ripple effect...
...Giving girls the tools to learn can impact families, communities, and the world."

The ending of the video is especially touching... I really encourage you to give it a watch.


The Paraguayan version was pretty incredible as well, and overall more familiar.

"Imagine a girl...
...Any girl."

"Your daughter...
Your granddaughter...
Your niece."

Now, imagine she is nothing more than a burden for her family. So she is taken out of school and married to a much older man. Within the year, she is pregnant. She is too poor to send her own daughter to school.

"Without education, her daughter is no more than a burden for her family...
...The cycle begins again."

"1 in 7 girls in the developing world marries before she is 15.
This is what 15 looks like."

Child marriage is a human rights violation. Yet, 25,000 girls younger than 18 are married every day.

There are 600 million girls in the developing world, and about a fourth of them are not in school. But when a girl does manage to stay in school, delay marriage, and get an education, really amazing things can happen. 

"Invest in the future. Make a change.
Save a life."

"It only takes a girl."

Thank you so much to the Peace Corps volunteers and all of the talented Georgian and Paraguayan youths who took the time to spread this message even farther. There is still so much to be done, but with such incredible girls (and boys!) working on this issue, I know we will see a real change in my lifetime.

This is the full video from Paraguay:

And here's the full video from Georgia:







Zoe Keating Needs Our Help

Hello supporters of girls’ rights. I’m gonna cut right to it: I have some sad news for you today. I hope you remember the amazing artist, Zoe Keating, whose song “Optimist” I used as the music for my video. About a month ago, Zoe’s husband Jeffrey was diagnosed with stage IV cancer. If that was not painful enough, his insurance provider, Anthem Blue Cross, denied him coverage, despite the fact that Zoe and Jeffrey have paid an estimated $100,000 in premiums since they became members in 2008. In Zoe’s own words:

“On May 13 an MRI found 20 tumors in my husbands brain. On May 15 he could barely breathe and was in a lot of pain. A CT scan that day revealed he had a softball-sized tumor in his lung, tumors in his other lung, his liver and possibly his bones. On our way home from the imaging center our primary care doc called and told us to turn around and get to the hospital right away. My husband was admitted and they promptly removed more than a pint of fluid from his lungs, which helped him breathe better. We were there for 6 days while they performed a bronchoscopy, did more scans, gave him drugs to stop his brain from swelling and administered emergency chemo.

“Today I got a letter from Anthem Blue Cross regarding his hospital stay:

“Coverage for the requested service is denied because the service does not meet the criteria for ‘medical necessity’ under your description of benefits. To assist our Medical Director in making this decision, we have put a process in place to send all information about the service to a clinical reviewer with appropriate credentials. Based on their opinion, we have determined that covered for the requested service is denied. Our Medical Reviewer Layma Jarjour MD has determined we cannot approve your hospital stay for cancer. We do not have enough facts to show that it was medically necessary.

“Anthem is owned by WellPoint. Did you know CEO Joseph Swedish earned almost $17 million during his first year on the job. Now you know how they can afford to pay him.”

Photo from womenwhokickass.tumblr.com

Zoe posted an update that there seems to be some hope and a little progress made towards getting coverage, but she and Jeffrey should not be left in this state of uncertainty in this kind of severe situation. 

Zoe recently created a link to donate on her website. She says, “I support my family 100% with my music and I've always been proud of that. But now is not the time for my pride to get in the way. We need help. So for those of you who feel inspired to help us get through this awful time, here is a donation button. I thank you with the deepest possible thanks.” I think it is incredibly brave of her to reach out to her supporters and ask for their, well, support. If any of you feel able, I would really encourage you to donate here. 

Thank you for reading.

My Video is "Upworthy"!

We have some VERY exciting news today: my video has been posted on Upworthy!

A few months ago, I reached out to a couple of the staff over at Upworthy on Twitter:



and last week, Rossalyn Warren responded:



I have been following Upworthy on social media for awhile now and have been exposed to some pretty amazing content through their posts. I couldn't be more pleased that they have chosen to highlight the important issues facing women worldwide by posting and promoting my video. Thank you so much to Rossalyn and the Upworthy team--you're the best!

"I'm Just Joking": Why I Take Oppressive Language Seriously and You Should Too

Below is an essay written by my younger sister about the importance and power of language and its direct link to oppression. Maybe I'm biased, but I thought this essay was beautifully written, perfectly articulated and extremely relevant.

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

“I’m not a feminist, I just believe that both genders should be treated equally.”

“Tell me, why are girls so mean?”

“Are you on your period, is that why you’re mad?”

“Quit being such a feminazi, we’re just joking.”

Language and oppression have been so entangled in the human mind for so long that we start to forget just how powerful words can be. Especially among adolescents, a sense of invincibility that comes from being a part of a generation that is viewed as tolerant and progressive leads to unabashed use of racist and sexist slang and comments under the assumption that it’s “just a joke” and can’t do any real harm since they “don’t really think like that.”

Among my friends, a diverse group of extremely intelligent, well-educated teens, sexist language has become as accepted as any other form of communication. They call each other derogatory names for female genitalia, they make hateful, degrading sexual comments about our English teacher when she assigns what they think is too much homework, and they dismiss any backlash about this behavior as overreacting or PMSing. They won’t hear any criticism because as far as they’re concerned, if the right intention is buried beneath their slurs, they can say whatever they want.

What they don’t understand, what they refuse to accept, is that by making sexist language acceptable, they are making sexism itself acceptable. When they make a comment on my friend’s breasts instead of listening to what she has to say, they aren’t just making a joke—they are actually objectifying her. When they use a pejorative term for vagina to call each other weak or cowards, they are perpetuating the connection between women themselves and weakness or cowardice. They think that since they weren’t intending their words to be oppressive, they can’t be harmful. But they are.

After all, language is the basis of how we think. We think in words. And if those words continue to imply that women are less than men, we will, as a society, continue to think that way. In George Orwell’s 1984, the Party realized how much influence language has on thought. They created a new language, newspeak, which changed and eliminated words that reflected views opposing the Party’s goals, such as freedom and equality. The idea was that without the knowledge of these words, without the ability to express these ideas through language, people would not be able to think in a way that conflicted with Party ideals.

Photo from Flickr user Jason llagan

The same concept applies to sexist language. This is not to say we should forget or ignore sexist slang altogether—of course, in a democracy, it is necessary that the full range of expression be accessible. But it does illustrate the idea that as long as sexist language is allowed to be so pervasively commonplace, sexist thought will also be considered acceptable.

An interesting discrepancy I’ve found amongst my peers, with regards to their perception of what it is acceptable to say, is that in recent years they have become admirably averse to using homophobic slang—while use of the n-word and misogynistic language have become ubiquitous. The basic explanation behind this disparity, as far as I can tell, is that the fight against sexuality-based discrimination is happening right now, and visibly. Gay marriage, LGBT portrayal in the media, sexuality-related hate crimes—these are all major topics of discussion and activism at the moment, so people recognize that in order to make progress in the present, we have to cut out the offensive language. On the other hand, kids think that the fights for women and blacks are over. All of the major “checkpoints” have, in their minds, been passed: voting rights, interracial marriage, female congresspeople, black president. So, apparently, we don’t have to be careful any longer: we can make sexist and racist jokes because sexism and racism don’t really exist anymore.

But the fight isn’t over. As long as my cousin is paid less than the man she trained for the same job, as long as my female classmate thinks Hillary Clinton would have gone no where had she not “clung” to her husband, and as long as “getting laid” in high school brings a boy praise but a girl ridicule, we still have a long way to go.

One of the greatest obstacles to the feminist struggle against sexism, however, is the word “feminist” itself. The word has been demonized to such a degree that for the ignorant, it has come to refer only to the supposed man-hating, female supremacy radicals that the media and the internet love to portray but who don’t really exist in large numbers. Feminism, a word that comes from a long history in which securing equality has meant elevating of the status of women, has been grossly misinterpreted—often intentionally by those who would wish to silence the movement—making it seem extremist and hypocritical, when it actually reflects the views of most intelligent, modern people.

Photo from Flickr user Steve Rhodes

This vilification of the word has lead to a contempt for the whole idea of gender equality and the people who try to promote it. The use of “feminist” as an insult dismisses and marginalizes the ideas behind feminism, which are otherwise difficult to contest—and it is not used derogatorily only by blatant sexists who actually oppose feminist ideas. Those who otherwise consider themselves proponents of equality but are accused of sexism or sexist language, uncomfortable with being criticized and made to feel unprogressive, also tend to dismiss their critics as crazy or militant. They make fun of “fanatical feminists” to make themselves feel not bigoted but merely moderate, when in truth, feminism itself should be considered a unifying, centrist movement. Instead, sexism takes the mainstream, and feminism is banished to the fringe.

The world likes to think it has conquered sexism, but until we can put our mouths where our money is we can never really change societal attitudes towards women. Sexist language is just as harmful to the ideal of permanent gender equality as any other big-ticket issue; the difference is that it can be fought on the small scale, by anyone. There is no excuse for devaluing women through speech, regardless of whether it was said in anger or meant as a joke, because it only functions to strengthen the ongoing, underlying belief in the inferiority of women. Even when all the tangible, measurable pillars of institutional sexism have been taken down, the feminist battle cannot be won until the world truly believes—and can articulate its belief—in the power and value of women.

My Post on Winnovating

Hello all!

Have you seen the post I wrote recently for Winnovating, an awesome blog that highlights women who are innovating in their field? I wrote about Melissa Banigan, a truly inspiring woman who is "winnovating" how we give advice to teenage girls through her upcoming anthology "Advice to My Thirteen-Year-Old Self". I've included an excerpt from my post below, and you can see the whole thing by following this link to the Winnovating website.

. . . With such a dearth of comprehensive, accurate sexual health education, many girls turn to outside sources for information. Unfortunately, these “outside sources” tend to be sensationalized TV shows, gossip at sleepovers or in the locker room, and Urban Dictionary or other not-quite-scientific sites online. And even if, in the best case scenario, a teen girl does manage to pick up a more informative guidebook on puberty, sex, and other relevant topics, the standard advice books for teen girls on the market today barely skim the surface of some of the more important issues girls face, including HIV, depression and body dysmorphia.

Melissa Banigan, a fiction novelist, editor, travel blogger, marketer and single mother, thinks girls around the world deserve a lot better. To address this problem, Melissa started a project called Advice to My Thirteen-Year-Old Self, an anthology that will consist of letters by fifty women from around the world writing advice to their thirteen-year-old selves about entering womanhood.

“Unlike many advice books for teens that only gloss over our bodies and women’s health,” says Melissa, “this book candidly talks about sex, HIV/AIDS and the clitoris. Letters also discuss female genital mutilation, genocide, rape and a variety of other topics so often seen in the news, but rarely discussed in classrooms. The book won’t be delicate. Instead, it will treat the young women reading it like strong, intelligent people who are capable of making their own decisions.” . . .

Perhaps it shouldn’t be innovative in 2014 to talk openly about the bodies, lives and minds of real women and girls*, but the truth is, much of the information girls receive about womanhood is incomplete, misleading, or even harmful to their health and self esteem. The conversations (or lack thereof) about women’s bodies in our media and society today give girls the impression that there is something inherently wrong with or shameful about our female selves. Melissa’s project subverts that silence and sheds light on these important issues, empowering girls with the knowledge they need to approach womanhood confidently and successfully.

Make sure to check out Melissa’s Indiegogo campaign and follow the Advice to My Thirteen-Year-Old Self project online.

Important Announcements on Changing the World

Hello all! It's been awhile since I've written—I just started my third semester of college, and I've been busy, busy, busy! But there are two very important things I would like to talk to you about today.

The first is an awesome organization that reached out to me recently to tell me about the amazing work they are doing in the areas of maternal and infant mortality and morbidity in developing countries.

As you may have guessed, the issue of maternal and infant health around the world is incredibly important to me. Women and Children First is an international development agency based in the UK whose mission is “to improve the health and wellbeing of women, girls and children in poor and marginalised communities.” And there is much improvement needed in this arena: according to Women and Children First's website, “Between 250,000 and 343,000 women and three million newborn babies die each year in pregnancy and childbirth or soon afterwards,” and “99% of maternal deaths occur in the developing world, making maternal mortality the health statistic with the largest disparity between developed and developing countries.” One way that Women and Children First addresses this issue is through community mobilization, particularly women's groups. As Molly Melching at Tostan and many other organizations have proven, empowering communities to institute necessary change themselves is a highly effective—perhaps the most highly effective—way to bring about sustainable, lasting change. Please take a moment to check out this wonderful organization and see how you can get involved in changing the lives of women and children around the world.

WaCF has a beautiful collection of photos on their Flickr page

Another beautiful photo from WaCF's Flickr

A women's group in Kamar Dangi, Faridpur

The second important announcement: don't forget to register now and put your International Day of the Girl (IDG) event on the map for this October 11th! Join thousands around the world to celebrate the power of the girl on this day. October 11th happens to be my birthday (:D), so I am planning a birthday party full of video screenings, discussion, and, of course, cake!, with some of my closest friends and family.

Post in the comments below or holler at me on Facebook or Twitter and tell me about the exciting plans YOU have for the second-annual IDG. I would love to share you creative and impactful IDG ideas on my various social media outlets, so please let me know!

"It Only Takes a Girl Like Gabriella"

This summer, I am interning in New York City with 10x10 - Girl Rising. I've been blogging about my internship experience for Tulane's Center for Engaged Learning and Teaching, and you can read my first three posts here, here and here. A week or so ago, 10x10 wrote a blog post about me for their official website, which I have copied below. I actually found out about this internship over a year ago when someone from 10x10 saw my video online and asked me to apply—and boy, am I glad I did. This has been one of the most rewarding summers of my life, and I really feel like I've grown as a person during my time with 10x10. This is my second-to-last week here, and I'll definitely be sad to go.

Anyway, like I said, I copied the blog post below (or you can read it on 10x10's website here—theirs has cooler formatting). I rather like the title. If you've been reading my blog or following me on Facebook or Twitter for awhile, much of it will be old news. However, there are a few new tidbits mixed in there, including my change of major and some of my hobbies. Enjoy!

IT ONLY TAKES A GIRL LIKE GABRIELLA

Since she’s been volunteering with us here at Girl Rising, I’ve gotten to know a truly inspirational girl this summer—Gabriella Runnels.

And she’s involved in the campaign for girls’ education in a unique way. What started as reading and creating a YouTube video for a scholarship to Tulane University has developed into what Gabriella describes as a deep “passion for social justice.” Her interest in girls’ issues could not be more genuine, and I took a little time to hear her story.

Q: How did you first become interested in girls’ issues, like women’s health, child marriage, and education?

Gabriella: When I’ve been asked this question in the past, I always cite a June 2011 National Geographic article called “Too Young to Wed: The Secret World of Child Brides”. Reading that article on the couch in my house, crying my eyes out, was when I learned that in some places in the world, girls are married as young as seven years old. That article inspired me to do more research on my own, which led to me uncovering shocking information about bride burnings, female genital mutilation, and other injustices girls suffer around the world.

However, I think my passion for girls’ rights goes back farther than the summer before my senior year of high school. Although I hadn’t yet learned about all of the ways in which girls are struggling around the world, part of me has always felt connected to girls everywhere. I always cherished my female friends and my two sisters, and my parents raised me to believe that girls are capable of everything that boys are. So when I learned about these issues surrounding girls’ health and education around the world, my fierce belief in the power of girls came to the surface, and I knew I had found my passion.

Q: How would you describe the filming process for “It Only Takes a Girl”?

Gabriella: Producing “It Only Takes a Girl” was an extremely collaborative process. First of all, I had to make dozens of large, handmade signs. My sister Sierra was so helpful, spending hours filling in big letters with black and red permanent marker. Then came the filming. Almost fifty women and girls from my community appear in my video, and they were all so supportive and happy to participate. In terms of actually filming, my other sister, Celeste, actually did most of the camera work. When it came to editing the video clips, my mom, a very tech-savvy woman, was a great help. I couldn’t have created this video without the help of dozens of women, and I am so grateful for all of their support on this project.

Q: What inspired you to create your video? Did you ever imagine that it would go as viral as it did, with over 400,000 views?

Gabriella: I actually made the video for a scholarship project to Tulane University in New Orleans. The guidelines were basically to create something that showcased who I am and what I care about—and I care about the education of girls around the world. My mom was actually the one who suggested I make a video. I decided that in my movie, I would start by telling the story of child brides, then I’d present a variety of facts on girls in developing countries, and finally I’d end with a positive message of a hopeful future. I posted my video to Facebook with a private YouTube link, thinking no one but my friends and family would be interested in viewing it anyway. To my surprise, a lot of people started sharing the link on Facebook, and after a couple hundred views I decided to make the video public. After a week, the viewership had climbed to 100,000, and today my video has over 400,000 views. Having my video go viral has been a humbling experience. I never expected it to happen, but I am so pleased that this important message about educating girls has reached so many people.

Q: Now that you’ve earned your scholarship, what are you studying at Tulane?

Gabriella: My ultimate goal in life is to make a real difference for girls around the world. I entered Tulane as a Public Health major, thinking it might be the best path to making the kind of change I am so passionate about. However, I realized toward the end of my first year that the most valuable thing I can do is figure out a way to apply my skills to my passion for girls’ education. I have always been good at math, and I have been curious lately about how financial motivations and economic environments affect barriers to girls’ education. I recently switched into an Economics major with a Public Health minor—so we’ll see how that goes!

Q: What else do you like to do at school and in your free time?

Gabriella: I play the harp for Tulane’s orchestra and concert band, and this spring I participated in the Tulane production of the Vagina Monologues. I am part of my university’s campus programming group, and I joined several clubs that focus on feminism, social justice and service. In my free time, I write for my blog or watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I also love spending time with my family—I’m glad my college isn’t too far from home!

Q: This summer you’re volunteering with us at Girl Rising, which is so exciting! Are you currently doing any other work outside of Girl Rising to fuel your interest in girls’ issues?

Gabriella: I worked as an outreach coordinator for More Than Me when they were competing in the Chase Community Giving Awards for the chance to win $1 million. They are a great organization that helps get girls in West Point, Liberia off the streets and into school—and they actually did end up winning the money! I am also a Generation Know ambassador with U by Kotex and Girls for a Change. As an ambassador, I have committed to busting myths and eliminating shame surrounding girls’ periods and their bodies. I am also an advisory board member for the What’s Your Brave? book project Take 5 for Your Dreams, which encourages girls to be courageous and ambitious. Finally, I keep my “It Only Takes a Girl” campaign going through Twitter, Facebook, and even Pinterest.

Q: What do you think you’ll be doing ten years from now?

Gabriella: Ten years from now I’d love to be an economic analyst for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. I really respect the work that organization does with development, and Melinda Gates is one of my biggest role models. A successful businesswoman, a mom, and a social justice icon—she’s a triple threat. Plus, I’m fascinated by the economics of development and nonprofit work, and I think that kind of job would be a perfect combination of my mathematical mind and my passion for social justice.

Q: What’s one piece of advice you would give to girls who want to make a positive difference in the world?

Gabriella: I want to remind girls that they are powerful—that it really does only take one girl to make a difference. As we say at Girl Rising, “One girl with courage is a revolution.” My advice to girls is never to underestimate your own power or abilities. The future of our world lies with you, so rise up and lead the way.

Gabriella is a great example of how one can quickly become an integral part of the movement for girls’ education. I feel lucky to work with such motivated people like her every day at Girl Rising, and I am excited to hear about the differences Gabriella will be making in the future.

By Sarah OhanesianDIGITAL MEDIA INTERN

Voting Rights Act Provision Struck Down

The Supreme Court 5-4 decision to repeal the part of the Voting Rights Act that dictates which states must get federal permission before they change their voting laws seems to have been based on the argument that this provision is outdated, that states and cities that have to ask permission before altering their voting laws are being "punished for the sins of many decades ago." But how many decades ago was it that three men were murdered for trying to register black voters—that police beat hundreds of people marching for Civil Rights in Selma, AL?

Five. Five decades. That may seem like a long time, but it's not. Fifty years is not enough time to declare these areas totally free of the institutional racism that had denied marginalized groups basic human rights for centuries. People are alive today who remember being denied the right to vote—you better believe that racist views, practices and policies are still alive as well. The Voting Rights Act "was used to block more than 1,000 proposed changes to voting laws between 1982 and 2006," and last year, it "was invoked to stop a voter identification law in Texas and a Florida law that eliminated early voting days, which would have made it more difficult for hundreds of thousands of minority voters to cast ballots." This provision is not outdated. It is still extremely relevant to our current political culture, and it is necessary to protect the basic rights of countless American citizens.

I share President Obama's disappointment in this ruling, and I am inclined to agree with Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's opinion that “Hubris is a fit word for today’s demolition of the VRA." We will see what actions Congress takes from here, but I am not optimistic. This is a sad day for American Civil Rights, which have been an integral part of our legal structure for the last five decades and should remain so for many, many more.

Why Catcalling is Not Okay

As an advisory board member for Take 5 for Your Dreams, I wrote a blog post this week for the What's Your Brave? blog series on sexual harassment and sexual violence. I chose to write about catcalling, a very public form of sexual harassment that some people dismiss as "not a big deal" or even think is a compliment to women. You can view the post on the What's Your Brave? site here or read it below.

                                                                                                                           

When I arrived in New York City at the beginning of June, I was nervous. Although New Orleans is a real-size city with all the crime, income inequality and political corruption that other big cities seem to have, it hasn’t prepared me for the bustling behemoth that is NYC. I am here in the city for the summer for my dream internship with an organization called 10×10, which works to promote girls’ education around the world. After living here for the past few weeks, I am starting to get more comfortable with the rhythm of the city.

Last night, I left my apartment in NYC around 9pm to make a quick run to the grocery down the street. From the moment I stepped outside, I was very conscious of the fact that I was out at night, alone, and, most importantly, a girl. I told myself that I was safe—the streets were well-lit, I thought, and surely women in New York go to the grocery store alone all the time. Nevertheless, I walked quickly, avoiding eye contact with anybody I passed. No one gave me any trouble.

I got to the store and wandered around for a bit, looking for popcorn and paper towels. As I walked past the meat counter, I heard a low whistle and someone behind me saying “Nice.” I turned and saw the man behind the counter looking at me, grinning in a way that immediately made me extremely uncomfortable. I frowned at him and walked away as quickly as I could. Although I was upset, uncomfortable and scared, I acted like nothing had happened. I quietly checked out and left the store, fuming all the way home.

This is not the first time I have been catcalled. “Catcalling” is the act of whistling, yelling at, or making unsolicited comments about someone, often in a public place. I was whistled at on a trip to Costa Rica when I was 15 by random men on the street at night. My first week of college, three boys yelled at my friend and I on a riverboat cruise, calling her “red” and me “yellow dress.” A young man in my university’s cafeteria yelled at me from ten feet away, saying “Hey girl, I see you. I see you playing with your hair.” In fact, I was even catcalled when I was in middle school. Not because I reached puberty early, or because I wore particularly exciting or revealing clothing at that age. Being catcalled has nothing to do with me beyond the fact that I possess a female body. All kinds of women—of every size, race, age and sexual orientation—in all kinds of places—cities big or small—get catcalled. Last night was not the first time it has happened to me, and it is undoubtedly not the last. And every time it happens, I react the same way: I pretend like I didn’t hear, or I look at the catcaller quickly and walk away. Although on the inside I am angry, scared and uncomfortable, I always try to act like it doesn’t affect me.

Why do I do that? Why didn’t I tell the guy at the meat counter to back off, or at least tell his manager about his inappropriate behavior? Why do women feel like they can’t respond to this kind of harassment?

I think the answer to these questions is multi-faceted. First, I have to say that some women do respond; they tell their harassers to leave them alone or to back off. These women are brave—that is a hard thing to do. And here’s why:

• First and foremost, that kind of harassment is scary. For a woman, especially if she is alone, it is frightening when a strange man yells or whistles at her, and it is difficult to respond. When a man she doesn’t know is giving her that kind of unsolicited, unwelcome sexual attention, she will probably feel immediately unsafe around him and will not want to engage him further in any way.
• Second, society has told women from the moment they arrived on this planet that above all, they should be polite and not cause a scene. This idea has been so culturally reinforced throughout our lives that we, as women and girls, sometimes even risk our own safety in favor of not being rude or drawing unwanted attention to ourselves. When a stranger yells at us from across the street, instead of yelling back that he should keep his comments to himself, we might just walk a little faster and keep our heads down. We have been taught our whole lives that the worst thing a girl can be is aggressive and rude, even to harassers.

Being catcalled does not make me feel pretty or desirable. When a man I don’t know whistles at me or comments on my appearance, it is not a compliment. Catcalling women and girls is a way to remind them that when they are out in public, they are public domain. That when a girl is on the street or in a store at night, her body is not her own. I am an 18-year-old girl living in New York City for the first time. I have dreams, thoughts, opinions, and feelings. When I am out—night or day, alone or not—I want, like anyone else, to be seen as a human being. But when a strange man catcalls me, he is reminding me that I am first and foremost a female body that he and any other man has the right to access.

These messages to girls that their bodies do not belong to them but are instead public property are internalized at a young age. In my eighth grade all-girls health class, my teacher was talking to us about catcalling. She asked us if she were to come to school in nothing but a sports bra and track pants, would she deserve to be whistled at by male students? My class of eighth grade girls almost unanimously responded yes, of course: if she wants to wear revealing clothing, then she just has to deal with that kind of behavior from men. My teacher then explained to us that no, no matter what a woman or girl wears, she does not deserve to be harassed—she is not asking for the input of strange men, and she should not have to be subjected to their catcalling. Looking back on this class, it shows me how early in our lives girls are taught that it is our responsibility to control men’s behavior and that we do not ultimately have a say in what happens to our bodies.

One of the reasons men continue to catcall and harass women they don’t know is because this behavior goes largely unpunished. As I explained before, it is difficult for women to push back against this kind of harassment, and onlookers certainly don’t often jump in to help. Therefore, I would like to end this post with an open letter to men everywhere.

Dear Men Who Catcall Women:

Just don’t. She doesn’t want your input. She doesn’t want to know that you think she’s got a nice body. Her self esteem does not depend on the opinion of a (creepy) stranger, and her body is not yours to comment on, whistle at or harass. She is a human being, and her mere existence does not mean she owes you anything. To Men Who Catcall Women, from women everywhere, I say: Back off.

Dear Men Who Don’t Catcall Women:

I know that some of you do not immediately understand why catcalling is a problem, as it is probably something that has never happened to you. However, if a woman complains about being catcalled, do not challenge her. Don’t argue with her. Don’t tell her that it wasn’t a big deal, or that it was just a compliment. Women have heard it all before, and the truth is, it’s not your place to decide if it was a big deal or not. To Men Who Don’t Catcall Women, when a woman tells you that it is harmful: believe her. If you dismiss or belittle her experience—even if you have never catcalled a woman in your life—you are part of the problem.

To men and women everywhere who stand up for women’s bodily integrity and autonomy, I say: Thank you. Keep doing what you’re doing.

All the best,

Gabriella

Leaning In

Sheryl Sandberg, the well-renowned and inspiring woman who just so happens to be the Chief Operating Officer of a little company called Facebook, wrote a book and founded a non-profit around her concept of “leaning in.” The idea is that despite the fact that women face systematic and institutional blocks when climbing the corporate ladder, women can take control of their fates by leaning in—by being more assertive and self-confident. 

Lean In is both the title of Sandberg's book and the name of her nonprofit

This concept of “leaning in” has recently been widely discussed and critiqued in the media. One common criticism is that it is unfair to tell women it is their responsibility to overcome structural inequalities and obstacles. That we should focus on fixing the system instead of essentially telling women just to do it themselves. While I certainly see this side of the argument—I definitely do believe that we need to work to address these systematic issues that keep women down in business, politics and other sectors of society—I also think there is something empowering in telling women not to wait for that to happen.

I went on a retreat this past weekend to train to be a Generation Know Ambassador with U by Kotex and Girls for a Change. The mission of the U by Kotex campaign is to empower girls with complete and accurate information about their bodies and their periods and to eliminate the shame surrounding them. As a Generation Know Ambassador, I will be designing a project (or two, or three...) to break the silence about periods and vaginas, to bust the harmful myths associated with them and to spread the word about girls' health and knowledge of their bodies.

The retreat was absolutely wonderful. There were approximately 28 girls from the US and Canada ranging in age from 15 to 23. All of these girls were clearly passionate, intelligent and ambitious. Although we only had a weekend together, our group leaders led several engaging activities to help us get to know and connect with one another. One of the first small activities we did made a particular impression on me. While we were all sitting in one large circle, one of our group leaders told us to “lean in.” She meant this literally: she wanted us to lean our bodies forward, lingering in this position for a few moments. She had us note the sense of vulnerability we felt in that moment: no longer completely balanced, moving closer into a space of people with whom we are mostly unfamiliar. Then she wanted us to think about times when we feel similar vulnerabilities in our lives, when we venture out farther than we are generally used to, when we take risks and are uncertain about what the outcomes might be. She then described this concept of “leaning in” as making yourself vulnerable, yet therefore more able to learn new things, explore new ideas and even meet new, wonderful people.

To get in the know, visit ubykotex.com

The first thing I thought of as she was explaining this concept was, unsurprisingly perhaps, Sheryl Sandberg's concept of leaning in. I thought about how their conceptions of this idea were different: Sandberg wants women to be more assertive and confident, and my group leader wanted us to allow ourselves to be vulnerable and step out of our comfort zones. When I thought about it more, however, I realized these ideas were really quite similar. The idea behind “leaning in” is about taking risks, putting yourself out there, believing in yourself enough to allow for some chance of failure and knowing that failure will not define you. These behaviors are generally discouraged in women, who above all are expected to be “likable.” Not ambitious, nor assertive, nor risk-takers, but rather nice and inoffensive. And this is an idea I reject, as a woman, as a feminist, and now, thanks to this amazing opportunity from U by Kotex and Girls for a Change, as a Generation Know Ambassador.

As an ambassador, I will be working to empower girls with information about and respect for their bodies and the amazing things that they are capable of. And I believe that the more we are confident about, comfortable with and proud of our bodies, the farther we, as women, will be able to lean in. 

If the World Were 100 People

In my Certified Peer Educator (CPE) training for my job as a peer health educator, we have been reading chapters from the textbook Peer Health Education: Concepts and Content by Hong, Robertson, Catanzarite and McCall. I have had a lot of problems with this text, especially concerning its (mis)information on sexual health and responsibility. For example, the textbook highly recommends the use of spermicides containing nonoxyl-9, an organic compound that immobilizes sperm. However, there are a whole host of problems associated with nonoxyl-9 that the book fails to mention. For example, many women experience allergic reactions to nonoxyl-9; besides being quite uncomfortable and unpleasant, this increased irritation causes more vaginal lesions. This, according to a study conducted by the World Health Organization, can increase the incidence of HIV infection, despite the book's claim that spermicides provide “substantial” STI protection. Indeed, according to kidshealth.org, spermicides alone do not prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs). In addition to increasing the risk of contracting HIV, regular use of nonoxynol-9 has been shown to increase the risk being infected with human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer.

Anyway, enough with the rant on nonoxyl-9. My point is, despite the fact that I have encountered quite a few frustrating problems with this textbook, I came across a section that really intrigued me in the chapter about the importance and value of diversity.

“Consider this,” the book says. “If we shrank the world's population to a village of 100 people, it would look approximately like this:

• There would be 57 Asians, 21 Europeans, 8 Africans, and 14 would be from the Western Hemisphere (North and South America). 
• 51 would be female, 49 male. 
• 70 would be non-white and 30 would be white. 
• 30 would be Christians, 18 Muslims, 13 Hindus, 6 Buddhists, 5 Animists, 1 Jewish [sic] and 27 would be other (Atheist or no religion). 
• 50% of the village's wealth would be in the hands of only 6 people, and all 6 people would be United States citizens. 
• 70 would be unable to read. 
• 50 would suffer from malnutrition. 
• Only one would have a college education. 
• No one would own a computer.” 

Although the use of the word “Jewish” as noun is somewhat absurd and reminiscent of the Mandy Moore movie Saved (“She was the only Jewish ever to attend American Eagle academy”), the overall concept of representing the world population as a village of 100 people seemed clever and caught my attention. I decided to look into this idea a little further.

Even though this book was apparently updated in 2011, most of its statistics seem quite outdated. With some quick research, I came up with what I believe to be a slightly more modern representation of the world if it were condensed into a village of 100 people today:

• There would be 60 Asians, 11 Europeans, 15 Africans, and 14 would be from the Western Hemisphere (North and South America).
• 50 would be female, 50 male.* 
• I could not find clear statistics regarding the percentage of people who are white/non-white, but several sources indicated that the ratio is closer to 80:20 (80 people would be non-white and 20 would be white), rather than 70:30. 
• 32 would be Christian, 23 Muslim, 16 no religion, 15 Hindu, 7 Buddhist, 6 Folk, .8 Other, .2 Jewish 
• 1 person would have 35% of wealth, 5 people would have 62% of the wealth; 5 people would be from the US, and those five people together would have 25% of world's wealth 
• 16 people would be illiterate**
• 14 people would suffer from what the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization calls “undernutrition.” 
• 7 would have a college education.
• Between 10 and 20 people would own a computer or at least have access to one (statistics on this are vague and vary from source to source) 

Despite its outdated statistics, this textbook has a pretty valid point: “When seeing the world from such an incredibly compressed perspective,” the book says, “the value of both tolerance and understanding becomes glaringly apparent.”

Do with this information what you will (and be sure to check my facts—clearly I don't have a problem challenging information that I read, and neither should you!). Statistics can be misleading, and sometimes they don't mean much unless we know exactly how they were calculated (and by whom). Nevertheless, looking at this (perhaps not entirely accurate but still interesting) representation of the world is certainly thought-provoking.

After I had painstakingly looked up every individual statistic, I came across this website that has posted its own representation of “If the World Were 100 People,” as well as references to detailed research and source information and the 1992 statistics by Donella Meadows who originally came up with this concept. This portrait of the world uses slightly different indicators to represent the population, but the idea is the same. The world is not nearly so big—nor so homogenous—as we are sometimes led to believe. If we could always view the world this way—as a pretty small group of people who, although quite different in backgrounds and beliefs, are just trying to make their way through life like you and me—maybe we would all be a little more understanding, a little more open, and a little more tolerant.

It sounds idealistic. It sounds a little dreamy. But maybe, just maybe, we would.

Disclaimer: Most of the information in this post—if no other link was provided—comes from Wikipedia, which I wholeheartedly support as a source of accurate, reliable information.

*The sex ratio for the world population is about 101 males to every 100 females. This gender imbalance is affected by numerous factors: although women statistically live longer than men, more male babies are born than female babies. This is because the “natural sex ratio” is 1.06 males for every 1 female; that is, without any external interferences, naturally more male babies are born than female babies. However, certain environmental, social and economic factors also contribute to the gender imbalance of the population in which there are a greater number of males. For example, in certain countries female fetuses are selectively aborted, and in more extreme cases, female babies fall victim to gender-based infanticide.

**According to the CIA World Factbook, “There are no universal definitions and standards of literacy. Most presented rates are based on the ability to read and write at a specified age. Information on literacy, while not a perfect measure of educational results, is probably the most easily available and valid for international comparisons. Low levels of literacy, and education in general, can impede the economic development of a country in the current rapidly changing, technology-driven world.”

Girls Impact the World Film Festival Winners

Today, I received this email from Lila Igram, founder of Connecther, an organization that “helps women help themselves.” 

The Girls Impact the World Film Festival held its inaugural awards ceremony honoring girls who are impacting the world through film at Harvard College on Saturday, February 23, 2013. The Girls Impact the World Film Festival, co-sponsored by Connecther.org & the Harvard College Social Innovation Collaborative called on students to submit 3 - 5 minute films on issues related to advancing women and girls globally. The GITW Festival Awards Ceremony screened phenomenal films, all made by students, addressing global health, education, child marriage, sex-trafficking, women in media and many other issues. The winning film, International Boulevard by Zoë Simone Yi and Rebecca Dharmapalan, Oakland School for the Arts - was a shocking documentary about sex-trafficking in Oakland, CA. 

Christy Turlington Burns, founder of Every Mother Counts had this to say about International Boulevard, "Great job bringing a global issue closer to home. Great use of experts, great film production. Had a very cohesive message and was informative all the way through."

"This film was excellent. The message was very clear and the use of interviews with people on the front lines was a strong mechanism to frame the issue." Jean Oelwang, CEO of Virgin Unite

Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus said, "Informative and insightful. Makes you think deeper into the issue of sex trafficking."

Other judges include Maria Eitel (CEO Nike Foundation), Nobel Laureate Leymah Gbowee, Pat Mitchell (CEO of the Paley Center for Media), Robb Moss (Harvard film-making professor), Zainab Salbi (Founder of Women for Women) and Jeff Skoll (Founder of Participant Media).

1st Runner up went to Teen Pregnancy Second Runner up & Cisco's Most Innovative Film Prize went to This is a Girl.

People's Choice went to Because I Am a Girl.

Please see what Jean Oelwang, CEO of Virgin Unite had to say about the event here.

We would love to hear from you. Please do write with comments and/or feedback. Also, check out & like our Facebook page for pictures of the event at: www.facebook.com/connecther

Looking forward to next year! This is only possible with your support!

The GITW Team

Lila also told me in the email that "In many ways, watching It Only Takes a Girl inspired us to do this . . . you continue to make a huge impact!" I am very honored that Connecther feels that my video played a role in inspiring this amazing project. This festival was a truly wonderful way to get girls involved in issues that affect all of our lives. For more information on Connecther, please check out my blog post “Highlighting Charities.” They are a great organization that I have been following for a long time. Please take a moment to watch some of these incredible winning videos, and spread the word!

Newcomb Scholars

First of all, exciting news: as of the writing of this post, we only need about 2100 more views on the video to reach the big FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND. Woohoo! (Tell your friends!)

Next, I wanted to fill you in a bit on what's been going on with Newcomb Scholars. I guess I should begin by saying—I got in! Indeed, I have been a Newcomb Scholar since late November, but I haven't brought it up since I told you all about the program back in October.

We began our career as Newcomb Scholars on December 1 with a day-long “retreat,” in which we played some icebreaker games, came up with general rules and guidelines for our cohort, and generally got to know one another better. Since that time, we twenty girls have been meeting every Tuesday and Thursday at 8:00am for a seminar on “The History and Philosophy of Higher Education.” Basically, we have been reading about and discussing women in college through the years.

I have gotten to know some of the girls in my cohort quite well, and they are all wonderful women. Today we turned in our first major assignment of the semester, a short essay on some aspect of the history of Newcomb College. I chose to write about the Newcomb Women's Center—a center for women formed in the 1970s whose purpose was to counsel Newcomb women on career planning—and its involvement in Second Wave Feminism. Below is an excerpt from my essay:

“A Woman's Place is Every Place.” This popular 1970s slogan, which was often seen on bumper stickers and buttons across the nation, encapsulated the spirit of the mid- to late-twentieth-century women's movement known as the Second Wave of Feminism. This feminist movement began in the 1960s and lasted until the 1990s, and it's message was clear: women must no longer be confined to the home but must instead be free to explore their capabilities and ambitions without the oppressive restraints of patriarchy. Some of the most important issues of Second Wave Feminism, which questioned the dominant conception of a woman's role in society, included educational and career equality, women's reproductive health and sexuality, and laws and politics concerning women.

The feminism associated with the Second Wave permeated all levels of society, including the university. Although Newcomb College was, in some respects, a typical conservative Southern school, as an all-women's college it inevitably became involved in this social movement. In particular, the Newcomb Women's Center, today known as the Newcomb College Center for Research on Women, was active in the feminist ideals of this time. This center, though initially intended as simply a lounge, art gallery and career counseling center for Newcomb women, became involved in different aspects of Second Wave Feminism through its various programs, courses, events and resources. . . .

Women's centers like Newcomb's began forming in various universities around the country, and many of them had a particular focus on identifying and combatting obstacles to women's participation in society. As Mariam Chamberlain explains, many of these centers “went beyond [the education of women] to include some of the radical ideas of the growing women's movement . . . women's lives, roles, and expectations.” The Newcomb Women's Center was no exception. Indeed, in March 1975, Newcomb invited the famous anthropologist and author Margaret Mead to speak at the center's dedication ceremony honoring the Newcomb alumnae who raised over $50,000 to fund the center. Mead, an important feminist thinker in the 1970s, delivered a talk to over 400 people in the second-floor lounge of Caroline Richardson about “The Changing Role of Women.” According to the Newcomb Women's Center's print publication Womentalk, Mead explained that “now men and women are all doing most of the same things. Women are becoming more active in public life and men are more active in the home.” However, she said, “On the whole, many women are stuck still. College-educated homemakers are the cheapest form of labor we have in the United States.”

I went on to describe how the women's center promoted women's advancement in careers, women's health and reproductive freedom, and political and social equality for women, concluding with:

Today, the Newcomb Women's Center has become the Newcomb College Center for Research on Women, but its importance and influence are hardly lost. The Center was created in the height of the Second Wave of Feminism, and there could not have been a better moment for it. Overall, this era of feminism saw the “development of women-only spaces and the notion that women working together . . . would ultimately work for the betterment of the entire planet,” and the Newcomb Women's Center certainly proved this point true. With its emphasis on career counseling, sexual health and freedom, and political equality, the Center provided a space for Newcomb women of all ages to come together and work toward a brighter future for womankind. A woman's place truly is every place, and the Newcomb Women's Center saw to it that every woman found hers.

I am thoroughly enjoying this class, and I am loving getting to know my fellow Newcomb Scholars. I look forward to the next three years we will spend together—even if it does mean waking up for an 8am seminar!

Newcomb Scholars Class of 2016