Antigone Magazine

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Welcome to Antigone Magazine’s new Blog!!!

2007-03-30T08:16:00.000-07:00

Antigone Magazine is a semi-annual magazine about women and politics at the University of British Columbia. Founded by Amanda Reaume with the help of WILLA UBC (Women Involved in Legislative Leadership Association), Antigone Magazine is a magazine about women, politics, women in politics and the politics of being a woman.

The name ‘Antigone’ comes from a Sophoclean play by the same name about a woman who defied the patriarchal political order of her state because it sought to stop her from doing what she believed was right. Her act of political resistance is one in which her own conscience superseded the unjust politics of the time and forced her to step out of ‘her place’ as a woman in order to redress a wrong that had been done. She was chosen as the namesake of our magazine because in our minds she represents the female voice that refuses to be silenced.

Antigone Magazine has covered topics ranging from the history of Childcare in Canada to the current state of women in federal politics and interviewed prominent female politicians like Green Party Leader Elizabeth May and former Prime Minister Kim Campbell.

Antigone decided to launch this blog because we wanted to provide a forum and community for young women to discuss news stories about women and politics in BC, Canada and the world.

We believe it is important to discuss and advance issues that matter to women. We also believe that there is a general lack in the Canadian blogosphere of forums that deal exclusively with women’s issues and women in Canadian politics. We also believe that young feminists (primarily in Vancouver) need a rallying point from which to work for change.

We therefore hope you will enjoy our mix of news, stories, commentary and event listings centering around women in politics and the Vancouver feminist community. It is about time that women were put back on the agenda!!

The Antigone Magazine Blog hopes to showcase a variety of different viewpoints from women affiliated with a number of different political parties, as well as, from those who take a non-partisan standpoint. For this reason, the views of any one blogger do not necessarily represent the views of the magazine as a whole.

We would like to welcome our current Bloggers:

Edith MacHattie

Kristen Myres

Kaitlin Blanchard

Amanda Reaume

Jill Gordon

Xenia Menzies

If you are interested in blogging for the magazine, please e-mail antigonemagazine@hotmail.com. Otherwise, we welcome you all to contribute to the discussion in the comments section of the blog!

Please feel free to submit info to our ‘Weekly Events’ feature to be run every Monday (Please submit all information by the Friday before and make sure your subject line says ‘Weekly Events’).

Dawn Black

2007-04-05T08:27:00.000-07:00

Dawn Black is a fascinating woman and interviewing her was a wonderful experience. One of the things she brought up in her interview was the need for women from all ideological and party backgrounds to work together.

I think that women from the conservative and progressive sides will always have differences but there are ways to work together and cross the ideological divide.

This is one of the main things that Antigone wants to encourage with our non-partisan blog and magazine. In what way to do YOU think women can come together?

Kim Campbell

2007-04-05T08:39:00.000-07:00

It’s not everyday that you get to have tea with a former Prime Minister. Interviewing Kim Campbell was a wonderful experience and one that I will not soon forget! She is a fiercely intelligent and passionate woman and it was a great pleasure to sit down with her and speak to her about women and politics.

In her interview, Campbell talks a lot about the need women have to find a work/life balance when they get involved in politics or the business world, and how much of the changes in women's lives have come from a reimagining of men’s roles. As Campbell says:

The advancement of women has been as much a transformation of male roles and expectations as the removal of formal barriers.

This made me think about stay-at-home dads and the growing phenomenon of men choosing to be primary care givers, as well as, the way in which such positions redefine and refigure typical masculine roles. What I find interestin gis the number of men who have chosen these roles which are, indeed, more than you may think!

Two other interesting takes on men and feminism are articles by male feminists about how feminism has benefited men (and all people).

Feminism also benefited me in my relationships with women. The women I dated in college and afterward no longer looked as me as a 'success object' -- someone who would provide for them. They were strong and motivated enough to take care of themselves. They sought careers and adventure, and a man who would be an equal partner. Thus, I had the luxury of dating, and eventually marrying, a woman whose full potential was not curtailed by society's limitations.

Interesting stuff! If there are any men reading - I'd love to know how you feel about feminism. Also, it would be interesting to hearhow both young men and women intend to maintain a work/life balance and deal with child care issues...

Women Know Your Limits!!

2007-04-09T16:46:00.000-07:00

This is a lovely video about why women should not give their opinions in the company of men. Hilarious! An actual quote from the video:

The lady has foolishly decided to join the conversation with a wild and dangerous opinion of her own. What half-baked drivel! See how the men look at her with utter contempt

Homophobic Comedies...

2007-04-09T17:11:00.000-07:00

The CBC has a fascinating article entitled 'Funny That Way:Blades of Glory and the Homophobic Impulse'. Its a great expose on one of the things I hate - the tired reliance of 'gay jokes' for cheap comedic effect. Because it's okay to laugh at gay people...

Even in 2007, post-Brokeback Mountain, post-Ellen and Rosie, when Grey’s Anatomy star Isaiah Washington is chastened by his bosses and sent to rehab for referring to a gay castmate as a “faggot,” making fun of gays is still comedy gold. With so many targets now forbidden from the comedy repertoire (like Jews, black people, women … unless they are horny, fat, black women played by men in padded suits — you go, Eddie!), gay men are one of the last remaining minority groups that can be mocked with impunity.
Because what’s funnier than suggesting that two guys with – as Chazz would put it – “matching dongs” are doing it? Such anti-gay humour doesn’t just litter sophomoric gross-out comedies like Little Man, Boat Trip and the Scary Movie franchise, but shows up in the relentless gay-baiting banter between Simon Cowell and Ryan Seacrest on family-friendly American Idol, as well as in popular, mainstream movies.

I know. I know - I'm confirming the fact that feminists have no 'sense of humour' (I beg to differ my friends... I happen to be very funny!). As a devoted 'fag hag' myself, Blogger PegsPirate at Soup is Good Food articulates how I feel about this best:

There's this excuse when people go into comedies that they aren't there to think. That has to be the lamest excuse for tolerating this kind of hate.
Imagine saying to a gay friend: "I'm going to see a movie that gets its laughs by saying gay behaviour is 'icky,' 'unmanly,' and something real men don't ever dare stray into ... but that doesn't mean I'm homophobic or I hate you, I'm just going because I want a brainless laugh." Call me crazy, but that would make you a bad friend.

A Girl Like Me

2007-04-11T08:45:00.000-07:00

Kiri Davis, 16, is the maker of this amazing film called "A Girl Like Me". It was featured in our latest issue under 'Five Things we Love' and I just wanted to link to it so you could all see how great it was! Here are Davis' own words regarding what she wanted to accomplish by making this film:

I wanted to make a film that explored the standards of beauty imposed on today's black girls. How do these standards affect her self-esteem or self-image. Through making this film I learned a lot about where some of these standards might stem from.

What if Belinda Had Been Bob?

2007-04-12T08:45:00.000-07:00

I have always been fascinated with how much ire, and spite that mentions of Belinda Stronach occasion. I first became interested in her when she ran for the leadership of the Conservative Party. At the time, I was shocked by how badly she was treated and ridiculed by the media and the general public. Apparently, because she was blonde and good looking, she was also necessarily stupid. After her break up with Peter McKay and her subsequent move to the Liberals, we also found out that she was essentially what boiled down to being a useless prostitute. Excellent. Lovely. Wonderful. And here I thought we were in the 21rst century. My apologies, shall I get out my apron now and get back in my place?

Think what you like about Belinda, but I strongly believe that the way in which she was treated in public life is indicative of a problematic gender bias within politics that is simultaneously disavowed even as it is perpetuated. Whenever I hear people talk badly about Belinda they like to contend that it has nothing to do with her gender... even when they are attacking things that have everything to do with her gender. They then, of course, go on to attack other prominent women in Canadian politics like Kim Campbell, Rona Ambrose and Martha Hall Findley claiming its not 'women' per see that are the problem but just these women. Uh huh. Okay. Keep believing that.

In the recent Chatelaine, Kim Campbell mentions Belinda saying: "She would have had a better ride if she were not a woman." I think that's something very interesting to consider. What if Belinda wasn't a woman? What if Belinda had actually been born 'Bob' and Bob Stronach had suddenly appeared on the scene to run for leadership of the Conservative Party? Would the media or anyone else have been so concerned about calling him a 'Silly Heir'(And can someone please tell me why Heir is not nearly as derogatory as 'Heiress)? Would his experience at being CEO of one of Canada's largest companies have been discredited as Belinda's so often is? Would he have simply been called Daddy's Boy, a silly, stupid creature who has had everything given to him and who has no hope in politics?

Or would people have said that he had 'balls' for running for leadership in 2004? Instead of you know... those icky 'ovary' things that Belinda has... as if anyone possessing those could be gutsy or a good leader! Because having ovaries and, even more offensive, having blonde hair and being attractive means that you're an idiot. Life is, after all, the punchline of a dumb blonde joke.

In my interview with Kim Campbell, what I really appreciated was her comment on how women's successes just don't 'stick' to them in the same way men's do. Of the 18 men that preceded Kim Campbell as Prime Minister, only 8 had more cabinet experience than she did. But that didn't stop people, and the media, from characterizing her as someone who had never done anything before!

So, I want to take this moment to consider exactly what Belinda has done in her career in business and politics, so that maybe the next time someone immediately tries to characterize her as a good for nothing 'woman' (Ewww!), they perhaps think twice and actually look at her accomplishments and whether they think they are good or bad at least take them for what they are. Its time that women's accomplishments start to have staying power!

Belinda Timeline: (Courtesy of Wikipedia)

A member of the board of directors of Magna from 1988 until 2004.
Became a vice-president of the company in 1995 and executive vice-president in 1999, until her appointment as president and chief executive officer.
Has chaired the boards of Decoma International Inc., Tesma International Inc., and Intier Automotive Inc., all in the auto parts sector.
Was a founding member of the Canadian Automotive Partnership Council and served on the Ontario Task Force on Productivity, Competitiveness and Economic Progress.
Is a director of the Yves Landry Foundation, which furthers technological education and skills training in the manufacturing sector.
In February 2001, she was appointed chief executive officer of Magna. While CEO, the company added 3,000 jobs in Canada. Under her leadership Magna had record sales and profits each year.
In 2001, the National Post named Stronach as the most powerful businesswoman in Canada; and, in the same year, the World Economic Forum named her a "Global Leader of Tomorrow." Fortune Magazine ranked her #2 in its list of the world's most powerful women in business in 2002.
She was also named one of Canada's "Top 40 Under 40." In April 2004, Time Magazine ranked her as one of the world's 100 most influential people.
In 2004, she contested the leadership of the newly formed Conservative Party, finishing a strong second to Stephen Harper.
In the 2004 federal electionn, she was elected Conservative MP for the riding of Newmarket—Aurora in the Greater Toronto Area.
On May 17, 2005, she crossed the floor of the House from the Conservatives to the governing Liberals and entered cabinet as minister of Human Resources and Skills Development and minister responsible for Democratic Renewal.
During her time as MP Stronach chaired the Liberal’s Women’s Commission and was instrumental in launching the Liberal’s Pink Book, which contains policy suggestions for issues that affect women.
Stronach was targetted for defeat in the 2006 election as part of Conservatives' larger goal of a breakthrough in Ontario, especially in the Toronto suburbs (popularly known as the 905s). However, while the Conservatives won a minority government, Stronach defeated her Conservative challenger, Lois Brown, by an eight-point margin.
She was a strong voice for women in politics and for liberal renewal.
In 2006 She co-chaired the Millennium Promise Convention in Montreal with Canadian Television personality Rick Mercer. This event was a national campaign to enlist Canadians to help protect children in Africa from the ravages of malaria.

Damned if We Do, Damned if We Don't...

2007-04-12T09:54:00.000-07:00

Okay... so don't worry, this blog is not turning into an "All Belinda, All the Time" free-for-all but upon the announcement of her retirement from politics and her return to Magna I would like to look at Belinda as a way through which to analyze an interesting problem that I think a lot of women who are in politics confront.

This is of course tedious questions about appearance! Indeed, it seems that women just can't do anything right when it comes to how they look. Whether its suggesting that Rona Ambrose worries more about her hair than her portfolio, or endlessly theorizing about aspects of Hillary Clinton's body, hair or fashion sense, there seems to be a much greater concentration on the way female politicians 'look' than on their politics, and definitely a much greater concentration on their appearances than on those of their male counterparts.

But if we criticize women for looking 'too good' and therefore being silly bimbos like Stronach or Ambrose who, in concentrating on their appearance so much, supposedly neglect their political roles, we perhaps malign those who do not fit into our aesthetic ideals for women even more.

Sheila Copps, who was so often maligned in newspaper editorial cartoons for being 'dowdy' wrote about this for the Toronto Sun:

In my early years I was not too concerned about the wrapping. I believed what I had to say should trump what I was wearing. But I should probably have taken those lessons more to heart. A current editor of this paper covering my run for the provincial Liberal leadership in 1982 described my hairdo as a roman helmet. I, of course, thought he should be covering my ideas and not my head. But, especially for women politicians, appearance counts.
I once had a voter pledge his support because he liked my teeth. I regularly received letters from Parliament watchers commenting on what I wore and suggesting material changes, literally. One fan (and I use the term advisedly) even offered complimentary botox treatments.

Feministing has a great analysis of how the fashion choices of female politicians in Washington are endlessly written about and debated as thought they were relevant news.

Women are often seen as too boring for wearing conservative 'safe' suits, or too 'sexy' or 'preoccupied with fashion' for wearing more stylish garb. The moral of the story... its not fashion or hair that is the problem but 'women' themselves. How can you get it right, if essentially, the problem is not your fashion choices or your hair but indeed, your gender.

Stronach's political mentor, former Ontario premier David Peterson, spoke to the Canadian Press about the attention that Stronach got saying:

"Look, good-looking women get more attention than they probably deserve. But they also get more criticism than they probably deserve. The bad part is everybody's got an opinion on your hair colour and who you're going out with."

But I wonder when is this extra 'attention' ever a good thing? When has there been a prominent, attractive female politician whose appearance and corrolary intelligence were not a major source of debate? Or a supposedly 'dowdy' female politician who did not get ridiculed for her looks? Likewise, when has there ever been a male politician who had to experience either of those extremes?

And why are female politicians more often fodder for the gossip columns and style pages then they are for the news sections and op-eds. Just take this 'lovely' feature in the National Post which compiles the works of a gossip columnist over the course of Belinda's career in politics.

In my case at least, Stronach was right yesterday when she said that her bad experience in politics has actually been an inspiration for other women:

"While there are many nasty and ugly comments that have been made, it has also in a strange way has inspired younger women to get involved because they want to change that," she told CTV's Mike Duffy.

I for one think that it is about time that this is changed for women in politics and women in all walks of life... After all, with popular radio host Imus, calling the Rutgers Women's Basketball team nothing but a bunch of 'Nappy Headed Hoes' how can we deny the ways in which women's accomplishments in any field are trumped or outshone by their appearance which is considered the ultimate arbiter of their identity and value? Are women only worthwhile if they are attractive and conform to beauty ideals? How silly of me... I thought we'd gotten to the point where we could consider people based on the content of their character.

Just for fun: Feministing subjects male politicians to the same criticism that women have to go through about their appearance... it's quite funny.

I'm a feminist because...(Randy Reaume)

2007-04-12T12:38:00.000-07:00

Antigone is launching a new feature called "I'm a feminist because.." in which we do short interviews with men or women of all walks of life who self-identify as feminists. Since my father recently 'came out' as a feminist this Christmas and since he's played a key role in raising me to believe that I can do anything despite my gender, I wanted him to be the first person featured. So, here is his interview... which I must say made me all misty eyed and reminded me of why I love my father so much!

What does 'feminism' mean to you?

Feminism is to me a natural thing. Unfortunately, we cannot avoid the imposition that humanity and society make, without consideration to each person's individuality, of positive or negative influences on its members. My personal viewpoint has always been to focus on the potential and the contribution each individual makes on his or her time.

With societal imposed standards of conduct and morality on sexuality and gender, the impact of each individual’s uniqueness is inhibited. Feminism is the tool we wield to break the mold of normalcy and make others question the norms.

Why do you think its important to consider yourself a feminist?

I have three daughters. My goal from the beginning was to mold their attitudes and actions so as not to accept the societal stereotype. As a new father sitting many times in the middle of the night trying to calm an upset infant, I realized that I held in my arms (whether it was a male child or a female child) the unlimited potential of a free willed human being. My goal as a father was to allow that unlimited potential to be freed and cultivated.

As the project manager of this endeavour, I will admit the challenge at the time seemed daunting and at times unrealistic, but oh what a challenge it would be to raise a child unafraid to reach for whatever success they desired and not be held back by societal norms but stretch for that elusive desire many would not begin to strive for. Therefore, if feminist is the label society would give me for my efforts then I feel it is important that I be identified as such. However, my goal was always for the title of a responsible parent.

How has your feminism influenced the way you act in your life?

Feminism has always caused me a great deal of consideration. I mean to say through the many trials I have faced since becoming a father of a daughter, I have tried when possible to consider my response at each fork in the road.

I suppose had I been the father to all male children I would not have followed an enlightened path. Instead, I would have probably continued in the mold of my all male family. However, once I was given the responsibility of raising a female child I had to rethink all of my norms; evaluating and CONSIDERING paths, reactions, responses, and plans for their best interests.

What main hurdle do you think women still face?

Women themselves are the main hurdle women still face. Until women stop allowing themselves to be denigrated, decide to demand that those attitudes change and drive that change through their daughters by infusing them with the knowledge that they do not have to subject themselves to this treatment, the male will continue to take advantage of their sexuality.

I for one think we have taken a huge step backwards in realizing our feminist goals by allowing the hip hop and rap industry to publish the denigrating music and videos our youth culture is being subjected to. The male youth will see this as an opportunity to objectify women and their sexuality rather than to glorify in the strengths each brings to the table.

What do you think is the most misunderstood aspect of feminism?

The misunderstanding of who a feminist is. I am quite sure that many who do not truly know my beliefs would not view me as a feminist, in fact, I may even be viewed as being chauvinistic. Thank god my daughter knows who I really am.

June Callwood Remembered

2007-04-16T07:19:00.000-07:00

June Callwood was a fascinating woman and one who worked passionately for women's rights in Canada. Among her other many accomplishments, she was instrumental in founding Casey House, Jessie’s Centre for Teenagers, Digger House, Nellie’s hostel for abused women, PEN Canada, the Canadian Civil Liberties Foundation, and Feminists Against Censorship.

This is a great article about her life:

She made an enormous contribution to Canada because she gave so generously of herself,” said longtime friend, broadcaster Betty Kennedy.

Callwood passed away this weekend at 82. She will be sorely missed.

Pro-Choicers Read Antigone!

2007-04-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

On April 5th, Antigone showed up to support the protest against pro-life group Genocide Awareness Project or G.A.P and to hand out a couple of copies of our new issue! A coalition of numberous student groups came out to protest:

Pro-choice demonstrator and UBC student Kelsey Patton explained that while freedom of expression is important it must be balanced with other concerns.

“While it’s important that groups have freedom of expression on campus,” said Patton, “If that freedom of expression infringes on other peoples’ rights and it’s degrading and offensive to other people there needs to be measures put in place to address those concerns.”

The problem that most students have is not the pro-life message but the way in which that message is communicated - through large graphic images in the middle of campus throughways and through offensive comparisong to genocides like the Holocaust.

Anyways, we at Antigone want to thank those people who protested against the display and to spotlight them here! Here are some pictures from the protest:

Chris Walsh with unidentified protestor

Sarah Taylor hands out leaflets!

WILLA President Kristen Myres

Elise Lanthier-Brun rocks this great sign!

Karenna Gore Schiff Reads Antigone!

2007-04-19T08:01:00.000-07:00

That is Karenna reading Antigone... and also my
hand passionately explaining to her what it's about!

Well, Antigone and I went on the road Tuesday and Wednesday to Chicago for the 2007 International Athena Conference and Antigone made quite the splash! For those who might not know, Athena International is an organization that seeks to support and promote women's leadership.

The organization believes that "What is honored in a country will be cultivated there" (Plato) and this concept led them to the idea of acknowledging and honoring those quiet leaders, mostly women, whose efforts were adding immensely to the fabric of their communities while they remained unacknowledged and not visible as leaders.

I would like to emphatically thank the Windsor Chamber of Commerce's Athena Committee for naming me one of their 2007 Scholarship winners and enabling me to attend this wonderful event! Here's a picture of the other two 2007 scholarship winners and three members of the Athena Committee of Windsor.

Anyways, getting to the post's title, the foundation was honouring Karenna Gore Schiff, the daughter of former Vice President Al Gore and the writer of Lighting the Way: Nine Women Who Changed Modern America , a book about unacknowledged female leaders. Not only was she reading Antigone, but she is going to do an interview with the magazine talking about women in politics in the US. She was definitely fascinating to talk to and listen to and she has said that she would consider going into public service in the future - she would make one great politician!

So, who else did I manage to wrangle into promises for interviews? Well, I'm glad you asked. Look forward to interviews with Martha Mayhood Mertz, Athena International's Founder, Shinae Chun, the Director of the Women's Bureau in the US Department of Labor and Sandra Pupatello, Ontario's Minister of Economic Development and Trade as well as, the Minister Responsible for Women's Issue.

Also, I managed to get some ground covered in potentially expanding Antigone Magazine to other Universities! Look forward to more news about that over the summer! And if you would like to see just how much fun we had - check out the album I posted on facebook with all the pics from the trip (this link should work even if you aren't a member)!

Amanda Reaume, Toni, Martha Mayhood Merz, and Cathy Dishke Hondzel

Race/Class/Disability/Sexuality and Politics...

2007-04-30T06:32:00.000-07:00

So, at Antigone we're committed to talking about women and politics and to working towards the equal representation of women in politics. For this reason, I should be very happy about the new Quebec cabinet which is composed of 50% women right?

Well, first of all - women actually lost seats in the Quebec election. Quebec, which previous to the election lead provincial legislatures in the representation of women in politics with 30.84% fell to only 25%. Furthermore, let us close look at this picture:

Notice anything? Although there are a nice representation of women... there is a very paltry representation of any other minority groups. Here's the problem then with the drive for more women in politics.

Although I am thrilled that people like Stephane Dion are taking women in politics seriously and making a concerted effort to increase women's involvement - what about the other minority groups that aren't being represented either? And what about women who belong to more than one of these minorities? Efforts to get women involved in politics that ignore other minority groups' lack of power within the political arena are thus problematic. Why are women so special? What about visible minorities? People with disabilities? Immigrants? The GLTBQ community? And how can we have proper representation for average Canadians if the political sphere continues to be a classist organism, in which the majority of people who come to power are from the upper class or upper middle class?

While I don't think that positionality necessarily means that you will represent the identity group that you belong to, many studies have shown that women, for example, on average vote differently than men and advance legislation with different values. This is less a product of the 'inherent' differences between men and women and more a product of life experiences. It helps when talking about reproductive rights to actually have someone with a uterus in the room. Similarly, when talking about immigration, it gives you a different perspective to have the opinion of an immigrant on the matter.

When I spoke with Kim Campbell, one thing that she said that struck me is that we have to figure out the type of person we want in politics and then work towards making politics accomodating to them. I think this is an important piece of the struggle. In order to get more minority groups active in politics and representative of the groups that they belong to, we have to first decide that it is worthwhile to do so and then the different parties must seek such candidates out.

Canada's First Female Supreme Court Judge Dead

2007-04-30T13:36:00.000-07:00

I wanted to make sure to post today in memory of Bertha Wilson, Canada's first female Supreme Court Judge. She died at age 83 in Ottawa. Says an article on her passing at Canada.com:

Bertha Wilson was known for her generosity of spirit and originality of thought,” said a news release from Beverley McLachlin, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.
Wilson, one of the most controversial judges ever appointed to the Supreme Court of Canada, helped transform Canada’s legal landscape in the early years of the Charter of Rights.
A Trudeau appointee, Wilson sat on the court from 1982 to 1991, handing down watershed rulings on abortion, mandatory retirement, and battered wife syndrome.

Segolene Royal Watch Part 1

2007-05-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

So, there are currently two female politicians running for leadership of their countries that are captivating the attention of the world. Most people have heard of Hillary Clinton and her current run for the Democratic nomination for president in the US, but fewer are familiar with Segolene Royal, who is running for president in France. Both women would be the first female presidents of their respective countries if elected.

A google news search of Ms. Royal reveals just how compelled the world is by her run: there are articles from India to Australia, from South Africa to Seattle about her campaign. Everyone wants to know how she is doing, how she is being treated and received as a woman and what this means for women in politics worldwide.

As such there has been a lot of fascinating articles written about her and women in politics in general. For this reason, I propose Royal Watch - a feature here that will be following the rest of her run and the media and theorizing that attends it. Today's offering? Its from Bulgaria:

Ségolène Royal, the left-wing finalist for the French presidency, appeared to acknowledge yesterday that she needed a near-miracle from a debate on Wednesday to save her from defeat next Sunday by the conservative Nicolas Sarkozy. As opinion polls showed Mr Sarkozy maintaining a five-point lead over the 53-year-old Socialist, Ms Royal threw caution to the winds and said yesterday that she could appoint François Bayrou, the centrist who was eliminated on April 22, as her Prime Minister. Ms Royal needs most of Mr Bayrou’s seven million voters from the first round if she is to have a chance of defeating Mr Sarkozy, leader of the governing Union for a Popular Movement, on May 6.
On Saturday she held a friendly televised debate with the defeated candidate in which she appealed across party lines. She recognised the challenge facing her yesterday as Mr Sarkozy rallied 40,000 supporters in a show of strength at a Paris stadium. “It is difficult, because I think there have been 200 polls saying that Nicolas Sarkozy is going to win, but voters are free,” she said on Canal+ television. “He is going to have to accept debate and especially account for his past actions,” she added. The pair are to meet in their only debate of the campaign on Wednesday evening.
About 20 million people are expected to watch. French presidential debates, staged since 1974 in the days before the run-off, have a history of turning the tide.

Sounds interesting! I'm going to try to watch... if I find out how to do so - I will update that info here.

Ruby Dhalla in a Pink Dress...

2007-05-02T08:29:00.000-07:00

The Ottawa Citizen has an article about the dangers of being the political 'It girl' in Canada, in that everyone has an opinion on your political and sartorial actions and as much as you might be feted for being an attractive female, you'll just as soon be tossed out like yesterday's trash. The article talks about a feature on Ruby Dhalla's in Chatelaine entitled (I kid you not) Ms. Chatelaine, A Women of Style and Substance. In it, Dhalla has on (God forbid!) a pink dress that shows her... well... her breasts.

A month after Canadian feminist icon and former Chatelaine editor Doris Anderson died, the magazine she headed for 20 years featured a photo of up-and-coming Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla in its April edition under the heading "Ms. Chatelaine: A woman of style and substance."

Encouraging women to enter Canadian politics was one of Anderson's passions. Equal Voice, an organization dedicated to getting more women elected in Canada has even set up the Doris Anderson Fund in her memory, "to be used for Doris's most passionate cause -- achieving electoral reforms that will help more Canadian women gain political office."

So putting a spotlight on Dhalla -- who is not only the youngest woman but the first Sikh woman elected to Parliament -- a month after Anderson's death seemed like suitable timing.

Except for one thing: For the photo shoot the 33-year-old Liberal critic for social development was dressed in a pink ballgown. A very low-cut, bubble-gum pink ballgown. In fact, from the angle chosen for the shot, Dhalla looked like she was on the brink of wardrobe malfunction.

I have no problem with politicians showing their breasts. After all, I would like more politicians to have breasts. However, I do share a bit of the writer's skepticism. Who chose this wardrobe? What is the point of dressing Dhalla up in this fashion? And the writer wonders... is Doris Anderson rolling over in her grave?

Who knows? But it is worth asking whether the cause she held so dear is being undermined by Chatelaine's decision to portray Dhalla -- a chiropractor, businesswoman, activist and former actress, as well as an MP -- in an overtly sexy party frock. And whether that is just par for the course when it comes to the way the media, newspapers included, tend to portray female politicians in Canada.

As University of Alberta political scientist Linda Trimble warned Belinda Stronach -- the last "It Girl" of Canadian politics -- in a 2004 column, the media tend to "frame" female politicians.

"Why do they do this?" Trimble asked. "Well, female politicians are newsworthy because they are different. The novelty value of a young attractive woman playing a man's game has propelled you to the front pages, but there is a catch. Politics is framed to exclude women, and, if they insist on being included, to marginalize and trivialize them."

The article also features a quote from Dhalla herself who highlights how no matter what she wears it will inevitably make the news.

Dhalla, who is a friend of Stronach's, said she has been aware since she entered politics that women politicians are treated differently than men. "Every woman has to battle that to an extent ... It is one of the unfortunate parts of being female and being in political life."

"You have to look beyond it and be focused," she said. "If people choose to look at (your) esthetic qualities, so be it. At first it can be a little bit frustrating ... but then you get to know your issues and, at the end of the day, people start to look beyond all that stuff."

[...]

Judging by the number of articles mentioning Dhalla lately, she may be the latest "It Girl" in Canadian politics. And, as she has predicted, her clothes, hair and shoes will probably get as much attention as her political work.

Dhalla considers herself a mentor to young women and someone who sends the message that politics isn't just for old men in suits. And, she said, if she had dressed too conservatively in the Chatelaine photo, "even that would make the news."

Its unfortunate that we are so much more interested in what our politicians are wearing or in their hair colour (in Belinda's, the famous Blonde Ambition's case). I think Dhalla is particularly observant - women can't win in politics when it comes to fashion. I thus ask the very important question of why are we so obsessed with female politician's breasts? They're female. They have breasts. They may chose to show them or not given the clothes they wear. We should all stop being adolescents and get over it.

"Do Your Homework" - Royal Watch, Part 2

2007-05-03T07:48:00.000-07:00

Royal went up against Sarkozy yesterday in the French presidential debate. The winner? Well, that's apparently up in the air. Athough there was no clear winner, some reports favoured Sarkozy by a very small margin. Here's a rundown of the debate from the Times Online:

Dressed in a strict black suit that contrasted with her usual pale colours, she even suggested that Mr Sarkozy “do his homework” when the pair clashed over nuclear reactors.
Ms Royal and Mr Sarkozy sought to prove that each had the formula for pulling France out of its relative economic stagnation and sense of moral crisis, but the Socialist dwelt on her empathy for the people while Mr Sarkozy talked figures and policies.
“I want to be the president who creates a France where aggression and violence is receding, a France that will win the battle against unemployment,” Ms Royal said.
“You are in part responsible for the situation in which France finds itself,” she told Mr Sarkozy.
She accused Mr Sarkozy’s Government, in which he served as Interior and Finance minister, of failing to tackle unemployment and street crime. “Madame, do you want me to complete a sentence?” he asked at one moment, tripping over his words.
Ms Royal attacked him over his plans for heavy cuts in the civil service and cited the case of a policewoman who was raped last month as she returned from work at night.
“Under my presidency every woman police officer will be accompanied to her home after work,” Ms Royal said. She scored points when Mr Sarkozy denounced the 35-hour maximum working week, introduced in 1999 by the last Socialist Government .
“The 35-hour week was a complete catastrophe for the French economy,” Mr Sarkozy said. Ms Royal shot back: “Then why did you not scrap the law if it was such a disaster?”
Mr Sarkozy sought to depict Ms Royal as an old-school tax-and-spend Socialist, and gained the upper hand when he pressed Ms Royal on her plans for raising the incomes of the poor and pensioners with new taxes on business. “Give me figures,” Mr Sarkozy said.
She replied: “My tax will be at the level necessary for social justice.” He came back: “That’s a stunning piece of detail. Can’t you give us a figure?” Ms Royal replied: “No, I can’t.”
“I see,” said Mr Sarkozy, who began his career as a trial lawyer.
No winner or loser emerged at the end of nearly two hours, but the consensus was that she had performed better than expected against an opponent with superior debating skills.
“Ségolène Royal pulled it off well,” Stephane Foukes, a director of the Euro RSCG agency, said. “Sarkozy was no doubt guided by the fear of getting carried away.”
But commentators agreed that there was no knockout punch on either side.
Latest poll
53.5% Sarkozy
46.5% Royal

The Guardian's Madeleine Bunting also analyzes the debate, particularly Sarkozy's reaction to royal's forcefulness:

Sarko and Ségo head to head in a public debate for two and a half hours, watched by 20 million viewers, was a riveting piece of political theatre. And the flash point which encapsulated the entire debate was a fierce disagreement about Nicolas Sarkozy's policy on special needs education. But what made the exchange so intriguing was its blatant display of Gallic machismo: Sarkozy used, several times, the classic patronising put-down routinely fired at any woman when she is forceful: "Calm down! Calm down!"

It's a reference back to an era when women who had opinions or were assertive with their views were dismissed as "irrational" or "hysterical". A woman was expected to be seen not heard. Now, the phrase is a clever tactic to use in a heated discussion with a woman (men very rarely say it to each other) to infuriate and disorientate - and thus throw a woman off her argument. "Calm down" is a very effective wind up.

The woman is then not just defending her position in the argument, she is also having to defend her emotional stability. It's just one of many ways in which women get outmanoeuvred in debate, not because of the weakness of their argument, but because of the techniques of claiming and asserting authority are so culturally unfamiliar to women; they are bred into men from an early age, they are rooted out of women from an early age.

There has of course been some debate about whether 'calm down' was a sexist comment. Thoughts?

"Deliberately Barren" women not right for politics...

2007-05-03T08:14:00.000-07:00

Well, isn't this lovely. I've heard of female politicians being criticized for having children and being involved in politics, and thus not playing their proper 'Mommy' role, but now in Australia female politicians are being attacked for chosing NOT to have children. I didn't know that one's procreational choices were matters for public debate. Silly me.

Bill Heffernan said Labor Party deputy leader Julia Gillard did not understand the public because she had no children.

He has since apologised for the "inappropriate" comments, first made last year but repeated again this week.

Analysts say the incident will be an embarrassment for his close friend, Prime Minister John Howard.

Mr Howard has made it clear he does not support Mr Heffernan's comments.
"The question of whether people have children, whether they marry and have children, is entirely a matter for them and I do not think it should be a matter of public comment," Mr Howard told reporters.

I love how this isn't the first time he's made such remarks. I think someone should start criticizing him for being a bad father since he's away from his children all the time for his political career. Then perhaps he'd understand the pressure female politicians (and women in general) face because they usually have to take on the burden of care for children.

Facial Hair Prerequisite for Leadership???

2007-05-04T09:04:00.000-07:00

Women in Turkey are making a statement... with fake mustaches. No, this is not a new fashion statement. Fake mustaches will not be coming to a catwalk near you. Instead, it is the tongue-in-cheek antics of the Kader organization protesting the lack of women in politics in Turkey where only 2.2% of deputies are women and not even 1% are mayors.

To convey their message, the activists do not hesitate to burst onto political properties, brandishing moustaches and chanting the slogan 'Do you have to be a man to get in Parliament?'In adopting this symbol of Turkish virility, they hope to attract the attention of the ruling bodies of Turkish political parties and awaken the consciences of their compatriots.
According to Hülya Ugur Tanriover, professor at the University of Galatasaray, specialist in the representation of women in the Turkish media, the gap between the sexes remains rigid. If nothing juridicial prevents the participation of women in politics, reality is there to dissuade them. The traditional vision of a woman supposes that 'even if she works in the big cities, she is still considered first and foremost a wife and a mother.'

In Turkey, Kader’s ‘women in moustaches' campaign seems to have achieved its goal and attracted attention to the issue of parity in Turkish institutions. The newspapers have brought the association’s main personalities into the media spotlight, and the political parties have not been able to ignore the appeal. The majority of coalitions have decided to react, even if the measures taken are not currently achieving the ‘33% of women on the list of representatives and the ease of candidature for women’ that Kader demands.

I love it. It's great. It's effective. It's irreverent. It gets people's attention. Too bad there is still resistance among men.

And as for their masculine counterparts, 'they have said ‘yes’ to human rights, women’s rights, education, health, economy and even gender equality in the civil rights code and the penal code. But they hope that politics stays theirs,' analyses Seyhan Eksioglu. 'It’s the final rampart that affirms their force and their vision of the hierarchy that remains men’s.'

However, it is undeniable that better representation of women in political bodies would have something of an impact. 'That 52% of the Turkish population would finally be politically represented. It would mean addressing the issues directly concerning them,' states Kader's president. Major problems such as domestic violence, girls’ education and honour crimes would finally be properly dealt with, as well as more subtle issues such as the number of nurseries, equality of salary, changing the image of women etc.

Hmm... I must say that this method is brilliant. I reminds me of the Gorrila Grrls and their Gorrila masks. I wonder what Canadian feminists could do as an equivalent? Any suggestions?

Segolene loses... Royal Watch, Part 3

2007-05-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

So, Royal lost the election for president to right wing candidate Sarkozy. But oh, how her loss supplied the press with a juicy crop of sexist talking points! It seems everyone has opinions on Royal, none of which could possibly ever be divorced from her gender. For your amusement and horror, I am inclined to post those comments here. I often say here that we have so much further to go when it comes to including women in politics. If you're unsure of this point, I entreat you to read these 'lovely' and 'erudite' comments.

Michèle Alliot-Marie, the conservative defence minister known for her taste in trouser suits, said recently: “We do not want a president who changes her ideas as often as she changes her skirts.” She later summed up Royal’s performance in the televised duel with Sarkozy on Wednesday by saying: “Being vague is fine for fashion, not for politics.”

“This country doesn’t need a mummy to give it moral lectures,” said Catherine Millet, controversial author of The Sexual Life of Catherine M.

Clémentine Autain, communist founder of the Mix-Cité feminist group, sounded more afraid of the “puritan” Socialist candidate than she did of the “macho man Sarko”. “Her praise of motherhood, her old-fashioned speeches about the family, her way of saying she does politics differently because she is a woman, her fight against pornography – these are not at all my cup of tea,” said Autain.

“Her ‘I’m beautiful, look at me, I’ve got four children’ might impress a supermarket check-out girl but we don’t use that card,” said Nadine Morano, an MP from Sarkozy’s UMP conservative party.

What distresses me most is that these comments come from women.... who are... in politics!!! One would think they themselves would be tired of being judged by these same stereotypes and not want to perpetuate them. Of course, if you read the entire article in which these quotes appear, it seems like the writer was implicitly going for a 'cat fight' angle to the piece, stating that Royal's loss was in part due to lack of trust among women voters. At least there was one person inclined to stand up for Royal:

“Attacks on women are always about their person, never about their policies or their actions,” said Edith Cresson, the country’s first woman prime minister. “It was true in the Eighties and it’s still true today.”

Why Women Hate Hillary...

2007-05-09T07:49:00.000-07:00

The Portfolio Weekly offers one feminist voice on why women hate Hillary. I've heard a lot of this phenomenon, but I'm not too swept away by it myself. Although I have some fundamental problems with some of her policies, i definitely don't hate her. Here's why one woman does:

Hillary, by contrast, seems to want to be more like a man in her demeanor and politics, makes few concessions to the social demands of femininity, and yet seems to be only a partial feminist. She seems above us, exempting herself from compromises women have to make every day, while, at the same time, leaving some of the basic tenets of feminism in the dust. We are sold out on both counts. In other words, she seems like patriarchy in sheep’s clothing.

One of progressive feminism’s biggest (and so far, failed) battles has been against the Genghis Khan principle of American politics: that our leaders must be ruthless, macho empire builders fully prepared to drop the big one if they have to and invade anytime, anywhere. When Geraldine Ferraro ran for vice president in 1984, the recurring question was whether she had the cojones to push the red button, as if that is the ultimate criterion for leading the country. And while American politics has, for years, been all about the necessity of displaying masculinity, Bush, Cheney and Rove succeeded in upping the ante after 9/11 so that the sight of John Kerry windsurfing meant he wasn’t man enough to run the country. But now, with the massive failures of this callous macho posture everywhere—a disastrous war, a deeply endangered environment and more people than ever without health insurance—millions are desperate for a new vision and a new model of leadership.

Well, my obvious problem with this is that it presents the feminist movement as monolith - which we all know it most certainly is not. The author seems motivated by a very 'second wave' impetus to embrace the authentic 'female'. This always troubles me. I think there must be some middle ground between the first wave's assumption of masculine values and the second wave's embracing of 'feminine' values. And I have a problem with holding women up to a predefined idea of what women should be and judging them by how well they cohere to that image.

All of this frames many women’s reactions to Hillary. If she’s a feminist, how could she continue to support this war for so long? If she’s such a passionate advocate for children, women and families, how could she countenance the ongoing killing of innocent Iraqi families, and of American soldiers who are also someone’s children? If it would be so revolutionary to have a female as president, why does she feel like the same old poll-driven opportunistic politician who seems to craft her positions accordingly?

Maybe women like me are being extra hard on Hillary because she’s a woman. After all, baby boomer women couldn’t be "as good" as men in school or the workplace; we had to be better, to prove that women deserved equal opportunities. And this is part of the problem too. We don’t want the first female president to be Joe Lieberman in drag, pushing Bush-lite politics. We expect something better.

I think the questions raised in this section are very important but how are they intricately connected with Hillary being a woman? We need to stop holding women up and necessitating that they be 'better' than men to get into politics. It only effectively works to keep women and their voices out of politics. Perhaps instead we should just start expecting more from politicians - whehter female or male?

The Next Generation...

2007-05-10T07:22:00.000-07:00

My feminist activism has always been driven with the hope in mind that the next generation of women will have incredible opportunities that weren't available to women before them. Yesterday, this next generation became more than a vague idea to fight for. I became an aunt for the first time! Layna Grace will undoubtedly be a strong and beautiful woman and it is my hope that she will be able to accomplish anything she dreams possible. Congratulations to her parents Candice and Steve!