If you’re looking for a fun and fast way to, uh, get really depressed over how badly the Republican party has been messing with women’s rights (and many other rights), this is the website for you! It’s also good to toss at someone who is demanding really specific examples.
Be aware that this is obviously partisan. Democrats aren’t perfect either, but the site focuses exclusively on Republican infringements, which may be enough for others to discredit it as a source.
Here’s a handy chart that ranks countries by the number of women they have in their national-level governments. There are also details on the upper and lower houses, or, depending on the country, the House and Senate. Percentages are included, so you can see how female representation compares to male.
This is a good blog that addresses the rampant sexism in the gaming industry. Unfortunately I’m not really a gamer myself, so I haven’t been able to verify its credibility. I also haven’t gone very far back into its history, so please let me know if you notice problematic (eg ableist, transphobic, etc.) language; I don’t want to be promoting that.
finchleerat asked: In this post: http://factsforfeminists.tumblr.com/post/3047972257/i-recently-received-a-submission-of-fgm-statistics
you say there are forms of FGM that "are actually not risky or overly painful, and in fact increase female sexual pleasure." I was just wondering what these forms of FGM entail and what cultures practice them. Because i've only ever viewed FGM as a very negative thing, but it seems i might not have the whole picture...??
TRIGGER WARNING FOR FGM
I’m actually very uncomfortable discussing this subject. There’s a lot of conflicting information out there, and as a privileged white woman from the U.S. I often think that my energies are better focused on areas I fully understand. That said, it’s really important to learn about these issues— but please keep in mind that I am by no means an expert source.
First of all, it’s important to keep in mind that Western feminists very easily fall into a “rescuer” mentality that allows us to view ourselves as knowledgeable heroes, and “all the brown people” as exactly the same: victimized and in need of our intervention. This is really dangerous; it generalizes, it’s a very privileged view, it erases countless women and experiences, and it’s impossible to truly do good without good and true information. So I don’t want to fall into that, and I don’t want anyone else to make the mistake of doing so.
As I wrote before, forms of FGM vary a lot from place to place. We can all agree that forced FGM is absolutely unacceptable and needs to end. The same goes for FGM practiced in unsanitary and dangerous conditions (as in, with broken glass, without anesthetic, etc).
However, such conditions are not constant. FGM is actually not even a good blanket term; a lot of people prefer Female Genital Cutting or Female Genital Surgery. Because in some places (and again, I’m using my memory of sources like The Feminist Hub, so keep in mind I’m no expert) the surgery is consensual and totally humane. For instance, there’s clitorodectomy, which (if I remember correctly) involves scraping the top layer(s) of skin off the clitoris, which actually makes it easier for the woman to orgasm.
It’s really important to keep in mind that the procedure happens across a myriad of cultures. Universal condemnation erases those differences. I absolutely agree that it’s disgusting when five-year olds’ labias are sewn shut, for example. That needs to never happen. But it’s not the only thing that happens, and we can’t get caught up in the Big Western Heroes narrative like we have in the past.
(I’d also like to direct those interested to this post, which is also very informative and talks about Western bias and hypocrisy too.)
leckerspecter asked: I've argued with a pro-life person who says that women who have abortions are at greater risk for drug abuse afterward. Naturally I don't believe it, there are a thousand ways you can skew a study like that, but I haven't been able to find any counter studies.
These are some pro-life studies I found [which contain plenty of other false facts so I definitely don't trust them]:
http://afterabortion.org/2005/abortion-and-substance-abuse-link-often-overlooked-womens-health-review-reports/
http://www.abortionfacts.com/reardon/abortion_and_substance_abuse.asp
I was wondering if you've heard this argument and have seen any studies against it that I could share.
Unfortunately, your link doesn’t seem to be working. But I can certainly answer your question!
The American Psychological Association and the Guttmacher Institute, both of which are neutral and unbiased sources, have both conducted studies that show no connection between mental health problems, drug abuse, etc. and abortion. The APA study states that there is “no evidence that a single abortion harms a woman’s mental health,” and that women who do have such problems afterwards are often the victims of other variables such as substance abuse or domestic violence. Note that the issue of substance abuse precedes abortion in these cases. The Guttmacher study found “no conclusive evidence directly linking abortion to subsequent mental health problems.”
While both these studies address mental health specifically and drug abuse as an aside, I think it’s safe to classify drug abusers as not being in good mental health, so this evidence still applies. Again, neither of these organizations had an agenda when they set out, so they’re certainly more reliable than any anti-choice studies you looked at.
I’d also like to direct anyone who’s curious about abortion towards Rabble Pro-Choice, a Tumblr devoted to the issue. It’s a fantastic resource and you can talk directly to the people who run it if you’re confused about anything you see there.
Thanks for the question!
http://0-blog.wcu.edu.wncln.wncln.org/socialpsychologylab/research/humor-research/
Understanding the social consequences of disparaging humor interests me because of its pervasiveness in social interaction, and because It has a subtle power to change social realities (definitions of a social context) and thus affect behavior. In our research we’ve focused to this point on the social consequences of exposure to sexist humor. Our findings demonstrate that sexist humor is not simply benign amusement. For men who have sexist attitudes it can create a perceived social norm of tolerance of discrimination against women, and as a result, increase personal tolerance of discrimination against women and even increase willingness to engage in sexist behavior without fears of disapproval.
Here’s another good source on what “casual jokes” do to people and to society. Pass this link on to anyone who jokes about rape, sexism, etc.
After some consideration I have chosen not to publish it. I’ve read wildly varied accounts of the most common types of FGM (female genital mutilation), its cultural significance, and its effect on women; I don’t want to risk publishing something inaccurate and further discredit an entire culture.
I really appreciate the submission I got, but it was very anti-FGM. I understand that’s a common stance, but I’ve read pieces (even a few on Tumblr) suggesting that some forms of FGM (actually a controversial term in itself) are actually not risky or overly painful, and in fact increase female sexual pleasure. Again, I can’t be sure that these sources are correct, but that makes me further hesitant to jump into the debate. This is, after all, Facts for Feminists and not Speculation About Other Cultures We’re Not Totally Sure About for Feminists.
That said: if any of you have reliable and extensive knowledge of FGM, please contact me and maybe we can work out a longer, more explanatory post.
Whether you’re arguing with an anti-choicer or doing your own research, this is a fantastic article to use. A comprehensive study in Denmark has disproved the popular theory that abortions are bad for women’s mental health. The study addresses “several critical limitations that have afflicted some other studies that purport to show causation between abortion and subsequent mental health problems” and “confirms what the best scientific evidence has long shown—that there is no causal link between abortion and mental health problems.”
[Thanks and credit to ivehadtoomuchtothink for sending this in! If you want to submit to Facts for Feminists yourself, you can do so here.]
According to a study published in Psychology of Women Quarterly, “the results suggest that seemingly innocent overtures – checking women out or complimenting them on their appearance – have remarkably negative effects on women.” You probably already knew that, but this provides some evidence to back you up if you ever need it.
[Thanks and credit to ivehadtoomuchtothink for sending this in! If you want to submit to Facts for Feminists yourself, you can do so here.]
![icancstructures:
The Gender Gap in Wages
More information on unequal pay.
[Image description: a bar graph shows the gender gap in weekly wages for the fourth financial quarter of 2010. In management and professional positions men were paid $1,267 and women were paid $937. In service positions, men were paid $585 and women were paid $421. In sales and office positions, men were paid $732 and women were paid $602. In natural resources, construction, and maintenance positions, men were paid $724 and women were paid $533. Finally, in production, transportation, and material moving, men were paid $641 and women were paid $468. At the bottom, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is cited as the source.]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfrvjlSm9w1qalod2o1_500.png)
More information on unequal pay.
[Image description: a bar graph shows the gender gap in weekly wages for the fourth financial quarter of 2010. In management and professional positions men were paid $1,267 and women were paid $937. In service positions, men were paid $585 and women were paid $421. In sales and office positions, men were paid $732 and women were paid $602. In natural resources, construction, and maintenance positions, men were paid $724 and women were paid $533. Finally, in production, transportation, and material moving, men were paid $641 and women were paid $468. At the bottom, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is cited as the source.]
Your one-stop resource for the statistics, websites, news pieces, and blogs you need for calling out sexists, teaching allies, and educating yourself.
TRIGGER WARNING for discussions of rape, rape culture, and sexism in general.
