Wear White for Women's Rights

Why did you choose the color white?

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 23:20:01 -0400

Partially under inspiration from Leymah Gbowee’s peace movement in Liberia, partially from the original suffragist movements in the UK and the US, and partially because it can mean so many different things. Some of the interpretations are explored in this post.

Pictures from the Staunton, VA meet-up.

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:47:00 -0400

Pictures from the Staunton, VA meet-up.

Study: Corporations Pay Women CFOs 16 Percent Less Than Men

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 20:33:25 -0400

Study: Corporations Pay Women CFOs 16 Percent Less Than Men:

stfuconservatives:

In case you were wondering whether the gender/wage gap is still a problem: yes. It’s actually a little worse for women in the financial indusyry, according to Think Progress:

“At the moment, women in America earn about 77.4 cents for every dollar earned by their male counterparts, and as we’ve been noting, the pay gap extends to even the most lucrative of industries. In the financial sector, women earn about 55 to 62 cents for every dollar made by men, while women who head major lobbying firms make about 57 cents to the dollar.”

-Jess

erosum: Gloria Steinem [x]

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:43:54 -0400

erosum:

Gloria Steinem [x]

American Shakespeare Center staff members in Staunton, Virginia,...

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 18:00:27 -0400

American Shakespeare Center staff members in Staunton, Virginia, proudly wearing white for women’s rights!

walksnfoxs: wearwhite4womensrights.tumblr.com Christine, in...

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 16:12:28 -0400

walksnfoxs:

wearwhite4womensrights.tumblr.com

Christine, in Sandy Hook, Virginia!

From Lizzie Scarboro in Georgia.

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:41:46 -0400

From Lizzie Scarboro in Georgia.

Tattered, Tagged, Treasured: Wear All White for Women's Rights

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:31:01 -0400

Tattered, Tagged, Treasured: Wear All White for Women's Rights:

I don’t generally want to get too political on this blog because I’m not a political person. But I do quietly believe what I believe and, on this one post, it is okay with me for us to all be a little less quiet and say what we believe. I believe in my right to choose. I stand for as few limitations on that right as possible. I need affordable access to health care.

Think I’m nuts? Feel the same? All okay here.

She’s got some fantastic photos — wearing the white in style.

Out of the Lotus: Rockin' the White for Women's Rights

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:30:01 -0400

Out of the Lotus: Rockin' the White for Women's Rights:

Today, April 2, people across the country are wearing white in support of women’s rights and against the latest backlash against women, this time lead by conservative Republicans. A Facebook page has been created, and although the number of participants is small, I’m doing my bit. Why? It’s a small gesture, but big things have usually started small. I do it, in large part, to honor my fore mothers who struggled to gain basic rights for women that we now take for granted. Like voting. Like safe and legal abortions. Like not being property.

I do it because I feel as if we are experiencing a national nightmare with regards to women’s freedoms and our right to exist as free persons in a free nation. Women are the majority population in this country and on this earth. It is only by staying informed and engaged that we will retain any kind of political power and self-determination.

It’s a no-brainer.

Joni Mitchell writes
“Truth goes up in vapors
The steeples lean
Winds of change patriarchs
Snug in your bible belt dreams
God goes up the chimney
Like childhood Santa Claus
The good slaves love the good book
A rebel loves a cause”

Fight on.

The Next Step You’re up and about and wearing white...

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 08:13:49 -0400

The Next Step

You’re up and about and wearing white — fantastic! So what next? Why not take the opportunity today to contact your elected officials at the local, state, and federal levels, to let them know how you feel about women’s rights? Let them know that you’re watching their votes and that you will remember how they treat women come election time. Encourage them to stand with us, and thank the ones who already do. Most of all, just make the contact. Their job is to represent you. They should know how you feel.

Here’s our suggestion — edit at will, or write your own. A personal message is always best.

I am contacting you today in regards to women’s right that are currently coursing through our nation’s consciousness and raising extremely high levels of concern for all of us who value women’s freedom and the equanimity that should be as available to women as equality is to any subgroup of people.

The support of any of the bills currently in debate in congress about women’s rights, specifically but not limited to, reproductive rights, is the one of the most egregious acts of discrimination and sexism that I, one of your constitutes, have ever experienced.
I encourage you to fight against these bills, to stop allowing them any debate in session, and to definitely not let them pass into law.

I am sending you this email today to remind you:
that women deserve honesty from their doctors - 100% of the time

that a fetus’s life is not more important that the mother’s

that state sanctioned rape is still rape and not ok

that it is not ok to charge a mother with attempted murder
for a miscarriage

that it is not ok to force women to carry a stillborn baby to term

that it is not ok to take away the funding of women to receive medical treatment to make a political point

that it is not ok to fire a woman because she is taking a medicine you disagree with

More over, I am writing you to remind you that I voted you in, and I can vote you out too.

For these and many other reasons I am asking you to stop allowing laws to be introduced that restrict access of a single subset of people, in this case, women, into even the debate among the legislation of both state and country. Stop these bills before they start, and if you cannot, then stop them before they pass.

Thank you.

Find out how to contact your elected officials.

‘Huge shift’ among female voters gives Obama lead in battleground states

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 22:17:48 -0400

‘Huge shift’ among female voters gives Obama lead in battleground states:

There is often a gender gap between the two political parties, with woman voters tending to favor the Democrats while a majority of men support Republican candidates. In recent weeks, however, as the Republican Party has become embroiled in the contraception issue, that gap has widened into an abyss.

Tomorrow’s the big day! And the Facebook Event now has...

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 20:56:07 -0400

Tomorrow’s the big day! And the Facebook Event now has over 1850 registered participants! We’re so proud to have so many people standing with us, and we can’t wait to hear how the event goes for everyone.

So here, once again, is the the event information round-up:

And here’s the round-up of meet-up information we have so far:

We can’t wait to see pictures — you can submit them here on Tumblr or on the Facebook community.

Thanks again, everyone!

War on Women? Pushback against legislation gaining ground

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 18:44:24 -0400

War on Women? Pushback against legislation gaining ground:

A new movement is pushing back against a growing list of legislation targeted at women.

“The ongoing war against women is being challenged,” said Edna Kunkel, Wisconsin’s liaison for the group United Against the War on Women.

A protest is planned on Saturday, April 28, on the Capitol grounds in Madison.
The organization has already gained 1,500 supporters in the state and 20,000 nationwide. The immediate impetus is what they see as an assault on reproductive rights, and they aren’t alone.
Read the full article

quinnmichigan: Non-Western feminist history of the day: Hoda...

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 17:27:08 -0400

quinnmichigan:

Non-Western feminist history of the day:

Hoda Sha’rawi was an Egyptian feminist, nationalist, and political activist who educated women and helped them leave the house and get involved in public, political life. In 1919, she organized a women’s protest against British colonization and in 1923 she organized the first public defiance of wearing the veil in public. She also published a women’s magazine, represented Egypt at international women’s conferences, founded the Egyptian Feminist Union, and advocated women-run social service projects to assist women and children.

Wear All White for Women's Rights - April 2nd, 2012

Sun, 01 Apr 2012 16:17:01 -0400

Wear All White for Women's Rights - April 2nd, 2012:

Tomorrow’s the day! Y’all ready?

We would love to see pictures of you all resplendent in your white wardrobes — you can submit to this blog and/or to the Facebook community.

Thanks for standing with us!

New York City, 1915

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 22:01:07 -0400

New York City, 1915

aeferg: A message to Planned Parenthood women’s rights...

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:59:17 -0400

aeferg:

A message to ~~Planned Parenthood~~ women’s rights supporters from President Obama.

Watch the whole video here.

#MY GODDAMN PRESIDENT #THAT’S RIGHT

The Facebook Event now has over 1750 registered participants!...

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 19:21:25 -0400

The Facebook Event now has over 1750 registered participants! This is fantastic — let’s keep it going! Reblog, repost, reTweet, make sure all of your friends are invited, get it out to your community. Let’s see if we can get it to a round 2000 by Monday.

With all of that in mind, I’m reposting the event information round-up:

And here’s the round-up of meet-up information we have so far:

Organizing a meet-up in another city? Let us know about it!

We’re so pleased and proud to have so many people standing with us on Monday. Thanks to each of you for being willing to take a stand.

Meet-Up: Washington, DC

Sat, 31 Mar 2012 08:30:35 -0400

If you’re going to be in or accessible to our nation’s capitol on Monday, April 2nd, here are some simple meet-up details:

Meet up at Dupont Circle between 6 and 630.
Walk about 630-7.
Disperse for drinks/dinner.

We’re confirming a point person for this meet-up, and I’ll edit the information in here as soon as we have that.

Whether you can make the meet-up or not, we appreciate you taking a stand with us, wherever you are!

Cougar fights for women’s rights

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 23:56:08 -0400

Cougar fights for women’s rights:

(Headline clarification: Neither a wildcat nor an attractive post-menopausal woman — though I don’t doubt there are plenty of either who would fight for us — but rather referring to the University of Houston Cougars)

Frustrated with recent legislation, like the mandatory sonogram bill, alumna Reesa Graham decided to create an event, “Wear White For Women’s Rights,” which will take place Monday.

The purpose of the event is to encourage people to stay informed, talk about issues and vote.

“The real goals of this movement are empowerment, education, motivation and change. I want us all, average citizen and lawmaker alike, to remember who has ultimate control over this — and that’s us — the voters,” Graham said. “I know our political system is far from perfect, but if we don’t speak up when it matters, then it will never get any better.”

Graham, who currently lives in New York City, said she never considered herself political until recent events “forced” her to pay attention.

“This whole thing started because I was so frustrated at what was happening in the world around me,” she said. “I was home on a Saturday evening, reading yet another article about yet another crazy bill that impeded on women’s rights. This particular one was the one in which a Georgia Senator compared women to livestock. And reading the comments that people had written (online) as well, the outrage that people had.”

Graham said on that evening she came across Nobel Peace Prize-winner Leymah Gbowee’s nonviolent protest for women’s rights in Liberia. Gbowee inspired Graham to start her own movement.

“There is so much outrage online, but no one does anything with it. We make our comments on bulletin boards and articles and then walk away,” Graham said.

“I wanted to find a way that the average American could support this movement — Americans who may not have the resources to travel or even the ability to take the time off work.”

As far as her critics go, she said what is most important to her is that she and her board respond to any feedback by being polite and civil.

“I am tired of politics being about who can out-rude the other.

“No one learns anything that way; people spend too much time defending against the attack,” Graham said

Graham asks people to wear all white or a white shirt with pink “I support women’s rights” on it Monday to remind those who write and pass bills to think twice about the laws they are trying to pass.

“I want everyone to have a voice, and I want to find a way in which all those voices are heard,” Graham said. “Restrictions or laws that effect only on a single subset of people — in this case, women — is discrimination, pure and simple. Discrimination, in all its forms, should be fought against at all times and by all people.”

For more information, go to www.facebook.com/WearAllWhiteForWomensRights.