women's rights

The Problem of Women’s Rights and Politics in Ecuador

Angelo Franco

This distinction is significant because it elucidates the current role of women in this South American country, both at the political and constituency levels. Practices and philosophies that may appear commonplace within American politics are disputably still in their infancy in Ecuador. And while women may make up 38 percent of the National Assembly in Ecuador, the power they yield to enact legislature for women’s rights remains largely dependent on the executive branch: PAIS Alliance, the president’s political platform, controls the assembly with 74 members out of 137. 

Fighting for Women’s Rights, Roy Hollander is His Own Worst Enemy

Stephanie Stark

Unfortunately for Hollander, his reputation precedes him. A self-proclaimed “serial anti-feminist” who has advocated against the Violence Against Women Act, sued Columbia over having a women’s studies program (without a men’s studies program) and a New York City nightclub for having a “Ladies’ Night,” which he says is discriminatory toward men. His aim in this case isn’t for equal opportunity for women and men, it’s for Hollander alone to feel Schadenfreude.

From Agnes Towler to Peggy Olson: The Working Woman on Television

Sophia Dorval

When Julia hit the airwaves in 1968, much was made of the choice for that sitcom's titular lead character, a pre-Dynasty Diannh Carroll portraying another small screen first, a Black woman in a non-servile position.   In contrast to the revolutionary tone of the raging ‘60s, Carroll's Julia was a suburban single mother, nurse and Vietnam War widow who provided lighthearted laughs for three seasons.  This precursor to The Cosby Show helped Carroll make history as the first Black actress to earn an Emmy nomination as a lead actress in a comedy series.   

What Would Gloria Steinem Think?

Nancy Lackey Shaffer

When Gawker Media’s Jezebel debuted in 2007, its mix of pop culture and feminist snark garnered some 10 million monthly page views, stealing thunder (and traffic) from its parent site, Gawker.com. At the same time, statistics showed that women were surpassing men in terms of Internet usage. Women were going online in unprecedented amounts, and the public was starting to notice. Women continue to use the Internet as a tool for organizing and discourse, largely through blogs and social media sites.

Subscribe to RSS - women's rights