Ideas
Since i'm deciding to go along with starting a feminist club- which im going to aim for both boys and girls. Im going to try to give people the feelings that the club isnt only about women but how men have to live up to expectations that not all of them are comforable with.
In order to get attention, i was hoping to find some random interesting facts, that teenagers can relate too, about women and male issues.
Can anyone help me out?
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Perhaps you could consider this poem as one of your first feminist actions:
Call Me a Woman
By Nancy R. Smith, copyright 1976
About this poem: This poem was written during the 1970’s Women’s Movement. The last thing a woman wanted (or wants) to be called is a “girl.” See also For Every Woman.
I am twenty-five And when I am called a girl I speak like a girl: I flirt and giggle and play dumb. But when I remember I am a woman, I put away childish things And speak out, and share, and love.
I am thirty-six And when I am called a girl I think like a girl; I feel incompetent So I serve and help the men around me. But when I remember I am a woman, I put away childish things And work and create and achieve.
I am fifty-two And when I am called a girl I understand like a girl; I let others protect me from the world. But when I remember I am a woman, I put away childish things And decide, and risk, and live my own life.
Copyright © 1976 Nancy R. Smith 154C Shore Drive Peabody, MA 01960 webmaster@workplacespirituality.info (mailto:webmaster@workplacespirituality.info )
I've been thinking of your group since you posted for ideas, and also this morning when I read the 'about us' section of Community which says
"The community aspect of Feministing - our community blog, rating system, and related social networking sites (our Facebook group, YouTube page, and Meetup Alliance) - exist to better connect feminists online and off, and to encourage activism."
This is exactly what you are proposing (I hope) and wish you really well! It is a shame that nobody here has given you any suggestions - perhaps you could email an actual feminist group (feministing.com on the whole doesn't really conform my definition of a feminist group) or a women's studies department for ideas to start off with. Perhaps inviting 'older' feminists or asking the mothers of the group members would prove fruitful as well. Also find out about different types of feminism. I'll keep an eye out for any suggestions on the net. All power to you Kasha!
http://thefbomb.org/category/feminism/
Written by a teenage feminist.
Not so much a fact, but another poem - by Nancy R Smith. It even comes as a nice poster which you can put up in your club house :)
See / print the poster here (I think you can even get them to send you some):
http://www.crimethinc.com/tools/posters/gender_subversion_front.pdf
I thought about it because you mentioned "both boys and girls" which is the theme of this poem-poster. And it might appeal to them...
I've printed this one out for my seven year old sons, and it was a lovely way to talk about equality. It is a take on the original poem.
How about V-day? http://www.vday.org/ You can put on a production to raise funds for V-Day - registration is in September and you perform in March/Feb. The Vagina Monologues is easily one of the most empowering books I have ever read, and if you google Eve Ensler on Amazon you will see other books by her which are amazing.
nice poem, indeed.
The one thing I'd say with respect to teenage boys is that it's important to take their hormonal pressure seriously and not shame them for it, which is easily done using standard feminist slang, likely even without noticing it.
Here's one of the best feminist discussions of male sexual desires and the appropriate ways to deal with it in an equal society. Probably needs to be age-adapted depending on the group.
Biological imperatives and cultural response
http://saucebox.almeidaisgod.com/?p=85
hey, something you might try to include is a discussion based on a feminist quote. You can google that and a lot of sights will come up. You have to go through quite a few before you find one that doesn't just repeat quite a few of them, but you get a lot for many sights and you could have a pretty interesting discussion if you were to put a few of them together in some sort of a theme
Thanks to everyone - i have a club fair within the first weeks of school, i'll make sure to say how that goes (:
Thanks to everyone - i have a club fair within the first weeks of school, i'll make sure to say how that goes (: