This Wednesday: Audacia Ray

Audacia Ray: Sex work around the world

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
1 PM - 3 PM
Thomas Hunter Hall 309

Audacia Ray is a media maker and activist who is passionate about sexual rights. Presently, Audacia is the Program Officer for Online Communications and Campaigns at the International Women’s Health Coalition, an adjunct professor of Human Sexuality at Rutgers University, and the co-host of the monthly reading series Sex Worker Literati in New York.

http://www.audaciaray.com/

Audacia will be fresh from her trip to India. On this trip, she will be doing a media exchange between American and Indian sex workers.

She has explored this issue from many angles, and we're excited to have her come in and let us pick at her brain for a while.

The event will be open to the public -- as our doors are open, so we hope your mind will be.

View the facebook event page at facebook.com/HunterEquality

See you there!

Donation Drive for the Ali Forney Center

The Hunter Women's Rights Coalition (HWRC/"Hunter Equality") is collecting donations starting today for The Ali Forney Center. A box is available already in the club room (Thomas Hunter Hall room 309).

Items We Always Need:

* Non-perishable foods
* Toiletries
* Cleaning supplies
* Office supplies
* Twin sheet sets
* Towels and wash cloths
* Socks, underwear and T-shirts
* School supplies and bookbags.

New clothing and new or "gently" used linens are appreciated.
This list from here.

About this organization, from their website:

"New York City can be a brutal place for homeless youth and tragically, many young lives have been destroyed. At AFC, we are making a difference by rescuing kids from the dangers of the streets and placing them into our safe, homelike environments. [...]

Ali Forney was a homeless queer teen who was forced to live on the streets of New York during the 1990s. Ali was dedicated to the safety of other homeless queer youth; he was a committed HIV prevention worker, and aggressively advocated that the NYPD investigate a series of murders of the homeless queer youth he had befriended. Ali was an inspiration to those who knew him.

In December of 1997, Ali was murdered on the streets. His tragic death called attention to the atrocious conditions for homeless LGBT youth in New York. Ali's murderer has never been identified."

Here is a link to our Facebook event. Thank you for any and all donations! Your help is always appreciated!

Internship Opportunity: UN-INSTRAW 2010

UN-INSTRAW Internship Programme

The Internship Programme at UN-INSTRAW is designed to acquaint students or recent graduates with gender issues and the work of UN-INSTRAW and of the United Nations in general. Students spend anywhere from three to six months (or longer) at the Institute's headquarters in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Some internships can also be carried out "virtually" (i.e. from the intern's home base).

In line with the Institute's focus on applied research, knowledge management and capacity-building, interns assist in a variety of tasks such as preparation of policy briefs, background research, Internet searches, database development, preparation of abstracts of books and articles, organization of chats and discussion forums, and corresponding with focal points and other networks, among other activities.

The Internship Programme does not offer stipends or other financial support. Interns must cover their own travel and living expenses. Medical insurance coverage is required.
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Available Opportunities: 2010 INTERNSHIP PROGRAMME

Internships with the Gender, Migration and Development Programme:

• Information/Knowledge Management Intern (Click to download full description)

Internships with the Gender, Peace and Security Programme:

• Research and Information Intern (Click to download full description)

Internships with the Gender Training Community of Practice:

• Information and Networking Intern (Click to download full description)

Internships with the Knowledge Management Unit:

• Communications Intern (Click to download full description)
  
• Translation Intern (Click to download full description)
  
• Social Media Intern (Click to download full description)

Current INSTRAW Interns: Patricia Rivera (George Mason University, USA) Silvia Park (Universität Potsdam) Christina Duschl (University of Vienna, Austria) Celia Depommier (Westminister University, UK)

Programme Details Who is eligible? Women and men from any country; University students in graduate level (MA or equivalent) or higher programmes. What are the requirements? Academic background and/or experience in research and training on gender issues; Fluency in English is a must. Basic knowledge of Spanish is necessary. Knowledge of French is an asset. What do I need to apply? You need to send to UN-INSTRAW diroffice@un-instraw.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it the following: Completed application form (download below) CV One letter of recommendation from your university or your employer; Writing sample - no more than 5 pages (short paper or extract from a longer paper); Copy of medical insurance card. Due to the normally large number of applications, UN-INSTRAW only contacts applicants who have been short-listed. Where would I live? UN-INSTRAW headquarters is located in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The majority of internships are carried out there, though the possibility for "virtual" internships does exist (to be decided on a case-by-case basis). Interns normally rent a room in a house with access to kitchen and living areas. Lodgings are the responsibility of the individual interns, though UN-INSTRAW can assist with available information and references. What is the cost of living in Santo Domingo? The cost of renting a room in a house ranges from US$250 to $400 per month. The cost of food depends on eating preferences and can range between US$300 - US$500 per month. Public transportation is available, as are taxis, which can require up to US$4.00 per ride within the city. Bus transportation is available for travel to other cities within the country. More information? For more information about the Internship Programme, please contact us at: diroffice@un-instraw.orgThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Download application forms word format pdf format

More here: http://www.un-instraw.org/en/instraw/personnel/interns.html

Via Women News Network's Twitter feed: @WomenAdvocates

Internship Opportunity

New York Abortion Access Fund Internship (Fall 2009)

New York Access Abortion Fund (NYAAF) offers internship positions on a semester basis, with positions in winter, summer, and fall.

Our internships are unpaid and positions can fill up to two semesters in advance. Some colleges and universities may award academic credit and/or financial stipends for semester-long internships. As an all-volunteer organization, NYAAF is currently unable to provide any financial compensation.

Ideal candidates have interest in reproductive health care and justice, non-profits, and foundations.

Interns will have the opportunity to learn more about NYAAF's overall work and how funding decisions are made, participate in monthly board meetings, attend events and work on fundraising initiatives under the supervision of the board of directors.

We believe it is important to provide our interns an opportunity to feel ownership in the work they are doing, and we strive to provide work projects that allow our interns to use the skills they have, stimulate their personal interests and passions, and teach them new skills and new ways of thinking about reproductive health and justice.

Responsibilities:

Intake

- Respond to phone and e-mail requests for financial assistance, assess need based on minimal case management

- Work directly with clinics and women to fund abortions in New York State

- Coordinate funding with the board of directors

Administrative

- Retrieve mail biweekly

- Maintain database of donations

- Draft and mail thank you notes

- Work with Treasurer to make bank deposits

- Create NYAAF branded materials for events, manage mailings and produce content for www.nyaaf.org as well as third party websites.

- Attend monthly meeting and press events; represent NYAAF when asked

Qualifications

- Excellent written and oral communication skills;

- Experience and/or interest in reproductive health care, women's rights, feminism, as well as social and economic justice.

- An ability to plan and prioritize tasks to meet multiple deadlines

- Web, database and library research and writing skills

- Familiarity with Excel and/or other databases

- Interest in grassroots organizing

- Knowledge of reproductive health and justice issues

If you are interested in an internship with NYAAF, please send a cover letter and resume to NYAAF Board Chair at: nyaaf@nnaf.org

Call the Senate: Don't Let Women Lose Coverage

Dear all,

I hope you find this information useful.  Contacting your senators does not take long -- you can do this during your regular procrastination from homework.

See you at the club fair next Wednesday!

Much love,
Sabrina Caprioli
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President
Hunter Women's Rights Coalition
HunterEquality@gmail.com

The Hunter Women's Rights Coalition (HWRC) is the leading feminist club on campus with diverse accomplishments such as helping organize the historic Freedom on Our Terms Conference with Gloria Steinem, fighting sexual violence, and getting gender-neutral bathrooms on campus.

Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/HunterEquality
Blog: http://hunterequality.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/happyfeminist

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Dear Sabrina, They called their senators—will you? Sign in image paid for by the American Life League. We cannot let anti-choice politicians impose a new abortion ban through health-care reform. Dial (202) 224-3121 to tell Sen. Schumer to oppose any attempt to take away abortion coverage from women who already have it. Call your senator now! Anti-choice politicians have drawn a line in the sand: they won't be happy until women who now have private insurance coverage for abortion lose it in the new health-care system.1 The stakes for women could not be higher in the health-care debate. That's why we're meeting with key lawmakers all day today to drive the point home—and making sure that anti-choice legislators don't succeed in banning private insurance companies from covering abortion care in a reformed health-care system. But we need your phone call right now to back us up. Click here to call your senator, who is on the committee that will take up health care next, right now. If you've never called your senator before, it's a LOT easier than you might think. It takes just about one minute. Here's what to do: Call (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to Sen. Schumer's office. Tell the staff person who answers the phone where you're calling from, and that you strongly urge your senator to oppose any attempts to take away abortion coverage from women who already have it. Most calls will end right there, but if you like you can also mention that reproductive-health care should be treated like any other health-care service in the new system – not singled out for exclusion on political grounds. After you're done, click here to let us know you called. This step is so important – please don't forget! Thank you so much for your ongoing support and activism—I know we can get this done together. My best, Nancy Keenan President, NARAL Pro-Choice America P.S. Your call today, along with our meetings with lawmakers, the letters of tens of thousands of other pro-choice activists, and our earned media strategy will have a big impact on members of Congress—but keeping anti-choice politicians at bay is an ongoing struggle. Donate now to help us continue our advocacy and other efforts on behalf of women's reproductive rights. 1 "Dem: Prevent abortion funding, or I'll block healthcare," The Hill, September 9, 2009

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Tell your friends about the Choice Action Network.

If you would like to unsubscribe from the Choice Action Network, please click here.

© Copyright 2009 NARAL Pro-Choice America & NARAL Pro-Choice America Foundation. All rights reserved.

Internship opportunity

FILM MARKETING AND OUTREACH INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY

In the age of consent, how can we make safer, healthier communities?

"The Line" is a cutting edge short documentary film that explores sexual consent. It is a sponsored project of the New York Foundation of the Arts (NYFA) and our education partners are the Internet Sexuality Information Service (ISIS-Inc).

Working closely with filmmaker and activist Nancy Schwartzman, be part of an exciting, cutting edge film distribution program. Using the documentary film "The Line" catalyze and create the space for dialogue about sexual boundaries, consent and equality. Learn how to make a film make change!

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Coordinate campus visits and screenings for "The Line" documentary for Fall 2009 and Spring 2010.
  
• Develop partnerships with campus groups, women's centers, non profit organizations and prevention and education resources.
• Monitor blogs and Web sites (feminist, human rights/social change, glbt violence prevention, etc.) to identify opportunities for screenings, discussions, activism including link exchanges with other sites, mailing lists, website discussion areas, online newsletters, web press, etc.
• Develop and implement online PR strategy to amplify our reach online and to grow our e-subscriber list.
• Research and implement web-based outreach, PR and marketing activities including social networking via Facebook, MySpace etc., viral marketing, search engine marketing, text messaging, blogs, tagging and other forms of electronic communications.
• Oversee evaluation following screenings including a survey testimony gathering, and follow-up interviews.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS

The ideal candidate will have:

• Enthusiasm and passion for sexual education and violence prevention for college students and teen-agers.
• Commitment to human rights, gender equality and creating independent female voices in media.
• Interest in online engagement, public interest advocacy/campaigns, and film.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel), email lists, as well as Internet research skills.
• Ability to work with social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, etc.
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks under deadlines.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively, both verbally and in written format.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and with a team that is far-flung geographically

Please email resume, relevant experience and references to: info@thelinemovie.org

Find out more: www.thelinemovie.org and www.nancyschwartzman.com

The Power of Words: Humor & Prostitution v. Trafficking

Posted by: Sabrina, HWRC President (HunterEquality@gmail.com)



Ah, les mots. Las palabras. WORD(s). Their etymologies clues to our culture, their use evidence of their power. There is no such thing as "just sayin'" (I'm looking at you, CNN). We all know how strong humor can be -- I remember someone asking the following at the Feminist Majority Foundation's National Young Women's Leadership conference:

How do you handle sexist humor?

Simple answer, really. In this case, fight fire with fire. Chris Brown joke?
1. Laugh along, and then finish with, "Oh, domestic violence! So funny. Abusive relationships do it to me every time!"
2. Pretend to wipe away tears.
3. Make sure everyone feels as uncomfortable as you just did.
4. Walk away.

Sarcasm is my favorite way of saying, "Bish plz."

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But what do you do when the words aren't humorous? Take it from a girl who's hoping to go to law school: Words are path-marks for a line of reasoning. You hear it all the time.

Liberals say: Health insurance reform, undocumented immigrants, pro-choice, anti-choice
Conservatives say: Obamacare, illigal immigrants, baby killers, pro-life

This is why the headlines for Fox and MSNBC vary so greatly: They are not neutral.

For these reasons I support GEMS and Transitions Global in calling out The Portland Mercury. Their front-page article (on the web, I do not know about their print edition) is entitled "Confessions of a Teenage Prostitute."

I do not believe that criminalizing prostitution has helped women in the past; in fact, I believe the opposite.

However -- forced prostitution and trafficking are different issues. The Portland Mercury article itself says,

"In many ways, Kendall's experience is typical of underage girls forced into prostitution. She had no control over her daily activities. She was afraid to leave for fear her pimp would track her and her family down. She was manipulated by a man who knew just how to charm her."

[emphasis mine]

Is this prostitution? Or is this coercion, kidnapping, and rape? How can a sixteen-year-old in Portland be a prostitute if she can't even consent to the sex she's being paid to have (the age of consent in Oregon is 18). She can't. And so I applaud GEMS and Transitions Global for having a good eye and a sharp mind.