Last week, as I was rereading one of my favorite books of all time, The Bluest Eye, I found out that several of Toni Morrison’s novels, including Beloved, The Bluest Eye, and Song of Solomon were banned across libraries in Georgia and Utah. Now this appalled me: Morrison’s writing was one of the richest I had ever encountered. The way she developed her storylines, family arcs, and setting with such intricacy was something I’d admired about her writing ever since I had read Beloved. Morrison, in my opinion, was an author every single high school student should have the opportunity of reading. So as I further researched the increased regulations upon adolescent reading lists, I realized that dozens of my favorite books were being banned in state libraries. Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson, tells the story of Melinda Sordino, a high school freshman who was sexually assaulted at a party. Navigating her mental and physical health, Anderson does a beautiful job of portraying the “victim blaming” narrative society is accustomed to.  Now, the justification of banning both of these books was that they were “too sexually explicit” for young adults to read because they contained mentions of sexual assault, activity and rape. However, whether these books are publicly available at libraries or coveted on online websites, those who want to read them, will always find a way to read them. Banning two pieces of outstanding literature takes away from the diverse story lines they offer. Speak, was the top bestselling novel about sexual assault in 2022, affecting thousands of teens nationwide. Another example, The Hate U Give, about racial justice, has also experienced a long standing ban in several communities in Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina, with the same justification: sexually explicit material and violence. Ultimately, Book bans are consistently a way to deny access to free thought, specifically those of women, people of color and the LGBTQ+ community. 

Gender based stereotypes run rampant  in many retellings of history. The myth “Man the Hunter,” is one notable example, as many historians have depicted men as hunters, due to the traditionally “masculine” characteristics associated with the activity. In contrast, women have been painted as gatherers who tend to their homes and engage in “feminine” tasks. This notion has established a foundation for gender stereotypes and sexism, and perpetuated the belief that gender roles have been a natural part of society since our creation. In reality, women just haven’t been represented appropriately, viewed as domestic figures, whereas men are considered the breadwinners.  However, the history of hunter-gatherer societies is up in the air completely  due to a lack of archival recollection. Whether it be the linguistic discovery of the Rosetta Stone, or the extensive research on hieroglyphics, writing is the primary way historians are able to recollect history. With the absence of writing during the paleolithic time, historians have been forced to draw far-fetched conclusions,  providing a large window for inaccuracy. In fact, even the term “prehistoric” suggests a lack of historical context. As a result, from gender roles to even daily life, nothing we know  from the prehistoric  period is certain: So, if our knowledge of paleolithic societies is severely limited, how did the sexist rhetoric of “Man the Hunter” spread? As a result, “Man the Hunter” is ultimately a justification in history to preserve the notion of male superiority. For instance in Invisible Women, by Caroline Criado Perez, she writes that in 1966 the University of Chicago held a symposium on primitive hunter gatherer societies called “Man the Hunter.” The consensus of this meeting was that the biology, psychology and customs that made us separate from the apes was a result of hunters being the most influential figures. The rhetoric of “Man the Hunter” was used to justify men as being the most influential figures in human development, diminishing the role of women in paleolithic society. However, Perez writes that hunting as a male activity almost has no baseline evidence. Collections of analysis, specifically from Professor Douglas Bennet from Penn State University have found that paleolithic society may have been matriarchal instead. In fact, in this study he analyzed prehistoric society specifically in the Midwestern United States, determining that there was a heavy matrilinear presence in Chaco Canyon for around 350 years.  These contrasting opinions pose the question as to what sort of society hunter-gatherer looked like. Historians have a few solid theories that debunk the common “Man the Hunter” myth.  Findings where women were buried alongside hunting weapons suggested that the hunting was gender neutral, suggest that women were indeed huntersIn fact, women, contrary  to public myth, did not hunt weaker game than men, but rather were just as independent,iI 46 percent of the studied societies they took down medium or large game while 48 percent of societies women hunted game of all sizes. Additionally, women often hunted alone, whereas men hunted in pairs in groups. Female tribe members overall were considered the “glue” of the tribe, providing support and game to sustain its members. Women were also able to break away from the common mold of resource collection, and form an idolized perception of themselves within societies because they were often admired for their ability to keep the tribe alive through reproduction. While sculptures from this time period are scarce, Venus figurines were discovered in the early 20th century, during excavations led by Josef Szombathy, supervised by Hugo Obermaier and Josef Bayer, demonstrating that women were often seen as godlike in the prehistoric period. Venus figurines, shown above, were supernatural and women would keep them in their residences for good luck and fertility. While in the past many scholars have looked at these figures as evidence of female domesticity, recent studies describe them as the perpetuation of female agency and empowerment within paleolithic societies.  In fact, Kennett continues to write that in the prehistoric eras, women were able to challenge societal norms that stick with us even today — such as body image. Taking a look at the Venus Figurines, women were idolized for having body types that were curvaceous and voluptuous, because it allowed for successful reproduction and resource collection. A woman’s body was a source of strength, not only domestically as their glass ceiling, but as the breadwinner of societies.  These new findings, while seemingly miniscule, have larger implications for societal gender roles not only between men and women, but also for the gender spectrum as a whole. The repeated rhetoric of many who continue to emphasize traditional gender roles, is to refer back to paleolithic society and prehistoric time periods to demonstrate the gender binary: men and women. However, the gender neutrality and oftentimes even androgyny of nomadic tribes serves as a representation that gender roles are not inherent by nature, but rather developed through society institutionally. A new light on the possibility of a historic matriarchal society may open up new doors for feminism and gender equality once and for all. 

The annual NGO CSW Conference marks a period of activism from thousands of non-profit organizations, fighting for gender equality. Specifically, this year, March of 2024, marked the 68th year of the conference, one in which Apne Aap was heavily devoted to. With a total of 5 parallel events, Apne Aap led panel discussions, created engaging presentations and even organized read-alouds for I Kick and I Fly, where Hundreds of women from all around the world were able to follow Heera’s story, and understand the importance of keeping it alive.  Our first event entailed working together with Pad Project founder, Melissa Berton in a parallel event discussing humanitarian aid for both menstrual sanity and anti-trafficking awareness. My first time participating in the conference, I took my seat at the front of the room, prepared to read two excerpts from “I Kick and I fly.  As it turns out, the read-aloud provided the audience with a sensory feeling, invigorating an emotional reaction. Being a conference, it is easy to forget the real humanitarian experience girls in Forbesganj, India face. However, Heera’s realistic  experiences reminded us of what we’re really fighting for: accessibility and equality.  While I read through the excerpt, thoroughly engrossed in it myself, a presentation was started up by two former Apne Aap interns, Mrunalini Mathur and Shahana Lal. Discussing Apne Aap’s 10 step program for providing equity to girls in Forbesganj, the presentation was the perfect informative approach to awareness. Starting from Ruchira’s groundbreaking documentary “The Selling of Innocents” as her inspiration, it discussed Apne Aap’s most recent developments including the 1 million meals program, where girls in shelters are able to receive free access to homemade meals. Most importantly however, the presentation emphasized the importance of urgent advocacy and the crucial impact of education globally, even in areas not plagued by sex-trafficking. This is because women are often the most vulnerable in scenarios where trafficking is a taboo subject to talk about.  Finally, the event finished off with a creative spin on Gupta’s novel I kick and I fly, from Melisa Berton and her students from Oakwood, California. Berton, both an activist and English teacher, wanted to experiment through playwriting with the novel. Together, she and her students compiled a 20 minute meltdown of the book, providing a real life 3D example of Heera’s experiences.  Ultimately, with activists all around the world in the discussion room, Heera (the last girl) was heard, recognized and understood by the collective community – a phenomenon we hope will be the case globally.  

Rising temperatures and oncoming climate disasters are no surprise. Already on the verge of climate change being irreversible, we still lack proper infrastructure and mindsets in order to achieve a sustainable way of living. The climate crisis also has implications to social hierarchal standards as well, disproportionately impacting low income civilians, people of color, and women. The climate crisis was more likely to affect marginalized as well as racial and ethnic minority communities. A UN study finds that women are 80 percent more likely to be displaced during times of climate crises, and were 68 percent more affected by health impacts related to climate change than men. Last week, I joined GirlRising, a foundation that aims to increase the access to education for girls around the world. As a GirlsRising member, one of our new initiatives is to drive investment in girls education to help solve the climate crisis. GirlRising believes well educated girls are extremely impactful in creating a sustainable environment. In fact, research finds that female leaders are more likely to invest in climate friendly policies. Women also make significant contributions to the agricultural sector through planting and harvesting. This access to education also helps girls build resilience in their respective communities as well as develop the knowledge needed in order to drive change so they can help in the fight to develop a sustainable way of living. Increasing access to education (boys & girls) and raising awareness about the implications of climate change, go hand in hand as we fight develop a sustainable way of living. The more we invest in education, the more likely we are to have innovators, developers, and researchers who are willing to build a more sustainable and eco-friendly world. Increasing access to education for girls around the world is crucial in the fight to stop the climate crisis.

Dr. Tina Opie, author of “Shared Sisterhood: How to Take Collective Action For Racial and Gender Equity At Work”, shares valuable insight on how to overcome the race and gender based discrimination in the workforce. She acknowledges that while all women share the similar characteristic of being women, they are from different racio-ethnic backgrounds, affecting the way they are treated by employees and organizations as a whole. Her book focuses on the relationship between White and Black women, the institutional barriers between them, and how to best form relationships using what she calls the “Dig, Bridge and Collective Action” framework. Dr. Opie illustrates a couple of roots to this lack of connection between women of different races. One of them being having a color-blind approach to society. While often many say the best way to prevent biases from forming is having a a “color-blind” approach to race, this mindset often prevents us from addressing the lack of diversity and inclusionary policies in the workforce. Instead of ignoring race, we should acknowledge that our society doesn’t operate on a color blind level, but rather that racial and ethnic discrimination is at the heart of systemic inequalities. The second root of this problem is what Dr. Opie calls the “not here” approach. The “not here” viewpoint is where large corporations often redirect blame, claiming their lack of diversity is a result of outside factors. While various companies have been trying to make their workplaces more inclusive, most have not actually understood how to actually incorporate those ideals. Hence, women of color often feel out of place, alienated and are more susceptible to lower pay rates. While it would be ideal for every corporation to suddenly restructure the discriminatory regulations that plague them on an institutional level, its unsurprising that many of them might not even be close to this benchmark. However, the goal here is not to claim the problems of diversity and inclusion aren’t present, but rather focus on the ways those issues can be resolved. It’s important to understand that in order to fully address the problem of racial disparities between women in the workplace, we need to first accept them to be true. Companies have to put diversity at a high standard, as if the leadership lacks diversity, employees follow that trend. For instance, in 2022, just in law, Black and LatinX women each represented less than 1% of all partners. The first step to maximizing equity is making sure that leadership is both diverse and equitable to all racio-ethnic categories. Secondly, a proper workplace environment must be fulfilled. This includes making sure both hiring and promotions are taking into account racial backgrounds and allotting slots equitably. Much work needs to be done in bridging not only the gender gap, but also the racioethnic gap between women, but with the proper programs and mindset in place, it is possible.

Social Media can be a very effective forum for raising awareness for just causes like reproductive justice. The broad reach to the social masses can be a very powerful tool in helping to influence the outcomes of unjust rulings or political agendas. Earlier this year, an 18yr old man convicted of rape was released on grounds by a judge that the man had served enough time and he decided to throughout the conviction. With the help of online petitions, effective raising awareness on social media on this ruling, the judge was reassigned. However, as effective as social media can be for reproductive justice issues, it can also be used as a forum for spreading misinformation about the topic which can negatively impact gaining support behind the issue. Reproductive Justice is a subject to the most misinformation on social media. Many internet companies have been known to accept advertising money from groups that spread this misinformation and these companies need to do a better job of removing posts with false information. As a result of this misinformation, people who rely on the internet and social media could be misguided when making decisions about reproductive health. The Center for Countering Digital Hate reported that from January 2020 to September 2021, Facebook alone accepted up to $140,000 for 92 ads promoting “abortion pill reversal.” In addition to ads, search engine results also create misleading information about abortion. In 2021, a study found that of the top 5 results for “abortion pill” on Google, only one result had information that was scientifically accurate.Three of the results were from anti-abortion groups spreading misinformation about abortion pills.There was another study that found that more than half of the web pages on abortion by Google had misinformation that could change a person’s decision to have one advocated by anti-abortion groups.The problem is that most major social media platforms do not have abortion-specific misinformation policies. This false information also has broader repercussions. Voters’ choices for leaders and politicians nowadays are greatly influenced by issues of reproductive justice, hence the distribution of false information may have a significant impact on those choices. The issue of access to abortion was one of the key voting issues in the midterm elections. Misinformation on the internet could result in unsupported political beliefs that could have an impact on the election of future leaders in the absence of background information and additional research. This is why programs addressing the significance of reproductive justice should be established in the health sections of classes to ensure that there is also appropriate access to truthful information regarding abortion access. Not only this, but social media companies and the internet in general have to start prioritizing and filtering out misinformation in general. While there is a lot of gray area on how to achieve this, the first step is by individually educating yourself and spreading that knowledge onto others. An extremely common way misinformation spreads is through copying links, or even just verbally passing on information to somebody. However, it’s important to do proper research before spreading pieces of information that can be both sensitive and half a large impact on society. Social media can be an amazing resource to rally and support other women, and reproductive justice campaigns, however, we all need to make sure that the information we are getting is accurate so that we can make proper decisions when it comes to reproductive justice policy.

Among refugees, women and children face large amounts of gender-based obstacles, stereotypes and violence. There is a large gap regarding humanitarian action, as female migrants are more prone to lack of sanitation, and sexual violence. For instance, at least 1 in 5 refugees or displaced women are estimated to have experienced sexual violence. Even regarding the access to shelter, women are at a disadvantage. The Norwegian Refugee Council in Iraq found that women were more likely to live in inadequate shelter, as well as have less of an ability to claim housing. In fact, women were 11 percent more likely to live in an overcrowded shelter than men. However, while this is the case, only 4 percent of UN targeted humanitarian projects were targeted at women and girls. Most projects that do aim towards women, often kickstart at first, but then run out of steam. Regarding the issue of sanitation, we can see a vast imbalance. In India, there are 13 times more toilets available for men than women. It is due to this, women sometimes resort to defecating in the open without obvious privacy, leaving them more susceptible to rape and gender based violence. In an effort to stop the trend, India proposed an infrastructure project to build new bathrooms available to women, but the protests and projects quickly unravelled, as not a single toilet was built. More support and willingness to participate and speak out is needed in order to really succeed with these sorts of projects. Even regarding the idea of gender based violence and rape in humanitarian crises, nothing has beene to done to even vaguely address the issue. In these situations, there are various types of violence that take place : intimate partner violence, sexual violence and even deprivation of nutrition and education. Armed conflict, natural disasters and humanitarian crises increase the likelihood of violence as they weaken the society’s ability to protect women and girls. Even after these events, they are often ostracised for their actions and conditions, forming conditions such as depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). While this is the case, it doesn’t mean that we have no place to begin. There are various initiatives and projects globally that are starting a kindling to address the problem. For instance, in Jordan, Syrian refugees in the Zaatari refugee camp are increasing wages, improving diets, and improving the household situations for women. This has had a large impact globally, as millions of refugees are able to now have access to a self-sustainable lifestyle. Additionally, during the past and ongoing Ebola epidemic, there were informational radio programmes and UN women facilitated training to adopt new strategies to help and cope with the local and nationwide effects of Ebola on women. With women not having a disproportionate access to sanitation in developing countries, this aid is extremely impactful in providing aid and support from fellow women to form a coalition. The basis of this gap is a lack of distribution and a lack of knowledge from people who aren’t firsthand experiencing the situation. Data education and accounting for the inequalities women experience is extremely crucial, as it allows us to better allocate funding and resources to where it is necessary. In addition, the above successful domestic coalitions in improving the unionization of women is what we need, as more support leads to more success.

It is no secret that after the overturning of Roe vs. Wade on June 24, 2022, thousands of women were and still are denied the right to have agency over their own bodies and participate in a procedure that gives them the right to have an abortion. The 6-week ban, preventing women from having access to an abortion after 6 weeks of pregnancy, doesn’t actually give them 6 weeks to receive an abortion. Thats another common misconception many have about women’s bodies. Melissa Murray and Jennifer Weiss Wolf believe that the problem stems from not knowing enough about women’s bodies. For instance, women are at least 4 weeks pregnant before even having a missed period in the first place. This limits their timeframe to get an abortion to not 6 weeks, but almost 2 weeks. Additionally, the period cycles of women vary greatly : from 21 days to 35 days. In the latter case, women only are alerted of a missed period a day before the right to get a procedure. In fact Texas Governor Greg Abbott even stated that the six week ban on abortion provides six weeks for a person to be able to get an abortion.The lack of information is the cause of stigma when it comes to women’s health and raising awareness for it. Issues such as miscarriage and menopause are being treated as it they don’t exist with immense stigma from society. For instance, President Michelle Obama said that the lack of systemic support for menopause came with immense obstacles for women going through it. However, we can not only see this stigma during adulthood with regards to pregnancy, but also in adolescents where period and period health is heavily untalked about. While there are health programs at school to educate young girls, this doesn’t really do anything to reduce systemic constructs. Young girls often feel uncomfortable going to adults for help and seeking guidings due to a sense of shame. This is because our health and our bodies are perceived as messy and disorganized when we don’t shroud the biological processes our bodies go through. Thankfully, there are programs that offer support to women going through menopause, pregnancy and even just normal period health. Hopefully, with the rise of media prevalence and advocacy we can reach a space where everybody is comfortable talking about women’s health and make more informed decisions overall.