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A Listening Guide Analysis of Bisi’s Story of Living with Female Genital Mutilation
Get PDFFemale genital mutilation (FGM) is recognized worldwide as a fundamental violation of the human rights of girls and women. It reflects a deep-rooted inequality between men and women and constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women. Studies have examined the short and long-term impacts of FGM, including the impact on the sexual functioning of women. The aim of this article was to gain an in-depth insight into one woman’s experiences of living with FGM. The analysis presented in this article is grounded in the voice-centered relational or “listening guide” (LG) method of in-depth narrative data analysis developed by Gilligan and colleagues (2003), and feminist theory which places gender and power at the center of its explanatory framework. The LG is an analytical framework that allows for the systematic consideration of the many different voices embedded in a person’s story. The identification of different voices revealed contradictions in Bisi’s voices, which could imply on-going emotional and psychological distress resulting from undergoing FGM. Bisi’s narrative is a testimony of how a harmful cultural practice like FGM can promulgate unequal power relations that relegate women to inferior and subordinate positions in intimate relationships. Bisi struggled with maintaining intimate relationships because of the impact of FGM on her enjoyment of sex; thus, she experienced rejections and a consequent breakdown of intimate relationships. For Bisi, it could be that the practice of FGM, which is perceived to enable her to achieve complete womanhood, denied her of those culturally normative ideals of womanhood, which are relationship and family. This insight requires further consideration in research studies that could eventually contribute to public campaigns geared towards combating the practice of FGM. Also, analysis shows that her experiences of rejection may have influenced her physical and mental health difficulties. Such a finding could inform professional intervention and may inspire researchers to examine in more depth the negative health outcomes for survivors of FGM. Findings further highlight the need for more proactive efforts targeted at supporting the well-being of girls and women who have undergone this practice
The Madness of Women as an Illusional Power in Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre and Fadia Faqir’s Pillars of Salt
No full textHistorically speaking, women have been associated with madness, be it Medea from Ancient Greece, the medieval trials of the witches of Salem, or so called “hysterical” women in the Victorian era. Even in 21st-century literature, arts, and media, the madness of women is widely discussed and often romanticized. Some women authors employed the madwoman trope to show the effects of patriarchal oppression on women. Other studies have associated women’s madness in literature with subversion. This paper, however, claims that the portrayal of madness in both Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre (1847) and Fadia Faqir’s Pillars of Salt (1996) is not subversive, but rather symbolizes the victimization of women by patriarchy and colonialism. The paper draws on Marta Caminero-Santangelo’s approach to feminist criticism, which argues that madness is not a form of liberation and that a madwoman “cannot speak,” alluding to Gayatri Spivak’s essay “Can the Subaltern Speak?”. This study compared two novels written by women from different backgrounds and centuries: one is a British imperial text, while the other is an Arab postcolonial text. Both include the trope of madness in varying contexts. The women characters in the two novels—Bertha, Maha, and Um Saad—are doubly oppressed by colonialism and patriarchy. To silence them and prevent them from rebelling, the men in their lives accuse them of being insane and lock them up in an attic or asylum. Madness is presented in both novels in terms of Western Orientalist and patriarchal stereotypes. It is associated with otherness, witchcraft, a female malady, social control, denied subjectivity, illusional power, uncontrolled sexuality, and final surrender
Joyland: A Story of Unquenchable Desires
Get PDFContrary to the title, Saim Sadiq’s debut work Joyland is about struggling with gender identities and unquenchable desires in a conventional society. This heart-breaking drama of a conservative family belongs to the exceptional kind of cinema that sews craft with content. This poignant tale contains such intrigue that the viewers feel glued to the aching narrative until the very last minutes of the movie. The storyline follows three men protagonists from a damaged family, and four women characters, including a transgender woman. The story takes a turn when Haider, one of the main characters, falls in love with Biba, a transgender woman, causing him to experience significant changes. This review discusses some heart-breaking scenes which make the viewers question who the real villain in Pakistani society might be
bell hooks and Online Feminism
Get PDFFeminist theorist and cultural critic bell hooks was known for calling out modern-day feminists for failing to take into consideration the plight of other non-privileged women. She intricately analyzed how various factors of oppression form a web, which contributes to the complexities of women’s marginalization. The vision of hooks, thus, is a revolutionary type of feminism which is inclusive and for everybody. This means that everyone, all persons of various races or classes, should become enlightened witnesses and be a part of the struggle towards eradicating what she refers to as White Capitalist Supremacist Patriarchy. Such vision, however, seems to be already included within fourth wave feminism. Also known as digital or online feminism, the fourth wave movement has taken to heart the vision of replacing oppressive thought and action with feminist thought and action. The question that arises, however, is whether this new online society is the type of global transformation or revolutionary change that hooks envisioned. Based on hooks’ works, I examine the concepts, nuances, and problematic aspects of online feminism through the lens of bell hook’s theories. Additionally, I consider how bell hooks’ feminist framework can be used to re-envision and improve online feminism
Australian Health Professionals Identify Barriers to Asian Women’s Sexual Health
Get PDFThis research article reports on the results of thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews conducted with 10 key informants as part of a larger study about barriers to Asian migrant women’s sexual health. Thematic analysis was conducted with data to identify key themes about barriers to Asian women’s engagement with sexual health services in Australia. Key informants identified four core barriers: external cultural and relational influences, the internal beliefs of the women informants, professional health workers’ practices, and the health system service models. Key informants agreed that Asian women need time to build trust before discussing sexual topics with health workers predominantly due to lack of information and cultural shame. A cultural humility approach is advocated for health professionals and sexologists engaging Asian migrant women in sexual health services in Australia because Asian women’s sexual health context does not fit with time-restrictive models of health care
To What Extent Does Labor Force Participation Empower Women?
Get PDFThis paper critically examines the relationship between women’s labor force participation (LFP) and empowerment, particularly in the Global South, utilizing Naila Kabeer’s empowerment framework. By challenging the orthodox conceptualization of LFP, the study reveals its methodological limitations as a measure of women’s economic engagement. By emphasizing the dynamic nature of empowerment as a multifaceted process within the formal and informal sector, this paper highlights the interplay of agency, resources, and achievements within Kabeer’s framework. Drawing from global examples, it demonstrates the varied impacts of paid work on women’s decision-making in both private and public spheres. While acknowledging the potential of LFP to enhance women’s empowerment, the paper underscores the significance of contextual factors in shaping this relationship. By shedding light on the complexities and nuances of women’s labor and empowerment, the study offers valuable insights for policymakers and researchers striving for gender equality and women’s empowerment worldwide
