Violent Delights, Violent Ends: ISSUE TWO

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SECONDS

VOLUME TWO The Politics of Womanhood, Reproductive Health, Gender, and Fertility

MAGAZINE

VOL. 2

VIOLENT DELIGHTS, VIOLENT ENDS

MAGAZINE

TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Meet the Editorial Board Note From the Editor A Primer on Gender & Health

03 04 05 08

MISGIVINGS OF GENDER Oh, Shit Prettier Than Pink

11 12 14

ESCAPING THE ECHO CHAMBER The Female Fertility Market Mind the (Gender Health) Gap A Right to Choice

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TO MAKE A CHOICE A Fated Case Sex Ed is NOT Reproductive Health Prayers, Promise, Prejudice Planned Parenthood Does More + Media Case Study No, We Won’t Keep Our Voices Down

27 28 30 35 36 38

THE ART GALLERY ABOUT THE COVER LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

40 42 44

MEET THE EDITORIAL BOARD SAHANA NARAYAN

ALEX EPHSTEIN

KIRA ZIZZO

FOUNDER & EDITOR IN CHIEF

CREATIVE CONTENT EDITOR

DIGITAL CONTENT EDITOR

Sahana Narayan is the Founder and Editor in Chief of 11 Seconds Magazine. She is an award-winning journalist, public health scholar, and aspiring physician. She is particularly passionate about re-centering both the patient and their story in medical encounters, especially as she aspires for a career in maternal-fetal medicine and surgery. She has a special interest in improving access to maternal, reproductive, and gynecological care through medical and patient education.

She holds an MS from Harvard Medical School and an MSPH from Columbia University.

Alex Epshtein is the Creative Content Editor of 11 Seconds Magazine. Alex has just completed their final year studying Global Health at King’s College London (KCL).

Throughout the degree, they specialised in neuroscience and took a liking to studying biotechnologies, specifically assistive reproductive technology (ART). They hope to continue their research by contributing to the 11 Seconds Magazine, helping to raise awareness surrounding topics such as abortion legislation, discourses of motherhood, LGBTQ+ rights and reproductive labour.

Kira Zizzo is the Digital Content Editor of 11 Seconds Magazine. She is an accomplished journalist and Hesburgh Yusko Scholar at the University of Notre Dame where she is pursuing a degree in Marketing and Visual Communication, with a minor in Journalism and Democracy. She seeks to shed light on overlooked narratives and highlight the experiences of women from all walks of life. Kira is committed to using this platform to empower women and promote diversity and inclusion, for a better and more equitable world.

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NOTE From the Editor

This second issue of The 11 Seconds Magazine is for the thinkers, the dreamers, the curious, the outspoken, the artists, the change makers; it is for doctors, patients, and YOU. First and foremost, I would like to welcome my editorial board. I am so honored that I get to work with such brilliant people, who are just as passionate and motivated to make change, especially when it comes to women’s health. They’ve done such a fabulous job already, from content creation to writing inspiring pieces so I promise, you don’t want tomiss it!

When I first envisioned this issue, I wanted to tackle pain and politics all at once. To me, they seemed intertwined in some way that was worth exploring.

But, the heart wants what the heart wants. All of our writers and artists seemed far more inspired to tackle the political side of women’s health and so, who was I to stop them? As such, it only felt right to start this issue off with as Shakespearean of a reference as possible (well, second to “To Be or Not To Be” but we’re not getting existential in this one). “Violent Delights, Violent Ends” is from Romeo and Juliet, and just like the Friar warns them of the duality of passion, we too hope to explore the duality of womanhood, motherhood, and girlhood.

VIOLENT DELIGHTS, VIOLENT ENDS: THE POLITICS OF WOMANHOOD These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which as they kiss consume: the sweetest honey Is loathsome in his own deliciousness And in the taste confounds the appetite: Therefore love moderately; long love doth so; Too swift arrives as tardy as too slow.

Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, Scene 6 William Shakespeare

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A PRIMER ON GENDER & HEALTH KIRA ZIZZO

G

ender disparities in healthcare have been a longstanding issue worldwide.

Despite significant advancements in medicine and public health, women continue to experience distinct challenges in accessing healthcare services, receiving appropriate treatments, and benefiting from supportive policies, especially in a world where reproductive rights continue to be heavily contested.

many regions experience delayed or limited access to prenatal care, reproductive health services, and preventive screenings, leading to adverse health outcomes.

Reproductive health remains a central concern for women, with significant disparities in access to family planning and maternal healthcare.

The Guttmacher Institute reported that an estimated 214 million women in developing countries who want to avoid pregnancy do not have access to modern contraceptives. Moreover, maternal mortality rates continue to be higher in low-income countries, where access to skilled healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth is limited, but also here in the US too.

One of the critical disparities lies in access to healthcare services.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), women often face higher barriers to accessing essential healthcare due to various factors, including cultural norms, lack of transportation, and economic constraints. As a result, women in Biases in healthcare extend beyond 8 | 11 SECONDS MAGAZINE

just the gender paradigm. In December 2021, a medical illustration of a black fetus by the illustrator Chidiebere Ibe took the internet by storm, revealing that many people had never seen people of color illustrated in medical books. The lack of medical illustrations with people of color paints a starker picture of the absence of exposure to inclusive imagery.

and illustrations, the specific health needs and conditions experienced by marginalized communities may be overlooked or not thoroughly studied.

This can hinder advancements in healthcare and exacerbate health disparities.

Maternal health is particularly impacted, as women of color receive less adequate treatment in comparison to white patients.

According to the CDC, Black women are three to four times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes compared to white women in the US.

When medical students primarily encounter medical illustrations that predominantly feature individuals of a specific race or ethnicity (e.g., white individuals), it creates a limited and skewed perception of what patients look like. This limited exposure can This is a disparity that persists inadvertently reinforce stereotypes across socioeconomic levels and state lines, blatantly signifying and biases, leading to a lack of that this has racial causes. recognition or understanding of health conditions and physical Implicit biases held by healthcare characteristics in individuals from providers contribute to inadequate underrepresented groups. Students assessment and management of pain, may unconsciously associate specific leading to disparities in maternal conditions, symptoms, or treatment health outcomes, according to the responses with certain races or American Journal of Public Health. ethnicities, leading to biased decisionmaking and potentially poorer patient Disparities in healthcare are not care. The lack of inclusive medical singular. They mutate and exist along illustrations can also perpetuate multiple intersections of identity. We research and innovation gaps in the here at the 11 Seconds Magazine hope medical field. Without representation to change this, first through story, in research studies, medical textbooks, and first through women’s health.

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SECTION ONE: MISGIVINGS OF GENDER Gender is deeply wrapped up in social, psychological, cultural, and behavioral conceptions, despite its often misattribution to sexual identity. As such, we approach gender in a curious way. It is meant to define us, define our habits, our proclivities, and even our place in the world. While more people are questioning the true value of “gender roles,” we still have a long way to go.

Botticelli, when painting the Birth of Venus, most likely as a commission for the Medici family in Italy, suspends belief beyond just the depiction of the Greek myth where Venus emerges fully grown from Zeus’ sperm. Though her body is not anatomically realistic, her body in this painting represents more than the physical existence of a woman; it represents rebirth, rhythm, and hope anew.

Does gender really mean something specific? Does it really mean pink, subservience, an inability to say no?

Writers Amanda Sheehan and Neha Ali both attempt to answer this, first through a story about realization, and next, through a story about how even the rebirth of the US, as a country where “all men are created equal” decided to leave out the other half of the equation.

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OH, SHIT AMANDA SHEEHAN

I saw him in the corner and I thought he was handsome but I’m safe with my friends so why was I looking? Maybe for attention or, better yet, to fall into the big arms and the blue eyes he was looking back at me with - oh, shit. I was looking too long. He noticed and approached me while I’m stuck in the corner of the room.

Hours go by, we get progressively more drunk and high on wine and weed and each others laugh but I don’t want to leave my friends, so why was I still there?

Maybe because I couldn’t help but fall into the trance of safety he made me feel for the first time in a long time - oh, shit.

I was feeling too much. He noticed and invited me back to his dorm.

I remember hearing that he was the nicest guy at the party and there’s no reason to say no except that I don’t want to leave my friends so why would I say yes? Maybe because I couldn’t help but fall into the routine I couldn’t seem to break where I sleep with men who think I’m pretty - oh, shit. He realizes I can’t find my friends and need a safe place to crash so he holds my hand on the way.

Oh, shit.

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and there were so many reasons to say no except that I’m stoned and drunk and confused and hateful towards myself because I didn’t want to leave my friends so why didn’t I stop him from falling into me? Maybe because I was stuck - oh, shit.

He knows I can’t say no and keeps going.

I saw myself in the mirror the morning after, shocked and horrified that I was never really safe even though I was with my friends so how did this happen to me? Maybe .... wait. I suddenly realize that I couldn’t remember if he’d been safe - oh, shit.

I was thinking aloud and he thought for a moment and said no.

Oh, shit.

Oh, shit because how did I let this happen? Oh, shit because my friends felt safe to leave me with the nicest guy at the party? Oh, shit because I thought I was safe with the nicest guy at the party.

Oh, shit because how could he have not been safe? Oh, shit because it’s positive.

Oh, shit because I’m broke and in college and have my whole life ahead of me.

Oh, shit because no one cares because I didn’t say no. Oh, shit because we live in a state where I can’t get help even if someone did. Oh, shit because I’m stuck.

In a dorm. And the nicest guy at the party knew that I couldn’t say no. Oh, shit

Oh, shit because we’re stuck. In a state. Where a guy in a different kind of party decided we can’t say no to what happened after we couldn’t.

Oh, shit.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Amanda Sheehan is a rising second year student at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health. Her personal journey as a queer woman has allowed her to blossom academically, mentally, and socially.

Through her identity, she has found her niche in public health and focuses her studies on Sexuality, Sexual, and Reproductive Health. Her research on bisexual women’s experiences after sexual assault and her own life experiences continue to inspire her creativity as she dabbles in fiction and poetry writing.

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PRETTIER THAN PINK NEHA ALI

Imagine a world where every time a man bought a razor, it was taxed.

Sometimes, men would pay more for their razors; other times, they would not pay for their razors at all. In such an event, a razor tax would prevent many men from performing daily tasks, like being presentable at work.

You could then make an argument that razors are necessary for men, and that there shouldn’t be an additional tax on this product. Unfortunately, many retailers wouldn’t care. They would tell these men that they need to deal with the consequences of not having razors when they need them. Welcome to the world of the period tax for people who menstruate.

When the Constitution of the United States was written, it held that “all men were created equal.” The document purposefully left out women, and the U.S. government carries out this tradition nearly 250 years later. A prime example of this is the period tax. The period tax – also known as the pink tax – is the revenue a state, county, or local government collects through the purchase of menstrual products.

exempt food from the general state tax. Access to menstrual care is just as important as access to food and water, yet an estimated one-in-four women already cannot afford menstrual products, which is only further exacerbated by the period tax.

A nasty war has been waged. Good thing we’re nasty women.

In 1981, women in Minnesota worked with their State Department of Health to exempt all health products –including pads and tampons – from the state sales tax. They were the first state to do so.

Since thewn, states like Florida and New York have followed suit, showing that the war against menstrual health is more than a Democrat versus Republican issue - it has bipartisan support. So why do states like Texas and Arizona hold onto this tax? It comes back to what states care about most - money. By labeling pads and tampons as luxury goods instead of necessary items, states collect an average of $1,773 from the average person over their lifetime. When New York state eliminated its “pink” tax, it expected to lose $14 million annually.

For states with even larger populations, Only 23 states exempt their residents this could amount to more than $50 from such taxes; by contrast, 33 states million annually — a major source 14 | 11 SECONDS MAGAZINE

of revenue for states with smaller economies. In June 2022, the Lieutenant Governor of Texas, Dan Patrick, called for the state to spend $50 million to buy bulletproof shields for school police.

Time and time again, elected officials have shown that protecting women has never been at the forefront of their agendas. Eradicating the period tax is necessary for this country to move forward in its path toward equity for all.

Access to menstrual health is not simply a women’s issue — it’s a public health issue. Every person in America, regardless of their race, income, or sex, should have the ability to purchase necessary goods without an additional tax being imposed. Menstrual products should be affordable, and with it, we need to support increased education, reduction of harmful gender norms, and adequate water and sanitation facilities where those who menstruate live (news flash: we’re everywhere).

There is hope. In June 2019, the founders of the reproductive health brand Lola partnered with the nonprofit organization Period Equity to create the campaign “Tax-Free. Period.” Their goal was to inform citizens about the radical pink tax and ask them to join in the movement to eradicate it. On the campaign’s website, users can navigate an interactive map, which shows not only which states continue to uphold the tax, but also which items are tax-free in those same states. For example, the map shows that gun club memberships in Wisconsin are not taxed, while tampons

are. Once again, the government has shown who and what they prioritize: namely, rich, white, cis men.

In 2022, CVS became the first major retailer to help combat the government’s “pink” tax. The corporation announced that it would pay the tax for customers in 12 states.

Additionally, it announced a 25% markdown on all CVS-branded period products. When major businesses take action to protect their consumers, it is not only a sign that they care about their users, but their communities as well.

When individuals can safely access menstrual products, they can go to school, work, and participate in their neighborhoods as productive citizens. As we continue to fight for the elimination of the period tax, more companies should fight to protect their consumers, government elected officials should ban the period tax, and period poverty should be eradicated. Just as razors aren’t luxury goods for men, women shouldn’t be luxury goods for

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Neha Ali, a second-year student at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, is deeply committed to global advocacy for women’s health. Recognizing the significance of this issue, she aims to address the pervasive impact of women’s health on individuals, families, workplaces, and governments. With a focus on the Sociomedical Sciences and a certificate in Child, Youth, and Family Health, Neha endeavors to contribute to the ongoing fight for gender equality and public health. Her work seeks to empower individuals, dismantle barriers, and foster a more inclusive and equitable society for all.

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SECTION TWO: ESCAPING THE ECHO CHAMBER Amid the bustling confines of the subway, our Creative Content Editor Alex’s attention was unexpectedly drawn to a series of fertility adverts adorning the train’s walls.

Colorful images of smiling families and cheerful babies were juxtaposed with sobering statistics and eyecatching headlines. As their eyes scanned the messages, a sense of confusion and concern began to unfurl within them. The notion of a “female fertility epidemic” seemed both alarming and bewildering to Alex. They had always thought of fertility as a personal journey, a path unique to each individual.

Yet, the adverts suggested a broader narrative – one that spoke of societal shifts and underlying trends that were affecting women’s reproductive abilities.

Through the clamor of the subway and the relentless march of advertisements, Alex found themselves reflecting on the complexity of this issue. Was it truly an epidemic or were these messages sensationalizing a natural diversity in fertility experiences? They wondered if there was a larger conversation that they had been unaware of, one that touched upon changing lifestyles, environmental factors, and the delicate balance between societal expectations and personal choices.

When they began to research these issues, Alex realized there was an even bigger problem at hand. One concerning narratives of girlhood, motherhood and general femininity altogether. One that led to the birth of these three articles.

Can we escape the echo chamber?

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ESCAPING THE ECHO CHAMBER A SERIES BY ALEX EPHSTEIN

PART ONE: poster with blaring red capital letters that read: ‘F for Fertility’. The image THE FEMALE underneath the writing was of FERTILITY MARKET layered a woman holding a fertility test, with Last weekend, I was on my way to visit a friend in London. As I descended the stairs towards the tube station and waited for my train, my eyes glazed over the advertisements around me. I scanned through various posters for upcoming books and Broadway musicals, until my eyes came to rest on a board asking for donations to charity.

The photo was of a woman and a child, looking up at the camera with the colours muted and debris around the frame. The big writing at the top read: ‘Donate to save a mother!’

smaller writing below. ‘It’s time to start thinking about the F word… check if you’re fertile today, starting from only £100 a test!’

What was this endless stream of advertising begging me to have children? Was it to test and harness my reproductive capabilities? Earn a living from them?

I thought about the price of inflation, the cost of the living crisis in the city, where it seemed as though everything from housing, to food to travel was getting drastically more expensive by the Initially, I didn’t think much of it. These second. It felt as though just breathing kinds of advertisements were pretty in London sucked money right out your common, the images often striking to wallet. evoke empathy and sympathy, alike, encouraging you to donate. However, So, I looked up one of the advertised this time my mind wandered elsewhere agencies for egg donation. Perhaps it once I got on the train. would be an empowering experience to give another woman ‘the gift of life’, I thought about the ‘mother’ on the long and earn an easy £800 along the way. I train ride to Notting Hill. At Tower Hill, am a student after all and need all the one of London’s most popular stations, financial help I can get.Then I saw the there was a huge double pan, light green endless stream of comments under the 18 | 11 SECONDS MAGAZINE

advertisement, detailing the severity and hardships of the procedure. Egg retrieval without anaesthesia, hormone injections 6 weeks prior to the procedure, cramps for months afterwards. Suddenly that £800 no longer seemed worth it.

But still, why this sudden surge in marketing female fertility? Where was the male equivalent of advertisements?

Would sperm donation not make them feel as empowered as women?

Perhaps because of their already established position in the labour market, men did not need to turn to

their reproductive capabilities to earn a living. With gender equality and ‘empowerment’ recently becoming buzzwords in the media and the public sphere, while women are fighting for room in the workplace, their very being seems to be growing more and more entangled with the idea of maternity.

This is clearly implied by this epidemic of advert campaigns promoting fertility testing, egg donation, and charitable donations to save ‘mothers’ rather than women. And so, standing on the platform waiting for my friend, I wondered where in history being a woman became synonymous with being a mother.

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PART TWO: MIND THE (GENDER HEALTH) GAP Let’s take a closer look at the kinds of adverts that inspired this series, and what thoughts their messages aim to debunk, provoke, or inspire.

One of the most prominent fertility campaigns is Hertility, a UK-based company that specializes in measuring female fertility, attempting to shed some light on the gender research gap more generally, as highlighted in their slogan in one of their many tube-posters: ‘mind surrounding women’s pain in general.

This leads to reportedly painful the gender health gap.’ procedures to reportedly painful The ‘gender health gap’ relates to the procedures such as cervical and skewed amount of clinical research endometrial biopsies, colposcopies, conducted on men’s bodies versus IUD insertions and more to be executed females. Eight out of ten women have without anesthesia, where standard reported that they ‘do not feel listened procedure advises women to just take to’ by healthcare professionals in the some standard painkillers a few hours UK. This is reflected by the diagnosis prior to the surgery. rates of illnesses such as ADHD and autism, where 80% of women with Moreover, misdiagnosis and undereither condition are likely to be diagnosis rates for conditions as misdiagnosed in their adolescence. common as endometriosis, PCOS, breast Henceforth, this also has a major impact and ovarian cancer are extremely high, on women’s access to healthcare. When reaching over 75% within the last three looking at reproductive health, these years. Multiple factors contribute to gender inequalities are once again this problem, including the dismissal exacerbated. With women already of women’s pain when reported and largely being dismissed for their barriers to healthcare. Furthermore, symptoms by doctors, they are also these subjects are often not discussed in 25% less likely to receive pain relief for public spaces. surgeries and medical procedures than men, their pain often being dismissed Women are not aware of their existence, as ‘emotional’, ‘psychogenic’, and ‘not let alone know to check for symptoms.

This dangerous problem does not even real’, perpetuating negative stigma 20 | 11 SECONDS MAGAZINE

have sufficient solutions.

Though there have been multiple campaigns to promote women’s empowerment, to try to speak up on these subjects and conditions, the gender health gap still remains. So what’s the problem?

away from the woman, where she has to ‘grow the courage’ to learn about her own body and make way for herself in the medical field, to sharing it with their male counterparts, to achieve more social change.

Part of Hertility’s campaign to expose this health gap is a series of eye-catching adverts in the busiest areas of London, some posters of which caught my eye that day on the tube.

Seeing the terms ‘cervix’, ‘ovary’, ‘hormonal’, terms that are either taboo or have negative connotations in light hearted banners in a public environment encourages such open dialogue. It begins to breakdown stigmatized barriers that prevent women from seeking or receiving adequate reproductive or sexual healthcare. Hopefully, in the coming years, we’ll also be able to see fewer ‘baby on board!’ badges and more ‘foetus in uterus!’, because like the previous terms, these should not be taboo either, and neither should a woman’s reproductive organs.

This series of advertisements are designed to normalize and open conversations regarding intimate aspects of peoples’ lives. These adverts are in busy public spaces in central London, exhibiting neutral tones and sometimes naming female anatomy, but they are not overtly gendered. What Hertility is focusing on is creating a new discourse surrounding women’s healthcare, with people who aren’t As time progresses, hopefully we will just women. In other words, shifting see such social change materialize. individual empowerment and onus This could start by teaching female 11 SECONDS MAGAZINE |21

anatomy more accurately in medical schools or companies acknowledging the difference in female and male hormone cycles, how they operate on different time scales, and therefore have different strengths. It could start by making space in the labour market to hire women, rather than teaching women to ‘grow the confidence’ to act more like men; teaching doctors not to dismiss women’s pain or rule out any potential treatments because of the fear it is being ‘dramatized’; including

women in clinical drug trials, even if this requires more funding or different tests due to their differing hormone levels, to make sure they receive the appropriate dosage of treatment and minimize side effects. In order for those changes to be catalyzed, local change also has to be made. There needs to be a general acknowledgement of the problem by someone other than women. Men also need to do their part in researching and seeking out what can be done to make space for women in a world built around men.

More companies need to be held accountable to ensure that they are taking active steps towards allowing women to have choice and agency over their own bodies, rather than doing what is necessary to survive. People must accept that problems regarding women’s bodies need to escape the echo chamber.

PART THREE: A RIGHT TO CHOICE In today’s interconnected world, it has become increasingly easy to find ourselves trapped within the echo chamber, where our viewpoints are reinforced and rarely challenged.

This phenomenon can be particularly troubling when it threatens powerful positions, perpetuates biases, and hinders gender equality. The commercialization of various aspects of women’s lives adds another layer of complexity to these struggles. However, by embracing heterogeneity and creating space for women to exercise agency, we can break free from these confines and 22 | 11 SECONDS MAGAZINE

foster choice. From comparing attitudes to reproductive rights in the US to the UK, I challenge us to think about ways to increase a woman’s agency and choice through local and global change.

In her book exploring a woman’s agency in the labour market, Ann Phillips, an advocate for women’s autonomy, aptly states, “My body is mine, and I’ll do what I want with it.” Yet, she also questions this statement, asking whether it really applies when bodily autonomy is restricted, or when the body becomes something monetary. She highlights the harmful consequences of prostitution, emphasising how it serves as a transaction within a political and capitalist framework.

When women say they support sex

work, this does not mean they support the exploitation of women’s bodies, but rather an acknowledgement that in a capitalist and patriarchal society, this is a viable source of income. In short, the commodification of the female body upholds and capitalizes on a patriarchal society that often times exploits women.

For example, criminalizing sex work attaches negative connotations to the women who participate in it, despite the fact that the people who perpetuate it are mostly men. The ownership is still placed on women who do not have another source of income. It is essential to distinguish between supporting the exploitation of women and supporting the agency of women who engage in sex work for income. This could come in the form of potentially setting up support 11 SECONDS MAGAZINE |23

systems in areas with high sex work, such as Peru and Brazil. Solutions could involve training women in interviews, placing them in housing, or offering them other job opportunities where they can generate a viable income without needing to turn to body exploitation for a feasible income.

Lucy Van de Wiel compared other ways women and their bodies are and can be exploited, like when women donate their eggs. With the commodification of the body comes bio-value, a monetary value assigned to body parts, deeming some more commercially viable than others. For example, women’s eggs are finite and rarer compared to sperm, as women are born with all the eggs they would ever have, which begets a higher bio-value and monetary reward. This makes women more likely to turn to wards reproductive labour as a source of income, which reinforces stereotypes of women taking the role of care-givers, mothers, and family builders as they believe that is their only option. While it is necessary for reproductive labour to be compensated monetarily, the problem lies with it being a woman’s only option for income in an economy that prioritises them. Companies need to ensure they are making room for women in the labour market, somewhere other than merely the reproductive sector. This could start socially, through encouraging familial duties to be shared with male counterparts, where funding for paternity leave should be provided alongside maternity leave. This would expand a woman’s agency, giving them more financial freedom and relieving 24 | 11 SECONDS MAGAZINE

them from some of their reproductive duties. In other words, they need to have more financial options. More choices.

In a focus group, Rebecca Blaylock, a researcher working with the British Pregnancy Advisory service to make abortion services more accessible and equitable, discussed different legislation surrounding reproductive rights worldwide. Rebecca explained that ‘all health is inherently political’, including women’s reproductive health.

She went on to express that within the last ten years, further catalysed by the pandemic, public eproductive health laws have been “completely decimated” as funding has been funneled out of the reproductive health sector.

In the UK, the at-home abortion pill was legalized, permitting women the autonomy to have an abortion or terminate a pregnancy if necessary, without having to leave their homes. The pill was introduced as a response to rising domestic violence rates and an increase in financial instability which prevented families from having children during this time; the convenience of the at-home option kept women safe. However, not long after the pandemic, abortion past a certain gestational period was out-lawed in most US states and the abortion pill was revoked just this past April. Women can no longer terminate pregnancies in most states without facing legal action.

Their freedom to choose to have a child has been taken away.

While the number of abortions has not gone down, the number of unsafe

abortions has dramatically increased.

Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in the US, gun violence has also increased, the education and foster-care systems have not been reformed, nor has public healthcare been introduced. So, while more children are being born, being put up for adoption, abandoned by families who do not have the financial stability to give a child the quality of life they need and deserve, the ownership once again falls upon the woman to not get pregnant.

As domestic violence and instances of rape and sexual assault are on the rise, these circumstances become increasingly difficult. In some states, there is a monetary reward for people who report women attempting to terminate pregnancies, even if they are suffering from abuse and/or it is the abuser doing the reporting. This system rewards the abuser and punishes the victim for becoming pregnant. While these are extreme cases, the tightening abortion laws in the US are reflective of the experience of many women around the world, like in Peru, where reproductive and women’s rights as a whole are extremely neglected.

Globally, a woman’s right to choose and right to protect herself is being jeopardised.

So, what can be done to support women in this time? Where are our solutions?

Following the rebuke of abortion, the number of vasectomies have gone up. Having a vasectomy is much less

complicated than tying fallopian tubes, and hardly any side effects occur compared to hormonal birth controls often prescribed to women. They are also reversible, hence are an entirely viable option for families who are not looking to start a family at all or right away, but are not comfortable with hormonal birth control as contraception. Vasectomies allow reproductive labour to be shared between both partners, instead of lying solely on the women’s shoulders.

On a more public level, in the US, large corporations such as Jeffries, Goldman Sachs, and JP Morgan fund a woman’s journey to a state where abortion is legal, should this be necessary. This once again gives women agency and freedom over their reproductive health. Sara Nam, a public health consultant and reproductive rights activist explained that ‘many people equate the term ‘rights’ with the word ‘to choose’. Being denied an abortion is taking away one’s right to healthcare. It takes away one’s choice.

Everyone has a right to healthcare.

Abortion is healthcare. Only when your right and choice is revoked, does abortion become criminalized. It’s worth it to consider that criminalizing something does not make it disappear either. Hence, it is important to escape our echo chambers, to support women by reading and critically engaging with articles like these, so we can share their political and reproductive burdens, both globally and locally, and reinstall their right to choice, in whatever circumstance or capacity.

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SECTIO THREE: TO MAKE A CHOICE Alex implored us, in the last section, to really think about the parameters of choice, and the instances in which choice is lost. We thought it prudent to explore it further, first through history, and then through the contemporary.

Paul Delaroche’s painting, “The Execution of Lady Jane Grey,” (1833) offers a poignant take of history and feminism, illuminating the struggles and limitations faced by women in the past. Lady Jane Grey’s portrayal as she faces her impending execution becomes a symbol of the systemic injustice and gendered power dynamics that women often contended with during her era. In a society where women’s agency was frequently overshadowed by political agendas, Lady Jane’s tragic fate underscores the fragility of her position as a pawn in the political ambitions of others.

Delaroche’s rendering captures the vulnerability of her youth and innocence, reminding viewers of the societal pressures that constrained her choices. This painting serves as a reminder of the broader struggles faced by women throughout history, whose narratives were often overshadowed or erased. Lady Jane Grey’s story, though brief, is a testament to the complex narratives of women who challenged traditional roles and expectations. By exploring her execution through a feminist lens, we can engage with questions of agency, representation, and the ways in which women’s lives were shaped by patriarchal norms.

Delaroche’s work invites us to reflect not only on the tragedy of an individual life cut short, but also on the collective experiences of women who have historically fought for recognition, autonomy, and equality.

Fated cases are nothing new.

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A FATED CASE KALEB ATKINSON

Us Vs. Them, a court case, unheard.

Us or Them, who will win this race.

Opening statements falling on deaf ears.

The jury full of only THEIR peers.

The prosecutor of our fate: decided at diagnosis with little prognosis.

We, the diseased, the stricken, the sick.

Them, the healthy, the superior, the cis.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kaleb is entering his sophomore year of college and enjoys reading, writing, and exploring new worlds via poetry or fiction. His favorite authors include Sarah J. Maas, Emily Dickinson, and Taran Matharu. He saw this magazine as an opportunity to finally start speaking out against the things happening in the world. While often writing poems about body image or mental health struggles, Kaleb took a turn towards the political and societal during a Literature and Medicine class where he created works that were submitted to this magazine.

SEX ED IS NOT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH ROSE MONET LITTLE

A 12 year-old girl is starting her first year of middle school. She is faced with a new environment, new culture, new friends, new teachers, and above all, a new onset of hormonal and bodily changes. She looks physically different from every other student attending the school. She tries to fit in with all the other girls; however, underneath her false presentation she knows she is completely different and, most of all, that she is changing. Her body is transforming and maturing, and she lacks the guidance from her peers, parents, and educational system to understand how to process these changes.

sexually transmitted infections (STIs), common contraceptives, and fetal development. The curriculum excluded reproductive health information on emotional and physical adjustments during puberty, vaginal and penile health, variations of vaginal discharge, LGBTQ+ sex education, intrinsic health factors during pregnancy, and most importantly, information on where to access resources like local reproductive health clinics. Such topics and resources are crucial to reproductive health, yet they are routinely excluded from current sex education curricula in the United States. This criteria is from the implementation of the 1981 Adolescent Family Life Act (AFLA), which actively funds sex educational programs for adolescents that emphasizes a limited overview of sex education, abstinence promotion, and the dismissal of overall quality to reproductive health education.

Urgent reform must be administered for AFLA to encompass an inclusive,

This girl was me. I was the mixed African American-Mexican girl attending school who not only looked completely different from my peers but also was the first to experience a menstrual cycle. In school, I was taught about the solar system, how to write a paper, and complex math, but I was never taught about reproductive health. I was seventeen years old, five years after my first menstrual cycle, elaborative, and supportive reproductive when I enrolled in a sex education health educational program for all course in high school.

American students. The implementation of sex education in schools has been The school’s curriculum for sex resisted for years due to arguments education focused mainly on abstinence, predicated on protecting young people’s 30 | 11 SECONDS MAGAZINE

virtue, innocence, and chastity. However, the recent surge in interest about sexual health can be largely credited to the prevalence of STIs. In 2018, data for reported STIs was collected that showed 18.6% (12.6 million) persons aged 15 to 24 years comprised infections and 45.5% (11.9 million) were responsible for all incident infections of chlamydia, trichomoniasis, genital herpes, and human papillomavirus. Prevention for STIs depends significantly on current estimates of the health and economical burden of STIs; these estimates regulate the priorities in research, public health decisions, and governmental policies. For example, improved sex education was prioritized by the Chamberlain-Kahn Act of 1918 aimed to address increased cases of gonorrhea and syphilis after World War 1. The Chamberlain-Kahn Act provided funding to public health administrations to implement treatment clinics and educational programs about venereal diseases.

Federal support for improving sexual education became prominent again due to AFLA reporting that in the year 1978 approximately 1,100,000 teenagers were pregnant and unmarried. Senators in Congress debated that the enactment of Title X Family Planning Program promoted premarital sexual relations and abortions leading to the increase of adolescent pregnancies. Congress passed AFLA in 1981; which helped provide funding to public and nonprofit health organizations to administer counseling to promote abstinence until marriage among adolescents, an idea that is still enforced by the law today.

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Historically, sex education was state and federal government to ensure implemented across the United States the health quality, equity, and viability to promote abstinence among young for diverse communities. adults, as opposed to providing detailed additional and necessary social and biological education within sex and reproductive health.

AFLA funds are distributed to services for pregnancy testing, adoption counseling, and abstinence education but neglect comprehensive sexual programs or abortion counseling services within adolescent education.

But, Congress enforced AFLA to support abstinence-only education in order to decrease and prevent adolescent pregnancy. Abstinence-only education is not the best or only solution, as research reveals that improved implementation of contraceptives, increased availability, and education have more effectively decreased adolescent pregnancy rates by 27% and birth rates reduced by 33% in the US since 1991. Authorizing funds that solely support conservative health organizations to subsidize curriculum that limits inclusive and elaborative reproductive education to serve political agendas prevents improvement for sex education. Promoting safe sex and abstinence is only one part of reproductive health education. Children, teenagers, and young adults need to have a complete understanding of relationships, sexuality, gender identity, and sexual intercourse, all of which fall under the umbrella of reproductive health.

Public health policies that incorporate inclusive reproductive health in the educational system in the United States must be a priority for both 32 | 11 SECONDS MAGAZINE

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rose Monet P. Little is a dependable and advocacy leader with the ambition to provide quality and inclusive health communication within a clinical and community healthcare environment.

As a current Public Health graduate student, she has a strong desire to learn and explore new opportunities in health and medical systems. She is a person who strives to expand health education and improve accessibility to quality care within underserved communities through various outreach programs.

PLANNED PARENTHOOD DOES MORE KIRA ZIZZO

In the United States, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022, further restricting access to reproductive care. Following this decision, the debate around reproductive rights has become increasingly polarized, with abortion often being treated as a catch-all issue that overshadows other essential aspects of women’s reproductive health, with Planned Parenthood caught in the crossfire.

Disparities in access to women’s reproductive care persist across different regions and socioeconomic groups. In some areas, limited access to healthcare facilities, such as Planned Parenthood, especially in rural and underserved communities, can pose significant challenges for women seeking reproductive services. Additionally, the current political ‘witch hunt’ involved with Planned Parenthood has caused many of these already sparse reproductive health Contrary to popular belief, Planned facilities to shut down, further restricting Parenthood’s services extend far beyond access to care. abortion. Planned Parenthood offers a comprehensive range of reproductive Planned Parenthood clinics serve as healthcare services, providing essential vital resources for millions of women, services such as contraceptive counseling, providing access to affordable and sexually transmitted infection testing and comprehensive reproductive healthcare treatment, cancer screenings, prenatal services. For many women, particularly care, and family planning education. those without health insurance or in low-income communities, Planned While abortion is undoubtedly a sensitive Parenthood is often their primary source and highly disputed topic, it is crucial to of reproductive care. recognize that women’s reproductive care involves much more than this one single Reproductive care is an essential procedure. The focus on abortion often component of women’s overall health and obscures the broader spectrum of services well-being. It is important to acknowledge that support women’s reproductive health the broader role that organizations like and rights.

Planned Parenthood play in women’s healthcare, beyond the scope of abortion.

As such, restrictive laws and policies in Ensuring access to quality reproductive some regions disproportionately affect care is absolutely necessary for promoting a women’s access to reproductive care, women’s health and empowering them to including contraception and abortion. make informed choices about their bodies.

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PRAYERS, PROMISES, AND PREJUDICE KALEB ATKINSON

I’ll pray for you: a promise often made.

I’ll pray for you to be more like me: the unspoken portion of promise.

I promise to help you: an assurance of assistance!

I promise to help you whenever this starts affecting me: the hidden prejudice unveiled.

This prejudice veiled under promises and prayers- I’d be better off without them.

Your prayers are against me, your promises empty, and your prejudice disheartening.

I pity the one who falls into the perilous pitfalls that your sugared words disguise.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Kaleb is entering his sophomore year of college and enjoys reading, writing, and exploring new worlds via poetry or fiction.

His favorite authors include Sarah J. Maas, Emily Dickinson, and Taran Matharu.

He saw this magazine as an opportunity to finally start speaking out against the things happening in the world. While often writing poems about body image or mental health struggles, Kaleb took a turn towards the political and societal during a Literature and Medicine class where he created works that were submitted to this magazine.

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MEDIA CASE STUDY: GREY’S ANATOMY SAHANA NARAYAN

If you’ve ever watched Grey’s Anatomy, you likely remember the very first time we meet Addison Montgomery on screen. At the tail end of the first season, just as the audience is mooning over the dreaminess of McDreamy, she introduces herself to Meredith Grey, fur coat and retro hollywood curls and all — “you must be the woman who is screwing my husband.”

Miranda Bailey, embark on a journey to a rural part of Washington (Pullman, WA) to help out at a family planning clinic. This day takes a turn for the worse, though, when they must drive to the Washington-Idaho border where an Idaho woman with an ectopic pregnancy located on a prior cesarean section scar is at risk for rupture and cannot receive an evacuation procedure in Idaho.

Grey’s Anatomy has been running for 19 seasons and I’ve watched every episode.

I’m loyal to a fault when it comes to this show, even when certain seasons have been subpar, and so believe me when I say, Addison has become a personal favorite.

According to a recent JAMA study, the travel time for an abortion has more than tripled, and with bans having been enacted, clinics are shutting down. The issue of abortion has taken on a moral and religious valence that quite frankly has no place in medical care. Even in this episode of Grey’s Anatomy, after arriving at the Pullman clinic, Addison and Miranda walk through a throng of aggressive protestors outside the clinic.

It’s a realistic representation of what Anti-Abortion protests look like. There’s vitriol and anger that seems entirely at odds with a “pro-life” stance. Just like every campaign has some sort of strategy, these protestors do too. In fact, recent research suggests many AntiAbortion groups are pivoting to “Blue State” clinics, in response to abortion bans shutting down the clinics that they frequent. The difference in the Pre and Post-Dobbs time that it takes to get to an

In Season 19, viewers are given an entirely new version of the show, one that capitalizes on fresh storylines and a new cast; it’s novel and nostalgic at the same time. Episode 5, “When I Get To The Border,” aired on November 3, 2022 and this episode does a great job integrating the very real fallout from Roe v. Wade being overturned. We know that many states have trigger laws that were ready to be enacted and others have lawmakers on the way to implementing some form of one. As an OB/GYN and maternal-fetal specialist, Addison Montgomery, alongside character 36 | 11 SECONDS MAGAZINE

abortion clinic is stifling. In 2021, the mean was 27.8 minutes; it has now more than tripled to 100.4. The study also revealed that 33% of reproductive-aged women are more than an hour away from a suitable clinic.

TV is a great way to digest these types of stories. It’s easy; it’s accessible. I would argue that it may even be a more lenient way to confront some of these contentious issues, far easier than a hefty data-driven study, far more comfortable due to the familiarity of your favorite characters on the screen. We’ve grown with these characters; as viewers, it is entirely natural to see them. Is it possible that we feel more compelled to listen to Addison’s frustrations than someone giving a speech in real life? Maybe it’s easier in fiction, to rationalize some of the grisly details as mere drama, but the fact of the matter is, art imitates life and life imitates art.

One study that looked at what students in the medical field found to be most memorable from medical dramas — medical errors, bioethical dilemmas, and death. If what viewers are taking away from shows like Grey’s Anatomy is not the day-to-day routines of a healthcare provider but instead the issues and the errors of the field, clearly something is working. Now, that is not to say that these dramas are the most accurate thing in the world. Lord knows how dramatized it can be. Still, there is something to be said about the exposure we get as viewers to the variety of topics that are covered in shows like Grey’s

Anatomy. The social justice and policy side of healthcare is often overlooked; it’s easy to not see how these fields intersect.

We’ve been taught, after all, to think of medicine as a field just focused on symptoms and treatments. Perhaps it is shows like these that pushes the envelope just a little. If even one conversation is started about abortion clinics and how pervasive the lack of access is now, Post-Dobbs, then I suppose the episode was a success. At the very least, I know Addison’s monologue is doing the rounds on twitter, and viewers are talking about it. It’s a start.

And so, without further ado, I am absolutely thrilled to introduce our last piece of this issue, “No, We Won’t Keep Our Voices Down” by Bailey Merlin.

NO, WE WON’T KEEP OUR VOICES DOWN BAILEY MERLIN

I

’ve never had an abortion. I know many people who have, though it’s a fact spoken of in hushed tones. “If my husband knew…” they would say, voices trailing. “If my father found out…” was another refrain. Those sentences were never finished aloud, but I heard them all the same: “…he would kill me.”

Being raised in the South meant a lot of things: summer was everlasting, hushpuppies were common, and talking about abortion was something only fallen women did.

A friend of mine had an abortion at 16.

Even though her dream since we were children was to be a mother, it was something that she wasn’t prepared for just yet. Even as I write this, a part of my upbringing whispers, “If you’re not ready for the consequences, you shouldn’t have sex.” I’ll spend the rest of my life wrangling with that false belief, no matter how quiet it is.

My inner voice is nothing compared to the loud, virulent voices of the South.

The women who picket family planning centers and call children “Whore” to their faces. The men who threaten doctors with violence and sometimes 38 | 11 SECONDS MAGAZINE

come through on their promises. The family planning center in my hometown was firebombed in 1984. The year I was born, Dr. David Gunn was shot down; his killer was put to death ten years later in 2003.

Maybe whispering about abortion in the South is still the safest choice. When my friend’s father found out she had an abortion, he didn’t kill her directly, but he did throw her out. She stayed with a mutual friend for a few days before her aunt from a few states over came to collect her. We never spoke again.

I often think about her, hoping she escaped her father’s wrath and could live out a life of safety and love with her aunt. If she decided to have kids, I hope she’s happy. If she didn’t have kids, I hope she’s happy. I think, too, of the other women who confided in me over the years about their own abortions, desperate to confide in the safety of a friend but terrified by the prospect of a man in their life discovering their autonomy. I think, too, of the women unable to seek out safe abortions due to stigma or sheer inaccessibility, hoping instead that ingesting large quantities of Plan B or throwing themselves down

some stairs would be enough to trigger a miscarriage. I think about how women now are not so different from our notso-long passed ancestors, forced to seek the services of a midwife or witch to ingest an herbal tincture that could prove fatal to themselves. I think about how ten-year-old rape victims are not guaranteed safe medical abortions and how the doctors performing them are subject to fines and even imprisonment.

Somehow, talking about abortion is still a political act, and an important one. Eliminating stigma is the only way forward if we are ever to have abortion access equity.

And yet.

and willingness to sacrifice a pregnant person for a clump of cells they will no longer care about once it is a living, breathing human in need of resources.

I’m ready to drag abusers into the streets and shine a light on their fury. I’m ready to stop viewing abortions as things to be done in the shadows and instead as essential health care.

No, I’ve never had an abortion, but I would have no qualms about getting one. Well, that small Southern voice at the back of my head would. That voice is quiet and irrational; I rarely listen to her. The longer I involve myself in health-related advocacy work, the softer that voice becomes.

I’m ready to stop whispering about Talking about abortion is a deeply abortion behind closed doors for fear of personal choice. One must decide who violence or stigma. When the truth is no to tell and how to tell them. One must be longer whispered, it becomes a roar. prepared for danger should the wrong person hear about their abortion, for it could very well bring them harm. Why would I disclose something about myself that could get me killed?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR We’ve had this discussion before: People who get abortions do not do so lightly.

But I’m ready for us to move beyond deeming whether or not someone receives a “morally acceptable” abortion. I’m ready for those who seek abortion services to find them readily and free of charge (because if you can’t afford an abortion, can you afford a child?). I’m ready to publicly shame antichoice protestors for their inhumanity

Bailey Merlin is a writer and bi+ activist with a background in media, medicine, and health.

She holds an MFA from Butler University and an MS from Harvard Medical School, and her writing has been published in literary magazines such as The Lascaux Review, ellipses..., Honeyfire Literary Magazine, Bandit Fiction, Anti-Heroin Chic, Chantwood Magazine, Drunk Monkeys, Dime Show Review, Streetlight Magazine, Into the Void, among others.

Based in Boston, Bailey lives in an intentional community with a dynamic cast of humans, a toddler, a dog, a cat, and a friendly ghost. You can find her work on baileymerlin.com.

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THE ART GALLERY

1

2

1. Children’s Stories from Shakespeare by Edith Nesbit (1900) Edith Nesbit’s ‘Children’s Stories from Shakespeare’ adeptly introduces young readers to the timeless tales of the Bard, fostering an early appreciation for literature and drama. The included painting of Romeo and Juliet encapsulates both the tragedy and the enduring power of love, offering a gateway for children to engage with complex themes and emotions.

beauty as the goddess emerges from the sea, an iconic masterpiece that embodies the Renaissance’s fascination with myth and human form. While the artwork exemplifies the classical ideal of feminine beauty, it also raises questions about agency and representation, inviting contemplation on the historical objectification of women’s bodies in art and society, and the potential for reclaiming narratives to empower and challenge conventional norms.

2. The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli (1480) Sandro Botticelli’s ‘The Birth of Venus’ immerses viewers in a world of ethereal

3. Sappho Leaping into the Sea from the Leucadian Promontory by Théodore Chassériau (1840) In Théodore Chassériau’s painting “Sappho

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5

4 3

Leaping into the Sea from the Leucadian Promontory” circa 1840, the depiction of Sappho’s daring leap becomes a feminist metaphor, symbolizing her agency to reclaim her narrative and transcend societal constraints, echoing the broader struggle of women to assert their autonomy and break free from conventional roles while still honing the empathetic and emotional aspects of natural human life.

4. Allegory of Justice by an anonymous Flemish artist (1690) In the ‘Allegory of Justice’ by an anonymous Flemish artist circa 1690, the intricate symbolism of a blindfolded figure holding

balanced scales captures the timeless complexity of justice’s impartiality and moral equilibrium.

5. The Execution of Lady Jane Grey by Paul Delaroche (1833) Paul Delaroche’s “The Execution of Lady Jane Grey” becomes a feminist prism on history, highlighting the vulnerabilities of women like Lady Jane who navigated societal constraints and power imbalances. Through her portrayal, the painting prompts contemplation on the broader struggles of women against erasure and oppression, serving as a poignant reminder of their resilience and the ongoing quest for agency and equality.

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How can we have justice – how can we experience justice – if it’s headless? We can’t see it, smell it, hear it, or taste it.

The concept of justice has become so misconstrued and disfigured that it arguably remains a destitute remnant of what it once was.

Lady Justice didn’t lose her head in one swift blow, but rather an unrelenting series of harm that accumulated over centuries. Her chiseled, bold features were chipped away by antiquated patriarchal ideals enacted into our government and society. She has endured relentless assault on fundamental rights and the deep-rooted biases persisting within our society. Each pencil stroke in this portrait collectively carries the grievances of our loss of justice, radiating from her wound, illustrating the endless depths of her pain.

However, justice is not a lifeless relic of the past. Justice is a living, breathing ideal that thrives within the hearts and minds of those who refuse to accept its demise. Justice is not limited to what we can perceive; it transcends the physical realm and resides within our collective consciousness.

ABOUT THE ART

DECAPITATION OF JUSTICE BY KIRA ZIZZO 42 | 11 SECONDS MAGAZINE

When statues crumble, they can be rebuilt. To mend justice, we must start by reimagining it, not as a tangible entity, but instead as an unwavering commitment to equality, fairness, and accountability.

Justice is not dead. We will never let her die.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE “It is literally impossible to be a woman. You are so beautiful, and so smart, and it kills me that you don’t think you’re good enough. Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we’re always doing it wrong.

You have to be thin, but not too thin. And you can never say you want to be thin. You have to say you want to be healthy, but also you have to be thin.

You have to have money, but you can’t ask for money because that’s crass.

You have to be a boss, but you can’t be mean. You have to lead, but you can’t squash other people’s ideas. You’re supposed to love being a mother, but don’t talk about your kids all the damn time. You have to be a career woman but also always be looking out for other people.

You have to answer for men’s bad behavior, which is insane, but if you point that out, you’re accused of complaining. You’re supposed to stay pretty for men, but not so pretty that you tempt them too much or that you threaten other women because you’re supposed to be a part of the sisterhood.

But always stand out and always be grateful. But never forget that the system is rigged. So find a way to acknowledge that but also always be grateful.

You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line. It’s too hard! It’s too contradictory and nobody gives you a medal or says thank you! And it turns out in fact that not only are you doing everything wrong, but also everything is your fault.

I’m just so tired of watching myself and every single other woman tie herself into knots so that people will like us. And if all of that is also true for a doll just representing women, then I don’t even know.”

The Barbie Movie (2023)

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Much like our title suggests, all things, no matter how delightful or violent, must come to an end. That’s where we are now, aren’t we?

The story of justice and womanhood is not a new one. It’s a story we’ve been familiar with for centuries, and yet, if we want to change history, we have to start by looking at it differently.

The purpose of this issue was to look at injustices just as it was to look at the justices. Much like you cannot have objectivity without subjectivity, you need both halves to form a whole. From gender identity to fertility to motherhood to womanhood, the politics of existence are so deeply interwoven into everything we’ve discussed here today.

How do we balance the scales?

In a Post-Roe world, we know that women are scrambling for appointments and access to care; providers are closing up shop, and hostile state laws are actively exacerbating maternity care deserts (which are now estimated to be 36% of counties in the US).

But beyond abortion, the very question of who and how one is a woman continues to be at the forefront of our minds. The question (and burden) of fertility rests on a woman’s shoulder, even with her finite supply of eggs and biological clock. The issue of being the “right kind of woman” does not often include the right to a choice of anything, anyways. It’s why I started this section with America Ferrera’s monologue from Barbie. It means we are finally ready to tell the story. (And clearly we’re willing to listen, what with Barbie having already joined the $1 Billion Box Office club).

Womanhood is a double-edged sword. It’s a sword that we have gotten no better at wielding.

Shakespeare was right. These violent delights do have violent ends. Much like the politics of womanhood are so complicated, our solutions will have to be too.

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