Issue 15 - Feminism

EDITORIAL

2

SWAT

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LETTERS & NOTICES

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VIC UFO

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NEWS

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UNI-Q

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WHAT IN THE WORD?

BEING A MALE FEMINIST IS HARD

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ONE OCEAN

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18

POEM

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'WHITE FEMINISM': PRIVILEGING EQUALITY

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REVIEWS

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GIRL WHO CODES

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MUSIC

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TALKING FEMINISM WITH GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN

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TELEVISION

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NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS

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PODCAST

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NGĀI TAUIRA

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THIS WEEK IN NUMBERS

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TOKEN CRIPPLE

30

AUDIT

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ASKING AN EXPERT

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PROCRASTINATION

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Editor Kii Small editor@salient.org.nz

Advertising Josephine Dawson advertising@vuwsa.org.nz

Follow Us fb.com/salientmagazine instagram.com/salientgram

Designer & Illustrator Rachel Salazar designer@salient.org.nz

Feature Writers Sophie Beaumont Jahla Lawrence Angus Lindsay Aleisha Amohia

News Section Penny Downing, Tara Ó Súilleabháin, Shanti Mathias, Hannah Powell, Johnny O'Hagan Brebner, Sophie Dixon

News Editor Johnny O’Hagan Brebner news@salient.org.nz Sub Editor Janne Song subeditor@salient.org.nz Social Media Callum Turnbull socialmedia@salient.org.nz

FM Station Managers Jazz Kane Navneeth Nair TV Producers Monique Thorp Joseph Coughlan Centrefold Rachel Salazar

Contributors Sophie Beaumont, Jahla Lawrence, Jean Campbell, Alice Mander, Joanna Li, Viki Moananu, Miia Van Beusekom, Liam Ngārimu Te Maro-Doran, Rhianna Morar, Leteicha Lowry, Ruby Govan-Gaffney, Puck, Felicia Evangelista, Iffah Abdul Rahim, V-ISA

WE SHOULD ALL BE FEMINISTS. But we’re not. Well, we are, out and proud so to speak.

We weren't always, but we are now.

Like many other young women, we have battled with whether “feminist” is an identity we want to claim for ourselves, drowning in the preconceptions, stereotypes, and problems with feminism that many of you will be so familiar with.

For us, our feminism is not only shaped from being women, but from our other intersecting identities of privilege and oppression. We have diverse experiences of sexuality, race, class, and disability— yet here we are, both feminists, both striving to change the world—and, honestly, both needing a nap.

Being a feminist is amazing and exhausting, inspiring and infuriating. It is hope in the face of some seriously fucked-up stuff. It’s an ongoing journey that changes how you see, feel, interact, and respond to the world around you, because to be a feminist is to exist under the weight of knowing that the world is shit.

It's hard to live with the knowledge that the world is against you, built for your failure. For many, this is a fact too unpleasant to acknowledge. For some, feminism is too uncomfortable, too much, too confronting. Kimberlé Crenshaw, the creator of the term ‘intersectionality’, acknowledges that intersectionality can often be inferred to mean “well, it's complicated”. But, as she notes, 'it’s complicated” too often becomes “an excuse not to do anything”.

We know from first-hand experience that not everyone believes feminism is applicable to them. To everyone with that belief: this is for you. From us, who used to be in your shoes.

To the girl who thinks that being a feminist makes her unattractive to men.

To the guy who thinks we’ve achieved gender equality.

To people who think that feminism is angry women hating men.

To the person who believes in equality but doesn’t think that feminism truly embodies that.

This is for you.

We want to show with this issue, that feminism should be for everyone, can be for everyone. We want to construct a feminism that’s moving forward, that’s tolerant, inclusive, and always, always intersectional.

This issue embodies the kaupapa of intersectionality by challenging problematic conceptions of feminism, while highlighting voices that may have been silenced.

To us, feminism needs to be representative, reflective, and self-critical. So here's our best shot.

Jahla Lawrence (She/Her) & Sophie Beaumont (She/Her)

VICTORIA STUDENTS' PSYCHOLOGY SOCIETY

Send your notices to designer@salient.org.nz The Victoria Students' Psychology Society is hosting a Quiz Night on July 25 at 6.30 p.m. at The Hunter Lounge. Teams of six–eight with free entry for members and $5 for non-members. Drink subsidy, cool prizes, and free snacks.

WOMEN'S WEEK 2019 Victoria University Feminst Organisation hosts a week with everything from a market day to a panel of amazing wāhine. July 22–July 26

Victoria Students' Psychology Society presents the 2019 Ball! A great time for all, grab a ticket and join us on August 10, at 7 p.m. at Dockside for a fun-filled night, with plenty of drinks, dancing, and photos. Only $40 for members, sign up for tickets with the link below, spread the word, and start getting excited! We look forward to seeing you all there!

FEMMMPOP Femmmpop is a improvisation group for female identifying gals and non-binary pals, running every second Thursday (starting July 11) in KK203 6:45–8 p.m.

Ngā mihi

Come give it a go and develop those improv skills.

NOTICE OF APOLOGY - ISSUE 14 Last week in Queerlient we published an article discussed at length the experiences and common mischaracterisations of Fa'fafine from a personal perspective. We learned on Thursday evening that the majority of that content in the article was plagiarised from an earlier work from Ashleigh Feu'u titled 'When did you first know you were Fa'Fafine?'

Send your letters to editor@salient.org.nz

Salient would like to apologise to the original author.

Salient has it's own processes it implements to circumvent this occurring.

Happy Birthday to our favourite (and only) News Editor, Johnny O'Hagan Brebner!

- Salient ROTARACT NETFLIX QUIZ Do you watch too much Netflix? Love a good quiz?

Come on down to the Hunter Lounge on July 23 to win yourself some prizes and raise money for a good cause.

Happy Birthday to our lovely and five-star Food Editor, Sally Ward!

- Salient

Find tickets and more information at 'Rotaract Netflix Quiz' on Facebook.

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What does feminism mean to you?

Send your replies to our Instagram stories @salientgram

Being intersectional and breaking the barriers of differences REPLY

I just want to be able to walk at night, (or anywhere tbh) with the same confidence men do

It's the radical notion that women are also people

REPLY

REPLY

It means I can have a good time without giving a fuck about what my gender is doing today The right to be me

REPLY

REPLY

Intersectionality!!!

Understanding the equal value every single human being holds regardless of their attributes

REPLY

REPLY

The right to choose. The right to safe healthcare, and loving relationships

REPLY education,

Do I want my mum to have the same rights as my dad, of course I do REPLY

REPLY

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News.

MONDAY , 22 JULY 2019

US Women's Soccer Fighting Pay Gap

Megan Rapinoe, co-captain of the US Women’s Soccer Team, celebrating a goal in the quarterfinal match of the 2019 Women’s Football World Cup. Team USA went on to win the tournament for the fourth time. The win, along with Rapinoe’s controversial refusal to meet with President Trump, brought women’s football in the US to headlines around the world.

With their recent success and the public backing them, it’s likely the team will continue an ongoing lawsuit against their organising body, US Soccer, for equal pay. The Guardian reported in June that there is a USD$730,000 gender pay gap between the women’s and men’s US soccer teams.

Photo from AFP

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SALIENT

News.

Tetatai Hauora o Hine Centre _

Te Tātai Hauora o Hine Centre for Women's Health Research members outside Te Herenga Waka Marae.

The centre’s kaupapa focuses on researching, and translating that research, around issues relevant to women’s health, with a focus on Māori health and practices.

In January, a report by the centre outlined the importance of cervical screening for saving the lives of Māori women, who are twice as likely to die from cervical cancer as Pākehā women. Following extensive hui and surveys, it was proposed that the generally infrequent screenings of wāhine could be resolved by developing more flexible and culturally appropriate services.

Women in Urbanism Aotearoa Sarah Walker, who won silver in BMX in the 2012 Summer Olympics, at Women in Urbanism Aotearoa’s event “Pump Tracks are for Girls too” event in April.

Women in Urbanism Aotearoa (WIU) is an urban planning group that promotes a better urban environment “by amplifying the voices and actions of all self-identifying wāhine, girls and non-binary people” It may be more familiar from its #EndStreetHarassment campaign, which highlights stories of harassment from women around the country on public transport and the streets.

Paired with illustrations and posted on WIU’s Twitter and Facebook accounts, hundreds have already shared their experiences.

You can share your story by sending it to womeninurbanismnz@gmail.com.

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Accessibility: Teri O’Neill is Running for Council JOHNNY O’HAGAN BREBNER (HE/HIM)

Teri O’Neill: WCC Eastern Ward Candidate Teri grew up in Lyall Bay in a rental home with her mum. She thinks they did alright. But just down the road, her friends’ families were growing up in damp, mouldy council housing.

Those families serve as a regular reminder to Teri of why she’s running for Wellington City Council. In her words, “the safety net they were told to be grateful for was covered in mould and making them sick… holding them down, rather than holding them up”.

In short, she believes “we need to be more warm.”

Public Transport Accessibility is a big part of Teri’s vision in general, but especially for transport. As her home turf, she’s keenly aware that the Eastern Ward was one of the areas worst hit by the Regional Council’s “bustrastrophe.”

She asserts that to resolve it, and avoid it happening again, local authorities need to do more listening to, and place greater emphasis on, people with different transport needs, such as the elderly, or school children.

It’s no surprise, then, that communitybuilding and housing are key issues for Teri, and eliminating homelessness in Wellington is a primary part of her platform.

“The most vocal majority are the people that harp on on Twitter, and what we really need is for people to listen to the actual community that’s being affected,” she says.

(Teri’s twitter handle is @TeriONeillNZ)

Security and quality of housing was a topic that came up regularly in her interview with us.

While acknowledging that WCC has no direct control over those services, she thinks sitting on WCC will be an opportunity for advocacy, as the council does control some public transport related issues, such as transport hubs.

Within this, she also pointed to the importance of accessibility in the city to both services, and ensuring there is “mad consultation” in the decisionmaking processes themselves.

As a long-time advocate and Young Labour stalwart, a place on Wellington City Council (WCC, which she pronounces “Dub CC”) would grant her greater sway over the decisions of the city she grew up in, and a ward that is “very much my home”.

Talking with residents of her ward, she says things as simple as moving a bus stop 100 metres down the road can make a huge positive difference for people.

Teri O’Neill with Interviewer Peter McKenzie, at an event I wasn’t invited to.

In more tangible terms, she is a supporter of the fully electric bus fleet and accessible roads, and wants to support the council’s push for the most accessible bus stops in the country.

Housing and Community Services With 50–80,000 more people expected to live in Wellington in the next ten years, Teri considers it unquestionably essential to grow the council housing stock.

However, there are a number of important aspects that she wants to be considered in developing council housing.

This includes a rental warrant of fitness, wrap-around drug and addiction services, and the building up—rather than out—of the city to protect Wellington’s green belts and reserves.

She also advocates for education support from council, and wants “more free and available community education services. More [free] Te Reo Māori services. Things like making night school more available. There’s so much more we can do.”

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Climate Change Teri has an ongoing history with the council and councillors on climate change. She worked with Councillor Iona Pannett to push the recently declared climate emergency, and submitted on the proposal herself.

Regarding action following the emergency, Teri has a number of options in mind. She wants to go harder on emissions targets. “We can do more than net zero emissions by 2050. We can do it by 2030,” she says.

She also plans to promote council plans being costed against climate impacts, not just economic growth. She wants the issue recognised in the council’s priorities (she acknowledges she’s a “bit of a nerd” for them), and wants to see more funding towards innovations in those

News.

reductions, and more community-lead initiatives.

Kelburn

Te Tiriti o Waitangi Teri’s belief in Te Tiriti o Waitangi and partnership with Māori was apparent throughout the interview.

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Pukehīnau/Lambton Ward

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Mental Health Teri’s immediate concern with mental health in Wellington is loneliness. And she doesn’t think it’s confined to millennials, as it’s often stereotyped to be.

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On principle, she believes everything council does needs to be in consultation with Māori.

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She highlighted the council’s involvement in a Kaibosh community meal in Miramar, which came at little cost to the council and was effectively free for residents to attend. “That’s probably where I’d start,” she thinks.

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Oriental Bay

It was an essential part of her work on the climate emergency, in part because the tangata whenua, as kaitiaki in the region, “have been doing the most work in that area to take care of the land”.

Teri’s proposal? A bigger focus on building community hubs to bridge the loneliness gap. She says a lot of them already exist, but just need more funding and support from the council.

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LEGEND

Ward Boundaries Suburb Boundaries 0

Wellington Motukairangi/Eastern Ward:the 2019Electoral - 2022 Triennium A map ofCity Eastern Ward, stolen from Commission.

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1,000

If you’re enrolled in this area (basically east of Mount Vic) Teri’s running to represent you.

as determined by the Local Government Commission

Property boundaries Land Information NZ Licence WN0853547/2 CROWN COPYRIGHT RESERVED. Accuracy in urban areas: +/-1m, Accuracy in rural areas: +/-30m. Topographic data: Wellington City Council WCC copyright reserved Accuracy: +/- 30cm. Any contours displayed are only approximate and must not be used for detailed engineering design. Colour Orthophotography 1:500 flown March 2006 or Feb 2008 owned by Wellington City Council. Other data has been compiled from a variety of sources and its accuracy may vary.

The Campaign Teri is proud of her position on the Labour Party ticket for the election. Not only do the principles and policies naturally align with her own, but she says it’s about the honesty of her values and alliances.

MAP PRODUCED BY: Wellington City Council 12 Manners Street WELLINGTON, NZ

Meters scale 1:30,000

ORIGINAL MAP SIZE: A4 AUTHOR: martin2o DATE: 7/06/2019

More Stuff: Full interviews available online. Keep an eye on the Salient website and Facebook page.

When asked about whether there were any Labour policies that concerned her, she acknowledged the party’s “rocky past” with Māori and Te Tiriti, as well as the prioritisation of economic development over people.

Look up Teri O'Neill WCC Eastern Ward Candidate on Facebook for updates and more info.

She does, however, think the party’s seen a lot of improvements in policy since then, and vows to use her ongoing membership to “create change from the inside” if necessary.

Young Matt Show: Discussing the candidate of the week every Monday, 6–8 p.m. http://salient.org.nz/fm/

To The Haters Teri’s response to a potential loss in the election was expected and straightforward: “Keep on working, keep on going.”

Salient TV: Promo-ing the candidate of the week every Thursday. www.facebook.com/ salientmagazine/

“I fully intend to hold the council accountable.”

Enrol for elections at https://vote.nz/ or at the VUWSA offices.

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VUW’s Women are Fucking Good at Sports.

SOPHIE DIXON (SHE/HER)

It’s a simple message: Sport helps you keep active, make friends, and gives you the opportunity to achieve to a high level.

VUW is cementing the place of women in sport, with over half of the athletes in Te Puni Village’s Athlete Living space being women, and full-time Sports Manager Josie Fitzsimons overseeing a new focus on equity and inclusion.

played in the national hockey league, and against Australia in the national Under 21 team. Estelle highly recommends the Victoria Hockey Club for people keen on playing socially. secretary@victoriahockey.org.nz isbka03@gmail.com

Lara Andrews, NZ’s first professional softball player in the USA, is also leading the charge as VUW’s new Clubs Manager (based in the old ANZ building).

Futsal Victoria’s team for futsal, fast-paced indoor football, recently won the National Tertiary Futsal Championship, managed by previous Futsal Fern and VUW alumni Sarah Alder.

In the meantime, check out some outstanding achievements from the uni’s women in sport.

The university did not have a team three years ago, but the sport has boomed on campus since its formation.

VUW Netball “Netball is about creating a sense of community and getting involved,” said President of VUW Netball Club Sophie Verstraten.

vuwfutsalclub@gmail.com

With 21 teams in the Wellington Netball Competition, and two in the Premier Grade, the club focuses on building relationships and connections, having fun, and getting active.

Recent individual successes include representatives Abby Collier and Lauren Smith competing in New Zealand Under 21s indoor netball. teamvicnetball@gmail.com Ultimate Frisbee Ultimate Frisbee, often played mixed, has increased participation for women, who now have an equal split of game time and representation in teams.

VUW Frisbee has over 20 teams playing in various leagues, and has achieved great success at an individual level, with Demme Simkin making the National Training Squad and looking to compete in the 2020 World Champs, and other members in different representative teams. vuwfdc@gmail.com Hockey and Floorball Hockey is also thriving at VUW, with the club winning the National Tertiary Hockey Championships in 2016 and 2017.

There are currently around five hockey teams within the university.

Emma Fell, who played in these teams, has also represented New Zealand in floorball, a sport similar to ice hockey.

Floorball has a club team at Victoria. Emma wants to emphasise that participation in sport is incredibly valuable for escaping “the stresses of studying”.

Estelle Macadre represented the Capital Hockey’s Under 21s team,

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ITF Taekwon-Do Victoria does not have an ITF Taekwon-Do club, but VUW student Rose Biddiscombe has won two gold medals at the 2018 National Tournament for Taekwon-Do, and was selected to be a part of the New Zealand Taekwon-Do team.

In 2019, she was awarded Best Overall Senior Female Black Belt in NZ. http://vuwtkd@outlook.com/ Rugby There are increased numbers of women in the Old Boys University Rugby Academy (six out of 19). The academy is a partnership between the university and one of NZ’s oldest rugby clubs, the Old Boys University RFC. Notably, Joanah Ngan-Woo received a full professional contract with the Black Ferns in 2018 after graduating. clubcaptain@oburugby.com victoria.hunters@gmail.com Surf Life Saving Although not represented in the clubs scene due to the chilly Wellington water, VUW has had great success in Surf Life Saving, with Libby Bradley making it into the 2019 Surf Life Saving Open Team to compete in Japan.

The university provides a student athlete advisor and athlete sponsorship to assist her with this—accommodations which are also offered to other female athletes.

Check out all these clubs at the start of Clubs Day next trimester, or contact them via the emails above.

News.

Battle Of The SECS’: VUW Is Failing Women In Tech SHANTI MATHIAS (SHE/HER) The tech industry is well-known for being dominated by men.

Victoria is, unsurprisingly, no exception.

women’s-only computer lab: “The women’s lab was a way to be comfortable in not knowing something; it was a safe space.”

Aleisha Amohia, president of Victoria University’s Women in Tech (VUWWIT), says that Victoria needs to do more to support and encourage women and other minorities in the School of Engineering and Computer Science (SECS).

However, male students would turn up at these labs and ask to be let in, and the labs were only trialled on one course.

SECS at VUW mirrors gender statistics for other information technology and computer science tertiary programmes across the country, in that less than a fifth of IT Bachelor holders are women (see below).

“At best,” Amohia said, “it’s three women to seven men.”

“There’s a lot of dependence on VUWWIT to carry the weight of improving diversity and support, and there’s only so much we can do as a student group. There need to be structural changes,” Amohia says.

She suggests that the department could hire more diverse academic staff.

Victoria University was unable to provide data for its own departments before time of publication.

Amohia also wants the department to better publicise diversity initiatives, such as support for Māori students to enter postgraduate programmes.

The Engineering School has an Outreach Coordinator, Pravin Vaz, and an Equity Coordinator, Diana Siwiak, who are trying to make it easier for women and other minorities to enter the programme.

VUWWIT is hosting a Women in Tech conference in August to discuss the academic and social aspects of the tech industry. The conference is open to all interested students and staff.

Awhina, the Māori learning support group, also works with the department, although there are few Māori and Pasifika students enrolled.

Turn to page 22 to read Aleisha’s own experiences of being a woman in the tech industry.

Amohia appreciates these efforts, particularly commending the

Contact VUW Women in Tech through vuwwit@gmail.com or on

Graph representing completion of IT qualifications by gender in 2018. Women made up 21% of IT Bachelor graduates, 27% of Honours/Postgraduates, 29% of Masters Graduates, and 25% of Doctorate graduates.

Data from the Ministry of Education, graph by figure.nz

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Research: Third of Tertiary Students Sexually Assaulted At University HANNAH POWELL (SHE/HER) CW: Sexual Violence The chances of a student experiencing sexual assault at university are more than one to three.

Kayla Stewart, a PhD student at the University of Otago, is currently conducting research into the prevalence of sexual violence in New Zealand universities.

In the USA, one in five female students are sexually assaulted. Taking Stewart’s recent research into account, it’s clear New Zealand’s universities could do much better to reduce the risk.

Stewart’s research suggests that one in three students surveyed have experienced sexual assault at university.

Lily Kay Ross is a PhD student at Otago undertaking sexual violence research alongside Stewart, “I think we’re lagging behind what’s going on in the USA at the moment. There are a number of universities figuring out policies and procedures—there is a lot of emphasis on victim support.”

In the study, 41% of women, 22% of men, and 31% of gender diverse individuals at universities had been sexually violated.

Victoria University has recently closed consultation on their draft Sexual Harassment Prevention policy.

In the wake of the #MeToo and Times Up movements, the Harvey Weinstein allegations, unaddressed sexual assaults at Knox College in Dunedin, and the relaunch of the Thursdays in Black campaign at Vic—the conversation on sexual violence continues to develop and expand.

According to VUW’s website, the policy “defines and prohibits sexual harassment, sets out how the University will manage disclosures and complaints of sexual harassment, and encourages safe active bystander intervention.”

“There needs to be an acknowledgment that this is an issue, because for too long, it’s been hidden, or universities have failed to acknowledge it,” Stewart said when the data was released.

However, there have been criticisms of the draft. Students and academics expressed concern to Salient during the consultation process that the term “sexual harassment” was inappropriate for a policy designed to reflect a wide variety of harmful behaviour.

Stewart collated numerous one-on-one interviews using the Sexual Experiences Survey (SES) tool, which measures the frequency of unwanted sex or sexual behavior.

Jahla Lawrence, a sexual violence academic, Co-President of Victoria University Feminist Organisation, and President of Thursdays in Black VUW, told Salient that the term “sexual harassment” does not reflect academic, legal, or activist language in the sexual violence area.

She found that first-year students are more at risk of sexual assault.

The mixture of newfound independence, misunderstandings of consent, and pervasive drinking culture, creates vulnerability for those students.

Amongst other criticisms was an inadequate definitions section, and a failure to address vulnerable groups, such as the Queer community (particularly trans people), women of colour, female international students, and disabled women.

“Perpetrators are using incapacitation, likely through alcohol, to their advantage to sexually assault people,” Stewart stated.

Stewart’s reminder at the end of it all?

She described it as a particular “university problem”.

This is consistent with coverage seen around unaddressed sexual violence at Knox College. In an exposé published by Critic Te Arohi in March, a handful of students came forward with their experiences of sexual assault at the University of Otago hall.

“Someone who is drunk, or otherwise out of it, cannot consent to sexual activity.”

VUWSA Advocate | Erica Schouten | 04 463 6984 | advocate@vuwsa.org.nz

Many blamed the culture and traditions at the hall for the proliferation of sexual violence and lack of survivor support. Several residents explained that the hall had a culture of casual misogyny.

Mauri Ora Student Health and Counselling | 04 463 5308 (Kelburn) Safe to Talk Sexual Harm 24/7 Helpline | Call 0800 044 334 or text 4334 | support@safetotalk.nz

An emphasis on drinking in the hall was also highlighted as part of the issue, with events like ‘Date Night’ being described as “dodgy as fuck”.

Wellington Sexual Abuse HELP 24/7 Crisis Support Line | 04 801 6655 (Push 0 at menu) | support@wellingtonhelp.org.nz

Although sexual assaults were reported, management often dismissed or ignored the allegations.

MOSAIC: Male Survivors of Sexual Abuse Support Line | Call or text 022 419 3416 | enquiries@mosaic-wgtn.org.nz

With the extremely high prevalence of sexual violence in tertiary education, how are universities dealing with the problem?

OUTLine Queer, Trans, and Takatāpui Support | 0800 688 5463

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News.

Probing The Punters GETTING TO KNOW THE VICUFO POPULATION

1

2

4

Describe your identity in four words.

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Which feminist issue do you feel most strongly about?

Who is a woman that inspires you?

What is your patriarchal pet peeve?

JAHLA LAWRENCE 1. Brown, Bi, Bossy, generally-extremelyfrazzled.

2. Sexual violence.

3

What are three words to describe your feminism?

3. Intersectional, active, constant.

4. Every woman determined to succeed in the face of a world built for their failure.

5. Performative feminism/White feminism.

JOANNA LI

TARA Ó SÚILLEABHÁIN

1. Who the fuck knows.

1. Fat, female, queer, cat-mum.

2. The intersection of issues between gender, sexuality, race, and colonialism.

2. Reproductive rights. Specifically, sex education and access to contraception.

3. Unapologetic, intersectional, self-critical.

4. Janelle Monáe. Releasing a whole visual album about a lesbian couple of colour trying to define what love is in a dystopian cyberpunk world created by rampant capitalism and police brutality? That’s pretty iconic.

3. Loud, soft, reflective.

4. Dame Margaret Sparrow. Proof that you don’t have to lose your warmth to be fierce.

5. People in positions of privilege demanding my emotional labour.

5. Referring to the vulva as the vagina.

ALICE MANDER

JEAN CAMPBELL

1. An art student cliché.

1. A real bisexual stereotype.

2. Intersectionality and violence against women.

2. It’s a toss-up between rape culture and the abortion issue.

3. Bold, proud, and collective.

3. Intersectional, welcoming, understanding.

4. All the women in my life. You have taught me about

4. Kate Beaton. She’s a talented cartoonist who does multiple pieces about interesting and inspirational women throughout history. Introduced me to such icons as Ida B. Wells.

5. The idea that women dress certain ways only for male attention.

resilience, intelligence, kindness, self-value, and hard work. You continue thriving despite the shit thrown at you. Oh, and what Joanna said.

5. Mansplaining and “not like other girls” (gag).

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How it Works.

Getting an Abortion CW: Abortion

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News.

Opinion.

Abortion Law Reform in Aotearoa PENNY DOWNING (SHE/HER) & TARA Ó SÚILLEABHÁIN (SHE/HER) CW: Abortion New Zealand is at a turning point in regards to its abortion laws.

Our abortion laws have not changed since they were enacted in 1977, despite various calls from the United Nations and the Abortion Supervisory Committee to modernise them. Under the Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act (1977), abortions are only legal when they: present a serious danger to the life of a woman, serious danger to the physical or mental health of a woman, pregnancies resulting from incest or sexual relations with guardian, pregnancies in women of mental subnormality, and pregnancies presenting fetal abnormality may all be legally terminated.* *Note the lack of recognition of rape or age of the pregnant person as a legal reason.

Abortion is still deemed a crime under the Crimes Act 1961, so determining whether one occurs is a legal (rather than a health) matter. Currently, 97.3% of abortions in New Zealand are performed on the grounds of serious danger to the mental health of the patient. This does not reflect the reality of patients’ circumstances and choices; rather, it demonstrates how people are conforming to the required legal criteria in order to receive one.

The current laws are outdated, sexist, racist, discriminatory, and classist. First of all, society today supports access to abortion: A 2019 study of almost 20,000 NZ participants showed there is “moderate to high” support for abortion being accessible under any circumstance. Medicine has advanced, yet the law imposes unnecessary conditions onto abortion-seekers. If having a medical abortion (i.e., by pills), you are legally obliged to take the first pill at the clinic and return 48 hours later to take the second pill. If you live far away from a practitioner willing to help, this can be uncomfortable and costly.

The laws are sexist and discriminatory because they remove (mostly) women’s autonomy from making a medical choice—no other procedure removes the final choice on treatment from the patient. They are classist because the barriers are a hindrance for those of lower socioeconomic backgrounds, or rural dwellers, in comparison to wealthier city-dwellers. The laws are racist because our condemnation of abortion historically comes from religious

and racist thinking that was concerned about the “superior fertility rates of Māori” and the extinction of the white race in NZ. A solid legacy to keep alive.

The laws violate the human rights of the abortion-seekers, as well as the right to self-determination (a core article of Te Tiriti o Waitangi). They also violate the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which ask countries to “ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights.”

The United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) has also reviewed New Zealand’s abortion laws and advocated for its modernisation for many years.

By the end of the year, Parliament is set to decide on one of three newly proposed alternative laws. The alternatives being considered are the following: Model A: Patient decides with their health practitioner Model B: Doctor must believe the abortion “appropriate”, given the patient’s circumstances and wellbeing.

Model C: Model A up to 22 weeks, Model B after 22 weeks.

Even if the current law is changed, there may still be barriers that stem from the vast differences that exist in the availability of services and clinics across the country. However, in all three cases, abortion law would be removed from the Crimes Act and the complicated consultant practice that currently accompanies it would be eliminated.

While all of these proposals are improvements, only Model A ensures that the patient’s human right to bodily autonomy and self-determination is fulfilled. Model B and the mixed Model C still leaves room for subjective judgment of “appropriateness” and allows for someone other than the patient to have the final say.

Ensuring safe and legal access to abortion is an essential step to upholding the human rights of women, girls, and gender minority individuals, enabling legal autonomy over one’s own body and upholding the commitments that New Zealand has made to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and CEDAW. Let’s push for Parliament to adopt a modern abortion law which protects the rights of pregnant people who wish not to be.

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A handy guide to some of the phrases associated with feminism.

PATRIARCHY

societal structures designed by and for male success; a social hierarchy that places straight, white, cisgender men above all others.

SEXISM

the catch-all term for actions/beliefs which reinforce the gendered social hierarchy that privileges men over women.

MISOGYNY

the active expression of hatred towards women because of their identity as women.

STRUCTURAL DISCRIMINATION

people being disadvantaged by societal structures (hierarchies), institutions (legal, political, medical, educational etc.), and processes (the way the system works) because of factors of their identity.

WOMAN/MAN

terms relating to a person’s gender identity, potentially unrelated to a person’s biological sex. Contrary to popular belief, gender does not exist as a binary; gender diversity is real.

GENDER DIVERSE

an umbrella term used to describe someone who does not subscribe to the gender binary.

TRANSGENDER

someone whose biological sex does not correspond with the gender they identify with.

CISGENDER

someone whose biological sex does correspond with the gender they identify with.

PERFORMATIVE

PRIVILEGE

refers to the preferential treatment of certain groups because they align with society’s ‘norms’—usually those of majority groups, or the groups who hold social power. This does not mean those with privilege will never experience hardship, rather that their hardship will not come as a result of their privileged identity.

INTERSECTIONALITY

an analytical framework for the overlapping nature of different social and political identities within a person (such as race, class, gender, sexuality, disability, religion), and the recognition of these as interdependent forms of oppression.

GENDER BINARY

the act of conforming to a societal standard in order to fit within a specific identity group, when that group does not reflect your true identity or beliefs.

HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY

the idealised form of masculinity within a particular society, privileged over alternative forms of masculinity. Within New Zealand, this is a white, cisgender, heterosexual masculinity.

TOXIC MASCULINITY

an expression of masculinity that is often displayed in an attempt to meet the hegemonic ideal, typically characterised by dominant, aggressive, hypersexualised behaviours.

the idea that there are only two genders (men and women) and they are opposites of one another.

TERF: TRANS EXCLUSIONARY RADICAL FEMINIST a specific group of feminists who strongly believe that only cisgender women should be considered women (and thus do not acknowledge transgender women as women).

FEMALE/MALE/INTERSEX

SWERF: SEX WORKER EXCLUSIONARY RADICAL FEMINIST

terms relating to a person’s biological sex determined medically at birth. Contrary to popular belief, this does not exist as a binary.

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a specific group of feminists who strongly believe that sex work is inherently exploitative, thus all sex workers are oppressed/victimised by being sex workers.

No room for gender inequality.

Victoria University of Wellington’s Student Interest and Conflict Resolution Team can provide support, information, and options for students experiencing discrimination, inequality, or issues with anyone in our community.

www.victoria.ac.nz/student-interest

Angus Lindsay (He/Him)

BEING A MALE FEMINIST IS HARD

(but being a woman is probably harder) The #MeToo movement was founded by Tarana Burke in 2006 and gained traction in 2017. Since then, there seems to have been an uptake in men who self-identify as feminists. Call me a cynic, but this raised my skeptical hippo eyes (Google it—you won’t be sorry). #MeToo was about (some) women feeling safe enough to publicly disclose their experiences of sexual violence. Men then hijacking the momentum to “come out” as feminist felt contrived to me. It’s never really been unsafe for men to declare themselves feminist, so to do so alongside this movement felt a little “I’m trying to make sure I don’t get lumped in with the bad men” (because #NotAllMen).

My cynicism isn’t without precedent. There are countless examples of men who have stood up for women and labelled themselves as ‘feminists’, only to later be outed as misogynists. I recently came across a well-respected gender scholar, who has been celebrated as a feminist for decades and has built a career out of it. After engaging with his work, I came across several articles revealing accounts of him taking advantage of his position of power to solicit sex and other non-academic favours from young female grad students. Despite the outcry against his misogynistic behaviour, he was recently awarded a major academic award for his lifelong work 'supporting' the feminist cause.

TL;DR—men should be feminists, but we haven’t been doing the best job at it.

In theory, being a male feminist (or pro-feminist ally) should be straightforward: Stand up with (not for) women, and acknowledge the ways in which the decks are stacked against them.

In reality, though, it’s confusing. It seems to change so frequently— it feels daunting. I feel you, dude! So here are a few things that I’ve realised as I’ve continued to read, learn, and have discussions with feminists and pro-feminist allies. Too often, the white cisgender male takes up more than his fair share of oxygen in the room, and while men should be feminists, I think there’s still some confusion about how to be part of the movement in an appropriate way.

It’s not an exhaustive list and I certainly don’t claim to be perfect.

But I’m trying, so here are some ideas you can try out too: Listen to the voices and experiences of those who you are allying yourself with, and give (or create) space for their perspectives. Seek them out. Go online and look for activists, bloggers, authors, artists, and other voices from marginalised communities. Their personal stories and experiences will really help to inform your point of view. Learn what marginalisation can look like. When you see it, do not speak for women, but use your privilege to pass the torch to them—especially when their voices are in danger of being silenced.

Understand that identifying yourself as a feminist or ally is not your call to make. Feminism is activism—enact and demonstrate your feminist principles in your personal actions, but remember you’re not doing it for a cookie. You’re doing it because it’s what is right.

Living by feminist values means supporting your sisters (because they’re the ones facing actual discrimination based on their gender) and educating your fellow brothers on how they, too, can support other women to forge a more equitable society. Aspiring to such an ideal of ally-dom is noble, and hopefully you can achieve it every now and then…. but in reality, you will slip up.

Own that shit; keep learning and keep growing.

Acknowledge and call out fucked-up aspects of masculinity. Get schooled on the consequences of believing in a rigid, tough-guy version of manhood. These distorted understandings and expectations of masculinity lead to higher rates of violence, depression, suicide, excessive alcohol consumption, and lower levels of overall happiness in men. You’re allowed to cry. You’re allowed to show emotion—don’t repress that shit.

‘Toxic masculinity’ is bad for everyone. I hate that notions of 'being a man' are linked to how much money you can make, or how many girls you’ve slept with, AND that making money and sleeping with girls means you should be entitled to more money and more sexual partners. We need to expose and dismantle these messed-up societal attitudes that keep us in boxes reinforced with misogyny, homophobia, and violence. Feminism can help us to carve a new space of our own in masculine culture, and create support structures and communities for us to fall back on when times are tough. Be intolerant of intolerance. Call that shit out when you see it!

Remember, this is a process. You will fuck it up along the way, and it will be uncomfortable. When someone points out your errors, offer a sincere apology and be ready to learn from the experience. You will grow and be a better and more empathetic person for it!

If you’re vocal about feminism, you might be challenged. But, like I said before, you’re not typically going to have your safety threatened because of it. The same can’t be said for women, people of colour, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, or disabled people—all of whom don’t have the safety net of privilege to protect them when they call out the same things.

Choose to go beyond the inappropriate notions of masculinity drilled into us by society. Learn from the myriad examples of how not to be a male feminist. We, too, are able to be understanding, empathetic, and fucking great allies.

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Sophie Beaumont (She/Her)

I remember the existential crisis I had when I first realised that a lot of my newly developed feminism was problematique.

It was a whole thing, so I’ll spare you the tale of the personal journey I had to take to unlearn my internalised, privileged bullshit. What I can tell you is that I’ve been doing it for about six years now, and what I’m realising is that it’s going to be a lifelong commitment. Why? Because it’s so fucking easy to view problems from a privileged lens.

‘White feminism’ is a term used to describe feminists who approach gender issues and activism from a place of privilege and centre that privileged experience. Privilege refers to the preferential treatment of certain groups because they align with society’s ‘norms’—usually the majority groups who hold social power. Despite the term, white feminism is not an issue that exclusively occurs along racial lines. It can also be applied to the centering of cisgender women, straight women, able-bodied women, middle class women, Christian women, and/or Western women in feminist issues and agendas.

Now, if you’re sitting there thinking… 'But that’s most of the feminist movements I can think of off the top of my head,' you’ve discovered the plot twist. A significant chunk of mainstream Western feminism has been feminism that centres the experiences of women with privilege. And it’s never been because of a lack of diversity in women fighting for equality—for every wave of feminism, there have been women who were facing multiple forms of oppression, striving to have their voices heard, too—but often, they were silenced and erased from history. So what that means, team, is that if (like me) you’ve been raised with Western feminism and you’re part of a privileged societal group, chances are some of our feminist beliefs have not been that inclusive…

I’ll freely admit that mine haven’t always been.

Why? Well, the society we live in 'works' because of the hierarchies created within it. And these hierarchies show themselves along lines of privilege: Patriarchy—that’s got a hierarchical structure. Race—oh yeah, there’s a ranking system. Class? For sure, that’s its whole thing! Sexuality— yup. Gender identity—yup. Level of ability—yup. Religion— heck yes. Feminism? I’d love to be able to say no, but through the ‘mainstreaming’ of privileged issues and experiences, the hierarchy that sustains oppression in whatever it touches is also present here.

Don’t believe me? Let’s take the gender wage gap in New Zealand, for example. If we look at 'women' as a singular group, their average hourly wage is $27.41 whereas men are paid $31.82. That’s 86% of men’s pay; only 86 cents to each dollar. Not cool. We gotta get that 14c.

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BUT. Let’s break these averages down further: Pākehā men are paid $33.59/hour on average, Pākehā women are paid $28.38, Asian men are paid $28.67, Asian women are paid $25.92, Māori men are paid $26.08, Māori women are paid $24.26, Pacific men are paid $26.03, Pacific women are paid $23.01.

Admittedly, I’m not a numbers person, but I think we can agree that’s a lot more complicated than getting that 14c.

That 14c almost closes the wage gap between Pākehā men and women (being just 2c out), but our Pasifika sisters would need 32 whole cents to bring them up to what Pākehā men make! And we shouldn’t ignore the unfairness between ethnicities for menfolk either, here. So all of a sudden this situation isn’t just a gender issue, nor can it be labelled just a race issue—it’s multi-faceted, and it’s impacting people across multiple points of oppression. To fight this particular inequality then, how could we ever effectively do it without coming at the problem from both points of unfairness?

And this is with only one intersection added in. There’s already too many numbers for me to be comfortable with, and I don’t know if truly intersectional stats like these exist—but imagine if I broke these numbers down further by socio-economic status, or level of ability, or between LGB people, or cis and transgender people.

Privilege means a person is getting preferential treatment because of their social group. The flipside of that is structural discrimination—people being disadvantaged by societal structures, institutions, and processes because of their identity.

Privilege can make us blind to the complicated intersectional nature of oppression. Our world is built on ranking groups against each other, and we cannot allow that structure to continue existing in a movement with equality at its core.

If you come from a place of privilege, that’s part of your identity and no one should come after you for that alone— but you need to recognise and use the power that comes from that privilege responsibly.

That means acting in solidarity with those who are fighting battles on multiple fronts, elevating the voices of the most marginalised (who so easily get pushed to the wayside), and remembering that patriarchy manifests differently for women who live different lives. We must dismantle all its forms, if we’re ever going to burn it out of existence.

“I am not free while any woman is unfree, even when her shackles are very different from my - AUDRE LORDE own.”

Aleisha Amohia (She/Her) I am a proud woman in tech. I was introduced to coding at school when I was 13 years old, and at 16 I began working as a developer at a software company. In this time, I’ve written thousands of lines of code for an open source library system, studied towards a computer science degree, worked to gain recognition in my field, and have never once stopped learning.

None of it has been easy.

I’ve hustled to learn algorithms, programming languages, techniques, tools, and trade secrets. I’ve balanced study with work, sports, and being on multiple club executives at uni. There’s been pressure to not only be a great developer, but also an all-rounder who can do everything. I’ve needed to somehow set myself apart from the hundreds of people who will graduate with engineering or computer science degrees at the same time as me.

I’ve had to work twice as hard, because I’m a woman.

The fields of engineering and computer science (and the technology industry in general) are known for being highly male-dominated and brewing an overwhelming ‘bro culture’. As is common in any maledominated field, the imbalanced gender ratio provides the perfect environment in which to breed serious issues such as pay inequality, rape culture, bias, and discriminatory treatment.

The impacts of tech culture are far-reaching. There’s even a concept called the ‘pipeline problem’, which describes how people are impacted by this culture before they even join the industry. For example, the media gives a skewed representation of the tech industry and the people working within it: Typically, if there is a ‘tech guy’ in the media, he’s a nerdy, white guy with shocking social skills (often bordering on being creepy and inappropriate) and zero physical co-ordination, who works in a secluded office. It’s frustrating because I’m a tech person, and ‘tech guys’ in media don’t represent me at all. In fact, the majority of people representing the tech industry in media have never represented me.

Representation is so important, particularly for young people and minority groups. Seeing yourself reflected in someone who’s doing what you want to do validates your goals. Young girls interested in science and technology will look for themselves in media and the authority figures around them, and if they don’t see anyone in those spaces who look like them, they will think that people like them don’t belong in those spaces.

You can’t be what you can’t see.

The things we’re exposed to and taught to enjoy in general as we’re growing up have a huge impact on the choices we make when we’re older. In many cases, parents tend to base their decisions regarding this exposure on the biological sex of their child. It may not be intentional, but a child’s outlook on life—what they should spend their time doing, what they’re meant to be good at or interested in—is heavily shaped by these choices made by parents in their early years.

This shaping is continued by media and persuasive marketing: You can look at the magazine stand at a supermarket and see that the magazines marketed to boys are about building, exploring, science, discovery, and technology; whereas the magazines for girls are about fashion, celebrities, hair, makeup, friendships, and relationships. Similarly, you can go to the Warehouse and see superhero action figures marketed for boys and those (terrifying!) baby dolls marketed for girls. These are examples of society deciding and limiting what our kids should be interested in and aspire to be.

So from as early as we can remember, girls are taught that science, tech, engineering, and mathematics are fields we can’t or shouldn’t engage in.

Since all of the messaging around us as we’re growing up—the toys we play with, the material we read, the characters we watch on TV—tells us that science and technology is for men and not women, it’s not surprising that one day, I walked into a computer science class at university and was made to feel instantly aware of that fact that I was one woman in a lecture theatre of 200 men, all staring at me like I was in the wrong place.

These biases follow us through university and into the workplace, where women in tech are repeatedly questioned about their abilities, qualifications, and personal lives. We have shared stories online for years about our experiences, including (but absolutely not limited to): being spoken over in meetings, having our ideas ‘re-told’ (read: stolen) by men, having our career development stunted by managers who doubt our ability to step up (even though we’re probably already doing those extra responsibilities—just not being paid for it), having our code doublechecked by other software developers “just in case”, not receiving funding for projects for trivial and often unexplained reasons, being asked about our plans to have babies, being the default note-takers and coffee-getters at meetings, being treated with disrespect because it’s assumed we were only hired to fill a diversity quota, being on the receiving end of seriously inappropriate ‘jokes’ and sexual harassment…

Women in tech have seen it all.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve shared that I’m studying computer science, only for someone to respond with a (very uncomfortable) upand-down of my body and a comment like, “You don’t look like you’d be in computer science! You must be really smart then!”

To add another layer of complexity to my journey in tech, I am also a brown woman. My mother came to New Zealand to escape war in Cambodia, and my father was one of the first in our iwi to attend university. So there’s additional pressure to make the most of the opportunities I’ve been given and to contribute positively to the many diverse communities I represent.

It’s easy to focus on gender when battling with diversity problems, but it’s important to be aware that there are many other underrepresented communities in tech and other industries. Those stories are worth hearing, too.

The extra hurdles that society placed in front of me because of my gender and cultural background have forced me to learn faster and work harder.

It’s not necessarily a bad thing, because it means I’ve now achieved goals that have made my family and workmates proud—but I’d love to get to a place where my hard work is recognised because I am just great at what I do, not just great “for a brown woman”.

I’d love to not need to reassure someone that I meant what I said when I shared what I’m studying or where I work. I’d love to be asked to speak at events and conferences for my work in software rather than for my “perspective as a diverse person”. I’d love to go to a tech event and not be the only woman of colour in the room. I’d love to not feel the need to protect my drink at the post-event drinks. But, unfortunately, this is the state of the industry—and has been for a really long time. Things are slowly getting better, but it’s difficult to change a toxic culture that the media and society help to uphold.

So, yes: I am a proud woman in tech. I’m proud of the mahi I’ve done over the years, the contributions and achievements I’ve made, and the relationships I’ve built. But I’m not proud of our industry. And you bet that I’m going to work twice as hard to change it.

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Rachel Salazar, Together, Digita

al Illustration, 297 x 420mm, 2019

TALKING FEMINISM WITH GOLRIZ GHAHRAMAN

Interview by JAHLA LAWRENCE (SHE/HER) & SOPHIE BEAUMONT (SHE/HER) Photograph by GREEN PARTY MEDIA ADVISORY TEAM

Jahla Lawrence (She/Her) & Sophie Beaumont (She/Her)

“Politics is about identity. Because your identity has defined everything, that is identity politics. You design the world to suit your identity.” – Golriz Ghahraman

many previous female leaders in New Zealand, regardless of how well-intentioned their messages are. Representation must be diverse, because patriarchy manifests in diverse ways. The Westernisation of feminism has led to the idea that feminism is all young white women proudly growing body hair, wearing short skirts and as much makeup as they want. Whereas, in actual fact, “feminism is diverse, the movement is diverse.” Of the oft-cited first, second, and third waves of feminism, Golriz questions—“Well, whose waves are they?” They’re Western feminism’s, because there is no single “universal progression of feminist movements”.

As the first refugee to be sworn in as an MP in New Zealand, Golriz Ghahraman has made history. Having studied at Oxford and then worked as a lawyer both in UN Tribunals and the NZ Supreme Court, Golriz has a longstanding history of enforcing human rights, upholding the rule of law, holding governments accountable, empowering women engaged in peace and justice initiatives, advocating for child and disability rights, and being involved in refugee and migrant rights activism. An impressive portfolio for a woman not yet 40 years old. As an Iranian–Kiwi woman who was a child asylum seeker in 1990, Golriz has become the embodiment of diversity, progression, and inclusion within New Zealand politics.

However, this was not always her intention: Early in our interview, Golriz stressed that she never entered politics as anything more than a human rights lawyer and a Green—certainly not in order to position herself as a representative voice for women, POC, or refugees.

For Golriz, who grew up in the post-Iranian Revolution Islamic regime, this was a particularly important point she reinforced throughout the interview, because “the fiercest feminism I’ve ever seen was under the veil of an Islamic regime”. The recognition of the different manifestations of patriarchy is important, because it means the battlegrounds are different: “We can’t look at anyone and assume anything about them as a woman.” The claims from some women that you cannot be a liberated feminist if you’re wearing a hijab—or if you wear makeup, or raise your children at home, or are a porn star—are harmful. Judging feminism from this specific Westernised lens of ‘freedom’ makes feminism exclusionary.

Originally, we interviewed Golriz with the intention to understand her experiences as a female refugee MP and her views on feminism. Armed with a set of pre-written questions, we had a fairly good idea of how we planned the interview to go. What resulted, however, was a connection that we never saw coming: a complex and nuanced discussion of the Westernisation of the feminist movement, the hierarchy of gender and racial identities within experiences of oppression, and the need to reconstruct the rhetoric of ‘women’s issues’ being somehow separate from ‘other’ issues. Straight off the bat, Golriz presented herself as someone of authenticity, someone who means what they say and says what they mean; a refreshing face of politics. It was clear that feminism, for her, was not a buzzword to be pulled out when convenient, a spare-time hobby, afterthought, or something that she showcased for constituents; feminism was and is consistently a priority at the forefront of both her political agenda and personal motivations.

Culture, Golriz says, becomes so inextricably weaved into the feminist identities of people of colour, that for white women, it can be hard to see women prioritising what they see as ‘racial issues’ over ‘gender issues’. Whilst she admits that she experiences discrimination and harassment as a woman, the threats which she has received against her life have all been on the basis of race.

Golriz calls these ‘oppression points’ (race, gender, disability, etc), and explains that people prioritise different points at different times in their lives. For a straight, white, cisgender upper-middle-class woman, their only experience of oppression is through their identity as a woman—therefore, that is what they centre in issues of equality.

However, the lived experience for many is that their identities as women run simultaneous to their other oppression points, so issues of race, sexuality, or disability are equally (sometimes more) important in their daily experiences of harm. Therefore, Golriz emphasizes that in actual fact, to be truly feminist “is [...] to support other women [to] face their other forms of oppression too”.

As is common within individuals from marginalised or minority communities, Golriz wanted to cement her political identity separately from her position as a woman of colour. In the meritocratic dream, or some dystopian version of an entirely equal and equitable society, maybe that would be possible. However, it soon became that, although her political identity was not designed to be one of representation, the role was imposed upon her by others. “[Being] a woman and a refugee and a woman of colour, and a woman from the so-called Muslim world means something, to different people. Whether it’s that they hate it and want it excluded and gone and shut down and silenced, or they love it; they never thought they’d see it, they feel inspired by it, they feel safe talking about their issues with me”.

When asked about whether she has any advice for young women developing their feminist identities in New Zealand, Golriz was very quick to answer with one thing—solidarity. “Our unity is our greatest strength,” she says, explaining that we must accept diversity within the feminist community, stick together, have each other’s backs, but also constantly be open to learn, ask questions, and respect each other’s experiences and means of pushing back. No matter where you are, and what the patriarchy may look like in your culture or community, she tells us that gender oppression boils down to “controlling women's bodies and our sexuality, and the way that we interact in the world. So all of us, across the world, are saying, ‘Actually no, I control that.’ Therefore, whether you're trying to cover me up, or expose me and sexualise me, I get to choose. The message is the same.”

For many young female feminists in New Zealand, female leaders like Kate Sheppard or Jacinda Ardern are considered feminist idols, gaining the vote for (white) women and unapologetically balancing motherhood with successful careers. The difference with Golriz is that she represents a group of people who have previously remained unaccounted for. She provides a voice and a face for people who do not, and cannot, relate to the white privilege underlying the voices of

The key, for Golriz, is to understand that the patriarchy manifests in different ways, “so we're going to look different as we're fighting it.”

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JEAN CAMPBELL (SHE/HER)

“Don’t want to brag… but I’m one of a kind. Makeup?

Please, how basic do you think I am. Balanced diet? I go for a chicken nugget in each hand—that’s balanced!

What can I say, I’m just not like other girls!”

Ahh, this old chestnut. People can be unique, that’s cool— push boundaries, fuck social norms, I’m all for it. But doing it to “not be like other girls”, just because they’re girls? That’s where it gets problematic.

This trope didn’t just appear out of nowhere. The rejection of “other girls” and its associated stereotypical femininity arises from a combination of the most basic human need (to feel special through performative ‘uniqueness’), and a form of protest against a lack of strong representation.

After all, the idea we are fed as young girls is that we will grow up to be an object, or if we’re lucky, a sidekick in a man’s success story. Messages about womanhood still rarely show us women in control of our own destiny.

We, as sensible people with goals—and, you know, rich inner worlds of our own—hate this. We revolt. And it usually begins with a complete rejection of everything ‘feminine’—because so often, those are the things we are raised to associate with the 2D creations we see on screens. Good manners, diets, manicures, the colour pink—it all must go, we cry, as we purge our rooms and minds of such things. Never mind that for some of us, we might actually like painting our nails or the colour pink; for us, it’s the high road or nothing. We differentiate ourselves from stereotypes and say #notlikeothergirls because we want to be special, different—and by doing so, live lives where we are in control. Rejecting femininity in this context is a rejection of the gilded cage we are told is our pathway.

A couple of issues: One—rejecting femininity just because you perceive it to be weak reinforces the stereotype that feminine-presenting people are weak.

It plays right into the hands of the patriarchy! Two—it’s nothing but internalised misogyny. By trying to elevate ourselves by tearing others down, we’re the ones doing the patriarchy’s dirty work. We’re the ones slutshaming, implying certain women are lesser beings for wearing makeup, and policing what women can and cannot do to appear acceptable. We get that enough from the whole fucking world, we cannot do it to each other.

First- and second-wave feminist movements fought to free women from the confines of the kitchen, the makeup drawer, the nursery, and the marital bed. Third-wave feminism? It’s about establishing the freedom of choice for women. As muddled as the movement can get, we should never lose track of this goal: to make women— all women—feel welcomed, safe, and powerful within a world longing to oppress them. Women who love makeup, who feel good in a dress, who will admit “actually, my first priority is children” are not women to be shamed, but simply given a (punny, inclusive) sign and told to join the march. Likewise, women who reject traditional femininity—who hate makeup, who eat fries like they’re going out of style—you do you!

Live your lives and let other women live theirs. It is time to embrace the idea that all women are valid, whether they love sewing, science, or sixty-nining.

So, not like other girls? No thank you. In this house, we support and respect women who support and respect women.

Do I understand it? Sure.

Do I also think it’s detrimental to feminism? Yes.

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NĀ RHIANNA RĀUA KO NGĀRIMU MANA WAHINE (NĀ NGĀRIMU)

WAI 2700: AN OPEN LETTER TO WHITE WOMEN (NĀ RHIANNA) Dear white women, Stop updating your profile pictures with “Kia kaha Christchurch” under the cloak of “peace and unity”, when confronted with a white supremacist attack. Do not hashtag “mana wahine” while never letting Māori women lead the discussion or command the boardroom.

‘Feminism’ and mana wahine are not synonymous, because white-centred feminism contains a distinct toxicity. We must not forget the suffragists who dismissed the voices of coloured women. As a result, wāhine Māori continue to have poorer social, economic, educational, employment, and health outcomes, compared to Pākehā women. Feminism is so consumed by white fragility that it completely vacuums the experiences of a Māori woman expressing herself. Feminism is white supremacy in heels. This white fragility is a grievous breach of te Tiriti, that has permeated the lives of wāhine Māori for years.

In December 2018, the Waitangi Tribunal started the Mana Wahine Kaupapa Inquiry into claims from wāhine Māori, arising from Crown breaches of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, in both historical and contemporary times. The inquiry was originally filed in 1993 by prominent leaders, including Ripeka Evans and Dame Mira Szászy, alleging that the Crown's actions and policies since 1840 have systematically discriminated against Māori women.

As these breaches continue to occur, it is obvious that many white women believe that the worst thing that can happen to them is to come second to a Māori woman. To lose a scholarship, an election or a seat on the Board.

Let me be clear: It is not.

Having your child unjustly taken away by CYFS is much worse.

Not being able to afford a school uniform on the social security benefit. Having to straighten your hair or use skin whitening products to be taken seriously. A white boy telling you that you’re “pretty for a brown girl”. Being accepted for a job—on the basis that you’ll bring “diversity and inclusion” to the workplace. Being harassed by authorities in a supermarket or clothing store, only to be charged, is much worse.

White skin yields white privilege. If you’re offered a scholarship or seat on a Board, turn it down. Being white means using your privilege to uplift the voices and experiences of Māori women so that we are not continuously drowned out and ignored. If you find yourself being defensive, that they’re “overreacting” or that you “didn’t know”—that’s your white fragility talking.

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Mana wahine is an important philosophical Māori indigenous cultural understanding. Māori itself as a culture, precolonisation, could have in many ways been seen as a feminist culture through this lens.

Mana wahine can be translated by dividing the words into the two that give the word its meaning, plain and simple: ‘mana’ and ‘wahine’. Mana wahine in this regard defines the roles, authority, privilege, and power in all things wahine. Wāhine are very sacred or tapu in te ao Māori, so there are a lot of tapu built around wāhine that reflect this.

The term ‘feminism’ was coined during the 1800s in Europe and was picked up by the US around the 1910s. It only became relevant in Aotearoa during the 1890s, when it was adopted to overthrow the sexist voting laws that were instilled post-colonisation. When white men brought sexist laws while colonising Māori, white women fought them using feminism, primarily for their own gain.

So yes, colonisation brought white feminism against an already feminist culture. Colonisation, thus, taketh away that identity from us. Yet, as our late Ta Āpirana Ngata would tell us, “E tipu, E rea”. Feminism is still a decent tool once decolonised— or indigenised, rather—in order to restore and enhance our own inherent feminism and better acknowledge mana wahine, mana tāne, and mana takatāpui. This is achieved when we acknowledge movements that liberate us from the constructs of white-imposed harmful gender stereotypes, and recognise mana wahine.

Feminism encompasses a broad range of social/political movements and ideologies that attest to our colonised system of oppressive monolithic ontologies. It encompasses the equality of sex and gender, and liberty of sex and gender expression.

It involves the tearing down of harmful gender norms and stereotypes by, building greater loving and understanding of positive gender expression. Further, it’s about bringing down toxic masculinity and embracing the femininity that has been (continues to be) oppressed for far too long, wāhine ai, tāne ai, takatāpui ai. Nē rā?

With this achieved, we can use feminism to educate and accept each other while upholding mana wahine, and advocate for more movements that place wāhine Māori at the forefront.

ALICE MANDER (SHE/HER) ON BEHALF OF CANDO CW: Abortion Sometimes I think that conversations around intersectionality become a game in which we attempt to ‘out-privilege’ other feminists. Don’t get me wrong, it’s important for us to know our social standing. It’s imperative that I know my privilege as a white woman, a straight woman, and a cisgender woman. But intersectionality goes further than a blanket measurement of privilege, because privilege itself isn’t that simple to measure.

If I could envision the “perfect” intersectional feminist movement, it would probably look a little like this: a movement which is about giving and making space. One which listens and learns, but—most importantly—adjusts.

One which recognises and accepts that privilege is situational, and there are situations where some groups are more impacted than others. One which embraces difference, rather than rejecting it. One which looks at all issues from a nuanced feminist perspective, casting light on all the dark areas which other people will ignore. I want feminists to stand together while allowing different voices to lead at different times. I want a feminist movement which is inclusive, intelligent, accepting, accessible and loud.

There are times when my identity as a disabled woman makes the world a more dangerous place. Disabled women have their bodily autonomy taken away twice over: the disabled body is seen as an oddity (fuck you, The Greatest Showman) and the female body is seen as a manifestation of vulnerability, temptation, and violence.

Both are seen as a topic of public interest. Disabled women face daily microaggressions about their bodies— from conversations with Uber drivers about what is “wrong” with us, to lewd comments made by drunk men on the street. Statistics show that disabled people are more likely to experience sexual and domestic violence.

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Disabled people are also objectified in the media through the use of “inspiration porn”, in which images of disabled people are used solely to “inspire” ablebodied people. It’s about time the feminist movement acknowledges these things.

The failure to acknowledge disability as an oppression point means my identity as a feminist can clash with my identity as a disabled woman. For instance, I’m wholeheartedly pro-choice. But I also believe that disabled children have something to offer to the world. So, I can’t help but feel a little queasy when I read headlines like “Down syndrome screening isn’t about public health. It’s about eliminating a group of people”. Today, all it takes is a single drop of blood to determine whether a foetus will be born with Down syndrome. Denmark boasts that 98% of foetuses with Down syndrome are aborted, and most of Europe and England have similar rates. At the end of the day, it is always the woman/person’s choice whether they carry a pregnancy to term or not. It’s important to acknowledge, though, that our choices don’t exist in a vacuum, but are informed by the world we live in—a world which has limited knowledge about raising children with disabilities, and about the fulfilling lives disabled people lead. I would like to see feminism consider forced pregnancy terminations and the sterilisation of intellectually disabled women as part of the pro-choice conversation.

The disabled community is constantly labelled by politicians as a “vulnerable” group in need of protection by the able-bodied, as though our vulnerability comes from our medical conditions and not from the fact that we are never allowed at the table. An intersectional feminist movement needs to secure our seat at the table. It needs to listen. It needs to read. It needs to learn. But most importantly, it needs to fight. Not for us, but with us.

Dr Ally Gibson (she/her) is a lecturer in Health Psychology who has a particular interest in inequities and marginalisation of people in health. Ally works for the Faculty of Health, a new department that aims to enrich health and wellbeing; and connect people, ideas, and disciplines to prepare the next generation of health sector professionals.

What are some of the barriers young women can face in the healthcare system?

AG: Despite having come so far in terms of women’s health and how it’s dealt with, what I see in my work is that there is still a hangover regarding how women’s health has been dealt with historically. Women can get marginalised—their concerns and the issues that they face in healthcare can be dismissed or denied, and women can get positioned as anything from a worrywart to slightly hysterical. Specific conditions, particularly those affecting female reproductive systems, are often made invisible and silenced. Women can therefore end up not getting the help that they need early on, or not getting treated soon enough.

Why does this happen?

AG: I think the idea that women are ‘hypochondriacs’ is a stereotype that still flies around—the idea that they worry too much. In the health context, it can mean that they are discounted. It’s interesting because on the one hand, it’s, ‘oh women worry too much about health’, but on the other—it’s still a gendered expectation that women are responsible for monitoring the health of, predominantly, the men and children in their lives. One of the outcomes of that expectation is that often women are so busy looking after the health of everyone else, that their own health is sidelined. Generally, men live longer if they marry, while a woman’s life expectancy isn’t affected or is negatively affected—because of these gendered healthcare dynamics.

What happens with different intersecting identities?

AG: Everything I’ve been saying just gets compounded when you take an intersectional approach. When you start thinking about women of colour, LBQ women, and/ or trans women, it’s going to add layers that essentially deny them access to healthcare. One thing that people, and women in particular, hear is that they need to take control of their health. But individual responsibility is only one part of our health and what I see as problematic is that when people do get sick, they’re questioned—what did you do wrong, what didn’t you do enough of? When you look at people with different intersecting identities, you can’t look at them as individuals; you have to look at them in a particular social and physical environment. So the message is wrong—the message should be yes, focus on things that promote your wellbeing, but at the same time, know that there are multiple things that play a role in your health, and that from a public health perspective, structural change needs to happen. It’s not just on individuals.

What would your advice be to someone who has come up against these barriers?

AG: I would say don’t give up. I think people can be discouraged if a doctor dismisses their concerns. It can be hard in that instance, especially for women from minority backgrounds, to then get up and speak again.

A community health centre can be a good place to start.

If it’s a particular concern—say, endometriosis or a type of cancer—there are advocacy groups that provide information and support to people who have or potentially have that illness. So that can be a good place to start, just to get advice, validation, and the confidence to then go back to the healthcare system.

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B E I N G A F EMA LE I N TER N ATI ONAL S T U D EN T I N WELLIN GTON

IT ’S MY HI JAB VICMUSLIMS

V-ISA

It’s funny seeing men dictating what women should and should not wear.

“Not that I was brought up thinking there were certain things I couldn’t do, but I was definitely brought up in a society that told me I shouldn’t aspire to reach higher, especially because I’m a female.

Hijab is Arabic for ‘barrier’ or ‘partition’, but the term has become more commonly used to refer to the cloth covering a woman’s head. Hijab in Islam is much more than that—it applies to a range of attire and conduct, applicable to both men and women, and is intended to protect interactions between men and women from sexualisation.

Being in Wellington for over three years… I’ve learnt to be more outspoken, to speak up whenever I feel the need to, to be more open-minded towards change.

Little do they know that ‘hijab’ in Islam also applies to men.

I’ve learnt to live without boundaries, despite fear, beyond fear. The sky's the limit and there is nothing or no one to tell me that I cannot.”

So hijab, in Islam, also applies to men. In the Quran, God orders women to cover up—however, right before that verse, God also orders men to not stare at women or act promiscuously. In fact, Muslim men also have to cover certain body parts. Therefore, the act of humility applies first to men, then to women. This is often overlooked. If men truly understood this concept of hijab, maybe they would be less authoritative and the world would become a better and safer place for women.

- Phuong Anh Nguyen (She/Her)

“It is 2019 and we should always encourage and work towards changes that are for the better, to keep up with our society that is always evolving to become a better place for us to live in.”

I remember scrolling through the comments of a Facebook post on VicDeals by a lady asking about wearing a hijab to show support for the Muslim community. I was excited to help her, but reading the distasteful comments by (mostly) men, saying that a hijab is a symbol of oppression, I feel the need to clarify and educate them.

- Zi Yin Goh (She/Her)

“To fit in, I convinced myself to be 'open-minded', 'cool' and 'fun'—completely unaware of the opportunities I gave for some people to cross the line. It took some time and personal experiences to realise the many occasions where I was being taken advantage of, due to my naivety and lack of experience.

Yes, in certain countries, hijab is forced upon women, abusing their human rights, and I am strongly against that. Religious and spiritual practices should be taught, not forced. Nonetheless, it is important to understand that women's empowerment is not just about liberating the body. It is about giving women the freedom to wear and believe what they want, and that includes the right to cover up.

So, to all the international students... Remember, be kind to yourself. Feeling uncomfortable? Leave.

Feeling suppressed? Speak up. Feeling abused? Tell someone.”

It is time for everyone to understand that female empowerment lies not in what we wear, but in the freedom to wear what we want.

- Jessline Khoo (She/Her) Let us wear our hijab in peace.

- Iffah Abdul Rahim (She/Her)

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MIIA VAN BEUSEKOM (SHE/HER)

A POCKET GUIDE TO FEMINISM AND QUEERNESS

In a world dominated by rich, cishet, white men, the further you are from the ‘norm’, the worse the oppression you experience. So here’s a pocket guide to the intersections of feminism and queerness: Feminism + LBQ Sexuality Probably one of the easiest places to start is to talk about the way society sees queer women. I don’t think it’s at all controversial to suggest that women are still viewed to some extent as belonging in some way to men, and this extends to women’s sexualities. Women’s sexualities are viewed as being for male consumption. Bisexual women are “only bisexual for attention” and the first thing cishets seem to think of, when confronted by a bisexual woman, is a threesome (again with men centred). Lesbians are viewed as deluded women who “just haven’t found the right man yet”, or just as entertainment.

Feminism + Being Trans How can a queer person have a column to talk about intersectional feminism and not spend at least a little time on how TERFs are terrible and don’t do a good job of feminism? TERF ideology reduces people to their reproductive organs—despite the fact that this is one of the key points feminists are trying to fight against.

It’s almost like TERFs and misogynists are reading from the same playbook here… The fact is that gender is a nebulous concept which applies to people in different ways. Sex is a gendered concept which is based on a false binary, and, like gender, is much more fluid and changeable than people would have you believe.

Feminism + Sex Work The relationship between queerness and sex work is something which tends to get swept under the rug a fair bit, in all likelihood in an attempt to appear ‘respectable’

to wider society. Feminism that ignores sex workers ignores the fact that many queer people (particularly trans women) have been, and still are, forced into sex work in order to survive. But regardless of their reasons for getting into it, sex workers are equally deserving of support.

Feminism + (De)colonisation Colonisation by European nations has crushed numerous indigenous cultures, imposing western values and culture onto indigenous people. This is the case when talking about gender roles and sexuality.

Many indigenous cultures (including Māori) had vastly different and more fluid understandings of what ‘sexuality’ is. When the colonial machine swung into gear, however, European ideas about sexuality and what is and isn’t appropriate began to dominate, and indigenous concepts of gender and sexuality were hidden away—or, in some cases, lost.

Feminism + Gender When we talk about gender presentation, we often say that a person presents more ‘masculine’ or more ‘feminine’. Even the term ‘androgynous’, which is commonly used to describe someone who presents in a less gendered fashion, happens to tie pretty closely to presenting masculine. Our whole concept of gender presentation is tied into masculinity and femininity. All of our clothes are gendered to some level or other, right down to our SOCKS, which we’ve somehow managed to gender.

I could go on forever about the various intersections of queerness and feminism. I don’t have the space, but hopefully this non-exhaustive little pocket guide will get you thinking.

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VIKI MOANANU (HE/HIM)

Being Samoan, we all remember the eight-part Silamanino movies from our childhood, where the main plot is a predictable trope of ‘will-they, won’t-they’, but somehow our parents are still constantly invested in watching what happens next. We all remember the over-the-top acting and the random musical numbers—but I don’t think these films have ever actually been analysed through a feminist lens, looking at their portrayal of Samoan women. In fact, the movies highlight a huge problem in the depiction of women in cinema, and taking a closer look at Silamanino reveals an ugly truth that permeates throughout Pasifika film-making.

Contrary to the Western world, there is an abundance of female characters in Pasifika films—so much so that they sometimes outnumber their male counterparts. The problem here doesn’t lie in the quantity of women in these films, but the depiction of them on the big screen.

Most Samoan twenty-eight-parters cast women as the stereotypical ‘troublemaker’, portrayed consistently in a negative light as a one-sided character. Either there to tempt an innocent village boy into the city with their wily ways, or nagging and bitching about the gifts given to them by the male love interests. These superficial characterisations only reinforce damaging gender stereotypes in Samoan society and do a disservice to an audience that may already hold negative attitudes towards women in roles of leadership or authority. This is reflected in the current debates about whether Samoan women are able to become matai (chiefs).

In truth, the discussion around the depiction of women in film is complex. Feminist values instilled

by New Zealand society and education tell me this is wrong, that these films only reinforce notions of social norms that depict women as weak and catty. But I can’t help but feel drawn to the over-dramatic acting and random musical numbers. While I do think that it is important to have discussions about the consequences of such negative representations of women in Samoan films, where they are being portrayed as merely caricatures of their gender, I still feel a strong connection with these films. They remind me of home, of my past—and anyway, I’m still waiting for Silamanino part 89.

Hidden Figures i think the problem with black history is that we already know how this song and dance goes, glass half empty. i watch three black women put a man into space and i’m always waiting for the punchline, the moment where the perfect illusion dissolves and we get thrown back to square one. i’m so cautious of the happy ending because somewhere along the way i learned that people like us don’t get them. the white astronaut puts his faith in her brilliance, looks past her skin, her white boss removes the coloured sign off the bathroom, the music swells, and i’m still holding my breath, where’s the catch? where are the terms and conditions for this one act of human decency, the oppressed are never handed anything without having to fight for it. i’m sitting in the movie theatre, crying at the story of three black women who won, and still i am thinking this cannot be real.

- Joanna Li

Send your limericks, elegies, and odes to poetry@salient.org.nz

thursdaysinblackvuw thursdaysinblackvuw@gmail.com

Send us your name, student ID and email address to join the club!

REVI EWS ALICE M A NDE R ( SHE / H E R ) & J OA N N A LI ( S H E /HER )

It’s here! Alice and Joanna finally begin to tackle the long, long list of media that men have recommended to us over the years, which we never actually intended to watch when we said “I’ll add it to the list”. We began this daunting task with the vague hope that, at worst, it would be something like this:

In reality? We felt more like this:

But we’ll let you decide for yourselves. Let’s jump straight in.

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MUS I C ALICE M A NDE R ( SH E/ H E R ) & J OA N N A LI ( S H E / HER )

H ALF F UL L GL ASS OF W I N E

AR TIST: TAME IMPAL A

You know what’s cooler than doing drugs? Reminding people you do drugs with blurry visuals and psychedelic colours. Like, just so you know, they do drugs. When we first started playing the music video, we thought that the computer was just messing up, resulting in a whole four minutes of pixelation at 144p. But after scrolling through the comments, apparently the video is actually supposed to be at 144p. So, are super low-quality videos in? Who knows. The music video feels like Windows Media Player Visualisations from 2008. As for the song itself? It sounds like something five guys with long greasy hair would listen to. You know you’re in the presence of talent when the lyrics (according to genius.com) are only 20 lines long... and two of those lines consist of [guitar solo] and [drum solo]. People will give us shit for listening to a song from 2008, but honestly, if Tame Impala wants to put so little effort into the opening riff of this song, then we’ll only put this amount of effort into reviewing it.

AR TIST: REX O RANGE COUN T Y

B EST F R I E ND (L I VE AT G L ASTO N BU RY 2 019 )

Let’s ignore the problematic aspects of Taylor Swift’s new song “You Need To Calm Down” for a second (Vox has a good article about it if you want to learn more)—I don’t want to hear a single guy saying that T-Swift’s music is boring, or, “sub-par pop”. If there’s one thing that Rex Orange County teaches us, it is this: Men are allowed to make mediocre music all the fucking time and still get lauded as musical geniuses, but women are not. It’s time to get real, because Rex Orange County annoys me to no end. Rex Orange County’s music is the unflavoured oatmeal of music, the equivalent of beige khaki shorts and polo shirts (probably what he wears), a lukewarm apple cider at a bad party. It can be confirmed that moshes at Rex Orange County concerts (as experienced at Laneway 2019) are the most awkward thing ever. Live Rex Orange County shows are like a man who has too much to drink before getting it on—sad, a little limp, and just downright embarrassing. The best part of his Laneway performance was when he sung Alicia Keys’ “No One”. Not because he sung it particularly well, but because it was a break from his own songs. At this point we had to put on Beyoncé’s Homecoming documentary of her 2018 Coachella performance just to recentre.

AR TIST: TH E NEIG H BOURHOOD

D AD DY I SSUE S

The protagonist of this song is an idiot, as displayed by moments of lyrical genius throughout. It was a close contest, but first place has to be taken out by, “You asked me what I’m thinking about / I tell you that I’m thinking about / whatever you’re thinking about.” Isn’t that just the sexiest thing a guy can say to you? Honourable mention goes to: “Tell me something that I’ll forget / But you might have to tell me again” because, unfortunately, men really are just like that. At least the song has a tune. Its most redeeming factor was that the music video ends with three girls breaking into the car the main singer is sitting in, and stabbing the radio so the music stops. At least they’re self-aware.

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TE LEVIS IO N ALICE M A NDE R ( SH E/ H E R ) & J OA N N A LI ( S H E / HER )

RICK AND MORT Y

P ILOT EPISO DE

We were expecting to at least laugh in this show. It has a bad name amongst feminists, sure, but there’s got to be something that makes it so likeable, right? The closest we got to a laugh was a slight sharp exhale from the nose. Genuinely, this was the longest 20 minutes of our entire L I V E S. It’s not funny. The animation style isn’t appealing. It’s just kind of gross. Maybe that’s because it panders towards nerds who are still mad that girls rejected them in high school and subsequently blamed it on the fact that they were nerds, rather than the unique brand of misogyny that is attached to nerd culture? Maybe. Maybe the show wouldn’t be so shit if it didn’t have such a toxic fanbase? Who knows. All we do know is that we’re going to be harassed online for just not having the intellect to understand the show—we are mere feeble-minded females, after all.

MAD MEN

P ILOT EPISO DE

So the whole episode was actually 50 minutes—we lasted 20 minutes. In that 20 minutes, though, Freud was mentioned not once but twice. Nice. This show is set in the 50’s, and it takes every opportunity to remind you of that fact; from racism, sexism, and rampant anti-semitism, to smooth jazz, black suits, and cigarettes. To be real with you, the inclusion of themes like sexism doesn’t make a show bad or sexist. The problem is that Mad Men gives viewers a sense of moral superiority that we just don’t deserve. “But it’s the 50’s, it’s realistic!” they cry, “It doesn’t happen like that anymore! We’ve come so far.” Fans’ reactions to female characters in shows like these—Breaking Bad being the other—highlight that actually we haven’t come far at all.

These shows feature fully fledged male ‘anti-heroes’, in ideal male fantasy worlds—the 1960’s, the swinging 20’s, and just a whole lot of guns. But as soon as the female characters (often the wives) do anything to jeopardise the path of the male character? Viewers turn on her. She isn’t given the privilege of being an anti-hero, she is either a villain or a damsel. Also the show is fucking boring and every single white man looks exactly the same. *thumbs up* Honourable mentions of the most awful moments: • “I'm not selling rifles. I'm in the tobacco business. I'm selling America. The Indians gave it to us, for shit's sake.” (Seriously what the everloving FUCK) • “It wouldn't be a sin for us to see your legs. And if you pull your belt in a little bit, you might look like a woman.”

• “Do we have any... How do I put this? Have we ever hired any Jews?” “Not on my watch.”

• “Of course I love you. I'm giving up my life to be with you, aren't I?” (This was said by a guy to his fiancée, while he is in no way losing his job, paycheck, car, house, family, or friends. Men, please explain to us why you get married if you view it as ~giving up your life~) • “Ready to go sweet-talk some retail Jews?”

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P ODCAS T ALICE M A NDE R ( SH E / H E R ) & J OA N N A LI ( S H E / HER )

THE JO E R OGA N E X P E R I E N C E

# 1169 (ELO N MU SK)

We knew there was no way we were gonna make it through the whole 2.5 hour episode, so we just watched the ten-minute clip where they smoke weed together and honestly, it was hard. Again: mind-numbingly boring. My favourite titles for Joe Rogan videos are: “Feminism is Sexist Towards Women” (which, by the way, is a discussion between two men), “Joe Rogan on People Who Choose to Not Workout, ‘It’s Silly’”, “Progressives Deny Gender Science” and “The Power Hot Women Have Over Ugly Men”.

Here’s a selection of YouTube comments, because we don’t want to spend more time on Joe Rogan: “I've watched this episode a total of 5 times already. What are the chances of Joe and Elon episode 2?”

“I think his thinking before speaking is him trying to figure out how to dumb down what he needs to say so we can understand lol”

CH APO TRA P H OU SE

MY WIFE WO N’ T F U CK ME

If the title of the podcast doesn’t lure you in enough, then I don’t know what will. While listening to this, I kept thinking about how Frida Kahlo’s husband kept cheating on her because apparently monogamy was capitalist propaganda. In summary? This podcast reminds me of this meme:

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HOT: • Area 51 alien memes • Victoria Plus programme • Billie Eilish and Justin Bieber Bad Guy collaboration • Youth Parliment declared climate emergency

L E TE I CH A LOW RY ( S H E / H E R )

• Government scheme proposed to increase affordability of efficient cars

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• Activists forming a human chain around ICE HQ

artists featured on Ed Sheeran's new album.

187,500 dollar paycheck per Black Caps squad member as World Cup runners-up

NOT:

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• Dunedin lost title of world's steepest street

the current Wellington atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration (ppm)

• Billie Eilish's brother dating someone who looks eerily like Billie

15,248

• Measles exposures on flights • 1 in 8 men think they could score a point against Serena Williams

respondents to Stuff climate change coverage survey

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• Black Caps' World Cup loss • Anne Tolley made a Youth MP cry

kākāriki karaka chicks born in the wild this year

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Do you take the kind of classes that have lecturers who could read the class to sleep by reading erotica?

Vic Uni has some of the greatest and worst lectures on earth. Salient is now here to critique and rate them like your local chippie.

THIS WEEK'S LECTURE: ANTH 101

Intrigue and excitement permeated the lecture theatre as students piled in for the first lecture of Cultural Anthropology: Foundations of Society. Many not knowing what the subject of Anthropology would entail, fascinated nonetheless.

While the course content itself was relatively interesting (examining cultural appropriation, stereotypes, and how communities co-exist) the requirements for actually passing the course left a little to be desired.

For starters, the “weekly quiz” expected to be completed by all students was, more often than not, a one-question true-or-false test that could be completed with minimal effort, and while designed to tie in with what was discussed in tutorials that week, I found myself completing it with ease before I had even attended the related tute.

Getting results back can be an arduous task in any subject, and I will freely admit that those online submissions have a nasty habit of not co-operating.

But frequently throughout Anth, I found myself waiting and waiting and waiting... until I would finally get a mark back from the assignment I handed in... last tri.* Many of the assignments felt more like activities to keep us occupied rather than to test our learning (e.g. the scavenger hunt).

There were some topics covered within the course that I found utterly tantalising (such as those surrounding race and class relations); others were either bleak, or left me feeling like I had missed a lecture beforehand.

Overall, as enjoyable a course as it was, I felt like I had only scraped the surface of Anthropology and how it explained human society and interaction (good thing it’s only my minor). Hopefully, some 200-level courses will fill in the blanks. *I’m not trying to badmouth the tutors; they work damn hard and have a lot of stuff to mark.

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BRAIN-TRAINING OR TIME-WASTING

LAST WEEK'S SOLUTION

THERE'S A STARMAN WAITING IN THE SKY

GOOD NEWS POP QUIZ 1. Penguins were recently spotted where in Wellington?

2. After meeting Meghan Markle at the Lion King premiere, what did Beyoncé reportedly say to her?

Be sure to tune into the first words of the starred entries.

3. How did two passengers on a flight to Taiwan become a couple?

DOWN

1. First level... or maybe ___ level, depending on if you're American (6,5) * 7. Task; Biblical book (3) 9. Pining for the days when life was simpler (9) 10. Nation led by King Tupou VI since 2015 (5) 11. One obsessed with getting all the details right (7,5) * 15. Regret; Hunger Games character (3) 16. 'As much as you like' in recipes (2,5) * 19. Master Splinter, in TMNT (3) 20. Highest level of competition in baseball, cricket, wrestling or quidditch (5,7) * 25. Purgatory (5) 26. Non-kosher banquet meal (5,4) 27. Incessant noise (3) 28. Shakespeare in Love and Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead scriptwriter (3,8) *

1. Vanished (4) 2. Eject from a position of political power (4) 3. New Zealand mystery author Marsh; native tree (5) 4. Airy; non-cumbersome (5) 5. Spiteful or cruel (7) 6. Library penalty (4,3) 7. Literary protagonist who is a governess at Thornfield (4,4) 8. They're around the number that follows this clue (8) 12. The Matrix protagonist (3) 13. Stampeded over; crushed (8) 14. UK PM Disraeli or US Founding Father Franklin (8) 16. Attendance; invert (4,3) 17. Mathematical principle associated with, say, Fermat (7) 18. Greek letter after sigma (3) 21. Behemoth (5) 22. Really enjoy; consume entirely (3,2) 23. Nonresponsive state (4) 24. Come to a tyre-shredding halt (4)

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1. In a sushi shop near the Wellington railway station.

2. She complimented the new royal baby and called Meghan “my princess”. 3. They held hands during turbulence and explored the city together.

ACROSS

WORD OF THE WEEK: "EQUALITY" TE REO MĀORI

ōritetanga NEW ZEALAND SIGN LANGUAGE

PICK YOUR POISON, SUDOKU LOVERS EASY PEASY

F*CK YA LIFE UP Puzzle 1 (Very hard, difficulty rating 0.84)

Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.56)

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3 8

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Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Wed Jul 17 07:05:48 2019 GMT. Enjoy!

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Wed Jul 17 07:05:54 2019 GMT. Enjoy!

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S L I GHTLY L ESS SAVAGE T HAN YO UR CO -S TAR APP

ARIES

LIBRA

Feminist Icon: Maya Angelou Groundbreaking poet Maya Angelou once said, "Just like moons and like suns, with the certainty of tides, just like hopes springing high, still I'll rise." Your capacity to bounce back is truly extraordinary, and that is evident in how you’ve dealt with recent struggles. In your effort to “rise”, however, you sometimes force yourself to heal too quickly. There’s nothing wrong with taking some time to yourself.

Feminist Icon: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Nothing is perfect, and people will always have something to critique, so stop expecting otherwise. You are putting so much pressure on yourself to create something flawless, but ‘perfecting’ stage comes after the ‘building’ one. First make sure something works, THEN you can get on to making it better. And that counts for yourself, too. You can’t always be on your A-game, and it’s okay to lower the bar on your off days/months/years.

TAURUS

SCORPIO

Feminist Icon: Lizzo You ARE 100% that bitch, and the second you realise that, the world’s your stage. The role of That Bitch comes with some one condition, however: you have to cut all the toxic fuckers out of your life; it’s not your job to cater to someone else at your own detriment, and you shouldn’t feel guilty for looking out for yourself and your happiness. Go on, dust your shoulders off, keep it moving.

Feminist Icon: Hedy Lamarr Got a crush at the moment? Take the leap and let them know, you never know what could happen. Remember to not get angry if it doesn’t work out in your favour, you can’t force feelings—they’re either there or they’re not. In the face of rejection however, also be sure not to internalise those feelings, or let someone else’s lack of appreciation or recognition (or simply you not being their type) reduce your own sense of self-worth. You’re a star, honey.

GEMINI

SAGITTARIUS

Feminist Icon: CupcakKe Instead of coming up with elaborate excuses for your booty call, maybe try just being up front? Sometimes people get thirsty—ain’t no shame in that. Confidence is key in any encounter, and nothing says confidence like speaking your truth and expressing yourself, whether that be through your newest hobby, or a 2 a.m. “u up?”

Feminist Icon: Janelle Monáe You’re stumbling around decisions, unable to make up your mind, or maybe just too lazy to put any effort into weighing the pros and cons. You might tell yourself that you’ll get around to it eventually, but at this rate, by the time you make up your mind life will have decided for you. So stop being indecisive (that’s Libra’s job) and, as Janelle would say, “use that sauce.” Because “if you don’t, then that’s your loss”.

CANCER

CAPRICORN

Feminist Icon: Malala Yousafzai It’s Cancer Season, and that means a LOT of emotions for the signs across the board. Not all the signs are as in tune with ~feelings~ as you are, so you might find yourself having to hold a hand (or some hair back, in Aquarius’ case) while the others try to work through it all. You’re a pro, and it’s nothing you can’t handle, but don’t let your empathy for others get in the way of your own self-care.

Feminist Icon: Stormé DeLarverie The Capricorn fire is especially scorching at the moment—maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s the arduous yearning to lead a rebellion.

Whatever the case may be, don’t let the struggles life throws at you dampen the blaze. Rain may be forecast, but really, what is a little precipitation to an inferno?

LEO

AQUARIUS

Feminist Icon: Amelia Earhart Life is unpredictable, and sometimes our choices turn out to be the wrong ones. It’s frustrating to realise you’ve dedicated yourself to something, only to find out that it hasn’t worked out the way you wanted it to, but it’s even more frustrating to wallow in the regrets of those perceived ‘bad calls’. All that does is weigh you down— you’ve got to let that heavy shit go and move on if you really want to fly high.

Feminist Icon: Audre Lorde Everyone has those days where you can’t stop critiquing your own image, but just remember that everyone is too busy worrying about themselves. Anyone who makes you feel lesser is, frankly, not worth a second of your damn time. Own yourself, warts and all—because, to paraphrase Audre’s wisdom—nothing you accept about yourself can be used to diminish you.

VIRGO

PISCES

Feminist Icon: Marsha P. Johnson Just wear the damn outfit. I know you think it’s a little daring, and you might stand out a lot in your 9 a.m. lecture theatre. But it looks damn good. YOU look damn good. While you’re at it, try out for that other thing you have been shying out of. The regret of not doing something is far more painful than the temporary embarrassment of trying and not succeeding. You’re the star of this show that is your life—so stop reducing yourself to an audience member.

Feminist Icon: Jameela Jamil You only want a bae because it’s cold, so save up for an electric blanket (it costs only $10 to power over an entire winter!). In the meantime, revel in your willingness to call people out—not everyone has the courage to stand up to shitty behaviour. Be proud of yourself for. Just don’t forget to think about how you yourself can grow and improve as a person while you’re at it

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NOTES:

What VUWSA offers:

Community Pantry Free Bus Passes* Vehicle Hire Advocacy Services Lost Property Locker Hire Free Menstrual Products Car Parking Discount For all the info about accessing our student services, head to: vuwsa.org.nz