Am I a bad feminist?

My best friend and fellow feminist hates folk music. I’ve always said to her, “If you don’t like Ani DiFranco, you’re a bad feminist!” We joke about it, but as a feminist I sometimes find myself wondering if some of the things I do, think and like make me a bad feminist.

It seems like there are rules to being a feminist; you must be pro-choice, you shouldn’t wear too much makeup and you better not read glossy magazines. But these aren’t rules, they’re stereotypes. And the first thing you should know about feminism is that it’s an extremely diverse movement full of different people and conflicting ideas. For example, some feminists are vehemently against porn, while others strongly support it. Feminists, and the issues we’re passionate about, are extremely complex and diverse. You seriously can’t expect us to all be the same.

None the less, I regularly question whether certain thoughts that pop into my head or things that I enjoy are anti-feminist. I laugh at sexist jokes, judge women who dress slutty and do the majority of household chores even though I live with a perfectly capable man. Yikes… maybe I am a bad feminist!
So I did a quick search on Twitter to see if other women are worried about being bad feminists too. Turns out, it’s pretty damn common. Here are just a few examples of what I found.

It seems that questioning the legitimacy of our feminism is a common experience. But is this just an extension of the guilt that us women are so prone to feeling about everything? We feel bad about eating fast food, not exercising, not spending enough time with our kids and pretty much everything else.

I’ve decided that we need to stop worrying about being bad feminists. We’ve got enough shit to feel guilty about – let’s not let feminism make us feel that way too. As long as you’re openly calling yourself a feminist, you believe in equality and you support the empowerment of women, you’re fightin’ the good fight and you’re part of the team. If you laugh at a sexist joke, so what? Feminists have a sense of humour, and we’re smart enough to know the difference between a joke and something malicious.

As long as you’re not spewing shit like, “It would be a much better country if women did not vote. That is simply a fact” as Ann Coulture famously said, then you’re probably OK. Pat yourself on the back for being part of Team Feminism and quit feeling so damn guilty!

Jennie Thunder's feminist adventures in Windsor

I was invited to speak at the University of Windsor as part of their International Women's Day events this year. It was a real honour to be invited to share my knowledge about the representation of women in advertising, plus my experiences as a feminist radio program host and blogger.

Me (left) with Nicole and Meghan, hosts of Milk & Vodka

One of the coolest experiences was being a guest on another radio program. The University of Windsor has a campus radio station much like our beloved CJSW in Calgary. CJAM is smaller, but they do have a feminist radio program - Milk and Vodka. I was interviewed by the fabulous hosts Nicole and Meghan.

It was really fun to be the guest rather than the host, and it was awesome to meet other feminist radio program hosts! We share a lot of similarities regarding our goals and hopes for strengthening the feminist communities in our respective cities.

I gave three presentations while in Windsor, all of which involved ad-busting - my specialty! I taught students how to identify things like sexism and racism in ads, and showed them how advertisements work by making us feel ugly, wrinkly, fat and generally inadequate. The shittier we feel about ourselves, the more we'll spend on products that supposedly make us thinner, more beautiful, less hairy, less wrinkly, and so on. Below is a typical example of what my ad-busting looks like. I've been doing this for about 6 years now and it's so much fun. I like challenging the mainstream messages in advertisements and inserting my own message of empowerment (or maybe just something funny that makes people think twice about the images they're seeing). 

My whole experience at Windsor was thanks to a group of women's studies students who were asked to find a presenter for Women's Day. They wanted a young feminist who was active in her community, and they found me via this blog. As I mentioned, I felt very honoured to be asked to present. Spending time with the students who organized the events was a real treat. They reminded me of myself six years ago - a keener student (I mean that in the most affectionate way!) with a passion for women's issues and a desire to make a difference. 

The students who organized the event: Sapphire, Marianne, Alexis, me and Laura

On my final night in Windsor I attended a button-making event at a local cafe. Tons of students from all faculties showed up to make buttons. I made a few myself - pictured here. This was actually my first time making buttons - hard to believe since that's practically a right of passage for feminists!

Well, that's my trip to Windsor in a nut shell. The best aspects of the whole experience were spending time with other young feminists and hearing feedback from my presentations like, "I learned a lot" and "That was really interesting." I have returned to Calgary with renewed feminist spirit and I'm ready to keep on rockin'!

International Women's Day events in Calgary - March 8, 2012

March 8th is International Women's Day! Here's what's going down in Calgary.

International Women’s Day Fair

Hosted by Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association

Date: Thursday, March 8

Time: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Location: Jack Singer Concert Hall Lobby 205 – 8th Ave SE

Details: Free walk-in event. More details on their website.

Women’s Day Potluck

Hosted by the Calgary Women’s Centre

Date: Thursday, March 8

Time: 5:30 – 8 p.m.

Location: Kery Centre – 1133 7th Ave SW

Details: Free potluck community dinner. Everyone welcome. RSVP at 403-264-1155 or sarah@womenscentrecalgary.org. More details on their website.

Screening of the film Miss Representation

Date: Thursday, March 8

Time: 8 p.m.

Location: University of Calgary, building Science B, room 103

Cost: $10. Purchase tickets through the U of C campus ticket centre, or online at ucalgary.ca/tickets.

Is cleaning the office kitchen a woman's job?

Ever since I joined the workforce I’ve been cleaning kitchens.

No, I’m not a cleaning lady or a nanny. I work in a professional job, and I just happen to be one of the only people at every office I've worked at who cleans out the fridge. In fact, I have never seen a male co-worker clean out a communal fridge since I joined the workforce in 2007.

Where I currently work there are approximately equal numbers of men and women who share the kitchen and fridge. In the past year, only myself and one other woman (let’s call her Nancy) have cleaned the fridge out. I know because there’s a signup sheet on the fridge that says, “Cleaning the fridge is a team effort! Please do your part and sign up.” The “team effort” for the past year has looked like this: Jennie. Nancy. Jennie. Nancy. Jennie. Nancy.

The dishwasher is another point of contention. A few more people contribute to turning the dishwasher on and unloading clean dishes, but by and large it’s done by women. That too has been a trend in every office I've worked at.

This got me wondering, just how widespread is it for women to do all or most of the kitchen cleaning in the office? I’m willing to bet that it’s pretty damn common, and I’m getting a little pissed off about it. Women already do the double shift (work 8 hours in the office then come home to chores, cooking and childcare) – we don't need to make it a triple shift.

Well, it only took us women decades of feminism to get men helping out in the home kitchen... do we have to wait another few decades before they’ll do their part in the work kitchen?

Just some good ol' fashioned ad-busting

I used to do a lot of ad-busting when I was in university. I even taught ad-busting workshops to teens and university students. I haven't done any in a while and I kinda miss it, so I thought I'd post a few of my favourite busted ads and maybe it'll help inspire me to do more!

Feminist film "Miss Representation" to screen in Calgary

This film looks awesome. Miss Representation exposes how mainstream media contributes to the under-representation of women in positions of power and influence in America. Please come down to The Globe Cinema on Wednesday, January 18 from 6 - 9 p.m. to check it out and meet other feminists in Calgary!

All the details are on the Facebook event - invite your friends.

Christmas gifts for feminists - 2011 edition

Wondering what to get your feisty lady-friend, awesome gal pal, ball-busting sister, or otherwise kick-ass woman? Well, here are some suggestions.

Feminist necklace

Handmade by "nappyhappy" in England, this charming little necklace is available to order through Etsy.

£10 ($16.22 CAD), plus shipping.

Awesome panties!

Knickerocker makes these awesome Wonder Woman panties in two different styles, plus a pretty awesome pair of uterus panties.

Only $4 each, plus shipping.

Beer cozies for the ladies

It has a fucking unicorn on it!

Order through the Bust Boobtique

$9 plus shipping

Subscription to a feminist magazine

There are three great feminist magazines I recommend, check em out:

Ms. - $42.00
BUST - $29.95
Bitch - $34.95

*all prices are for a one year Canadian subscription

Gift certificate to a second hand store

Feminists love consignment shopping. Well, at least every feminist I know does. Here are my favourite second hand stores in Calgary:

1. Trend - located in Kensington
2. Rewind Consignment - located downtown
3. Vespucci - located at Elbow & Heritage SW

Rosie the Riveter memorabilia

This Rosie the Riveter action figure is only $10, and she comes with a lunchbox and rivet gun! I've also seen these action figures at Paper Roots stores in Calgary.

Or, you could always go for a Rosie wall clock or lunchbox.

Feminist tote bag

Feminists always get a bad rap for being humourless killjoys. Buy this bag for the feminist in your life so that everyone knows she's a bright and happy feminist. Yes, we do exist.
£10 ($16.22 CAD), plus shipping.

P.S. This History vs. Herstory tote bag is pretty cute too.

1950's style feminist magnets

I love these retro magnets. They're usually around $6 each and available in stores like Twisted Goods and Paper Roots in Calgary.

Yummy bath and beauty products

LUSH bath bombs and other yummy products are great for ladies who want to use vegetarian, chemical-free, cruelty-free beauty products. There's lots of pre-made gift packs to choose from.

Feminist books

Two of my feminist friends, Juliet and Tamara, recommended these new books:

Big Big Love: A sex and relationships guide for people of size (and those who love them). This book is for people of every gender, size and sexual orientation.
$13.13 on Amazon.ca.

Think: Straight Talk for Women to Stay Smart in a Dumbed Down World by Lisa Bloom. The author outlines the ways that we as a society, and particularly women, have fallen off the intellectual path, and points to how damaging this has been to us on many levels. $18.90 on Amazon.ca.

Virginia Woolf earrings

These are awesome and only $8 (+ shipping)!

I also found a pretty cool Virginia Woolf t-shirt for $21 (+ shipping).

The Great Wall of Vagina: Changing female body perception through art

British artist James McCartney spent five years plaster casting 400 women’s vulvas for his sculpture The Great Wall of Vagina. The project is an exploration of women’s relationships with their genitals.

James came up with the idea while he was working on a different sculpture for a sex museum. He discovered that many women have anxiety about the appearance of their genitals, incorrectly believing they are ugly or abnormal. “It appalled me that our society has created yet one more way to make women feel bad about themselves” he said. He decided to do something about it – so he created art that dispels misconceptions about what women look like “down there.”

The women who volunteered to participate ranged in age from 18 to 76. There is great variety in the vulvas, as you would expect given there are 400 of them. One has multiple piercings, two are from identical twins, there are mother and daughter castings and transgendered men and women. There are even casts from a woman pre and post natal, and another pre and post labiaplasty. 

The sculptures are fascinating to look at and people can view them without feeling shame or discomfort because the images are not pornographic. They allow women (and men) the opportunity to see the immense diversity in female genitalia. Each one is completely different and completely normal.

Check out the videos below to learn more about James and The Great Wall of Vagina (which should probably be called The Great Wall of Vulva, since the vagina is your birth canal, while the vulva is your sex organ. But I’ll forgive James that grammatical mishap, because his project is awesome!). 

American Apparel had their chance to be cool, and blew it

In August 2011, American Apparel (AA) launched a plus size model search called The Next BIG Thing. Women were asked to submit their photos and the public would vote for the new face of their plus size division.

It all sounded pretty cool to begin with. I was excited... AA is finally branching out to plus size women? Hooray! But then I read the call for models. As you might expect from AA, the call made use of predictable and somewhat demeaning language.

Calling curvy ladies everywhere! Our best-selling Disco Pant (and around 10 other sexy styles) are now available in size XL, for those of us who need a little extra wiggle room where it counts. We’re looking for fresh faces (and curvaceous bods) to fill these babies out. If you think you’ve got what it takes to be the next XLent model, send us photos of you and your junk to back it up.

A couple of problems with their call out:

1. Wait - they’re only making 10 styles in size XL? That’s not very many. Also, what exactly is “XL”? According to the AA size chart, XL is a size 12/14, also known as the AVERAGE size of American women.
2. Your language is ridiculous. Extra wiggle room? Curvaceous bods? Your junk? Why does everything related to plus size women need to come packaged in stupid language like “booty-licious”? 

Well, their call for models didn’t just seem awkward and offensive to me. It caught the attention of Nancy Upton, a size 12 gal from Dallas, Texas. She entered the contest as a protest, submitting pictures of herself in alluring poses while eating chicken, chocolate, pie and even bathing in a tub of ranch dressing. Her submission simply said, “I’m a size 12. I just can’t stop eating.”

The public loved Nancy. When the contest was over, she won the popular vote by far. But American Apparel didn’t like that the winner was mocking their contest. So AA’s Creative Director, Iris Alonzo, wrote a letter to Nancy which included the following ridiculous sentences:

It’s a shame that your project attempts to discredit the positive intentions of our challenge based on your personal distaste for our use of light-hearted language, and that “bootylicous” was too much for you to handle.  

Oh — and regarding winning the contest, while you were clearly the popular choice, we have decided to award the prizes to other contestants that we feel truly exemplify the idea of beauty inside and out, and whom we will be proud to have representing our company.

Hot damn! We love Nancy!

So Nancy was shot down by American Apparel. Big surprise. But then something interesting happened. Nancy posted the harsh letter from Iris onto her blog and it went viral. American Apparel was suddenly swimming in bad press and Iris had some serious back-pedaling to do to.

Iris apologized to Nancy and offered to fly her and a friend out to LA to tour the company headquarters and discuss how AA could better market to plus size women. Once again, I had a glimmer of hope that maybe AA could be kinda cool.

Nancy and her friend met with the creative team who organized The Next BIG Thing contest and had an interesting discussion about marketing to plus size women. American Apparel exec’s fed the girls cream puffs (the irony of which was not lost on Nancy), and Iris even took Nancy and her friend out drinking. Things were looking up. “I had a REALLY good feeling about where the company would go after my trip,” wrote Nancy on her blog.

Over the next few days, Nancy and Iris exchanged a few more emails, and then Iris fucked it all up again.

On October 4, Iris wrote:

Marsha and I were trying to remember what we even talked about, and amidst all of the late night fun and cream puffs (compounded by the fact that we couldn’t re-watch the video of the meeting), we can hardly remember what was said at all.

I think Nancy summarizes my feelings about that email pretty well. On her blog she wrote:

This company spent thousands of dollars flying Shannon and I to LA, to meet with their team and they can’t even remember what we discussed. Nor do they care to. They want me to write something happy go-lucky about how positive our meeting was for women everywhere, and then they want to sign off on it, you know, in case I forget anything.

As it stands today, this whole debacle is SO TOTALLY OVER to Nancy. She is done with AA, writing “[Those] three sentences of that email tell more truth about what went on in this bizarro adventure than anything I saw in that factory or those offices.”

So, American Apparel had numerous chances to do something cool here, and they blew it every time. They insulted plus size women in their call to models, they shunned the popular winner of their contest and then insulted her in an email, tried to make it up to her only to flub it all again.

American Apparel, you clearly need advice, so I’m going to offer you a suggestion: Don’t be afraid of change. Or fat girls.

AA: Don't fear fat girls with chicken!

Your stocks are in the crapper, your CEO is dealing with multiple sexual harassment lawsuits, nobody likes your ugly hipster clothes anymore, and everyone’s sick of your sexist advertisements. Clearly, your company is in need of a shake-up. SOMETHING needs to change and I’m not going to pretend I know what that is, but maybe this whole thing with Nancy could have been exactly the change you need.

When your company is already down pretty low, you have nothing to lose by trying something new. Who knows, maybe you could have captured the hearts of North American women sized 12 and up, opening your store to millions of new customers. Two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, and other stores like Forever 21 and Target have already realized that the “fattening of America is a big business opportunity.”

In light of this whole debacle with Nancy, I fear that American Apparel’s destiny is to fade away as soon as hipster style falls out of fashion. But I’m OK with that, because time and time again AA has proved themselves to be a company that only cares about making clothing for slim, young, beautiful hipster women. Good luck making a profit each year with such a tiny demographic.

Feminist walking tour of Calgary - August 11

Join the Women's Centre of Calgary for a walk through downtown to learn some of our her-story. This guided tour will feature stories of the women who came before us, and discussions about contemporary women's issues. Everyone is welcome.

Date: Thursday, August 11

Time: 6 - 8 p.m.

Meeting point: at the horse statue outside City Hall (800 Macleod Trail SE)

End point: Central Memorial Park (1221 2 St. SW)
Cost: Free

For more information, check out the Facebook event, or call the Women's Centre at 403-264-1155.

Tonight: Activism & Feminism in Spoken Word Poetry

Spoken word poetry has become, and is traditionally based on, activism. It's a tool utilized mostly by younger generations to express their opinions and tell their own stories. Spoken word is the poetry of people who have been repressed in some way; it has been an important aspect of the feminist, anti-war and anti-discrimination movements (among many others).



Tonight we'll feature works and stories from some amazing men and women of Spoken Word. Below are some links and videos to works and interviews from some of the artists that we'll be discussing on the show tonight:



Sonya Renee - What Women Deserve



Alix Olson - Cunt Cuntry



Lauren Zuniga - Girl:Exploded





Sunni Patterson - We Made It





AlJazeera's One on One : Suheir Hammad

Wheels are in motion for Slutwalk Calgary!

On April 3, 2011, thousands of women and men in Toronto rallied the streets to take a stand against Toronto Police, who announced earlier this year that women could reduce their risk of sexual assault by not dressing like “sluts.” Join Slutwalk Calgary in their mission to spread the word that those who experience sexual assault are not the ones at fault. The onus should not be placed on women to reduce their risk of rape... it is the assaulters themselves who bear full responsibility for their crimes.

SlutWalk is coming to Calgary (date to be announced) – and if you want to be a part of this, make sure you follow Slutwalk Calgary on blogger, Facebook or twitter! If you'd like to get involved please email slutwalkcalgary@gmail.com

To see more great pictures from Slutwalk Toronto check out The Best 30 Signs at Slutwalk Toronto

Generation F - Reflections on Third Wave Feminism

For a new generation of feminists, the battles are strangely familiar

Coming out as a feminist isn’t easy. The word is loaded with baggage and politics—people often look away nervously when I drop the “F-word.” Feminism is misunderstood and feared, but in spite of that, feminists are not an extinct or even an endangered species. Canada still boasts a strong feminist movement, and it is as relevant and necessary as ever.

Feminists of my generation—or “third wave feminists”—are in their 20’s and 30’s and have grown up in a world where women and men are equal on paper, but not always in practice. The first two waves had clearly defined objectives and goals, but it’s difficult to pinpoint the collective aim of the third wave.

First wave feminists emerged at the turn of the last century. These determined suffragettes fought for women’s right to vote, to run for political office, and to be legally defined as persons.

Second wave feminists of the 1960’s and 70’s battled for reproductive rights and paid maternity leave. They established women’s shelters and reformed laws regarding rape, equal pay and more. Feminists of the second wave accomplished many legal victories, and by the 1980’s, women seemed – in theory - to have it all.

So what causes do third wave feminists espouse? The movement began in the 1990’s and has invited criticism for lacking a common goal, and for being disjointed and disorganized. At the same time, the newest generation of feminists have expended significant efforts defending the rights won by second wave feminists. The battles our mothers fought are not over, and the victories they won are under constant threat. We’ve been so busy trying to keep up with the unfinished business of second wave feminism that we’ve hardly had the chance to set a third wave agenda.

Access to abortion and reproductive health services remain under attack, even though abortion has been legal for 24 years, and enjoys the support of the majority of Canadians. Since the Supreme Court struck down the law banning abortion in 1988, at least 35 pro-life private members’ bills and one government bill have attempted to curb access to the procedure. It can still be difficult and expensive to obtain an abortion, especially for women who don’t live in or near a major urban centre.

Canadian laws requiring equal pay for equal work have existed since the 1950’s, yet in 2011 are still a major preoccupation for feminists. In 2007, Canada became the first modern economy with more women working than men. Women today comprise more than half of our university students. However, studies show that a Canadian woman doing the same job as a man will still earn only 63-83% of his wage.

Second wave feminists lobbied to change laws about rape and were once again successful - on paper. Since 1983, rape victims no longer have to defend their reputations in court: their sexual history or their attire cannot be used against them. Yet in February 2011, a Winnipeg judge let a convicted rapist off with no jail time because the victim was wearing skimpy clothes and “wanted to party.”

It’s discouraging that third wave feminists must still defend rights our mothers thought were settled. Although many of our politics and battles have remained unchanged since the second wave, much has changed about feminists themselves.

Young feminists are less aggressive because we know that despite the remaining inequalities, Canadian women’s situation and status is among the best in the world. We have a better sense of humour about feminism than our mothers did, but we’re completely, sometimes ridiculously, obsessed with political correctness. We’re open-minded about contentious feminist issues of the past like prostitution, pornography and gender queerness. And one of the most significant shifts has been embracing the involvement of men in the movement.

The feminist movement is not in crisis—it is just being pulled in two directions at once. The unresolved issues of the second wave keep drawing the third wave into old battles, while issues such as the career-motherhood balance continue to arise and demand our efforts and attention. As Generation F looks to the future, we still have to keep one eye on the past.

Feminist Flicks & Fundraiser!

rebELLES Calgary is hosting a screening of two feminist documentaries as a fundraiser for the Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Gathering!



What: Two documentaries: (1) Itty Bitty Titty Committee, and (2) rebELLEs: The Movie. Feminism Uncensored - a documentary of the Pan-Canadian young feminist gathering, Waves of Resistance, that took place in Montreal in 2008.



When: Wednesday, March 9, 7:00–10:00 p.m.



Where: The Good Life Community Bike Shop in Eau Claire Market



Cost: There will be a small door charge, as the event is a fundraiser for reBELLES Calgary. There will also be baked goods and merchandise for sale.



For more info: Check the Facebook event.

A wonderful feminist spoken word piece

Lauren Zuniga performs a poem for the Oklahoma legislators that are trying so hard to take away women's reproductive rights. The bill in question will require women to receive an ultrasound and listen to the baby's heartbeat before an abortion.







Thanks to Lemon of Choice for telling me about this video!

Tonight's Show: Feminism & Art

Tonight we're discussing feminism and art - two wonderful things that go together so well. We'll be interviewing local artist and feminist, Teresa Posyniak, whose art often features the female body. Her art also reflects her interest in women's issues such as domestic violence.

We'll also be discussing the upcoming feminist art show BODY / IMAGE. The show features art by local folks who explore issues of womanhood, the female body, body image, etc. in their work. The opening night of BODY / IMAGE is Thursday February 3 (7 - 9:30 p.m.) at the Marquee Room, and will feature performances by burlesque dancers, a drag king troupe, and spoken word artists. Admission is only $4 and all proceeds go to Take Back the Night - a grassroots feminist organization that raises awareness about violence against women.

Tonight's Show: Feminist News & Views

Tonight we discuss the following recent events:

• The B.C. inquiry into missing women was opened last week.
  
  
• Saskatchewan's government has decided that marriage officials can't opt-out of marrying gay or lesbian couples.
  
  
• January 21st marked the 38th anniversary of Roe V. Wade - the historic Supreme Court decision to make abortion legal in the United States.
  
  
• Republican leaders are introducing legislation that would permanently bar any taxpayer subsidies for abortion - a.k.a. the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act."
  
  
• In the Bountiful, B.C. case, pro-polygamy women are set to testify in court. The testimony will offer a rare glimpse into the life of polygamous women.

Erotic talk workshop - just in time for Valentine's!

Venus Envy and the Calgary Sexual Health Centre bring you a 90 minute workshop on talking dirty - just in time for Valentine's day!

Workshop description: Know what you want, but not sure how to get it? Whether you're not sure what words to use, or how to start spilling them out of your mouth, this workshop will give you ideas on how to make talking about sex just as great as doing it.

Date: Friday, February 11
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Cost: $20.00 per person
Note: This workshop is for women only
For more info click here or visit the Venus Envy Facebook page

BODY / IMAGE - feminist art show in Calgary

Take Back the Night Calgary presents BODY / IMAGE - a month-long art show and opening night event to bring communities together and to promote awareness around violence against women in Calgary.



The BODY / IMAGE art installation brings feminist issues to the forefront as local artists present work along the theme of the power and tribulations of womanhood.



BODY / IMAGE

When: February 3 – 28, 2011

Where: The Marquee Room, 612 8 Avenue SE



Opening night celebrations

When: February 3, 2011

Features: Performances by local spoken word artists, professional Burlesque dancers and gender-bending Drag Kings.

Cost: $4 - proceeds from the opening night cover charge will support awareness campaigns and community initiatives run by Take Back the Night Calgary.



Further details may be found at Take Back the Night Calgary, the Facebook event page, or by emailing tbtncalgary@gmail.com.

The 2nd Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Gathering – Winnipeg, May 2011

The RebELLEs Movement wants to see YOU at the 2nd Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Gathering! It's being held May 20-23, 2011 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.



What is the purpose of the gathering?

If you want to learn about feminism and what it means to other young women, if you are interested in connecting with other active, engaged, community-building young women who are fighting for social justice across the country, if you want to make friends from every province and territory in Canada, if you want to help young women across the country have their voices heard and if you want to join up with an amazing group of like-minded queer-positive, sex-positive, pro-choice women then this is the event for you!



Who can attend the gathering?

The gathering is a women-only space and is open to all persons aged 14 - 35 who currently identify and live as women, and those who were born female who claim no particular gender identification, who identify as two-spirit or gender queer. It is up to each individual to reflect on whether or not they see themselves in this definition.



What will it entail?

At the gathering you will have the opportunity to attend various workshops, small and large group discussions, engage in skill-sharing, creative resistance, as well as a mass action.



How can I get involved?

Join the RebELLEs movement, mobilize women in your community, and head to Winnipeg in 2011 to join up with hundreds of feminist activists from across the country!



Contact rebelles@femrev.org if you want to get involved in organizing, have any questions, or want to learn more about the RebELLEs movement!

Visit RebELLEs.org for more details.

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Alberta women looking to get involved?



Calgary meeting - January 22

The meeting is a consulta for feminist women who are interested in attending or contributing to the Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Gathering.



Date: Saturday, January 22, 2011

Time: 1:00 p.m.

Location: The Marquee Room - inside The Uptown Stage & Screen, 612 8 Ave SW Calgary

Contact: rebelles-calgary@hotmail.com





Edmonton meeting - January 17

We are looking to organize a group of Edmonton area feminists to attend the 2nd Pan-Canadian Young Feminists Gathering in Winnipeg May 20-23. We are organizing a consulta for woman and feminists to discuss issues that they would like raised at the conference during lectures and work shops.



Date: Monday January 17, 2011

Time: 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM

Location: Remedy Cafe, 8631 109 St NW

Contact: edmonton.rebelles@gmail.com

Website: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=172252129478163