I was looking up my blog on Google and ran across your post. I know I'm a bit late in responding, but this is a topic that's really important to me. I am not a mother and I strongly detest the notion that I might be more naturally inclined towards peace than my brother activists. In fact, I just wrote an email to the Women's Working Group of the US Social Forum that sort of explains my perspective:
I'm 28. I went to a women's college. And I still had to figure out why to do my activism with a women's focus. Part of this stems from thinking it was enough to go to a women's college. But mostly, I've learned it from popular culture: I was born in '78, so by the time I came of age, the battles had been won. Women were working, they had college degrees, and the wage gap was either a figment of radicals' imagination or due to the choice women make to leave the workforce for long periods of time to have kids. Since my identity is not wrapped up in my ability to procreate, and since my thoughts on gender-identity go far beyond the dichotomous norm, I really had a hard time understanding why I'd ever choose to do my activism through a women's lens. (For awhile, I researched creating an independent major in Gender Studies b/c I was convinced Women's Studies was too archaic for what I wanted to do. I ended up with a degree in Peace & Justice Studies.)
And yet, I joined WILPF during my senior year of college. I came to the realization that the only way to create a space in mainstream society for all gender identities is to stand up and be counted as a female activist. Similarly, I realize that every problem in the world can be helped by including a gender perspective in analysis and solution-creation. I believe that a women's focus is the first step towards gender-mainstreaming. Because for me, this is about more than just women's issues or national issues from a women's perspective.
Your blogroll includes Feministing, so I imagine on some level y'all are interested in the feminist perspective. WILPF began in 1914 before that term was popular, and we've always accepted male members. For me, this is about making sure that half the population is included in all aspects of politics.
I was looking up my blog on Google and ran across your post. I know I'm a bit late in responding, but this is a topic that's really important to me. I am not a mother and I strongly detest the notion that I might be more naturally inclined towards peace than my brother activists. In fact, I just wrote an email to the Women's Working Group of the US Social Forum that sort of explains my perspective:
I'm 28. I went to a women's college. And I still had to figure out why to do my activism with a women's focus. Part of this stems from thinking it was enough to go to a women's college. But mostly, I've learned it from popular culture: I was born in '78, so by the time I came of age, the battles had been won. Women were working, they had college degrees, and the wage gap was either a figment of radicals' imagination or due to the choice women make to leave the workforce for long periods of time to have kids. Since my identity is not wrapped up in my ability to procreate, and since my thoughts on gender-identity go far beyond the dichotomous norm, I really had a hard time understanding why I'd ever choose to do my activism through a women's lens. (For awhile, I researched creating an independent major in Gender Studies b/c I was convinced Women's Studies was too archaic for what I wanted to do. I ended up with a degree in Peace & Justice Studies.)
And yet, I joined WILPF during my senior year of college. I came to the realization that the only way to create a space in mainstream society for all gender identities is to stand up and be counted as a female activist. Similarly, I realize that every problem in the world can be helped by including a gender perspective in analysis and solution-creation. I believe that a women's focus is the first step towards gender-mainstreaming. Because for me, this is about more than just women's issues or national issues from a women's perspective.
Your blogroll includes Feministing, so I imagine on some level y'all are interested in the feminist perspective. WILPF began in 1914 before that term was popular, and we've always accepted male members. For me, this is about making sure that half the population is included in all aspects of politics.