Monthly Archives: December 2011

Dec31

Changing Women on Twitter – some interesting outcomes

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Changing Women is very active on both Facebook and Twitter. Tweeting as @changingwomen, I often see many derogatory, vile and debasing comments about women.  I have noticed that these comments mostly come from young men and women.  @Changingwomen follows the search hashtag #realwomen and it is amazing to see the type of talk and ideas being tweeted and re-tweeted by many, many people.

The tweets could be as simple as not understanding what the ramifications of the tweets could really mean, they can be vile, or they can serious enough that they could potentially incite violent behaviour against women. Here is an example of some of the more mild tweets;

  • “#realwomen don’t need a man to put them in they place, she knows her place and is always in it.”
  • “#RealWomen will get on two knees for you & #RealMen will get on one for you <3″
  • “I’ll fucking tell a bitch if her man is hitting on me; that’s what #realwomen do!!!”
  • “#RealWomen dont care if you look through their phones.. They aint hiding shit”
  • “RT @Team_Wolfson: A #realwomen dont care about the hoes her nigga got because she real enough to know they just hoes and she the main”

The really interesting thing is that when I reply in a positive, and hopefully non judgmental way to some of the most disgusting language and ideas I have ever seen, the conversation starts to change in a matter of 5 or so tweets.  Mostly it is young black American women and men and who are tweeting this type of information under the guise of ‘realwomen’ because they think it is what is required of them.  The first tweet back is usually with an angry tone and something like “WTF are you?”, or “you get off my tweets”. I remind them that if they are putting out this type of information in a public forum such as Twitter, then they need to expect that anyone may respond to them. Their tweets are not private, and can be seen by anyone using Twitter. When I question them on the tweets via tweet backs using the #realwomen tag, they tend to realise what they have been saying and start thinking about it. Nearly all of these conversations have ended with the tweepers following @changingwomen.  I am now seeing this #realwomen trend spreading to other countries like Iran and Korea where there is not as much tolerance of equality for women and that is scary.

Unfortunately, my examples, don’t include many of the really abusive tweeted items so you cannot get a full impression – suffice to say some are so disgusting, I am amazed that people even think that they can be posted on the internet. Perhaps they have become de-sensitised.

Many of the young female #realwomen tweepers talk of other women in extremely degrading ways and are extremely angry when @Changingwomen challenges or questions them about their tweets. These young women put down other women as ‘them bitches’, or they threaten physical harm and repeat much of the language most often used by violent misogynist males.

Australian Sociologist Michael Flood defines misogyny as the hatred of women, and notes:

“Though most common in men, misogyny also exists in and is practiced by women against other women or even themselves. Misogyny functions as an ideology or belief system that has accompanied patriarchal, or male-dominated societies for thousands of years and continues to place women in subordinate positions with limited access to power and decision making. [...] Aristotle contended that women exist as natural deformities or imperfect males [...] Ever since, women in Western cultures have internalised their role as societal scapegoats, influenced in the twenty-first century by multimedia objectification of women with its culturally sanctioned self-loathing and fixations on plastic surgery, anorexia and bulimia.”[2] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misogyny)

According to sociologist Allan G. Johnson, “misogyny is a cultural attitude of hatred for females because they are female.” Johnson argues that:

“Misogyny …. is a central part of sexist prejudice and ideology and, as such, is an important basis for the oppression of females in male-dominated societies. Misogyny is manifested in many different ways, from jokes to pornography to violence to the self-contempt women may be taught to feel toward their own bodies.”[1] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misogyny)

Not all the tweets from the #realwomen trend are degrading, as many are not, however the vast majority of the tweets talk about a female stereotype that is a regression in equality not a progression. This stereotype is one that promotes physical beauty, sexiness, subservience to men and attainment of the ‘ideal’ female persona. There is a strong message that as a female you need to protect your man continuously from other ‘hoes’, other women who will try to take the man away. There is a lot of discussion about how a real women needs to behave in order to keep a man. Eg: ‘realwomen will do anything for their man’. This brings a strong sense of competition amongst these young women, and sometimes the tweets can get very nasty and threatening.

The #realwomen trend has another group of followers who follow a church group or religious belief, and these tweets are much less aggressive. They portray a traditionalist view of the female role in society, that of wife and mother and being subordinate to men as the natural order. Many of these young women argue that they are already equal in society and do not accept that their tweets are a product of social conditioning. They have the belief that they need to be physically beautiful to be attractive to men and this sexual attractiveness is a form of power. They think that this sexual power over men gives them power over other women because they are ahead in the competition to ‘get the man’. They do not accept that they are in fact, falling prey to the multimedia’s objectification of women, they are promoting the very behaviors that help to marginalize women and limit their ability to directly influence decisions and gain independence and equality. They are buying into a paradigm of the ideal women designed by patriarchal business structures that make money from dis-empowering women and reducing them to a consumer of artificially designed commodities. Many women so easily accept and believe that they need to look a certain way, that they must wear the latest clothes, be the perfect mother, have the right body shape and conform to an impossible ideal, that they are easy targets for mass marketing. It is so successful that many women feel compelled to conform to the latest fashion fad and will strongly defend their decisions when challenged.

By watching the #realwomen trend, what comes through in the tweets very strongly is the desire of many young men to find substance in the women that they know.  This is interesting as I thought that they would think “Changing Women – hell yeah I want to change my women” in a way that promotes inequality and subservience.  What I have found is the opposite.  These young men are searching for guidance and substance in themselves and their relationships with women. Many are sick of the sameness of the ‘sexy chick’ that has more interest in competing with other women than working at improving themselves and the ability to have a meaningful relationship. Unfortunately, much of the misogynistic behaviour comes from women themselves who are perpetuating inequality for themselves and others without even realizing that they have fallen into an ideology of sexual prejudice and the oppression of females.

The real positive is that young men are searching for an alternative to the superficial female model and this gives enormous hope for a brighter future.

REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Misogyny – accessed 31/12/2011

Dr Michael Flood – University of Wollongong Australia http://www.uow.edu.au/arts/ssmac/staff/UOW084229.html

Dec16

Start a Petition

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Start a petition about something that you are angry about.  Something that you think should not be happening or needs rectifying.  Or something that needs to be brought to the attention of others.

Go to www.change.org and register your petition and see the many victories already achieved.

Dec15

Freedom from Porn Culture – RESOURCES

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Blog by Lily Rose

‘Freedom from porn culture’ is a platform for our voice to be heard and to know we are not alone in our desire for a world and relationships free from ‘porn culture’ and sexism.  Read more

Dec12

RESOURCE: Make Every Woman Count

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Make Every Woman Count – Promoting the Empowerment of Women and Girls in Africa

About: (from the website http://www.makeeverywomancount.org)

“The Empowerment of African Women & girls is vital to the continent growth and  development. We can’t develop Africa if half of its population is left out”. Rainatou Sow Founder  & Executive Director of MEWC

 Founded in December 2010 two months after the launch of the African Women’s Decade, Make Every Woman Count is a young women-led organisation committed to actively promoting and advocating for the empowerment and rights of African women and girls and to raise awareness of the African women’s Decade. The  MEWC website aims to be a comprehensive online resource to support the empowerment of African women and girls.

Make Every Woman Count focuses on 6 priority areas that are vital to women’s rights and gender equality: Human Rights of Women, Women, Peace & Security, Violence Against Women, Political Participation & Leadership, Economic Empowerment, HIV/AIDS & Reproductives Health.

Mission


Make Every Woman Count’s mission is to provide accessible, timely and accurate information, resources and tools to support and strengthen the work of African women’s rights advocates, grassroots, and activists to effectively promote the economic, political and social rights of African women and girls; and to inspire and support young African women to be agents of social change in Africa.  [see more]

Dec9

Susanne interviewed by international professional network “Globiles”

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Globiles Spotlight: Susanne Moore talks gender economics

December 01 Madrid & Central Spain

Globiles Spotlight is the feature where we give our most interesting and vocal members a stage on which to shine.

This month’s member, Susanne Moore, is “ a global citizen, consultant and entrepreneur “ she also manages the blog- http://changingwomen.org.

Here, she talks to us about gender roles in today’s professional environment.

- Interview by Andrea Maltman

 G: You created the website “Changing Women” – can you summarize what exactly you feel needs changing regarding the image of modern women?

S: the questions around gender equality and gender change are big subjects and the approach for Changing Women is to keep it simple, focusing on “the changing woman”.

The aim is to promote positive images of real women whose bodies and minds change during the course of their life experiences.

G: Why do you feel you are the one to do this shifting?

S: Probably the best answer here would be because I can.  I am an observer and strategist, so I have observed a great many things over the years.

I have more tolerance for people and I think that will help me to be a change agent on a global scale.

I have seen and done what works and what doesn’t work and I have begun to understand why society is the way that it is.

G: Globiles is about professional life and social mobility on a global/international scale. Do you think men and women truly enjoy equal access to these two experiences?

S: I think the degree of equality here varies depending on a couple of factors:  First, what country or cultural restrictions are imposed on you, what restrictions you impose on yourself and finally, what restrictions are imposed on you by others.

In short, I don’t think that we can yet say that men and women enjoy equal access to professional achievement or social mobility.

 G: In your blog you discuss the term of gender economics, what role does this concept play in business and professional life?

S: Gender Economics is a term that I am using to describe economies built around gender consumption.

It is an important aspect of our social and business climate today and certainly very important as we move into the future.

In the gender economy, we have reduced portions of the population to passive consumers, making indirect economic input rather than direct input.  Stabilising the balance between indirect and direct impact has a role developing our economic future.

G: What advice would you give to women who want to scale the heights of their corporate or business environment?

S: Be true to yourself and try to do the work that you want to do.  Once you are in the corporate environment, learn how the game is played.  Understand the politics of climbing the ladder and be wary of people that want you to fail.

Above all, don’t apologise for being a female! But do try to harness some of the traits that assist men in business-promoting yourself, speaking in solutions not complaints and not taking business dealings personally.

G: Once there, do you believe there is camaraderie amongst the ‘sisterhood’, or a tendency to join the boys club, as it were.

S: Unfortunately I don’t think that this is the norm in the same way as it is for men.  Men build strong networks, and compete head to head for promotion using the traditional “old boys” network, whereas in my experience, women seem to spend time competing against each other instead of working together.

It is such a shame because if they used their “woman-ness” they would know that  the greatest assets that they have is compassion, intuition, the ability to work as a team and support each other.

The good news is that I think this trend is slowly changing, but it really needs to be addressed at school while girls are developing.  Teach them to be happy with the self instead of looking outside of themselves for validation, working on self esteem will help them later in the workplace.

G: In your experience, have you found professional dealings to be easier with women or men?

S: I have mostly worked in male environments, construction and then Information Technology so I am used to working with men and find them to be easier than women.

I think that men are less complicated in the workplace and, as I said in the previous question, once you understand the game you know how to deal with it.

The absolute worst scenario is when another female tries to manipulate the men around you.  Men are, in my experience, easily distracted by a beautiful woman, and often don’t pick up on the subtle manipulations and put downs of other women

I would say that every time I have seen this behaviour, the company, or the men in  question have come off second best because they have made decisions that are not based on sound judgement.

G: As well as your writing and commentary on your website and blog, you are also an entrepreneur. Tell us about you business ventures and projects.

S: Since closing my consulting company in 2010 I have been doing lots of different projects.  I helped my eldest daughter develop her range of beauty products, Alli’s Stuff, and sell these through my lifestyle portal http://inthebushatthebeach.com

I am also consolidating my Integrity Management Methodology which I wrote in 1997, http://integritymanagementmethodology.wordpress.com

I hope to work within a specific niche, which will look at imbedding integrity and improving business performance by linking environmental responsibility, cultural sensitivity, gender, and the development of new paradigms for business management.

 G: You are also an accomplished public speaker, which subjects are you most passionate about?

S: I love talking about equality and integrity in business.  I have also spoken on subjects like outsourcing, project management, leadership and managing diversity.

I have been well known as a International Leader in the field of project management and have spoken many times on that subject.

Lastly my most recent passion is about Changing Women and speaking about the ways that the Changing Woman can help to change the world by harnessing their own inner power and strength.  This is just so important and something that I am extremely passionate about.

If you’d like to know more about Susanne, contact her on Globiles or check out her websites:

http://changingwomen.org

http://susannemoore.wordpress.com

Globiles is “A community of the global and mobile, sharing insights and contacts online and offline”

Dec5

13 -19 year old models don’t represent real women

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They know what they want ... Director of Gear Model Management, Dragan Dimovski and booking agent Naomi Fitzgerald / Pic: Katrina Tepper Source: The Daily Telegraph

This recent story sparked controversy in Australia.  How young is too young to model women’s clothes.  New boutique modelling agency, ‘Gear Model Management’ attracted some harsh words from many critics, including Changing Women for their promotion of super thin and very young models.  This article in the Telegraph, by Letitia Rowlands, November 16 2011 screams;

“Sixteen too old for model career, young girls told

GIRLS as young as 13 are being sought by a Sydney modelling agency which has described 16-year-olds as “too old” for the international industry. “

Gear Model Management director Dragan Dimovski was quoted in the article as saying that  “other Australian modelling agencies were “very conservative” about the minimum age of the girls they employ.”  So in a bid to find young models, the agency launched a talent search across Sydney, and the talent search was open to ‘models’ from the ages of 13 to 19.  What is conservative?  Why does Dimovski refer to the models as ‘girls’ and why do they need to find ‘younger models’.  This statement seems to indicate that the ‘very conservative’ agencies are not employing models that are young enough.

Dimovski and partner, Naomi Fitzgerald de Grave,  “a former model, said girls were missing out on international modelling work because they were not starting young enough.”  The Telegraphy article quoted her as,  “I know people may think that 13 is very young, but that’s what the international brands are currently looking for in Europe. Models are too old at 16 now,” she said.”

And this is what has caused the controversy.  Just because 13 is OK overseas, does not mean that  Australia need accept it, or promote modelling from the age of 13.  Apart from the obvious issues of 13, 14, 15, 16, or even 17 year old potentially being at risk in a world so focused on body image, this age group hardly represents a women’s body type.  Whilst there has been many attempts to employ models that have more realistic body shapes, the focus still remains on the super thin model.

When you start to really look at the modelling industry it is concerning.  Apart from the unrealistic body image and focus on beauty, there are other issues rarely talked about.  Let’s take a look at the word ‘model’ and how the ‘models’ are portrayed.  The way that we use the word ‘model’ in every day conversation is interesting We talk about model cars, model numbers and model types in our everyday language when referring to goods, products, commodities.  For example, when buying a car, you can choose to have a particular model type that will give you the options that you prefer for the price you can afford.

By using this same term when we refer to fashion models, we have removed the personal from these beautiful women (and men) on the catwalk by referring to them in the same way as a product’.  This term intimates that you can get one in any style, shape or colour that you like, and just like a car, there is an accompanying price attached by way of model fee’s attached to the choice.  Worse, it reduces them to mere commodities, goods, products, used to display a garment.  The value is in what they are displaying, not in the person, the ‘model’.  It is understandable that the designers and fashion houses want you to look at their designs and not be focused on the model, but it still dehumanize’s the model.

Many fashion parades and fashion shoots portray the ‘models’ as expressionless and emotionless, staring blankly into the camera.  Or, they are over sexualised and the emphasis is on demonstrating sexuality, in poses that make them look like they are in an orgasmic trance.  This only serves to portray women (and men) as objects to be used and directed as required.  It is impersonal and makes it difficult to connect to the ‘model’ as a real person with real emotion, real hopes and dreams.  Yet our society has held up this ‘model’ image of woman to be the pinnacle of success and glamor.  Millions of women and girls strive to succeed in this very industry, or strive to emulate the ‘model look’ in their own lives.

When Changing Women found this story and others like it, we went to the Gear Model Management Facebook page to make some comments.  The comments and the responses by Fitzgerald de Grave have been reprinted below and are self-explanatory.  Fitzgerald de Grave reportedly became a model herself at 13 so may not understand what all the fuss was about.  De Grave responds by accusing detractors of not understanding the fashion industry, “To susanne obv you are not in the industry and fro an outsider looking in yes 13 is young but we are NOT putting them to work at that age, its basically to watch them grow and develop so that when they are ready to enter into this industry at a later age they are prepared.”  Prepared for what?

However, Changing Women thinks that ALL women understand the fashion industry to the extent that we are the clients that keep the models and the modelling agencies in business.  The question must then be, when are they ready to enter into the industry that they have been prepared for?

Here is Changing Women’s comment on the Gear Facebook page.  (please note:   this is an open Facebook page and comments were public at the time that Changing Women posted these comments.)

24 November 2011

“I heard that your company wants 13 year girls as 16 year old’s are too old to model in Europe? Surely this is just more sexploitation of women in the form of younger women. What we all need is responsible representations of women and girls in the fashion industry, not more pandering to a fad. As an Australian company, you can leverage our ethics and values and not support this European trend. Changingwomen.org is about the representation of real women – they have bodies that are changing and not a stereotype of the model image Fashion is one area where there is little equality amongst women. Help to address this issue and not add to it.”
Naomi Fitzgerald de Grave Clearly you are both [she means the comment from Susanne Moore and the comment from Changing Women] small minded and do not work in the industry and believe everything that you read in the press/media or hear on the radio.
to changing women clearly you havent watched our youtube video where we clearly state girls aged 13-19.. yes thats right 19.
To susanne obv you are not in the industry and fro an outsider looking in yes 13 is young but we are NOT putting them to work at that age, its basically to watch them grow and develop so that when they are ready to enter into this industry at a later age they are prepared.24 November at 09:17 ·
Changing Women No Naomi, I am far from small minded and through my organisation Changing Women (and others like mine) we are targeting fashion practices that belittle, sexualise, abuse or neglect the true attributes that are women. In fact, I am a women myself who was once model like and could wear (and model) anything. Changing Women is about promoting real women’s bodies and there has been some movement towards that trend in the fashion industry in recent years with larger size models and that is good. I have read numerous articles on blogs and newspaper sites (and your video) about your latest venture – so my comments come from this perspective. It is the 13 years old that I am concerned about – if they are modelling women’s clothes. The body shape of girls this young and even 19 is not representative of a women’s body. It is silly of you to call fashion clients (yes all of the Changing Women community) small minded because we are not in the fashion industry (and by the way do you know that?). Who do you think buys the clothes that your models model and keeps the whole industry going? People like us! Perhaps you should do some research on us before you go off and start calling people names. Go to http://changingwomen.org/and have a look for yourself. This is no way to handle other women. By trying to invalidate my comments you only invalidate all other women and continue the cycle of inequity. Remember, you might not always be thin, young and gorgeous, in work and popular. Eventually you need to develop substance and that is what Changing Women is about. Hope to see you on our site, I have certainly sent others to you…Changing Women changingwomen.org

A forum for women
24 November at 09:38
Naomi Fitzgerald de Grave Thanks for promoting your business/venture on our wall, i wish you all the best with it.
good luck to you and hopefully one day you will say these things to my face and not be saying them from behind a computer screen using “changing women” as your “name”
All the best to you.
Naomi Fitzgerald de Grave24 November at 09:59 ·

Changing Women Hi Naomi, it is not a business, it is not for profit and I would love to speak to you in person. I am also in Sydney and not far from Bondi even if my organisation is global. I am Susanne Moore for Changing Women and you can contact me at changingwomen@hotmail.com with your phone number and I will give you a call. I would love to interview you for my site and get your perspective on this issue. If you really do think that 13 year old’s can be looked after and that real women can be represented it would be great to get your view. If you visited the site (the main site not the facebook one) you will already know that I have started interviewing many women about their achievements. Hope to hear from you soon!24 November at 10:06 · Like

Since my invitation for a face to face meeting with de Grave I have not received an email for a  meeting as I suggested.

Here is another post on the Gear Facebook site which Changing Women responded to:
Is 13 too young to be a model?
Like · · Share · 19 November at 11:12 ·

Changing Women  If it is to model women’s clothes – Yes it is. We need to promote positive images of women for all women, not unrealistic images. A good mix of body shapes on the runways would really help the issues of body image and self esteem and empower women to make positive choices for themselves.

24 November at 07:14

HOW CAN WE TAKE POSITIVE ACTION?

  1. Help your children to develop high self esteem – a self worth that is not dependent on external beauty.
  2. Be a positive role model yourself.  There is nothing wrong with looking your best, but demonstrate that substance is what makes a person truly beautiful.
  3. Don’t accept inappropriate language from your sons and daughters, or your husband or male partner.  Question “bitch talk” and derogatory comments when you hear them and don’t encourage “bitchy gossip”.
  4. Understand the drivers behind the fashion industry – it is in their interest to keep models looking the way that they do because in the current constructed fashion industry – it sells clothes.  We need to change the way that fashion is marketed and force designers and fashion houses to represent real women.  They will argue that their clothes look better on super slim models, and this is great as long as that is the market that they are going for.  More likely, it is older women, mothers, career women and the “changing women that will be buying their clothes, so we need to voice our concerns and take positive action.
  5. If you are invited to a fashion show, check to see what type of models they are using and refuse to attend fashion shows using unrealistic body shapes.
  6. Don’t buy clothes from designers that don’t represent you on the catwalk and this will send a message that these images will no longer be tolerated.
  7. Write emails or send letters when you are offended by unrealistic body images being portrayed.
  8. Better still, buy a marketing agency, a fashion house or fashion magazine and do it differently.

RESOURCES and OTHER ARTICLES ON THE SAME TOPIC

A great article by Mia Freedman – Modelling at 13 – no winners here

Mia Freedman – Send this clip to every woman you know

Model miss Chloe Glassie is walking in Miranda Kerr’s footsteps 

Dec1

Men-oh-pause-oh-poem

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My ode to Menopause.

My lips are thinner now than before.

Still red with gloss, and still hunger for,

they are sensuous and inviting.

To love, to loss to kiss and not,

wise words pass these lips

but no longer pouting nightly.

My uterus has dropped and belly sagged,

I never thought it would be this way.

Pro lapsed perhaps, but not forgotten

a release from things no longer gotten.

My babies grown with lives so proud

you can’t miss me in – I’m around!

My thighs are thicker than they need to be,

but they carry a more substantial me.

Men. Oh pause!  See me now and reflect

The Changing Woman so perfect!

High heels have long away

to a purposeful stride and knowing way.

My breasts have dropped to their rightful place

no less important than my face.

Why do we call it men-o-pause?

We don’t pause in our sexuality

or, our care for all humanity.

Don’t neglect us now we have bloomed

Surely we have not lost so sooned?

Oh.Men. oh pause,

It is now that we are!  So this, so soon?

Reflect or play, we are here to stay.

Some men, now pause not knowing what to say

for no longer do I slink and sway.

After all, some think my time has passed

but here I find myself

At Last!

Original poem written by Susanne Moore November 30, 2011