“Mansplaining” and Political Voice

Guest author Ben White worked for WomanStats at BYU as an intern in 2016, and graduated in 2018 with a BA in Political Science. Now, as a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin, his research explores how gender shapes our interactions with American politics. In recent years, "mansplaining", the phenomenon of a …

Little Old Ladies in Tennis Shoes: My Experiences as a Woman in Local Government

Originally from Chicagoland, guest author Chelsea Bakaitis worked for the WomanStats Project from 2012-2014 while earning a Bachelor of Science in Geography and a minor in Women’s Studies from Brigham Young University. After leaving Utah she made Gainesville, Florida her home along with her husband, dog, two cats, and many house plants. Currently she is …

Care Ethics and Patriarchy: The Importance (and Burden) of Caregiving

Theories of morality have been at the forefront of humanity’s philosophical discourses for millennia. Throughout our history, we have developed a significant number of theories aimed at determining what is right and wrong, and how one should live with respect to that morality. While many of these theories were developed and discussed hundreds of years …

How Gender Norms Affect Women Running for Office

We live in an era where more women are entering the workforce, yet there are still inequitable ratios of women to men in some arenas. The United States government, for example, has been male dominated since its establishment over 230 years ago. Of course, women have always participated in government and politics, but not at …

Reporting from a gender perspective

The original post, written in Spanish, can be found here: https://womanstatslatina.wordpress.com/2019/04/16/informando-con-perspectiva-de-genero/ This English translation was graciously provided by the author, JSMV.  Schools of journalism around the globe are full of women, as are the related jobs. Nevertheless, the masculine presence and power prevail in editors’ rooms and executive boards; the same dynamics are also present …

Women, War & Peace II

If you are unfamiliar with the PBS documentary series Women, War & Peace, we invite you to learn more about this excellent source of insight and information at their website: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/women-war-and-peace/ This series tells the previously untold “stories of women who risked their lives for peace, changing history in the process.” The second part of …

Beauty as the Key to Economic Mobility?

We often talk about harmful beauty practices that are used to enhance a woman’s prospects for marriage. For example, women in Ethiopia and Tanzania purposefully scar themselves to make themselves more attractive to their suitors (PHBP-PRACTICE-1).[1],[2] In Mali and Mauritania, women are force-fed, because larger women attract more suitors.[3],[4] Plastic surgery is used from Lebanon …

Period Taboos: The Deadly Truth

Ever since getting my first period at the age of twelve, I have become a pro at hiding all the evidence. I can effortlessly slip tampons up my sleeves before walking into a public bathroom. I’ve passed them under the table to female friends who were caught without supplies in a moment of need. All …

Doctor’s Who Don’t Listen: The Gaslighting Epidemic of Women

Gaslighting (verb): a form of psychological manipulation that seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted individual or in members of a targeted group, making them question their own memory, perception, and sanity.[1] In the medical community, a medical authority sows doubt into a patient’s mind about her perceived pain that makes her second …

The Internet: Creating a Safe Space

Access to the internet is a basic right that allows women to learn, promote themselves professionally, band together, and obtain help. One law student in Pakistan used the internet to publicize her stab wounds, helping her to win a legal case against her assaulter.[1] However, the internet can also provide an additional space for women …