Herizons articles from December 2000

Herizons archives from December 2000

Farmers in Sri Lanka starved for justice.
December 1, 2000... (COLOMBO) Women farmers in the Sri Lanka's farming colony in Polonnaruwa recently joined their male counterparts in a massive protest to draw attention to a crisis in paddy farming. Two women also went on a hunger strike alongside male...

Let the journey begin (check out www.journeywoman.com).
December 1, 2000... Are you a woman traveller who needs to know what to pack for a meeting in Japan? Not sure how to get from Milan's airport to the city? Looking for a female doctor in the Middle East, a budget B&B in Barcelona or a hair stylist in New York?...

Sneakers aid depression?
December 1, 2000... A new study suggests that regular exercise may be a better aid for depression for some people over 50 than the commonly prescribed anti-depressant Zoloft. A study at Duke University Medical Centre divided 156 people with depression into...

Woman scientist washes up (a common ingredient in shampoo and toothpaste inhibits HIV from attaching to cells).
December 1, 2000... Laval University biologist Jocelyne Piret has discovered that sodium lauryl sulphate, a common ingredient in shampoo and toothpaste, inhibits HIV from attaching to cells. The World Health Organization has identified microbicides as a high...

Patron of communications (Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada, will be the first-ever patron of the organization, Canadian Women in Communications).
December 1, 2000... Adrienne Clarkson, Governor General of Canada, will be the first-ever Patron of the organization, Canadian Women in Communications. "Adrienne Clarkson has been a role model to women in the industry for many years. It is a tremendous...

Storm clouds over party shoes.
December 1, 2000... You won't want to miss this gem--read it and weep with laughter before you have to give Storm Clouds Over Party Shoes (Press Gang Publishers) away. The book is a feminist tribute to ladylike behaviour and mannerly advice throughout the...

Stop rape now: various artists.
December 1, 2000... A new record (that's right record) to support an anti-rape project called Home Alive brings together female punk bands from around the world. Get out your turntables and listen to Spazmz, Obnoxious Race and Submission Hold. And that's just...

Obasan.
December 1, 2000... Didn't read Joy Kogawa's classic Obasan? Let her read it to you. Five-year-old Naomi is separated from her mother and father after Pearl Harbor. Kogawa's understated narration of this highly acclaimed novel results in a moving performance...

What the body remembers.
December 1, 2000... What The Body Remembers is Shauna Singh Baldwin's dramatic portrait of pre-partition India seen through the eyes of two women. Roop, a 16-year old village girl who is elated when she becomes the second wife of Sarkarji, a wealthy landowner,...

Supremely good news (the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the right of women to restrict the use of their sexual past in sexual assault cases).
December 1, 2000... The Supreme Court of Canada upheld the right of women to restrict the use of their sexual past in sexual assault cases. Andrew Scott Darrach, who was convicted of sexually assaulting his ex-girlfriend, challenged the 1992 `rape shield law,'...

Little sister wins over big brother.
December 1, 2000... Little Sisters Bookstore in Vancouver experienced "excessive and prejudicial treatment" at the hands of Canada Customs officers, the Supreme Court has ruled. Canada Customs targetted Little Sisters' imports since 1984. Many of the books...

Boy trouble at Web Grrls.
December 1, 2000... (TORONTO) Maybe it's the long flowing locks that make him look like Fabio or the earnest advice on fitness and being the best you can be, but Kevin Kennedy, a former personal trainer from New York, is not your average cybergeek. Images being...

Shh. Don't tell Dr. Laura (Schlessinger).
December 1, 2000... A survey on sexual practices of Americans young and old suggests that 18 percent of young women (18-29 years) have had `sexual activity' with another female. The Adam & Eve phone survey says that by comparison only 7 percent of men in...

One small step for consumers (Health Canada has a new proposal designed to provide consumer information on food labels).
December 1, 2000... Health Canada has taken a step forward with a new proposal designed to provide consumer information on food labels. The proposal would require the amount of calories, fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, fibre, sugar and other...

Art of motherhood: conceptions exhibit due in Montreal this February.
December 1, 2000... (SALT SPRING ISLAND) Mary Cassatt never did it for me. She was not a mother; it shows. While mothers have traditionally inspired each other through their shared experiences of birthing and early motherhood, few have been able to turn...

BC prescribes access to morning after pill.
December 1, 2000... BC pharmacists can now prescribe the morning after pill. The BC government became the first in Canada to make the drug available upon request by women whose contraception has failed. BC Premier Ujjal Dosanjh vowed to work with the federal...

Nellie of all nelliegrams (tribute to the early struggles of women to begin participating in democratic life).
December 1, 2000... The irony was impossibly amusing. A monument to The Famous Five women who went all the way to the British Privy Council in London to force the Government of Canada to allow women to hold public office couldn't be placed on the grounds of the...

Yukon women of power.
December 1, 2000... The stories of 19 Yukon women are told in the context of Yukon's struggle to emerge from the shadow of colonization. Among those included in Yukon Women of Power by Joyce Hayden, are five First Nation women. The 700-page book is $39.95 +...

`Bronze' woman eyes Edmonton gold.
December 1, 2000... (SRI LANKA) At the Athletics World Championships in Edmonton coming up in August, the biggest challenge in key women's track events will come from a tough, young Sri Lankan who made an impressive Olympic debut in Sydney. Susanthika...

Portraits of resistance: world march of women.
December 1, 2000... (TORONTO) A Toronto organization, According to Us, has created an exhibit of photos of the National March of Women in Ottawa on October 15 and the World March of Women in New York on October 17, 2000. According to Us is a group of women...

Jane Siberry.
December 1, 2000... During the summer, Jane Siberry's temporarily abandoned website read: gonefishing.calm. The tongue-in-cheek message to her fans is indicative of where Siberry is these days. As an independent artist, it is imperative that she is part of...

5 dangerous myths about hysterectomy: what every woman should know.
December 1, 2000... After a routine Pap smear, Judy found out that she had cervical cancer. The cancer was in situ, meaning it had not spread past the cervix, so her uterus was in no danger. Nonetheless, her doctor recommended a complete hysterectomy, the...

Alternative treatments: common conditions for which hysterectomy is recommended.
December 1, 2000... These are some of the most common conditions for which hysterectomy is recommended, followed by suggested alternative treatments. Uterine hyperplasia (Excessive growth of the lining of the uterus). This can often be better treated with...

Ten ways to reduce heavy bleeding.
December 1, 2000... If your periods are debilitating, a hysterectomy can seem like an appealing alternative. However, there are less radical treatments that can provide relief. 1. Simple over the counter anti-inflammatory and pain reliever drugs for painful...

All the rage: we must be careful not to associate biological phenomena with social phenomena.
December 1, 2000... When Alexa McDonough remarked during the recent election that "Repeated doses of testosterone can dull the mind," the mainly female audience chortled in agreement. The NDP leader's remark was a light-hearted jab at the machismo of Alliance...

Are periods passe?
December 1, 2000... The human body is rarely viewed holistically anymore. In an increasingly technocratic world, our bodies are portrayed as objects made up of transferable bits and pieces. Body components can be replaced like spare parts: blood transfusions,...

Tracey fragments.
December 1, 2000... THE TRACEY FRAGMENTS BY MAUREEN MEDVED ANANSI PRESS, 1998 It took me two tries to get through this novel. That's how effective Maureen Medved is at portraying the raw angst of teenage girlhood. Tracey speaks to the reader...

Blood girls.
December 1, 2000... THE BLOOD GIRLS BY MEIRA COOK NEWEST PRESS 1998 211 PP. Meira Cook creates a world where everyone speaks with the dense imagery of poetry; where blood--the stuff of life, and the substance of death, pours from unlikely orifices,...

Donut shop lovers.
December 1, 2000... DONUT SHOP LOVERS BY MELISSA STEELE TURNSTONE PRESS 1999 This debut collection of short fiction earned Melissa Steele the John Hirsch Award for most promising Manitoba writer, and deservedly so. Replete with odd plot twists and...

Boys will be men: raising our sons for courage, caring, and community.
December 1, 2000... BOYS WILL BE MEN: RAISING OUR SONS FOR COURAGE, CARING AND COMMUNITY BY PAUL KIVEL NEW SOCIETY PUBLISHERS, 1999, 256 PP Paul Kivel's latest, Boys Will Be Men is overwhelming. Though, speaking as a father of two male children and...

Help! I'm living with a (man) boy.
December 1, 2000... HELP! I'M LIVING WITH A (MAN) BOY BETTY MCLELLAN SPINIFEX PRESS, 1999 260 PP. My husband recently rented the Rug Doctor. A fight erupted before he had even switched it on. Within 30 minutes, he had vowed to divorce me (once he...

Cunt: a declaration of independence.
December 1, 2000... CUNT: A DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE INGA MUSCIO SEAL PRESS 1998 All right, you got past the title. Now you are in for a delightful, thought-provoking read about our relationship with our bodies, in particular, our cunts. Believe...

Beyond pro-life and pro-choice.
December 1, 2000... BEYOND PRO-LIFE AND PRO-CHOICE BY KATHY RUDY BEACON PRESS It is tempting to assume that the fight for reproductive rights is, if not dead, at least sleeping peacefully. After all, we are now well beyond the Supreme Court of...

Killing the black body: race, reproduction, and the meaning of liberty.
December 1, 2000... KILLING THE BLACK BODY: RACE, REPRODUCTION, AND THE MEANING OF LIBERTY BY DOROTHY ROBERTS PANTHEON BOOKS It is tempting to assume that the fight for reproductive rights is, if not dead, at least sleeping peacefully. After all,...

Spider women: a tapestry of creativity and healing.
December 1, 2000... SPIDER WOMEN: A TAPESTRY OF CREATIVITY AND HEALING J. GORDON SHILLINGFORD PRESS, 1988 EDS. JOAN TURNER AND CAROL ROSE I wanted to read Spider Women: A Tapestry of Creativity and Healing because I was curious to find out what...

With child.
December 1, 2000... WITH CHILD DEBORAH JACKSONCHRONICLE BOOKS 1999 144 PP I would have loved reading With Child by Deborah Jackson during my third pregnancy. A book that celebrates being pregnant, giving birth and being a mother might have made my final...

Courage to be a single mother: becoming whole again after divorce.
December 1, 2000... THE COURAGE TO BE A SINGLE MOTHER BECOMING WHOLE AGAIN AFTER DIVORCE SHEILA ELLISON HARPERCOLLINS 2000 253 PP Buried deep in the divorce section in the bookstore I found The Courage to Be a Single Mother: Becoming Whole Again After...

Fragment by fragment: feminist perspectives on memory and child sexual abuse.
December 1, 2000... FRAGMENT BY FRAGMENT FEMINIST PERSPECTIVES ON MEMORY AND CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE EDITED BY MARGO RIVERA GYNERGY BOOKS, 1999 With unflinching honesty, these 18 authoritative voices challenge the reader to look deeply into the complexity of...

My journey with Jake: memoir of parenting and disability.
December 1, 2000... MY JOURNEY WITH JAKE: A MEMOIR OF PARENTING AND DISABILITY MIRIAM EDLESON BETWEEN THE LINES, 2000 The story of Robert Latimer filled the pages of newspapers as his conviction for killing his disabled daughter, Tracy, reached the Supreme...

Restoring the goddess: equal rites for modern women.
December 1, 2000... RESTORING THE GODDESS: EQUAL RITES FOR MODERN WOMEN BARBARA G. WALKER PROMETHEUS BOOKS, 2000 Have you ever had the feeling that you have not been told the whole truth about something that you have been taught? That feeling has the...

Colour-coded: a legal history of racism in Canada: 1900-1950.
December 1, 2000... COLOUR-CODED A LEGAL HISTORY OF RACISM IN CANADA 1900-1950 UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO PRESS, 2000 Like snow blandly smoothing out the landscape, a blanket of whiteness seems to obliterate history. That's precisely the point made by feminist...

Politics of women's health: exploring agency and autonomy.
December 1, 2000... THE POLITICS OF WOMEN'S HEALTH EXPLORING AGENCY AND AUTONOMY TEMPLE UNIVERSITY PRESS, 1998, 321 PP This collaborative study on medical ethics designed and completed by the Feminist Health Care Ethics Research Network in Canada deals with...

Piercing the imagination: the craft of writing.
December 1, 2000... Marge Piercy is head-to-toe downtown black, thick shoulder-length hair, trench-coat, slacks and sneakers. Strolling the streets of Kensington Market after an appearance at Toronto's Harbourfront, she cajoles her partner Ira Wood into popping...

Ironia: Assar Santana.
December 1, 2000... IRONIA ASSAR SANTANA DISQUES NUITS D'AFRIQUE WWW.FESTNUITAFRIC.COM More than two decades ago when composer, percussionist and vocalist Assar Santana began to play drums in Brazil, there were no other women with whom she...

It's just money, honey.
December 1, 2000... Net worth does not equal self-worth." How many times have we uttered that phrase to ourselves and wished society would drum it into our daughters? But maybe there's a good reason that society doesn't convey it. Maybe the reason is: our...

I'm child-free, not child-less.
December 1, 2000... Years ago, an acquaintance kept urging me to have children. I was newly-wed, my husband in a secure career. What was I waiting for? "Someday it will be too late," she warned. Not only had she and her husband produced the two children...

Butt out, already.
December 1, 2000... Elizabeth Howse, a Victoria sheet metal worker and mom, took her seven-year-old son Dustin on a Christmas holiday, thanks to the largesse of a family court judge who ruled in her favour. All she had to do was promise not to smoke in the car...

(Still) can't get no satisfaction: the year 2000 has been one of the worst for women in pop music.
December 1, 2000... Twenty-five years ago, the Rolling Stones released their album Black And Blue. In the year 2000, the Backstreet Boys released a disc with the same name. The Backstreet Boys? Wow, everything's different, you might say. But look a little deeper...

PR: the next wave.
December 1, 2000... There has been a lot of discussion about proportional representation (PR) since the federal election for good reason. It is the third time that Jean Chretien has won a majority of seats even though the majority of people voted against him....

Or not: proportional representation.
December 1, 2000... Judy Rebick makes a convincing argument for proportional representation in her book, Imagine Democracy and in her column in this issue of Herizons. I admit it's difficult to argue with the populist appeal of a system that promises that the...