Feminism thoughts and discussions Spring 2023

For me personally when I think of eco-feminism I think of the pollution and lack of accessibilities to feminine hygiene products to women in under-developed countries. There needs to be a better solution to the amount of tampons and period pads that end up in our environment daily. Though progress is being made with the inventions of period cups and reusable underwear it's hard for women in countries to get even basic products. Not only is this an environmental concern, but health concern as well. Most tampons have toxic ingredients that can lead to TSS/Toxic Shock Syndrome which is life threatening. There needs to be more concern and care into the ingredients of what women are putting into their bodies. Not only that it's safe for us, but also safe for the planet, and won't be harmful if it ends up as litter or in a landfill. Like compostable pads and tampons. As women we already have to face the pink tax when it comes to products that are essentially a basic human right. ...

After watching the Netflix documentary 13th I found my heart heavy and burdened, but also enraged. How could I have not known this? Why is nothing being done? I have always understood that prisons are meant for money, and are privately owned so maybe the first step is to make them a public service. I know that the prison system needs to be reformed, but it seems almost impossible to do without first abolishing it and starting over. There was an interesting thought from the documentary about community prisons, sort of like parole. That might work if while the people are in this community they get the tools they need to rehabilitate and become better people. Prisons and jails are designed so that once they are released they end up back in there. There is no effort or programs in place to help the individual once they get out, so they have no choice but to break parole or return to a life of crime. Another important issue is that there should be no hiring discrimination for a felony on yo...

I still can't comprehend how we live in the year 2023 and yet there were more rights for my mother and grandmother then there are for me. As the months go on and new laws are passed there is a significant decrease in women's rights to their body and health care. Specifically abortion and birth control. They are making it harder and harder for women to get birth control, access abortion, and let trans women get the basic health care they need. A woman has a difficult time getting a hysterectomy or her tubes cut, but a man can get a vasectomy whenever he wants. It's actually becoming easier for trans individuals to get health care before women. Of course when the people who run women's health in government are all old men what do expect? It's hard to stay hopeful as a woman. Even now gay rights and equality are being threatened in some states. It's all absolutely heartbreaking and reaffirms my decision not to have kids. I would be even more terrified if I had a da...

After hearing the personal essay read out loud it made me feel like my in-betweenness was kind of stupid. That author went through so much, and it was so hard to hear her story, but I know that it's so important as well. I can't imagine what it feels like to be stuck in-between a place culturally. I only have an idea from friends and co-workers that are mixed or immigrated at a young age. Hearing their stories reminds me a lot of what I learned in history class and the class systems for people based on who they were descended from like mestizos. Growing up in Texas you hear a lot of people talk about "illegals" and un-documented immigrants, but they don't know the sacrifices that have to be made, and what the children of those family members go through. The fact that children are being taken away from their parents at the border is horrifying and inhumane. They are human beings not a litter of puppies. Though I am always so happy to hear of loved ones being reunit...