Rosalie Kunert, the inspiration behind the iconic Rosie the Riveter, passed away June 28 at the age of 86. Rosie's can-do spirit was captured in an ad campaign by J. Walter Thompson and sponsored by the Office of War Information and War Manpower Commission, designed to inspire other women to join the workforce during WWII. It worked - to the tune of two million new women on the job. [more inside]
posted by tizzie on Jul 8, 2009 - 16 comments

"Hot Cougar Sex!" Since the term was first coined, "cougar" has become something of a cultural phenomenon: it's been applied to Samantha on "Sex and the City" and actress Demi Moore, and sometimes shares territory with that other recently-ubiquitous label for sexualized older women: MILFs. Some women have embraced the term as empowering, but as a new reality show debuts, others show why it's less than appealing.
posted by ocherdraco on Apr 16, 2009 - 182 comments

YouTube on YouTube . . .
posted by huckhound on May 20, 2008 - 11 comments

• "Please don't beat me. I'm having my period." ~ Mama Wangari
• "It is being both black and gay [which is problematic]." ~ Zanele Muholi (Nehanda Nyakasikana) [NSFW]
• "Sisters at heart, these women are: from Kibera to Loresho." ~ WM
• "My vagina wants an Uzi" ~ Larissa Klazinga (Amanda Atwood)
• "You are from Kenya? So are you Kikuyu or Luo?" ~ Wangui

Blogs of women from Africa. That is all.
posted by hadjiboy on Apr 17, 2008 - 25 comments

This morning in Vancouver, volunteers handed out hundreds of disposable cameras, available free to any low-income resident of the city's Downtown Eastside (DTES) neighbourhood. Pictures in the returned cameras will be entered in this year's "Hope in Shadows" competition, with winners getting prizes and one of 12 spots in next year's calendar. (It will be sold by specially-trained low-income folks, who keep half their profits.) Run by Pivot, a local legal activism group, "Hope in Shadows" is a succesful and "innovative empowerment through art" project and a chance for the residents of the DTES to define their community -- one most often defined by its poverty, addictions, violence and disease.
Previous winners: 2004, 2005 [1] [2], 2006
posted by docgonzo on Jun 9, 2007 - 13 comments

In this century, you may have dozens of programming languages lurking on your machine. But how to use them?? A fundamental secret! Well, no more. We cannot stand for that. Hackety Hack will not stand to have you in the dark! Now with 100% more MeFi.
posted by signal on Apr 26, 2007 - 27 comments

Kids with Cameras (warning, embedded QT video in link)
With an Oscar Nominated documentary, Born into Brothels, under her belt, Zana Briski's spinoff project, Kids with Cameras, teaches children growing up in difficult circumstances the art and skills of photography to empower them to appreciate the beauty and dignity of their own expression.
With projects in Calcutta, Haiti, Jerusalem and Cairo, they send great photographers to lead workshops, the children are given inexpensive 35mm cameras to capture whatever they choose and then the children's pictures are shown (and sold) around the world through exhibits, books and film.
posted by fenriq on Feb 27, 2005 - 7 comments

The New Shaker Wives Aren't Really Into Furniture or puritanism or bonnets. But kickass cocktails? And revenge? That, yes. Oh yes. Empowering? I should bloody well think so. Disgruntled housewives you say? I say their boring, stupid husbands don't appreciate their luck, more likely. Explore their website, enjoy and learn! [Offered as a companion-piece to tranquileye's June 2002 Ladies For The Preservation Of Cocktails post. P.S. This is neither here nor there but the more I live and know, the more I love and respect women and the less I like men.]
posted by MiguelCardoso on May 16, 2003 - 12 comments