Plastics – If You Socialize, Read This

Plastic Cups, Circa 2023 Informal fundraising lunches. Business dinners hosted in the office. Group get-togethers with cocktails and snacks. Chances are you’ve been to at least one of these functions. You slap on a name tag and wade into the crowd, chatting, perhaps making some new connections and becoming thoroughly inspired by the speaker. Or you enter and see no one you know, later nodding off after the artfully arranged dessert but during the way-too-long program. These things happen. You know what else probably happens? You’re probably awash in plastic. And I don’t mean the microplastics that are unseen and…

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Gender Equality in Schools: Specific Suggestions

Note - see also this important resources page to understand the issue better. Know your subconscious biases; they are powerful. Observe each other's interactions with a gender lens. Gender biases create a 'hidden curriculum' that instructs. Never highlight gender unnecessarily; before you say "boys and girls" or something similar, ask yourself: "does gender matter?" It almost never does. Refrain from commenting on appearances, which are almost always gender-coded. Avoid single-sex groupings. Never let gender be used as a means of separating or excluding without comment. Don't put yourself down in gender-defined ways. Watch gendered micro-aggressions, gender-based bullying. Do not accept…

  • Post category:Advocacy
  • Reading time:4 mins read
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Through Women’s Eyes International Film Festival 2023

  Highlights from our 24th Annual Festival on March 9-13, 2023,  included 12 visiting filmmakers, a wonderful Friday night opener introduced by Ringling College President Dr. Larry Thompson, Saturday speakers including pro-choice activist Paxton Smith and Dr Sujatha Prabhakaran (Planned Parenthood Southwest and Central Florida,) yummy food and, of course, so many great films.                

  • Post category:MusingsWomen
  • Reading time:3 mins read
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Gender Equality in the Classroom Session II: The New Boyhood

Why does it seem so hard to raise a healthy man these days? What is the new masculinity? And what can we, as educators, do to help the next generation of men? For many years, gender equality in the classroom has focused on girls, and rightly so. But all is not well in the new boyhood – and this needs our attention, now! Session II will take a look at how cultural norms still force boys into a traditional box that no longer serves them or society, how we might be inadvertently perpetuating stereotypes that harm boys, and what we can do so the next generation of men will be healthier, happier, and more gender-equal. We’ll also do a quick review of Session I, in case you missed it, and include resources for more learning.This will be an interactive session; we encourage questions, comments, and sharing of stories and resources.

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