Dr. LeRoy Carhart’s clinic in Germantown, Maryland, is currently the target of the anti-choice movement lead by Operation Rescue. They have chosen to target Dr. Carhart because the procedures he performs include later-term abortions.
Because I feel like this clash polarizes the two sides and makes communication between them impossible, I am going to attempt to bridge these two modes of argument.
The film industry is still a male dominated world, but slowly this is changing. Two years ago Katherine Bigelow became the first women to win an Academy Award for best director for her movie “The Hurt Locker.” As a woman, I was very proud watching her receive the Oscar — it was history in the making. However, we still have a long way to go. Last year, women made up just seven percent of the directors of major motion pictures. Furthermore, women accounted for only 18 percent of all editors, 15 percent of executive producers, 10 percent of writers and two percent of cinematographers working on the top 250 films of 2010.
There isn’t just one problem facing immigrant women, but a whole system of intertwined oppressions. Women in general are discouraged from voicing their opinions, particularly when they speak out against discrimination. From unfair pay to sexual assault, immigrant women have even less of a voice in our society. The opportunities that bring immigrants to a new country often turn out to be unreachable, and these limitations are soon braided into other forms of discrimination.
Being a young woman has its perks: I can wear dresses in hot weather, march in Slutwalks, hell, I can bring a whole new life into this world. What I can’t do is be seen as an equal to my male counterparts. Too many times my sense of worth is doubted or eliminated in everyday environments, such as work and school.