Category: Youth Articles
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What is Gender?
The consensus among gender scholars today is to separate the concept of gender from that of biological sex, so as not to simplistically conflate anatomical features with perception and expected behavior of gender or delegitimize any gender “deviations”. However, that is still not enough to provide us with the reasons behind the perceived and expected differences between men and women, the history and purpose of the general discourse on gender, the arbitrariness and performativity of gendered behavior, and the history of gender itself. I am going to be revisiting the work of four prominent figures in gender theory- Michel Foucault, Simone De Beauvoir, Judith Butler, and Joan Scott- and describing their specific accounts on gender.
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Monologue
I know that I know nothing, that’s what he once said. I was thinking, all my life, that I have the ability to keep my ideas together, to marshal them, to get meaning out of them forcefully. Yet, what was perplexing me is that there’s not enough time to get more ideas, to quench the thirst of my mind, to alleviate the excitement of my inner tide.
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The Beast
There was a time I believed hearts naturally pour and plunge into pools of love, There was a time my eyes saw the world in a rose-colored light, There was a time I sang paper moon songs and danced to their polka tunes, There was a time my wide eyed zeal for life was gigantic to the point That I almost got blinded by its incandescent paper lights. There was a time I truly believed in the kindness of human hearts.
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Gender and Media in the War on Terror
Lynch, England, and Akhras challenged the normative gender categories by taking the role of female fighters in the war. They used torture, heroism, toughness, etc. while showing no sign of feminine behavior. However, the media failed to communicate this new representation of women in the war of terror.
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Random Voting and the Path to Gender Equality
Elections are in no way perfect. Everyone knows that. But what is truly shocking is the amount of money spent campaigning. Last year, US Presidential candidates smashed records by spending a total of $14 billion dollars during the race (Schwartz, 2016). In the 2018 Lebanese elections, one minute of airtime on a private media outlet would have cost $6,000. An entire talk show episode could reach $240,000 (AFP Beirut, 2018). Thus, it’s no surprise that everyday people like carpenters, nurses, or teachers don’t win elections. This is not limited to socioeconomic conditions, however, as not many women win either, neither do disabled people, nor people under 40. They claim that it is a representative democracy, but it’s not really representative of the population at all.
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Understanding Female Sexual Violence in War-Torn Areas
Sexual violence is a serious issue that many women face across the globe. Across times, women have been subjected to different sorts of sexual harassment and assault, especially in war-torn and post-war regions. Even during times of peace, women still face dangers due to society. Throughout history, many regions have witnessed genocide and targeted massacres that women have suffered from drastically. Sexual violence has been predominant in all modern conflicts as a tactic to induce fear.
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Not A Trophy Woman
Throughout history and up until today, minorities are known to be the first victims of armed conflict. In particular, human trafficking is considered to be inevitable during wars where women are highly targeted for sexual purposes. In fact, abducted women are being dreaded physically and emotionally by continuous and daily vicious rape introducing the tragic phenomenon called sexual slavery. Hence, this paper will tackle forced prostitution during armed conflict: how it affected women, the reasons behind it, what was done so far, and what can be done in the future to solve this issue.
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Gender-Based Violence in Conflict Environments Through Media and Communication: A Path Towards Healing?
This paper explores the ever-increasing influence that media and communication can have on issues of gender-based violence in times of war. It firstly dissects how the media, whether through state or non-state actors, can contribute to aggravating gender-based violence in conflict and post-conflict environments. On the other hand, the article also posits the productive positive impact that the media like documentaries can have in facilitating healing processes for victims of gender-based violence in conflict zones by tackling how they can also contribute to persisting peace-building processes.
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Global Warming: A Gender Inequality Warning
Climate change exacerbates already existing gender inequalities where the burden on women is much greater than that on men. Previous data have shown that women and children are 14 times more likely to be affected during a disaster as compared to men. Hence, this paper tackles the effects of climate change on gender, in specific how and why women are affected, along with some suggestions to tackle the issue.
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Sexism in the Medical Field
Women are no strangers to discrimination. However, it is rare that we find the medical field behind such inequality. Sexism is incredibly prevalent in medicine and medical research, and it goes much beyond preconceived notions of women and misogynistic remarks. This kind of sexism directly threatens the health and even mortality of female patients. We cannot afford to turn a blind eye to this issue anymore.