Tag Archives: women

The ‘Barbie’ movie

By Kate Tabor

Image created with Chat GPT

The ‘Barbie’ movie, directed by Greta Gerwig, is surrounded by a lot of controversy. For some reason, the exact point the movie was trying to make, went over so many people’s heads.

The movie itself is about the female experience, to put it simply. The societal expectations, the unfair standards women are held to, and the hardships that we as women all face and are not given enough credit for.

Most of the criticism about this woman is centered around the idea that Barbie is a doll with big boobs, and that’s it. She’s something to look at, something for young girls to be inspired by. What’s funny about that idea is the fact that when young girls actually are inspired by Barbie, or any other female icon, they’re criticized for it and beaten down.

What Greta Gerwig has done with the ‘Barbie Movie’ has made so many women and girls feel seen. She actually took Barbie, the women that so many women and young girls look up to, and had her experience what real women and girls experience. She captured exactly what it feels like to be a woman.

Not only that, but she turned it around in order for Barbie, what a lot see as just a pretty doll, and had her be inspired by a real human woman. What I’m trying to get across here, is that no matter who you are, as a woman in this society, you’re going to feel put down by society and its expectations of you. You could be the most beautiful and biggest female icon in the world, and still feel like you’re not enough.

This, of course, is not the only point that stands out in the movie, and most certainly is not the main point Greta was trying to get at, but it’s a very good one.

 No matter how beautiful and great and special you are as a woman, which every woman is, there are always men, and sometimes women, who will try to tear you down. All you need to remember is that every single woman feels the exact same way as you.

Gisele Pelicot’s trial in Avignon

By: Baarika Suresh

*Warning: This article contains information and details about rape.

Photo by Laura Paredis on Pexels.com

Monday, the 25th of November, was the international day for the elimination of violence against women, and in recognition of that I have chosen to tell the story of Gisèle Pelicot who was an ordinary woman in Avignon, France. She is 71 years old and had been married to her husband for nearly 50 years.

During the court trial, Gisèle Pelicot’s husband, Dominique Pelicot (72), admitted to mixing drugs into her food and drink which caused her to become unconscious so that he and other men he had recruited online could rape her. It was anticipated that the prosecutors would need three days to compile evidence and specify the judgments and penalties they wanted due to the large number of defendants and alleged rapes.

Prosecutors sought penalties of 10 years or more for co-defendants also on trial for rape, or attempted rape, in the first cases they addressed on Monday, and they asked for 20 years in jail (which is the harshest punishment for aggravated rape) for Dominique Pelicot.

It is expected that the court will deliver its verdicts by December 20th, 2024.

The victim waived her right to anonymity, a demonstration of courage. The prosecutor, Jean-François Mayet, commended her bravery and her will to shift the blame from victims to their rapists.

This case is revolutionary as it is making a great impact when it comes to feminism and victims of sexual violence. Chantal Crémont, a supporter who traveled from western France said that, “When she (Giséle Pelicot) says that shame changes sides, it’s really that. She’s standing as the victim and she’s turning the tables. It’s very important.”

On Saturday, November 23rd, large groups of men and women marched in Paris while holding purple signs that supported women’s reproductive rights and condemned gender-based violence. Organizers of the protest called for more government funding to combat sexist behavior and sexual assault as well as to advance gender equality.