Campus Women

You say what?!?

Or: What the hell is womanhood anyway?

6 hese are very confusing times. For the first time in History, a woman is expected to combine: intelligence with high heels, and an open, non-sexist relationshi

with a tan guy who has a great bod.”’

- Lynda Barry

Yes, women are kind of hard to figure the women themselves. The simple fa chromosomes doesn’t guarantee an in the global sisterhood. Even having common bond, as small-breasted wéi problems of large-breasted women 0 women who don’t wear bras or...

But is this really a lack of understandin define understanding, really. It’s like stand menstrual cramps because they’ vi them. Well, sure, aman wouldn’t know a ¢fj walking down the street, but if he puts a little tix he can understand ifa woman is in excruciating, crip Do you really have to have lived through a common experi to understand how someone else feels?

It’s really unfortunate that feminism, which is essential ‘mpathetic, inclusive movement, by its very nature of inclusive has included those with exclusive and/or do viewpoints. The latter group becomes apparent is an attempt made to define womanhood or: instance, there’s a quote that runs ‘‘What wou like without men? Full of fat, happy women.”’ Ni that women should be able to take pride in their are, rather than inflicting torture on themselves idealized standard of beauty is one thing. To sugges °versimplified maxim like this does, that the only true w& re women who are fat is to insinuate that all thin wom Presses or unenlightened, or unworthy of considerati6n

These attitudes extend in varying degrees though such small things as body weight all the way up to very major issues -- 'Ssues that affect so many people thata set of ‘‘rules’’ designed

Y One particular subgroup cannot begin to address all the questions,

There’s a theory which in Economics is described as ‘‘effi- ‘lency’’, It states that if one person’s lot can be improved

without doing harm to another person, then efficiency has been achieved. Specific to the concept of womanhood, it's almost impossible to define one set of principles and characteristics as exemplifying womanhood, without excluding anyone who doesn’t perfectly fit that mould, and the right to make their own choices in life. Perhaps having access to a bewildering array of what womanhood is should not be trying to produce a society . of uniformly ‘‘perfect’’? women, but rather to allow each woman form a microcosm within herself that is perfect to her.

REVIEW

’t: A Woman’s Word is an edited own journal in which she remem eal with the physical, emotional, at the hands of the men in her life. g in this journal for the first time ot only genuine and shocking but eason for these memories resur fac- place where she could feel safe -- she ‘4 church in rural Saskatchewan -- having Was forced to face her immense fear and live of this sanctuary. Through her need to deal with nemories of her abuse at her father’s hands began od her consciousness, and she began to deal with them.

incidences of abuse portrayed within this book began as as four years of age and include such things as violence, t, rape, pornography and prostitution.

abuse continue for approximately eleven years ‘owing both in magnitude and frequency. Atnine as prostituted by her father and her uncle during : stock car races. She is used by her father asa porn photos -- she is also prostituted to produce hotos. Her extreme emotions, pain and ques- are portrayed very explicitly without being detailed to the

of being past readability. At the age of eighteen, she ed into a marriage to escape the poison of her home -- her

‘DES.

‘Sistéts were never abused and still sincerely believe that she is/

was lying about her abuse. Unfortunately, her marriage was a situation similar to her life with her father. To deal with her unhappiness and inability to be a ‘‘good wife’’ to her husband, she was taken to a psychiatrist and after six years of tranqulizers and fears, she leaves her husband and son to try to be happy. She eventually bought her little church and began to work through her fears.