Kate Noftsinger's Posts

Go Girl: Another Reason to Re-think the Pink Drink

In the world of energy drinks, it’s hard to know which one is right for you, but as a woman, it can be especially intimidating. Maybe you’re not trying to Amp up. Maybe you don’t want to party like a Rockstar. Red Bull is so unfeminine and Monster, a little scary. But before you go running back [...]

Gender Quotas for African Parliaments–Do They Work?

Tilder Kumichii Ndichia used to believe in the political system in Cameroon–and even more so in her ability to change it. Yet after serving her first term as an “alternate” parliamentarian in Cameroon, she realized she was close but never close enough to the power she needed to effect change. Cameroon is a country that supports women’s representation in [...]

Bangladeshi Garment Workers Riot

We may have applauded the Bangladeshi garment workers’ pay raise too soon. While an 80 percent increase may sound generous, the new wage of $45 a month is far below the minimum monthly living wage of $73, which has workers striking and protesting violently. “We have tried our best to meet the demands of the [...]

Ms. Gets Down and (Roller) Derby With LA Dolls

Down and Derby: The Insider’s Guide to Roller Derby got here just in time. The latest revival of the sport has sparked national interest, and it’s even spreading to the Midwest. Need proof? The Sandusky Roller Girls are gearing up for their first bout. Where’s Sandusky? Exactly. The Ohio town sits on the coast of [...]

Quiz: Know Your Feminists Born This Week

The weekend ushered in a new zodiac sign, and it’s time for Leos to shine.  Whether you believe in astrology or not, there’s a long list of influential women with July birthdays. Coincidence? Perhaps. But their accomplishments are awesome nonetheless. Many are quotable, all are notable, and none are cowardly lions. Now see if you [...]

Mugabe Allegedly Kept Power with Rape in Zimbabwe

The threats by Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe–”I will never, never, never, never surrender. Zimbabwe is mine”–were alarming enough even before his intentions became clear. Looking back, those words foreshadowed the desperate acts of a merciless tyrant. Two years later, many are seeking justice for the rape campaign Mugabe allegedly used to ensure his re-election in 2008. Victims and their advocates are now hoping the [...]

Test Your Knowledge: Women’s Rights Quiz

July 19-20 marks the anniversary of the first women’s rights convention, held in Seneca Falls, N.Y. Women and men gathered there to address women’s condition and kick-start feminism’s “first wave.” Using the Declaration of Independence as a guide, they mimicked Thomas Jefferson’s language to argue for women’s legal equality. Sadly, those who arranged the Seneca Falls Convention [...]

Blog Roundup: Editor’s Picks, July 12-16

This week, Ms. learned from the blogosphere that gay parenting is better parenting; MAC is marketing maquiladora makeup; Vaseline launched a Facebook skin-whitening app; abortion hit primetime; and more. Gloria Feldt, The Real L Word, Bristol Palin and Angelina Jolie are all part of the best discussions of identity, politics, and identity politics on the [...]

Is Lilith Fair Feminist? Sarah McLachlan’s Not Sure

After a decade of silence, Sarah McLachlan rallied another troupe to make a nationwide pilgrimage in the name of the goddess Lilith. Not old enough to drive a car the last time Lilith Fair came around, I thought I had missed my opportunity forever back in 1999. Even so, McLachlan’s “Mirrorball” was the soundtrack to my teenage angst and I knew the collaborative Lilith version of the Indigo Girl’s “Closer [...]

Think You Know Your Herstory?

Before Women’s History Month, there was the first Summer Institute for Women’s History. Today marks the 31st anniversary of academics and organizers collaborating to reserve a place for women in the history books. They spent weeks drafting a plan to draw national attention to herstory, and even longer trying obtain government recognition on the local, state and federal levels. Winning Women’s History [...]

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