On gender, diversity, and feminism
by Glyn Muitjens
Fish and seafood – oysters in particular – are popularly believed to possess aphrodisiac qualities. This connection made between seafood and sex is not a recent phenomenon – actually. It is quite old, hailing back to even before classical Athens. What exactly did the ancient Greeks make of seafood?
by Marle Zwietering
In 1990, over sixty activists of disability rights organization ADAPT left their mobility aids at the bottom of the stairs of the United States Capitol. They then ascended the stairs in a protest now known as the Capitol Crawl.
by Mila Polderman
Roald Dahl is perhaps one of the most famous children’s book writers, with Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964) and Mathilda (1988) being just two examples of his successful works. Many of his books were also adapted into movies, one of the most recent being The Witches (2020).
by Stela Malega
‘Perfect Days’ extends an invitation to the viewer to ponder how life might look if one surrenders to slowing down and, as cheesy as it sounds, being present.
By Maiko Sawada
In November 2022, a small exhibition in Tokyo quietly included a same-sex couple’s partnership certificate in a section about changing Japanese family structures.
by Sadaf Javed
Whether we are busy drowning ourselves in fabricated realities or on our way down the miserable road to disillusionment, it only takes a quick line of reasoning to conclude that we live in a sick world. The dystopia is not in the future; it is already here, has been here for a while.
By Trine Linke
In her 2023 experimental documentary film Between Delicate and Violent writer and director Şirin Bahar Demirel investigates how memories are made and documented, and how to navigate memories which were concealed or hidden. Probing her own family’s memories from photo albums, videos, paintings and stitchwork for the traces of hands, she constructs a new history of memories which were shameful and kept hidden.
By Veronica Fantini
Imagine for one second that you are the mother of a son. If you already have one, think of your own. Your lovely boy. You raise him with all the love and affection you could possibly give him. You teach him to distinguish between what is right and what is wrong. You love him, and he loves you. But he also loves another woman. Yet you believe she is not the right fit for him.
by Zhenghao Lin
When the Chinese Ministry of Education announced that actions would be taken to cultivate students’ “masculinity” (MOE, 2021), some viewed it as the government’s clear and strong stance in supporting the “end of the effeminizing trend in society” (Xinhua, 2018). The plan, which aims to make students more “masculine” by moderately improving physical education teaching methods and formats, was seen as a response to growing concerns that the new generation of men might not be “masculine” enough to handle future responsibilities.
Instead of addressing the many structural forms of discrimination and the way students become victims of policy, the university prioritizes events which are intended to function as a band-aid to these systemic failures. This absolves the administrative bodies of any responsibility regarding the hardships that the students are going through, and places the well-being of the students in the hands of each individual.
In this episode Nanette Ashby is joined by Rori Dior, a Berlin-based sex worker, anthropologist, activist, and co-founder of the archive Objects Of Desire. We discuss the ins and outs of creating and maintaining an archive such as Objects of Desire and the importance of institutional collaboration.
by Chiara Silipigni
Taxation on tampons and pads? Thank you Giorgia Meloni.
This is happening at the hands of Italy’s first Prime Minister in history.For many years, menstruation products, such as sanitary pads and tampons, were taxed by the Italian government at 22% (taxation reserved for luxury items or non-essential goods, such as computers, cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, etc.).
by Nanette Ashby
In the realm of contemporary art, few figures stand at the intersection of identity, culture, and photography as prominently as Cindy Sherman. Born in New Jersey in 1954, Sherman has carved a niche for herself through her pioneering photographic self-portraits. Her body of work challenges and deconstructs cultural norms and expectations, particularly those surrounding gender, celebrity, and the very medium she employs – photography itself.
by Júlia Vicente
On December 4th, Queer(ing) Radboud 2.0 was held at Theatre C, Elinor Ostrom Building, Radboud University. I attended this event as a writer for Raffia Magazine, but also as a student eager to learn more about queer theory and connect with others who share similar interests.
by Stefan de Baar
The Vrijheidsmuseum, located in Groesbeek, has taken steps to tell the stories of how the war impacted ‘love’ during the Second World War whilst the Netherlands was occupied by Nazi Germany. Through this they shine a light on the lives and history of regular everyday people. We have taken the opportunity to visit their exposition ‘liefde in de oorlog’ or ‘Love in the war’ to see for ourselves.
by Aya Ahlalouch
While celebrating women in academia is important, this approach raises deep concern. The event highlights women’s work without addressing the systemic barriers they face within the institution. Thereby, International Women’s Day is reduced to a token gesture rather than a meaningful commitment to women’s rights and gender equality.
by Sorina Bularca
According to the World Health Organization (2023), one in six people has a disability. Despite the prevalence, disability is structurally erased from public consciousness to this day. Thus, it is no surprise that even in academic spaces disability is frequently forgotten.
by Sophie Wagner
“Have you ever been told that your pain is imaginary?”. With this provocative opening, the author, journalist and activist Tracey Lindeman, begins her debut book Bleed. Destroying Myths and Misogyny in Endometriosis Care published by ECW Press, Canada in March 2023. Being told that one’s pain is imaginary probably signals one of the most reported injustices experienced by endometriosis (endo) patients during health care encounters.
By Nanette Ashby
Every fourth search request entered into Google is linked to pornographic content and makes up a third of all internet traffic. Every month, Netflix, Amazon and Twitter combined receive fewer visitors than pornographic websites (Lust). Evidently, just like sex is fundamental for the human experience, so is pornography a part of everyday life. Regardless of the medium or time period, pornography functions as a transmitter of societal ideas and values.
by Veronica Fantini
Focus for one second on what you’re doing—reading, processing information, sitting, standing, or feeling something. What is so special about these thoughts or actions? They are unique because they are yours alone and can never be shared with someone in their entirety. We can describe what we are reading, where we are, or how we feel. However, we will never be able to communicate how we experience things.
by Alejandra Jiménez Máñez
‘Conversations with People I Love’ emerged as an idea, a proposition to use active listening as a method of feminist reflection and analysis. In times in which everything seems to be fast-paced, in which scrolling through 6-second-long videos is enough to keep us entertained and information is one click away, listening has become one of the hardest skills to master. Through this series of columns, my objective is to come to terms with my listening skills as part of my daily feminist practices and activism.
door Merel Tuitert
Extravert, enthousiast, aanwezig, vrolijk, oversekst, gezellig, best veel aandacht nodig.
by Airin Farahmand
If you ask a film enthusiast about the most prominent interwar German movies, you will most likely get a German expressionist movie as an answer. After all, in most scholarly books, German cinema is often remembered by Fritz Lang’s iconic movies such as The Metropolis, Nosferatu, and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.
by Stela Malega
I write to you, Moldova, to initiate an imperative conversation we must have, collectively and individually, moving forward with the harvest of the presidential elections from 2024. Our grape-shaped country, which has ironically been crushed and pressed throughout history, is at a pivotal crossroads.
door Mylene van der Scheer
In dit tweeluik duik ik diep in de boeiende wereld van polyamorie. Samen gaan we op ontdekkingsreis om te begrijpen wat polyamorie precies inhoudt, hoe polyamoreuze relaties eruit kunnen zien, en welke uitdagingen polyamoreuze individuen in het dagelijks leven tegenkomen. Waar veel artikelen over polyamorie vaak gericht zijn op onderwerpen als seks en jaloezie, wil ik in deze serie juist de schitterende diversiteit en unieke facetten van polyamorie in de ‘spotlight’ zetten.
by Liana Khanaghyan
Red Valkyries: Feminist Lessons from Five Revolutionary Women by Kristen Ghodsee offers an intimate look into the lives of socialist women dedicated to gender equality during the Soviet era in Eastern Europe. In often hostile political environments, these women passionately fought for gender equality, recognising the intersection of gender and class in shaping women’s lives.
by Marijke Naezer, translated by Mara Wemmenhove
In her 50 years of existence, Barbie has had many adventures and worked in dozens of professions. She set foot on the moon before Neil Armstrong ever did, had access to parties where movie stars could only dream of, and saw more of the world than any other average citizen. The possibilities of Barbie seem limitless: she is the woman who can do anything.
by Shree
To burn the witch is to admit magic exists.
My mother lights the fire to my funeral pyre.
door Stefan de Baar
Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams en onze eigen Nederlandse Lieke Martens: vrouwelijke topsporters zijn anno 2024 iets alledaags. Sport wordt,wanneer dit uitkomt, als verenigend middel gebruikt, ook wel sportswashing genoemd. Het fenomeen sportswashing hebben we de afgelopen jaren vaker gezien in de voetbalwereld.
by Nele Brinkmann
In the tumultuous aftermath of World War One, Germany found itself in times of uncertainty and upheaval. The Weimar Republic, Germany’s first democracy, challenged the old order with its progressive constitution and blooming cultural scene. The “New Woman” embodied this transformation and transcended previous gender expectations.
door Ymke Knoben
Het gonst in
de stad
mijn hart
mijn hoofd
…
by Nanette Ashby
On an August day in 2022, I walked through the doors of the Montréal Museum of Fine Arts, stepping into the modern entrance hall filled with eager visitors. After a morning exploring the city, I could feel the symptoms of my chronic illness flaring up which made standing in line increasingly painful. This was my first trip since my diagnosis two years ago and I was still coming to terms with the new limitations of my body.
by Sorina Bularca
Reading has always been one of my ways to revolt against this fast-paced world. A cup of coffee, some fuzzy peaches (the flat kind), a big cup of water and 50 pages later, I am disconnected from the horror that my room is a mess, and that I should probably be studying. Usually, I like to tell myself that all this reading is going to transform me into a very well-versed person, but the truth is that I still stutter when I try to talk, and I still find it extremely hard to make sentences in which I don’t make grammar mistakes. However, I will not stop.
In this episode, Nanette Ashby is joined by Dr Laia Anguix Vilches. She is a postdoctoral researcher at Radboud University. Between art history and gender studies, her research revolves around the first women in positions of power and influence in art museums across Europe. Together, we discuss the ins and outs of this project, the importance of historical contexts, political environments, and the advancement of women’s rights.
by Jonathan Veenhuijsen
In times of growing intolerance regarding LGBTQ+ individuals, positive forms of media put queer hearts at ease by employing queer representation. A recent example of this is TV-series Heartstopper, based on Alice Oseman’s graphic novels.
by Shree
A woman is a half-formed thing.
She is moulded, contorted and shaped.
In this episode, Nanette Ashby is joined by Dr. Rona Jualla van Oudenhoven. From 2020 to 2023, she was the Chief Diversity Officer at Radboud University and Program Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. We discuss the ins and outs of what this job entails. Including meeting with students or staff members to listen to their demands, complaints or issues and the process of finding ways to implement long lasting improvements.
by Rosa Floris
In her 2006 conceptual artwork Cimbra Formwork, Teresa Margolles incorporates real clothes from women who were victims of gendered violence and feminicide in Ciudad Juárez. She is thereby responding to the phenomenon of feminicide, but what exactly does her artwork communicate?
In this episode, Nanette Ashby takes you with her to the Prostitution Information Center in Amsterdam. It is located in the heart of the Red light district next to the Oude Kerk or Old Church. I have the pleasure of interviewing Nat Portnoy, a multidisciplinary artist, activist, performer, filmmaker and sex worker.
by Ava Wood
The woman and the city is a topic of increasing importance, and one which, to me, exemplifies the pervasive nature of the patriarchy, as well as the new and changing ways in which it presents itself. Particularly, with increased globalisation, the phenomenon of the global city is one that requires our attention.
by Chiara Palmeri
Outside of Italy, it is not common knowledge that the country of food and marvellous historical monuments is grappling with a silent but deadly crisis: the alarming rise in the number of femicides.
by Giulia Ghidelli
In the past years, the phenomenon of femicide has gained increasing space in the news, together with a progressively growing awareness of systemic gender violence matters, such as the gender pay gap, the #metoo movement against sexual harassment in the entertainment world, and structural discrimination.
By Ava Wood
On the first May (Labour Day), a crowd had gathered around a stage on Plein 1944, sun beating hard and loud voices raised in unison, united against capitalism and for class liberation. Protesters sandwiched in between a Primark and a KFC, stark examples of worker exploitation at its best.
by Beatrice Pintucci and Wally Twijnstra
According to UNHCR, of the 100 million displaced people worldwide, more than half are women and girls, who bear a disproportionate burden of the challenges associated with migration.
By Nanette Ashby
The sun is shining, and the tulips are blooming just in time for the “lentekriebels” week at Dutch Primary Schools. During this theme week, children playfully learn about their bodies, puberty, and budding sexual feelings. Relationship and Sex Education (RSE) has been part of the curriculum of Dutch primary schools since 2012.
by Madeleine Jenness
It was reported in de Gelderlander on 29 February 2024 that the Nijmegen School of Management (NSM) at Radboud University is asking its PhD candidates not to become pregnant.
Door Famke Veenstra van Tijdschrift LOVER
“Wat zijn we ver gekomen, hè? Vroeger konden we alleen nog maar liggen,” zeg ik tegen mijn zus als we de eerste grote hal van Musée d’Orsay in Parijs binnenwandelen. Prachtige marmeren beelden van gespierde heldhaftige mannen en hulpeloze horizontale vrouwen vullen de ruimte.
by Alex Banciu
Fascism seems to be thrown around everywhere these days, so much so that it almost becomes a term for everything that is on the right side of the political spectrum. Surely, there are cases when this term fits perfectly. Europe’s current political landscape is shifting right at an ominous rate. Therefore, it is now a good time to understand why this is happening and what are the factors fueling this shift. But why exactly feminine fascism?
By Nanette Ashby How did you first learn about sex? Where did you learn the most about sex? You probably…
Raffia 