La Musawah II

Second Edition December 2020 1

“Delaying justice

2

is injustice.�

3

Editor’s Note When I first thought of publishing an in-school feminist magazine came thrilling excitement followed by equally great apprehension. Would anyone read it? Would there be enough people to write for it?

What if I have to fight off personal attacks? Would I be able to talk to my male friends as usual?

Even until the very moment of uploading our first edition online, I was trying my best to hide my wavering on doing what I wanted to do. It was going to be a change. It was change not because our magazine would feature something so inspirational that everyone would suddenly want to abandon their prior beliefs; it was change because no one had yet publicly declared that feminism is not something to be ashamed of nor pointed fingers at, and publishing an official feminist magazine would mean confirming the presence of and initiating the talk on the elephant in the room and would seriously disturb a frightening number of people in such a bourgeois community of a conservative country.

4

But now that I am looking back on my decision, I don’t think I will ever regret this choice. And it’s not because of the unexpectedly large number of positive comments, although everyone in our La Musawah team wholeheartedly appreciated the feedback.

Girls opting for trousers over stiflingly tight skirts; not fearing to raise their hands in a classroom full of boys; feeling free to cut their hairs short when it’s hot angrily reacting to male friends who told them to put on make-up as “courtesy”; asking for sanitary pads not in the tiniest voice possible but in a regular manner of speaking.

To clarify, I am not saying that I take credit for all these changes. I believe that I have only added very little momentum to this great transition that was probably already happening on small scales. But by pushing this publication forward, I have definitely joined those who are bringing the rest of humanity

a little bit closer to justice. And by reading this, so have you.

I do not think that someone has to declare “feminist” in order to be a helpful supporter of gender equality.

As a woman, all you have to do is do what you think is best for you, let it be going with your own style in appearance in spite of the people who say it does not meet the society’s feminine beauty standards or pursuing your career interest in spite of the horribly low numbers of female professionals in certain areas such as science. Of course, the first step would be to not turn against humanity and get boys to like you by declaring anti-feminist and fitting into the chauvinist portrayal of a “sensible woman.” (Sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt anyone there.) As a man, all you have to do is listen to women who claim injustice, think from their perspective, and keep pushing away the thought of “Well it’s none of my business,” because it is.

I hope you enjoy our second edition.

5

Table of Contents 04 Editor’s Note 07 Current Affairs 08 Trump → Biden

12 Women In Science

14 Impacts of COVID19

22 Discussions

23 Secret Meetings (like these) 30 Cookies 4 Sale

32 Email Interaction

37 History

38 Absurd Reasons Against Suffrage

42 Mary Wollstonecraft

45 Poem: A Conversation Told In Front of a School Lavatory

46 An Analysis on TWICE Songs

52 Review: Watch Before You Fall

54 Character Analysis: Hester Prynne

56 Review: Kim Ji Young, Born 1982

44 Arts & Literature

6

58 Character Analysis: Lisa Simpson

Current Affairs • Trump → Biden • Women in Science • Impacts of COVID19

7

Donald Trump “You know, it really doesn’t matter what they write as long as you’ve got a young and beautiful piece of ass.”

To an Esquire journalist, about his bad press “I’ve got to use some Tic Tacs, just in case I start kissing her. You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait.

And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything ... Grab them by the pxxsy. You can do anything.”

(2005) “That must be a pretty picture, you dropping to your knees.”

To a contestant on The Apprentice

8

“You’ve got to deny, deny, deny and push back on these women. If you admit to anything and any culpability, then you’re dead. … You’ve got to be strong. You’ve got to be aggressive. You’ve got to push back hard. You’ve got to deny anything that’s said about you. Never admit.”

On #MeToo Movement “We’re getting your husbands back to work.”

To women attending his presidential rally “Nobody has more respect for women than I do. Nobody. Nobody has more respect.” (2016)

9

Joe Biden “Joe Biden picks Kamala Harris as his running mate” “The meaning of Kamala Harris: the woman who will break new ground as vice-president” “Jill Biden could be the only first lady to have a job outside the White House” “Biden announces allfemale senior White House communications team” 10 10

The Biden Agenda for Women ●Expand access to education and training » Expand pay and benefits for jobs ------disproportionately filled by women » Expand access to health care and ------tackle health inequities » Maternal mortality » Reproductive health » Health care protections for all ●End violence against women » Reauthorise VAWA (Violence Against ------Women Act) » Expand the safety net for survivors » Empower and protect young people » Support the diverse needs of survivors ------of violence against women » Increase visas for domestic violence ------survivors » Confront online harassment, abuse, and stalking » End the rape kit backlog » Change the culture that enables sexual ------violence

●Improve economic security »Fight for equal pay »Ending other forms of workplace -----discrimination and harrassment »Investing in women-owned small -----businesses ●Help women navigate work and family » High-quality, affordable child care » Dignified care for older Americans and ----- those with disabilities » All workers have comprehensive paid ----- leave and fair and flexible schedules ●Protect and empower women around the world » Support women’s leadership globally » Elevate women economically » Confront gender-based violence ------globally » Pursue ratification for the UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)

Hoping for a better future. -- Editor

11

Women In Science Why quotas for women in STEM departments might not be the best solution to empower women

Yoonhee Han Y10 Noro

Just

like

we

did

with

solving

racial

descrimination, we have implemented quotas for women in STEM areas and universities.

In the political world, quotas ensure that parliament truly reflects the population it represents. Although this seems like a quick and easy solution for women and other minorities to get acknowledged for their work, it does not work so well in the patriarchal reality. Just as many women as men start out on life science careers. Still, many more men go on to senior academic positions.

Firstly quotas harm organic change which we have

achieved through various social

movements,

and

improvement

in

we

have

female

been

seeing

participation

in

universities. Currently, there is a movement towards more female involvement in academia and we already have more female professors and admin than ever in strong positions. Women have got there despite barriers to entry, and it has proven that they are just as capable. The quotas ruin the organic change in perception and it starts to change the narrative from these women being seen as succeeding on their own strength to them now being seen as requiring 12 12

the government to put them in these positions.

Thus, it berings harmful change in perception.

the jobs of current female university staff in the name of the greater good is unjust, especially

Why is this change in perception harmful?

when change is being achieved organically and

Women are now seen as academically inferior

We’re gonna get there eventually, why rush it

because they require a helping hand to be

and harm individuals.

successful. This leads to hershey treatment and microaggressions, and it harms perception of all

As we harm individual women, quotas also

women in all fields, as women in general are

harm the ability of women to influence. Firstoff,

seen as incompetent now. Furthermore, it leads

male recruiters are unlikely to meet the quota

to no incentive to work hard, not because they

by hiring competent women. Instead, their

can get there with less work but because, even

incentive is to cement power. They do this

if women become highly educated/work hard,

through hiring people they can control. This

they receive little benefit. Becoming a professor

results in hires that do not advocate to change the

or admin is now seen as a result of government

policy and are merely a puppet of existing male

policy as opposed to their own efforts. Thus, it

administration. In this case, the policy achieves

is no longer desirable as it is not as rewarding to

nothing. Instead, it gives the perception we fixed

be successful.

the issue without truly addressing the core of the issue. Secondly, it reduces female influence.

Furthermore there is backlash to the women hired

As mentioned before, women are tokenized and

to meet the quota. Since the perception of them

seen as just there to fulfill a quota are unlikely

is worsened, their research and contributions are

to be listened to.

undermined in two ways. People are less likely to respect what female scientists say as they are

Quotas are easy to implement and are effective

seen as incompetent. Men who lost positions

in manipulating the statistics to make equal

due to the quota will not want to engage with the

numbers. This lays even a bigger problem of

female professors that lost them that position.

sweeping the matter under the carpet.

They are likely to speak out against their research or write cruel reviews. Undermining

13

COVID News BBC article

We’re in the thick of the ‘shecession’.

The global economy is now in its worst downturn since the Great Depression. One of the unique aspects of the current recession is the way it’s impacting women: though men are more likely to die of Covid-19, the pandemic’s toll on employment is heavier for women. Unlike other modern recessions, the pandemic recession has led to more job losses among women than among men. While the 1970s marked the start of ‘mancession’ periods in industries like construction, the current ‘shecession’ is heavily affecting sectors like hospitality and retail.

These sectors employ many women and are also vulnerable to lockdown measures. Some effects are already visible. Globally, women’s job losses due to Covid-19 are 1.8 times greater than men’s. In the US, unemployment has intensified the most for the personal care and food service occupations, where women predominate.

It’s not just about lay-offs, however. In a McKinsey and Lean In survey of North American female employees, one in four women said they were 14 14

thinking about reducing or leaving paid work due to

responsibility on their own) and Latinas (who work

the pandemic, citing company inflexibility, caring

in greater proportions in sectors like leisure and

responsibilities and stress. The survey included

hospitality, and are more likely to have informal

some comparative data that laid out the gender gap

employment). Some subgroups are squeezed even

for parents; while 8% of surveyed mothers had

more, like mothers of young children and mothers

thought about going from full- to part-time work,

without partners or relatives.

only 2% of fathers had.

For a fairer and more lasting recovery from

Less-educated workers, and those whose jobs can’t be

Covid-19, it’s crucial to understand which people

done from home, have faced higher unemployment

are especially hard-hit by the economic slump, and

as a result of the pandemic, for instance in Spain. But

how best to help them back up.

high status doesn’t insulate women from stress and burnout. Senior-level women are significantly more

Which groups are most affected?

likely than their male peers to consider dropping

The pandemic recession is particularly challenging

their hours or dropping out of the workforce because

for women’s employment globally for two reasons

of the burnout associated with being “always on”

connected to the dangers of close contact: the

and juggling multiple responsibilities during the

restrictions on service jobs, and the closure of

pandemic. In the McKinsey and Lean In survey,

schools and daycare centres.

41% of senior-level men reported feeling exhausted, compared to 54% of senior-level women.

While some economists have suggested that married women are especially affected by employment cutbacks, caregiving status and the absence of support matter more than marital status. Those disproportionately affected in the US include black women (who bear even more household

“ The real danger at the moment is that people are starting to associate women with childcare more strongly than before ” - Ariane Hegewisch 15 15

While inflexibility is a key reason that female And across levels of seniority, parental status is

employees are considering reducing their hours or

affecting how women are seen in the workplace.

leaving their jobs, flexible work tends to be lower-

Women who are pregnant or on maternity leave

paid, more precarious and less of a stepping stone

are reporting being pushed toward redundancy

to top-level jobs. And the especially dark side of

or furlough. Ariane Hegewisch, who leads the

flexibility comes when workers are underemployed,

Employment and Earnings programme at the

underpaid and at the mercy of employers to assign

Institute for Women’s Policy Research in the

hours, often on unpredictable schedules. Such

US, is concerned that the pandemic “may lead to

unpredictability is particularly hard on the working

discrimination going forward, [companies] being

women who now have to act as home-school

less likely to pick out women for fast-track positions

teachers or carers. For flexible work to play a greater

or management training”. There’s a risk, she says,

role in chipping away at the gender pay gap, it needs

that employers may assume that all women are

to be better regulated and sustainable for all levels

overburdened by caring responsibilities, without

of employees, including high-paying roles.

taking measures to support them. “The real danger at the moment is that people are starting to associate

Flexible work also needs to be available to and

women with childcare more strongly than before.”

taken up by men. The multiple burdens that suppress women’s achievements won’t ease until

The double-edged sword of flexibility

men take on a greater share of domestic and caring

These pressures, and some potential solutions, can

responsibilities, and also become more likely to

be seen in current debates around flexible working.

downsize or adjust their own hours when family

Flexibility has been invaluable to women juggling

circumstances change. But this is challenging in

multiple demands on their time, but it isn’t a cure-

practice. Hegewisch points out that in a heterosexual

all to achieve gender parity in the workplace.

couple, “if one person has to cut back… for care, it is likely to be the person who earns less in a couple,

16

and that is more likely still to be the woman.”

And the hard work is taking a toll. Stirling-Baker

Some families can make it work, but a certain

hasn’t been sleeping much, she acknowledges, and

combination of advantages has to be in place. “We’re

is focused on the crucial Christmas period for retail

one of the really lucky ones,” says Hellen Stirling-

sales, while trying not to think too much on the

Baker, who has just reopened her business, an ethical

uncertain period beyond that.

children’s shop in Sheffield, UK, called Small Stuff.

During much of lockdown she had to move her shop

Short-term solutions

from bricks-and-mortar to online, but sales haven’t

There are, of course, things that employers can do

suffered hugely. Crucially, she says, she and her

to incorporate flexibility and help ease the impact

husband have been equally dividing domestic tasks

of the pandemic recession on women. Managers

and care of their four-year-old son. As he works for

can set more realistic expectations and re-evaluate

a bank and has a more rigid schedule even though

performance criteria – for instance, not criticising

he’s working from home, he’s been taking on the

employees for working outside of core hours. This

evening shift of cooking dinner and caring for their

would help relieve the exhaustion that’s particularly

son, as well as helping her reopen the shop.

affecting certain groups of women (although companies that are already crunched may find it hard

The period of temporary – though hectic – flexibility

to be generous). Only about half of North American

for the self-employed Stirling-Baker allowed her to

workplaces surveyed by McKinsey and Lean In

reorient her business and buffer the unpredictability

had communicated their productivity expectations

of her son’s new life. She’s now found a new location

during the pandemic, and just 37% had changed the

for Small Stuff that’s larger, allows for social

performance review process.

distancing and comes with a rent-free period. It helped that she could compensate for her husband’s

Employers can improve flexibility, communication

strict schedule by making her own hours, but that

and support to employees of all genders. Anita

can’t continue once the shop is running normally.

Bhatia, a deputy leader of UN Women, commented 17

in the Women Leaders in Global Health Conference

might need to shutter as well. “There isn’t a huge

on 15 October: “The private sector has a huge role

amount of wiggle room with what we can do,” she

to play: to say that they will create flexible working

reflects, even though she considers herself luckier

conditions for women to come back and that they

than many.

will not penalise women for stepping off the career More generally, Covid-19 has exacerbated the pre-

track if they have to.”

existing childcare crisis. “People are very afraid that individual

this is going to do long-term damage to the childcare

organisations can do. According to Michèle Tertilt, a

infrastructure,” says Hegewisch. In addition to

family economist at the University of Mannheim in

shutting many childcare facilities, the pandemic

Germany, the measure that would help more than any

may shift demand for care away from big facilities

other in curbing the shecession is reopening schools

to small, neighbourhood-level providers, sometimes

– especially for the young children whose care is

operating from their homes. Local businesses are

so demanding. As Hegewisch comments, “What the

more attractive when people are being encouraged to

crisis has shown is that [telework] will only work if

stay put, and small providers can more easily reduce

the childcare and education infrastructure is there. I

the numbers of people mixing. But in the US, those

always go through the roof when I see these [images

smaller providers have been in decline for years.

of] glorious days of working from home and you

The knock-on effects are likely to perpetuate the

have this dad sitting in front of his computer with

harms to women’s careers. Overall, the pandemic

a toddler on his knee. And I think, ‘Yeah, have you

adds urgency to the argument for strengthened

ever tried to work like that?’ It’s ridiculous.”

government investment in the care sector.

Yet

there’s

only

so

much

that

The reopening of her son’s school was what allowed Stirling-Baker to plan for the reopening of her shop.

If the school were to close again, the shop’s doors 18

“Our model simulations suggest that it will take a long time for women to catch up to pre-pandemic levels” - Michèle Tertilt

Tertilt

also

recommends

financial

stimulus

disease outbreaks are less likely to return than their

payments to those who have lost jobs, particularly

male peers. Pregnancy rates increase, skills gaps

single mothers. Some countries, such as Togo,

widen, and girls and women take on even more

have granted more generous recovery payments

domestic tasks as other household members stay

to women. However, gender-sensitive recovery

home or fall ill.

plans are still few and far between, and would need further sensitivity around factors like income level

And as the International Labour Organization has

and informal job status to ensure that the hardest-hit

starkly put it, “previous crises offer some cautionary

women are receiving the most support.

lessons for the current one. They illustrate that when jobs are scarce, women are denied economic

This is important because the short-term picture for

opportunity and security relative to men.”

women is grim. “Our model simulations suggest that it will take a long time for women to catch up to

Even so, the recessions of the recent past have

pre-pandemic levels,” explains Tertilt. “The reason

actually reduced the gender pay gulf, because men

is a ‘scarring effect’ – when women do not work for

have taken the brunt of job losses. The analysis of

a while, they will likely find worse jobs when they

Tertilt and her colleagues found, as she explains,

re-enter. Similarly, women who reduce hours will

that a typical recession “decreases the gender wage

likely miss career opportunities.”

gap by a sizeable amount, but a pandemic recession increases the gap by an even larger amount”.

Longer-term projections Even for this unprecedented recession, history

But the silver lining is that Tertilt and her colleagues

provides some warnings of the gendered impacts to

believe that this worsening of gender inequality will

come. Previous pandemic experiences, such as of

continue only into the short to medium term. This

Ebola in West Africa, suggest that girls and young

is mainly because men are taking on more in-home

women who leave education or employment during

tasks, potentially freeing up time for women to devote 19

to careers (or leisure). In a pandemic recession, men

that women were more likely than men to dip into

who can telework, like Stirling-Baker’s husband,

their retirement savings.”

take on a greater share of childcare. In some cases, they become the primary carer.

As well, recovery measures are overwhelmingly being led by men, without sufficient attention

In countries including Kenya and the Philippines,

always being paid to women’s needs. Hegewisch

men are increasingly taking on childcare. In an

urges more consideration of “how far women are

Italian sample, shared responsibility for childcare has

part of those commissions that are being set up now

increased by 17% during the pandemic. (However,

on how to reopen the economy post-Covid. What

Italian women, like many women, are still logging

we can see is that they’re often under-represented.”

more hours on chores and childcare than men.) In an

So, if women are excluded from crucial decision-

optimistic scenario, women and men may emerge

making spheres, if men don’t actually step up in the

from the pandemic with a less skewed distribution

home and if the childcare crisis persists, then the

of domestic responsibilities. Tertilt and colleagues

pandemic will represent a massive step backward in

draw parallels to World War Two – another globally

the overall march toward gender equality.

catastrophic event that had a bright side in the way that it normalised female workforce participation and changed gender roles.

But, of course, not all men can work remotely. And women have a smaller financial cushion to begin with, so their economic reserves are likely to be depleted faster than men’s. Hegewisch draws on a different historical experience. From the Great Recession that started in 2007, she says, “We know 20 20

A cartoon published on 14th of December by the Korean Prime Minister’s office, aimed to encourage people to express their concerns to the minister via Twitter comments. The lines above translate: “Because of you, COVID, I can’t go outside and my skin has gone worse because of the mask. How are you going to compensate for this!” This cartoon faced angry criticism from the public that it trivialised the dire circumstances women face as a result of the worldly crisis as mere skin problems. -- Editor

21 21

Discussions • Secret Meetings • Cookies 4 Change • Email Interaction

22

Secret Meetings (like these) Honestly, this all started as an excuse to talk to people Regis Yang Y10 Mulchat

about feminism. I’ve always wanted to not confront, but have an enlightening conversation, one that does not have to be a fight but an occasion where we just talk. But now, after these interviews, I feel like I’ve learned something solid. Starting with this; echo chamber is a metaphorical description of a situation in which beliefs are amplified by repetition inside a closed system and insulates them from rebuttal. For example, only those with specifically bigoted ideas and views log onto the 일베 (an internet site largely dominated by women-hatred and the radical right ideology) community, and those ideas are repeated and reinforced within the community without being challenged. This leads to these people believing they are right, and when these beliefs are justified and cemented, they are almost impossible to be changed by others.

This is why we must be aware of echo chambers wherever we go. We always need new views and perspectives that will challenge our beliefs, that will make us doubt and further develop our credence.

We have to admit: our magazine is an all-female publication. Our viewers tend to be female as well. Some pessimists might say that the ideas we have are not fresh, that they are repetitive and self-centered. Which is why I felt like we needed a source of outside input, an original frame of mind from people outside of our magazine writers.

23

This is Noah. Well, this isn’t Noah, but due to privacy and personal reasons, he will be Noah.

Noah is a boy in Year 10 who kindly offered to answer my questions. Due to some schedule conflict, this interview was conducted online, and therefore, may lack some details. My first question was: What is your thought on feminism?

Well due to sexism around the world it is very necessary and I appreciate people who stand for it and put hours into it, but people who take it to the next level, being violent, killing men and harassing them is what annoys me.

I frowned, because the leap from ‘I appreciate feminists’ to ‘feminists killing men’ were quite sudden.

Me: How was that thought formed? To clarify, what kind of influences made you think that? ex) first hand experience etc.

I’ve not had first hand experience of people like feminazis but I’ve been around feminist people and thought yeah I appreciate that they are trying to make a change.

‘Feminazis’ is a term dubbed usually by men for radical feminists, whose ideas centre on man-hatred. It can also be used to put down strong-willed women, dismissing them as just ‘feminazis’, which was why I was hesitant to use this term. But as I understood that he was using the word to describe radical feminists with bigoted ideals, I continued: So how do you think we can solve problems like ‘feminazis’?

There was a long pause, one I would have felt was awkward if I had been in a room with him.

I could feel the silence, and I could tell he was somewhat wondering if there was an answer to the question. I had to admit, it was a horrible interview question, because if I were to be in his shoes I would have just given up.

Well. It’s a tough one.

It is.

The answer, some time later, came as a | surprise | and | scattered | separate | messages.

To solve it I mean it’s hard because I would also turn a city upside down if someone was discriminating against me but some people just need to get their heads straight.

24 24

Do you have anything to say to our magazine?

Just make sure you stand for women’s rights but don’t go too far.

He understood what the ‘feminazis’ thought. He understood the anger that must follow the victim of severe discrimination. But I would also like to guess, for the fear of over-analyzing, that anger can sometimes go too far, and when that righteous anger turns to hatred, it’s no longer very righteous anymore.

Feminism is a difficult topic to write or even to speak about, because half of the time, I cannot guarantee if what I argue is right. It is a very sensitive topic, and I am still trying to learn more about it. But as a teenager, interviewing another teenager, I have to say I rolled my eyes a very few times at the ridiculousness of my own questions and his somewhat patronizing answers.

But I appreciated his honesty, and it was decidedly fresh to hear the opinions of a boy who was living a very different life than mine.

Moving on to a tad more serious interviewee, Mr. Florence—also anonymous—. He is a teacher at our school, and he has thankfully agreed to my request to interview him. The questions were the same, starting with: What is your thought on feminism?

Mr. Florence:

I think feminism is an important movement and has been an essential driving force in the progress toward equal gender rights over the last forty years or so. Any activism or theory which strives for an equality of opportunity in society is welcome in my opinion. I would also add that recent criticisms and counter feminism has by and large been refuted and challenged effectively in recent years although it may not be readily clear what all feminists stand for at this point in time and as a movement it can seem (perhaps unfairly) quite splintered and fragmented.

How were those thoughts formed?

Mr. Florence:

Most of my thoughts on this issue were informed by exposure to cultural history and movements whilst in university and undoubtedly by having very strong female voices present throughout my life whether that be friends or family. Having lived in different places in the world where the gap between genders is more marked in society it also made me consider the situation in my home country more closely. I think anyone who aspires to genuinely inclusive beliefs and actions has to reflect on their own experiences and bias, something which can be surprisingly uncomfortable at times.

25 25

Since the reason I was conducting these interviews in the first place was because I wanted to reflect on my current beliefs and share them with our magazine readers, I agreed with his thought. While the ways we develop our worldviews on various topics might all differ from social media, education to first hand impressions, they all boil down to one important thing which is just experience. I believe one of the causes of feminism seeming ‘splintered’ and ‘fragmented’ is because of this; because everyone has different experiences, and feminism is a movement that is especially close to our everyday lives. People that live in different areas of the world and people that live in different time periods all have different views on society and what kind of discrimination exists. And gender is something that is very closely tangled with our culture, leading to everyone having their own views and beliefs. Since everyone’s ideas are all slightly different, it is hard to give a clear name to what all feminists stand for.

So I believe that the important thing our magazine can and should do, is represent all different ideas and at least attempt to unravel, out of those different ideas, what we definitely advocate for.

Mr. Florence gave me a firm outlook of his own, and points of matter that I was able to think and question myself about. I think he quite enhanced this article with his own perspective and thoughts.

The last person I interviewed is Miss McKenzie. (Also, not her real name.) She’s a teacher in our school, one that delightedly agreed to my request to interview her, but still took some time to reply to my emails. The questions were the same as before.

Me: What is your thought on feminism?

Ms. McKenzie :

I am a feminist and an egalitarian (someone relating to or believing in the principle that all people are equal and deserve equal rights and opportunities.) Below are my thoughts on feminism.

Feminism means: Men and women should have the same opportunities Feminism doesn’t mean: Women should get extra help getting into high positions by enforcing quotas.

Feminism means: Men and women should get paid the same salary for the same work.

Feminism doesn’t mean: We should hate men and make their quality of life less.

26 26

Feminism means: Boys and girls should have the same rights when it comes to education. (My personal opinion is that dress codes at school are often ridiculous. Girls often get sent home for wearing spaghetti tops or a skirt shorter than the reach of their fingertips, with the argument that boys won’t be able to concentrate on their studies. Because apparently, the boy’s education is more important than the girl’s.)

Feminism doesn’t mean: Give women a bigger chance to get into certain jobs they’re not suited for, just because not many women work in that area. Like in the fire department. On average, men are stronger than women. It’s logical that more men than women work for the fire department.

This doesn’t mean there aren’t any women at all who are stronger than most men and who are perfectly suited to work there. It means that you shouldn’t choose a woman for a job just because of her gender.

Feminism means: Stop victim blaming. When a girl gets raped, don’t ask her what she was wearing or why she was walking on her own.

Feminism doesn’t mean: The victims are always girls, and girls are always honest and right.

Feminism has gotten a bad name because of the women who have taken it too far. I believe feminism stands for making the quality of life for women as good as the quality of life for men, instead of making the quality of life for men worse.

She explained her nuanced thoughts on feminism by comparing what it does mean and what it is often mistaken for, hammering down the basics of what feminism is; making the quality of life better for both women and men, not worsening any.

It’s a simple foundation of thought, but there are many people who twist these thoughts and beliefs into something bad, and still call it feminism.

How were those thoughts formed?

Ms. McKenzie :

My thoughts were formed by reading literature, my professors and lecturers, watching/ listening to different forms of media and most of all by the way those around me behaved.

The people you surround yourself with generally do impact and influence you to certain degrees. I am not easily persuaded and therefore challenge myself to question why I believe the things I do.

When I read her reply, I was like ‘Yay! There it is!’, because remember what I wrote in the beginning? About echo chambers and the ways that it locks us inside our own beliefs, unable to see anything else?

This interview had started as a way for our magazine to get the opinions of others on 27 27

feminism, and from Miss McKenzie, I had received a great answer on both what feminism is, and what we should do to reduce the effect of echo chambers: we needed to challenge ourselves. Question ourselves.

In our lives, we observe many things. As we live as a man or a woman (or non-binary, of course), with men and women around us, we see people against feminism, people who stand for feminism, and people who do not really care. Whenever we see something that squirms at the back of our heads and makes us question how fair a place the world is, our most common response is to go about our ways, deeming ourselves not powerful or capable enough to fix things, to change things. However, everything starts with a piece of doubt. A doubt about whether or not you are actually being treated with the respect and dignity that you deserve because you are a human being.

You might have heard of Descartes’ famous quote: Cogito ergo sum. I think, therefore I am.

But originally the full quote was “Dubito, ergo cogito, ergo sum.” : I doubt, therefore I think, therefore I am. When you cast doubts upon the justness of things that happen to you to people around you, you are acknowledging the existence of something that is not right, something that is against the fundamental belief of justice .

Maybe you don’t have the power to say something about it right now.

Maybe you are not confident enough. But as you doubt and you doubt, you think, and you grow the ability to see more of the unjust things in life.

And someday, you will be able to talk about this, and you will be able to make a change.

Doubting your own beliefs, as well as what you see in the society, helps you see more in life. You are able to see from other people’s perspectives, whether you are stuck in an echo chamber because you only discuss things with people who see things the same way as you do, and whether you can be or should be confident about your own beliefs. As you doubt, you will recognize that you think differently than to what you did in the past , and your beliefs will continue to change and evolve for the better.

My final question was: Anything you want to say to La Musawah?

Ms. McKenzie:

It’s a good thing for a school to have a magazine like this as it allows both genders to genders to express themselves freely and hopefully without judgement.

Even if the focus is steered towards pro women and anti men, it’s not. It’s that way as there 28 28

is inequality due to centuries of oppression. So to bring things back to a level playing field,

the focus does need to be on mostly women’s issues. Any feminist worth their salt will also consider men’s issues important. Such as things like gender expectations on men. We strive for equality and this platform allows for students of all ages to safely advocate for themselves and those that are not ready to expose themselves yet.

Gender expectations on men are also something I want to research more about later, because while gender inequality is mostly harmful for women, it’s not only harmful for women. Men also live under societal pressure to seem ‘like a man’, whatever that means.

I agree wholeheartedly that our magazine should become a platform where all genders can speak freely for themselves. Ms. McKenzie gave a clear and straightforward opinion of her own, and this made me reflect on my own thoughts on feminism, some of which I realised were perfectly reasonable while some others were quite tweaked a bit. This gaining of new perspective is exactly why we talk to other people about different issues, isn’t it? Just a piece of advice to people who cover their ears as soon as they hear “femi-.”

This collection of interviews enlightened me with what is arguably the most amount of time I’ve spent writing and thinking about what feminism is, and what kind of stance I should take in society. I really do think there will be a world, soon, where people recognize the inequality that exists in the status quo and push forward to actively change it. And the key to this future is communication and open-mindedness, a willingness to listen and talk with others.

I am glad I have had the opportunity to participate in this supposedly private discourse, and I hope, by joining in this conversation through reading, you have started to already think about feminism.

And in the end, that is our goal.

29 29

Cookies 4 Change Angelina Lee Y12 Halla North

place the products in the girls toilet ourselves. Also because the mother school of NLCS Jeju, NLCS UK, is a girls school, we thought that it would be a shame for our school to not have free sanitary products for female members of the community. To do that, we Two year 12 girls have taken the initiative to set up

have started a fundraising campaign ‘Cookies for

a cookie sales booth in the Green Gallery. It was a

Change’, in order to have financial support for the

beginning of a greater project, which they describe:

‘End period poverty’ project. The plan is to place 12 pads per a toilet and the quality of the product

As part of the NLCS community, we heard and

depends on how much financial support we earn

experienced the inconvenience of absence of the

from the fundraising. Once we have implemented it

sanitary products in the girls toilet for the past few

with our raised fund, school will be responsible for

years. However, we did not come across the idea of

maintaining the refills.

placing sanitary products until we saw an article

30 30

about how meeting the hygiene needs of all adolescent

This has sparked a debate amongst people on the

girls is a fundamental issue of human rights, dignity

need for the school’s provision of sanitary products

and public health. After reading the article and

to its female students. Below are some opinions

realising the fact that the school did not provide

people have given regarding the issue, summed up

any free sanitary products for girls, we decided to

into three different categories:

Category A: The school should provide sanitary products for its female students.

• “Girls do not choose to menstruate. It is the school’s responsibility that all students are in an optimum condition for education. It should guarantee that girls’ learning is not hindered by their natural biological traits.”

• “It is unfair that half the human population is forced to spend their money on fulfilling their inborn biological needs when the other half is free to spend it on higher education or other luxuries.”

• “The school provides toilet paper as public goods; sanitary products are not very different. ”

Category B: The school does not have to provide sanitary products for its female students, but it is one of the services it could be willing to offer.

• “A ready access to sanitary pads will be very helpful for people who face menstruation unexpectedly. But that does not mean that the school is actually expected to take care of people with irregular period cycles.”

• “Most schools provide toilet papers and they are very convenient, but technically, it is not a must that the school does that. So even if sanitary pads are on the same line as toilet paper, the school is not responsible for providing them.”

• “This is especially the case in a private school where the majority of the students are able to afford sanitary products and the expenditure does not impede their daily survival. In a public school, maybe, for people who are in desperate need of support.”

Category C: The school should not provide sanitary products for its female students.

• “When students pay the same tuition, they expect to be provided with approximately equal quality of service.

• “Even if there is an emergency, it is the girls’ responsibility to be aware of their period cycles and possess sanitary pads for such unexpected cases of menstruation.”

• “Unlike other public goods, the use of sanitary products is greatly limited to girls. A policy that benefits only half of the members of the community should not be implemented.”

What do you think? Share your opinion with us through our contact information on the back page of this publication!

31 31

H

Email Interaction Following the Herstory Recruitment Email (Published with permission from the writer.)

anonymousopinion<anonymousoppinion@pupils.nlcsjeju.kr> Thank you for the lovely email Angelina But I do have some concerns about the opinions of the society towards feminism and gender equality and how were your society was presented To me the first question and the reply in the email sounded as if feminism is an ‘obvious thing and being antifeminist is ‘wrong I do understand your strong stances towards gender equality and I also do strongly believe that gender equality must be achieved. However, as we are living in a democratic society, we are allowed to express what we think and also disagree with others which means even though we disagree with certain opinions, we must still respect their right to do so and it is not a so democratic thing to stipulate others as ‘weird’ or ‘wrong. Additionally, prescribing something as ‘obvious’ or ‘right’ can also be a dangerous thing to do as hating Jewish people in Nazi Germany was ‘obvious’ and ‘right’. So I suggest it will be better to change your stances to ‘disagreement’ rather than stipulating ‘different thoughts’ as ‘wrong’ to be acknowledged as a mature and approachable society. Furthermore, I do realize that the society’s aim is equal rights for both genders not creating a new type of inequality.

However, the word ‘Her’story sounds as if the society aims only for influencing women’s rights even though descrimination exists for every gender in our society.Therefore, I kindly suggest it will be much better to find the name that represents the idea of ending sexual descrimination.

Thank you for reading suggestions from a random someone and I hope you and your society can influence ‘actual gender equality’ in our community.

H

NLCS_Herstory<herstorynlcsj@gmail.com> to anonymousopinion

Thank you for making a brave suggestion and thank you even more for caring enough about the issue to do so. I sincerely appreciate your taking action for what you believe in - I have some experience in that area, if you know what I mean. However, there are a few clarifications to be made; I would be more than happy to take follow -up questions .

1. l am assuming here that by “first question” you are referring to the first statement “I do not believe in gender equality” and the little emoji I put as a representation of my reluctance to speak to someone who does not believe in a fundamental human right, especially when one of the 6 objectives of our school is to enable our students to develop a strong set of moral and ethical values.You are absolutely right in that I consider believing in gender equality as the “ right “ thing. I am happy that my voice came through in such a short email. Anyway , what you are saying is that since a democratic society allows (and should encourage , by the way ) any disagreement in opinions , the concept of something “ right “ is very hard to define, and so people should respect all opinions as being “different” to each other rather than classify them as “right” or “wrong.” However, if nothing is “right” or “wrong,” how can we ever decide if we should punish those who murder or rape? By law, we prescribe many different sorts of actions as “right” or “wrong.” Any member of a society that is ruled by law is considered to have implicitly consented to the moral values of the law , which makes this discussion not so applicable in a country where Article 11 of its Constitution stipulates the “rightness” of equality.

2. A better approach to this problem might be arguing that believing in gender equality is indeed “right” by society’s definition , but that it is not “wrong” to not be a feminist. I know we define “feminist” as someone who believes in gender equality, but I understand that a more common use of the term is as someone who is particularly interested in realizing the belief of gender equality.

H

NLCS_Herstory<herstorynlcsj@gmail.com> to anonymousopinion

In such case, I do not think we should label non -feminists “wrong,” as different people have different interests. But remember, these people, when asked the question “Do you believe in gender equality?” (in the exact same words as in the email) will still be expected to say “Yes.” 3. Another point: since the democratic society supports freedom of speech, I, too, should be allowed to express my stance, which in this case is an agreement with the society’s definition of what is “ right.”

4. Nazi Germany! I’m so happy to see that you are interested in authoritarian states. However, if you study Nazism and anti Semitism in great detail, you will realize that the real problem is not to do with labeling things “right “ and “wrong.” You will also notice that what we learn from that specific part of history is that we should look out for and prevent manipulation of people’s moral values - not that we should deny the entire concept of moral values. After all, the reason why we both think we should not repeat the history of Nazi Germany is because we consider their ideologies and past actions to be “wrong” by contemporary moral standards.

5.You are very accurate in pointing out that our society’s aim is, indeed, to grant equal rights for both genders and not create a new type of inequality. For your information , Herstory was actually the name of a campaign launched 4 years ago by Empower Women in collaboration with Global Champions for Women’s Economic Empowerment After the successful launch of the campaign. Herstory has been often used as a name for several feminist movements, regardless of whether or not they were actually related to the original campaign. The founder of our society decided to use that name as it clearly signifies the area to which the society belongs yet gives it a better name than just “Feminism Society.”

But even if you were not aware of that, we can still continue our interesting discussion. I sincerely agree with you that sexism has a negative impact on every gender (I appreciate your refrainment from excluding genders other than male and female ) and that is exactly why we argue that men with vested interests should also believe in feminism. However, the society has agreed to name the belief of gender equality “feminism” and not “equalism” (the latter concept more commonly goes as “egalitarianism” in a somewhat broader context) is because of the indisputable fact that women as a group were the ones that have been historically most discriminated against in almost every country, in almost every occasion. Another example of this naming rule in application would be the “Black Lives Matter” campaign, which some people claimed should be rephrased as “All Lives Matter” but has not been changed, for the reason that although the latter phrase also speaks of a true and right value, it lacks emphasis on the lives of Black people, a group that has been historically most discriminated against in almost every country, in almost every occasion. For these reasons, I do not feel the necessity to change the name of our society from Herstory . However, you might be interested to know that “ history” is not a portmanteau word of “his” and “story,” which is what I thought the creation of the term “herstory” may convey . “History” actually comes from the Greek word “histor”, meaning “a learned , wise man.”

Feel free to share this with your friends!

Many thanks, Angelina Lee Chair of Herstory

“

It’s a chronic crisis in three ways.

First of all, it’s a tragedy for Korean women who do not have the opportunity to fulfill all their potential the society could offer.

Secondly, it’s a tragedy for Korean men, who are married to these beautiful, wonderful women (those men) who are not enjoying (the capacity of) and paying attention to their beautiful, wonderful wives.

Finally, it’s a tragedy for Korea, because it means Korea is throwing away half of its population. Korea’s population is 51 million, but Korea is behaving like a country with a population of 25.5 million.

Korea could not afford to throw away half of its population. That’s why I see this as a chronic crisis for Korea.

--Jared Diamond, the author of Guns, Ferms and Steel

“

36

History • Absurd Reasons Against Women’s Suffrage • Mary Wollstonecraft

37

Absurd Reasons Against Women’s Suffrage Shona Hyun Park Y10 Noro

Universal suffrage is granted in all countries of the

female citizens suffrage until 1919. It took countless

world. Regardless of our wealth, job, or gender,

movements from passionate activists who made

we are all granted the right to vote, to take part in

sacrifices for what we now consider a fundamental

politics, and to express our opinion on whom or

human right. It took a decade for women to gain

what we want for our society. It is a natural, non-

voting rights and even then there had been extreme

negotiable indemnification of the Constitution that

disagreements from people who intended to cripple

guarantees the equality of all citizens. Suffrage

the movements at all costs. They proposed various

is also a political representation of one’s identity

reasons why they believed o women should be

since, in a democratic society, the right to vote is

prevented from voting and here are a few examples

practically what determines the power held by the

of the most absurd explanations.

citizens that could improve their own quality of life

38

since it allows them to support their own preferences.

One of the morbid arguments was, “Eve ate the

However, this was not the case even just 100 years

apple which made women unequal to men and,

ago and still nowadays in some certain countries.

sorry, voting won’t change that”. Most arguments

For instance, in Uganda, there are still strong

back then were based on religion, and religion held

constraints on women for granting them universal

great importance in the family unit, nature, and

suffrage, treating them equally as men in the terms

even common sense. This resembles the traditional

of politics. The USA, one of the powerful nations

argument proposed by Justin D. Fulton who was

that take upon the leadership role did not grant its

a pastor of the Union Temple Baptist Church in

Boston, Massachusetts. One of the pamphlets he

The cartoon was drawn by Laura E. Foster in the

published used the Holy Bible as evidence for why

early 1910s when she tried to portray the order of

women should not be enfranchised, pointing to the

lifestyles, the range of life that women can pursue

“forbidden fruit” which is an apple in this case. Not

if they fought for their own suffrage. Each stair is

a lot of people in the current society understand

assigned an aspect of life, of which the first few

how an apple can explain why women should not

steps represent the ideally “feminine” sphere such as

be granted the right to vote. , To me, it only seems

love, marriage, children, and home. Past the social

like an unreasonable excuse to not give women

achievement, admiration, and career, the woman

what they deserve and another scheme to demean

faces the stairs of loneliness and anxiety, which

the very concept of gender equality.

are both negative emotions. Social achievement, in this case, is being involved in the society, by taking the roles in politics or having a career inlaw, that brought respect to the men only, who were apparently the ones suited for these types of roles.

By this, the cartoon implies that women who step outside their contained roles within the family unit and aim at politics will end up being miserable and nothing but destruction to the society who cannot fulfill their supposedly given roles.

This leads to the third preposterous argument which is, “Voting won’t help women cook and clean, so what’s the point?”, made by the National Association Opposed to Woman Suffrage. NAOWS was an organization formed in New York City in 1911 during a convention of state antisuffrage groups. They simply believed that woman suffrage would decrease women’s work in communities and their ability to effect societal reforms. Active on a state and federal level, the group published pamphlets that carried concepts such as, “Because

Another argument I found to be ridiculous was that

it means competition of women with men instead of

the right to vote will “lead women away from love

co-operation. Because 80% of the women eligible

and children and toward loneliness and anxiety”.

to vote are married and can only double or annul

This claim was frequently featured in anti-suffrage

their husbands’ votes. … Because in some States

articles and this sentiment is well reflected in fig.2

more voting women than voting men will place the government under petticoat rule.” The pamphlet then 39

offered a few tips to housewives, among them: “You

The last argument I found was that “Pregnant

do not need a ballot to clean out your sink spout. …

women could get too excited when they vote, and

Control of the temper makes a happier home than

that will turn their babies into ugly idiots”. One

control of elections.” These words on the pamphlets

of the excerpts from the book named “Socialism,

basically argued that granting women the right to

feminism, and suffragism: the Terrible Triplets.”

vote, would lead to a disruption of the family unit,

mentions how it puts a child at risk if the mother

of a woman’s role as a wife and mother, and of what

excites herself with an arduous activity such as

they considered a privileged place in society. But

voting. “Many women, at the time of holding

their reasons for opposing suffrage were often more

primary elections, will be in a delicate condition,

complex, focusing on the idea that women already

and to expose herself to the excitement will

had their own form of power. Many of the women

jeopardize the physical and mental well-being of

in the anti-suffrage movement felt that the political

the child that is to be. Better to let the government

system was a corrupt space, and if women joined it,

go to smash than bear a physically imperfect or idiot

they would inevitably become just as corrupt as the

child.” This clearly emphasizes the gender role at

men. The fact that there were a decent number of

that time, which for women is to give birth to a child

women who were associated with the ANOWS was

which was to come as a first priority than any of

appealing and it also shows how big influence this

their personal desires and achievements.

community had on the people back then.

40

Of course, there were more examples of absolutely

up the way for our future generations. The brave,

absurd, nonsensical claims against womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

insightful women who nonetheless endured these

suffrage other than the ones listed above. Despite

oppositions and challenged the society eventually

how ridiculous the examples sound to us, back

led to a worldwide achievement, the right to vote,

then, they were considered to be well-formed

to express our identity, to participate in the politics

arguments that a lot of people believed to their core.

which influence every single one of us as a member

Due to the women like Susan B. Anthony, Alice

of the society. We should be appreciative of this

Paul, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucy Stone

crucial part of the history and be aware of how

who devoted themselves to the womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s suffrage

these absurd ideas did exist in the past that blocked

history which guided us as current feminists to open

women from even entering in the world of politics.

41

Mary Wollstonecraft: The First Feminist Writer Claire Ma Y9 Mulchat

“I do not wish them(women) to have power over men; but over themselves.” This is one of the famous sayings from Mary Wollstoncraft, the first feminist writer. In the past when women did not have a right to vote it was hard to hear women’s voices or the expression of their opinions. Despite the unfair standard of the society and stereotypes toward the gender, Mary Wollstonecraft tried her best to break the glass ceiling in many ways.

She first wrote a book as the first female writer.

To be specific, she was the first woman to openly publish a book under her own name. One of the books is called Rights of Women which contains philosophical text advocating for the education of women. The three main messages that she gives us are one, that women deserve to be seen as having equal value as men, two, that people should give young girls the same chance at education and other opportunities as boys and improving women’s rights would help men

42

and women have healthier relationships and

make society as a whole better. At the end she developed her story by explaining why society should have the same treatment toward both genders.

Wollstonecraft began to engage in political commentary in reviewing Price’s A Discourse on the Love of our Country, she praised him for his account of true patriotism as ‘the result of reason, not the undirected impulse of nature, ever tending to selfish extremes’ as well.

Her main accomplishments are very significant throughout history.

Since she stated about

women’s status through such political change as the national educational systems she opened the environment that women can speak up a little bit more freely. Furthermore this attemptation toward the world other people were able to make their opinion in better conditions and those people who take risks even nowadays are changing the world.

43

Arts & Literature • A Conversation Told In Front of a School Lavatory • An Analysis on TWICE Songs • Review: Watch Before You Fall • Character Analysis: Hester Prynne • Review: Kim Ji Young, Born 1982 • Character Analysis: Lisa Simpson

44

A Conversation Told In Front of a School Lavatory Regis Yang Y10 Mulchat

okay, so once, I caught a boy in our bathroom— no no it wasn’t an accident he was standing on the toilet cover who on earth accidentally goes into a girls’ restroom and— yes, right, I know. but there was this old, not that old lady with us, me and my traumatized friend, and— we didn’t even get to call him a bastard. the boy stepped out of the box he had hid in and the lady just let him go.

I was fourteen and nothing and a bit too numb than I would have liked, and I could only think— yeah, this was a beautiful metaphor.

45

An Analysis on TWICE Songs

How the lyrics of TWICE songs show the changing views on women in Korea Angelina Lee Y12 Halla North

TWICE, one of the top Korean girl groups of our age, debuted in 2015 with a heavy fan base. Since then, there has been a growing popularity for its songs, yet the group also has been criticised for inculcating wrong female image upon the younger generation. Towards the beginning of its years, TWICE songs centred around the idea of a young, cute, and obedient girl, often singing in a polite tone of voice (Korean phrases ending in ~요) and making a predominant use of passive Korean phrases such as “좀”, “~주다”, “~보다”, each translated as “a little”, “please do ~ for me” “try doing ~”. But as time went by and a new trend of a powerful female figure hit K-POP, TWICE also started to introduce novel ideas to its concepts. The choreography, formerly criticised for being a mere variation of cute, little movements intended to please the male audience, developed into a much more complex and artistic expression. In this article, I have commented on the change in the themes and the voice in TWICE’s most popular songs, listed in the chronological order below. With the arrival of a new girl group Itzy from JYP, Twice’s entertainment agency, who has introduced concepts of body pride, female confidence and girl power into the K-Pop industry, I hope for a better future in K-POP’s portrayal of women.

46

1. Ooh-Ahh하게 / Like Ooh-Ahh (2015.10.20) (Twice’s debut song. The first two lines of the song draw focus on the protagonist’s prettiness, and both are in the Korean polite, submissive tone.)

Korean lyrics: • “내가 너무 예쁘죠 나 때문에 다 힘들죠” • “내가 움직일 수 없게 날 Ooh Ahh Ooh Ahh 하게 만들어줘” • “쉽지 않은 여자 그게 나인걸”

Translation: • “I’m so pretty. Everyone’s tired because of me.”

• “So that I can’t move. Please make me say Ooh Ahh Ooh Ahh.” • “A woman who is hard to get, that’s me.”

2. Cheer up (2016.04.25) (The song encourages the boy to get himself together and make another attempt at the protagonist.

It reinforces the gender stereotypes of passive femininity and brave masculinity.)

Korean lyrics: • “걔 말은 나 너무 예쁘대 자랑하는 건 아니구” • “좀 더 힘을 내 여자가쉽게 맘을 주면 안돼” • 나도 니가 좋아 상처 입을까봐 걱정되지만 여자니까 이해해주길”

Translation: • “He says I’m so pretty. I’m not trying to boast though.”

• “Come on, work a little harder, a girl should not give her heart easily.”

• “I also like you, I worry that you may be hurt, but please understand me because I am a girl.”

47

3. Knock Knock (2017.02.20) (The first two lines, again, start with the Korean polite tone. The song, again, asks the boy to come “knock on” the girl’s doors and get her. The song is filled with the Korean phrase ~주다, translated as doing something for someone. In the question form: “Could you please ~~ for me?”)

Korean lyrics: • “열두시가 되면 닫혀요 조금만 서둘러 줄래요”

Translation: • “The clock hits twelve and it closes then, please would you hurry up for me?”

• “내 맘이 열리게 두드려줘 세게 쿵 쿵”

• “Please knock on my door so that my heart opens. Hard. Knock Knock.”

• “Please come again tomorrow and the day after that. I’ll get ready and wait for you.”

• “What should I do, he is already here. Could you please wait for a moment?”

• “내일도 모레도 다시 와줘 준비하고 기다릴게” • “어떡해 벌써 왔나봐 잠시만 기다려 줄래요”

4. SIGNAL (2017.05.15) (The protagonist is giving implicit signals to the boy and she is sad because he does not comprehend her intentions. The song limits the ways in which girls express their loving emotions to giving “gazes”, reinforcing passive femininity.)

Korean lyrics: • “널 보며 웃으면 알아채야지 오늘만 몇 번째 널 보며 웃는데” • “눈빛을 보내 눈치를 주네 근데 못 알아듣네” • “더 이상 어떻게 내 맘을 표현해”

48

Translation: • “You should get it when I smile at you. I’m smiling at you for the nth time today.”

• “I give you gazes I send you signals but you don’t get them” • “How else can I express my feelings?”

6. Heart Shaker (2017.12.11) (A little change in the protagonist. She expresses her feelings in a little more active manner, yet she is still afraid of concentration, having to keep reassuring herself.)

Korean lyrics: • “내 전화번호야 쪽지를 주고 도망칠까” • “바보처럼 안 기다려 내가 말할래 반해버렸다고” • “망설이지마 먼저 다가가”

Translation: • “Should I run away after giving him the note: this is my number?”

• “I’m not waiting like a fool anymore, I will say to him I have a crush on him.”

• “Do not hesitate, approach him first.”

5. Likey (2017.10.30) (The protagonist gets dressed up to take a photo for Instagram, trying to get a “Like” from the man she likes. It describes the process of the protagonist forcing herself into very tight clothes.)

Korean lyrics: • “BB크림 파파파 립스틱을 맘맘마 카메라에 담아볼까 예쁘게” • “이거 보면 웃어줘 그리고 꼭 눌러줘” • “숨을 훕 참아 지퍼를 올리게 다시 한번 허리를 훕 으라차차차 다 입었다”

Translation: • “BB Cream papapa Lipstick Mamama Shall I try putting this into the camera frame, pretty?”

• “If you see this please smile for me, and please press (the like) for me.”

• “I hold my breath hup! so that I can pull up the zip. Once again I hold my waist like hup!

Finally I’m done.”

49

7. What is Love? (2018.04.09) (Back to the image of a passive, shy girl who fears the idea of love. This matches the popular idea of an attractively innocent, unexperienced girl, exploited in East Asian cultures.)

Korean lyrics: • “언젠간 나에게도 사랑이 올까” • “사탕처럼 달콤하다는데 하늘을 나는 것 같다는데”

Translation: • “Will love come to me someday?”

• “They say it’s as sweet as candy and it feels like you’re flying above.”

8. Dance the Night Away (2018.07.09) (A generally playful song about summer and holidays. The first time TWICE sings a song unrelated to love and men.)

Korean lyrics: • “바다야 우리와 같이 놀아 바람아 너도 이쪽으로 와” • “저 바다 건너 들릴 듯 소리 질러”

Translation: • “Hey ocean come play with us, hey wind come our way.”

• “Shout like you can be heard across the sea.”

Finally I’m done.”

9. YES or YES (2018.11.05) (From this song onwards, the protagonist in TWICE songs develop an independent voice, taking an active role in the relationship and approaching her lover without fear.”)

Korean lyrics: • “내 맘은 정했어 yes 그럼 이제 네 대답을 들을 차례” • “좀 더 선명하게 네 맘을 내게 보여봐”

50

Translation: • “I have made a decision: yes. Now it is time to listen to your response.”

• “Show me your mind a little more clearly.”

10.Fancy (2019.04.22) (The protagonist is brave, not afraid of the boy who seems as dangerous as a thorny rose. She directly expresses her feelings, and does not care who starts the relationship.)

Korean lyrics: • “따끔해 넌 장미 같아 괜찮아 조금도 난 겁나지 않아” • “거기 너 I fancy you” • “누가 먼저 좋아하면 어때”

Translation: • “Prickly you are like a rose, it’s okay I’m not scared at all.”

• “Hey you over there, I fancy you.”

• “Who cares who likes whom first?”

11. MORE & MORE (2020.06.01) (The protagonist takes an active role in the relationship, knowing what she wants and challenging the boy to escape her.)

Korean lyrics: • “네 맘을 자꾸 숨겨봐 나에게서 도망쳐봐” • “딱 기다려 너 멀리 가지 말고 다시 내게 come come”

Translation: • “Try hiding your mind from me, try escaping me.”

• “You wait right there. Don’t go far, come to me again.”

51

Review: Watch Before You Fall

Even in the darkest place, there are countless attempts of women to challenge society and fight for the fundamental human rights we all deserve. Gender equality has become widely known these days but that does not mean that it has been achieved in any society on Earth.

Even in the allegedly â&#x20AC;&#x153;developed countriesâ&#x20AC;? such as the USA and Korea where people

Shona Hyun Park Y10 Noro

acknowledge the importance of equal status and equal opportunities for both genders, there still remains discrimination on a daily basis in their societies.

Saudi Arabia is one of the countries where women are considered to be inferior to men, a belief hinders half their population from being granted numerous basic rights. For instance, the country by law does not grant political or, educational rights to women More specifically, Saudi Arabian women were deprived of their suffrage until 2015 when women became able to vote accordingly to their preference and express their thoughts. They were also allowed to run for the local elections themselves. It was definitely a symbolic victory for the whole society and was a stepping stone for further extension of equality achievements in Saudi Arabia.

However, despite this meaningful success, the degree of Saudi Arabiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s national engagement with the controversial gender issues are still low. Recently, there has been an artistic approach to this issue. Manal AlDowayan, a multidisciplinary contemporary Saudi artist

52

who lives in Dubai and London, has decided

to give a solo presentation of her collection of

empowerment and created a piece of work that

artworks in the Art Basel Miami Beach, run by

symbolizes the positions of women in Saudi

Madrid’s Sabrina Amrani gallery. The title of

Arabia.

the collection is “Watch before you fall”, and it has been created over a period of 15 years on the topic of women’s invisibility. The artworks serve as a response to the recent massive change in Saudi Arabia such as the grant of suffrages to women as well. In one of her interviews, the artist claims that “things are changing too fast for people to even come up with the numbers

It is an amazing piece of work both in an artistic way and in a socially influencing way since it has shown an example of a different form of approach towards promoting gender equality in a male-dominated nation. Beautiful artworks like this bring out the significance of the huge victory in women’s enfranchisement.

that reflect reality. Women are moving from the private sphere to the public sphere, and I felt it was important to readdress now our bodies, our voices, our presence in these new spaces”. The project was reflected based on the immense emergence, on how women will have to readdress their bodies and voices, their language and interactions, and where they stand in the new space how they will be able to create a sense of belonging and capability in the rapidly changing society. Looking at the artwork itself, it uses soft sculpture, ceramics, and fabric, and, the artwork has unfathomable inscriptions all over the outer surface. It definitely shows the mixed culture the artist grew up in and it shows the initial intention of the sculpture, to portray the resilience and fragility of the women who are forced to be shut down, and how they are breaking from the intoxicating layers of obedience to speak and to vote in their interest.

The artist conveyed her struggles, thoughts, and fear in the spaces where there is the presence of 53

Character Analysis: Lisa Simpson Sophia Park Y9 Jeoji

The Simpson family is a fictional family, in the Simpson Family series. One of the children, Lisa Simpson, could be shown as a feminist in the family. She stands up for what she believes is right and is very independent.

Lisa proves that she does not need a husband to live and she could be independent. She thought that the doll limited her in the way that she should be. Therefore she quotes, “Millions of girls will grow up thinking that this is the right way to act. That they can’t be any more than vacuous ninnies whose only goal is to look pretty, land a rich husband, spend all day on a boat with their equally vacuous friends talking about how damn terrific it is to look pretty and have a rich husband!” This quote is quite right because many females are forced to look pretty because they want to have a better husband.

However, in marriage people should be married to each other because they love each other.

Also, females should dress and make up only if they want to, they should not do it if they do not want to, they should not be forced in a culture where people believe in the things as Lisa says.

54 54

Not only that, when Lisa’s mother was mad at her and said that if Lisa kept on acting that way, she could never find a husband. In that situation, Lisa agreed about having no husband.

In her actions, it is clearly shown that she does not believe that females need someone around to live, they could be independent individuals.

She also proves her feminism spirits by doing what people labelled as “boys-only”. During the episode of “Girls Just Wanna Have Some Sum”, Lisa dresses up as a boy. This is because Lisa wants to go to an all-boys math class, which is teaching a higher level than the all-girls math class. And when she went into the class, things were definitely not what she has expected.

She was academically excellent in her school, and when she finally got an award for getting amazing grades, she revealed herself that she was a girl. Lisa also proves that even at sports, they could be just as good as boys. In another episode called, “MoneyBart”, Lisa is the coach of Bart’s baseball team. Although the results are not what she has expected them to be, she leads the team well, and make a great team.

55 55

Review: Kim Ji Young, Born 1982 Claire Ma Y9 Mulchat

Premiered last year was the film “Kim Ji-young, Born 1982”, adapted from the original novel with the same title written by Nam Joo Cho. Many people have said that the work provided the most explicit description of how difficult it is to live as a woman in the Korean society.

I myself was also able to sympathize with the daily life of Kim Ji-young, the main character, and this gave me another chance to ponder deeply about women’s rights once again.

The original publication became a bestseller by gaining full sympathy from Korean women in their 20s and 30s. However, as the book became popular, claims have been made that it encouraged reverse gender discrimination. The critics pointed out that “Kim Ji-young, Born 1982” looked at the world from a female-biased perspective and this quickly escalated into a hot debate about feminism. People mocked the readers of the book as radical feminists, and top celebrities such as Irene from Red Velvet were 56 56

condemned for having mentioned the book in

their interviews.

By this, I was surprised, shocked, and stunned.

People were dismissing the work as “feminist”, the term obviously used in a derogatory manner, which is in itself problematic as feminism is a complicated subject matter and requires a deep understanding of its history and different branches for someone to judge it. Also, the work provided a provocative yet sadly accurate reflection of a typical Korean woman’s life, created from firsthand experiences and presented with courage. Of course, the story of Kim Ji Young may not represent the life of every Korean woman, and may be disturbing for some people. But I do not think that can be a reason for mocking one’s courage to speak for their rights.

Furthermore, I think society will be a little better if the perception of feminism improves a little and many people find the true meaning of feminism.

57

Character Analysis: Hester Prynne, The Scarlet Letter The novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Sophia Park Y9 Jeoji

Hawthorne is about a woman named Hester Prynne, who comes into a new area of land and commits adultery. After committing adultery, she has to wear the scarlet letter â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Aâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. The scarlet letter shows what the person has done wrong. For Hester Prynne, since she has committed adultery, a big red A is on her clothes. While other people may have done something wrong as well, in this book, Hester is the only one wearing a scarlet letter. This letter makes a stereotype for everyone in the town. They strongly believe that she is an evil person who has to be banished from their village. Later on, her daughter Pearl is born, and Hester Prynne makes a good life for herself and her daughter. In this book, Hester Prynne shows a good example of a feminist.

First of all, Hester Prynne stays confident after all the things she goes through. Hester Prynne after committing adultery, many villagers hate her. They always act mean to her and harass her in public areas. Just because of her clothing that there is a red A, people looked at her with narrow minds. What

5858

Hester Prynne has committed is something that is

composure. Hester, later on, meets the person who

definitely wrong, so when she was convicted of

she committed adultery with. And he asks her why

adultery people asked her who she has committed

she has taken all the blame to it. Since that they both

with. However, Hester Prynne kept her mouth shut

have committed adultery, both of them should be

and did not tell anyone. Therefore, the man was never

out there to take the blame. However, she did not

blamed while Hester kept on blaming. However,

tell him the reason for that action. This is a brave

when people think about their behaviour else well,

move for Hester because she has been responsible

not everyone is kind and nice. They always made

for what she has done wrong and she did not hide

a few mistakes with each other. Just because they

from her mistakes. For her, she believes that she

do not have the sign does not mean that they are

has committed something wrong and she should be

innocent. Prynne was the only one blamed, but she

responsible for what she has done. She instead tells

did not tell her partner in the crime of adultery and

him to go back to New England with herself and

did not wind herself up to otherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s words. However,

Pearl. Past when Hester Prynne lived, these kinds of

Hester Prynne didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t give herself up to all these

talks were unusual. When the book was published

words and worked hard sewing the things for what

which was 1850, many of the females were

she and her daughter Pearl needed.

housewives and they were led by their husbands.

Secondly, Hester Prynne is always a woman who

Thinking about the time period Hester was in, she

is a natural leader. She does not let her choices

was indeed an independent woman. She made the

be affected by males. She makes the decisions

choices for the benefit of herself and her family,

for herself and her daughter Pearl. Hester Prynne

regardless of the social expectations of the social

doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t blame the person who makes her get the

behaviour, and she tried to do her best in the society

scarlet letter sewed on her clothes and reacts with

that she was in.

59 59

Editor Angelina Lee Year 12 Halla North Writers Angelina Lee Year 12 Halla North Shona Park Year 10 Noro Stella Han Year 10 Noro Seungwon Yang Year 10 Mulchat Sophia Park Year 9 Jeoji Claire Ma Year 9 Mulchat Designer Stella Han Year 10 Noro

60

Thank you to Dr. Gissane and Mr.Tuffs for supporting our publication.

Thank you for showing an interest in our magazine.

Any questions or opinions, feel free to contact : herstorynlcsj@gmail.com We appreciate your feedback.

61

START THE CHANGE Remember that feminism is about gender equality and NOT about female chauvinism (female superiority).

Recognise that gender equality has NOT been achieved in any of the countries on Earth.

Do not be afraid to stand up and declare feminist just because you want to be in the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;majorityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;.

Second Edition Decmber 2020 62