For those of us who have come of age as feminists in the past few decades, the opposition to abortion we’ve encountered has virtually always centered on the life of the (choose one) fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus. In the not so distant past, however, anti-choice rhetoric came from a very different place. Up until the latter half of the twentieth century, arguments against abortion focused primarily not on the notion of saving an innocent life, but on enforcing traditional gender roles for women.

Recently, my romantic interested accused me of throwing my Ph.D. in his face. Most Black women with Ph.D.’s will know exactly how egregious an accusation that is, especially since we are hypersensitive and overly vigilant about making sure never to “throw our degrees” in the face of less-accomplished potential boos or family members.

Caliban and the Witch is a history of the body in the transition to capitalism. Moving from the peasant revolts of the late Middle Ages to the witch hunts and the rise of mechanical philosophy, Federici investigates the capitalist rationalization of social reproduction. She shows how the struggle against the rebel body and the conflict between body and mind are essential conditions for the development of labor power and self-ownership, two central principles of modern social organization.

This now classic book traces the social origins of the sexual division of labor. It gives a history of the related processes of colonization and "housewifization" and extends this analysis to the contemporary new international division of labor and the role that women have to play as the cheapest producers and consumers. First published in 1986, it was hailed as a major paradigm shift for feminist theory. Eleven years on, Maria Mies' theory of capitalist patriarchy has become even more relevant; this new edition includes a substantial new introduction in which she both applies her theory to the new globalized world and answers her critics.

Transgender studies is the latest area of academic inquiry to grow out of the exciting nexus of queer theory, feminist studies, and the history of sexuality. Because transpeople challenge our most fundamental assumptions about the relationship between bodies, desire, and identity, the field is both fascinating and contentious. The Transgender Studies Reader puts between two covers fifty influential texts with new introductions by the editors that, taken together, document the evolution of transgender studies in the English-speaking world. By bringing together the voices and experience of transgender individuals, doctors, psychologists and academically-based theorists, this volume will be a foundational text for the transgender community, transgender studies, and related queer theory

Buffy has been acclaimed as great TV feminism, where Dollhouse has been routed for the opposite. But have critics of the latter been too quick to dismiss its feminism?

A patient is brought into the emergency room. The surgeon says, “I can’t operate on this patient: he’s my son.” The surgeon is not the patient’s father. Why can’t the surgeon operate? This classic brainteaser works—and it worked on me—because of the hidden assumption that surgeons are male. The answer: The surgeon is the patient’s mother.

Recently, Noirin Plunkett Shirley wrote about being assaulted at ApacheCon. Noirin publicly called out her assaulter because quietly reporting the incident to authorities and conference leadership isn’t working. She and many other women, including me, are still being harassed and assaulted at tech events on a ridiculously frequent basis.

Elizabeth Gilbert looks to others to tell her what is wrong with her and how to fix it. It takes enrolling in Italian language school, booking a guru in India, and then hiring a Balinese guru, before Gilbert starts to feel fixed

And Gawker is so proud of that passage, it's highlighted in a pull-quote. Because, of course, it's the worst thing you can say about a woman: Christine O'Donnell is unfuckable.

"bell hooks talked about her life and writings and responded to viewer comments and questions. Ms. hooks is a Professor of English at City College, and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. She has written over 20 books including: Ain't

Rape culture is boys under 10 years old knowing how to rape.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Oct 15, 2010 (IPS) - The issue of abortion has turned into a weapon that threatens to take away votes from the candidates in the campaign for the second round of presidential elections in Brazil, with conservative religious groups using it

For many women, getting access to abortion has become extraordinarily difficult. Conservatives' plan is to make it impossible.

Has feminism been replaced by the pink-ribbon breast cancer cult? When the House passed the Stupak amendment, which would take away abortion rights from women who get any government help purchasing insurance, the female response ranged from muted to inaudible.