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 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 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 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.
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 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.
Raffia 