Posts Written by Courtney

Feministing at 10: Re-designing the field of design

Ed. note: In celebration of Feministing’s 10-year anniversary, current and former members of the Feministing crew are offering their reflections on the changes of the last decade. First up is this take on women in design by editor emeritus Courtney Martin. Read the whole series here. And consider giving us a birthday donation to ensure Feministing is around for another 10 years. 

Ten years ago, I didn’t even know what design was, truth be told. If anything, I associated it with graphic design or web design and mostly only noticed either when they were egregiously bad (see almost every “woman’s organization” logo of a leaping, shapely female figure.)

Turns out, there’s a reason I didn’t know about design back then…if you look at the top line statistics on the field of architecture and design, they tell a decidedly un-feminist story. Only 21% of architectural staff are women, and that number has actually fallen in the last few years. For a breakdown, check out Megan Jett’s awesome infographic, here. When it comes to racial diversity, design is failing miserably, too. Barely a few percent are persons of color, and there are all of 300 African-American women architects in the entire country. There aren’t even statistics on socio-economic background, ability, etc. 

Not Oprah’s Book Club: Republic of Outsiders

In journalist Alissa Quart’s new book, Republic of Outsiders: The Power of Amateurs, Dreamers, and Rebels, she repositions the world. Reading it, you get a sense that the true power brokers are not the Wall Street hotheads or the arrogant doctors or the record label moguls, but those brave and brilliant enough to see these false gods for what they are and re-imagine and remake unapologetically. Add in the catalytic force of the Internet to bring these brave and brilliant social rebels together, and you’ve got a very interesting moment and a very “of the moment” book.

Quart was, she claims, searching for the “America within America”–the places and spaces where people are using various forms of ...

In journalist Alissa Quart’s new book, Republic of Outsiders: The Power of Amateurs, Dreamers, and Rebels, she repositions the world. Reading it, you get a sense that the true power brokers are not ...

We built this city

While pretty much every field has its gender pipeline problem–women essentially leaking out somewhere between “what do you want to be when you grow up?” and top leadership positions–architecture may be among the worst.

As my own partner wrote in Christian Science Monitor awhile back:

While demographic statistics for architects are hardly even kept by the profession, an estimated 10-12 percent of the 105,000 registered architects in the United States are women. It’s generally accepted that the participation of women peaks in architecture school at approximately 40 percent. Once they’ve graduated, only a quarter of those women complete the internship and exam phases, required to become a registered architect or even legally call oneself an “architect.

It’s not easy ...

While pretty much every field has its gender pipeline problem–women essentially leaking out somewhere between “what do you want to be when you grow up?” and top leadership positions–architecture may be among the worst.

As my own ...

Bring your feminist self to work (every) day

Ed. note: This is guest post by Feministing Editor Emeritus Courtney E. Martin.

On a recent speaking engagement at the University of Richmond, one anxious senior asked me, “I want to be a professional feminist—do I have to work at a women’s nonprofit? How do you bring your feminism with you into the ‘real world,’ especially if you end up in a work culture where they just don’t get it?”

I fear that college students are led to believe that, in order to be dedicated feminists, they have to work for nonprofit organizations specifically devoted to girls and women’s issues or go the academic route. If young women, or young men for that matter, want to go in this direction, more power to ...

Ed. note: This is guest post by Feministing Editor Emeritus Courtney E. Martin.

On a recent speaking engagement at the University of Richmond, one anxious senior asked me, “I want to be a professional feminist—do I have to work ...

Building character in overlooked places

One of my favorite parts of being on the road, speaking about my various books, is the chance to interact with local organizers, artists, and activists, and get even just a lil’ taste of the issues in various parts of the country. A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to go to Salt Lake City, a place you’re probably more likely to associate with Mormons and mountains than radical activism. Think again.

I visited the Mestizo Arts & Activism Collective at their home base in a cool, local coffee spot. They describe themselves like this:

We are an inter-generational group of students of diverse academic and ethnic backgrounds concerned about the community we live in. Our goal is ...

One of my favorite parts of being on the road, speaking about my various books, is the chance to interact with local organizers, artists, and activists, and get even just a lil’ taste of the issues ...

Malawi’s urgent window of feminist opportunity

If you don’t know about President Joyce Banda, now’s the time to introduce yourself.

Banda, named one of the eight most fascinating Africans of 2012 by The New Yorker, came into office in April of last year after her predecessor, Bingu wa Mutharika, passed away. Her roots are deep in feminist grassroots activism. Before becoming Vice President in 2009, she was a Member of Parliament and Minister for Gender, Children’s Affairs and Community Services. Before that, she was the founder of the Joyce Banda Foundation, founder of the National Association of Business Women (NABW), Young Women Leaders Network and the Hunger Project. She has and continues to serve on the Aspen Institute’s Global Leaders Council for Reproductive Health, ...

If you don’t know about President Joyce Banda, now’s the time to introduce yourself.

Banda, named one of the eight most fascinating Africans of 2012 by The New Yorker, came into office in April of ...

Behind every good woman…

Ed note: This is guest post by Feministing Editor Emeritus Courtney E. Martin

I’ve spent part of my time this fall as part of a team that created TEDxWomen’s third annual gathering. The event is a wild one–a day and half of packed programming in Washington D.C. with over 150 local self-organized events tuning in via live stream from every time zone in the world. That’s 150,000 potential people listening in at any given time.

So, obviously, the planning committee takes our speaker selections experience pretty seriously. We poured over a wide range of possible speakers, trying to discern how each would fit best into the various themed sessions. It’s a complex process–more an art than a science, as one might imagine. This ...

Ed note: This is guest post by Feministing Editor Emeritus Courtney E. Martin

I’ve spent part of my time this fall as part of a team that created TEDxWomen’s third annual gathering. The event is a wild one–a day ...

Not Oprah’s Book Club: New African Fashion

My knowledge of fashion, to be honest, is limited. Despite getting the “Best Dressed” senior superlative at Palmer High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado–I think because I wore these weird Molly Ringwald circa Pretty in Pink kind of outfits on occasion–I haven’t spent a lot of my time following fashion. I watch Project Runway. I love vintage finds. Color is not my enemy.

And yet, when confronted with a book like Prestel’s New African Fashion, I have to admit that my mind was blown. In Helen Jennings breathtaking book, a whole new generation of African designers get their due. She writes, “Africa is fashion’s new frontier. Having been sidelined by mainstream fashion for over half a century as little ...

My knowledge of fashion, to be honest, is limited. Despite getting the “Best Dressed” senior superlative at Palmer High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado–I think because I wore these weird Molly Ringwald circa Pretty in Pink ...

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