Susan Hawthorne

Renate Klein

An international anthology by feminists working in the field of electronic publishing, electronic activism, electronic data delivery, multimedia production, virtual reality creation, developing programs or products electronically, as well as those developing critiques of electronic culture. This collection explores what the possibilities are for feminists and for feminism. It also grapples with the pitfalls of the medium. The book, however, does not assume that the technology in itself is negative, but rather how it is used is open to critique. This leaves open the possibility of feminists having an impact on the way the technologies develop. The book includes connecting HTML with poetry, developing resources for Women's Studies and libraries, on-line, CD-ROM and VRML developments. The book has markets across trade and educational sectors and could be used at secondary and tertiary levels.

Connectivity, Critique and Creativity

Cyberfeminism

Celebrity couple Kim Kardashian and Kanye West and their sweet new baby Chicago. Tom Daley and Dustin Lance Black and their cute little baby Robert. And thousands of other couples and single people around the world who obtain babies through surrogacy arrangements. The general public is compassionate to their plight and supportive of their 'right' to a baby. But who are the faceless, nameless women who nurture and give birth to these babies? These women who are left with empty arms and leaking breasts after delivery? Surrogacy-dealing companies call them 'special angels' who 'make miracles possible', giving 'an extraordinary gift'. IVF clinics call them 'gestational surrogates'. The intended parents have promised them healthcare, full reimbursement, and ongoing contact with the baby. What could possibly go wrong? Everything. Because surrogacy violates the human rights of the women whose bodies are used, and the children who are born. Because it is a fundamentally flawed and misogynist concept to imagine that women are interchangeable. And it is wishful thinking that watertight legal contracts and counselling can fix this. In this book, strong and courageous women from the USA, the UK, Canada, Australia, India, Austria and Russia share their true stories of becoming 'surrogate' mothers out of kindness and compassion (or need for money), only to be deceived, neglected, abused, harassed, or abandoned by 'baby buyers', clinics, and lawyers. Their stories are tragic, shocking, and revelatory of a profit-driven industry that preys on desperation and women's compassion. It becomes clear that it is not the occasional dysfunctional relationship or unreasonable surrogate causing problems in the surrogacy industry. Rather, it is the very nature of surrogacy as well as the surrogacy industry to use and abuse and discard. This book throws down a challenge to Big Fertility and its minions: women are not ovens or suitcases, babies are not products. Love is not to be bought.

Surrogate Mothers Speak Out

Broken Bonds

Diane Bell

The contributors to Radically Speaking show that a radical feminist analysis cuts across class, race, sexuality, region, religion and across the generations. It is essential reading for Women's Studies, sociology, cultural studies, and anyone interested in processes of social change. Thecollection reveals the global reach of radical feminism and analyze the causes and solutions to patriarchal oppression. Seventy writers discuss their ideas and practice of contemporary feminism.

Feminism Reclaimed

Radically Speaking

Rita Arditti

Shelley Minden

Essays discuss test-tube babies, cloning, genetic research, contraception, sterilization abuse, reproductive rights, abortion, lesbian mothers, and infant mortality

What Future for Motherhood?

Test-tube Women

Janice G. Raymond

Lynette J. Dumble

Annotation. An award-winner when first published, this book has become a classic text for health activists and feminists interested in the complexities of how drugs are developed, marketed and sold to women around the world. In this book the authors review the unusual history of the French abortion pill, RU 486 (mifepristone). They scrutinize the science and politics from inception through to its use on women. Is RU 486 a miracle drug for abortion that is a safe and effective alternative to conventional abortion procedures? Does it privatise and de-medicalise the abortion experience? Is its availability a victory for women? Is RU 486 safe for use in Third World countries and remote rural areas? Who benefits from chemical abortion and how does RU 486 affect existing abortion services? The authors argue that the positive claims made for RU 486 (mifepristone) are filled with myths and misconceptions. RU 486 used on its own is a failed abortifacient and needs the addition of a prostaglandin, a dangerous drug. But the success'rates of the drug cocktail RU 486/prostaglandin remain at 92 to 95 per cent compared with 98 to 99 per cent for suction abortions. Suction abortions, which are best done with a local anaesthetic, involve no harmful drugs and are completed in 30 minutes. By contrast, RU 486/PG abortions last for days, sometimes weeks. Heavy bleeding, transfusions, vomiting, severe pain and infection are among the unpredictable adverse effects. Women have died from sepsis and cardiovascular events. RU 486/PG abortion benefits the medical profession, drug companies and government health economies. Through painstaking research and analysis the authors uncover the truth that chemical abortion is ill-conceived and unethical. They caution that low-tech abortion services are under threat as the mainstream hails RU 486 abortion as safe and effective'which it is not.

Misconceptions, Myths and Morals

RU486

Surrogacy is heavily promoted by the stagnating IVF industry which seeks new markets for women over 40, and gay men who believe they have a 'right' to their own children and 'family foundation'. Pro-surrogacy groups in rich countries such as Australia and Western Europe lobby for the shift to commercial surrogacy. Their capitalist neo-liberal argument is that a well-regulated fertility industry would avoid the exploitative practices of poor countries. Central to the project of transnational surrogacy is the ideology that legalized commercial surrogacy is a legitimate means to provide infertile couples and gay men with children who share all or part of their genes. Women, without whose bodies this project is not possible are reduced to incubators, to ovens, to suitcases.

A Human Rights Violation

Surrogacy

Family members, friends, coworkers and neighbors are often the first to know that a woman has been abused by an intimate male partner. What is the proper course of action for those with knowledge of abuse? Using a wide range of empirical data from international sources, Renate Klein documents informal third parties as the first port of call, sources of support and interference, and gatekeepers to formal services. Family and social network members disrupt ongoing assaults, respond to disclosures of abuse and provide solace and practical help. These networks do not always side with victims, however, and may either sympathize with or actively support perpetrators. Klein illuminates the complexities of these contingent situations. Her analysis highlights the potential of informal third parties for effective intervention, demonstrating their significant role in promoting societies free from rape and domestic violence.

The Role of Informal Networks

Responding to Intimate Violence against Women

RU 486

In the tradition of Mary Shelley's 'Frankenstein'. Imagination, vision and a sense of the absurd come together and demonstrate that women can resist the power of god-like scientists who long to create monsters and angels. With contributions by writers from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and USA. This book should head the reading list of any course in ethics and reproductive technology.

Angels of Power and Other Reproductive Creations

What was it like to participate in the Women's Liberation Movement? What made millions of women step forward from the 1960s onwards and join it in different ways? Many of the fifty women in this book were there. They describe how they have contributed in multitudinous ways across politics, the arts, health, education, environmentalism, economics and science and created wonderfully subversive activism. And how they continue this activism today with determined grittiness. Here are women - all over 70 years of age - still railing against the patriarchal systemic oppression of women, still fighting back. The contributors to Not Dead Yet have created new analyses with new language and new kinds of organisations always aware of the ways in which the system is stacked against them, particularly against radical lesbian feminists. But they persist. They share the revolutionary zest they have carried with them over many decades. There is history, there is subversion and there are many extraordinary acts of courage. The language is full of irony and wit - as well as deadly serious.

Feminism, Passion and Women's Liberation

Not Dead Yet

Jan Fook

This celebration of the enduring relationship between a woman and her feline includes more than 80 stories, poems, and reflections by women from around the world. Writings from such American authors as Marge Piercy, Dahlia Levy, and Terry Wolverton shed light on the historical tradition of the cat goddess as well as real-life encounters with heroic and troublesome cats. A cat who walked through plaster on shore clomps on board a sailing ship for three weeks; a cat who protected a family travels 100 miles to find her owners; and the cats who survive 9/11 are among the felines profiled in this amusing and enjoyable collection.

The Meaning of Cats in Women's Lives

Cat Tales

This book examines the informal social context of rape and domestic violence against women. It explores the role of family members, friends, coworkers, and neighbors who are often the first port of call and source of support for victims. Renate Klein examines the complex development of responses to domestic violence, emphasizing the critical role of informal third parties as agents for intervention and social change.

Responding to Intimate Violence Against Women

Gloria Bowles

Renate Duelli-Klein

Essays examine the objectives of women's studies, the methods of their teaching, their connection with the feminist movement, and the methodologies of feminist research

Theories of Women's Studies

Are diamonds really a girl's best friend? We don't think so, and neither will you after a look at this beautifully illustrated book. With contributions about what their dogs mean to them, over eighty women and girls from diverse backgrounds, ages and countries, share their feelings and experiences of living with dogs today. Not just autobiography, but stories, poetry and photographs. Family dogs, lost dogs, terriers to labradors, each one holding a special place in a woman's heart all over the world. This touching collection is a must for every dog lover.

The Meaning of Dogs in Women's Lives

A Girl's Best Friend

European Research Network on Conflict, Gender and Violence. Interdisciplinary Conference

Bernard Wallner

Based on studies presented at the 6th Interdisciplinary Conference on Conflict, Gender, and Violence in Vienna, this volume contributes to the field of interdisciplinary gender research and provides useful information for those working on sexual harassment and other issues. The broad-based collaboration of contributors reflects an equally wide range of theoretical underpinnings and methodological choices with a three-fold goal: first, to provide unique opportunities to network across disciplines and redirect established ways of thinking; second, to examine the "added value" of work generated within European cultural contexts and disseminate it to an international audience; and finally, to stimulate innovative thinking and serve as a springboard for joint creative projects that benefit from cross-national or interdisciplinary research. Sixteen scholars present the latest research on gender based abuse, its interpersonal, social and cultural dimensions, and promising intervention and prevention strategies in Conflict, Gender, Violence. Essays include discussions of: "The Austrian Protection from Violence Act"; Women's Politics in Austria"; Recent Legal Changes in Romania to Protect Women Against Domestic Violence"; Women Victims of Domestic Violence: Consequences for Their Health and the Role of the Health System"; Violence Against Women/Violence Against Men: Comparisons, Differences, Controversies"; Childcare, Violence, and Fathering: Are Violent Fathers who Look After Their Children Likely to Be Less Abusive"; and other relevant issues.

Conflict, Gender, and Violence

With examples from throughout Europe and the United States, the contributors to this volume explore how gender violence is framed through language and what this means for research and policy. Language shapes responses to abuse and approaches to perpetrators and interfaces with national debates about gender, violence, and social change.

Framing Sexual and Domestic Violence through Language

Australia is a land full of opportunities, but where can you go to find the things that matter to women? This book is a guide to the land as well as the diverse culture of women. Women's culture in Australia goes back more than 40,000 years and is a rich mosaic of story, art and music. On the top of this has come the culture of the past 200 years: from the British convicts, from China, from the Pacific, from the newer waves of migration and from the women's movement. This is reflected in literature, theatre, the visual arts, music, circuses and dance. Rural and urban women describe the places they know and love, they also describe their histories and show something of what lies behind a first impression. Contributors featured include: Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Faith Bandler, Portia Robinson, Elizabeth Jolley, Sara Dowse, Janine Haines, Dale Spender, Ruby Langford Ginibi, Kate Llewellyn, and Finola Moorhead.

Renate Klein

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