the digital giraffe

All About Women
Our Woman of the Month Award for May, 2025, goes to Katrina Calabrese, computer repair and IT specialist in both Apple and Windows machines since 1997, pride of the Monterey Peninsula.

A new survey was undertaken by a not-for-profit arts group called Anonymous Was A Woman. One of the results indicated a lack of institutional support for women artists. It was felt that long-term structural support was essential for any meaningful change to take place. Another need was for "community activism" as a "vehicle for resistance". Precarious financial stability, like unaffordable studio space, housing, storage, materials, and child care, were of major concern. A Latina artist spoke of the meaningful help from African American women, who understood the struggle all too well. Discriminatory redlining practices were brought up, and insufficient unrestricted grants. Gallery and Museum acknowledments were sorely needed, since sales too often have to be made independently. Many artists admitted they could not speak openly without fear of consequences to their careers. Basically, the recurring theme was that nothing much has changed.

An exhibition titled Surreal illuminates the work of Gala Dali, who not only nourished the career of her husband Salvador but was unjustly ignored for her own work. Known as Gala Eluard, she marketed and sold his work. At the time, she received some acknowledgement: Andre Breton modeled the main character in his novel Nadja after her; Rene Char dedicated a book to her; Paul Eluard, her first husband, wrote poetry about her. Sadly, she wrote, she "would have liked to be a man because then she could have accomplished great things".

A show called "Monstrous Beauty: A Feminist Revision of Chinoiserie" looks at European porcelain through the eyes of feminism. The exhibit denies the fallacy that Chinoiserie was neutral and harmless. Rather it casts the field as one of female empowerment, using the description of the works - "fragile, delicate, and sharp when broken" - as in fact a metaphor for women themselves. The video reminds us that Chinoiserie was applied to fields other than porcelain.

The U. S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that could make it difficult for married women to vote. Called the SAVE Act, women who have changed their last names might have to provide, in person, written proof that they are citizens. A passport, birth certificate, or other documentation would be required. If the bill becomes law, it would undo online and mail registrations. The proposed legislation needs ratification by the U. S. Senate, where republicans have a majority.

A report from Stanford University examines the under-representation of black women in medical history. Both racism and misogyny appear to be contributing factors. For example, in 1910 Abraham Flexner openly espoused the exclusion of black students from medical fields, saying "the fewer Black doctors, the better". Iris Gibbs, a Stanford professor, is delving into the available archival material to build a history of exclusions and obstacles, including oral histories and interviews. She cites Rebecca Lee Crumpler, who became America's first Black woman doctor in 1864. Crumpler also published the first medical book by an African American writer. Crumpler vanished out of history until her story was resurrected in 2020. Gibbs wants to make sure that this kind of erasure is not repeated.

New studies reveal that autism appears differently in girls vs boys, suggesting that many women have been undiagnosed. Across the world, autism has been met with resistance: in China, for example, autism is termed "the lonely disease", while in Japan the word means "intentionally shut". Additionally, autism has been seen by professionals as basically a male condition. It has now been found that the brains of females with autism work differently from males. Autism is usually diagnosed by age 5. Unfortunately the complete report requires a subscription.

The Clayman Institute for Gender Research notes that recent progress in body positivity has been set back by old prejudices against fatness. The result has been challenge to acceptance of the new weight-loss drugs. A recent discussion emphasized that fatness needs to be seen as "morally neutral", rather than forcing women to change their size or appearance in order to get jobs, health care, or respect. Another conclusion likened drugs like Ozempic to Botox, both relying on ancient biases by claiming, "you can avoid being discriminated against if you just look the right way." The term "cosmetic inflation" describes the effort to push women into ever more expensive and strenuous activities and products to avoid the pitfalls of fatness.

"Equality Now" points out that the U.S. Constitution does not specifically protect women, leaving them open to a wide variety of abuses. Child marriage, for example, is still legal in 37 states. Nine U.S. states do not prohibit FGM (female genital mutilation. According to the United Nations, "Gender equality, besides being a fundamental human right, is essential to achieve peaceful societies, with full human potential and sustainable development." A group called American Progress reports that the federal government early this year finally recognized the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment)as the 28th amendment to the Constitution. Another report claims that former President Biden accepted it and 38 states have ratified it but the U.S. government has not officially certified it as part of the Constitution.

The federally funded Women's Health Initiative has just been told that all 4 regional centers will have their contracts terminated by the Trump administration. Initiated in the 1990's, the project has made ground-breaking studies of women's health. Coordinators at both Stanford and Harvard Universities make it clear that the denial of funding will have devastating effects on all older adults. As we go to press, the Trump administration has saidit will restore the funding after a surge of protests.

It is said that the Administration wants to pay women $5,000. to have babies. Have they not heard that the earth is already crushed under the current overpopulation? Are we then to be vessels for male ego's? Comfort Women, American style?
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Last updated May 1, 2025 - 31 years of monthly Web publication

Corinne Whitaker - Artist, Editor, Author, Poet, Sculptor, Publisher, Composer, Betaphysician, Chief of the Newanderthal Tribe

Best of Foster City 2016
Best of Palo Alto 2013

Golden Web Award, 2001 and 2000

Artist of the Month, Artisan Bazaar, 2000

Best in Cyberart Award, 1999

winner of BATech's "Catch of the Day"

winner of Fractal Design's "Artist of the Month"and "Image of the Day"

Featured Master Artist, Shadowart Galleries, 1997 and 1998

Guest Artist of the Month, Hampton Click Salon Online
Exhibit below from Virtual Gallery online