Women, War and Peace issue of On The Issue Magazine
As the U.S. approaches a decade of war, what are feminist writers and artists thinking? On The Issues Magazine Summer 2011 probes peace activism and war reality.
New stories in the Cafe

Water Born: Swimming Along in Competition and Life
by Gwen Deely

May 24, 2012

My life aquatic was in full swing before I was born.

Evidently I was busy doing laps and polishing my freestyle in the womb because doctors had to pluck me out with a forceps two weeks after my due date. My parents gave me swim lessons at the tender age of three. A football-shaped float strapped to my body kept me from drowning.

My first race, when I was four years old, was memorable for its ferocity. So determined was I to win that the organizers were unable to stop me when a false start occurred. I swam my guts out while they were shouting, blowing whistles and finally jumping in. Even when I was held aloft above the water, my arms were frantically churning to win that race.
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Women, War and Peace - by the Editors

Feminists and progressives ponder their roles in the longest period of war in U.S. history.

Gender Values: The Costs of War- by Susan Feiner

Astronomical expenditures steal from women’s jobs and choices. •Art by Elise Engler

A Feminist Looks at Masculine Rage and the Haditha Massacre - by Kathleen Barry

Only a cultural shift will stop unspeakable crimes in combat or at home. •Art by Grace Graupe-Pillard

Peace is a Human Right: Give Us Women Who Get It - by Cora Weiss

Stopping rape in war is not enough: stop warmaking. •Art by Patricia Dahlman

Photo Essay: Women and Girls in Conflict Zones - by Ann Jones


©Ann Jones

The Cruel Lie: Bombing To Liberate Women - by Debra Sweet

A heartbreaking and infuriating downward spiral for Afghan women. •Art by Anna Jurinich and Elise Engler

Finding Hope: Reweaving -- Then and Now - by Pam McAllister

Telling our stories of courage can keep our spirits alive. •Art by Regina Silvers

Books of Note: War and Peace - by The Feminist Press

Memoir, non-fiction, theater: authors expand world views with good reads.

All Wars Are Intimate Wars - by Merle Hoffman

After the 9/11 attacks, the public faces the same feeling of terror as abortion providers; a book excerpt. •Art by Anna Jurinich


©Anna Jurinich

War Resisters Inject Truth into Military Recruitment - by Eleanor J. Bader

School outreach exposes how promises evaporate for service members. •Art by Elise Engler

Next "Wave" Peace Activists Pour Feminism into the Mix - by Jean Stevens

Friends duck away, but some find gender in the anti-war frame. •Art by Janeil Engelstad and Rumiel Rothschild

Paradoxes of Women in Uniform Take Deep Listening - by Chris Lombardi

U.S. servicewomen face hostility but crack barriers. •Art by Coco Fusco

The Art Perspective

Frances Jetter
- Curated by Linda Stein

Printmaking cuts into the hypocrisy of war.

Violence Against Women Surges When War Is "Done" - by Yifat Susskind

Grassroots groups in Guatemala and Iraq try to roll back shameful gender damage. •Art by Julie Frankel

The Poet's Eye - From Poetry Co-Editor Sarah Browning

Poets Lisa Suhair Majaj, Kathy Engel, Meg Hamill and Carmen Calatayud light flames of memory and trails of hope.

Top Ten: Three Years of Stories That Grabbed Readers - by Gabrielle Korn

Reality, media representations and 21st century sex get juices flowing.

Fighting to Gratify a Sex Instinct? War Attitudes Vary by Gender - by Lori Adelman

Women show more aversion to military strikes and casualties. •Art by Maureen Cummins

From the On The Issues Print Archive

From Our Files:

RELATED STORIES: Women, War & Peace

On the Issues Magazine has featured articles about war – many different wars – and what war means for women, along with the dreams of peace. Here are some stories from our archives -- online (2009-2011) and in print (1983-99).

Study War No More – The Price of Conscience by Marlene C. Piturro, Summer 1994, profiled one courageous woman, Yolanda Huet-Vaughn, MD, an army medic who refused orders to be deployed during the first Gulf War.

After Huet-Vaughn went AWOL, she went public, saying: "I am refusing orders to be an accomplice in what I consider an immoral, inhumane, and unconstitutional act, namely an offensive military mobilization in the Middle East. My oath as a citizen soldier to defend the Constitution, my oath as a physician to preserve life and prevent disease, and my responsibility as a human being to the preservation of this planet would be violated if I cooperate with Operation Desert Shield."

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CURRENT ISSUE
Spring 2012

Bodies in Motion: Physical Females Face Different Risks by Eleanor J. Bader

Curious Tension: Feminism and the Sporting Woman by Susan J. Bandy

Cheering or Being Cheered? My Daughter's Cheerleading Adventure by Lu Bailey

Who Owns Sports? Dissecting the Politics of Title IX by Martha Burk

Why Sex Segregation Is Bad for Society by Alex Channonk

Films Lag in Sharing The Women's Game by Ariel Dougherty

A Soccer Dad Faces Parenting, Coaching and Dreams by Mauricio Espinoza

Yoga Frontiers: Women Shape Practices in Exceptional Ways by Molly M. Ginty

The Rise and Fall and Possible Rise of Women's Pro Soccer by Tim Grainey

Winning the Sports Beat: Female Writers Need Wide Angle Lens by Marie Hardin

Opening Historic Trails: Accidental Heroes Stomp Sports Inequity by Risa Isard

Girls, Women, Sports: What to Read - by Chané Jones and The Feminist Press

Women On High: The Price of Passion at the Roof of the World by Jennifer Jordan

Athletically Disinclined: My Counterpoint by Gabrielle Korn

Goalposts: Tackling the Last Bastion of Male Monopoly by Andrew D. Linden

Aspiring for Medals: Watching New Gymnastic Generations by Zerlina Maxwell

Athletes and Magazine Spreads: Does Sexy Mean Selling Out? by Laura Pappano

Rules Put Extreme Pressure On Transsexual Players by Lindsay Parks Pieper

Olympics' Coverage Still Shortchanges Female Athletes by Jane Schonberger

Leaping, Racing, Spearing: The Female Athlete Amazes in Myth by Laura A. Shamas

Becoming Glory: Kicking Goals to Transcend the Night, A Memoir by Christine Stark

Nine Titles Thinking About Title IX by Rachel Toor

From Our Archives: Related Stories on Girls, Women, Sports

The Poet's Eye From Poetry Co-Editor Judith Arcana

Related Stories: Bold Discussions of ABORTION in On The Issues Magazine by The Editors

The Art Perspective: Karen Shaw curated by Linda Stein

Spring 2012 Index

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