Speaking out about rape takes courage

Courage. That’s what four young women in Akron have. They are in the midst of testifying against the man accused of raping them. The trial, which started Tuesday, is expected to last two weeks. The four women will have to muster all their courage to get through it — and the rest of their lives. Three of them [...]

Nearly half of college undergrads experience relationship violence

A new study on how students experience violence, finds that about 45 percent of undergraduates experience some sort of relationship violence before and/or during their college years. The study, called “Relationship Violence Among Female and Male College Undergraduate Students,” surveyed 910 undergraduates at three urban campuses. Students were asked about physical, emotional and sexual violence [...]

John McCain and birth control

When Christina Page spoke on the University of Akron campus as part of Women’s History month events in March, the presidential primary campaign was still in full swing. One of the things she suggested we question all candidates about is their stand on birth control. Page made particular mention of John McCain, criticizing his prevarication about the [...]

Getting real about the feminization of poverty

We who teach Women’s Studies courses are familiar with the phrase “the feminization of poverty.” This fall, students at The University of Akron can get an in-depth look at what the phrase means in the real lives of real women. Jodi Ross, a doctoral student in sociology,  is teaching a Special Topics course on the subject. Called Women and Poverty, [...]