California NOW

Enforce California's 2005 Cosmetic Safety Act!

As CANOW prepares to go to the National NOW Conference on July 4th in Boston to persuade the national group to form a resolution to join the Campaign for Cosmetic Safety, we ask Californians to take a moment to reflect about our own state.

California's 2005 Cosmetic Safety Act remains substantially unenforced at best. That watered-down law, initially intended to require labels to reflect cancer-causing ingredients, was compromised to simply require manufacturers to disclose their product ingredients to the state, so the state will know if they contain chemicals which are scientifically established to cause reproductive toxicity and cancer.

Reproductive freedom includes the freedom to give birth without over 200 known toxic chemicals in the cord blood. It has been argued that the most concentrated form of human food contaminated more densely than any other is human breast milk. Nevertheless, breast milk remains far and away the healthiest and safest choice for mother and baby. “CANOW wants to see more resources directed towards researching the environmental causes of cancer.” According to CANOW President, Patty Bellasalma, “We applaud our sister organization, Breast Cancer Action which through their Think Before You Pink campaign has highlighted the blatant hypocrisy of certain companies which pinkwash products by identifying their corporation with the battle against breast cancer, yet continue to sell products containing chemicals that are suspected or known to have carcinogenic effects and reproductive toxicity.”

Given the facts, it is imperative for every consumer to inquire about ingredients. Products claiming to include "fragrance" might be referring to natural botanical lavender flower oil or benzophenone -4 mixed with an unidentified or untested concoction of known and unknown carcinogenic chemicals. Until the 2005 Cosmetic Safety Act is enforced in California, consumers can’t tell! So why are politicians making excuses about why this law remains unenforced by a large portion, if not a majority, of personal care products sold in the state? This is 2010. Why does the 2005 Cosmetic Safety Act remain unenforced for a large portion of cosmetics sold in California stores?

We must protect that which we care about. Raising money for the cure is not enough. We must turn our attention to avoiding cancer in the first place. That we don't raise pennies on the dollar for prevention and environmental carcinogen research reflects our society's affection and love for those embattled with cancer. But our wisdom as a movement must look towards the skyrocketing cancer rates and ask WHY?

Using music as the venue, the California chapter of the National Organization for Women (CA NOW) announces our campaign to enforce the 2005 Cosmetic Safety Act. On June 16th and 19th, Stacy Malkan, author of Not Just a Pretty Face: the Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry will make the announcement for CANOW at two upcoming feminist music events: Women Rock at the Independent in San Francisco and Nefertiti’s Tea Jubilee in Geyserville at the Isis Oasis.

Friday Video: Haviland Sings!

Haviland Stillwell!

Haviland Stillwell in Concert - February 25th in LA!

 Haviland Stillwell, feminist, actor, singer and CA NOW blog contributor, has a concert on February 25th in Los Angeles.  If you're in the area, be sure to catch it! (Click image for full-size poster.)

You may know Haviland from the TV show Eastwick, the WeHo awards, or  her amazing writing. You can use our search box to the left to look up the great posts she has written for us, and check out her Twitter stream for the latest she's up to.

Eve Ensler @ UC Irvine's V-Day Performance of The Vagina Monologues!

V-DAY @ UC Irvine JOINS THE GLOBAL EFFORT TO STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS

with its 7th annual production of…

Eve Ensler’s THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES

With special guest, Eve Ensler, Playwright and Founder of V‐Day

Join us as we raise funds and awareness to end violence against women and girls.

 

Who: University of California, Irvine

What: Students of V-Day @ UC Irvine 2010, present a benefit production of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues, with Eve Ensler in attendance.

Where: The Bren Events Center of UC Irvine

When: 5:00pm Sunday, Feb 14th Valentine’s Day

Admission: $17 General Admission Tickets can be found on TICKETMASTER.COM
 

International Day for the Elimination of Violence Toward Women and Girls

Today, Wednesday, November 25th, a noon press conference will take place on the steps of San Francisco’s City Hall, immediately followed by a 1-3 PM healing ceremony for survivors of violence with a multi arts performance in the esplanade across the street, entitled “They Are All Our Daughters.”   

As the Bay Area community reels in horror due to recent gang rapes, a coalition of local arts and human rights groups announce a community healing ceremony, free multi-arts performance and press conference.  November 25 is the UN mandated day to kick off 16 days of action for the elimination of violence towards women and girls, globally.  Similar activities will take place around the world that day.

Economica: Women & the Global Economy

The International Museum of Women (I.M.O.W.) is an award-winning non-profit social change museum dedicated to valuing the lives of women around the world.  They just launched their new global online exhibition, Economica: Women and the Global Economy. Economica is a vivid and timely snapshot of women's global economic participation, featuring powerful voices, visions and images from around the world.  It shows that while women are uniquely impacted by economic volatility, they are often best equipped to offer new economic ideas and solutions.

To put it simply, the economy is a woman's issue. It is one of the most important and pervasive issues affecting women today.  IMOW highlights microfinance in South America, the food crisis in Egypt, the subprime mortgage crisis in the United States, and so much more.

Check out these key facts:
Women make up 70% of the world's population living in extreme poverty
Women own only 1% of the world's land
Yet, women are also the fastest growing group of the world's entrepreneurs and professionals, making up 53% of the world's current university students.

The economic status of women affects nearly every other important women's issue:
A study in India found that women who own property experience significantly less domestic violence than women who don't own property, presumably because it shifts the family's paradigm of power
Better job opportunities for women reduce their vulnerability to sex traffickers.
Improved economic status increases reproductive health, decreases fertility rates and reduces global resource consumption.

To learn more about the economic status of women worldwide, take a look at this statement from Dr. Masum Momaya, the curator of the Economica exhibition.

Take a tour of Economica: Women and the Global Economy!

Truly (truly, truly) Outrageous

As little girls, a typical wish list for super-heroines we wanted to be included Barbie, Jem and She-Ra. My friends would fight over who got to "be" whom for the day. I, however, never had an issue with these "good" girls. Though I watched their shows and played with their action figures, the characters who were of real interest to me were the ones with the darker, more intricate storylines. The real heroines to me were the ones who had to struggle to be seen and heard.  

I liked the bad girls.

My favorite was Pizzazz and her band, The Misfits.  (For those of you not born in the 80s, she was the nemesis to Jem and the Holograms.)  Basic plot: fighting between the bands and the girls over one boy and who was going to top the charts.  Very important stuff.

Pizzazz, like most of the "evil" characters, was so much cooler.  She definitely had the sexier costumes - darker shades, eyeliner and hair.  Bad girls were always so focused on a goal, and really had to fight for themselves. They were always painted as being the bitch, but the need and portrayal of their fight was so compelling.

Sadly, their fight was generally with other women. I understood the focus and ambition of wanting to be the best, but I didn't want to play the game of stepping on other women in order to have my dreams come true.

One woman's success is not another woman's failure.  

Amanda F*cking Palmer

I love Amanda Palmer.  I do.  I love her throaty sexy voice, the wail of desperation in "Coin Operated Boy."  I adore her drawn on eyebrows and wish I had the patience to do something like that (if I shaved my eyebrows I would never have the time to draw them back on, and would just walk around looking like a lizard). 

I resisted getting sucked into the Dresden Dolls for a long time, since some of the folks who enthused about them to me had kind of questionable taste.  However, when the controversy over Roadrunner Records being asshats about her  stomach in the video for "Leeds United" cropped up on feminist blogs all over, I clicked on the video.  Not only was I stunned that anyone would in any way, shape or form think Ms. Palmer's tummy was anything other than magnificent, but I was also enraptured by her performance.  And after listening to both "Girl Anachronism" and "Runs in the Family," I called up a friend and said, "I think I'm related to Amanda Palmer, or at the very least she's met my family.

So, I went out and bought WKAP, and thus it began it's career on high rotation in my mp3 player, my computer at work, the stereo in the bedroom. 

That said, I occasionally find some of her songs problematic. 

Interview: Suzanne Toro

We were thrilled to be offered the opportunity to interview Suzanne Toro, manager of The Black Eyed Peas, COO of Apl.de.ap’s global music label Jeepney Music, author and international charity worker.

First of all, tell us a little bit about how you got your start in the music industry.

My entry into the music industry was a twist of fate. I was recording my audio book in Apl's home studio and I suddenly got an inspiration for Apl's music and his label. Apl and I both share a passion for emerging artists, the true roots of music, and giving back. With this shared vision, before we knew it we were producing music videos and setting up a strategy for his label.

Furthermore, I am a poet and naturally have always embraced the power behind the potential to connect people and create conversation with the spoken word and story telling. Music provides a language that connects all cultures and melds spoken word with story telling. While, my transition into the music world was unexpected, it actually feels like I should have always been working in the music field.

Did you face any special obstacles as a woman breaking into this field?

I still do face many obstacles because I am passionate about returning the music industry to the artist. I do not think an artist should be owned by anyone or should their creativity have to fit into a package or meet the demands of a corporate institution. This is really counter intuitive. If that was a musician wants than he should just go into advertising and produce jingles. I have been fortunate to be surrounded by a lot of amazing people within my industry that share our vision and passion for music.

How did the challenges you faced change when you began moving into a leadership position?

I do not think my obstacles have changed; however, my degree is in Architecture which has laid the ground work for business negotiation, contracts, legal matters, creativity and developing structures, concepts and systems. All of these elements are aspects of the music industry but rather than building a skyscraper---I am participating in shaping a new world of music.

In what ways do you feel that being a woman advantages you as a manager and music industry leader? In what ways do you think it has disadvantaged you, and how do you overcome that?

Really I do not think right now there is an advantage to being a woman in the music industry. Basically, most woman (not all) in this industry are objectified and considered an object rather than an equal. I am hoping over time, I will be able to help some female artists to understand how to honor themselves and be a role model for other female artists. In the end this will bring balance to this over powering masculine energy that runs through this industry. It will take time to change the perspective of many men in the music industry.

Support Women Artists NOW!

Tomorrow is Support Women Artists Now Day, and there are events planned across the country, including 35 events throughout California.

Since women artists still get paid less than men, bringing attention to some of the fantastic women artists out there, working in everything from film to sculpture, can really make a difference.

Find out more about an event in your area, and attend tomorrow to support women artists!