By June Zeitlin, Executive Director, Women's Environment & Development Organization

     The more we experience the effects of climate change, the clearer it becomes that everyone on the planet has a huge stake in what we decide to do now. That is why it is appalling that women are still being overlooked as key to the solution.

     When storms and mudslides devastate a neighborhood, women shoulder most of the cleanup, stay home from work or school the most and take care of the injured. When drought hits the developing world, it is women whose crops and animals suffer most, as they produce most of the food in Africa and Asia. Women are the ones who risk assault to go further and further in search of water and firewood.

Like any ardent Clinton supporter, I was prepared yet bitterly saddened by the final conclusion of the Democratic primary. Never in my life had I knocked on more doors, called more people, or attended more rallies.

I have admired Hillary for years. In fact,I wrote my free thought college admissions essay on Hillary and the lasting power of sexism.

Its hard to wake me up on a Sat before noon- but today I made an exception. I was there in person to see her launch her campaign, and even if I couldn't be there in person today, I was going to be an avid TV viewer.

Two weeks ago, I discussed the existence of a third-world within the first-world. In a more recent blog post, I explored the challenges of combating sex trafficking in the United States, more specifically, in my progressive hometown of San Francisco. While I do not profess to completely comprehend the challenges of being a victim/survivor of sex trafficking, I can relate to the experience of being commodified and labeled as "exotic." The comments made by others on my "unique" physical appearance (as a result of my multi-ethnic ancestry), has led me to question if others can appreciate my knowledge and the complexity of my identity without getting distracted by what they see.

As the semester has come to a close, I decided to treat myself to a (cheap) deep tissue massage-- a college degree seems to equate more with debt than financial security, so I had to be wise in my search. I began my online search for "cheap massage in San Francisco" and came across links to sex parlors and sex trafficking in San Francisco.

I'm all too familiar with the continued prevalence of prostitution in the Bay Area. I was taught not to judge or be over critical of prostitutes since I knew women who were single mothers, struggling to pay the bills while the fathers of their children were incarcerated. I sometimes find myself trying to speak up for these women: do you really think these women enjoy selling their bodies?

I don’t support abortion rights (you can start throwing stones now) and in high school, the fact that I was pro-life also seemed to mean that I was automatically an anti-feminist.

Ok, maybe you might need some context.

We've heard it all before.

It's the story of a big company that desperately wants you to know about something good it's doing -- and how you, too, can get in on a little of that karmic ju-ju through purchasing their product and, in this case, "use your period for good" (funny, I prefer to use my period for evil...).

Few things excite me more than high school activism. And, thanks to the Britney’s little sister and the critically acclaimed film Juno, few things excite the mainstream media as much as teenage pregnancy. But, since Jamie Lynn is hardly your typical teen and (spoiler alert?) Juno conveniently ends after the birth scene, what happens to the other one million teens in the United States that get pregnant every year?

The arts and progressive causes have a rich, intertwined tradition.  Both are expressions of humanity and balance, and when combined they form a truly powerful convergence.   2007 YP4 Fellow Angela Follina envisions a world free from all forms of sexual violence and oppression.  On March 30th 2007, she executed a successful staging of The Vagina Monologues with the broad support of the Cleveland State campus, to raise funds for the Greater Cleveland YWCA. The event will be part of V-Day, a global movement aimed at ending violence against women and girls.  

We all know that women have always had a unique role in the peace movement, but did you know that Mother's Day itself was created by women united for creating a more peaceful world for their children?

So, here's some extra love for my mom and all of those other anti-war Mama's out there this week.  Thanks for all of that unpaid labor that went in to raising your children and thanks for working for a more just world for use to grow up in.  

Do you want to further your work in challenging gender violence?  

If you are developing community-driven strategies that challenge gender violence on a systemic level, child sexual abuse/incest prevention, and prevention strategies that transform gender roles--you may want to look into the Ms. Foundation For Women Safety Grant!