Past Events:
Film Screening & Discussion – The Invisible War
Wednesday, May 2nd
6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Cowles Auditorium
Humphrey Institute
University of Minnesota
301 19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Ramp Parking – Directions
Tickets: $10.00
Ticket sales cover the cost of the screening and benefit Gender Justice programs.
Panel Discussion to follow with:
- Trista Matascastillo - Chair, Women Veterans' Initiative
- Donna Dunn - Exec. Dir., MN Coalition Against Sexual Assault
- Chuck Derry - Exec. Dir., Gender Violence Institute
- Jill Hasday, Professor of Law, University of Minnesota, (invited)
THE INVISIBLE WAR is a groundbreaking investigative documentary about one of our country's most shameful and best kept secrets: the epidemic of rape within our US military. Today, a female soldier in Iraq and Afghanistan is more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire with the number of assaults in the last decade alone in the hundreds of thousands.
Focusing on the powerfully emotional stories of several young women, the film reveals the systemic cover up of the crimes against them and follows their struggles to rebuild their lives and fight for justice. THE INVISIBLE WAR features hard-hitting interviews with high-ranking military officials and members of Congress that reveal the perfect storm conditions that exist for rape in the military, its history of cover-up, and what can be done to bring about much needed change.
Film Screening – Miss Representation
Watch the screening at 7:00 pm, then stay for the discussion!
Wednesday, October 19th
7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
St. Anthony Main Theatre
115 Main Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55414
Free Ramp Parking – Directions
Tickets-SOLD OUT
$10 in advance; $15 at the door
Ticket sales cover the cost of the screening and benefit Gender Justice programs.
Check our Facebook Event.
Miss Representation is a critically acclaimed documentary written and directed by Jennifer Siebel Newsom. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and has been well-received (and often sold-out) in screenings around the country. The film takes a critical look at the portrayal of women and girls in the media.
Media is the most persuasive force shaping cultural norms – and the collective message it still sends is that a woman’s value and power lie solely in her youth, beauty, and sexuality, not in her capacity as a leader. At the same time, the media sends limiting messages about the nature of men, boys, and masculinity.
What’s the effect on our society? The film includes some telling statistics: women hold only 3% of clout positions in the mainstream media, only 3% of Fortune 500 CEO spots, and only 17% of positions in Congress. 2011 is the first year since 1979 that women have not gained seats in Congress. Is it a coincidence that gender stereotypes and derogatory portrayals of women in the media seem to be increasing, not decreasing?
The film considers these questions through the eyes of ordinary teens and in provocative interviews with politicians, journalists, entertainers, activists and academics like Condoleezza Rice, Lisa Ling, Nancy Pelosi, Katie Couric, Rachel Maddow, Rosario Dawson, Jackson Katz, Jean Kilbourne, and Gloria Steinem. Audiences are left shaken, armed with a new perspective, and asking the question, “What can we do?”
See the trailer here:
We’ll try to address that question in a short discussion after the screening. We can shed light on the connection between limited or disparaging media portrayals, cognitive bias, and discrimination in the real world. We can also provide tips to those interested in taking action locally. Come ready to share your own ideas!
Friday, June 17
Drive through anytime between 11:30 and 5:30!
E. Lake St. & 27th Ave S.
(near Rainbow Foods)
Minneapolis, MN
Get a green ribbon for your car.** We’ll take your picture in the subversive act of driving. Photos will be posted on our website and sent to the Saudi Embassy to show that Minnesotans support all women's right to full and free participation in society.
**Actual car not required for participation. We’ll photograph “green” commuters, underage drivers (and kids at heart) driving the Gender Justice "cut-out" car!
Press Conference
Thursday, June 16
Senate Office Building, Room 181
11:00 a.m.
