From the collective
The special focus of this issue of off our backs is what it will take to end rape. We have had decades of activism on the issue of rape including Take Back the Night marches, date rape awareness campaigns, the creation of rape crisis shelters, and rape awareness campaigns on campuses. But despite feminist activism, men continue to rape women at appalling rates. In this issue, we start by interviewing the director of the DC Rape Crisis Center to give an overview of the issues currently faced by the movement against rape. We then examine elements of rape culture in an interview with a member of the New York Street Harassment Project and an article about a librarian fighting the proliferation of pornography in a public library. Next, there is an interview with a prison activist on rape of women in prison. Finally, commentaries discuss the degree to which prosecution should be emphasized by rape crisis centers, a critique of society’s overfocus on rape victims and underfocus on perpetrators, an analysis of the role of capitalism in rape, and a vision of what sexuality would look like in a world where there was no rape.
“Looking at September 11 and the War on Terrorism” was the theme of this year’s annual meeting of the National Women’s Studies Association. Our coverage outlines the perspectives presented there. We also include RAWAs statement on the anniversary of September 11.
Also in this issue, we review the new book by Starhawk, Webs of Power: Notes from the Global Uprising as well as a new book published by the National Women’s Health Network on The Truth about Hormone Replacement Therapy.
We also feature reviews of some excellent recordings by women: three CDs by young feminist musicians.
the off our backs collective
Copyright Off Our Backs, Inc. Sep/Oct 2002
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