by Ty Slobe If you are in-tune with marketing and media aimed at young girls, you’ve probably noticed how limiting it can be when it comes to the kinds of girls who are portrayed. Girls are pigeonholed into princesses, pink-lovers, makeup artists, shoe-fanatics, and other “girly” stereotypes. Girls are taught from an early age that…
by Shavon L. McKinstry What women have inspired you or changed your life? And why do we only talk about the during Women’s History Month? SPARK’s new ongoing monthly project, Women’s History Year, seeks to change the way we talk about women, whether they’re famous historical figures or friends, by asking the people to describe…
If you’re reading this, we probably don’t need to tell you the importance of supporting girls’ activism. But just in case, we’re going to anyway. Girls and women are sexualized throughout all forms of media. Sexualization leads to real, dangerous consequences, like depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and low achievement in and outside of school. Sexualization is…
by Carmen Rios This past December, the US looked on in horror as a case of vicious sexual assault unfolded in Steubenville, OH. With the trial set to begin this Wednesday, what began as a local event will become a national conversation. And as media descend upon and digest the goings-on in the courtroom, we…
Calling all girls & young women 13-22: we want YOU to be part of our newest project! Send us your monologues, rants, essays, raps, and songs–anything that can be performed on a stage!–because SPARK is creating a new theatre piece focusing on girls’ stories and experiences. We’re collecting stories (both fictional and factual!) about girls’ experiences…
by Madeleine Nesbitt Here at SPARK, we love good books. In fact, often we find ourselves torn after reading books, because really great writing sometimes comes from misogynists. Our blogger Sariel expressed her feelings about this, saying, “I love Kerouac and Hemingway etc.but I do NOT love the way they treated and wrote about women.”…
You’ve all seen these terrible Spencer’s tshirts, right? (Note: adults, don’t click that link at work; teens, don’t click it at school; maybe no one click it at all and just trust us that it’s the worst?) Thanks to coverage on Buzzfeed and Jezebel, we’ve been seeing a lot of outrage–but no action! So we’re…
by Julia Bluhm My mother made me costumes Made from colorful cloth and itchy Velcro, Of mostly ballerina-princesses, And fairies dressed in rainbow. After that phase passed, I wasn’t stopping. I got my first taste of online shopping. I was too “grown-up” for mom’s designs, But what I wanted was still hard to find. All…