FEMINIST FRIDAY: ‘Birthright: A War Story’ Exposes War On Repro Rights, HP Pushes For Diversity

Welcome to another edition of Feminist Friday, our weekly series where we get to share the videos we are watching right now with our readers, especially because they revolve around feminist issues and themes. This week, we’re spotlighting an important and brilliant documentary which delves into the dangerous anti-choice movement across the US which is getting worse under the Trump administration.

We’re also taking a peek into HP’s new diversity initiative where they have released a few videos about racism and sexism in the workforce. And finally, we’ll end on a positive note with a new music video from the Queen of Hip Hop Soul, Mary J Blige. But first, we need you to stop what you are doing and watch the trailer for ‘Birthright: A War Story’. No matter what your views are on reproductive rights in America, what political leanings you may have, this is required viewing.

Since 2010, there have been hundreds of anti-choice laws sweeping state legislatures and US Congress. While some claim they are created to protect unborn children, the results have shown the opposite. The crackdown on anti-abortion laws in a number of conservative-led states are a sign that many legislatures are gearing up for the potential overturn of Roe v Wade, which would results in numerous women being put in prison for getting an abortion or even having a miscarriage. If you have been following the case of Purvi Patel, you will see signs of the disturbing lengths conservative legislators are willing to go to control women’s bodies.

Not since ‘Trapped’, the documentary about the targeted regulation of abortion providers (TRAP) laws (which were dealt a massive blow in the ‘Whole Woman’s Health v Hellerstedt’ Supreme Court Case last year) have we seen a film that highlights the slippery slope of the anti-choice movement which has been proven to exist to shame and demonize women for their bodies and their choices. Watch ‘Birthright: A War Story’ trailer and look out for screenings across the US starting July 14th in New York:

The next video is the second from HP’s Reinventing Mindsets initiative, aimed and tackling unconscious bias in the workplace. As one of the world’s most recognizable brands, they want to ensure their work environment is a place of diversity and inclusion, especially as we are starting to see more focus on this area as various companies release abysmal “diversity reports”.

With a board of directors made up of 42% women, and 25% minorities, it seems HP is trying to be more transparent and accountable to the public. The first video they released under this initiative was about racial bias, featuring a group of black men and women in job interviews being told they have the right credentials, but that they weren’t going any further in the process, reflecting the statistic that African-Americans a 3x more likely than others to receive a denial despite being qualified for a position.

The second video, titled ‘Dads and Daughters’ sees a group of father-daughter duos reading interview “tips” given to women, that men would never need to adhere to simply because of their gender. The reactions from the fathers is poignant here, especially given that the majority of them are from a generation where sexist mindsets and attitudes were most likely common place in the office.

Some of the interview tips include: “Don’t be aggressive,” “Don’t be too chatty; women tend to talk a lot during interviews,” and “Don’t be upset by a sexist remark or question.” Watch below to see how the fathers react knowing this is the added barrier their daughters have to overcome simply to get a job they are qualified for.

To end on an empowering note, we thought we’d share Mary J Blige’s new music video for ‘Strength Of A Woman’, featuring scenes from the new TNT show ‘Claws’, which is being dubbed as the female ‘Breaking Bad’ series. Mary says the idea behind the song came from her own life experiences which made her a stronger woman. A similar theme exists throughout ‘Claws’, starring Karrueche Tran, Niecy Nash, Judy Reyes, Carrie Preston and Jenn Lyon.

“What I want to convey in my music video…is the fact that we are conquerors,” said Mary in a behind-the-scenes video interview.

The 9x Grammy Award winning artist, who has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide and been named the most successful female R&B artist of the past 25 years by Billboard, recently went through a divorce with her husband of 13 years in 2016. She in indeed the definition of a conqueror, and we love what this music video symbolizes:

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