GLOBAL NETWORKING FOR CHANGE: VIRTUAL WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS Liane Curtis Graduate Program in Communications Department ofArt History and Communication Studies McGill University, Montreal July 2002 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research in partial fulfillment ofthe requirements ofthe degree ofMaster ofArts © Liane Curtis 2002 National Library Bibliothèque nationale 1+1 of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisisitons et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A DN4 Ottawa ON K1A DN4 Canada Canada Your file Votre référence ISBN: 0-612-85848-0 Our file Notre référence ISBN: 0-612-85848-0 The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de microfiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts from it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou aturement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Canada ABSTRACT This thesis explores how women's organizations are using communication technologies and strategies for global social change. In 2002, the combination of CUITent feminist theory that highlights issues of cultural specificity and digital communications technology is enabling new possibilities for women's organizations to engage in global feminist practices. Based on feminist theory, communications theory and feminist media literature, this thesis formulates an evaluative framework for assessing the communicative potential ofV-Day, a virtual women's organization. The analysis moves beyond this case study to inform the potential global feminist practices ofother women's organizations. RÉSUMÉ Cette thèse explore la façon dont les organismes féminins utilisent les technologies et stratégies de communication pour le changement social global. En 2002, la combinaison de la théorie féministe actuelle, qui met au premier plan les questions de la spécificité culturelle, et de la technologie des communications digitales est en train de créer de nouvelles possibilités pour les organismes féminins de s'impliquer dans l'activisme social mondial. Basée sur la théorie féministe, la théorie des communications et la littérature des media féministes, cette thèse formule un encadrement évaluatif pour analyser le potentiel communicationnel de V-Day, un organisme virtuel féminin, et des organismes féminins en général. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1 am deeply indebted ta my supervisor, Dr. Sheryl Hamilton, for her invaluable insight and spirited guidance throughout my entire graduate experience. For providing me with enriching research opportunities, 1would like ta express my gratitude ta Dr. Will Straw. For taking time out oftheir hectic schedules, answering my endless questions, and ultimately making this research possible, 1would like ta thank Karen, Andrew, Susan, Willa and Cecile from V-Day. Many thanks ta John Shiga for his support until the very end. My final thank you ta my parents for their love and unwavering faith in my abilities. TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: THE BEGINNING OF GLOBAL FEMINIST PRACTICES 1 1. INTRODUCTION 1 2. V-DAY: A VIRTUAL GLOBAL WOMEN'S ORGANIZATION 3 3. CHAPTER BREAKDOWN 8 CHAPTER TWO: GLOBAL NETWORKING: THE INTERSECTION OF RECENT FEMINIST THEORY, COMMUNICATIONS AND WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS 10 1. NEW BEGINNINGS IN FEMINIST THEORY: STARTING FROM DIFFERENCE '" 10 2. THE INTERNET: THE HEART OF NETWORKING 22 3. WOMEN'S ORGANIZATIONS AND FEMINIST MEDIA 31 4. AN EVALUATIVE FRAMEWORK 36 CHAPTER THREE: A VIRTUAL GLOBAL ORGANIZATION TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN 44 1. V-DAY: UNTIL THE VIOLENCE STOPS .44 2. ASSESSING THE TENSIONS OF GLOBAL FEMINIST PRACTICES .49 3. REFLECTIONS ON THE ROAD TO GLOBAL CHANGE 87 CHAPTER FOUR: THE FUTURE OF FEMINIST ACTIVISM 89 1. V-DAY: WHAT LIES AHEAD 89 2. GLOBAL NETWORKING FOR CHANGE 91 REFERENCES 94 APPENDIX A: V-DAY'S HOMEPAGE 100 APPENDIX B: V-DAY'S MAP OF THE WORLD 101 CHAPTER ONE: THE BEGINNING OF GLOBAL FEMINIST PRACTICES 1. INTRODUCTION During the winter of 2000, 1 received an online petition deploring the stoning of thousands of women in Afghanistan. People from all over the world had signed this petition. It had traveled virtually to the five continents and would end up in the inbox ofa United Nations commissioner in Geneva, demanding social justice be served. This incident marked the beginning ofa revelatory experience for me: activism at the click ofa mouse. Over the last few years, online activism has grown exponentially as grassroots, national and international organizations have built websites and created online social justice campaigns. Today, this online phenomenon has reached whole new levels as organizations are now making the Internet their home and participating in global networking. Feminist activists have been integrally involved in creating and participating in the new terrain ofsocial action. Global networking is the new age offeminist activism. th On September 29 , 2000, a special broadcast of The Oprah Winfrey Show, drew attention to a number ofonline organizations fighting to end violence against women on a global scale. The program focused on the state ofwomen's lives in Afghanistan, Africa, Bangladesh and the United States. It examined female genital mutilation, honor killings and acid attacks, and introduced the respective organizations. The website addresses for V-Day, Equality Now, RAWA (Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan), Women For Women, and Healing The Children-Florida were posted, and viewers were called to action through what Oprah Winfrey called, the "modem miracle of the Internet". The episode was a shocking, disturbing and ultimately empowering hour as it provided concrete ways ofbecoming involved in the cause. At the end ofthe program 1 1 visited the websites. l was amazed by the ingenuity of the organizations, by their use of the Internet. These websites are platforms for action. They list numerous ways individuals can become involved in their struggles to end violence against women. Visitors are invited to sign online petitions, forward the website to friends, host online discussion forums to raise awareness about women's rights, write to govemment officiaIs, send cameras to help document the human rights violations and host local fundraisers. These are only a few examples of possible action-based initiatives for online feminist activism. Communication technologies and feminist activism have finally begun to consolidate. This fusion has resulted in the formation of virtual women's organizations. What exactly is a virtual organization? A virtual organization is an organization that exists strictly online. In other words, it does not exist as a physical entity, in a specifie geographic location. Instead, it exists on the net. Virtual organizations are playing a central role in emerging worldwide practices. We are presently at a unique historical moment. In 2002, feminist theory and communication practices are creating greatly improved conditions of possibility for global social change. The combination of CUITent feminist theory that foregrounds issues of cultural specificity and digital communications technology are enabling women's organizations to partake in shared social action on a worldwide scale. They are facilitating what l am calling global networking. These observations provoked me to further investigate how exactly women's organizations are using communication technologies and strategies for global activism. In this thesis, l will examine a case study of global feminist networking. 2 To do this 1 explore the communications practices and strategies of V-Day, a virtual women's organization. Researching how women's organizations are using communication technologies and strategies to build potential global feminist practices of interconnectedness entails studying specific organizational practices and their communication strategies. For example, how is the Internet being used to do different types ofwork within social activism? Is the Internet enabling V-Day to achieve its goals? How is V-Day engaging in global feminist practices? Is it transcending cultural barriers on a global level and producing solidarity? Are cultural differences being addressed and ifso, how? 2. V-DAY: A VIRTUAL GLOBAL WOMEN'S ORGANIZATION V-Day caUs itself a global movement to end violence against women and girls. It is also a day, February 14th ofevery year, to celebrate women and demand an end to violence. V­ Day provides the tools for communities around the world to stage benefit productions of Eve Ensler's award winning play, The Vagina Monologues. This play is based on hundreds of interviews with women worldwide about their bodies. V-Day uses the proceeds from these performances to fund activist efforts at local, national, and internationallevels. V-Day was one of the organizations highlighted on Oprah Winfrey's special broadcast. It is a virtual women's organization. The V-Day website acts as a headquarters. It is not simply a public sign posted on the web;