OBOS Today Newsletter
(December 2023)
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A Note from the Executive Director | |
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Dear Friends,
As this year comes to a close, we are sharing exciting news and highlights from our brilliant team. While our world is struggling mightily, we are so proud of these accomplishments, from publishing new books to receiving awards. Embracing the shared "we" of Our Bodies Ourselves, we celebrate our corner of the larger feminist movement that makes our work possible.
In this season of giving, we hope that you'll consider supporting this work. We dedicate ourselves to providing reliable, feminist, inclusive resources about the health and sexuality of women, girls, and gender-expansive people. We have a very generous challenge gift right now, which will make your donation go twice as far. Your gift of any amount keeps us going strong. Thank you in advance for your generosity.
Onward!
Amy Agigian
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Celebrating the 20th Anniversary of
the Center for Women's Health and Human Rights
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As you may know, Our Bodies Ourselves Today is an initiative of the Center for Women's Health and Human Rights at Suffolk University. We will be celebrating the Center's 20th anniversary on International Women's Day, March 8, 2024. Please mark your calendars! We hope you'll be able to join us in the festivities, including speakers, door prizes, and birthday cake. | |
New, Brazilian Adaptation
of "Our Bodies, Ourselves"
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The complete text of "Nossos corpos por nós mesmas," the Brazilian adaptation of "Our Bodies, Ourselves," is now available on our site, in all its glorious 1,168 pages! The Portuguese-language book, originally imagined as three separate volumes, was published in its entirety in January 2023. It's the result of collaboration by members of the Coletivo Feminista Sexualidade e Saúde (CFSS), participants in the Research Group on Translation Studies at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and students and members of the translation team at Universidade de Campinas (Unicamp), who translated the latest U.S edition (2011) and adapted it to meet the needs of women in Brazil. Many thanks to the project coordinator, Raquel Cardoso Pereira, for making it possible for us to share the whole book on our site!
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2023 Highlights: New Content Experts | |
Introducing Our New Gender-Based Violence Panel Chair:
Dr. Nadeeka Karunaratne
Dr. Karunaratne is a postdoctoral research associate in the McCluskey Center for Violence Prevention at the University of Utah. She also teaches as an adjunct faculty member in California Lutheran University’s Department of Counselor Education. In her research, she employs power-conscious frameworks to understand issues of campus sexual violence, focusing on interrupting harm and promoting healing for minoritized survivors. Nadeeka's background in student affairs, specifically her work in campus cultural centers and with university violence prevention efforts, influences her scholarship and teaching. She received her PhD in Higher Education and Organizational Change from UCLA and her MA in Student Affairs Administration from Michigan State University. She is also a trauma-informed yoga instructor and leads healing yoga programs on college campuses and in the community. Welcome Nadeeka!
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Introducing Our New Mental Health Panel Chair: Dior Vargas
Dior Vargas, MPH, is a mental health activist with over ten years of experience in advocacy. She works with universities and corporations to discuss self-care advocacy, wellness accessibility, and diversity within mental health. She is the creator of the People of Color and Mental Illness Photo Project, a response to the invisibility of BIPOC in the media representation of mental illness. She is also the editor of "The Color of My Mind," a book based on the photo project. Dior has received numerous awards, including the White House Champion of Change for Disability Advocacy Across Generations under the Obama Administration. Dior delivers speaking engagements across the country, and her work and insight have been covered in media outlets such as The New York Times, Forbes, Newsweek, and NBC News Latino. Dior has a BA in the Study of Women and Gender from Smith College and an MPH from New York University. She was born and raised in New York City and still lives there. Welcome Dior!
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Our Bodies Ourselves:
The Black Women’s Health Imperative’s 2023 Sentry Award, in recognition of our volunteer services during the period when the organization was the Black Women’s Health Project
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2023 Highlights: Publications and Interviews | |
2023 Highlights: Other News | |
Dr. Saniya Lee Ghanoui (Leadership Council):
Saniya was a Visiting Scholar in History at the University of Agder in Norway. She gave two solo lectures, one on digital history and one on her current book project, and a group presentation with menstrual scholars in the Nordics. Her Menstrual Studies in Scandinavia team is beginning work on an edited book collection.
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Kim L Hunt (Growing Older Expert):
Kim became the Executive Director at Pride Action Tank and Vice President of Policy & Advocacy and Special Projects & Innovation at AIDS Foundation of Chicago.
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Bianca Palmisano (Sexuality Expert):
Bianca recently passed her SANE-A Certification exam, which is an internationally recognized certification for sexual assault nurse examiners.
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Dr. Noelle Spencer (Menstruation through Menopause Expert):
In August 2023, Noelle earned her PhD in Behavioral and Community Health Sciences from the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health. She was also elected to the Board of Directors of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research.
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Sabia Wade (Pregnancy & Childbirth Expert):
Sabia was the 2023 keynote speaker for the National Maternal Health Innovation Symposium. Also, her nonprofit, For the Village, received the following grants: the CalAim Incentive Payment Program, SisterSong - Community Power Building Grant, and The San Diego County Doula Pilot Program.
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New Website & New Content
We are redesigning our website to make it even more accessible, easily searchable, and beautifully useable. We look forward to launching the new platform next year! Meanwhile, we continue to expand our content, including more original articles and interviews with authors, researchers, and activists.
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New Expert Panel on Birth Control
We are assembling an expert panel to focus exclusively on birth control. This is such a critical area, we are excited to focus even more closely on it. You'll find the pros and cons of the entire range of birth control options along with people describing their experience of using them, the politics of birth control, birth control accessibility and coercion, and more.
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Summer Institute on Reproductive Justice
We are creating a week-long Summer Institute on Reproductive Justice for university students, hosted by Suffolk University. Stayed tuned, and let us know if you (or your students) are interested!
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