Grassroots Media in Europe

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Info:
German feminist magazine on pop culture, politics, style, etc. a blog is integrated into the website

Statement:
Wieso gibt es in Deutschland kein Magazin, das die Berichterstattung über Popkultur, Politik und Style mit einer feministischen Haltung verbindet? Weil es bisher noch niemand gemacht hat. Wir wollten so ein Heft unbedingt lesen und glauben, dass es vielen anderen jungen Frauen genauso geht. Deshalb machen wir Missy.

"Set up [in 1972] to, at that time, provide a feminist alternative to the conventional women's mags. Monthly, printed by a commercial publisher. Circulation: 20,000. Distribution: commercial distributor, PDC, subs, conferences, etc. Costs: £2,500 per issue, and SR is self financing. 15/16 women work on SR, some full and some part time. They work collectively, though some of them have specific tasks. Closed collective, paid for their work. Work a 5 day week.

Women's News was established in 1984 by a small group of volunteer women who recognised that the lack of women's voices in society was detrimental not only to the development of peace but also to the condition of women. Conflict silences women's voices and the magazine provided a forum through which women could communicate across the divide on various issues affecting not only women but society at large. From its birth Women's News has encouraged grassroots women to use the magazine as a way of having their say and contribute to reconciliation and peace in a safe and effective way. The majority of the contributors to the magazine are grassroots women and Women's News operates various programmes to enable women to access and utilise the media as a means of participation. The power of the media in regards to shaping and influencing the public agenda should not be underestimated, the media not only follow the agenda but also lead the agenda. Without the voice of women being integral within this industry an egalitarian society will never become a reality.

Women's News is the only feminist magazine in Ireland and it adheres to a feminist ethos, however it is completely inclusive and opens its pages to debate and discussion. There is a huge range of magazines on the shelves aimed at women, however none deal with peace building, attitudinal change, challenging the status quo et cetera to the degree that Women's News does. Very few if any, rely on grassroots women for its articles and provide such an open and inclusive forum for expression and communication.

Women's Struggle: An old fashioned title for a modern feminist magazine

By Xanthi Petrinioti*

The magazine O Agonas tis Gynaikas (Women's Struggle) is the longest - surviving feminist periodical publication in Greece (and possibly in Europe). The first issue circulated as a monthly bulletin of the Greek League for Women's Rights in August - September 1923. On its cover page, under the title, it was written in bold lettering and in demotic Greek: "We demand the same political, civil and economic rights for women and men".

The current (bi-annual) issue (No. 80) of the magazine's third period of publication will circulate in June 2006. During these 82 years its publication ceased twice, in 1936 and in 1967, closely following the vicissitudes of Greek political history. June 1936 was the date of the last issue of this first period of the magazine's publication, that of the inter-war years. That is, the period from 1920 when the League for Women's Rights was founded by Avra Theodoropoulou and Maria Negreponti and the participation of Maria Svolou, Rosa Imvrioti and Elleni Korrylou (better known under the pen name Alkis Thryllos) until it was closed down by order of the Police and its archives seized, on August 5, 1936, one day after the establishment of the Metaxa dictatorship.

LOVER is cheeky, opinionated, sharp and topical, with an eye for human interest. The feminist analysis in this Dutch-language magazine is so accessibly written, you can kick up your feet and enjoy a good read. LOVER is a source of inspiration for women (and men) who view the world with a critical eye.

LOVER keeps you informed about the (in)equality of the sexes and provides you with arguments you need to counter sexist and racist remarks. It also reveals how different and unique women are, both in the Netherlands and beyond.

Girls Like Us (GLU) magazine was founded by Jessica Gysel and Kathrin Hero in 2005.

It was created as an antidote to the vanilla representation of contemporary lesbian culture: where's the fun, the wink, the subversiveness and the class? The magazine is made in Amsterdam, published in New York and available in the bigger cities worldwide.

Statement:
Since their first appearance on 26 January 1977 is more than just a magazine EMMA: It is the best friend of her readers, a national women's information bureau, and - a synonym for the cause. The cause of women. Just a few weeks after the appearance of Power Girl got the nickname of "Emma") misses (or "Alice", according to the EMMA-founder.

EMMA has not only broken taboos and over again, it has also made policy. By not only informed and argued, but, if necessary, act, too. EMMA-initiated inter alia:

In 1977 the first protests against Clitoris mutilation

Uplift is a non profit making, independent women’s online magazine which acts as a place to showcase many women’s voices.

Uplift exists as an alternative to all the women’s magazines out there that put down and patronise. We want to show women that they’re not alone if they find features such as ‘the starvation tips of top models’ mind numbing. Uplift encourages intelligent engagement with the pop culture that surrounds us and offers women a platform to have their say, share ideas and get creative. All opinions expressed within Uplift are those of the individual authors.

Vi som aldrig sa sexist är en diskussions-/dialogblogg vars huvudsakliga fokus är frågeställningar som rör normer, relationer och genus. Projektet är en vidareutveckling av de så kallade feministfrukostmötena på Café Edenborg hösten 2007. Vi skriver för att synliggöra, problematisera och stegvis närma oss hållbara strategier för att leva med normer, relationer och genus, eftersom ett med alltid förutsätter ett mot.