So let me start off talking about why work was so great this week. On Monday, Julia told me that there were some ladies in the other departments that were interested in showing me what they do, and that I should go see them on Wednesday. I was to meet with Marina, and I'd be sitting at a computer, doing my usual desk work of researching and translating, and then whenever a lady came in, we'd go help her fill out papers. "They're illegal immigrants, but don't tell them you know that." OOH YES! Secrets! So when I went in on Wednesday, there was already a woman there, her name was Isabel and she was from Nicaragua; she had immigrated all by herself, and she was looking to get a job in domestic service. I was so surprised how well the FMP can help her! In Spain, even if it's an illegal worker, they still have rights, especially when they know the right people to talk to. They have rights against mistreatment, rights to a (basic) minimum wage, and even rights to some vacation time. I did not know this existed. I wonder if the U.S. has similar protections, but these days it probably depends on the state when it comes to illegal workers.
I also got a chance to talk with Emilia, who is the head psychologist in the FMP who works with the sexual and mental health women. I asked her various questions I had written down, about the demographics of the groups (women ages 18-70+, immigrants and natives), why the women might chose to leave (they're satisfied with their experience, or they get jobs), and if the majority of the women knew their sexual, reproductive, and protection against domestic violence rights before they came (nope, majority have no idea). Then she asked me a lot about my experiences in women's studies, why I was here, what I wanted to do, and so on. We compared the different types of feminist platforms in the U.S. and in Spain, and we talked about my undergrad research and how I've been working a lot with movies and television and how they affect gender identities. She was super interested in my research, and she asked for me to send her my papers, which I did. She told me she wanted to practice reading English, and that she'd need a dictionary with her the whole time. Haha. Glad I'm not alone sometimes.
Finally, I got rounded up by two of the ladies that work in the communications sector of the FMP, Sylvia and Susana. They knew that I was interested in learning about sexist language and what the FMP does to fight it, so they sat me down and gave me their spiel. They talked about how they both have backgrounds in journalism, but none of their professors ever told them about avoiding sexist language in publications, and that they've had to learn it on their own, and it's a shame they don't teach it in the universities here. For their job, they edit many of the publications of the FMP and other NGO's to make sure that they use neutral language, instead of sexist. They said how a lot of times people criticize the work they do because they're just changing words. But as they explained to me, and I agree, that the way we talk and speak determines the way we think. I linked it to how the way we watch TV shows or movies also affects the way we understand and interpret real life. And if there are male generics that invisiblize women or negative connotations and images of women in the news we read or the movies we watch, then it's affects the way we think about and see the world. Sylvia also talked about how she'd love it if I could help them put a part on their website about sexist images of women in the media, which would go under her sexist language part. Heck yes!
So after work that day, I was feeling super excited about all of the things I had talked about, and on top of that, after class that day was the Spain vs. Germany game, and Spain won! My friends and I all went to a small little bar and crowded in the back room and drank beer and cheered on Spain. So amazing when we scored that goal.
Tomorrow my friends and I will be in Pamplona for the running of the bulls! I am so excited! Yet at the same time I know I'll be scarred for life if I see someone get gored, or worse, killed... But I mean it's a tradition all around Spain, and I'm going to the festival that started it all. So much history! And I'm here in Spain! I can't miss it.
Then, Saturday we're going to the beach at San Sebastian, which is supposedly the prettiest beach in Spain. From the pictures I've seen, I believe it.
Then on Sunday, we'll be coming back to Madrid so that we can be in the Capital of Spain during the World Cup Finals. We plan on going to the stadium with EVERYBODY to watch! I am so pumped.
What an amazing time for me to be in Spain. And I also feel incredibly lucky for how awesome the FMP is and how I might help them with their website!
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