Home Womens resources

INTERNET RESOURCES

Women's resources: Sites of interest

C&RL News, May 2005
Vol. 66, No. 5

by Sharon Hybki Kerr and George D. Oberle III

The Web offers a vast array of in-depth resources and information about women’s issues, promoting women’s rights and resources for educational opportunities and professional growth.

The resources available about women’s issues and women’s studies increase the awareness of the status of women. They also celebrate women’s experiences and contributions throughout society and the world.

Women’s studies programs began in the late 1960s and continued to grow with the women’s movement of the 1970s. They were developed as a result of the growing awareness of the important experiences and contributions of women to society as well as recognizing that there was a lack of curricular focus in academia about women’s issues.

This awareness has led to an increased focus on women’s issues in the United States and an ever-increasing focus on international subjects and concerns. Today there are more than 700 women’s studies programs, departments, and research centers around the world.

The sites listed here provide information on women’s issues, in general, and women’s studies, including directories, organizations and associations, government and business resources, discussion lists, and electronic journals. Based on the interdisciplinary nature and vast amount of resources available, emphasis has been given to comprehensive sites and those focusing on academic study or research.

Starting points: general sites and directories
• Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP). CAWP is a university-based research, education, and public service center. The CAWP site includes full-text research reports, fact sheets, and links to other sites related to women and politics. Access: http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~cawp/index.html.

• FeMiNa. This searchable directory of Web sites was created in September 1995 and debuted online to provide women with comprehensive links to Web sites for, by, and about women. Topics covered include business, education, entertainment, health, and motherhood. Access: http://www.femina.com.

• Librarians’ Index to the Internet (LII). Women. Part of the larger LII directory of reliable Internet sources, the LII section on women includes more than 350 annotated high-quality Web sites. The sites are selected and evaluated by librarians. The section on women includes more than 350 annotated sites. Access: http://lii.org/search/file/women.

• Voice of the Shuttle Gender Studies Page (University of California-Santa Barbara). This large directory of Web pages (some annotated) on gender studies includes the following sections: general resources; women’s studies and feminist theory; gay, lesbian, and queer studies; men’s movements and men’s studies; and cybergender and techgender. Access: http://vos.ucsb.edu/browse.asp?id=2711.

• Women’s Studies Databases. The University of Maryland’s women’s studies Web site is loaded with content and connections. Begun in September 1992, it serves those people interested in the women’s studies profession and in general women’s issues. The site contains information about upcoming conferences and calls for papers, subject bibliographies, history and governmental information, links to syllabi, film reviews, pathfinders and other links to scholarly resources. Access: http://www.mith2.umd.edu/WomensStudies/.

• Women’s Studies Programs, Departments, and Research Centers. Links to more than 700 programs, departments, and research centers worldwide. Access: http://research.umbc.edu/~korenman/wmst/programs.html.

• Women’s Studies/Women’s Issues Resource Sites. Selective and annotated listing of Web sites containing resources and information about women’s studies and women’s issues, with an emphasis on sites of particular use to an academic women’s studies program. The site is arranged by subject sections and also includes an all-inclusive alphabetical listing. Access: http://research.umbc.edu/%7Ekorenman/wmst/links.html.

• WSSLINKS: Women and Gender Studies. Developed and maintained by ACRL’s Women’s Studies Section, this site is arranged by broad categories and divided into topical areas. The site also includes links to a variety of resources, including bibliographies, reports, and other publications; organizations; directories; and other topical sites. Access: http://libr.org/wss/WSSLinks/index.html.

Associations and organizations
• American Association of University Women (AAUW). The site for this large, well-known organization promotes education, equity, and advocacy for women and girls. Some of the main categories include community programs; grants, fellowships, and awards; and advocacy. Some of the information on the site is restricted to AAUW members. Access: http://www.aauw.org.

• Global Fund for Women. This nonprofit is a grantmaking organization that provides funding to support women’s groups working on emerging, controversial, or difficult issues. The grants support groups working on projects related to female human rights. Information on the site includes a history of the organization, current projects, annual report, opportunities on participating in the organization, and grant applications. Access: http://www.globalfundforwomen.org.

• League of Women Voters. This voluntary organization promotes political responsibility through informed and active participation of citizens in government. In addition to information about the organization, the site provides information on major public policy issues, voter information, and an e-library with publications, historical documents, and video and image archives. Access: http://www.lwv.org/.

• National Council for Research on Women (NCRW). NCRW is a working alliance of 92 women’s research and policy centers, more than 3,000 affiliates, and a network of more than 200 international centers. The site includes information on the national and international network of organizations, current information on research, policy and action initiatives, funding opportunities, and other resources. Access: http://www.ncrw.org./

• National Organization of Women (NOW). NOW is the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States that furthers women’s rights through education and litigation. The site contains resources for NOW activities, key issues, news, and political activism. Access: http://www.now.org.

• National Women’s History Project. The site for this educational nonprofit organization provides information, educational materials, and programs on the diverse and historic accomplishments of women. Access: http://www.nwhp.org/index.html.

• National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA). NWSA is a professional organization designed to further the social, political, and professional development of women. The site provides information about the association, publications, a job bank, and links to other resources. Access: http://www.nwsa.org/.

• Women Watch. This is a gateway to information and resources from various United Nations (UN) agencies working on women’s issues worldwide. It reports on the work of UN conferences on women’s issues, national action plans, statistics on women in national governments, and more. Access: http://www.un.org/womenwatch/.

Government and business resources
• National Women’s Health Information Center. This site is a product of the Office on Women’s Health, a part of the Department of Health and Human Services, to provide health information and serve as a referral center. Included in this site are resources and information for professionals and consumers, encompassing both government and private sector-approved resources. Access: http://www.4woman.gov/.

• Office of Violence Against Women. This is the U.S. Justice Department office that handles legal and policy issues regarding violence against women. The site includes links to grant activities, laws and legislation, research, and publications. Access: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/vawo/.

• Office of Women in Development. This Web site from USAID contains a collection of documents from a variety of agencies concerned with gender and development issues. This site also includes newsletters, updates, reports, and Global Snapshots—which is a series highlighting USAID gender-related activities around the world. Access: http://www.usaid.gov/our_work/cross-cutting_programs/wid/.

• Online Women’s Business Center (OWBO). OWBO is provided by Small Business Administration’s Office of Women’s Business Ownership. The site includes a large library of articles on marketing, finance, management, technology, and procurement issues. The site also offers online forums, an interactive business skills training Web site, and links to other related sites. Access: http://www.onlinewbc.gov/about_us.html.

• U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau. This site provides updated information regarding women’s labor issues. The site also includes reports, publications, and statistics issued by the Department of Labor. Access: http://www.dol.gov/wb/.

• WomanOwned. This site offers a variety of resources for women business owners, including professional networking opportunities, business startups, and management. Also included are a message board and links to other resources. Access: http://www.womanowned.com/.

• Women: Archives Library Information Center (ALIC) [U.S. National Archives and Records Administration: Women]. ALIC is part of the service of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration’s library and includes links to a variety of subjects. The link to “Women” provides a listing of historical Web sites relevant to women in the United States, including a guide to materials, bibliographies, journals, and primary documents. Access: http://www.archives.gov/research_room/alic/reference_desk/womens_history_links.html.

Discussion lists
• Gender-Related Electronic Forums. This extensive directory of electronic lists is organized based on broad subject areas such as: Activist Lists, Age-Defined Lists, Arts and Humanities Lists, Business/Finance Lists, Cyberculture/Internet Information Lists, Education Lists, Health Lists, International Lists, Motherhood Lists, Religion/Spirituality Lists, Science/Technology Lists, Sexuality/Sexual Orientation Lists, Social Science Lists, Sports/Recreation Lists, Women of Color Lists, Women’s Studies Lists. Access: http://www-unix.umbc.edu/~korenman/wmst/forums.html.

• H-Net for Women Studies. H-Net is an international consortium of scholars and teachers that promotes and coordinates Internet networks with the common objective of advancing teaching and research in the arts, humanities, and social sciences. There are several discussion lists that are affiliated with H-Net that may be of interest to Women’s Studies scholars. Access: http://h-net.org/.

• H-Minerva. A moderated discussion list that is cosponsored by the MINERVA Center, Inc., a nonprofit educational foundation devoted to promoting the study of women and the military, women in war, and H-Net. Included are several book reviews, calls for papers, and discussions of research strategies and methods. The archives of the list are searchable by words and date ranges. Access: http://www.h-net.org/~minerva/.

• H-SAWH. A moderated list that is cosponsored by H-Net and the Southern Association for Women Historians (SAWH). SAWH supports the study of women’s history and the work of women historians. H-SAWH posts include information about teaching and research methods, as well as calls for papers and many book reviews that are helpful to researchers and librarians. The archives of the list are searchable by keyword anywhere, date, words in specific fields (e.g., subject), or author. Access: http://www.h-net.org/~sawh/.

• H-Women. A moderated international discussion group established at Michigan State University in association with H-Net. Its goals are to provide a forum for college and university historians to discuss women’s history issues and methods for teaching. H-Women posts include methods of teaching history to graduate and undergraduate students, as well as syllabi, outlines, handouts, bibliographies, tables of contents of journals, guides to term papers, announcements from libraries and archives, and reports on new media technologies. The archives of the list are searchable by keyword anywhere, date, words in specific fields (e.g., subject), or author. Access: http://www.h-net.org/~women/.

• WMST-L. WMST-L is an electronic forum that promotes communication for researchers and teachers from the academic perspective. The content includes current research, teaching strategies, and useful sources in all mediums. They strictly adhere to the narrow scope of women’s studies. The archives of the list are searchable by keyword anywhere, date, words in specific fields (e.g., subject), or author. Access: http://research.umbc.edu/~korenman/wmst/wmst-l_index.html.

Electronic journals
• Advancing Women in Leadership. This journal is refereed and focuses on the subject of women’s issues in leadership (1997–present). Access: http://www.advancingwomen.com/awl.html.

• Genders. Genders is a peer-reviewed academic research journal published semi-annually. It contains essays about gender and sexuality in relation to social, political, artistic, and economic concerns (1998–present). Access: http://www.genders.org/.

• Gender Forum. This peer-reviewed journal is dedicated to the discussion of women’s and gender studies (2002–present). Access: http://www.genderforum.uni-koeln.de/index.html.

• Jenda. This journal contains peer-reviewed articles that focus on African women’s studies. The content of the articles include multidisciplinary subjects that stretch across the humanities and social sciences (2000–present). Access: http://www.jendajournal.com/.

• Journal of International Women’s Studies. This publication is a peer-reviewed journal. The content seeks to explore the relationship between feminist theory and various forms of organizing. The publication is multidisciplinary in nature and seeks to cross traditional disciplinary boundaries of knowledge (2000–present). Access: http://www.bridgew.edu/SoAS/jiws/.

• n.paradoxa. This international feminist art journal, published semiannually by K T Press, focuses on visual arts and feminist theory and perspectives. It publishes refereed articles that explore women’s art and feminist art theory (1996–present). Access: http://web.ukonline.co.uk/n.paradoxa/.

• Outskirts. This is a feminist cultural studies journal that is published twice per year in association with the Center for Women’s Studies at the University of Western Australia. It is a refereed publication that contains articles from many disciplines in the humanities and social sciences (1996–2003). Access: http://www.chloe.uwa.edu.au/outskirts/.

• Third Space. A refereed publication that is distributed semiannually, Third Space seeks to raise the profile of feminist scholars and scholarship by offer emerging feminist scholars more opportunities for professional development (submissions can be in English or French). The content that is covered in the journal includes applications of feminist research theory and methodology (2001–present). Access:
http://www.thirdspace.ca/journal.htm.

• Women in Judaism Multidisciplinary. This is a refereed online journal devoted to scholarly debate on gender-related issues in Judaism. It is published semiannually with text in both English and French (1997-present). Access: http://www.utoronto.ca/wjudaism/.

• Women’s Writing. Women’s Writing is an international journal focusing on women’s writing before roughly 1900. It is published three times per year. Articles are refereed and focus on theoretical and historical perspectives, as well as contributions that are concerned with gender, culture, race and class. It includes book reviews and also has special theme issues that are devoted to individual authors or specific subjects (1997–present). Access: http://www.triangle.co.uk/wow/.

Sharon Hybki Kerr is electronic resources manager, e-mail: skerr2@gmu.edu, and George D. Oberle III is multimedia and history liaison librarian, e-mail: goberle@gmu.edu, at George Mason University Libraries

© 2005 Sharon Hybki Kerr and George D. Oberle III