The many meanings of “Public Affairs”?

From the WSJ:  The “upstart” political party, the Czech Public Affairs party, has published a calendar of some of its leading public office holders. 

Apparently this is seen by the participants as a feminist assertion of their attractiveness as women (and, in at least one case, an animal companion).  And in the era of Lady GaGa feminism, why not?  Member of Parliament as Playmate.

A possibly more mitigating explanation is that the display is a reaction to, and rejection of, the dreary Soviet controlled years of anti-fashion.

What do you think?  Want to see (a photo-shopped) Hilary Clinton in a black satin negligee?

This year has the highest proportion of women in the Czech parliament ever.  Since the Cabinet is still all male, it appears men remain on top.

Booking a Dutch Ferry?

You’d better be married or a man.

(Thanks, Lydia!)

Worried about car theft?

Buy a pink one. (Thanks, J-Bro!)

Valor in the Pursuit of Epistemic Justice

Word reached us, thanks to the special cable linking feminist hot spots across the globe, about the business meeting held by a certain philosophical society at its annual meeting.  As the plans for the upcoming conference were being discussed, Jacqueline Taylor (philosophy, University of San Francisco) pointed out that important positions were going disproportionately to men.  As one should expect, Prof Taylor’s remark was not received with unreserved enthusiasm.  On the contrary…

When women are not counted as equally valued creators of knowledge as men, we suffer a kind of epistemic injustice.  Many women’s careers bear the marks of unjust treatment.  Conferences are exceptionally important for drawing attention to women’s work and, consequently, for helping to establish epistemic justice.  Conferences can equally contribute to the perpetuation of such injustice.

Prof Taylor is a regular reader of this blog, and so she is well aware that of the gendered conference campaign and its costs.  A woman who calls out members of the profession on issues about epistemic justice is hardly behaving winningly.  So let’s recognize her and others who step outside the expected patterns of behavior to try to create an awareness of these important issues.  They exhibit valor in the pursuit of epistemic justice.

(With thanks to the work of Miranda Fricker on epistemic injustice.)