Welcome! 

Radhika Gafur at your service.

As a fellow adovcate and student here in John Jay College of Criminal Justice, it was HIGHLY important to stay up to date with certain political conversations and understand the different issues, concerns and stigmas the country deals with.

I am currently a sophomore and am majoring in Forensic Psychology.

Along with being a scholar student, I am also on the Women's Soccer team for John Jay. Being able to expand my knowledge through this course of Gender Studies 101 has made me more well aware, considerate and huge advocate for justice. By playing in soccer my whole life, I was breaking the gender roles already about women along with some stereotypical ideas that women have to be or look like; I was not afraid to let my passion take me to a new level and make my own role in society-that carries on to say I am highly for feminism, I understand hegemonic mascunlity and see it occur so many times that it's completely normal to make males fit into a certain box that withdraws all kinds of emotions and thats wrong.

The reason I be this strong, independent, intelligent women, and tackle academics and sports at the same time is because of my parents-they have been married for over 22 years but they are from different cultures and against all odds, understood that love is love, regardless of culture or now, gender, love is love and it is the same all over the world. I grew up in a very open-minded household which let me make my own role in society-being the smart, giddy, girly tomboy. By a girly tomboy, I mean I like to be feminine when I want to, not because society makes me have to, and by being a "tomboy" this is my athletic side where I can be who I want to and dominate my role in soccer etc.

My dad is always someone who will be my hero because he understood about there is no such thing as gender roles and it's a social construct. The reason I had a chance to even play soccer is because of my dad-who was a championship winning collegiate soccer athlete in his days. He, himself, one day appproached this HUGE male dominated soccer camp and asked to enroll me in there, letting me be the only girl with over 200 boys. It was quite uncomfortable for me at first but then I started to rise with deteremination, leadership qualities, good work ethic and my dad was always there at every practice, every game, from the minute I started playing at the age of 5 to Division III Women's Soccer for John Jay;

He is one of the main reasons I can believe in my beliefs and break out gender roles and their stereotypes one by one, with my own personal life and experiences. 

Be alert and aware, this page has opinions and is not afraid to speak one's mind.

Enjoy. 

If you can't tell already, my theme is mainly about the unfairness involving gender roles and the unneccessary patriarchial dominate society and government we currently reside in. I just cannot wrap my head around men having a damn say in FEMALE, I repeat, FEMALE issues and our bodies. Has it ever occured to you that only females have special doctors for our gentials and if a male was having an issue, there was no one specialized in this area of their genitals and would just go to the regular doctor. That's only one of the many things that are wrong and unfair with this society.

My background is quite humorous for those who know what the food, pizza rolls, are. Pizza rolls are actually one of my favorite snacks so when I found this background, I was ESTACTIC. It gives the option of this beautiful snack over a socially constructed idea and it represents that there is a choice to break this stereotypical idea of society and just to not be pressured by having to fit into the categories of male and female, and to just chill, do your thing and ofcourse, have some delicious pizza roles. Can't conquer this male dominated society and break it down with and empty stomach. 

Similarily, my heading is a very feminine but edgy logo depicting exactly what it says: Down with the Patriarchy. It flows along the lines of not being able for women or any gender to have a dominated say in another gender. Yes, gender is a social construct however for more than 10,000 years, men have always wanted to literally be the alpha dog and took control and power over anyone else to remain as the dominate one. Well look here boy, not only are women understanding this is wrong and completely ridiculous, we have been fighting for our rights and gained some too such as women being able to vote, or women having rights in a divorce, women being able to get a divorce and not be shunned by society about marriage, women being able to attend college/play sports etc. But sadly, to this day, we still have many more issues to figure out such as abortion rights, equal wage pay etc, and deal out with these hard headed government level officals who really just don't want to lose power. All in all, when we all stand together, one day, just one day, there will be no dominate gender, since genders are socially constructed anyway. And that day will there literally be peace on earth. 

My colors are purple, green and orange. I choose these colors because there are the colors that seem neutural to me. For example, pink is for girls and blue is for boys, society wise, right? Well, no, but overall, I believe purple is the mix of blue and pink, green is the mix of blue and yellow and orange is the mix of red and yellow. By picking out colors that are deemed to be male or female supposed colors, we can mix them together and get these beautiful, blended, non-gender dominated or supposed colors. These colors are neutral, have no say in gender, can be for anyone and everyone. There should not be a color for one specfic gender and the color should be able for the other genders as well. Purple, green, and orange are powerful and represent my overall theme about gender roles and breaking out this issue of a male dominated society. It achieves to show that there are ways to overcome this social construct and it can be in the smallest way too, blending primary colors to achieve a non-labeled one-where the rules don't matter because we have broken them.