The Undomestic 10: Kate Rohdenburg

Name: Kate Rohdenburg
Sex: Female
Occupation: Youth Violence Prevention Education and Community Outreach Coordinator (seriously!)


1.) Are you a feminist?
YES. I relate mostly to Radical and Anti-Porn feminism.

2.) What does feminism mean to you?
“I only know that people call me a feminist whenever I express sentiments that differentiate me from a doormat.” – Rebecca West

Feminism is a social theory – while people express feminism differently, there are different schools and different sects and different acts of feminism, there are basic tenets, the most important of which are (for me): anti-oppression, trusting women, fighting patriarchy.

3.) Who is one female (other than your mother) you admire, and why?
There are TONS of women that I admire. Christina Stoltz, my colleague who is working for women in Russia and Central Asia (Fulbright scholar and accessorized extraordinaire), the Wonderful Women of WISE, Twisty Faster (of I Blame the Patriarchy fame) being among the very top for inspiring me on a daily basis. Other than feminism, the only common feature I find is that all of them wake up before 6am.

4.) Are there enough women in leadership positions in your field?
I work for a domestic and sexual violence non-profit. Not only is our entire organization women (a few male volunteers who are incredible), but most of the movement is women. This being said – the few celebrities are men. Interesting…

5.) Are men and women being paid fair and equally in your field?
N/A – see above.

6.) How do media generally portray women? What is a good example of this?
I like Contexts.org for on-point examples of how women are portrayed. That and a quote by Gail Dines “Women in this culture are either fuckable or invisible.”

7.) What can men and women do to reduce violence against women?
Stop using or approving of violence as a way to solve conflicts and get what you want. Speak out about others who use/approve of violence. Educate yourself on the dynamics and realities of Violence Against Women (volunteer on the crisis line for your local crisis center – the trainings are incredible). “We must keep non-violence as our goal and make steady progress toward it. The attainment of freedom, whether for a man, a nation, or the world, must be in exact proportion to the attainment of nonviolence by each.” – Mahatma Gandhi

8.) How do you achieve balance between work and personal/home life?
I don’t. My roommates won’t go out with my anymore because they don’t want a lecture on consent.

9.) What is one thing you’d like to see happen for women in the next 5-10 years?
Feminist President (ed. note: Note she said feminist, not female - there is a difference)

10.) What is one piece of advice you’d like to give to young girls today?
Take a media literacy class and don’t buy what they’re trying to sell you. Also, be nice to one another.


Read more about Kate on her blogs here and here, and on Twitter at @dancinggrapes. And stay tuned to see how her boyfriend answers the questions tomorrow!


*Any emphasis that of The Undomestic Goddess

The Undomestic 10 is a 10-question interview with men and women about feminism and how we can improve it. The Undomestic 10 welcomes anyone and everyone to shed light on how our society views feminism (even those who don't self-identify as feminists). If you think you have something interesting to add to the mix, don't hesitate to email me at amanda(dot)recupido(at)gmail(dot)com.

Link to all Undomestic 10 interviews.