and all that Chas...

What I wish my sex education had contained

2012-01-20T10:46:00.005Z

The current backlash against Nadine Dorries' insane proposals to teach abstinence-only sex education to girls aged 13-16 got me thinking about my own sex education. Various commentators have made the point that, whilst abstinence teaching alone is an entirely unhelpful strategy, sex education that puts some emphasis on the right to say no, or at least the right to wait, is still important.

Why women need to stop giving money to an industry that hates them.

2011-12-29T19:26:00.002Z

I don't know why anyone's surprised to learn that breast implants have accompanying health risks. I don't know why anyone's surprised to learn that implants containing industrial instead of medical silicone were put in hundreds of thousands of women's bodies. What I am surprised at, is the total failure of anyone to link this recent revelation with the total contempt the cosmetic surgery industry

2011-12-02T13:38:00.002Z

Yesterday's Times reported that French parliament are to consider legislation which would make it an offence to use a prostitute, resulting in a maximum sentence of 6 months in prison and a €3000 fine. This announcement throws up a lot of issues that have been endlessly debated in the arguments for and against prostitution. Those who support the 'Nordic model', practised in Sweden, whereby it is

Degrees of sexism - my university adventures in feminism

2011-11-18T09:36:00.006Z

After reading this excellent post by Cherry Morris for The F Word about how universities, far from being the enlightened, sexism-free seats of learning you might expect, are often rife with anti-feminist attitudes, I started thinking about my own time at university. I went to a high-ranking modern university, which I partially chose out of instinct that a newer university would be free of the

Reading The Sun is rarely, if ever, a good idea

2011-11-03T17:19:00.004Z

...but during an idle moment at work, I succumbed. What caught my eye was not any of the usual breasts, casual racism or right-wing hatred, but the crop of letters on the Letters page. All were roundly condemning the judge in the Joanna Yeates murder trial for not allowing the 'fact' of her murderer, Vincent Tabak's 'obsession' with 'strangulation porn' to be admitted as evidence in court. Never

Why 7 billion matters

2011-10-31T18:55:00.002Z

Cross-posted from the Feminist Majority Foundation website, here's some information about how the exploding global birth rate affects women:"Global rates of maternal mortality remain perilously high; one woman dies every minute of every day in pregnancy or childbirth, and for every woman who dies, another 20 suffer from injury, infection, or disease every minute." Secretary of State Hillary

2011-10-05T18:51:00.002+01:00

You could be forgiven for thinking that the appeal trial over the murder of Meredith Kercher only involved one person instead of two. That's because the coverage of Amanda Knox was so grossly disproportionate to that of her co-accused, Rafaelle Sollecito, that it was very easy to forget that both a man and a woman were appealing against their conviction for murder. Is it paranoid to imagine that

2011-09-24T19:33:00.003+01:00

Compare this new article from The Daily Telegraph's website, with an article on the same story printed in today's Daily Telegraph .The first has an entirely factual headline, contains two equal size headshots of the accuser and defendant and reports the news of the case in fairly bland, non-sensationalist tone. The second...well, judge for yourself. Where do I start in critiquing the gross sexism

2011-09-22T18:24:00.002+01:00

Holidays are rarely a good time to try challenging sexism. They're not really ideal for defeating any kind of stereotype, as I rapidly realised on the aeroplane when the family I was seated in the midst of started talking about 'foreign doctors making thousands of pounds off dead patients' whilst brandishing The Daily Mail as their document of truth. Still, as I jetted off to Orlando,

The hair-brained scheme - an update

2011-08-24T19:40:00.003+01:00

So, it's my grandmother's 90th birthday on Saturday. In preparation for the occasion, I've bought a new dress, given myself a pedicure, and booked a hair appointment. However there's one thing I have resolved not to do for the party, much as I want to - and that's remove the hair from my legs and armpits. After 2 months of not shaving, my body hair is about 3/4 of an inch long, and getting longer

2011-08-12T11:58:00.003+01:00

"It's a shame when women copy men's behaviour no matter how stupid it is." Skin, singer from Skunk Anansie, 1997 Although the above comment was aimed at the 'ladette' culture of the 90s, and the supposed female empowerment chanted about by the Spice Girls, I think it holds more water than ever today, as we witness the likes of this story emerging in the wake of the London riots. The story is

2011-08-03T16:13:00.003+01:00

I’ve been growing my body hair for about five weeks now. It’s part of an experiment to see if I truly can walk the feminist walk as well as I talk the talk. Those who dislike the idea of having to be all fuzzy before they can truly call themselves feminists will surely start arguing that focusing on a narrow definition of bodily freedom is not what it’s all about – what we fought for was choice,

LIFE is what happens when you're busy being a feminist

2011-07-24T17:31:00.002+01:00

I was at a charity jumble sale today in Milton Keynes, where local charities such as animal shelters and hospices had stalls to raise funds. I bought a book and a DVD, browsed the arrays of home-baked delights, rifled through the clothes, had a few goes on the tombola. As I was perusing one stall, I was dismayed to look down and see a banner proclaiming that it was for the MK branch of the

Victims do deserve more protection in court...

2011-07-06T14:52:00.002+01:00

...it's just a shame that this has been wilfully ignored until a massively high-profile case like the trial for the murder of Milly Dowler, brought it to the public's attention.It's no news to any feminist that victims of rape have historically been treated appallingly in court, and despite token attempts to tighten up on how much a victim themselves can be 'put on trial', there's still a long

Thought for the day

2011-06-20T15:21:00.001+01:00

"The concern for the rights of the unborn child expressed by anti-choice activists rarely extends beyond birth – the same MPs who would restrict abortion rights are often supportive of cuts to benefits and public services which are vital to child and family wellbeing. "(Abortion Rights Newsletter, June 2011)

The most terrifying and depressing statement I've read in a long time

2011-06-16T21:14:00.004+01:00

is courtesy of Lucy Jones, on today's Telegraph blog."Thankfully, there are still men out there who will take your coat, pull out the chair and pay for dinner. Hairy bra-burners may be happy to walk on the outside of the road but what about the rest of us?If chivalry is dead, blame it on the feminists." Perhaps words are failing me because I've been muffled by my own armpit hair, or smothered by

2011-06-14T16:18:00.005+01:00

I'm appalled that Yasmin Alibhai-Brown, a woman who has spent a great deal of time admirably taking to task Islamic fundamentalism and its shitty treatment of women, seems to be adopting the exact mindsets of those who believe sexual violence is - at least partly - the fault of the victim. But that's exactly what she seems to have done in her article in Monday's Independent, "How does dressing

My favourite quotes for today:

2011-06-06T22:38:00.002+01:00

"I've nothing against polyamorous tendencies...because I'm not a curtain-twitching Mail reader with an unhealthy fixation on anyone doing things a bit differently than I do in the bedroom.What grates is the idea that all men are passive slaves to our sex drives, lumps of meat attached to our penises like a little old lady being dragged along the pavement by a Doberman in heat, rather than capable

Excellent comment on a feminist blog today

2011-06-03T13:49:00.001+01:00

"If every time a woman is raped someone immediately throws in her face that “well men get raped too” or every time a woman experiences domestic violence someone immediate throws in her face “well women hit men too”, absolutely nothing changes. These statements occur to shut conversations down, not rectify anything. Women simply experience both of these things at a statistical level that surpasses

Stuff to get horrendously depressed about:

2011-05-31T10:19:00.002+01:00

US-style anti-abortion tactics begin infecting the UK.New enemy of women # 1 Nadine Dorries begins pushes for abstinence only, girls-only sex education in schools although at least some commentators here speak sense on the matter.Life, an anti-abortion lobbying group, are invited to join and advise on the Government Sexual Health Forum.Anyone got any news that won't make me want to reach for my

ARRRRRRRRRRRGGHHHHH

2011-05-18T13:35:00.002+01:00

Just when you thought things might be getting better, shit like this comes along to remind you that the powers that be remain utterly ignorant, and dangerously misguided, about pretty much anything to do with rape, sexual assault, or women's bodily autonomy in general.I thought there might be some kind of turning point when I noticed the reporting over the sexual assault allegations against

The problem with calling it Slutwalk is....

2011-05-09T18:14:00.002+01:00

...not that people are mobilising and getting angry in response to gross misogyny from a Toronto police officer......not that any genuine feminist actually believes there is such thing as a slut, or that any woman deserves to be labelled one......not that it's a depressing reminder that the need to march for women's right not to be raped still exists, 40 years on from Reclaim The Night Marches...

Joan Smith speaks sense on the niqab/burkha in today's Independent

2011-04-20T17:56:00.003+01:00

"It's a fact often forgotten in cultures where women's bodies are on more or less permanent display, but you don't have to take off all your clothes to attract attention...When women go to disproportionate lengths to cover themselves up, they always end up looking so outlandish that everyone stares at the them anyway. I once went shopping in West London with a woman who was wearing black robes

2011-03-21T11:58:00.005Z

The other day, I was talking about immunisations with two other women. We were reminiscing about our experience of the MMR jab, bemoaning side effects, and most importantly, remember how it pissed us all off royally that we had an extra obligation to get the jab than the boys in our class - namely, the ability to get pregnant. I recall at the age of 11, already on the prowl for further evidence

Finally.

2011-03-02T15:59:00.003Z

Doctors confirm what feminists have been pointing out for a long time. Namely, that abortiona) is actually medically safer than continuing a pregnancyb) isn't linked to psychological traumac) and it'd be a good idea to let women know this.Thank god some level-headed medics have cut through the ridiculous scare-mongering (the next person who mentions 'post-abortion trauma' will be required to go

Disappointment with The Independent...

2011-02-14T13:38:00.003Z

...for this Saturday's Essay by Susannah Frankel, "We fetishise the female form, and then condemn the wish to 'improve' it". Taking as its starting point the recent depressing news story of a British 20 year-old who died after an illegal cosmetic procedure, she basically goes on to defend the very culture which drove Claudia Aderotimi to her death. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised that Frankel

So, there's still sexism in football....

2011-01-28T10:23:00.007Z

...next week, Pope in 'Catholic' shocker, and the week after that, 'bear utilises woods for his lavatorial needs' scandal. Why anyone is surprised that a field of interest which remains closed to women, hostile to women and is largely built on the premise of excluding women turns out sexist chumps such as Andy Grey and Richard Keys, I don't know. I've always thought of women who loyally follow

The coalition government makes its first potentially smart move...

2011-01-17T14:33:00.001Z

...and suggests a woman-friendly policy. It'll be interesting to see how this one pans out...

I'm currently reading...

2011-01-09T15:23:00.002Z

...this, and cannot recommend it highly enough. Essential reading for both genders. Sounds good? Check out the website too.

Finally, some anti-rape campaigns aimed at men...

2011-01-07T13:57:00.002Z

...one by my own local constabulary,Thames Valley Police, and one by Lambeth Council.Are the police and local authorities finally listening to feminists? I'm wary of getting too excited, but it seems like some common sense is finally starting to permeate. More campaigns like this please.

Another year, another dubious 'study' in The Telegraph...

2011-01-05T13:11:00.004Z

...this time stating that because women 'still want to marry men who are better educated and earn more money than them', feminism is ultimately redundant. Citing a study by Dr Catherine Hakim of LSE, the article makes the not unreasonable point that 'after decades of equality campaigning, many women now found it hard to admit that they wanted to be a housewife more than they wanted a successful

Following on from my last post...

2010-11-25T15:26:00.002Z

...here's an article on Andrey Anokhin's research challenging that hoary old 'men are just more visual than women' chesnut.

Thoughts on Filament magazine and erotica for women in general

2010-11-22T14:47:00.004Z

At last weekend's Ladyfest I attended a fascinating talk led by Suraya Sidhu Singh, the editor of Filament, the latest magazine to attempt to fill the gap in the market for quality erotica aimed at women. During the talk Singh dealt with the various objections that have been raised every time an erotic magazine aimed at women has been launched, and provided some very interesting food for thought.

I always thought The Evening Standard was a right-wing hate rag...

2010-11-18T17:08:00.005Z

...but this article by Rosamund Urwin actually made an excellent, if seemingly obvious point, about the hijacking of feminism to mean anything the media wants it to mean: "Katie Price's many defenders continue to applaud her: as a business genius, a role model, and - most ludicrously - as a feminist heroine whom women should support. Yes, she has built an empire, if not quite out of air, then

2010-11-15T09:50:00.002Z

Although I'm feeling far too inarticulate and Monday morning-esque to go into detail, I'd just like to say how much I enjoyed Literature at Ladyfest Ten. Especially the History of Women's Erotica, which did a fine job of debunking myths about why erotic publications for women haven't been so successful - clue: it's not because we don't like sex, or 'aren't visual creatures' as the Daily Mail

Lionel Shriver on the frustratingly unpredictable nature

2010-11-06T17:35:00.002Z

...of female sexuality. And, by implication, why men shouldn't feel so bad if they can't make a woman come (without the lady involved participating in the task, at least)."His manipulations were never quite right...but to be fair, there was something inscrutable about that recessive twist of flesh, if only because the clitoris was built on an exasperatingly miniature scale. For a man to get a

Possibly the most depressing news of the year so far...

2010-10-26T18:24:00.003+01:00

...is the article on P13 of today’s Independent, titled ‘US-style anti-abortion protestors target clinics in Britain’. The picture of a frankly ridiculous looking ‘pro-life’ protester in a Texas Chainsaw Massacre-type mask holding up the obligatory doll does undermine the notion that these woman-hating loonies actually pose any serious threat

Kathy Lette on the seductive message that feminism's work is done

2010-09-25T20:56:00.003+01:00

"Any female who calls herself a post-feminist has kept her WonderBra and burnt her brains. Not only do women suffer from facial prejudice [we get judged on our looks in a way that men don't. Hey, how else is Woody Allen still getting laid?!] but we also still don't have equal pay and constantly get concussion from hitting our heads on the glass ceiling. [Plus we're expected to Windex it while

Watching The Wright Stuff is rarely a good idea...

2010-09-17T10:48:00.003+01:00

...but when you're killing time at home it's bound to appear on your TV screen sooner or later. How I've watched it so much without melting into a rage-induced puddle, or at least phoning in to scream abuse at Matthew Wright for his constant ill-concealed misogyny, I'm not sure, but the occasional word of sense that is spoken by the panel or callers is probably all that restrains me. On various

Feminists are MIA when it comes to the battle against HIV/AIDS..

2010-08-19T09:40:00.005+01:00

...according to this article from The Body. It's definitely food for thought when one considers just how the landscape of the battle against HIV/AIDS has altered over the decades. From being painfully taboo in the early 80s, to the hip awareness of the late 80s and 90s, to being old hat and largely unmentioned as the world moved through the late 90s and into the 20th Century. As the article

Gender-blindness Is A Dangerous Condition

2010-07-14T11:51:00.003+01:00

...especially when it comes to documentaries such as last night's The Ugly Face of Beauty on Channel 4. There seemed to be some good intention mixed in with all the mixed messages, but really it was a gigantic wasted opportunity to point out just why the promotion of cosmetic surgery is so hateful towards women. Instead, the programme focused on 'when surgery goes wrong', therefore neatly

As if I needed any more evidence to support yesterday's post

2010-06-19T11:13:00.002+01:00

...along comes a perfect example of how so many countries across the world still consider women less important than foetuses. Even foetuses that have developed without a brain.

Whilst I'm sure most Americans are intelligent, right-thinking people...

2010-06-18T13:51:00.002+01:00

...the mind simply boggles at the actions of US law-makers. The latest piece of jaw-droppingly misogynistic legislation hails from Louisiana, where it has recently become part of state law that women seeking an abortion must undergo an ultrasound scan first. Even more depressingly, perhaps, than the nakedly woman-hating law itself, is the fact it was brought in by a female senator - a Democrat as

2010-05-28T18:31:00.003+01:00

I can't say I'm optimistic about the new Conservative-dominated coalition government in terms of making positive steps forward for women. With a 'Minister for Equality' who has repeatedly voted against equality legislation, and who has no interest in banning Page 3 (hmm, wouldn't have anything to do with the fact the Conservatives are funded by the Murdoch empire, would it now?!), it seems that

Finally...

2010-04-18T12:02:00.002+01:00

....a male journalist points out that pole dancing is not empowering, and is anti-feminist . Thank you to David Mitchell for speaking sense. Not the first time the stars of Peep Show have perceptively (and hilariously) attacked the media's shitty treatment of women.

No Period, No Problem?

2010-04-07T12:52:00.004+01:00

...was the tagline of an article in Ms. magazine a few issues back, and since it sums up what I'm about to muse upon, I've nicked it. The article was about the new generation of period-suppressing pills, which are basically the standard contraceptive pill tweaked about a bit. Lybrell, one brand of this type of pill, is already out in America, but however many times I ask my doctor and am promised

The Arrogance of Youth

2010-03-08T14:54:00.004Z

Or rather, the arrogance of the assumption that youth is the sole desirable state for a human being to attain. I've long been incensed by the canonisation of youth practised by the media and beauty industry, not just because it's illogical, misogynistic and creepy, but also because no one seems to have spoken up and pointed out that being young really isn't all that great. The latest piece of

Book Review

2010-01-29T11:08:00.003Z

Because anything that purports to be a 'modern guide to feminism' is likely to be controversial, I'll try to keep my take on The Noughtie Girl's Guide To Feminism by Ellie Levenson to a 'I agreed with this/this made my head meet the desk' list, to avoid excessive ranting. No doubt it'll fail as soon as I get onto the latter part, but I'll try.What I Liked/Agreed WithLevenson comes down firmly on

No good can come of watching the Virgin TV channel...

2010-01-18T11:30:00.002Z

...but hey, sometimes a girl gets bored late at night and flicks over. And what do Virgin like to show at night? Programmes all about sex, loosely disguised in the form of documentaries. I knew I was probably heading for trouble selecting 'Why Men Watch Porn', but it wasn't as horrific as it could have been. The attitude was pretty predictable, starting from the perspective that porn is fine and

Why am I not surprised...

2009-12-18T12:45:00.003Z

...when a book that purports to have a feminist agenda, actually ends up promoting the opposite? For my recent birthday, I asked for the book "I'm with Stupid: One Man. One Woman. 10,000 Years of Misunderstanding Between the Sexes Cleared Right Up", under the misapprehension that because one of the writers was Gina Barreca, an (alleged) feminist writer and humourist, it'd be a cut above the

Pah.

2009-12-10T11:32:00.004Z

A few weeks ago, I sent a complaint to the BBC after watching David Walliams on 'Never Mind The Buzzcocks' make a joke about the Chris Brown/Rihanna domestic violence situation. His words were "Unlucky things for Rihanna include black cats, walking under ladders, and burning Chris Brown's dinner" - a reference to the fact that earlier this year, Brown attacked Rihanna, biting and punching her in

With thanks to the London Feminist Network for passing this one on...

2009-12-02T16:08:00.002Z

This was posted in response to the predictable yet still deeply jarring campaign telling women how to avoid being raped over the Christmas season:"A lot has been said about how to prevent rape. Women should learn self-defence. Women should lock themselves in their houses after dark. Women shouldn't have long hair and women shouldn't wear short skirts. Women shouldn't leave drinks unattended. Fuck

Being a gal who likes a bit of gender-bending filth...

2009-11-30T15:45:00.005Z

I was grateful to Feministing for bringing this performance by US singer Adam Lambert to my attention. Apparently Mr Lambert's explicit onstage cavorting riled the ever-homophobic conservative element of the American media, and cost him an appearance on morning TV (because we all know that those gays have no sense of time and will hump anything, even at 8am). Personally, I loved it. Boys in

Getting lippy

2009-11-15T10:55:00.003Z

An interesting article on BBC News questions both the safety and ethics of 'designer vaginas', i.e. the rising trend of labiaplasty amongst western women. Can't copy and paste because for some reason this blog has gone haywire when it comes to accepting commands, but the gist is that senior gynaecologists and psychologists have started questioning the reasoning behind blowing £3,000 to cut

Notes on Feminism In London, Oct 10th

2009-10-14T11:46:00.003+01:00

This was a fantastic day and I only wish it could've lasted over a whole weekend or even a week, there were so many teeming issues to deal with. But I appreciate it took the organisers a whole whack of time and money to make the day happen, and all I can say is I can't wait for the next one. As someone who often feels largely alone in their concern about feminist issues, it was so fulfilling to

Do you remember the first time?

2009-09-30T13:27:00.004+01:00

There's an interesting post today on Feministing.com, asking community members when they became feminists, or at least, interested in the notion of feminism. I wasn't surprised to see more than a few people respond 'at the age of 4', or 'since birth'. I'd say I'm definitely in the earlier rather than later camp, and in some ways I do think a commitment to women's rights has always been in my

You can rely on Mitchell and Webb...

2009-09-12T13:47:00.002+01:00

...to tell it like it is when it comes to the advertising industry.This is just too funny. And too true.

I Should Know Better...

2009-09-01T13:20:00.003+01:00

...than to even glance in the direction of OK! magazine, given that it's owned by a notorious pornographer who also has the dubious accolade of owning The Daily Mirror. These facts alone should tell me to keep my blinkers well fastened when passing the magazine shelf in Borders but as big, red obnoxious headlines tend to, this week's issue caught my eye. Cover celebrity - Jordan aka Kate Price.

Oh, go on then

2009-08-01T16:34:00.006+01:00

To discuss matters menstrual or gynaelogical on a feminist blog may sometimes feel like playing into the hands of those who believe that feminism is just an excuse to a) bitch and moan about men and b) go on ad nauseam (literally) about all the revolting things the female body does. Obviously the latter notion rests on the kind of schoolboy repression that leads men to run from the room like

Which is more offensive - misuse of religious imagery, or sexism?

2009-07-01T11:00:00.005+01:00

According to the Advertising Standards Agency, the former. They have ruled that an ad showing a nun and a priest about to kiss is "deameaning to those with a religious vocation". Hmmm. I'm all for respecting other cultures and lifestyles, but I'm less patient when the respect is not applied consistently. Contrast ASA's ruling on this ad, with their comments on this unashamedly sexist ad for

2009-06-25T11:58:00.002+01:00

As a feminist, it's only a matter of time before your opinion on the burqa debate is canvassed. For those unfamiliar with why the issue is in the news currently, see this article for an explanation and a great deal of sensible comment on the matter. Somewhat predictably, the right-wing newspapers have seized upon the news of the possible French ban on the burqa to come out in force with

2009-06-23T12:30:00.004+01:00

I'm currently reading Susan Pinker's book The Sexual Paradox, which attempts to explain the continuing disparities between the achievements of the genders. I'm approaching the book with caution, as I'm still not convinced that it isn't simply an apology for sexism along the lines of Christina Hoff Sommers' feminist-bashing 'Who Stole Feminism?'. But unlike CHS's straightforward, hackneyed line of

2009-06-07T17:30:00.003+01:00

I've just caught a clip of the video for Sugababes' latest song, No Can Do, and am somewhat dismayed, although not entirely surprised, at the sexism employed in the video. Yet shouldn't I be cheered that the sexism in the video discriminates against men for once? Well, only if you believe that the sole reason I proclaim myself a feminist is as an excuse to bash men. The video appears to reverse

Some quotes on work...

2009-05-31T16:38:00.002+01:00

...and why it's not, nor should be, everything people think it is."I could not respect how he functioned so completely immersed in the structures of his professional micro-universe...I saw that in this constant striving to realize a financial future, no thought was given to the critical personal and political issues that affect one's emotional present."from The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin

Thoughts on watching Cabaret

2009-05-12T13:20:00.004+01:00

When I realised that even my dad has seen the classic musical Cabaret, whilst I remained ignorant of its charms, I knew I was guilty of a serious omission. I obtained myself a copy of the 1972 film straight away and sat down to watch. I knew that the film comprised glamour with an uneasy undertone, being set in the Weimar Republic during the rise of Nazism. What I was pleasantly surprised by,

2009-04-27T10:24:00.005+01:00

This ad, currently showing in UK cinemas, has been deemed too violent to be shown in full on television. Instead, censors have demanded that a cut version be shown, with the violent second portion removed from the ad. The point of now showing the ad at all, considering it's about domestic violence, and the domestic violence will now be absent for it, seems questionable. The logic behind the

Ingrained and Insane

2009-04-14T15:37:00.004+01:00

I left full-time work five weeks ago, and I'm only now beginning to see how long it's going to take to adjust to having my time to myself. It's only in the last few weeks that I've had some unadulterated days by myself - prior to this I've either been doing agency work, or been rushing between agencies undertaking all the admin that working for them requires. It being the school Easter holidays

Just for fun...

2009-04-10T18:07:00.006+01:00

I thought I'd list some of my own traits, and see how they divide down traditionally gendered lines. Things about me that might be considered ‘typically female’I like the colours pink and purple. A lot.I’m a pretty emotional person.I can cook (just about) and quite enjoy it, when I get a chance.I can sew, and enjoy it.I could not care less about sports, either playing or watching them.I dislike

Contrary to popular opinion, feminism and romance are not incompatible

2009-03-22T13:54:00.003Z

Much love to a poster on feministing.com for sharing this link.I think my favourite finding is that "having a feminist partner was linked to healthier heterosexual relationships for women. Men with feminist partners also reported both more stable relationships and greater sexual satisfaction. According to these results, feminism does not predict poor romantic relationships, in fact quite the

Weight Watchers - is fat always a feminist issue?

2009-03-19T20:52:00.004Z

As my nearest and dearest will know, I've recently lost 2.5 stone. When I say 'recently', I mean that it's been a long-term project that reached fruition when I reached my goal weight three days ago. My method was that selected by millions of men and women world-wide every year - Weight Watchers. Having been a serial dieter, binge-eater and bulimic from the age of 12 onwards, I can categorically

2009-03-17T17:01:00.003Z

Domestic violence has been been a prominent issue in recent news, with Jacqui Smith demanding we do more to tackle its scourge, neatly supported by the ongoing Chris Brown/Rihanna assault story. Coverage of the latter has hinted at a disturbing proportion of society who still think that a woman is partly to blame if a man hits her. A recent Home Office study reports that between 10-20% of

2009-03-10T18:14:00.010Z

This article reflected some of the issues that interested me most at the Million Women Rise on Saturday. As I perused the various stalls at the rally, I was particularly taken with the group Object, which I'm considering joining. They campaign for the reclassification of lads' mags as top-shelf worthy porn (I'm so on board with that one, as anyone who reads this blog will know) and the regulation

Reflections on Million Women Rise, Saturday March 7th 2009

2009-03-09T18:07:00.002Z

I was slightly apprehensive of what to expect, having heard about last year's March from a friend who attended and felt it could have been better organised to have more impact. When something matters as much to you as feminism does for me, you want to see it well represented and you definitely don't want to see anything fall flat. However, I needn't have worried; impact was the order of the

2009-03-05T20:46:00.002Z

Today a particularly British problem is in the news: the pregnancy rate amongst under-16 girls has soared in the past year, despite government attempts to halve teen pregnancy rates by 2010. It's hard, especially as a feminist, to take a line on this without offending someone along the way. Those who see teen pregnancy rates as a result of a culture that lets down teen girls by oversexualising

2009-02-26T18:27:00.008Z

You may have found it a little quiet on here recently, but it's not for lack of incendiary material or because I've abandoned ranting/writing/the sistahood. Quite the opposite, actually. I've been somewhat preoccupied by several life-changing decisions, namely:a) Quitting my godawful office job, after being pushed too far by the 'rebarbative wankers' (c) Simon Morris, 2009.b) Deciding to try my

2009-02-11T21:27:00.004Z

If THAT Virgin Atlantic ad makes you want to chew off your own kneecaps in rage as much as it does me, the wonderful Melissa McEwan provides all the info you need to complain to the Advertising Standards Agency and Virgin Atlantic themselves.If this ad actually got pulled due to complaints, I think I'd pass out from joy/surprise.

I'm Just So Into This

2009-02-10T19:47:00.003Z

A wonderful response to the heap of bollocks that is the film 'He's Just Not Into You', as seen on the Guardian's message boards:"I'm reminded of New York Times critic Manohla Dargis's excellent review of HJNTIY, where she asks "What would Thelma and Louise do?". As improbable and fantastist as Thelma & Louise seemed at the time, now they do seem like Amazonian warriors, compared to today's

Last night...

2009-02-09T18:02:00.004Z

...I was unfortunate enough to be flicking TV channels and came across one of those depressingly prescriptive docu-lite pieces of television on - sigh - how to be good at SEX. The title was 'Sex - How To Do Everything' and it had that air of irritating presumption about it; the implication being that we all still need our sexual behaviour dictating because we're too dumb/unattractive to manage a

Health and Safety

2009-02-01T14:11:00.005Z

Yesterday I was very chuffed to see that a letter I submitted to The Independent had been published. I wrote it in response to an excellent article by Johann Hari on how religious propaganda is increasingly affecting arenas in which it should have no place - the UN being the most recent incidence. You can see the letter here, but that's actually not what's on my mind. What got me thinking was

Hand-Face

2009-01-29T18:25:00.007Z

...is the gesture that is used on the wonderful Facebook group 'Slightly Strident But Who Cares?' whenever one of its members has come across a show of sexist idiocy so frustrating that your instant reaction on hearing it is to smack your hand straight onto your forehead. Here's the story for today which has caused my paw to meet my visage:"A row has erupted at a further education college after a

Who do we like today?

2009-01-23T20:16:00.006Z

We like....Mr Obama. Can he do it? Yes - he - can. And the boy's wasting no time eitherThe Attorney General - for addressing a case of shamefully light sentencing for a horrific-beyond-belief gang rape.Bitch Magazine who are publishing my review of The Porning Of America.And who said feminism was never positive? Keep the peace and bring the love.

2009-01-17T10:26:00.004Z

Jessica Valenti, one of the editors and authors of the excellent Feministing.com, has announced on her blog that she is getting married. In amongst the joy, there's a wry tone and some apprehension about the potential feminist backlash that this might entail for her. Reading the comments below the post though, it seems the majority of the sistas are overwhelmingly supportive, and are happy to

And the first crock of sexist garbage of the year...

2009-01-02T12:43:00.003Z

...is provided by Total Film magazine. A confused mish-mash of serious comment and tacky exhibitionism, this magazine can't seem to make its mind up as to whether it likes its women better clothed (viz a remarkably restrained interview with Kate Winslet) or with their dresses tantalisingly open and falling halfway down their backs (viz tediously predictable session with Rhona Mitra, the new Lara

2008-12-17T19:30:00.005Z

My mother is 58. She'd certainly kill me for spreading that one about, but it's important to disclose that. Namely because she hasn't worked since giving birth to my brother nearly 27 years ago. Am I glad that my hapless sibling and I experienced a childhood where we had our mother entirely to ourselves? Absolutely. Do I agree that being an unpaid cook, cleaner, entertainer, teacher, mediator,

2008-12-07T15:37:00.008Z

Oh, sweet justice. The Independent, a paper whose newly appointed editor Roger Alton has claimed that 'pictures of semi-naked wiomen basically make the world a better place', has reported today that "MPs will this week demand that publications such as 'Zoo' and 'Nuts' be given an '18' certificate". I really can't describe the joy that the fact a drooling, irony-devoid sexist such as Mr Alton has

Women vs Women vs The Daily Ms vs A Dame

2008-11-17T20:03:00.004Z

The Daily Mail. I shouldn't go anywhere near it, but it's an insidious and pernicious influence that manages to pervade too many aspects of my daily life to be properly ignored. Today, along with some shameless scare-mongering about the state of social services in Haringey (no, I don't know what to think about the Baby P story either, but I'm pretty sure calling for all social workers to be shot

Three reasons why I'm still a feminist

2008-10-24T19:03:00.004+01:00

1) The fact that my local newsagent refused to accede to my request that last week's issue of Zoo with Rebecca Loos in nothing but a tiny pair of knickers be moved from the second shelf (roughly in the eyeline of the average 7 year old) to the top shelf. Apparently there are no legal rules obliging newsagents to place potentially offensive material on the top shelf, it's simply 'advised'. that

The Biggest Lie of Them All...

2008-09-28T19:45:00.005+01:00

...may just be the pup frequently sold to us that prostitution will always exist. The 'oldest job in the world' is, we're told, an inevitability about which we must just shrug our shoulders and turn a blind eye to. A capitalist system where anything can be bought and sold, twinned with the irrepressible male sex drive, means we're better off just legalising and regulating 'the game' than

2008-09-22T19:25:00.002+01:00

Perhaps I'd be a happier, more balanced individual if I never allowed any forms of media to penetrate my life. You only have to pick up a paper or click onto a website to be disgusted/dismayed/disappointed. Or perhaps that's just me, but nonetheless it's rapidly becoming clear that you can't trust even the areas of the press that you thought might still uphold some ghosts of integrity.Ref: in The

Woman, Hate Thyself

2008-09-02T20:28:00.004+01:00

Sarah Palin, the newly announced running mate of John McCain, Republican candidate for the next American presidency, is reported to be pro-gun and pro-life. Someone tell me what is wrong with this picture? To American right-wingers, sanctity of life seems to begin at conception and end with birth. How else can you be against the scraping of some cells from a consenting adult's uterus, and be for

The Industry

2008-08-26T19:06:00.008+01:00

I'm not referring to the porn industry, nor prostitution, nor any of the other lucrative offshoots that capitalise upon commodifying the female form. No, today my consciousness has been invaded by that much more respectable of phenomenons that profits from treating anyone with a vagina like a moron - the wedding industry. I knew it was coming; the invite. Not to the wedding itself - I haven't

2008-08-12T12:15:00.004+01:00

It's just been on both BBC and Channel 4 news that a rape victim has had the full amount of compensation for her attack restored to her, after originally having it cut by 25% for the sole reason that she had been drinking on the night of the attack. This was deemed 'contributory' behaviour. It has also emerged that 14 other victims were subject to the same reductions - all 15 women have now had

I may not be a lady...

2008-08-04T18:58:00.005+01:00

...but apparently I'm foul mouthed enough for the powers that be at Dunstable library to prohibit me access to my blog when I tried to logon today in my lunch hour, as apparently it has ’unsuitable content’. It’s always nice to be considered incendiary material merely for writing about women’s rights, although it's disappointing that one of my favourite haunts is implementing such paranoid

On The Shelf?

2008-07-21T10:08:00.003+01:00

Tracy Emin is in the news today, as usual for mouthing off rather than for her art, namely for her comment that she dreads reaching the age of 55 because women are apparently no longer sexy at this age. Cue a debate on that wonderful current affairs show, The Wright Stuff. Post-55 women, and their male admirers, are emailing and calling in to refute the idea that post-menopausal women are

If I was a child or an alien...

2008-07-19T11:33:00.005+01:00

...watching the kind of guff that passes for a music video these days, I wonder what I would think the purpose of the female species was? To writhe around in as few clothes and as much make up as possible in the background, while a fully clothed male takes the stage? It seems increasingly likely. The video for the laughably bad, irony-devoid 'Rockstar' by Nickelback alternates between shots of '

In The Independent today...

2008-07-13T14:23:00.005+01:00

Janet Street Porter gives it to us straight re: the latest church argy-bargy over women bishops."Should we care what contorted antics pass for modern debate in a church most of us only occasionally make use of?...After all, if any other organisation in Britain did not give women full equality of opportunity, they would be taken to an industrial tribunal. Yet this mob use the name of God to

About ****ing Time

2008-07-09T18:30:00.003+01:00

Taken from Yahoo News, 09.07.08"The government and police will promise on Wednesday to take action to improve the low rate of conviction for rape, saying more will be done to help victims.Currently less than six percent of all reported rapes result in a conviction, and while one in 20 women say they have experienced rape, just 15 percent have reported incidents to police."Rape is one of the most

I was reading The Daily Mail today....

2008-07-07T18:35:00.004+01:00

...and I should know better. The excuse that, in the cafe I like to frequent on my lunch-breaks, it's a choice between that and The Sun, probably isn't going to wash with any smart girls and boys. I think my only reason for inflicting its woman-hating spew upon myself is to know what I'm up against. The tabloids aren't exactly subtle in displaying what they think about wimmin, but the Mail and

the smaller battles

2008-07-03T19:56:00.007+01:00

One of the easiest and laziest accusations to throw at feminists is that they're ugly and bitter because they can't get a man, and as a result, are anti-men and anti-sex. This is a tricky one to circumnavigate. If I correct my critics and inform them that I'm happily co-habiting with a most grabbable male, they usually change tack to demand 'what are you complaining about then?'. As if gratitude

Who to blame and where to aim

2008-07-02T12:38:00.003+01:00

I suppose if I was writing this in the 60s or 70s - scribbling long-hand in a notebook on the coach to a pro-choice rally perhaps, as laptops and blogs would've been a glint in a feminist's eye back then - my bile would likely have been directed at men, patriarchy and the invisible, lumbering Male Establishment. It's THEM. THEY'RE keeping us down. THEY expect this, that and the other of us, and