Blog posts from November 2005
16 days of activism - South Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre
By Jess McCabe | 29 November 2005, 18:55
More awareness raising from Lilith: day five of the 16 days of activism against violence against women focuses on SERICC: “Since 1984 SERICC has provided a confidential, independent and specialist women only sexual violence support, advocacy and counselling service for…
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Sentencing guidelines seek fairer way
By Jess McCabe | 29 November 2005, 09:44
New guidelines have finally been issued on sentencing of women and men convicted of the manslaughter of their partners. The advice to judges published by the new lord chief justice, Lord Philips, could go some way to correct the current…
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16 days of activism - Abortion Rights
By Jess McCabe | 28 November 2005, 19:46
The Reclaim the Night march on Friday was only the first event in a 16 day programme of activism on behalf of women’s rights. Today’s opportunity to make your mark comes through Abortion Rights, the campaign group that lobbies to…
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Jowell says men must do more
By Jess McCabe | 27 November 2005, 13:03
Men must spend more time looking after their children if women are to be able to spend more time at work and close the gender pay gap once and for all, the Minister for Women said today. It’s unusual enough…
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Reclaim the Night and News Update
By Jess McCabe | 25 November 2005, 12:43
Just a quick reminder that tonight is the Reclaim the Night march in London. The women-only march kicks off at 6pm at Soho Square. It will end with a party at the ULU which is open to all genders! Meanwhile…
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Suffragette Profile
By Jess McCabe | 24 November 2005, 15:54
The Independent today runs an overview of the life of prominent suffragette Kate Harvey, after a medal given to her for the time she spent in Holloway Prison for refusing to pay tax sold at action for \xA3840. When her…
Man has sex with 'unconscious' woman and goes free
By Lynne Miles | 24 November 2005, 10:08
The case in question, as reported by the Evening Standard, involves a woman who alleges she was raped whilst lying unconscious, claiming “If I had wanted to sleep with him I would have taken the few steps to my bedroom”….
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Africa elects first woman as prime minister
By Louise Livesey | 23 November 2005, 18:25
Amongst all the debate of whether men are still necessary and whether christmas can be either ethical or feminist I think it wise to remember a few feminist moments. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has been elected the first president of an African…
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Toy stores segregate the sexes
By Jess McCabe | 23 November 2005, 18:22
Last week, I posted about how to have a gender-savvy Christmas. But Women’s E-News has picked up on one element of this that I didn’t touch on. Something at the very centre of the Christmas consumerist binge. Of course, I…
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Do Iraq's women MPs have any power?
By Jess McCabe | 23 November 2005, 17:00
One of the facts touted to defend the UK’s involvement in the military ‘adventure’ in Iraq is that 25% of the country’s newly formed national assembly is made up of women. On AlterNet today, Raghad Ali questions whether this means…
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Suicide Girls' exodus
By Jess McCabe | 23 November 2005, 09:32
Around 40 of the women ‘modelling’ for the contraversial Suicide Girls website have left, citing a misogynist boss and dissapointment that the ‘community’ was not as concerned with empowerment as they once thought. The Boston Phoenix reports the women describe…
Carte Blanche to Rape
By Catherine Redfern | 21 November 2005, 23:33
Well, hopefully this (covered by Jess earlier) will be the final kick up the arse some people need to make them realise that they are feminists and that feminism is necessary. Seriously - is there any young woman alive in…
Japan to have an woman emperor?
By Jess McCabe | 21 November 2005, 21:27
Japan could have its first female emperor in 200 years, if proposals to overturn a 1947 ruling banning women from becoming heir to the throne are given the green light. This would also mean female members of the royal family…
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How many abortions are too many?
By Jess McCabe | 21 November 2005, 21:13
Is it worse to have two, or four abortions than it is to have one? That is the question Jennifer Baumgardner (co-author of Manifesta) tries to answer on AlterNet today. She notes that the abortion-positive message behind films such as…
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Public 'blames' women for rape
By Jess McCabe | 21 November 2005, 12:17
One third of Britons believe that women are totally or partially responsible for being raped if they are drunk or flirtatious, a poll of 1,000 adults commissioned by Amnesty International has revealed. Indicating that a good proportion of the public…
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Christmas for Feminists
By Jess McCabe | 19 November 2005, 18:19
As Christmas is coming earlier and earlier these days, and the weather is finally getting cold and, well, wintry, it seems timely to consider how to make your Christmas a Feminist Christmas. Firstly (and foremost, considering what a consumerist bloodbath…
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Zombie feminism?
By Jess McCabe | 19 November 2005, 17:11
Two books have re-ignited the old (tired?) debate over whether feminism is, at this moment, dead. ‘Are Men Necessary?’ by Maureen Dowd and ‘Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture’, by Ariel Levy, both spawn from the…
Yay Ken!
By Lynne Miles | 17 November 2005, 14:26
Ken Livingstone has asked TfL to withdraw the irritating Tube Tips for Women after loads of people have complained about it. A teeny tiny victory for those of us who objected perhaps (no, not just me - here and here…
Something Warm On These Dark Winter Nights…
By Barbara Felix | 9 November 2005, 15:39
Lingerie manufacturers in Japan have come up with a novel way to help reduce greenhouse gases: by launching the world’s first microwaveable bra. Japan is encouraging it’s residents not to turn up their heaters this winter, as they’re worried about…
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Domestic violence case
By Jess McCabe | 4 November 2005, 09:48
In case you missed it (although it’s hard to see how), the editor of the Sun, Rebekah Wade, has been arrested for alleged assault on her EastEnders actor husband Ross Kemp. Now, women are far more likely to be victims…
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The waiting could be over
By Catherine Redfern | 3 November 2005, 21:40
Can it be done? Could it really be happening, finally? A feminist magazine for the UK? Let’s hope so! Subtext Magazine: “We want to offer an alternative to the women\x92s glossies on the market, a space that\x92s challenging, interesting, supporting…
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Supreme Court update
By Jess McCabe | 1 November 2005, 22:21
President Bush has nominated Samuel Alito to sit on the Supreme Court, a man who issued a minority ruling in 1991 that a pregnant married woman should be forced to inform her husband before having an abortion. If confirmed by…
Buffy draws women to sci-fi
By Jess McCabe | 1 November 2005, 21:59
Sci-fi has, at least in the popular imagination, always been the preserve of geeky boys. Well, no longer. According to the Sci-Fi Channel, an array of strong female characters such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Zena and (inexplicably) Lara Croft,…
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