Blog posts from December 2006

30 December 2006

Swedish prostitution policy failing?

The Swedish police have reported a rise in the number of prostitutes on the streets, possible evidence that the criminalising the act of buying sex has not worked. Boy, I hate bad news like this. The Swedish policy is… Read more...

Posted by Jess McCabe at 30 December 2006

28 December 2006

Misplaced rape reform?

We are in the middle of a rape crisis in this country. Only 5% of reported rapes end in conviction, and, as stormy illustrated so well recently, even that paltry figure is a considerable exaggeration. Of course, the government… Read more...

Posted by Jess McCabe at 28 December 2006

27 December 2006

"A partnership, not a merger"

If I ever get married, I won’t be changing my surname. Joanna Moorhead explains some of the long-term benefits on Comment is Free today. And she should know. She’s been married since 1988. Eighteen years ago, I signalled that… Read more...

Posted by Jess McCabe at 27 December 2006

26 December 2006

S Korean men paid to stay away from prostitutes

South Korea’s ministry of equality is going to pay companies whose male employees promise not to visit a prostitute to see in the new year. The BBC reports that the scheme is part of an attempt to crack down on… Read more...

Posted by Jess McCabe at 26 December 2006

24 December 2006

An early Christmas present: the end of the smear test

Every 12-13 year old girl in the country could soon be vaccinated against cervical cancer, the Observer reports today. Human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes cervical cancer and kills 1,000 women a year, could be virtually eliminated through a programme… Read more...

Posted by Jess McCabe at 24 December 2006

20 December 2006

Legalise brothels? There is a better way

News about the Ipswich murders is still coming in thick and fast. But meanwhile, the case has provoked a flurry of debate over legalising prostitution. In the Guardian today, Simon Jenkins adds his cry to the voices calling for legalising… Read more...

Posted by Jess McCabe at 20 December 2006

17 December 2006

Baghdad Burning on Radio 4

Just a quick entry to point out that the book of the week on Radio 4 next week is Riverbend’s ‘Baghdad Burning’, at 10:45am and repeated at 7:45pm Mon-Fri. I’ve read both the book and the blog, and it reveals… Read more...

Posted by Jane Eyre at 17 December 2006

16 December 2006

New Articles

Dreaming of a Pink Christmas As Christmas approaches, the children’s toy industry goes into overdrive. Rosalyn Ball looks at how girls and boys toys are still unbelievably segregated along strict gender lines. Gifts for Her It’s not only children’s gifts… Read more...

Posted by Catherine Redfern at 16 December 2006

Feminists comment on Ipswich

Mind the Gap have collected a summary of feminist bloggers’ comment on the Ipswich murders. One of the best is by Literary Hoax, echoing what a lot of other people are thinking about this whole horrible thing and asking why… Read more...

Posted by Catherine Redfern at 16 December 2006

Reclaim The Night Ipswich - update

The organisers have circulated the following additional message (please email The F Word if there are any further updates and we will keep you posted): “We’ve had an amazing response the last couple of days from all over the country,… Read more...

Posted by Catherine Redfern at 16 December 2006

Torture game banned and mock rape trial

The EU is attempting to ban the release of a game which involves a girl being humiliated and beaten as she attempts to escape from an orphanage. There are conflicting reports as to whether the game, Rule of Rose,… Read more...

Posted by Jess McCabe at 16 December 2006

14 December 2006

Rape Convictions petition

Petition to ask the Prime Minister to Support victims of rape and sexual violence by ensuring more rapists are convicted. The petition reads: ‘We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to Support victims of rape and sexual violence by ensuring… Read more...

Posted by Catherine Redfern at 14 December 2006

**IPSWICH RECLAIM THE NIGHT - 29TH DECEMBER**

We have received the following message - please forward widely and urgently. Message begins: Friends, After the bodies of 5 sex workers were found murdered within 10 days of each other and the police advising women to stay at home… Read more...

Posted by Catherine Redfern at 14 December 2006

13 December 2006

Eaves asks for gift voucher donations

Eaves, an organisation that provides support and shelter to victims of domestic violence and trafficked women, is asking for people to send in 10 pound gift vouchers so the women it helps will have a bit of Christmas cheer…. Read more...

Posted by Jess McCabe at 13 December 2006

Subliminal lipstick reduces preference for maths

Gender stereotypes are ingrained enough to influence our judgment in crazy ways. For example, this study shows that reminding female students of their gender made them more likely to say they prefer art subjects over maths. The study took two… Read more...

Posted by Jess McCabe at 13 December 2006

Shenzhen regresses to Middle Ages

Around 100 prostitutes have been “paraded in front of a jeering crowd, their names revealed, and then driven away to jail without trial” in the Chinese city of Shenzhen. The New York Times reports that this was part of an… Read more...

Posted by Jess McCabe at 13 December 2006

Murder of Prostitutes Prompts Fears for "Other" Women

There’s a particularly appalling article on the BBC news site about the recent murders of women in Ipswich. Here’s a prime quote: All five were working as prostitutes but the shock and anxiety has spread to the wider community in… Read more...

Posted by Holly Combe at 13 December 2006

12 December 2006

The New Breastfeeding Taboo.

The New Breastfeeding Taboo Removing the stigma around breastfeeding has rightly been a worthwhile feminist cause. However, as Cathryn Dagger explains, a dogmatic inflexible view on this issue can lead to a “holier than thou” attitude in which women… Read more...

Posted by Catherine Redfern at 12 December 2006

11 December 2006

Fairy Tales are Grimm

Fairy Tales are Grimm Ugly sisters? Evil step-mothers? Prince charming and happy ever after? Dina Jose argues that traditional fairy tales can cause more harm than good, and suggests we need to tell children fun, inspiring stories instead that teach… Read more...

Posted by Catherine Redfern at 11 December 2006

November comments published

Feedback, comments and discussions about past articles and reviews received during November have now been published…. Read more...

Posted by Catherine Redfern at 11 December 2006

Demo against rape

There is a report on a protest / demonstration against rape in Manchester City Centre up on the Feminism Up North blog. See part 1 and part 2 for photos and information. The group is also responsible for organising a… Read more...

Posted by Catherine Redfern at 11 December 2006

More on the Tories Family Policy document

Not surprisingly the controversy arising from this relates to the exclusion of the most marginal of family groups. First off was Iain Duncan-Smiths comments that gay parents did even come “on the radar” when talking about families. It seems because… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 11 December 2006

10 December 2006

Tories revert to "back-to-basics" rhetoric

Anyone hoping that David Cameron’s leadership of the Conservative party marks a shift to the centre-ground, if not quite the left, will be sorely disappointed by the latest revelations about its “family” policies. Instead of advocating family-friendly policies such… Read more...

Posted by Jess McCabe at 10 December 2006

Two book reviews

Trickster’s Choice / Trickster’s Queen - Tamora Pierce Cazz Blase introduces Tamora Pierce’s latest fantasy series for young adults, which feature strong heroines and touch on issues of colonialism and race. Like Mother, Like Daughter? Clare Burgess reviews this collection… Read more...

Posted by Catherine Redfern at 10 December 2006

Do you have a rape alarm?

If you do, get yourself down to the Sudanese embassy for 10AM today to take part in a protest against the rape of thousands of women and girls in Darfur. The action is part of a global protest against the… Read more...

Posted by Jess McCabe at 10 December 2006

9 December 2006

Another tired drunk women story

The BBC has chosen to publish yet another one of those hand-wringing features about how women are getting “lashed”. Usually, these stories have some sort of news hook to them: at the very least, someone has done a report of… Read more...

Posted by Jess McCabe at 9 December 2006

Latest Feminist Carnival up at Diary of a Freak Magnet

Here it is!… Read more...

Posted by Jess McCabe at 9 December 2006

8 December 2006

Women's rights the solution to domestic violence shocker!

File this under blindingly obvious - domestic violence is more prevelant in countries where women are treated as second class citizens under the law. This study by the US government “reveals” that in countries where women are denied the right… Read more...

Posted by Jess McCabe at 8 December 2006

Ruth Kelly - another equalities blunder

When your equalities minister is fighting not to implement a ban on discrimination on the grounds of orientation, you know you’re in trouble. Ruth Kelly has a bad history of blocking rather than championing reform in her post as… Read more...

Posted by Jess McCabe at 8 December 2006

Jurors hold on to old-fashioned ideas on rape

Jurors still blame women if they are raped while drunk, according to new study. The study - which involved observing jurors during mock trials - revealed that changes to the law around rape have had little effect on jury-room… Read more...

Posted by Jess McCabe at 8 December 2006

7 December 2006

Sir Mike Jackson - soliders deserve unreserved support

Last night in the Richard Dimbleby Lecture Sir Mike Jackson argued that soldiers deserved the public’s unreserved support in the work that they do. Now arguments about the wrongness of the Iraq invasion aside I find this very difficult as… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 7 December 2006

5 December 2006

From EU blunders to furry elephants

A new EU institute will tackle gender inequality across Europe, EU Observer reports. Based in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, it will collate data on gender issues from all the 25 member states, hold conferences, etc. The sort of thing that… Read more...

Posted by Jess McCabe at 5 December 2006

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