Blog posts from March 2006
30 March 2006
"Equality Kills Feminism"
There have been at least three recent articles in The Guardian commenting on Alison Wolf’s Prospect article about the supposed downside of women’s freedom. We have apparently reached the end of an era where “women of all classes shared the… Read more...Posted by Holly Combe at 30 March 2006
29 March 2006
Reproductive Rights: Women Pitched Against Each Other (Again)
Catholic Herald editor, Cristina Odone, is in the Guardian today, reminding us that not all anti-abortion activists are violent mentalists or fanatics fired by religious zeal. In fact, she points out (twice) that some pro-lifers might even be our neighbours…. Read more...Posted by Holly Combe at 29 March 2006
28 March 2006
Raunch 0, Blog 1
Feminists who were enraged by Kate Taylor’s recent Guardian comment piece defending “raunch culture” (which referenced Rachel Bell’s article on this site, and which fellow F Word blogger Holly commented on earlier), might like to pop over to Laurelin in… Read more...Posted by Catherine Redfern at 28 March 2006
New London Feminist Culture Magazine
Vagina Magazine is a London based “feminist culture magazine” which intends to publish it’s first issue in June, and is looking for contributors and interested people to help out. “The vast majority of popular culture is all a bit shite,… Read more...Posted by Catherine Redfern at 28 March 2006
'Protest Now' Group Formed
Blogger and F Word contributor Laura has set up a Yahoo Group, “designed to bring together women who wish to organise protests and direct action to make our voices heard and speak out against society’s acceptance of rape and male… Read more...Posted by Catherine Redfern at 28 March 2006
Comments on articles
F Word readers may be vaguely interested to know that I have just uploaded comments received on articles during January 2006 (gradually working my way through the backlog…!). To read them, click on the comments link at the top of… Read more...Posted by Catherine Redfern at 28 March 2006
26 March 2006
More Praise for Macho Man
Yet again, The Times has been bemoaning the apparent decline of traditional manhood. Nirpal Dhaliwal thinks the ascent of the alpha female has led to the rise of the omega male (a “wimp who’s lost touch with his masculinity”) and… Read more...Posted by Holly Combe at 26 March 2006
23 March 2006
Men! Don't Expect Equality on a Thursday
There’s an article by ex-GQ sex columnist, Kate Taylor, in today’s Guardian, slating Ariel Levy for criticising women who embrace raunch culture. (I’ve not read Levy’s Female Chauvinist Pigs yet and, though I agree with a lot of what she… Read more...Posted by Holly Combe at 23 March 2006
22 March 2006
Budget 2006
Chancellor Gordon Brown set out what is likely to be his last budget earlier today. Amongst the more predictable economic, fiscal and other random measures announced, some points of interest include: \x95 Brown promised to double training for women with… Read more...Posted by Lynne Miles at 22 March 2006
20 March 2006
OC Rapists get 6 years
The three men at the centre of the infamous ‘OC rape case’ were sentenced last week to six years in prison. They were found guilty at a second trial, last March, after a hung jury forced a retrial in summer… Read more...Posted by Lynne Miles at 20 March 2006
18 March 2006
Hospital demands payment for baby
A hospital in Israel has apparently refused to hand over a baby to its mother until she paid her medical bills. The woman gave birth to triplets at the al-Muqassad hospital in East Jerusalem. Because her husband is Palestinian, the… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 18 March 2006
16 March 2006
Sarler misses the point on rape campaign
Carol Sarler (in today\x92s G2) manages, so far as I can see, to completely miss several points on the current Home Office campaign regarding the rape law. Her argument is predicated on the idea that current Home Office campaign to… Read more...Posted by Lynne Miles at 16 March 2006
Feminists Googlebomb Bill Napoli
Candy at Smart Bitches Who Love Trashy Novels has a cunning plan to googlebomb Bill Napoli. To celebrate this South Dakota senator\x92s own special brand of misogynistic vileness, she has coined the verb \x91napoli\x92: napoli (not to be confused with… Read more...Posted by Lynne Miles at 16 March 2006
13 March 2006
The mantra of "choice" and why it is bad news for girls and boys
The Independent runs with an interesting story today, about what girls and boys want to learn in science class. Leeds University asked a bunch of 15 year olds what they were interested in being taught. Perhaps unsurprisingly, given our cultural… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 13 March 2006
12 March 2006
Daft sentencing committee wants to reduce prison time for rapists and wife beaters
Rapists will no longer face such tough jail sentences and “date rapists” will be let off with lighter sentences, under new guidelines to be issued to judges, the Observer reveals. The Sentencing Guidelines Council is to consult on the new… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 12 March 2006
10 March 2006
Mexico uses sex dolls to educate on sexual harassment
Mexico is running an advertising campaign using sex dolls to educate its “infamously macho men” about why sexual harassment is wrong, the Independent reports. The open-mouthed plastic figures are the disturbing stars of an advertising campaign hitting television screens,… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 10 March 2006
Parliament Debates Violence against Women
To mark International Women’s Day (oddly, a day late) the House of Commons held a debate on violence against women yesterday. Subjects covered included domestic violence, the representation of women in parliament, sex trafficking, gender-based violence against Guatemalen women, pornography,… Read more...Posted by Lynne Miles at 10 March 2006
8 March 2006
International Women's Day 2006
Happy International Women\x92s Day, everyone! Thought I might start off by listing a few events I\x92ve come across happening around the UK to commemorate the day. This isn\x92t an exhaustive list, just a few that have caught my attention. Apologies… Read more...Posted by Lynne Miles at 8 March 2006
5 March 2006
Designers mask models
Western fashion is often presented as the polar opposite of the burqa. Where one seeks to cover women in ungainly sacks that conceal not just their curves but their personality, turning them into expressionless lumps, the other tends towards exposing… Read more...Posted by Jess McCabe at 5 March 2006
4 March 2006
We Are Five Years Old!
Yep, it was five years ago that The F Word first went online, can you believe it? It’s been lots of fun and I hope that the site has been able to contribute in some way to feminism in the… Read more...Posted by Catherine Redfern at 4 March 2006
2 March 2006
OK so Ruth Kelly has announced another tranche of measures to prevent those with records of sexual violence from working with young people and vulnerable adults. Whilst there is a long overdue need to tighten the legislation, impose fines on… Read more...
Posted by Louise Livesey at 2 March 2006
Linda Smith, comedian, dies aged 48
I am sure most people have heard already that Linda Smith died on Wednesday after a long battle with Ovarian Cancer. Tributes here and here. Its a sad loss of a great comic mind who maintained her political activism to… Read more...Posted by Louise Livesey at 2 March 2006
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