Blog posts from February 2008
Sack Kay Burley!
By Lynne Miles | 29 February 2008, 22:02
I’ve been a bit slow on the uptake here, but catching up on my blogs I stumbled across this by MatGB on Liberal Conspiracy. Pamela Wright, the partner of Steve (recently convicted of murdering five prostitutes in Ipswich) was interviewed…
Propose another day?
By Abby O'Reilly | 29 February 2008, 15:03
For those of you who daily keep abreast of the date (unlike me!) you will have noticed that today is February 29th. Yes, it comes but once every four years, the magical extra day added to the calendar’s shortest month,…
Alison’s Cycle
By Louise Livesey | 29 February 2008, 12:56
There is a moving and interesting film over at Menstrual Poetry - a poetry cycle reflecting on one woman’s experience of abuse and life-experience. “Alison’s Cycle” is a reading of poetry from inside of the soul that reflects 5 days…
Bit of a news round-up
By Louise Livesey | 29 February 2008, 12:14
Disparate stories but all worth a mention…. First, and rather worryingly, a Nigerian State Assembly member beat a female opposition politician into a coma for behaving “like a prostitute” because she repeatedly criticised him on the radio. Alhaji Labaran Abdu…
And whilst I am on a roll….
By Louise Livesey | 29 February 2008, 10:21
There’s an really interesting piece over at Mama(e) in Transition about the way society and feminism talks (or ignores) motherhood and, in particular, birth mothers in adoption issues….
Read 'And whilst I am on a roll....'
Map of Gaps in Violence Against Women Services
By Louise Livesey | 29 February 2008, 10:10
EVAW (End Violence Against Women) has produced a lovely set of pictoral representations of where services for women experiencing violence against women are lacking (and good). Here are some of their findings… A third of local authorities in the UK…
Read 'Map of Gaps in Violence Against Women Services'
Not one of those feminists….
By Louise Livesey | 29 February 2008, 09:54
I’ll never forget one birthday party I had a few years ago where an old schoolfriend of mine had brought her new boyfriend. We’d chatted for a while, he’d been talking geek stuff with my then boyfriend and then I…
Read 'Not one of those feminists....'
Southall Black Sisters (the saga continued)
By Louise Livesey | 29 February 2008, 09:42
It’s not often we recommend an article by a bloke, but Sunny Hundal has written a great piece on why Southall Black Sisters is a. important and b. meeting government aims but c. still being delisted for funding. The protest…
Read 'Southall Black Sisters (the saga continued)'
Single? Female? Suicide?
By Carrie Dunn | 28 February 2008, 21:25
Yes, it’s a valid, topical piece of news, reporting on new ONS figures about suicide rates in the UK. The numbers from the ONS indicate that in 2005, 30.8 single men per 100,000 died by suicide, compared with 10.6 per…
Read 'Single? Female? Suicide?'
Taking forced marriage seriously….?
By Louise Livesey | 28 February 2008, 17:18
Yes but only as a way to curb immigration apparently. Rahila Gupta has written on just this topic: how the proposed Forced Marriage legislation is actually a way of limiting immigration dressed up as protecting women’s rights. You can read…
Read 'Taking forced marriage seriously....?'
Photos of the picket to support SBS
By Jess McCabe | 28 February 2008, 16:00
Photos of the protest against an Ealing Council decision that puts Southall Black Sisters’ funding in jeopardy are up now at Pickled Politics. Sunny says around 100 people, mostly women, attended the protest, and he also has a post up…
Read 'Photos of the picket to support SBS'
Guide to Islam puts women’s rights front and centre
By Jess McCabe | 28 February 2008, 15:38
Turkish scholars are putting together a modern guide to Islam, which will “make it much more difficult to justify extreme, misogynistic and violent interpretations of Islam”, the Times reports. Although there are few details, this looks like another interesting project….
Read 'Guide to Islam puts women's rights front and centre'
More on male violence against women
By Samara Ginsberg | 28 February 2008, 09:24
Joan Smith has written an opinion piece for The Independent about the recent spate of high-profile sexually-motivated murder cases perpetrated by men against women. For the benefit of anyone who’s been on another planet recently, Levi Bellfield was convicted on…
Read 'More on male violence against women'
BBC Moral Maze
By Louise Livesey | 28 February 2008, 09:18
In a week where Levi Bellfield, Stephen Wright and Mark Dixie were sentences for the rapes and murders of women - an extreme version of the rampant misogyny in society - the BBC seems to have taken a rather odd…
Carnival
By Laura Woodhouse | 27 February 2008, 23:48
The second Carnival Against Pornography and Prostitution is here….
Wanky sexist product of the day
By Laura Woodhouse | 27 February 2008, 23:19
“No means no. Well maybe if I’m drunk!” From David and Goliath, who apparently ‘make stupid stuff so you don’t have to’. How incredibly thoughtful of them. As it happens, I’d been hankering after printing a t-shirt encouraging guys to…
Read 'Wanky sexist product of the day'
“In a misogynist world, women just can’t win.”
By Louise Livesey | 27 February 2008, 14:15
Kira Cochrane has written an interesting article in the light of Levi Bellfield’s conviction for the murder and attempted murder of three women. But she starts with, what appears to me, to be a redundant question - “how could it…
Read '"In a misogynist world, women just can't win."'
Feminism causes the death of the English language
By Jess McCabe | 26 February 2008, 20:06
One of the unexpected pleasures of reading right-wing tracts is the excuse to indulge in a heady few minutes of utopian fantasy. According to folk like David Gelernter of the American Enterprise Institute, the feminist revolution is a done deal….
Read 'Feminism causes the death of the English language'
This is what a feminist looks like….
By Louise Livesey | 26 February 2008, 19:30
Photographer Patricia Nuss has been compiling pictures of feminists and short written statements about their feminism. It’s an interesting snapshot. Well worth a look but this is my favourite: I was the girl who said, “no. I am not a…
Read 'This is what a feminist looks like....'
Sexism and the Oscars
By Louise Livesey | 26 February 2008, 15:11
Sarah Churchwell has written a thought-provoking article over at Comment is Free about how women lose out at the Oscars unless it’s ring-fenced as a woman’s award. In 1928, at the first Academy Awards, there were 15 categories. Men won…
Points with a Purpose
By Louise Livesey | 26 February 2008, 10:16
Not the latest Nectar card offer but an initiative in the US to create a pointillist work of art in which each dot in the main picture represents a survivor of sexual violence and each dot in the surrounding area…
Cameron attacks women’s right to choose
By Laura Woodhouse | 25 February 2008, 23:27
David Cameron showed his true colours today when he voiced his desire to see the abortion time limit cut from 24 to 20 weeks, citing - like Ann Widdecombe - the supposed significant increase in foetal viability as justification for…
Read 'Cameron attacks women's right to choose'
Hands Project - call for participants (women only)
By Louise Livesey | 25 February 2008, 18:55
‘I got the blues thinking of the future, so I left off and made some marmalade. It’s amazing how it cheers one up to shred oranges and scrub the floor.’ D.H Lawrence This is an invitation for women to participate…
Read 'Hands Project - call for participants (women only)'
Women’s Lives in Afghanistan worse now than under Taliban
By Louise Livesey | 25 February 2008, 14:33
According to a new report women’s lives have become significantly worse since the Allied Forces invasion of Afghanistan than they were before. The ongoing war and consequent rise in poverty is leading to greater numbers of families selling their daughters,…
Read 'Women's Lives in Afghanistan worse now than under Taliban'
Mixed feelings over HIV prevention gel…
By Louise Livesey | 25 February 2008, 14:22
On the one hand I am ecstatic that researchers seem to have got a step closer to finding a new way to prevent the spread of HIV. On the other hand I am saddened that scientific research again privileges men’s…
Read 'Mixed feelings over HIV prevention gel...'
Reclaim The Night Manchester
By Laura Woodhouse | 25 February 2008, 12:32
Get your stomping boots over to Manchester this Saturday to Reclaim The Night up north! Women (including transwomen) Congregate 6pm, Sackville Street, Manchester Mixed rally 7.30pm, University of Manchester Students’ Union (Sackville Street) A mixed-gender march following a different route…
Read 'Reclaim The Night Manchester'
Electronic shop sexism works the other way too
By Jess McCabe | 25 February 2008, 07:57
Surely many female readers will have had the experience dealing with condescending, sexist assistants when shopping for anything vaguely technical (or something which uses electricity and is not, say, an iron or kitchen appliance!) But, as this story on (The…
Read 'Electronic shop sexism works the other way too'
Freedom of expression does not include hate crimes - or biased reportage
By Guest Blogger | 25 February 2008, 07:36
This is a guest post by Helen G Recently there seems to have been an increase in the mass media’s coverage of violent hate crimes against transgendered women. It’s hard to keep up, but there seem to have been four…
Read 'Freedom of expression does not include hate crimes - or biased reportage'
Some men’s views on prostitution
By Lynne Miles | 24 February 2008, 23:25
There was a thoroughly depressing article on the BBC news magazine pages last Friday, focusing on men who say they are not ashamed to use prostitutes, and their justification for their ‘hobby’. If reading that makes you despair for the…
Read 'Some men's views on prostitution'
Blood on their hands
By Laura Woodhouse | 23 February 2008, 15:42
I just watched last night’s Unreported World on women’s situation in Nicaragua since the law banning all abortion was passed there in 2006 (you can watch it on 4OD online or catch-up TV if you’ve got it). Once again, I…
Comic Books and Racism
By Louise Livesey | 22 February 2008, 21:41
There is an excellent post over at Racialicious pointing out the whitewashing comic book character Vixen from black woman to white woman. The original Vixen is on the left, the new version on the right (right hand character). Apparently this…
From international women’s day to Ms Pac-Man
By Jess McCabe | 22 February 2008, 21:14
International Women’s Day is nearly here. As well as the Million Women March in London, there’s a whole host of events going on up and down the country. Womensphere has set up a new blog, especially to keep track of…
Read 'From international women's day to Ms Pac-Man'
First you get raped, then you have to pay for the rape kit? What?
By Jess McCabe | 22 February 2008, 21:03
Chalk this one up to weird US politics, or the pay-for-yourself culture of healthcare, but it is truly shocking. If you get raped in some US states, you may end up having to pay all or part of the medical…
Read 'First you get raped, then you have to pay for the rape kit? What?'
Skydiving grandmas
By Jess McCabe | 22 February 2008, 19:58
Grandma isn’t like she used to be. Or so reported Joanna Moorhead in a Guardian profile of “skydiving” grandmothers a few days ago. No previous generation of grandmothers has contained such a high percentage of women who either worked while…
Conservatives: A New Approach To Women’s Issues
By Lynne Miles | 22 February 2008, 16:02
A reader recently wrote in to complain about anti-Tory bias on these pages. In particular it was in reference to an image used in my blog piece on the protests outside of the Ann Widdecombe anti-abortion roadshow, in which some…
Read 'Conservatives: A New Approach To Women's Issues'
Bitch interview with Michelle Tea
By Jess McCabe | 22 February 2008, 12:29
Bitch Magazine has posted an old interview with Michelle Tea, author of an improbable number of autobiographies for one her age (28 at the time). This comes from Bitch’s archives, which the magazine is quickly putting up on its brand-spanking-new…
Read 'Bitch interview with Michelle Tea'
This edition of Newsnight was brought to you by the actions splutter and the words “what the…?”
By Louise Livesey | 21 February 2008, 23:23
Anyone else just seen it? The programme was covering the sentencing of Steve Wright for the murder of five women in Ipswich. Now other than their continued and insistence that these weren’t women but “prostitutes” (as if engaging in sex…
Reflection on the US nominations process
By Louise Livesey | 21 February 2008, 09:59
It just occurred to me, whilst catching up on my blog reading, that this is the first US election I’ve seen where Race and Gender are words used during the campaign (rather than afterwards to explain why millions of voters…
Read 'Reflection on the US nominations process'
Picket to support Southall Black Sisters
By Jess McCabe | 20 February 2008, 23:23
Earlier this month, we learned that Southall Black Sisters - which provides a range of services for black and ethnic minority women in Ealing - is under threat. The council no longer wants to fund a service dedicated solely to…
Read 'Picket to support Southall Black Sisters'
Submit to Spanish photo contest on gender and feminism
By Jess McCabe | 20 February 2008, 19:23
A Spanish feminist group has set up an online photo contest on the theme of gender and feminism, and is calling for submissions. Feminism 101 has the full details, but the competition is part of a series of three events…
Read 'Submit to Spanish photo contest on gender and feminism'
Vaginal orgasm - truth or myth - scientists claim to have the answer…
By Louise Livesey | 20 February 2008, 18:22
Way back in 1970 Anna Koedt wrote The Myth of the Vaginal Orgasm arguing that the vagina is not designed as a pleasure centre and therefore attributions of frigidity based on not reaching vaginal climax (as opposed to clitoral…
Read 'Vaginal orgasm - truth or myth - scientists claim to have the answer...'
Robin Morgan on Clinton v Obama
By Louise Livesey | 20 February 2008, 12:08
Robin Morgan has written an excellent piece on Comment Is Free about the Democrat race for nomination and pointing up some of the fallacies of the campaign and what real social change would mean. For example: Goodbye to pretending the…
Read 'Robin Morgan on Clinton v Obama'
House wives should be paid £30,000 a year
By Jess McCabe | 20 February 2008, 11:45
Researchers have calculated that unpaid labour by housewives (and, we must presume, househusbands) is worth an average of £29,771.56 a year, reports the Daily Mail. They broke down the costs according to the average wages paid to professionals for tasks…
Read 'House wives should be paid £30,000 a year'
Feminist mental health blog
By Laura Woodhouse | 20 February 2008, 10:20
nectarine is looking for people interested in running/contributing to a group blog focused on feminist views of mental health: The requirements would be: you are female you identify as a feminist you have now or have had mental health issues…
Read 'Feminist mental health blog'
Let’s all say “yay!” for Ellen Page
By Louise Livesey | 19 February 2008, 19:39
Actor Ellen Page, hot on the heels of her success in Hard Candy has dismissed questions that her new film, Juno is pro-life. “I call myself a feminist when people ask me if I am, and of course I am…
Read 'Let's all say "yay!" for Ellen Page'
25 years of My Little Pony
By Jess McCabe | 19 February 2008, 15:37
Gargantuan toy company Hasbro has launched a PR stunt to mark 25 years of selling My Little Ponies, Jezebel tells us. Setting aside one theory about the My Little Ponies living in a lesbian-feminist seperatist colony, the plastic horses are,…
Read '25 years of My Little Pony'
BBC 6 Music Chief needs to get a clue
By Louise Livesey | 19 February 2008, 14:32
Leslie Douglas, head of popular music at BBC 6 (and also Head of BBC2) has said “”It’s partly how you talk about music. Men tend to be more interested in the intellectual side of the music, the tracks, where albums…
Read 'BBC 6 Music Chief needs to get a clue'
Nigerian feminists fight ‘indecent dress’ bill
By Jess McCabe | 19 February 2008, 14:32
A Nigerian senator has proposed a bill which could see women and men jailed for six months if found guilty of “indecent dressing”, reports AllAfrica.com. I can’t actually find anything online which sets out what would count as “indecent dressing”,…
Read 'Nigerian feminists fight 'indecent dress' bill'
Daily Mail solicits fuel for racist immigration stories
By Jess McCabe | 19 February 2008, 11:54
A leaked email from a Daily Mail features writer is doing the rounds. It demonstrates the newspaper’s xenophobic agenda perfectly: ——-Original Message——- From: rsreply@dwpub.com [mailto:rsreply@dwpub.com] Sent: 13 February 2008 15:57 To:xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Response Source - Diana Appleyard , Daily Mail…
Read 'Daily Mail solicits fuel for racist immigration stories'
Shake your Bobarosa for the boys
By Lynne Miles | 19 February 2008, 11:24
Apparently the latest craze in Ivory Coast is the Bobarosa - literally, “big bottom” in Djoula - a dance inspired by big bottoms from the perspective of (you guessed it) a couple of Ivorian men. Both sexes are doing…
Read 'Shake your Bobarosa for the boys'
Images of Black Women Film Festival
By Louise Livesey | 19 February 2008, 10:39
Various offerings at this Festival including: 1st March ‘Talk to Me’ by US women director Kasi Lemmons (Tricycle Theatre) 2nd Mar Beah: A Black Women Speaks highlighting women’s role in the Civil Rights Movement and programme of films by african…
Read 'Images of Black Women Film Festival'
Transgender Basics
By Guest Blogger | 19 February 2008, 00:42
From Helen G: Transgender Basics is a 20 minute educational film on the concepts of gender and transgender people. Two providers from the Gender Identity Project discuss basic concepts of gender - sex, identity and gender roles - as three…
Call to arms
By Guest Blogger | 19 February 2008, 00:04
Charlotte Cooper of Subtext Magazine shares her thoughts on the launch of the new Feminist Coalition Against Prostitution My main problem with the feminist movement today has been the lack of calls-to-arms, or a defining moment or idea to bring…
I heart this cartoon
By Samara Ginsberg | 18 February 2008, 21:54
That is all….
Green Party calls for abortion law reform
By Jess McCabe | 18 February 2008, 16:23
Women and men have been mobilising to fight efforts to roll back access to abortion in this country - as both Laura and Lynne eloquently described earlier this month. But it’s not all negative. Last week the Green Party held…
Read 'Green Party calls for abortion law reform'
Look away now, for the love of God
By Jess McCabe | 18 February 2008, 15:59
Sigmund Freud thought that fear of castration in early childhood was key to the sexual development of men. Because of the male-based way he viewed the world, he assumed the female equivalent was an impossible desire to have a phallus…
Read 'Look away now, for the love of God'
Trans 10 year-old found hanging
By Jess McCabe | 17 February 2008, 22:30
So, the news reports on this one are wildly contradictory, but here goes. An inquest is going on into the death of 10 year-old Cameron McWilliams. His mother found him hanging, and opinion seems to be split on whether this…
Read 'Trans 10 year-old found hanging'
Water Lilies
By Jess McCabe | 17 February 2008, 12:10
Water Lilies is a French coming-of-age and coming out movie due to be released in the UK in a few weeks. I just saw a screener, and have to recommend that everyone goes to see it. The film is set…
Racist Perceptions of “Femininity”
By Holly Combe | 16 February 2008, 18:39
There’s an interesting post by Tami over at Racialicious (originally from her own blog “What Tami Said”) about her experience of white male colleagues at work treating her as somehow less “feminine” or attractive than her white female colleagues. Here’s…
Read 'Racist Perceptions of "Femininity"'
Events and recent comments…
By Jess McCabe | 16 February 2008, 18:37
We’ve been noticing a definite increase in the number of exciting events going on, up and down the country. We do blog about these events when we can, but we also worry that these posts may get a big lost…
Read 'Events and recent comments...'
Ladyfest Goldsmiths - this coming Friday!
By Jess McCabe | 16 February 2008, 18:21
Not sure how I missed this one, but my alma mater Goldsmiths College (in New Cross, south London) is putting on a one-day Ladyfest next Friday. Proceeds go to the Poppy Project, which provides support for trafficked women….
Read 'Ladyfest Goldsmiths - this coming Friday!'
Vulvas Get Bad Rap on Yahoo Answers
By Holly Combe | 16 February 2008, 15:04
First, a bit of background: Yahoo Answers is a community where users informally ask and answer questions on a range of topics. It can be a bit hit and miss if you need a reliable source of information but…
Read 'Vulvas Get Bad Rap on Yahoo Answers'
Training illiterate women to install solar panels - can it really be a bad idea?
By Jess McCabe | 16 February 2008, 10:42
I am so split on this one: of course anything that improves women’s lives (not to mention leads to the use of renewable power to provide light and heat to poor villages), has got to be good. But there…
Read 'Training illiterate women to install solar panels - can it really be a bad idea?'
Round up
By Jess McCabe | 16 February 2008, 09:06
Two Iranian journalists who write for women’s rights websites have been charged with “violating national security”, according to Reporters Without Borders. The organisation also reports that five conservative websites have been shut down. The women charged are Jelveh Javaheri and…
LGBT history month listings
By Jess McCabe | 15 February 2008, 21:00
Check out this massive listing of events being organised across the UK to celebrate LGBT history month….
Read 'LGBT history month listings'
“Sterilise all teenage girls” says Fay Weldon
By Samara Ginsberg | 15 February 2008, 19:22
Fay Weldon has written a pretty outrageous piece for the Daily Mail in which she suggests that all girls between the ages of 12 and 17 should be forcibly sterilised. Yep, you read that right. Enforced sterilisation. I have to…
Read '"Sterilise all teenage girls" says Fay Weldon'
A quick update on the shop issue
By Jess McCabe | 15 February 2008, 10:53
We have removed the ‘similar items’ function from our shop. These items were selected by Amazon, not by us. It’s a bit of a shame to get rid of this function, because Amazon often popped up with interesting and relevant…
Read 'A quick update on the shop issue'
A vasectomy at the touch of a button
By Abby O'Reilly | 14 February 2008, 16:49
I’ve had a piece published on The Guardian’s Cif page today discussing contraception, and how it can medicalise the male and female body, and make sex a clinical process. I wrote the article having read a report that scientists at…
Read 'A vasectomy at the touch of a button'
Beaten Up Mama?
By Jess McCabe | 14 February 2008, 14:15
Wonderland links to a webcomic that addresses the gender roles in the popular Wii/DS game Cooking Mama: Read the full version here….
Normally I’m with Linda Smith on this*
By Louise Livesey | 14 February 2008, 13:48
Australian MP Bob Such has claimed that women wearing certain tshirts are encouraging sex attacks (he doesn’t seem to specify whether against themselves or other women) and demeaning their sex. According to him “some clothing could lead to men…
Read 'Normally I'm with Linda Smith on this*'
More on rape as a tool of war
By Louise Livesey | 14 February 2008, 13:31
In the same week the UN Security Council condemns the use of children as soliders and sexual violence against them as a tool of war, it is reported that the Kenyan conflict is utilising rape of women and children (some…
Read 'More on rape as a tool of war'
Hearts and flowers and… um… whipping
By Jess McCabe | 14 February 2008, 11:23
A collection of Valentine-themed posts: Uplift! Magazine reminds us it’s actually vagina day, as well as Valentine’s Day Twisty at I Blame the Patriarchy is back with a post that skewers Valentine’s Day Shakesville on an ad which shows men…
Read 'Hearts and flowers and... um... whipping'
Celebrate the small stuff no matter how temporary
By Louise Livesey | 14 February 2008, 09:51
John Kampfner has resigned from the editorship of the New Statesman. This is not what I am celebrating. What is worth celebrating, no matter how little significance the Guardian gives it*, is that Sue Matthias, deputy editor, is taking over…
Read 'Celebrate the small stuff no matter how temporary'
No Lastminute.com this isn’t going to endear you to me
By Louise Livesey | 14 February 2008, 09:12
Lastminute’s adverts sink to a new low…. Tantrums. Sulking. Tears. And that’s just the men. Forgetting Valentine’s Day can make the dreamiest love stories a living nightmare, so make sure you’ve got it sorted with our last chance gifts and…
Read 'No Lastminute.com this isn't going to endear you to me'
Ann Widdecombe, you will lose!
By Laura Woodhouse | 13 February 2008, 23:51
Defend a woman’s right to choose! I’d say about a hundred of us gathered to chant, wave placards and thrust Abortion Rights leaflets into the hands of unsuspecting pro-lifers outside the Liner hotel in Liverpool on Tuesday night. Widdecombe herself…
Read 'Ann Widdecombe, you will lose!'
A couple of announcements
By Jess McCabe | 13 February 2008, 22:10
To allow comments or not to allow comments? That is the question we have been grappling with on and off since launching the blog in 2005, and we now feel the time has come to give it a try. Regular…
Read 'A couple of announcements'
Give me irate any day
By Jess McCabe | 13 February 2008, 19:43
A female advertising executive in the US has written a column about sexism in the industry, over at Adweek. Essentially, Nina DeSesa is providing some advice for how to get ahead in a male-dominated industry and, while I vigerously disagree…
Latest feminist carnival out now!
By Jess McCabe | 13 February 2008, 16:17
Feminist Carnival number 53 is up now at Uncool….
Read 'Latest feminist carnival out now!'
Daily Express uses firefighters to stir up racism and sexism
By Jess McCabe | 13 February 2008, 10:26
Explain to me this: how does a national newspaper make the leap from one fire service setting aside a few days to recruit women and ethnic minorities, to “white men banned” from joining? Well, perhaps if you write to the…
Read 'Daily Express uses firefighters to stir up racism and sexism'
Houston, we have a problem
By Kate Smurthwaite | 13 February 2008, 10:12
[Edit: Kate Smurthwaite, the comic and brilliant former guest-blogger here at The F Word, has let us repost this personal account. What follows originally appeared on Kate’s own blog] Well I spend a lot of time addressing issues of misogynist…
Read 'Houston, we have a problem'
A Period Drama
By Louise Livesey | 13 February 2008, 09:54
Unite’s rather wacky but good video on the scandal of Lilets - if you haven’t heard about this until now, watch this and will be explained…….
More Hillary bashing
By Lynne Miles | 12 February 2008, 23:44
In case anyone thought Jess was exaggerating claims of misogyny fuelling the anti-Hillary campaign in the US, here’s a recent image snapped at the Conservative Political Action Conference (originally from here): I stumbled across this in a post by Jeff…
The shop
By Jess McCabe | 12 February 2008, 20:37
Over at Mind the Gap, vibracobra has pointed out that a DVD that - from Amazon’s description - I would characterise as grotesque and vile, has popped up on The F Word bookshop. I would just like to reassure readers…
A vegan strip club?
By Jess McCabe | 12 February 2008, 14:31
This is one to file somewhere between eco-brothels and High School Girl branded meat products: someone has come up with the fantastic idea of launching a vegan strip club in Portland! KPTV reports the story under this ‘hilarious’ headline: Customers…
Bitch magazine relaunches website
By Jess McCabe | 12 February 2008, 10:26
Fans of Bitch magazine will be pleased to know it has updated its website, with a new blog section and lots and lots of lovely content. The old Bitch website was a bit on the sparse side, and the blog…
Read 'Bitch magazine relaunches website'
Misuse of language…
By Louise Livesey | 12 February 2008, 09:14
No I’m not going to comment on punctuation and grammatical errors on the F Word (as one of the main offenders that would be hypocritical) but rather on the misuse of terms with very gender based implications. Take this morning’s…
Giant Idiots!
By Jess McCabe | 11 February 2008, 23:16
A firm called Cargiant has been running an extremely irritating series of ads on the Tube. Reader Claire wrote in to tell us about them, and encourage everyone to complain to the Advertising Standards Authority. The ads feature gurning…
A look at the Republican’s front runner
By Jess McCabe | 11 February 2008, 21:40
Super Tuesday is over, and it is still not clear whether Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama will be the Democrat fighting for the White House come November. But Senator John McCain has emerged as a clear front-runner for the Republicans….
Read 'A look at the Republican's front runner'
More on porn from Laurie…
By Jess McCabe | 11 February 2008, 17:33
Last month, Laurie Penny wrote fairly lightheartedly for us about censorship of porn. She got a fair few negative responses, as well as some from people in agreement with her. Well, now she has expanded on her views a bit,…
Read 'More on porn from Laurie...'
Feminist Philosophers neatly encapsulate equal pay story
By Louise Livesey | 11 February 2008, 14:24
Copied from Feminist Philosophers because, frankly, I couldn’t put it better…. UK Members of parliament are urging action to close the pay gap between men and women. (Currently at 18% for full-time workers and 40% for part-time.) Meanwhile, Birmingham council…
Read 'Feminist Philosophers neatly encapsulate equal pay story'
More women sentenced to stoning to death for “adultery”
By Louise Livesey | 11 February 2008, 14:06
But this time it’s not just a dubious allegation it’s double jeopardy. Iran has surpassed itself with this one. Zohreh Kabiri-niat and her sister Azar have been tried for adultery. The substance of the allegations is that Zohreh’s (seemingly quite…
Read 'More women sentenced to stoning to death for "adultery"'
Is it just me…
By Louise Livesey | 11 February 2008, 10:19
Or is this just a bit ridiculous? A woman worker on an oil rig will appear in course today over the evacuation of the oil rig over the weekend. Apparently the story goes like this. The woman had a dream…
Times they are a-changing…
By Louise Livesey | 11 February 2008, 09:35
Australian car dealerships have just been given a wake-up call that women are indeed knowledgable customers. An online car magazine asked for women’s experiences of buying a new car and found that a quarter said they were ignored in showrooms,…
Read 'Times they are a-changing...'
Second set of features and reviews for February
By Jess McCabe | 10 February 2008, 23:08
UK feminists must address worldwide issues All over the planet women are denied the most basic rights. Ruthie Samuel asks: where is the outrage? Crime and patriarchy Jo Legg asks, when will feminists take over the Home Office? Lust, Caution…
Read 'Second set of features and reviews for February'
January comments
By Jess McCabe | 10 February 2008, 22:49
Comments received during the month of January are up now! Read them here. Hannah Whittaker’s feature on the impact glamour magazines have had on her life drew lots and lots of supportive comments this time - while Laurie Penny’s viewpoint…
Best t-shirt ever?
By Jess McCabe | 10 February 2008, 22:22
I was looking for an illustration to use on another post, and Flickr pulled up this: Photo by gaelx, shared under a Creative Commons license…
Transcript of podcast available now
By Jess McCabe | 10 February 2008, 21:54
When we launched the podcast, one of the issues I didn’t really consider was whether an audio-only podcast was accessible to all our readers. I know, that was dumb of me. Of course, we want everyone to be able to…
Read 'Transcript of podcast available now'
Amazing
By Laura Woodhouse | 10 February 2008, 17:04
Unfortunately, as Allecto points out, the responses to this piece on YouTube are testimony to the utter hatred feminists and women are up against in our fight against male violence. She also links to a wonderful piece by a…
Stretch marks: the true story
By Abby O'Reilly | 10 February 2008, 15:08
A friend of mine was recently upset about her “ugly” stretch marks. Apparently puberty had “slashed” a number of silvery-white lines across her thighs and hips, which meant that not only was she ruined forever but also that she’d have…
Read 'Stretch marks: the true story'
Feminist Must Reads
By Catherine Redfern | 9 February 2008, 16:55
In 2002 we asked readers of The F-Word to send us their lists of feminist “Must Reads”. The most recommended book? Germaine Greer’s The Whole Woman. I’ve now added a page on The F Word Shop which highlights these…
Sharia and women.
By Laura Woodhouse | 9 February 2008, 16:29
I know little about Islam so I’m not going to make any pronouncements on how Sharia law works in the UK, but I came across an interesting story on The Times’ religion blog which is relevant to the current debate:…
Journalistic integrity, anyone?
By Abby O'Reilly | 9 February 2008, 00:04
As someone pursuing a career as a journalist I’ve been the recipient of some pretty hefty criticism. “Do you know,” remarked one man, “that journalism is the least respected profession along with politics? When I worked in the pharmaceutical industry…
Read 'Journalistic integrity, anyone?'
How to hire a classy hooker, for tech men
By Jess McCabe | 8 February 2008, 23:16
One of the top 100 technology news sites has posted step-by-step instructions for Silicon Valley workers, titled “how do I get a Stanford girl to blow me?” The post at ValleyWag is full of lovely tips on hiring a ‘better’…
Read 'How to hire a classy hooker, for tech men'
“Men Should be Obsessed with Success” Says Lad Mag “King”
By Holly Combe | 8 February 2008, 20:12
Here’s what the former Maxim and Men’s Health Editor, Greg Gutfeld has to say about his part in the latter’s promotion of male fitness (in the superficial sense as well as the health-related one): I’m culpable for this horrible phenomenon……
Read '"Men Should be Obsessed with Success" Says Lad Mag "King"'
Feminism is Dead? Nice Try Harry!
By Holly Combe | 8 February 2008, 19:20
It’s time to strike an angry pose next to the mythical bra-bonfire, dear readers, because (yet again) the worn-out tableau of stinky old feminism finally crawling away under a rock to die is being presented in the vain hope that…
Read 'Feminism is Dead? Nice Try Harry!'
Insert preferred expletive here.
By Laura Woodhouse | 8 February 2008, 17:06
Smite Me! [.net] informs us that US news programme CNN reported the sexual harassment of a woman by police officers under the headline SLINKY BABE + 6 COPS = TROUBLE. The next day, they changed the headline to BEHAVING BADLY:…
Read 'Insert preferred expletive here.'
I have superpowers - I’m invisible again…
By Louise Livesey | 8 February 2008, 16:58
The Telegraph, picking up a story from the Times Higher, is reporting the Women’s Studies is dead. Yet again I find myself in the throes of either invisibility or non-existence. I know Holly is commenting on the laziness of the…
Read 'I have superpowers - I'm invisible again...'
Southall Black Sisters ‘under threat’
By Jess McCabe | 8 February 2008, 15:17
Southall Black Sisters has been helping empower black and ethnic minority women since 1979. The work they do - on issues as wide-ranging as ‘honour’ crimes, domestic violence and depression - is invaluable, but is now under threat because Ealing…
Read 'Southall Black Sisters 'under threat''
Male Privilege Checklist
By Louise Livesey | 8 February 2008, 09:58
Of use to those of us who find ourselves banging our heads on the brickwall of male intransgience - how male privilege operates in 46 easy points. My particular favourites include: 38. If I have a wife or live-in girlfriend,…
Read 'Male Privilege Checklist'
Sorry Civitas, were you trying to be insulting or did it just happen?
By Louise Livesey | 8 February 2008, 09:31
Whilst the Rowan William’s publicity seeking speech wendles its merry way onwards Civitas today joined the fray on the Radio 4 news programme. Why is this of interest to us? Because their argument was that Sharia law should not be…
Read 'Sorry Civitas, were you trying to be insulting or did it just happen?'
Clothing - forward thinking and retrograde
By Louise Livesey | 8 February 2008, 08:47
Lets start with the negative shall we? New Zealander Karen Walker has received rave reviews for her collection of clothes for adult women based on childswear and dolls’ clothes. And Edwardian childswear and dolls’ clothes at that. Edwardian times being…
Read 'Clothing - forward thinking and retrograde'
Strangers in Paradise TV show?
By Jess McCabe | 8 February 2008, 00:27
Given my post earlier this week on sexism in comics, it’s worth taking the opportunity to highlight a book that’s actually worth reading. If you haven’t read Strangers in Paradise, now is as good a time as any. SiP is…
Read 'Strangers in Paradise TV show? '
High School Girl Meat Pies!
By Jess McCabe | 8 February 2008, 00:12
Generally I see my vegetarianism as quite separate from my feminist politics. Not today. Sexual Politics of Meat eat your heart out: Meat product manufacturer Ito Ham has taken the Japanese schoolgirl obsession to the next level by applying…
Read 'High School Girl Meat Pies!'
90 years after women won the right to vote…
By Jess McCabe | 7 February 2008, 16:19
It was 90 years yesterday since the first women gained the right to vote in the UK. The Guardian has a gallery of suffragette photos which is really interesting. But what is perhaps more revealing is this wallchart by the…
Read '90 years after women won the right to vote...'
University of York Students’ Union opens Women’s Committee to men.
By Laura Woodhouse | 7 February 2008, 15:23
A motion put forward by the University of York’s Women’s Officer (no less) to open Women’s Committee to men has sadly been passed today. Opponents, myself included, have been battling against this motion, but unfortunately the vote was open to…
Read 'University of York Students' Union opens Women's Committee to men.'
No woman is ever to blame for rape. That includes sex workers.
By Laura Woodhouse | 7 February 2008, 11:47
One thing that I would have thought all feminists can agree on is that women are never to blame for being raped. Never. And whatever our position on sex work and porn, whether or not we think these things are…
Read 'No woman is ever to blame for rape. That includes sex workers.'
We are the pro-choice majority
By Lynne Miles | 6 February 2008, 23:39
Hundreds of women and men surrounded the entrance to Central Hall Westminster tonight to picket a meeting called by Ann Widdecombe and various anti-abortion groups as part of a national roadshow. Here’s a mugshot of me (centre), Catherine Redfern…
Read 'We are the pro-choice majority'
Are comics less sexist than they were in 1983?
By Jess McCabe | 6 February 2008, 15:48
Back in 1983, comics genius Alan Moore wrote a series of three features on sexism in the industry. A livejournal community set up to share scans of comics, scans_daily, has dug up the series and reposted it for us to…
Read 'Are comics less sexist than they were in 1983?'
London pro-choice protest tonight
By Jess McCabe | 6 February 2008, 12:14
A quick reminder to London readers: Abortion Rights is calling for people to come out in force this evening, for a protest against efforts to restrict access to abortion. This is a protest against Ann Widdecome’s ‘Not on your life…’…
Read 'London pro-choice protest tonight'
Women’s Health Round-up - all is not rosy
By Louise Livesey | 6 February 2008, 10:55
First off is the news that women are opting for Caesarian Section births because they are scared of childbirth. A study published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology questioned 496 first-time mothers with a healthy pregnancy at…
Read 'Women's Health Round-up - all is not rosy'
Call for English language teachers
By Jess McCabe | 6 February 2008, 00:45
Volunteering to teach English at Kalayaan Learning English is crucial for Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs) in order that they can gain some independence from their employers, improve their job prospects, learn about their rights and have some time for personal…
Read 'Call for English language teachers'
Putting the system on trial
By Jess McCabe | 5 February 2008, 16:17
Women Against Rape are holding a public trial, to draw attention to the failure of the criminal justice system when it comes to rape. From the organisation’s press release: BUT MOST RAPISTS STILL GET AWAY WITH IT! What is the…
Read 'Putting the system on trial'
Women’s Parliamentary Radio
By Louise Livesey | 5 February 2008, 16:07
A new web radio service has been launched. Women’s Parliamentary Radio aims to be the “Women’s Hour of Westminster”. It aims to report fairly and accurately on policy issues of concern to women and their families, broadcasting interviews with…
Read 'Women's Parliamentary Radio'
Sally Anne Bowman Murder Trial Continues
By Louise Livesey | 5 February 2008, 16:02
The man suspected of killing teenage model Sally Anne Bowman had admitted to having sex with Bowman’s dead body but denies murdering her. Mark Dixie claims he was inebriated after birthday celebrations where he was angry because his girlfriend hadn’t…
Read 'Sally Anne Bowman Murder Trial Continues'
Airbrushing can do this….
By Louise Livesey | 5 February 2008, 15:56
Airbrushing, as commonly used in the media can turn Kelly Osborne from this to this . You can listen to the show, The Surgery here….
Read 'Airbrushing can do this....'
Men resent ‘quality time’ breastfeeding
By Guest Blogger | 5 February 2008, 14:17
This is a guest post by Charlotte Cooper of Subtext Magazine Another day, another burgeoning battle on the field of motherhood and breastfeeding - the pros and the cons are force fed to us like mother’s milk, only it’s not…
Read 'Men resent 'quality time' breastfeeding'
I heart this poster.
By Laura Woodhouse | 4 February 2008, 18:55
Make a film on your mobile phone
By Jess McCabe | 4 February 2008, 17:05
The Birds Eye Film Festival is running a really interesting group project, collating short films made by “women everywhere” on their mobile phones. I love the DIY/anyone can be a film-maker element of this project: As you’ll see we’ve an…
Read 'Make a film on your mobile phone'
Study links high heels with better sex. But…
By Jess McCabe | 4 February 2008, 13:27
An Italian urologist and high-heel enthusiast has caused a stir, by claiming that the shoes improve women’s sex lives, by putting the pelvic floor muscles in the optimum position. Dr Maria Cerruto, who the BBC describes as a “self-professed lover…
Read 'Study links high heels with better sex. But...'
War on Women
By Laura Woodhouse | 4 February 2008, 00:24
Anji at Shut Up, Sit Down has done a stellar job of pulling statistics together to prove her assertion that violence against women is of such epidemic proportions globally that it should be categorised as a war on women. Just…
Subtext issue 5
By Jess McCabe | 4 February 2008, 00:19
The latest issue of Subtext magazine is out now! Get it here….
“All heterosexual women are rape victims”
By Laura Woodhouse | 3 February 2008, 17:01
EDIT: Debs has an interesting response to this post here. I just came across this quote in the comments section of a feminist blog. The commenter asserted that sex is a means to control and subjugate women, that it is…
Read '"All heterosexual women are rape victims"'
Tampax’s Advice on Boys
By Catherine Redfern | 3 February 2008, 15:19
Whilst doing some reasearch I stumbled across Tampax’s “educational” site for teenage girls, www.beinggirl.co.uk. The site is filled with relentlessly upbeat articles on dating, boys, makeup and periods. One of their advice sections is entitled: Everybody’s crazy about boys…
Read 'Tampax's Advice on Boys'
First batch of February features - sluts, corsets, ‘real men’ and Spare Rib
By Jess McCabe | 2 February 2008, 19:33
Why men should care about gender stereotypes Alex Gibson considers the harm done by stereotypes of men as beer-swilling, emotionally-stunted brutes Of corset matters Corsets were bad news for Victorian women, argues Laurie Penny, and modern incarnations are little better…
Read 'First batch of February features - sluts, corsets, 'real men' and Spare Rib'
Property is theft!
By Guest Blogger | 2 February 2008, 19:14
This is a guest post by Helen G, who contributed last month’s feature on transphobia in feminist communities. What an inspiring and thought-provoking phrase. I even used to think I understood what it meant, back in the days of my…
A Big Thank You to F Word Readers
By Catherine Redfern | 2 February 2008, 14:32
Hello all you lovely people. This is a quick message to say thank you to those of you who have been buying your Amazon purchases through the F Word Shop. Since we launched in December, you’ve ordered about 120…
Read 'A Big Thank You to F Word Readers'
Trail Magazine - Have a Gold Star!
By Catherine Redfern | 2 February 2008, 13:18
I love Trail Magazine. For a mag all about hiking and clambering up big mountains in the cold and snow (well at this time of the year anyway), it’d be easy for it to slip back into a Wainwright-y…
Read 'Trail Magazine - Have a Gold Star!'
Daily Echo abortion article
By Laura Woodhouse | 2 February 2008, 10:45
I have wrongly been quoted as a ‘spokesman’ (no, I hadn’t realised I was a man either) for Abortion Rights in this article. I’d like to make it clear that I am a member of Abortion Rights, but not an…
Read 'Daily Echo abortion article'
Lolita bed for girls. Good one, Woolies.
By Laura Woodhouse | 1 February 2008, 18:10
Woolworths has withdrawn a line of bedroom furniture for girls called “Lolita” after pressure from members of an online parenting forum, RaisingKids.co.uk. Yes, Woolies (or at least the designer) thought it would be a great idea to brand a little…
Feeds