Following the success of our previous book club discussion, I am pleased to announce the second F-Word book club choice. This months choice was nominated by Lindsey: "I'd like to nominate Malorie Blackman's Noughts and Crosses, a YA [novel] re-imagining...

3 comments // Permalink

The Feminist Activist Forum is calling for submissions for a zine on feminism, disability and activism: Disability has been treated as an unglamorous side-issue within feminist activism. We are looking for writing and artwork that addresses attitudes to disability within...

5 comments // Permalink

November 25th marked the beginning of this years "16 Days Against Violence Against Women". Black Women's Rape Action Project have issued a press release regarding the UK government's obligation to provide protection to women seeking asylum from rape and other forms of sexual violence.

0 comments // Permalink // Tags: asylum, BRAP, detention, gender violence, immigration, rape, sexual torture, UK

A New York Times article has drawn fresh attention to the 'slow blogging' movement. Like slow food, slow blogging is meant to encourage thoughtful blogging and "not having what you write be the first thing that comes out of your...

2 comments // Permalink

The UK should copy the Australians, and set up an annual 'awards' ceremony to highlight sexism in the public eye, argues Cath Elliot over at Comment is Free today. The Ernies take place at the New South Wales parliament building,...

1 comment // Permalink

Cyber-quilters are the thread, the middle person for areas that are marginalized or simply unsure about how to use technology - Adele Nieves BitchBuzz has a great interview with Adele Nieves, which explains what The Cyber-Quilting Experiment is, its origins,...

0 comments // Permalink

Here's a really powerful reminder that, in the words of bell hooks, feminism is for everyone: The definition of feminism does not require a diploma or other proof of graduation. It is not reserved for those who teach women's...

3 comments // Permalink

Incredibly cool and beautiful singer Amanda Palmer (of Dresden Dolls fame) has been forced to search for a new record label after Roadrunner refused to promote her latest single, video and album. Why? Because she refused to let them...

53 comments // Permalink

Would you like to help Rape Crisis launch a national anti-rape campaign? Think about past public education campaigns like drink-driving or non-smoking - it really has the potential to make a difference, to change attitudes towards survivors and even...

0 comments // Permalink

Anti-choice groups such as the 'Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child' are being invited to give presentations at secondary schools: Rawnie Chapman-Kitchin, 15, was aghast when her teacher compared abortion to Nazism, saying that in time history would...

22 comments // Permalink

Yesterday was International End Violence Against Women Day. Following our coverage of the trial of the Sheffield man who raped his daughters over 25 years comes the news he was found guilty and sentenced to life. His minimum sentence (before...

3 comments // Permalink

Today's Guardian profiles the growing number of feminist networks up and down the country: Bristol isn't the only city with such a popular group - there are new feminist networks forming around the UK, providing a stark riposte to the...

2 comments // Permalink

The UK now has specific legislation to try and prevent forced marriages. This includes the right to issue an injunction to prevent a young person being taken abroad and to force family members to disclose the location of a person...

5 comments // Permalink

Sudy has a great description of feminism as the constellation Orion: Feminism, as a collective movement, needs to sustain a habit of frequent communication between the movements. Borrowing from astronomy, the Orion is a sisterhood of stars that make up...

1 comment // Permalink

A list of the 20 "most visibile" people in the UK's digital landscape contains only one woman, at number 11. NowPublic compiled the list based on what they say is a "metric-driven" formula, looking at "whose voices are most heard...

5 comments // Permalink

The word "clitoris" is on a Google list of words 'banned' from its safe search option, according to Susie Bright. Google's filtered search option is, largely, a good thing in my view - for one thing, it means I can...

4 comments // Permalink

First up this piece about a Saudi all-girl rock band, The Accolade, who's music seems pretty good to me. Saudi Arabia's strict laws mean they can't perform publically, have photo's taken for album covers and rehearse in secret but the...

1 comment // Permalink

The board game Risk has been given a 'manly' makeover by Hasbro. The packaging is now covered in slogans such as "are you man enough?", big pointy arrows and instructions to "man up!" Winning players are encouraged to demand all...

2 comments // Permalink

More than 2,000 women marched to take back the streets of central London last night, in protest against male violence against women, for the fifth national Reclaim the Night event since it's revival in 2003. Despite the bitter chill (it...

32 comments // Permalink

Firstly - well done to the 2,000 women who filled the streets of London to Reclaim the Night last night!! Secondly, capitalising on its success, there has been talk amongst various feminists, including those from the London Feminist Network, Object...

25 comments // Permalink

Heading out to Reclaim the Night in a few hours, but in the meantime here's a mini-round-up: Talking of RTN, the LGBT domestic violence helpline Broken Rainbow has endorsed this march and other events taking place around the country. Over...

1 comment // Permalink

Today - 20 November - is the Transgender Day of Remembrance Please spare a few moments quiet contemplation for all those of my trans sisters and brothers who can't be here today. Teisha Cannon Dilek Ince Duanna Johnson Aimee Wilcoxson...

17 comments // Permalink

Abortion Rights are hosting a fundraising comedy night: When: Friday 28th November 2008, doors open 8pm, show starts 8.30pm. Where: Upstairs at the Round Table Pub St Martin's Court, on the side of the Wyndham's Theatre. One minute from Leicester...

1 comment // Permalink

I am sure I can't be the only one infuriated that some bloke's resignation from a reality entertainment programme has overshadowed all other news including the government's latest legislative announcements on prostitution. The BBC has contrasting views from two sex...

5 comments // Permalink

This website (with hat-tip to C for sending it to me) is designed to encourage people to be more aware of the need for cervical screening - a right and good thing. But on looking at the website who would...

58 comments // Permalink

I was covering The X Factor for the Guardian's website on Saturday night, and, during one of the breaks, was taken aback with one advert featuring Fearne Cotton and Holly Willoughby. Here's what I wrote over at the Organ Grinder...

18 comments // Permalink

Sheffield Fems are holding a demo in Sheffield town centre this Saturday, coinciding with Reclaim The Night London, to raise public awareness about violence against women. Meet outside the town hall at 2pm, placards and flyers will be provided! This...

1 comment // Permalink

EDIT: London Feminist Network members have confirmed that "women only" of course includes trans women. However, considering the confusion this has caused both this year and on previous occasions, I really think this should be made explicit on publicity for...

1 comment // Permalink

I recently discovered a fantastic blog that I think deserves more attention: Muslimah: Looking At Muslim Women in the Media and Culture Muslimah Media Watch is a forum where we, as Muslim women, can critique how our images appear in...

3 comments // Permalink

Look, look! Stick your blog or site address in here and it'll tell you whether you write like a man or a woman! RESULTS: We guess http://www.thefword.org.uk/blog is written by a man (58%), however it's quite gender neutral. Well, I...

16 comments // Permalink

The 68th Carnival of Feminists went up last week at Fourth Wave. Highlights for me include a brief retrospective of the life of Olympe de Gourges, who in 1791 wrote the Declaration of the Rights of Woman as a counterpoint...

13 comments // Permalink

A new feminist group called The Waves has been set up in Cardiff: The Waves is a forum for feminist discussion and grassroots activism based in Cardiff. It’s a new group and welcomes anyone with an interest in feminism -...

6 comments // Permalink

Email just received from Chargrilled on this. All I can say is wow and go F Word! (Obviously the fact they were ever there in the first place is abhorrent but this is responsive). Dear Dr. Livesey, We would like...

23 comments // Permalink

I can't work out whether to be appalled or applaud this story.... Reinforcing gender stereotypes by having an all-girls school plan a wedding as a learning tool (as that's obviously the most important thing they'll ever have to do). But...

16 comments // Permalink

This might get long.... I have to join the calls for Helen Mirren to stop spouting on rape. It goes against the grain for me to want to silence a woman but sometimes speech can be deadlier than, well, pretty...

8 comments // Permalink

But obviously we don't live in a society hostile to women's rights..... Description: A blue short-sleeved men's tshirt on which the slogan reads: Statistically 9 out of 10 people enjoy gangrape Description: A red short-sleeved men's tshirt on which the...

16 comments // Permalink

We prize the idea of 'virginity' in our culture, whether valorising it in the form of 'purity' balls, or pillorying 'virgins'. But it's an extremely problematic concept, bolstering up a highly heteronormative hierarchy of what is and isn't defined as...

5 comments // Permalink

Why is Germaine Greer writing about Michelle Obama's dress? Did I miss something? Is this really contemporary feminist analysis? The mind boggles. Mind it does that a lot, not least with this advertising campaign from the RSPCA Australia (warning distressing...

10 comments // Permalink

Jacqui Smith has clarified the proposed law on men who buy sex. It will be criminal to purchase sex with a woman who is controlled for anothers profit - that is women who are pimped and trafficked. Of course this...

3 comments // Permalink

First up this piece from the Daily Mail arguing that women over 50 years old are less bitchy than those under 50. So why do I dislike it? 1. It implicitly presents women over the age of 50 as being...

7 comments // Permalink

Via Feministing...

8 comments // Permalink

Several sources are reporting an acid attack on schoolgirls in Kandahar. All the girls were wearing burqas which afforded some protection. The Taleban have denied responsibility. The UK gender pay gap has increased to 17.1% (overall and 36% for part...

0 comments // Permalink

There have been two horrific murders in the past week. 19 year old Amy Leigh Barnes was found stabbed to death in the flat that was her first home away from her parents last Saturday morning. Her former boyfriend, a...

7 comments // Permalink

Sociological Images draws attention to this ad meant to promote organ donation, which originally ran in a Belgian men's magazine. As lisa says: There are some interesting implications here about why we engage in altruism and who is deserving...

18 comments // Permalink

Full Size Version Here...

0 comments // Permalink

Like Catherine, I had a wonderful time at Ladyfest Manchester, and am thoroughly impressed by the lovely people who worked so hard to put it together. I spent the afternoon learning more about zines in a workshop with Melanie of...

2 comments // Permalink

Seemingly according to Jersey officials sexual abuse survivors should shut up. Now bear with me whilst I explain how I got to that conclusion... They have called the release of information about the investigations at Haute de la Garenne "misleading"....

6 comments // Permalink

First up on Proposition 8 there is a great Open Letter at Racialious by Adele Carpenter: These articles mistakenly imply that the struggles for civil rights for LGBT people and communities of color are separate or even at odds with...

1 comment // Permalink

The gay community is often accused by right-wing groups of trying to push their 'homosexuality agenda'. Rather than fighting the accusation, Gay Times magazine decided to roll with it, and asked some creative agencies to design some homosexuality advertising campaigns....

17 comments // Permalink // Tags: Creative Review, Gay Times, Homo Promo, LGBT rights, PETA, sexism

As I'm in San Francisco at the moment, so I got a chance to meet up with charming Sarah Dopp. Sarah has about a million exciting projects on the go, but one of those is the photoblog Genderfork.com. It's one...

4 comments // Permalink

Here's her letter to the President Elect. Nov. 5, 2008 Dear Brother Obama, You have no idea, really, of how profound this moment is for us. Us being the black people of the Southern United States. You think you know,...

4 comments // Permalink

Here's what Obama is planning to do for women. All sounds remarkably, well, the starting of good things for women! Most positive measures seem to me to be acknowledging the gender impact of HIV and Aids (but sadly without the...

18 comments // Permalink

The Metropolitan police are inviting applications for the post of chief Commissioner following Boris's ousting of Sir Ian Blair from the position last month, and Cambridgeshire police's Chief Constable, Julie Spence, could well be in the running. The Guardian reports...

4 comments // Permalink

I spent Saturday at Ladyfest Manchester, and although I couldn't stay for the bands in the evening, I had a really great day. As usual for a Ladyfest Festival it was difficult to decide what to do as the...

5 comments // Permalink

The anti-human trafficking team which successfully brought six sex traffickers to justice last week will be forced to disband following the withdrawal of government funding. The Metropolitan Police do not have sufficient funds to keep the unit running. Really disappointing...

3 comments // Permalink

Labour has been ousted in the New Zealand election, reports the Guardian: New Zealanders have voted for their first conservative government in almost a decade, ending the tenure of one of the world's longest-serving elected female leaders. Conceding defeat, Prime...

4 comments // Permalink

It is the most private and intimate moment in every mother’s life, and yet birth is something that everyone is more than happy to jaw about judgementally. Should we have baby at home or at hospital? Pain relief? No pain...

62 comments // Permalink

Plenty of women have had negative reactions to the sexualised images of women on lads' mags covers, but research conducted at the University of Missouri has concluded that reading lads' mags also impacts negatively upon men's self image, even a...

10 comments // Permalink

Yesterday's Guardian features Kira Cochrane's profile of the key female figures in the President-elect's life, including his grandmother: Born in 1922, [Madelyn] Dunham was raised in Kansas, and worked as an aircraft inspector during the second world war, before studying...

0 comments // Permalink

Maya Angelou's reflection on Obama winning the presidency - wow. Starts about 3 minutes in....

6 comments // Permalink

Ug. Reviving the 'tramp stamp' phrase again, the Daily Mail has published a ridiculous rant by Liz Jones about how women shouldn't get tattoos. She lays on the classist and sexist bullshit very thick. A taster: They are a mark...

30 comments // Permalink

Reprinted from contact: Dear Friends, There are less than 3 weeks to go before UNIFEM will hand over all signatures to the Say NO to Violence against Women campaign to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. So far, more than 490,000 people...

2 comments // Permalink

BONG Man defends other men's right to not get long punishment for murdering partners/women if they show autonomous sexual behaviour. Apparently changes in the law which remove the "provocation" defence of infedelity ignores the impact of sexual betrayal on men...

7 comments // Permalink

Ladyfest Manchester kicks off tomorrow at the Zion Arts Centre in Manchester, and it all looks very exciting! Ladyfest is a female-focused, not-for-profit arts and music festival where, for once, women take centre stage. Events include cabaret, burlesque and bands...

6 comments // Permalink

Brownfemipower: I don’t think that I’ve truly understood until yesterday exactly how terribly the black community has been hurt. How devastated the black community was by the violence inflicted on them. How deep the ache of murder, lynching, rape, benign...

3 comments // Permalink

Channel 4 reports a study of sexual attitudes amongst 14-16 years. Key findings are that: boys thought it was acceptable to pressure girls into sex and to use alcohol to get them into bed. boys often used aggressive language about...

32 comments // Permalink

As exciting - as much of a blessed relief - as it is to see Barack Obama elected president, and Congress swing to the left - as elating as it is to see the amazing reaction to this in the...

4 comments // Permalink

Fantastic news, the first black family in the White House: if I was American right now I'd feel so proud! But even as a Brit I feel elated, I really hope he can bring the change he's been promising,...

8 comments // Permalink

Afrigator has compiled a list of the top (as in, most read) "female African blogs". Sokari has already posted her assessment of this ranking over at Pambazuka: Unfortunately the term “African women bloggers” is somewhat misleading as many of the...

1 comment // Permalink

Campaigners in Scotland are concerned that changes to the rape law could backfire, making it more difficult to convict rapists. Sudy composes a letter to her daughter on the significance of this election. Via Majikthise, Rachel Maddow points out that...

0 comments // Permalink

A gang of six men have been handed down sentences of up to 14 years for their treatment of a 16 year old girl and 22 year old woman who they trafficked into sexual slavery: Their 16-year-old Slovakian victim had...

15 comments // Permalink

It's far from a complete solution, but it is progress: Preston Women's Refuge has become the first in the country to open their doors to women with insecure immigration status. Because of the 'no recourse to public funds' rule, women...

1 comment // Permalink

Gay and bisexual women think their gender creates a greater barrier to success at work than their sexual orientation, according to research by Stonewall. The report, entitled The Double-Glazed Glass Ceiling, is based on interviews with working lesbian and bisexual...

2 comments // Permalink // Tags: homophobia, LGBT rights, sexism, Stonewall

Via The Daily Telegraph (also UPI), I learn that some 400 women employed by the accountancy firm Ernst & Young have attended a course "to learn how to dress appropriately for the office". Fleur Bothwick, head of diversity at the...

19 comments // Permalink

First off, Momgrind has a fantastic list of ten reasons you should stop reading women's magazines. Mentoring seems to be coming under review - something I've long been interested in because, basically, it's what men do incredible well formally and...

6 comments // Permalink

Those witty theatre types have done it again, this time by writing a lovely little piece of musical theatre which valorises child rape, child prostitution and the punters "rights" to have sex. Oh yes, that sounds like a fun night...

8 comments // Permalink

Literature-loving women flocked to York last month for the UK’s only lesbian arts festival. Milly Shaw reports back Since its first incarnation in 2000 as a book reading event, the York Lesbian Arts Festival (YLAF) has grown to incorporate workshops,...

0 comments // Permalink

That is all I could say to this amazing piece. That and almost crying at it's power......

9 comments // Permalink

Maggie Lee tells of the devestating effect her hysterectomy had on her sexuality and more This year in the UK there will be approximately 40,000 hysterectomies performed on the NHS. For private operations, the figure is not so well-known and...

0 comments // Permalink

Just a quick service announcement, folks: Laura is going to be guest editing this blog for two weeks starting on Saturday. This is because I'll be in San Francisco from the 8th to the 21st of November (back in time...

6 comments // Permalink

Frances Downey reports back on an international conference aimed at driving up the number of female physicists Walking into the third International Conference for Women in Physics was always going to be an experience like no other. Usually, when attending...

0 comments // Permalink

The first Pan-Canadian Young Feminist Conference, Toujours Rebelles, has issues a manifesto - it's damned impressive... Feminists Unite! DOWN WITH the colonial legacy of genocide and assimilation of Aboriginal peoples, particularly of Aboriginal women DOWN WITH the sexism and racism...

9 comments // Permalink

First off, another woman has been stoned to death in Somalia by Islamist rebels. This barbaric practice has to end. In this case the eager crowd were told the victim was submitting voluntarily but clearly saw her struggling to prevent...

5 comments // Permalink

Black-tie dances during which six-year-old girls promise their fathers to abstain from sex until marriage? A documentary about ‘purity’ balls in the United States horrifies Dawn Kofie I tried to be open-minded about The Virgin Daughters, Jane Treay’s deeply unsettling...

0 comments // Permalink

Mercy Wanjiku has had her 'removal' date postponed after a last minute intervention - see womensgrid for more. You may remember Northern Irish MP Iris Robinson, who made some vile homophobic comments earlier this year. Her husband and Northern Ireland's...

8 comments // Permalink

First news from America that voters are influenced by the looks of female candidates - not really shocking news given that almost all groups are influenced in almost all settings by the looks of females from job interviews to personal...

6 comments // Permalink