Blog posts from August 2009
‘400 years of Black Female Leaders’
By Jess McCabe | 31 August 2009, 21:55
The Imperial War Museum in London is hosting a film and documentary screening this September, about black women leaders throughout history: Date: 27th September 2009 Time: 1.00pm - 4.30pm Women in war or peacetime do not always get the historical…
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Feminist book group
By Jess McCabe | 31 August 2009, 21:44
Our F-Word book group petred out a while back, but I’m sure there are plenty of readers out there who’d be interested in something similar. Well, here you go: Radical Readers & Feminisms for Dummies is the latest project by…
Guest post: [95] Minutes of Sexual Double Standards
By Guest Blogger | 28 August 2009, 17:22
In this guest post, Kaite Welsh considers the sexist backstory to (500) Days of Summer (500) Days of Summer is the latest indie hit about to make it big. Based on the true story of screenwriter Scott Neustadter’s failed relationship,…
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The Fat of the Land - Saturday 3 October, London
By Jess McCabe | 28 August 2009, 14:14
If you’re looking for a Harvest festival celebration this year in London, The Fat of the Land sounds good: London’s fat queers and their pals are coming together to challenge the greed of the diet industry and body fascism within…
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Pakistan’s undesirables: ‘Dealing with’ the hijra problem
By Helen G | 28 August 2009, 11:40
There’s a thought-provoking post over at Sherryx’s Weblog (link here) about the hijra community in Pakistan. (T-Vox carries this definition of hijra: “In the culture of the Indian subcontinent a hijra is a physically male or intersex person who is…
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“Women’s groups are heartbroken”
By Catherine Redfern | 27 August 2009, 14:06
The BBC reports that, following mass protests, the president of Mali has decided not to sign the country’s new family law, and will return it to parliament for review. Some of the provisions that have proved controversial give more rights…
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Zimbabwe Women Rise Against Sexual Violence
By Catherine Redfern | 26 August 2009, 21:02
From Hear Us - Stand With Us ADD YOUR VOICE - Help us collect 2,000 (or more!) messages of support to be delivered to African leaders at the SADC summit in Kinshasa from September 2-8. In 2008, political violence erupted…
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More on Caster Semenya
By Jess McCabe | 26 August 2009, 16:53
Just a quick one to say that Black Looks has posted a statement signed by a long list of feminists in South Africa about the decision to make Caster undergo a sex test: Caster should not be having to deal…
Bristol Tories brand lottery grant to youth LGB group “outrageous”
By Laura Woodhouse | 26 August 2009, 16:24
Call me naive, but I would’ve thought that most people would be hard pressed to find fault in the National Lottery’s decision to award almost £400,000 of funding to EACH, an award-winning charity dedicated to combatting homophobic bullying. Apparently not:…
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‘Misogyny, up close and personal’
By Jess McCabe | 26 August 2009, 14:50
Melissa from Shakesville has a fantastic piece up at CiF, about what it’s like for women to have close relationships and friendships with men who sometimes express misogyny or sexism, and how she doesn’t hate men, but finds it hard…
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The Western woman’s body is still subject to regulation
By Lola Adesioye | 25 August 2009, 21:09
Men and women in the West tend to have strong opinions about the attire worn by Muslim women. In the media as well as in private many bemoan the fact that Muslim women are apparently unable to wear what they…
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Mindblowing science fiction by women & people of colour
By Jess McCabe | 25 August 2009, 20:54
Check out this fantastic list of “mindblowing” science fiction by women & people of colour, pulled together by The Angry Black Woman, with help from readers at her own blog, Alas, A Blog, and Feminist SF: The Blog. This list…
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Ladyfest Edinburgh, Sister Spit tour UK…
By Jess McCabe | 25 August 2009, 17:42
Ladyfest Edinburgh has posted the schedule for their weekend of women and girl-focused fun, art, poetry, workshops, music etc. The festival takes place from 25-27 September, and I have to say the most exciting bit for me is that lit/spoken…
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Women’s Refuge TV Licence campaign
By Catherine Redfern | 25 August 2009, 16:41
Did you know that: While luxury hotels and others get a TV licence discount for multiple sets on their premises, refuges providing shelter and support for victims of domestic abuse are charged the full price for each of their licences….
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Sex work and sexuality group blog
By Helen G | 25 August 2009, 14:45
Via Caroline at Loserdust (link here): Sex work and sexuality group blog I am in the midst of setting up a group blog for sex workers and allies about, as the title of this post suggests, sex work and sexuality….
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Thoughts on Pink
By Catherine Redfern | 25 August 2009, 12:15
Following on from the evolutionary psychology debate, I wanted to mention this blog post I enjoyed from Vagina Dentata, a really great feminist / science blog in which she discusses the frankly stupid claim that girls liking pink is…
Evolutionary Psychology Bingo
By Jess McCabe | 24 August 2009, 17:48
Via Morrígan Reborn, comes this fantastic ‘Evolutionary Psychology Bingo’ game. As well as the square to the right, one of my other favourite squares is “‘Natural’ is always good, unless the evolutionary psychologist needs glasses”. See also: Antifeminist Bingo Antifeminist…
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Feminist Carnival #2 is up
By Helen G | 24 August 2009, 16:50
The second Feminist Carnival - “a reinvention of the original Carnival of Feminists” - is up at the Female Impersonator group blog, thanks to Lindsay and Amelia’s hard work. In the tradition of the original (now dormant) Carnival of Feminists…
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Appalling racism on display at BNP festival
By Laura Woodhouse | 24 August 2009, 14:20
We all know the BNP are racist, but should you ever need to try and prove this to someone else, you could start by pointing them in the direction of this News of the World (!) article on their “family”…
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Welcome to new and returning bloggers
By Jess McCabe | 24 August 2009, 12:19
I’m really pleased to let you all know that our guest blogger from last month, Lola Adesioye, is going to be joining us as a regular member of our blogging team. And we also have some more good news -…
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Old Girls to be performed in Glasgow
By Jess McCabe | 24 August 2009, 10:40
A new play by Zoë Strachan will be performed at Òran Mór in Glasgow, as part of its lunchtime theatre programme “a play, a pie and a pint”: Old Girls Thelma and Louise for the nursing home generation . ….
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Greer shows her transphobic colours
By Laura Woodhouse | 21 August 2009, 08:58
Germaine Greer has written a frankly rather incoherent piece for The Guardian on the Semenya story, which seems to me little more than an excuse for a bit of trans women bashing. She uses the case to ask ‘What makes…
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Women’s 800m gold medallist to undergo sex test
By Laura Woodhouse | 20 August 2009, 17:51
Caster Semenya, a South African athlete who won gold in the 800m at the Athletics World Championships last night, has been asked to undergo a sex test following her sudden emergence on the international scene after winning the South African…
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Bristol charities and RTN organisers celebrate success supporting victims of sexual violence
By Laura Woodhouse | 20 August 2009, 12:48
There will be a celebration at the One25 centre in Bristol tonight to mark the opening of Bristol Rape Crisis, the sixth month anniversary of the opening of sexual assault referral centre The Bridge, and the success of local charity…
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Things to know about the history of UK immigration laws
By Jess McCabe | 19 August 2009, 21:58
What is the history of the UK’s immigration laws? Rahila Gupta has a piece in the Guardian’s CIF today. She puts the recent effort to reduce forced marriages by the UK government, by ruling that you have to be at…
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Mini review: She Should Have Gone to the Moon
By Jess McCabe | 17 August 2009, 21:06
She Should Have Gone to the Moon is a documentary about Jerri Truhill, one of 13 women who trained to go into orbit in the early years of the US’ space programme, but who never made it because of sexism…
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Film about women surfers
By Jess McCabe | 17 August 2009, 09:32
Via AfterEllen, this film about female surfers looks interesting. Dear & Yonder, with the tagline “Daring Stories of Women United by the Sea”, follows surfing stars including Coco Ho, Sally Fitzgibbons, Stephanie Gilmore and Silvana Lima and tracks the…
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Karzai backtracks
By Jess McCabe | 15 August 2009, 19:13
Bad news from Afghanistan: President Karzai looks to have backtracked on promises to review a law which would have legalised rape within marriage in the Shia community, among other provisions. An earlier version of the law triggered protests by hundreds…
Guest post: The Lib Dems manifesto for ‘Real Women’
By Guest Blogger | 15 August 2009, 15:31
In this guest post, Melanie Newman considers the Liberal Democrats’ ‘Real Women’ manifesto The Liberal Democrats have produced a 42-point manifesto for women, which includes proposals on airbrushing in advertising, domestic violence, and 12 months’ parental leave for mothers and…
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Mothers for Women’s Lib on Press Treatment of Katie Price
By Holly Combe | 15 August 2009, 14:53
You’ll probably be aware that, predictably, the apparent tide of goodwill from the press towards Katie Price (AKA Jordan) finally turned in recent months. Before her split with Peter Andre, it seemed she could do no wrong as far as…
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New feature: Turn your back on Page 3
By Jess McCabe | 15 August 2009, 11:29
Francine Hoenderkamp explains her campaign to ban Page 3 Dear Clare, I have just finished reading your book and it has inspired me to start my own campaign against Page 3. I would love to discuss this with you as…
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New review: Creative writing at The Women’s Library
By Jess McCabe | 15 August 2009, 11:26
Yasmin Eshref attended a creative writing course for girls and young women at The Women’s Library This August, I was lucky enough to attend The Women’s Library’s fully-booked, female-only, creative writing course. I’m a long time fan of The Women’s…
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Boris Fails to Keep Promise
By Catherine Redfern | 14 August 2009, 17:20
Boris* Keep Your Promise - a group campaigning for funding of rape crisis centres in London - have released a video response to Boris’s own youtube announcement on 31st July. Boris on youtube: BKYP’s Response: Check out their website for…
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Littlejohn adds trans people to his list of targets.
By Laura Woodhouse | 14 August 2009, 12:20
Daily Fail columnist Richard Littlejohn - the same hateful prick who claimed that the deaths of the murdered Ipswich sex workers were “no great loss” - has sunk to despicable new depths today with his pathetic, transphobic rant against the…
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Gimme an B! Gimme a O! Gimme a Y! Wooooo!
By Catherine Redfern | 14 August 2009, 09:57
From the BBC: A group of boys from Leeds have wowed judges at an international cheerleading competition in Coventry. The Peewee Boyz, who are thought to be the only cheerleading boys in Europe, won third prize at the International Cheer…
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Women’s boxing returns to the Olympics
By Jess McCabe | 13 August 2009, 13:52
Women’s boxing will become an Olympic sport again in 2012, when female boxers will have a chance to compete in the London games. It will be the first time since 1904 women’s boxing features in the Olympics. You might remember…
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A voice for refugee women…
By Jess McCabe | 13 August 2009, 13:34
The Testimony Project seeks to amplify the voices of women telling their stories about the asylum system in the UK and life as asylum seekers and refugees. Women facing the UK asylum system do it on their own. Home Office…
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Sanitary Towel Appeal for asylum seekers
By Catherine Redfern | 13 August 2009, 11:02
Caroline Glasner of the Jewish Council for Racial Equality writes: I’m now a regular volunteer at the New North London Synagogue monthly drop-in for destitute asylum seekers. The women who attend have fled traumas such as torture, rape, separation from…
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Tanzanian women set up bank
By Jess McCabe | 12 August 2009, 17:05
A group of high-profile women in Dar es Salaam have opened a bank aimed at providing basic financial services to female entrepreneurs, reports the BBC, Women on the Web and East African Business Week. According to the BBC: The bank…
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Coco Chanel, female directors
By Jess McCabe | 12 August 2009, 14:16
Interesting new site Fat Quarter has reviewed Coco Before Chanel, the latest film by Anne Fontaine, which is currently playing in UK cinemas: This is a film about a time, pre-war, pre-Suffrage, when, for women of a certain class, jobs…
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New feature: How do I look in this, on this, doing this, with this…?
By Jess McCabe | 12 August 2009, 10:34
Feminist artists have often used the tactic of exaggerating the objectification of women to the point of parody. But Alex Brew questions how subversive this strategy is in practice Titillation: to excite (another) pleasurably, superficially or erotically Capitalism: dominance of…
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Author wins fight over “whitewashed” book cover.
By Laura Woodhouse | 12 August 2009, 10:06
A bit of good news for once! Australian author Justine Larbalestier was appalled when advance copies of her children’s book about a short-haired black girl, Liar, featured a long-haired white girl on the cover. But following an internet campaign, and…
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Tory MEP says homophobia “does not exist”
By Laura Woodhouse | 10 August 2009, 15:45
Further to Ella’s post, more evidence of backwardness from the Tories, via Pink News: Roger Helmer, Conservative MEP for the East Midlands, wrote on his blog: “‘Homophobia’ is merely a propaganda device designed to denigrate and stigmatise those holding conventional…
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*frantically waving the feminist flag, jumping up and down, blowing a whistle, tearing my hair out…*
By Laura Woodhouse | 10 August 2009, 13:03
Looks like last week was national ignore a feminist week. As if The Times’ article bemoaning the supposed lack of young feminists wasn’t enough, we now get this article from The Independent on Sunday, in which Susie Mesure claims that…
Have you had an abortion?
By Laura Woodhouse | 10 August 2009, 12:25
Kat Banyard is looking to interview women who have had an abortion as part of her research for a book on feminism called ‘The Equality Illusion’ which will be published next year by Faber & Faber: If you have had…
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What would a Tory government do?
By Guest Blogger | 10 August 2009, 11:34
In this guest post, Ella Prostick takes a look at just how ‘Progressive’ the Conservatives are under Cameron It’s been a year since David Cameron’s speech in which he argued that social problems were the result of people’s choices and…
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Petition to Support Sudanese Women’s Human Rights
By Laura Woodhouse | 9 August 2009, 17:07
Thanks to reader earwicga for highlighting this petition, which calls on the Sudanese Parliament and Ministry of Justice to remove the article 152, under which Lubna Hussein and her party were arrested for wearing trousers in public, from Sudan’s criminal…
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New review: Baby Beauty Queens
By Jess McCabe | 8 August 2009, 19:24
Eleanor M. reviews a BBC3 documentary about a beauty pageant for pre-teen girls As with all documentaries delving into the perceived ‘freakier’ side of Britain, you have to take BBC3’s Baby Beauty Queens with a pinch of salt and remind…
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Saturday round-up
By Jess McCabe | 7 August 2009, 17:23
A shelter for women victims of domestic violence in Weymouth will be shut in order to provide more funding for women and families to stay in their homes, and because it does not cater to men. Rumbold at Pickled Politics…
Lecturer faces sack for recommending Del LaGrace Volcano’s transgender photography.
By Laura Woodhouse | 7 August 2009, 09:18
Simon Burgess, a lecturer at East Surrey College, has been threatened with serious disciplinary action and redundancy for recommending the work of artist Del LaGrace Volcano to a student who was doing a project on gender and sexuality. The artist’s…
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Manparts deemed too offensive by Filament printers.
By Laura Woodhouse | 5 August 2009, 14:07
The awesome new women’s magazine Filament, which I reviewed here, is having problems getting its latest edition printed because it features erect cocks: Explicit images of women are available at any newsagent, but Filament, the world’s only magazine featuring male…
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Feminism’s right here!
By Laura Woodhouse | 5 August 2009, 12:20
I just came across this article, When feminism went nuts, bemoaning the lack of feminism in 2009. The author, Janice Turner, identifies the issues many young feminists are worried about - body image, the influence of pornography and the spread…
Harriet Harman on women leading the country
By Jess McCabe | 5 August 2009, 09:36
Daily Mail has a reaI doozy of an editorial on the unfolding media hysteria over Harriet Harman’s week in charge of the country while Gordon Brown is on holiday (or, as the Mail headline writer put it “Seven days of…
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Rainbow Tea Party - fundraiser for London Reclaim the Night 2009
By Jess McCabe | 4 August 2009, 15:31
Scary Little Girls is organising a fundraiser for this year’s London Reclaim the Night. From 10pm on 21 August, at the Oak Bar in London: View Larger Map Tickets can be bought on the door and cost £5….
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Lubna Hussein takes on Sudanese trouser law.
By Laura Woodhouse | 4 August 2009, 15:18
Lubna Hussein, a Sudanese journalist and former UN worker, is facing forty lashes for the crime of “indecent dressing”, or wearing trousers. Her trial was adjourned today in order that the judge could clarify whether her relationship with the UN…
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Boris rape crisis funding update
By Jess McCabe | 4 August 2009, 10:44
UPDATE: Croydon’s Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre has asked us to publiish their number for any women that may be finding the increase in press coverage difficult. Their national freephone number is 0808 802 9999 and they are open…
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New review: Beyond Noughtie Girls
By Jess McCabe | 2 August 2009, 17:24
Ed: This month we’ve got two reviews of a book which has stirred up a lot of debate among feminists in the last few weeks. Ellie Levenson’s guide to feminism for the “noughtie girl” apologises too much and asks for…
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New reviews: The Noughtie Girl’s Guide to Feminism
By Jess McCabe | 2 August 2009, 17:18
Ed: This month we’ve got two reviews of a book which has stirred up a lot of debate among feminists in the last few weeks. Although Ellie Levenson’s feminist primer makes some sensible points, this is undermined by a raft…
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