Blog posts from August 2010
Coalition will not endorse EU directive against trafficking
by Laura Woodhouse // 31 August 2010, 21:54
The Guardian reports that the coalition government has chosen not to opt in to the EU directive designed to coordinate efforts to combat human trafficking, suggesting that the Tories' euroscepticism is to blame. But as Klara Skrivankova of charity Anti-Slavery...
New review - Awra Amba
by Jess McCabe // 31 August 2010, 16:37
Philippa Willitts reviews a documentary about this community in Northern Ethiopia, grounded in principles of equality between the sexes The words Awra Amba mean 'top of the hill', and are the name of a small community in Northern Ethiopia which...
Forced divorce and sterilisation: a reality for many transgender persons
by Helen G // 31 August 2010, 11:25
A couple of months ago I reported on the Irish Government's decision to drop its challenge to a High Court declaration that Irish law on transgender rights is in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights. The challenge had...
Weekly Round-Up And Open Thread # 5
by Shiha Kaur // 30 August 2010, 14:38
Grab a coffee, sit down, relax and catch up with this week's selection of interesting stories. We can't always cover everything, so please share anything that has caught you eye or feel free to discuss topics with other feminists in...
New feature: On campus, feminism wavers
by Jess McCabe // 30 August 2010, 10:46
University students are used to applying feminist theory in their academic work, but this fails to transfer out of the classroom, reports Lizzie Dearden I realised I was a feminist when I was studying AS level sociology. Suddenly, feelings I'd...
New research into domestic abuse against trans people
by Helen G // 27 August 2010, 14:53
There is now a substantial body of evidence recording the spiralling rate of violence against trans people the world over and, as more research becomes available, the clearer the extent of that violence becomes. But while the media routinely publishes...
The female lead?
by Guest Blogger // 27 August 2010, 11:31
Let's not pretend social pressure on women no longer exists, argues Tugela Barnes in this guest post A few days ago, The Sunday Times’ Style supplement ran a story celebrating the success of popular lingerie brand, Agent Provocateur. Written by...
Women's Rugby World Cup under way
by Carrie Dunn // 25 August 2010, 18:32
Just to let you know that the Rugby World Cup is under way (in London/Surrey area as well, so you can get along if you want!). Wales are in Pool A; England and Ireland in Pool B; Scotland in Pool...
Guest post: Some feminists are more equal than others
by Guest Blogger // 25 August 2010, 11:37
Following the UK Feminista conference, Nichi Hodgson reflects on the 'silent victim' and inclusion in feminism. Nichi is a 26-year-old lexophilic, omnisexual journalist, who pines for a sausage dog but refuses to entirely invoke Diane Keaton's character in Manhattan. From...
26 August: SAWCC Book launch at The Women's Library
by Helen G // 25 August 2010, 09:22
Tomorrow, Thursday 26 August 2010, at 7pm in The Women's Library in Old Castle Street, London, E1 7NT, the South Asian Women's Creative Collective (SAWCC) presents a book launch at which the journalist Zaiba Malik will be reading excerpts from...
Red Pepper article: "Feminism: now for the good news"
by Catherine Redfern // 24 August 2010, 19:17
My article on contemporary feminism in June/July's issue of Red Pepper has now been published online. It's unashamedly optimistic; deliberately so, like our book, as a counterpoint to all the media messages we've had over the past few years telling...
Oppression olympics: the privilege paradox?
by Holly Combe // 23 August 2010, 16:26
We all know that, just like men, women are not all the same. We come in different shapes and sizes. We come from different backgrounds and ethnic groups. Some of us are disabled and some of us are currently...
Weekly Round-Up And Open Thread #4
by Carrie Dunn // 23 August 2010, 15:56
(I wonder how long it'll take before we lose count or mistype and then entirely lose the sequence of these weekly threads...) Anyway, welcome to your weekly post which gives you links to interesting stories we've seen or had pointed...
Pakistan flood relief
by Jolene Tan // 23 August 2010, 11:22
Many of you will be aware of the devastating flood which has hit Pakistan, causing what the director of UNICEF's emergency operations has described as the largest humanitarian crisis "in decades".Sindh, in the south of Pakistan, is now being described...
Cheers, Doc.
by Laura Woodhouse // 22 August 2010, 17:36
I went to see my GP a while back as I'd been having a number of mildly unpleasant downstairs issues and the usual at-home treatments didn't seem to be working. (I realise the state of my ladybits is probably not...
Open letter to Michael White
by Josephine Tsui // 20 August 2010, 15:24
Equal pay would no longer be a gendered issue if society could divorce dependent care giving with earning potential.
It's A Level results day!
by Lynne Miles // 19 August 2010, 14:22
It's a really big day for lots of teenagers as they get their A Level results today, and I hope all our readers got what they were hoping for this morning (or next week, if you're awaiting GCSE results). We...
Intrusive Questions
by Philippa Willitts // 17 August 2010, 19:38
Philippa talks about inappropriate questions regarding her body and disability from strangers.
New feature: Honeymoon cystitis?
by Jess McCabe // 17 August 2010, 10:41
Cystitis is bad enough, says Hannah Fearn. But why are doctors so dismissive? "Yes, it's just part of being a woman. Don't worry: it'll probably get better once you've had a baby." If I had needed a reminder that in...
New review: Men at the centre of the story
by Jess McCabe // 16 August 2010, 20:40
Barbara Kingsolver has finally won the Orange Prize. Sarah Bryne wonders, is it a coincidence that she has been recognised for The Lacuna, her first novel with a male protagonist? I've been a big fan of US novelist Barbara Kingsolver's...
New feature: Compulsory heterosexuality and lesbian existence, 30 years later
by Jess McCabe // 16 August 2010, 12:37
AJ Conroy looks back at what we can learn about the need to form ties with other women from Adrienne Rich’s famous essay What is wrong with feminism? Lately it seems like we're getting it from all sides, including from...
Weekly Round-Up and Open Thread #3
by Catherine Redfern // 16 August 2010, 08:00
Each week there are things which we would love to blog about, but which pass us by. So, here is a weekly round-up of things we wanted to share. If there are things you want to add, consider this an...
Survey: Feminist issues
by Catherine Redfern // 14 August 2010, 17:04
As part of the survey of UK feminists undertaken for my book with Kristin Aune Reclaiming The F Word, we asked the 1265 respondents 'please list the three feminist issues that most interest or concern you.' Survey respondents could write...
How to Be Alone
by Catherine Redfern // 14 August 2010, 15:21
A quick google search suggests that many women feel uncomfortable being alone, especially in public situations. It's not that surprising, when we're encouraged to define ourselves in relation to men, and told that we put ourselves at risk by venturing...
Update on Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani
by Jolene Tan // 12 August 2010, 10:04
Iranian Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, at risk of execution, has appeared on television "confessing" complicity in the murder of her husband. The Guardian reports:Speaking shakily in her native Azeri language, which could be heard through a voiceover, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani told...
Bent Bars Project: New venue needed for Letter Writing nights
by Helen G // 12 August 2010, 08:18
Via the Bent Bars Project: We are still looking for a new space to hold Bent Bars Letter Writing Nights. The location we used last month was fantastic, but unfortunately it's just out of our budget to keep on a...
Destiny Lauren murder trial and anti trans prejudice
by Helen G // 11 August 2010, 20:48
The trial of the cis man Leon Fyle ended this week with his conviction for the murder of Destiny Lauren last November. Media coverage has been predictably and disappointingly sparse (I've collated the majority of it in a series of...
Illusions of Care - ¿Derecho o Ficción?
by Guest Blogger // 11 August 2010, 11:30
Marianne Mollmann, advocacy director for the women's rights division of Human Rights Watch, introduces the campaign group's new report, Illusions of Care (¿Derecho o Ficción? in Spanish). She joined HRW in 2003 as researcher for Latin America and the Caribbean,...
Being Fat
by Philippa Willitts // 10 August 2010, 11:39
Philippa talks about how being fat is fine. Really fine.
New review - Girl With a One Track Mind: Exposed
by Jess McCabe // 10 August 2010, 10:49
Sex blogger Abby Lee saw her anonymity stripped away by the media. Her latest book explores the personal consequences in a society that has yet to come to terms with female sexual desire, says Abby O’Reilly In 2006, Girl With...
New review - In the Loop
by Jess McCabe // 10 August 2010, 10:47
This collection of essays goes well beyond glossy photos and patterns, weaving together a serious assessment of knitting, its role in activism, art and more, says Kaite Welsh "Knitting is many things to many people - it can be cosy,...
Le Tigre documentary screening to raise funds for Ladyfest Ten
by Jess McCabe // 10 August 2010, 10:23
Le Tigre fans, there is a chance to see a preview of their in-progress backstage documentary in London later month. And raise money for Ladyfest Ten at the same time. On their blog, Le Tigre say: The film edits...
Support
by Jess McCabe // 9 August 2010, 14:45
I am sure many of you are familiar with Renee from Womanist Musings, an often-linked blog here at The F-Word. Renee has had a loss in her family and is fundraising to pay for the funeral of her nephew, who...
Weekly Round-Up and Open Thread #2
by Philippa Willitts // 9 August 2010, 10:29
A handful of things we've noticed but not had time to post about this week. Join in, tell us what feminist thoughts you've been thinking!
Met police name and shame sex workers
by Laura Woodhouse // 8 August 2010, 13:28
The Met's Operation Monaco team have issued ASBOs to six street sex workers in London and published their full names, photos and dates of birth on their website because they were "persistent offenders". Quite how naming and shaming women...
"As though they are dirty and diseased"
by Jolene Tan // 7 August 2010, 18:57
Yesterday the Guardian ran a piece (bizarrely, in the "Life & Style" section) about the situation of migrant domestic workers in the UK:The London-based charity Kalayaan is the only one in the country that deals specifically with migrant domestic workers;...
Birth choice and human rights
by Laura Woodhouse // 7 August 2010, 12:10
The bastards hard-working bods at Sky/BT have deigned to return the internet to me after more than two months in the web-free wasteland, and while I feel like a fish that's finally been returned to water after some dude with...
Registering for comments - tell us what you think
by Jess McCabe // 5 August 2010, 18:30
Comment moderation is one of the hardest, sometimes the hardest, part of blogging for The F-Word. In order to reduce some of the energy involved, we want to introduce commenter registration. This means that you would need to register (for...
New feature: Images of pregnancy, representations of birth
by Jess McCabe // 5 August 2010, 16:01
Pregnant celebrities post for photoshoots, we have childbirth-focused reality TV shows - but, argues Sara De Benedictis, only a sanatised, product-driven version of natality has gained the limelight Once hidden and masked in the home, images of pregnant women now...
Home Sec warns Chancellor on Budget inequality
by Jess McCabe // 4 August 2010, 13:37
UPDATE: It should be noted that today Theresa May scrapped powers to ban violent partners from their victim's home, citing the need to save money. Hopefully we will have more on this later. Home Secretary and Equalities Minister Theresa May...
Some are more equal than others
by Helen G // 2 August 2010, 15:35
Zöe has a must-read post called simply Equality? over at her blog, in which she takes a look at the changes the Equality Act 2010 (direct link to PDF) will bring and concludes that: It means that there is one...
Weekly round-up and open thread: what we missed
by Lynne Miles // 2 August 2010, 11:04
Here's just a handful of things we've noticed but not had time to post about this week. If you know of any more you want to let people know about, or just fancy a natter with fellow feminists, consider this...
Some Calls for Submissions
by Philippa Willitts // 2 August 2010, 10:07
Philippa reports three 'calls for submissions' for women's writing.
We're On Twitter!
by Philippa Willitts // 1 August 2010, 18:02
Details of The F Word's twitter account.
Founder of The F-Word, Catherine Redfern, has co-authored a new book with Kristin Aune. Find out more at the 
