Blog posts from May 2010
Help fund our redesign, donate now!
by Laura Woodhouse // 31 May 2010, 12:00
Please scroll down for new posts - we're still updating below! The F-Word’s long awaited redesign is finally upon us, and we need your help to make it happen! Since Catherine set the site up in 2001, hundreds of feminists...
Reclaiming The F Word: our new book!
by Catherine Redfern // 30 May 2010, 14:28
My book with Kristin Aune - Reclaiming The F Word - is published next week! It's been a very long time coming and I can hardly believe it's finally here. Since I founded The F Word in 2001 I've been...
Fundraise with Feminist Finery
by Philippa Willitts // 30 May 2010, 13:34
Details of a feminist t-shirt available to help fundraise for The F Word redesign
Malawi: Breaking news - Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga pardoned
by Helen G // 29 May 2010, 15:18
Further to my recent post about the sentencing of a couple to 14 years hard labour merely for getting engaged, BBC News (and others) are reporting that Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga have been pardoned and granted immediate release: A...
Mexico's Supreme Court upholds rape victims' right to access morning after pill
by Jess McCabe // 28 May 2010, 10:07
Good news from Mexico this week - the Supreme Court has upheld the right of rape victims across the country to access the morning-after pill, according to the Latin American Herald Tribune: After six sessions of intense debate, 10 of...
New review: Macbeth
by Jess McCabe // 27 May 2010, 14:34
Yasmin Eshref reviews a version of Macbeth set in the 1970s with an all-female cast Get Over It Macbeth from Mohammad Homouda on Vimeo. I'm a big fan of Mr William Shakespeare. I've got a well-thumbed copy of his complete...
UK: ID cards abolition update
by Helen G // 27 May 2010, 12:20
By way of a follow-up to an earlier post I wrote on the Identity & Passport Service's post-election announcement about cancelling Identity Cards and the National Identity Register, this post at BBC News online reports the following: The Home Office...
Help women in ‘rape capital of the world’
by Guest Blogger // 26 May 2010, 20:52
Guest post by Tenley Peterson The crisis in DR Congo has raged for over 15 years, with citizens victimized by armed groups and their own military. This conflict has particularly affected women and girls as they are raped as a...
Summer school for feminist activists
by Jess McCabe // 26 May 2010, 00:12
UK Feminista is holding a free two-day summer school in London on Saturday 31 July-Sunday 1 August. Here's the schedule, I'll be chairing a panel on women and the media on the Sunday: DAY 1: Saturday 31st July, 10:00-17:00 Speakers...
Haitian women's activists regrouping
by Jess McCabe // 25 May 2010, 19:43
Women's e-News has profiled a recently formed coalition of Haitan women's rights groups, lobbying for "a Haiti where women no longer suffer high levels of sexual violence and marginalization at home and in the paid work force". Femmes Citoyennes Haiti...
New review: Honour and the Sword
by Jess McCabe // 25 May 2010, 17:03
A L Berridge’s swashbuckler is a challenge to this male-dominated branch of historical fiction, says Sian Norris There are two types of historical fiction. The type where women are the centre of the action (usually focusing on sexual intrigue, romance...
Welcome to our new bloggers!
by Laura Woodhouse // 24 May 2010, 17:33
I'm delighted to announce that Jolene Tan, Josephine Tsui and Shiha Kaur will be joining The F-Word blogging collective as permanent bloggers following their guest blogging stints earlier this year. Syma Tariq will also be joining as a permanent blogger,...
New feature: Back to burlesque
by Jess McCabe // 24 May 2010, 14:01
Has the shine come off burlesque as it mainstreamed? Chloë Emmott revisits her views About two years ago, I wrote a piece for The F-Word, called 'Can Burlesque be Feminist?' I've been spurred on to revist the issue by an...
New feature: Hit Girl
by Jess McCabe // 24 May 2010, 11:00
Hit Girl, the 11-year-old assassin from the film Kick-Ass, represents a subversion of passive ideas of girlhood, argues Tracey Plowman. But at the same time the character poses some uncomfortable questions and contradictions Okay, so I had to do it....
New feature: Narcissus
by Jess McCabe // 23 May 2010, 16:58
This story by Madhvi Ramani considers the struggle of one woman to measure up to the beauty standard The first thing I saw were her feet and right off I knew she was a stunner. By then, I had become...
Bring back The Pansy Project's Facebook page
by Helen G // 22 May 2010, 19:08
Manchester-based artist Paul Harfleet started The Pansy Project when he began to revisit various city streets to plant pansies at the sites of homophobic abuse. A string of homophobic abuse on a warm summer’s day was the catalyst for this...
Zoe Margolis wins libel damages
by Abby O'Reilly // 22 May 2010, 10:00
Zoe Margolis, author of the Girl with the one-track mind blog and books under the pseudonym Abby Lee, yesterday won libel damages from the Independent on Sunday following publication of an article she had written in which she was falsely...
Anonymity for rape defendants?!
by Jess McCabe // 21 May 2010, 13:09
The government plans to grant defendants in rape trial anonymity, according to their coalition programme for government. Details are slight, by which I mean one line saying: We will extend anonymity in rape cases to defendants. As the Press Gazette...
Malawi: Couple sentenced to 14 years in prison with hard labour for getting engaged
by Helen G // 20 May 2010, 20:06
Today, Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga, whom the media calls "Malawi's first openly gay couple" even though Tiwonge identifies as a woman and her partner as her husband, were given a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison with hard...
New review: Quilts at the V&A
by Jess McCabe // 20 May 2010, 13:17
An exhibition at the Victoria & Albert museum puts the spotlight on quilting, and by extension on the unsung domestic history of women, says Tamasine Pottle Selling its largest ever pre-allocation of tickets, the V&A Museum recently opened an exhibition...
Diane Abbott makes bid for Labour leadership
by zohra moosa // 20 May 2010, 08:32
Britain's first Black woman MP has just joined the leadership contest, annoucing her intentions on BBC Radio 4 about an hour ago. There's a piece about it on BBC online here. After an election campaign that was dominated by white...
Now that Sophie Dahl is out of our kitchen, who will be the next female TV chef?
by Alicia Izharuddin // 20 May 2010, 01:52
For the few people who care, Sophie Dahl will not be returning to our television sets to teach us how to make an eggs Benedict that's saucy in more ways than one. Dahl had a shaky start, with mixed reviews...
Liberating Our Nation's Grandmas
by Lucy Inmonger // 19 May 2010, 16:02
Women are slowly getting the freedom of choice but have we really stopped to think if it is at anyone’s expense? Are we really solving the problem of female inequality and exploitation or are we simply passing it on to...
Object fundraiser comedy gig tomorrow
by Lynne Miles // 18 May 2010, 09:31
Just a quick heads up: OBJECT (Women Not Sex Objects) are having a comedy fundraiser tomorrow night, Wednesday 19th, which is being compered by TFW guest blogger Kate Smurthwaite, she of Cruella-blog. It's in the Comedy Pub, Piccadilly at 7.30....
EU leaders mark the International Day Against Homophobia And Transphobia
by Helen G // 17 May 2010, 08:58
Today, Monday 17th May 2010, the 6th International Day Against Homophobia And Transphobia marks the exact 20th anniversary of the World Health Organisation’s decision to remove homosexuality from its list of illnesses on the 17th May 1990. Leaders from the...
IDAHO: Save Kiana Firouz
by Laura Woodhouse // 17 May 2010, 07:00
Kiana Firouz is an Iranian lesbian activist, filmmaker and actress who has been living in the UK since the Iranian Intelligence Service caught wind of her documentary work on the plight of homosexuals in Iran. They began following her...
Sack Theresa May campaign
by Laura Woodhouse // 16 May 2010, 15:17
A campaign has been launched to sack the homophobic new Women and Equalities Minister, Theresa May. As you can see above, May has repeatedly voted against measures to improve gay rights. She also voted to reduce the abortion time...
Any feminists in Huddersfield?
by Laura Woodhouse // 16 May 2010, 12:38
If so, please join Beth, the author of www.secretideas.co.uk ,for some tasty feminist activism! Contact Beth here. UK Feminista have further feminist group listings here....
Wanted: reviewers
by Jess McCabe // 15 May 2010, 17:24
Have you ever fancied writing reviews for The F-Word? If you are interested in writing reviews of books, albums, films, events, etc, in exchange for free stuff/press tickets, then email me (jess.mccabe@thefword.org.uk) for more information, even better if you include...
Ladyfest Oxford this weekend!
by Guest Blogger // 13 May 2010, 21:00
Joanna Whitehead invites us to attend Ladyfest Oxford. For the uninitiated, Ladyfest is a non-profit international festival which presents and supports the creative talents of professional and amateur female acts in the local community, including performances and workshops. The aim...
Bumps in road for EU-wide protections for domestic violence victims
by Jess McCabe // 13 May 2010, 08:06
Efforts by the Spanish government to introduce EU-wide protection orders for victims of domestic violence, are hitting some roadblocks, EUObserver is reporting. You might remember that Spain introduced the idea as a priority back in January, when it took the...
Cameron's cabinet - spot the difference
by Lynne Miles // 12 May 2010, 10:59
Update: err, oops. I seem to have been writing this at the same time as Jess was writing hers, but she pipped me to the post. Sorry, Jess! Update #2: (what I think is) the full cabinet has now been...
Questions over Supreme Court nominee's race equality credentials
by Lynne Miles // 12 May 2010, 09:55
President Obama has announced Elena Kagan as nominee for his second judicial appointment to the US Supreme Court. If confirmed by Congress, Kagan would be his second female appointment to the court (his previous appointment was Sonia Sotomayor who was...
Cabinet so far, so white, so male
by Jess McCabe // 12 May 2010, 09:27
UPDATE: Theresa May named as Home Secretary... and Minister for Women & Equality (@newsaboutwomen quips "I wonder why she's expected to do two jobs? Is she going to be Minister for Women in her spare time, when she's not Home...
New review: Women artists and Surrealism
by Jess McCabe // 11 May 2010, 22:37
Women have largely been painted out of popular understandings of the Surrealist movement. Susan Gilbert reviews a Manchester Art Gallery exhibition which showcased some of these ignored works There is a famous work of Surrealist art called Le Déjeuner en...
Yet more global victim blaming news
by Laura Woodhouse // 11 May 2010, 21:09
In which a woman not wearing a headscarf becomes an unwrapped lollipop attracting flies. I won't repost the image here because the crowning of Prime Minister Cameron has turned my stomach enough for one day....
Quick hit: Liberian feminist writings
by Jess McCabe // 11 May 2010, 12:10
Feminist poet Korto Williams is guest editor of a Women's Issue of Liberian online journal Sea Breeze. Check it out for a wide selection of non-fiction and fiction, poetry and art, perhaps starting off with the editor's letter, including (among...
Dire Dyer and the Zoo advice column
by Jess McCabe // 11 May 2010, 08:35
The Danny Dyer advice column controversy is still ongoing, as Dyer and Zoo Magazine are squabbling over who can distance themselves fastest from an 'Ask Danny' segment which saw Dyer advise 'jokingly' that a reader should "cut your ex's face,...
PCOS
by Philippa Willitts // 10 May 2010, 13:11
Philippa talks about having polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery - you can do better than this!
by Guest Blogger // 10 May 2010, 09:59
In this guest post, Bristol Feminists question an art show put on by the local Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery Art from the New World is a "brash, hip" show of young West Coast US artists coming to the...
17 May is International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia
by Helen G // 9 May 2010, 21:35
The International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHO) is celebrated around the world on 17 May each year. The day of protest began in 2004, and has been held every year since. This year, IDAHO events will be held in...
Jeans or short skirt, we still wanted it
by Laura Woodhouse // 9 May 2010, 17:47
Trigger warning - victim blaming. An Australian woman saw the man she accused of rape walk free last week because his defence lawyer asserted that her jeans were too skinny for the accused to have removed them without her help....
Writers group launches in Edinburgh
by Guest Blogger // 9 May 2010, 10:06
Lauran Kelly introduces a new writing group in this guest post A few weeks ago Bidisha wrote an article for The Guardian under the headline "I'm tired of being the token woman", in which she discussed what she called "a...
Agnès Varda retrospective, course on history of French women filmmakers
by Jess McCabe // 9 May 2010, 09:52
The British Film Institute is putting on a retrospective of films by French director Agnès Varda. Also there's a short course Varda and her Sisters, about women filmmakers in France: Four two-hour sessions will take participants on a journey from...
Arts 4 Human Rights - displacement
by Jess McCabe // 8 May 2010, 19:16
A free arts festival starts today in south London, with art, film, performance, workshops and talks on the theme of displacement (including an installation by Monica Alcazar). More info on the Arts for Human Rights website....
Women's representation inches up - early estimate
by Jess McCabe // 7 May 2010, 14:44
The number of women MPs has edged up, and women are likely to make up about 21.5% of the Commons, from 19.5% before the election, according to the Centre for Women and Democracy, and the Fawcett Society. From their press...
Quick hit: election
by Jess McCabe // 7 May 2010, 10:50
Women's Views on News has running commentary on the implications of the election result for women's representation, and the Women's Resource Centre is already calling for all the parties to show their feminist credentials and not leave women's services "hanging"...
Signal Boost: Feminism and Mental Health - Call for Submissions
by Philippa Willitts // 6 May 2010, 20:38
Call for submissions for a feminist mental health anthology.
Thinking about voting?
by Lynne Miles // 6 May 2010, 12:04
Obviously, along with most people, my mind is on polls, voting, and the exercise of democratic rights today. It got me thinking about the women's suffrage movement, and realising that I don't know a great deal about it. Distracted from...
Election quick hit: check up on candidates in your constituency with Fawcett
by Jess McCabe // 6 May 2010, 10:28
The Fawcett Society asked prospective parliamentary candidates from up and down the country these three questions. Would they: 1. Support local and national action to tackle the gender pay gap? (yes/no) 2. Increase support services for women victims of rape...
Unemployed? On a low income? Make sure you vote!
by Holly Combe // 5 May 2010, 23:59
Please note that the following blog post only represents my own opinion and is not meant to be taken as "the official F-word view on the election" I think the poster says it all. For all the hug-a-hoodie bluster and...
In case you need a reason not to vote Tory tomorrow
by Laura Woodhouse // 5 May 2010, 21:07
I'd like to write a whole screed on the election, but as you've may have noticed from my recent inactivity, a new job has somewhat curtailed my blogging capacity for the time being. So I just want to point you...
An alternative anti-rape ad campaign...?
by Jess McCabe // 5 May 2010, 09:11
A while back in comments, the notion of a feminist bus ad campaign, as an antidote to some victim-blaming 'anti-rape' ads by TfL. Sian of Sian and Crooked Rib has posted her ideas following up on this on her blog:...
What's wrong with this picture?
by Helen G // 4 May 2010, 20:23
Just when you thought that cis people's crass fixation on trans people's genitalia could go no further, along comes this article in Argentina's Momento24 English, demonstrating conclusively that their prurience really knows no bounds: Barbie changes sex Andrea Cano and...
Of sartorial choices and oppression
by Alicia Izharuddin // 3 May 2010, 22:42
The ban on the full-face veil in Belgium seems like the easiest thing to mete out as far as unconstitutional legislations are concerned. Out of about 215 women who wear either the niqab or burqa in the country, many belong...
Welcome to May's guest bloggers!
by Lynne Miles // 3 May 2010, 20:44
I’m pleased to introduce our guest bloggers for this month: Alicia, and Lucy Inmonger. First up is Alicia: Alicia is a postgraduate student at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London and has been blogging for about two...
Blogging Against Disablism Day: What Is Disablism?
by Philippa Willitts // 1 May 2010, 20:00
Philippa answers the question 'what is disablism' with many examples.
New feature: What happens when you don’t like what the doctor orders?
by Jess McCabe // 1 May 2010, 15:25
Bryony Long talks through how she resisted the dubious directions of a doctor in A&E I recently had an adverse reaction to some antibiotics I was prescribed, which resulted in my throat swelling up and a burning sensation down my...
Blogging Against Disablism Day: on being a disabled blogger
by Amy Clare // 1 May 2010, 00:00
Though my guest blogging month is over, I'm doing this extra guest post purely for the occasion of Blogging Against Disablism Day. As my contribution to today, I’d like to highlight just how challenging it can be for disabled people...
Founder of The F-Word, Catherine Redfern, has co-authored a new book with Kristin Aune. Find out more at the 
