Blog posts from February 2011
Endangered Species
by Laura // 28 February 2011, 21:40
Endangered Species is an international summit set up by Susie Orbach to challenge women's and girls' hatred of their bodies. On Friday it hits London, where a wide range of organisations and women determined to "save future generations of...
New feature: A room of her own
by Jess McCabe // 28 February 2011, 21:34
Bidisha runs writers’ retreats. She reports that the women who attend struggle to carve out the time and psychological space for their work Full disclosure: I have run a writers' retreats in London and also in the beautiful French Alps,...
Welcome to our guest bloggers for March
by Lynne Miles // 28 February 2011, 20:10
Following our recent call for guest bloggers, we're pleased to announce that we have lined up some fabulous ones! We're planning to have two each month from now until around August or September (by the way, if you volunteered and...
Whatever happened to Cunning Stunts?
by Jess McCabe // 28 February 2011, 14:26
Sphinx Theatre is revisiting the feminist theatre tropes of the 1970s and '80s as part of the Women of the World festival at London's South Bank Centre. As well as a cabaret performance, there will be a panel discussion and...
Belfast FemFest 5th - 13th March
by Catherine Redfern // 28 February 2011, 12:00
March is traditionally a very busy time for feminists, with seemingly hundreds of marches and events all over the country! You can check out more on our Events page which our blogger Helen G maintains. If you've never been to...
New review: Penelope
by Jess McCabe // 28 February 2011, 11:02
Waiting for 20 years for Odysseus' return, Penelope is an emblem of marital fidelity and has always provided plenty of material for reinterpretations, feminist or otherwise. Kate McCarthy reviews the latest, which dumps the suitors in a dried out swimming...
England cricketer Steven Davies comes out as gay
by Carrie Dunn // 28 February 2011, 10:56
Just a quick post, but after the sexism in sport shenanigans and various discussions about homophobia in sport recently, I wanted to congratulate England wicketkeeper Steven Davies on coming out today. So few sportsmen at the top of their game...
Weekly Round-Up and Open Thread
by Catherine Redfern // 28 February 2011, 07:00
Hello all! See below our weekly round up of interesting, amusing, infuriating or noteworthy feminist things from t'internet last week. If you have more, feel free to add in the comments! Women Eating Cake TV Presenter Cerrie Burnell: I don't...
So Social.
by Philippa Willitts // 25 February 2011, 19:44
Philippa reminds readers of our facebook page and twitter account.
Join me on the Bridge for the 100th International Women’s day
by Guest Blogger // 25 February 2011, 10:39
Jesspreet Thethi is a feminist and recent graduate who enjoys reading comics, playing games, wondering around museums and galleries and acting as childish as possible The 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day is fast approaching, and to celebrate how far...
Violence against women must be top priority for UN Women, say women’s rights campaigners
by Helen G // 23 February 2011, 10:18
To coincide with start of the fifty-fifth session of the Commission on the Status of Women taking place at the UN Headquarters in New York, a new survey and report, A blueprint for UN Women, commissioned by Oxfam Novib and...
Would you like to attend our birthday party?
by Catherine Redfern // 21 February 2011, 19:22
The F Word's tenth - I say TENTH - anniversary birthday party is coming up in March and we are preparing our celebrations! All past and current contributors should have received an invitation to our party in London on...
Get Lippy - new project
by zohra moosa // 21 February 2011, 14:25
ActionAid UK has launched a new project for International Women's Day called 'Get Lippy'. Featuring video testimonials from women from around the world who are fighting for their rights, Get Lippy calls on readers to send messages of solidarity and...
Calling all runners!
by Guest Blogger // 21 February 2011, 13:25
Sarah Haynes from Women for Women International urges readers to Run for Congo Women Runners raise almost £56,000 for women in DRC In 2010, we officially launched Run for Congo Women in the UK, with the aim of raising awareness...
Holyrood motion to call for Aitken's resignation
by Helen G // 21 February 2011, 11:38
The furore surrounding the remarks made by Bill Aitken, Conservative MSP for Glasgow, Shadow Minister for Community Safety and Justice Committee Convenor (which helps formulates rape laws), shows no sign of decreasing as the Green Party's MSP for Glasgow, Patrick...
Weekly round-up, February 21st 2011
by Carrie Dunn // 21 February 2011, 11:37
Morning all, here's our regular round-up of links we've been sent or stumbled across and not had time to blog. As always, usual disclaimers apply... TRIGGER WARNING: This post contains hyperlinks to external websites and blogs, some of which have...
Michael Winner embarrasses himself on Twitter
by Jess McCabe // 20 February 2011, 17:06
Michael Winner has had a bit of an embarrassing incident on Twitter, according to a column in the Observer today. Writer and poker player Victoria Coren at first assumed the tweets talking about her breasts couldn't possibly be from the...
Trailer, programme out for Birds Eye View 2011
by Jess McCabe // 19 February 2011, 10:03
Tickets are on sale now for the annual Birds Eye View film festival, and they've put together a trailer (above). Particular highlights this year look to include the segment on horror, Bloody Women, which includes a showing of horror...
Maxine Hong Kingston speaking at Bath festival
by Jess McCabe // 18 February 2011, 19:32
A chance to catch an influential but controversial US writer is coming up at next month's Bath literary festival. I've not read any of Maxine Hong Kingston's books myself, but she has a new autobiography out and is talking about...
Record numbers of women claim Jobseekers' Allowance as unemployment rises
by Jess McCabe // 18 February 2011, 08:04
The number of women claiming Jobseekers' Allowance has risen 12%, meaning the number of women aged 25-49 claiming the unemployment benefit is at its highest since records began in 1997, according to the latest numbers from the Office for National...
New review - Dreamers of a New Day: Women Who Invented the 20th Century
by Jess McCabe // 17 February 2011, 16:27
As the 20th century dawned, visionary women from all backgrounds were imagining new worlds. Kirsty Doole reviews Sheila Rowbotham’s history of these movements, groups and individuals In 1914, Marie Jenny Howe, the creator of the Greenwich Village Heterodoxy Club, said:...
Call to action
by Guest Blogger // 17 February 2011, 12:06
The cuts are looming and the threats are real; isn't it time to take mass action?, asks Rahila Gupta If anybody needed any further evidence of the devastating times we live in, then you need to look no further than...
New feature: Breaking the silence around miscarriage
by Jess McCabe // 17 February 2011, 09:58
Miscarriage is bad enough, without worrying about losing your job, says Emelyn Thomas A silent miscarriage is when a pregnancy is lost with no symptoms at all and the miscarriage is only diagnosed by the absence of the fetal heart...
Women of the World festival to hit Southbank
by Jess McCabe // 16 February 2011, 20:47
That sound you hear is the noise of feminists furiously scribbling in their calendars: March is approaching, bringing with it a packed schedule of events linked to Women's History Month and International Women's Day. In London, the Southbank Centre is...
New review - One Dimensional Woman
by Jess McCabe // 16 February 2011, 20:43
Feminism risks becoming a meaningless word, co-opted by capitalism and right-wing politicians such as Sarah Palin, according to Nina Power’s latest book. Sian Norris has more This explosive book with its pink and black cover should have pride of place...
Ugandan women singing it
by zohra moosa // 16 February 2011, 18:05
Have been bouncing along to this wicked tune all day at work. It's called 'Equal by right', and has some great lyrics. Thanks to Catherine at ActionAid Interntional for passing it along....
Bidisha: Where are the Women? event - Bristol, 6 March
by Helen G // 16 February 2011, 16:39
Over the past four years the Bristol Fawcett Society (BF) and the Bristol Feminist Network (BFN) have researched the representation of women in the media. One of the most startling findings has been the absence of women in British culture...
New review - Rose: Love in Violent Times
by Jess McCabe // 14 February 2011, 17:00
Inga Muscio’s latest book blends anecdotes, history and theory to examine where violence originates from and how to find space for love in a vicious world. The result is in turns naïve, stirring and provocative, says Katherine Wootton The recent...
Abortion Support Network to run out of funds by the end of the month
by Jess McCabe // 14 February 2011, 15:47
The Abortion Support Network, which helps women who have been forced to travel from Ireland to Britain for an abortion, is urgently in need of funds and is set to reach the end of its reserves by the end of...
Weekly Round-Up, 8 -14 February 2011
by Abby O'Reilly // 14 February 2011, 13:30
Here's this weeks list of stories we've not had chance to blog about at length. As always, if there's anything you think we've missed, feel free to share the wealth in the comments. Political Dynamite: Declaration of the Social Movements...
Victim-blaming, rape-denier Tory MSP suggests rape victim was 'hooker'
by Jess McCabe // 13 February 2011, 15:10
Conservative MSP Bill Aitken has suggested a 38-year-old woman who was raped in Glasgow may have been a "hooker". The implication being that had the woman been a sex worker/prostitute, that would have made it a lesser offense somehow. The...
Journalists and the newsworthy
by Jess McCabe // 13 February 2011, 14:27
The events in Egypt have sharpened minds to the issue of how 'overseas' news is covered. Overnight, most of the Western, English-language media went from almost no coverage, to Egypt dominating the news. Journalists are once again discussing as a...
S&M with Rihanna
by Laura // 13 February 2011, 12:24
BBC Radio 1 has refused to play the official version of Rihanna's new song, S&M, in the daytime, deeming it inappropriate for younger listeners. The BBC-approved radio edit of the track has been renamed Come On and all references...
New review - Forget the Dude: this is a woman's story
by Jess McCabe // 11 February 2011, 21:16
In an age when girl avengers are preferred to adults, 14-year-old Mattie Ross evolves admirably from ferocious teen to formidable woman, says Taraneh Ghajar Jerven. But why bother creating a 3D character if she's omitted from the previews? Warning: this...
The efficacy of the sex ban
by Abby O'Reilly // 11 February 2011, 18:53
In Aristophanes’ anti-war comedy Lysistrata, the eponymous heroine convinces the women of Greece to withhold sex from their husbands in an attempt to end the Peloponnesian war. This is possibly the most renowned example of the beast-with-two-backs-making being used...
Women underrepresented as reviewers and authors in literary magazines
by Jess McCabe // 11 February 2011, 14:59
Men vast majority of reviewers, authors in Times Literary Supplement and London Review of Books A survey of literary magazines by VIDA has revealed that men outnumber women in literary magazines, both as book reviewers and published authors. I've posted...
Wanted: review editors for The F-Word
by Jess McCabe // 11 February 2011, 09:49
Can you imagine yourself as The F-Word's film editor, books editor, art editor, theatre editor, games editor or TV editor? The F-Word is seeking a number of volunteers to take over editing our reviews section: read on for more information...
January comments on features and reviews - ready to read now
by Jess McCabe // 9 February 2011, 17:46
Latest comments on features and reviews are up now and ready for your perusal. Massive thanks as usual to Helen G for her work coding up comments into a manageable form. This month's trip into the archive takes us back...
Her Circle Ezine: International Women's Day events
by Helen G // 8 February 2011, 13:55
Her Circle Ezine - a webzine dedicated to women's arts and literature is organising a number of events for the weekend of International Women's Day. IWD itself is on 8 March and HCE's programme will run from the Saturday before...
When 'feminist' and 'gender' become embarrassing dirty words in academia
by Alicia Izharuddin // 8 February 2011, 13:12
I am a research student in gender studies in one of the constitutive colleges of the University of London and feel extremely privileged to be part of such a thriving intellectual community. But one brief episode of anti-intellectual feminism in...
New feature - The case against all-women shortlists: the alternative route to participatory democracy…
by Jess McCabe // 7 February 2011, 23:08
All-women shortlists are not ambitious enough to deliver the radical change our political system needs, argues Jane Watkinson The use of all-women shortlists to select candidates for political office enjoys the support of many feminists, women and political parties: however,...
Weekly Round-Up and Open Thread
by Philippa Willitts // 7 February 2011, 10:16
Philippa summarises the stories and news the team missed in the week.
This generation could be the last that has to go through female genital cutting
by Guest Blogger // 6 February 2011, 09:00
On the International Day Against Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, this is a guest post by Nafissatou J Diop Ph.D, coordinator of the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on FGM/C At a recent meeting, I was trying to get across the impact of female...
Quick hit: Interview with Mozn Hassan, director of Nazra for Feminist Studies in Cairo
by Jess McCabe // 4 February 2011, 17:08
Mozn Hassan, director of Nazra for Feminist Studies, talked on the phone with Ma Ma Cash about the protests in Egypt. From the interview: Could you describe the situation? And in all this chaos, how is the situation for women...
Feminist Library party details
by Jess McCabe // 4 February 2011, 15:26
The Feminist Library is celebrating it's 35th(!!!) birthday this year, and having a massive party/benefit to celebrate. The line up has been announced and tickets are already on sale: snap them up while they're still going! If you've not been...
Becoming a Godmother for the first time...
by Guest Blogger // 4 February 2011, 15:12
Jema Davis is a returned volunteer from VSO and is studying part time for a Masters in peace studies Worldwide more than 60 million girls have been forced into early marriage. Of the 780 million people who can't read, 510...
Debates on the C-Word
by Holly Combe // 3 February 2011, 12:50
Warning: I am going to use the C-Word in this post so please don't read on if you don't like to see it. There are some very interesting posts from Laurie Penny and Harpy Marx about the swear word that...
Naming and shaming
by Jess McCabe // 3 February 2011, 11:00
Fat, Ugly or Slutty has a simple premise: it is a collection of the creepy, weird messages that (mostly) female video game players are sent by (mostly) men online. The three women behind the site stress that the emphasis...
Thin = / = fit, and vice versa
by Carrie Dunn // 2 February 2011, 14:57
I had to link to this great piece in the Guardian by Homa Khaleeli, mostly because I had a similar experience when I joined my new gym in the autumn. I've been running relatively seriously for three years, completing two...
Girls on Film does Star Trek
by Jess McCabe // 2 February 2011, 12:38
Girls on Film takes scenes between men in mainstream movies, and redoes them with female actors playing the parts. Here they take on a scene from the recent Star Trek movie: Swapping the sex of the actors playing these roles...
More on Gray, Keys and the media
by Holly Combe // 1 February 2011, 16:34
At the risk of overkill on the issue of Gray and Keys's conduct (or possibly giving the impression I care more about it than a strong minded lass apparently should), I'd like to recommend a few more articles that...
Attend a global feminist activism workshop in Bristol, Birmingham or Leeds
by Guest Blogger // 1 February 2011, 15:53
Sarah Haynes from Women for Women International urges readers to sign up for global feminist activism workshops in three major cities - all outside London It’s hard to deny there’s been a palpable flurry of feminist activity in recent years....
Founder of The F-Word, Catherine Redfern, has co-authored a new book with Kristin Aune. Find out more at the 
