Blog posts from June 2011
Plan UK's "Because I am a girl campaign"
by Josephine Tsui // 30 June 2011, 11:28
The charity Plan UK would like your support for the ‘Because I Am A Girl Campaign’ being launched asking the UK public and government to #TaketheVOW by signing an online petition to end early and forced marriage. You might...
Save the Women's Centre!
by Guest Blogger // 30 June 2011, 08:15
A guest post by Swansea Feminist Network about the threatened closure of the Swansea Women's Centre.
J30: support the strikers
by Laura // 29 June 2011, 21:56
Just a quick one to send out virtual solidarity vibes to everyone planning to strike tomorrow. To those not striking, get yourself down to a picket/rally if you can to show your support. There's details on the J30 website...
New review: Briseis in Troy and Stockholm syndrome
by Ania Ostrowska // 29 June 2011, 21:30
Far from being a feisty embodiment of female empowerment, Briseis in Wolfgang Petersen's Troy seems more of a victim in a Stockholm syndrome-type relationship. LucindaE traces how the ancient 'war prize' story has been transformed into a consensual romantic arrangement...
New feature - Cedaw: what is it and how can we use it?
by Jess McCabe // 29 June 2011, 10:36
The international bill of rights for women is used internationally to push for equality. But it is a neglected tool in the UK. Charlotte Gage explains This year we have been celebrating the 100th International Women's Day, remembering the women's...
New feature: Breaking up with romance
by Jess McCabe // 28 June 2011, 23:17
It's not you, it's me. Lex Delaney explains why she is taking a 12-month break from romance to concentrate on herself When I turned 25 last year, I went through something of an existential crisis. Perhaps a 'beginning of life...
Latest pro-choice news
by Laura // 28 June 2011, 23:11
1) The British Medical Association today voted in support of retaining the current 24-week time limit on abortion, agreeing that there is no scientific justification for cutting it to 20 weeks. 2) I can't find the full press release...
Why our partnership isn't a marriage
by Harri C. Weeks // 28 June 2011, 22:44
It’s now just over three months until our Big Gay Wedding. Excuse me while I freak out for a minute. In fact, it’s not going to be very big (close family and a handful of friends), or even particularly gay...
Silence of the survivors: giving the victims a voice
by Guest Blogger // 28 June 2011, 21:01
A guest post by Sarah Learmonth from Coventry Rape & Sexual Abuse Centre.
Al jazeera interviews the F-word on Slutwalk London
by Josephine Tsui // 28 June 2011, 14:35
Image courtesy of Jess McCabe. The photo was taken at the London Slutwalk, June 11th 2011. Al Jazeera Slutwalk London interview Just a friendly reminder, all blog posts (or video representations) are the views of the individual post author,...
Weekly round-up and open thread
by Laura // 27 June 2011, 21:26
You know the drill: feel free to comment and link away below the line. As usual, The F-Word collective does not endorse any of the articles we link to, these are just stories/comment we thought might be of interest....
We Are Man campaign: tackling violence against women by playing on machismo?
by Holly Combe // 25 June 2011, 19:50
Contains description of misogynistic language (also in video clip) EVAW's We are Man, an online film aimed at young men, has been released to accompany the launch of their A Different World is Possible report. (The Disorder of Things...
Abortion changes to be snuck in without a vote
by Jess McCabe // 25 June 2011, 10:57
The government is seeking ways to make it more difficult for women to access an abortion without bringing the proposal to a vote in Parliament, Liberal Conspiracy reports. The Department of Health is looking for ways to force women to...
Bad science alert! Scott Adams takes on the feminist community.
by Josephine Tsui // 24 June 2011, 16:46
Scott Adams, author of Dilbert has inflamed the American feminist community. Namely, in his blog post "Pegs and Holes", he is arguing that men are round pegs being shoved in square holes because: The way society is organized at...
Naomi Cavaday: 'Women's tennis is the best sport to be involved in'
by Carrie Dunn // 22 June 2011, 15:02
This is an extended version of a blog originally written for The Guardian. It’s the start of Wimbledon fortnight! Strawberries and cream, Pimm’s, rain, Cliff Richard - all that kind of thing. There’ll be all sorts of chat about whether...
Go Feminist on 4 February
by Jess McCabe // 22 June 2011, 12:31
A date to scribble down in your diaries right away: 4 February, 2012. What will be happening? Go Feminist, a brand new conference which is brought to you by some of the organisers of Feminism in London 2010. The...
Invisibility
by Harri C. Weeks // 22 June 2011, 10:22
I kinda like being looked at. But, to explain, I’m not for a second one of those guys who counters women’s complaints about men constantly perving on them with “I wish women looked at me that way”; I detest entitled...
World Femininity Day - are you serious?
by Jess McCabe // 21 June 2011, 21:00
Some bright sparks have decided that 24 June is World Femininity Day, which they explain like this: To acknowledge and celebrate femininity by women, for women, for humanity. We believe it is vitally important as women to be encouraged...
The F-Word Has A New Monthly Playlist...
by Cazz Blase // 20 June 2011, 22:53
From this month, The F-Word will have a monthly music playlist up on Spotify and shared via sharemyplaylists.com. June's playlist is now available for your listening pleasure and please do let us know what you make of it. We...
Join the pro-choice protest!
by Laura // 20 June 2011, 21:08
Saturday 9th July, from 1.30pm, Old Palace Yard, Westminster With the anti-choice brigade pushing their views further up the political agenda, thanks to the likes of Nadine Dorries and her Tory allies, now is the time for the pro-choice majority...
Weekly Roundup and Open Thread
by Josephine Tsui // 20 June 2011, 16:58
The picture "Strong is Beautiful" has been taken from the new WTA Global campaign. Hiya everyone! Right! You know the drill! These links do not in any way reflect the F-word's opinion. 1) Syrians respond to Tom MacMaster hoax...
Eff is for feminism!
by Guest Blogger // 19 June 2011, 15:59
Francine Hoenderkamp reports on the protest against the new Playboy Club on June 4th. (Sorry for the delay in getting this up, we had some emails-getting-stuck-in-spam issues!) Greeted by the world’s press, armed with placards, passion, determination and conviction...
10k run for women of the Congo
by Holly Combe // 18 June 2011, 21:18
A 10k run for women of the Congo will be taking place in Regent's Park, London on Sunday 3 July. It is curated by Women for Women and all of the money raised will go directly to their programmes...
Disabled? Work for less!
by Holly Combe // 17 June 2011, 20:42
I expect the headline above would be dismissed by Tory MP Philip Davies as yet more "leftwing hysteria" but it precisely reflects something he has seriously suggested: "The people who are most disadvantaged by the national minimum wage are...
New feature: Women's erasure from women's memorials
by Jess McCabe // 16 June 2011, 15:41
The only memorial to women's contributions in World War II depicts empty clothing. Carolyn Dougherty considers what this says about the erasure of women from public spaces. With contributions from Alex Wardrop Where are the public memorials to commemorate women's...
Talking back to Beyoncé
by zohra moosa // 16 June 2011, 12:05
When I first saw Beyoncé's Run the World video, I groaned within seconds, and actually couldn't make it to the end I was so annoyed and bored. (I've since watched it all the way through just to be sure I...
Caitlin Moran and feminism’s ableism problem
by Guest Blogger // 14 June 2011, 17:22
This week sees the publication of award-winning journalist Caitlin Moran’s first book, How to Be a Woman.
Barbie-blaming
by Guest Blogger // 13 June 2011, 14:50
Sophie Mayer is the author of The Private Parts of Girls and The Cinema of Sally Potter Greenpeace’s new campaign to protect rainforests in Indonesia from deforestation has taken a bizarre turn: blaming Barbie. Not just for the sexualisation of...
SlutWalk London
by Jess McCabe // 13 June 2011, 12:31
Somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 people marched in London's Slutwalk on Saturday. I've posted up my photos on Flickr. A few people have also added their photos to The F-Word's Flickr group. I'm not going to link to the...
Weekly round-up and open thread
by Jolene Tan // 13 June 2011, 10:44
Picture of two jigsaw pieces shared under a Creative Commons license, courtesy of Squirmelia. Morning everyone. Here's this week's link round-up and open thread. As usual, linking shouldn't be taken to mean endorsement by anyone; some links may be distressing;...
New review: Kitty Wells Dresses
by Holly Combe // 11 June 2011, 22:19
Helen G reviews Laura Cantrell's collection of covers of songs by Kitty Wells, the first female country star to release a long-playing record Over the years, I've listened to a huge range of styles and genres of music. As a...
Sexual assault is not just 'extramarital sex': the media talking about Dominique Strauss Kahn
by Guest Blogger // 10 June 2011, 14:57
Amy Roch considers the media coverage of Dominique Strauss Kahn In the last few weeks, there seems to be a vast array of commentators worrying about the sexual morals of the world’s powerful men (here, here). Our broadsheets, gossip magazines...
Where Has My Little Girl Gone?
by Charlene Moore // 9 June 2011, 21:38
Alexandra Roumbas Goldstein questions a book which places the responsibility of counteracting the dangers of sexual imagery firmly on the shoulders of young girls and women "Padded bras for seven-year-olds, dolls dressed in high heels and pole dancing kits for...
What happens if you don't look in any mirrors for a month?
by Jess McCabe // 9 June 2011, 20:18
Blogger Autumn Whitefield-Madrano spent the month of May assiduously avoiding looking at herself in the mirror, and recorded the effects in depth on her blog, cleverly titled The Beheld. Her posts are thoughtful examinations about things like emotional beauty...
Surrey CCC decide NOT to introduce walk-on girls for match
by Carrie Dunn // 9 June 2011, 11:41
After my blog yesterday, SurreyCricBlog's take on the matter, and the Guardian following up the story this morning, Surrey CCC have now decided not to have walk-on girls for Monday night's game against Essex. All mention of the previous plan...
London: Crossroads Women's Centre fundraisers
by Helen G // 9 June 2011, 11:19
The Crossroads Women's Centre is organising two events this month to help raise funds for the refurbishment of their new Women's Centre in Kentish Town, London. If you'd like to attend, here are the details: 18 June - Summer Solstice...
Zinefest At The Women's Library, London, June 25th
by Cazz Blase // 8 June 2011, 23:16
June 25th sees the return of Zinefest to The Women's Library in London
New feature: Feminist critics of SlutWalk have forgotten that language is not a commodity
by Jess McCabe // 8 June 2011, 12:23
SlutWalk is primarily a protest movement against victim-blaming, points out Sophie Jones. Feminist critics of the name have got the wrong end of the stick, she argues "Women should avoid dressing like sluts in order to not be victimised." The...
Surrey CCC introduce "walk-on girls" for match
by Carrie Dunn // 8 June 2011, 10:38
Surrey County Cricket Club are very excited. For Monday's Twenty20 match against Essex, they have some darts players as their guests of honour, and to mark the occasion, they are introducing walk-on girls to the proceedings. Unsure what walk-on...
Stop the deportation of Betty Tibakawa
by Guest Blogger // 7 June 2011, 19:32
Sian Norris highlights the plight of Betty Tibakawa, who faces deportation back to Uganda. [Trigger warning for violence] Betty Tibakawa, a young lesbian living in Uganda, had gone for a walk on the beach when she was approached by three...
Working together to eliminate all gender based violence
by Guest Blogger // 7 June 2011, 18:48
Amy Roch discusses the connections between all forms of violence and abuse that people experience that is based on gender. Women experience violence, abuse and discrimination because they are women. The statistics and the stories are all too common to...
Weekly links round-up and open thread
by Jess McCabe // 6 June 2011, 23:51
Hello and welcome to this week's roundup of things, of links we spotted this week, thought provoking and interesting, which we didn't get around to blogging about yet. Please feel free to add more links and chat generally in...
Pro-choice meeting - some thoughts
by zohra moosa // 6 June 2011, 23:10
Was a great turn-out tonight at the pro-choice meeting that Sunny and Jess organized. The discussion was wide-ranging, with some excellent speaking from Diane Abbott MP, Abortion Rights and Education for Choice. I'll be typing up the notes this week...
A feminist pioneer in law: Gwyneth Bebb
by Guest Blogger // 6 June 2011, 14:18
Last week a new woman appeared in the Oxford Dictionary of Biography, a woman who played an important role in English first-wave feminism.
Bailey Review of the Commercialisation and Sexualisation of Childhood: Final report published
by Helen G // 6 June 2011, 12:19
Via the Department for Education website: A six-month independent review into the commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood, which reports today, calls on businesses and media to play their part in ending the drift towards an increasingly sexualised 'wallpaper' that surrounds...
New feature: Teenagers exposed
by Jess McCabe // 3 June 2011, 12:31
15-year-old C. Robinson looks at the causes and ramifications of a culture where teenage girls are encouraged to bare all "Dress Less to Impress" is the advertising slogan for a women's underwear brand named Sapph Lingerie. One of their posters...
F to M to feminist
by Harri C. Weeks // 3 June 2011, 12:09
*Edited to remove a phrase which really didn't convey my meaning at all that I added before I'd had my coffee this morning. Around the time The F-Word advertised for guest bloggers, my partner had increasingly started pointing out “you’re...
New review: Portal 2
by Jess McCabe // 3 June 2011, 10:23
Jess McCabe celebrates a refreshing break from the objectification of women in video games with Portal 2 Portal was a refreshing break from the norms of video games - because of the game play, which involves solving physics-twisting puzzles by...
Introducing Amy Roch, guest blogging at TFW in June
by Helen G // 3 June 2011, 08:55
Please welcome our second guest blogger for this month, Amy Roch. Here's Amy in her own words: Amy currently lives in Glasgow and has worked in various human rights organisations in the UK since graduating from a politics MA in...
Iman al-Obeidi deported to Libya
by Jolene Tan // 3 June 2011, 08:46
Image shows a sign saying "URGENT". Courtesy of RambergMediaImages, shared under a Creative Commons License A disappointing turn in the case of Iman al-Obeidi, who seemed to have made it to safety in Qatar: despite being granted refugee status by...
Why the Right has it wrong on the "sexualisation of children"
by Laura // 2 June 2011, 20:11
If the likes of Nadine "I-heart-depriving-women-of-the-right-to-determine-the-course-of-their-own-lives" Dorries and co. are to be believed, the real problem with thongs and padded bras being marketed at young girls and pop culture being defined by women writhing around half naked is that...
A big welcome to June's guest blogger, Harri C. Weeks
by Jess McCabe // 1 June 2011, 11:54
Can I introduce you to June's guest blogger? Harri C. Weeks is a Socialist Queer Feminist Killjoy, Crafter, Sometime Trans activist, and Aspirant House-husband/Homemaker. He volunteered as Trans Students' Rep for NUS LGBT for two years, and currently has...
The "Decent Work" agenda
by Jolene Tan // 1 June 2011, 10:34
Picture shows a crowd of migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong - courtesy of Rex Pe, shared under a Creative Commons License Today is the first day of the 100th International Labour Conference in Geneva. At this session, comprehensive standards...
Founder of The F-Word, Catherine Redfern, has co-authored a new book with Kristin Aune. Find out more at the 
