Blog posts from September 2011
September 2011: Trans Murder Monitoring Project update
by Helen G // 30 September 2011, 22:01
The TGEU's Trans Murder Monitoring project has issued a press release confirming that 116 reported murders of trans people have been registered since the start of this year. The September 2011 update reveals a total of 681 cases of reported...
Talk vs action
by zohra moosa // 29 September 2011, 23:48
Political leadership in the form of public statements of intent can have an enormous impact on the rights of women. It can set new ideological standards, shift political debates, and re-frame whole conversations and paradigms. It has therefore been...
Too much glee? Are the cuts only about the economy?
by Jane Fae // 29 September 2011, 23:42
Does this government have it in for women and other minorities? Official line, of course, is not - though as a woman with much cause to be cynical once very cynically put it: "they would say that, wouldn't they"....
Mock the Tweet
by Philippa Willitts // 29 September 2011, 11:08
A guest post by Vicky Brewster, about the representation of women on comedy panel shows.
Bad science alert! The evolutionary role of domestic violence?
by Josephine Tsui // 28 September 2011, 21:58
Evolutionary psychology does not pass the age old scientific measuring stick of "measurability of hypothesis".
New feature - Young women: unemployed and on the shelf?
by Jess McCabe // 28 September 2011, 12:01
As the economy fails to bounce back, young women are struggling to enter the workplace. Joanne Fradley calls for women in the workplace to reach out and help I'm writing this from my flat in Japan where the footage of...
7 October: 'green scarves' campaign in solidarity with Afghan women
by Helen G // 28 September 2011, 09:54
I was fortunate to be able to attend ActionAid's IWD event in March, when four prominent women's rights activists from Afghanistan spoke of their experiences and the day-by-day struggles faced by many women in the republic (my review is...
Weekly round-up and open thread
by Laura Woodhouse // 27 September 2011, 21:27
Welcome to the somewhat delayed weekly round-up and open thread (remind me not to attempt hideously difficult translations about tractor engines on a Monday afternoon!). Enjoy... Disclaimer: The weekly round-up post is a place for us to share links...
Why the public sector cuts target women
by Guest Blogger // 24 September 2011, 21:08
A guest blog post by Mary Tracy about how the public sector cuts target women.
Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth
by Lynne Miles // 23 September 2011, 20:45
Kali Films have asked us to spread the word about their attempts to crowd-source the funding to allow them to release a film about the life of novelist Alice Walker. Between them with a mixture of small grants, donations and...
The fight for abortion rights in Northern Ireland
by Kellie Turtle // 23 September 2011, 20:18
**See update below 25/09/11** The fight for abortion rights in Britain was recently re-ignited by the attempts of Nadine Dorries and others to strip away at women's reproductive freedoms and undermine the important work of abortion providers. However, watching...
The healing power of English
by Shiha Kaur // 23 September 2011, 15:17
My grandmother has recently returned from a stay in hospital. A few weeks back she decided to go for a walk in the garden and fractured a bone. It has mended now but this post is not about her...
September playlist
by Holly Combe // 22 September 2011, 23:59
Welcome to the fourth F-Word playlist! It features a selection of both new and old stuff I've been listening to lately and starts off at a slower tempo, with a track from *PJ Harvey's recently released iTunes Session. It...
41,000 women and children in the crowd at Fenerbahce match
by Carrie Dunn // 21 September 2011, 11:26
It's not that exciting when you see that Fenerbahce attracted 41,000 fans to their last home game. But take a closer look at the demographics, and it's a bit more thought-provoking. Those 41,000 people were either women or under-16s. No...
Geordie Tait's open letter to his future daughter: the story of Alyssa Bereznak and the misogyny of the gaming community.
by Josephine Tsui // 21 September 2011, 00:45
I am a self-described geek and use to be a gamer. My brother and I use to have Warcraft inside jokes using character's phrases and inserting them appropriately in our lives. "Ready to work" from the Warcraft's peasants still...
Un(i)sex me here
by Jane Fae // 20 September 2011, 16:50
Should documents be gendered? On the basis of a distinctly unscientific poll, taken amongst a group of feminist academics yesterday, the answer is easy: if gender is not strictly necessary, then the option not to specify gender should be...
Pigtails and Army Boots
by Guest Blogger // 20 September 2011, 13:00
A guest post from Hayley Foster da Silva. Hello! My name is Hayley aka DJ Moonlight and I present a radio show that may be of interest to readers of The F-Word. The show is feminist minded and features all...
"Oh my god. You're that nurse...": Smear test post part 2
by Philippa Willitts // 19 September 2011, 20:10
Philippa writes the second half of a 2-part post, begun yesterday, about women's experiences of smear tests, and how they could be improved.
Weekly round-up and open thread
by Jolene Tan // 19 September 2011, 09:26
Picture shows three links in a chain (shared by Anita Pratanti under a Creative Commons license). It's Monday, which means it's time for our weekly links round-up and open thread! Please post anything we've missed in the comments. As usual,...
"Oh my god. You're that nurse from Casualty!", and other things that should never be said during a smear test
by Philippa Willitts // 18 September 2011, 21:58
Philippa talks about the problems many people encounter when having a smear test.
On Tom Martin's campaign to sue LSE
by Guest Blogger // 17 September 2011, 12:17
Amity Reed on Tom Martin's attempt to sue LSE over 'anti-male bias' Is Tom Martin's lawsuit against the London School of Economics for 'anti-male bias' a genuine complaint (however eyeroll-worthy and misguided)? Or an attack on feminism from a misogynist...
New review: Cambodian Space Project - 2011: A Space Odyssey
by Holly Combe // 17 September 2011, 00:19
Srey Thy is a singer with a story to tell. Louise Allan discovers this album from Thy's band, Cambodian Space Project, is a mixture of Thy-penned Kmer rock and tributes to a golden age of 60's Cambodian pop Here's...
How could the government really support women?
by Laura Woodhouse // 14 September 2011, 21:31
The government's rather feeble memo listing potential ways to win more female votes was leaked yesterday. Suggestions include banning all advertising aimed at children, front-loading child benefit so more is paid when children are younger and (if they're feeling...
How prescribing practice puts us all in our places
by Jane Fae // 14 September 2011, 13:08
Prescribing is political. Economic, too. But if you focus too hard on the obvious headline-grabbing issues - abortion, IVF and gastric bands - you may just miss the wider implications of how the system works in the UK and,...
Feminist Podcasts
by Philippa Willitts // 13 September 2011, 21:02
Philippa lists some awesome feminist podcasts from her own subscriptions, and from F-Word readers on twitter and facebook.
Schoolgirl bullied by cis classmates and their parents
by Helen G // 13 September 2011, 11:35
Both yesterday's Worcester News and today's Metro carry reasonably well-balanced reports of a girl, medically diagnosed as gender dysphoric during the summer, who has returned to her new school year with a gender-appropriate presentation. To be honest, I'm not really...
Weekly roundup and open thread
by Josephine Tsui // 13 September 2011, 04:11
Welcome to this week's round-up of links to stories we didn't quite get around to blogging about! Please dig in, also feel free to leave more links in the comments and have a general chat. As always, linking to...
Dear David Walliams
by Laura Woodhouse // 12 September 2011, 22:26
So, you swam the length of the river Thames to raise a million pounds for poor kids in Africa. What better way to be hailed a national hero? Congratulations. Sadly, a hero in my eyes you are not. Just...
Puffyshoes are coming!
by Cazz Blase // 11 September 2011, 21:56
It's all about lo fi! Joanna Tocher, the F-Word's music correspondent in Japan, introduces us to the delights of Puffyshoes who hail from Chiba A quick glance at any Japanese music show or a listen to the music pumped out...
This is Abuse
by Laura Woodhouse // 11 September 2011, 11:39
The Home Office has launched a new campaign to help teenagers recognise abusive relationships. Significantly, it focuses on both victims and perpetrators, encouraging both parties to question whether what they are doing/experiencing is abuse, and to get help if...
New review: Heavenly creatures
by Ania Ostrowska // 11 September 2011, 11:38
Revisiting the film she loved unconditionally as a teenager, Jess McCabe still finds its portrayal of two young perpetrators of a horrific crime highly compelling SPOILER ALERT: this review gives away crucial elements of the story Peter Jackson's first foray...
Time to put the 'S' in ASA
by Kellie Turtle // 9 September 2011, 16:02
The advertising industry is what made me become a feminist blogger, and at that time I was delighted to find a whole conversation online challenging the sexual objectification that advertisers seem obsessed with. I'm sure many of us here at...
Who needs another minority?
by Jane Fae // 8 September 2011, 13:36
Minority rights are under attack as never before - mostly under cover of George Osborne's grand "let's save the economy project". Those with privilege and agenda are looking to roll back as many of the hard won gains of...
Childcare costs hold us all back
by Laura Woodhouse // 7 September 2011, 21:11
The results of Save the Children's survey into childcare costs have been making headlines today. They reveal that middle and lower income parents are being forced into debt by childcare costs and the majority of those in severe poverty...
Wild Flag and Stone Flowers
by Cazz Blase // 7 September 2011, 21:07
This is a bit too short really to be a music paste up, but I just wanted to mention the following two events which might be of interest to F-Word readers... Firstly, Sleater-Kinney fans will no doubt be overjoyed...
Mercury Music Prize
by Cazz Blase // 6 September 2011, 22:25
It has just been announced that PJ Harvey's 'Let England Shake' has won the Mercury Music Prize 2011. The result marks a departure for a number of reasons: It is the first time anyone has won it twice (Harvey...
New review: Romcom roundup: the friends with benefits phenomenon
by Ania Ostrowska // 6 September 2011, 22:14
'Friends with benefits' is not such a novelty as a recent series of Hollywood films is trying to present it, says Evelyn Krampf, debunking the phenomenon as a mere plot device serving the usual goals of good ol' heterosexist romcom...
New review: Choices Women Make: Agency in Domestic Violence, Assisted Reproduction, and Sex Work
by Charlene Moore // 6 September 2011, 19:03
Carisa R. Showden argues in her latest book that victim and agent are not mutually exclusive categories. Anna Edman considers her belief that survivors of domestic violence, women using assisted reproduction and women in prostitution are still able to assess...
Film competition: Heavenly Creatures re-mastered
by Ania Ostrowska // 5 September 2011, 18:13
Heavenly Creatures is the 1994 film by Peter Jackson that put him on the international film circuit and rocketed Kate Winslet to fame. Based on a crime that shocked a nation, it features two New Zealand schoolgirls: Pauline (played...
Weekly round-up and open thread
by Jess McCabe // 5 September 2011, 13:46
Welcome to this week's round-up of links to stories we didn't quite get around to blogging about! Please dig in, also feel free to leave more links in the comments and have a general chat. As always, linking to...
Man sues LSE for "anti-male" gender studies agenda
by Alicia Izharuddin // 4 September 2011, 20:00
Once upon a time, the hallowed halls of academia were only opened to men. Within, men consumed and produced scholarship about other men. The presence of women in university was thought to contaminate, ridicule, and degrade the sacred pursuit of...
University research evaluation process ignores mothers
by Laura Woodhouse // 4 September 2011, 19:45
Feminist Philosophers have drawn our attention to a retrograde step in the government's latest university research assessment process, the REF 2014. The REF 2014 will evaluate research excellence in all university departments to enable the government to allocate research...
Sheffield events!
by Laura Woodhouse // 4 September 2011, 18:51
Just wanted to plug a couple of most excellent feminist events coming up in Sheffield this Autumn... Off the Shelf book reading: Shattered Thursday 13 October, Quaker Meeting House, 7.15pm Sheffield Feminist Network will be hosting a book reading by...
New feature: You can't smash patriarchy with transphobia
by Jess McCabe // 4 September 2011, 16:48
It is time to end the tolerance of transphobia in radical feminist circles, argues Ray Filar "One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman" Simone de Beauvoir People chat a lot of shit about radical feminism, mostly because they...
Sex work and international events: whose side are the politicians on?
by Jane Fae // 3 September 2011, 10:01
I had to smile at the news that the arrival of the Queen, plus assorted Heads of State, was cause for celebration by sex workers in Western Australia. Briefly, I found myself giggling at the whole new light this...
New Review: The Sandman, by Francesca Lewis
by MarinaS // 2 September 2011, 17:45
Populated by a cast of wild, wonderfully bizarre characters, The Sandman series tells the tale of The Endless, a group of siblings who exist outside time, embodying the central concepts of humanity - Dream, Death, Despair, Desire, Destruction, Destiny and...
Who are we?!
by Jess McCabe // 2 September 2011, 15:18
Are you curious about who puts together The F-Word? Who makes up the team? I've just updated the About Us page to give a bit more info on each of us here (the members of the blog collective and the...
TFW article in issue 13 of Pink Panther magazine
by Holly Combe // 1 September 2011, 19:19
Issue 13 of the bi-monthly, non-profit making feminist magazine Pink Panther is out now and The F-Word is in it! C. Robinson's Teenagers Exposed feature can be found on pages 54-55. There are also features in the magazine about...
September guest bloggers: Jane Fae and Kellie Turtle
by Guest Blogger // 1 September 2011, 13:52
We're pleased to introduce our guest bloggers for September, Jane Fae and Kellie Turtle! Kellie is a 30 year old woman living in Belfast who has recently had her first baby, along with her pro-feminist partner. As part of...
Founder of The F-Word, Catherine Redfern, has co-authored a new book with Kristin Aune. Find out more at the 
