Blog posts by Guest Blogger: 2012
My pregnant body: sexualisation and sanitisation
by Guest Blogger // 22 May 2012, 17:14
Yasmin reflects on how her pregnant body is viewed and portrayed by others.
Gendered assumptions in daily life
by Guest Blogger // 19 May 2012, 11:25
A guest blog by Hennie Weiss & Elin Weiss, looking at the daily interactions in which gender role stereotypes and "typical" gender behaviours are manifested.
Rape hidden by marriage in Morocco
by Guest Blogger // 13 May 2012, 20:15
Guest blogger Lottie Prince writes about the Moroccan law where rapist can hide behind marriage.
Sex work and the see-saw of morality
by Guest Blogger // 9 May 2012, 09:59
Guest blogger Vic discusses how she forced to re-examine her feminist principles after her ex-partner revealed that he had slept with a sex worker.
Rediscovering my inner pirate
by Guest Blogger // 3 May 2012, 12:00
Director, writer and performer Lucy Foster reflects on the experience of creating The Pirate Project, a play exploring the lives of female pirates.
Am I not a feminist at all?
by Guest Blogger // 2 May 2012, 20:10
Guest blogger, Nicky Clark, discusses whether wanting a hair-free body makes her less of a feminist.
Lusting for Lust
by Guest Blogger // 30 April 2012, 19:21
Chrissy D responds to Erica Lust winning "Movie of the Year" at the Feminist Porn Awards in Toronto this month
'The face I couldn't face'
by Guest Blogger // 29 April 2012, 22:00
Natalie James is performing at the hip hop dance theatre festival Breakin' Convention at Sadlers Wells on Saturday. Here she explains her piece My daughter and I are currently staying in a refuge for women fleeing domestic violence. As a...
Breaking up is hard to do
by Guest Blogger // 29 April 2012, 14:10
There are many ways to leave a marriage, but there are only two ways to leave your own wedding: as the bride, or as the bitch who did a runner.
Putting mothers in their place
by Guest Blogger // 26 April 2012, 21:53
Guest blogger Elizabeth Howard explains why the cultural expectation that women should be predominantly responsible for childcare is so damaging.
Jessie J, Cynthia Nixon and female bisexuality
by Guest Blogger // 24 April 2012, 12:00
Guest blogger Louise McCudden considers why being bisexual is presumed to be more socially acceptable for women than being gay.
Why I didn't report my rape (trigger warning)
by Guest Blogger // 23 April 2012, 13:21
An anonymous reader felt unable to report being raped. She explains why.
Ched Evans conviction: the vitriol after the verdict
by Guest Blogger // 22 April 2012, 13:24
A guest post by Julian Norman about the misogynist reactions to the conviction of Ched Evans, a football player, for rape.
Women's friendships - simmering resistance
by Guest Blogger // 19 April 2012, 10:42
Nicola Stott considers the significance of women's friendships.
"Asking for it": Delhi police blame rape on the victims
by Guest Blogger // 19 April 2012, 09:58
Nanki Chawla discusses the comments made by leading police officials blaming rape on the victims in Delhi.
The impossible trend: look like Barbie
by Guest Blogger // 18 April 2012, 19:11
Elin Weiss & Hennie Weiss consider the trend for some younger women to make themselves look like Barbie dolls.
The commercialisation of pregnancy
by Guest Blogger // 17 April 2012, 15:56
Yasmin discusses the pressure on pregnant women to buy into capitalist models of beauty, well-being and childcare.
The homemaker or the sex doll; take your pick
by Guest Blogger // 15 April 2012, 17:30
Rhianna Goozee considers the underrepresention of different roles for women in mainstream media and the general lack of choice young girls have today when it comes to potential role models
Skin Deep? On Ashley Judd's essay
by Guest Blogger // 14 April 2012, 11:32
The image is a photograph of the Hollywood sign seen in mirror-image reverse from Griffith Park, Los Angeles. It was taken by Jon Sullivan and is in the public domain. Guest blogger PC Wong lives in Singapore. As you've probably...
London election campaign finally gets real with hustings on women's safety
by Guest Blogger // 13 April 2012, 13:25
Sarah Green, from the End Violence Against Women Coalition, reports back from the London mayoral hustings on violence against women.
Call for research participants
by Guest Blogger // 12 April 2012, 16:35
My name is Ava Kanyeredzi and I am a doctoral candidate at the Child and Woman Abuse Studies Unit, London Metropolitan University under the supervision of Professor Liz Kelly. My PhD research examines how African and Caribbean heritage women...
"Pull up your skirt to prove you're a real woman"
by Guest Blogger // 12 April 2012, 09:41
This is a guest post by Elin Weiss & Hennie Weiss about the transphobic treatment experienced by Jenna Talackova following her participation in the recent Miss Universe Canada competition.
"I don't remember raping her"
by Guest Blogger // 12 April 2012, 08:38
TRIGGER WARNING: This guest post by Elin Weiss & Hennie Weiss discusses sexual violence against women.
Pop stars prancing about in pants
by Guest Blogger // 11 April 2012, 12:21
A guest post from Kate Bellamy arguing that the pressure on women in pop to wear less tends to increase when there's a cause to be considered
FRINGE! film festival comes to London 12-15 April 2012
by Guest Blogger // 7 April 2012, 14:35
This is a guest post by Selina Robertson, who along with Sarah Wood runs Club Des Femmes, a queer-feminist pop-up film festival. She is a freelance programmer and writer and has recently left her beloved Berlin for the perils...
We need to talk about women filmmakers: or, two cheers for the BFI's Made in Britain season
by Guest Blogger // 5 April 2012, 11:52
This is a guest post by Sophie Mayer. She is the author of The Cinema of Sally Potter: A Politics of Love, and a regular contributor to The F-Word and Sight & Sound. She doesn't think The Hunger Games is...
What Samantha Brick should have written
by Guest Blogger // 4 April 2012, 17:39
Guest blogger Louise McCudden argues that feminists need to address the issue of female sexual jealousy.
On banter and why it's for everyone
by Guest Blogger // 26 March 2012, 12:07
This is a guest post by Libby, one of our guest bloggers for this month Edited on 27 March to address comment from Jo below. I love me a bit of banter. Intelligent joshing, witty back-and-forth between two or...
On "pro-life" fonts and pro-choice protests
by Guest Blogger // 26 March 2012, 08:36
Chloe George gives us another very good reason to attend the pro-choice protest in London on Friday.
When it comes to issues of equality, it's not size that counts
by Guest Blogger // 25 March 2012, 09:06
A guest post from Lisa Glass criticising framings of gender equality as a minor issue in comparison to other human rights concerns
Where's my woman cave?
by Guest Blogger // 24 March 2012, 11:44
Elin Weiss & Hennie Weiss discuss the phenomenon of 'man caves' in commercial and domestic spaces.
Chav-shaming
by Guest Blogger // 23 March 2012, 14:25
Ciara O'Connor discusses the intersection of classism and sexism in the reaction to Tulisa's sex tape. A sex tape of Tulisa Contostavlos, of X-Factor and N-Dubz fame, was leaked a few days ago. This isn't remarkable in itself; sex tapes...
First discovering you are pregnant :-/
by Guest Blogger // 21 March 2012, 10:38
Yasmin discusses how she was expected to ignore both her fears and her feminism upon becoming pregnant.
How responsible are women for their sexualisation in the media?
by Guest Blogger // 18 March 2012, 12:13
Elin Weiss & Hennie Weiss ask if women's sports can be taken seriously when some women draw attention not to their skills, but to their bodies and their appearance.
Strip club
by Guest Blogger // 18 March 2012, 10:54
A guest post by Rosie, in which she talks about how her ideas of feminism clashed with her reaction to her husband visiting a strip club. Some readers may find the subject matter triggering, so please approach with caution.
Women and political blogging
by Guest Blogger // 18 March 2012, 09:17
In this guest post, Alyson Macdonald asks how we get more women blogging, and how we make sure that they get recognition for it.
Bisexuality and feminism
by Guest Blogger // 12 March 2012, 11:51
This is the first contribution from Libby, one of our guest bloggers for this month I've been involved in bisexual activism and community-building for around seven years. Throughout that time, I've been constantly and happily surprised by just how many...
Cambridge should disinvite Dominique Strauss-Kahn
by Guest Blogger // 8 March 2012, 10:36
Meera Patel explains why Cambridge University's Women's Campaign are protesting against Dominique Strauss-Kahn speaking at the Cambridge Union debating society tomorrow.
International Women's Day Short Film
by Guest Blogger // 7 March 2012, 19:38
To bring the UK's attention to this year's International Women's Day, we decided to create a short film that would give an insight into the lives of 19 different women of all different ages, races and walks of life....
1 Year of the Gender Diary
by Guest Blogger // 6 March 2012, 19:34
This is a guest post by the authors of Gender Diary, about how people treat their daughter and son differently.
Women_Mujeres Spanish Film Festival
by Guest Blogger // 6 March 2012, 10:51
Ly Freixes introduces her Spanish film festival, focused on gender equality in Spain and the UK.
Blaming the victim - as usual
by Guest Blogger // 5 March 2012, 12:07
Elin Weiss & Hennie Weiss consider the woman-blaming emphasis of a safe-travel guide.
'Speed Her Up, Slow Him Down' - Durex finally solve humanity's greatest sexual problem. Or not.
by Guest Blogger // 2 March 2012, 23:37
Oh dear, Durex. As though yet another voice in the cacophony telling us our sex lives aren't up to scratch, our vaginas aren't adequate, our orgasms abundant enough or fast enough, and our partners aren't virile enough, was exactly what we needed, Durex have just come out with this.
Win Tickets to the International Women's Day Celebrations at BFI Southbank, 8th March
by Guest Blogger // 2 March 2012, 17:20
The BFI Southbank are offering The F-Word readers the chance to win one of two pairs of tickets to Bird's Eye View's International Women's Day Gala, a high-profile showcase of the best of new and international short films by...
Trigger warnings are nothing to do with censorship. They give people more choice, not less.
by Guest Blogger // 2 March 2012, 08:33
Guest blogger Louise McCudden explains what trigger warnings are and why we should all be using them.
Do H&M deserve a boycott?
by Guest Blogger // 27 February 2012, 20:15
A guest post by Elin Weiss & Hennie Weiss about the misrepresentation of women in the fashion industry.
Since when are associations to slavery sexy and fun?
by Guest Blogger // 25 February 2012, 15:48
A guest post by Elin Weiss & Hennie Weiss about a recent advertising campaign in Denmark.
The UK asylum system still isn't gender sensitive
by Guest Blogger // 24 February 2012, 16:46
Christel Querton, Legal Policy Officer for the Women's Project at charity Asylum Aid, highlights the experiences of women in the UK asylum system and calls on the government to do more.
What? You don't wet wipe?
by Guest Blogger // 23 February 2012, 09:19
Ciara O'Connor takes on the latest hygiene product marketed at women: Washlets.
My experience of slimming clubs
by Guest Blogger // 20 February 2012, 17:55
A guest post from Saranga in response to Chrissy D's piece from yesterday
In defence of Susie Orbach
by Guest Blogger // 19 February 2012, 16:50
Chrissy D considers why some reactions to Susie Orbach's take on slimming clubs are misguided and outlines her own objections to the ethics of them
The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls touring UK cinemas
by Guest Blogger // 12 February 2012, 12:35
This is a guest post by Madeleine Hodge from November Films. She has written reviews for RealTime Arts, Un Magazine and Senses of Cinema in Australia and Punctum Magazine in the UK. The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls (directed by Leanne...
Unilad: an entire culture summed up in one hideous website
by Guest Blogger // 5 February 2012, 18:49
A guest post by Sarah McAlpine about rape apologism on the Unilad website, and in our culture as a whole.
Join me on the Bridge 2012
by Guest Blogger // 1 February 2012, 12:22
This is a guest post by Sarah O'Malley Throughout the world hundreds of thousands of women are living with the physical and emotional scars inflicted by war. Join me on the Bridge is a chance for people to stand...
Woman's Hour discussion: the "female masturbation" taboo
by Guest Blogger // 29 January 2012, 16:00
A guest post from Chrissy D, looking at how a discussion about masturbation on Woman's Hour has caused outrage in the Daily Mail and the view of women this reaction reflects
The Fearless Frame: upcoming season of Barbara Hammer's films at Tate Modern, plus COMPETITION!
by Guest Blogger // 26 January 2012, 12:50
This is a guest post by Sophie Mayer, who is the author of Her Various Scalpels and The Private Parts of Girls , as well as The Cinema of Sally Potter. She recently curated a retrospective of feminist documentary for...
Women: by default less knowledgeable
by Guest Blogger // 20 January 2012, 18:19
This is a guest post by Elin and Hennie Weiss A recent article in Swedish Metro caught our attention for all the wrong reasons when it insinuated an assumed male norm of technical knowledge and intelligence. The article discussed the...
The postnatal body project
by Guest Blogger // 19 January 2012, 19:32
A guest post from Chrissy D on the body improvement project relentlessly marketed to new Mums
One in four: and I am one of them
by Guest Blogger // 19 January 2012, 18:55
Behind the statistics. This guest post is by Lizzy Owen One in four women have experienced rape or attempted rape. At least 47,000 women are raped in the UK each year. I am one of them. So are many women...
Go Feminist: moving from the margins to the mainstream
by Guest Blogger // 17 January 2012, 11:39
This is a guest post by the organisers of the Go Feminist conference: Adunni Adams, Caroline Varin, Chitra Nagarajan, Giordy Bunting, Ilse Morgensen, Kate Rowley, Lola Okolosie, Mary Bonett, Sandhya Sharma, Shannon Harvey and Charmaine Elliott. On 4th February, the...
What colour is nude?
by Guest Blogger // 3 January 2012, 21:32
Elin Weiss has a master's degree in women's studies. Hennie Weiss is currently working on her master's degree in sociology. Their interests include the sexualisation and representation of women in media, gender studies, feminism and equality In 1988, Peggy McIntosh...
Two-tier? Too right
by Guest Blogger // 3 January 2012, 15:55
A guest post from Chrissy D looking at the arguably already two-tiered system of antenatal provision for mothers-to-be that currently exists in the UK
Founder of The F-Word, Catherine Redfern, has co-authored a new book with Kristin Aune. Find out more at the 
