Blog posts by Jess McCabe: 2005
Condom clothes spark debate
By Jess McCabe | 29 December 2005, 09:55
Brazilian artist Adriana Bertini makes elaborate dresses and trouser suits out of condoms to show they are everyday objects and promote their use to prevent HIV/Aids. The UN runs an interview with her, as she takes her exhibit to Senegal…
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"Fathers" to be tagged for failing to pay child support
By Jess McCabe | 26 December 2005, 22:01
Parents who fail to pay child support could be tagged if plans under consideration by the Government go ahead, the Independent reports. In addition, existing penalties - such as confiscating driving licenses - would be used more often. The rationale…
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Struggling to find the Christmas spirit after Katrina
By Jess McCabe | 25 December 2005, 12:22
Merry Christmas/Yule/Winter Solstice, blog readers! Women’s eNews posts a Christmas story about Katrina-survivor Michelle Castillo and her family’s struggle to get settled into a new life in Florida. As her family tuck into a traditional Christmas meal of “gumbo, collard…
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Business lobby withdraws support for more maternity leave
By Jess McCabe | 23 December 2005, 21:43
The CBI, a powerful business lobby group, has written to the Trade and Industry Secretary Alan Johnson to withdraw its support for Government plans to extend maternity leave and paid paternity leave. Why? Because the Government will not take back…
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Fat is a Feminist Issue Redux
By Jess McCabe | 20 December 2005, 13:54
Following on nicely from yesterday’s post, today’s Guardian runs the revised forward to the latest addition of a mighty tome I must admit to never having read - Fat is a Feminist Issue by Susie Orbach. Her forward nicely brings…
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Retouching expose
By Jess McCabe | 19 December 2005, 18:52
Everyone knows that magazines retouch their models. But that knowledge does not necessarily translate into a blase attitude to body image. So projects like this - which reveals exactly how much retouching goes into a cover girl photo - can…
Geisha Chic?
By Jess McCabe | 18 December 2005, 17:38
Next month sees the film adaptation of “Memoirs of a Geisha” open in the UK. You might of noticed, seeing as the tube is plastered with posters. Not to be disuaded by the fact the film was mostly shot on…
Women of the Year
By Jess McCabe | 16 December 2005, 12:30
The Guardian today publishes its list of women of the year \x96 The top award goes to the McCartney sisters, but the honorably mentioned takes in a wide range of women from across the spectrum. Jane Shepherdson who helped make…
Game aims to teach girls sexual pleasure
By Jess McCabe | 8 December 2005, 22:47
At a time when it is still contraversial to run articles about the vagina in magazines aimed at teenage girls, Heather Kelley’s latest game idea is unlikely to hit the shops for real. But, boy, it would be good if…
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Calamity Jane
By Jess McCabe | 6 December 2005, 22:02
The myth of Calamity Jane has been re-ignited of late by Deadwood, the US tv series based on the historical ‘Wild West’ town of the same name. And the closest tv has ever got to Shakespeare in terms of dialogue…
'Chastity Belt' to prevent rape??
By Jess McCabe | 6 December 2005, 15:18
First came the anti-rape condom, which - in case of rape - will trap the assailant’s penis on “sharp barbs”. Now comes the anti-rape chastity belt. It has been designed by a 19 year old Swedish girl, Nadja Bjoerk. She…
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The REAL hot 100
By Jess McCabe | 5 December 2005, 23:12
This is a great idea: sick of all those lists of the ‘sexiest’ women? Well, someone got really sick of it and has set up an alternative. “The REAL hot 100 are young women who are smart, savvy, and actively…
Gay Rights Milestone
By Jess McCabe | 5 December 2005, 13:00
Today gay and lesbian couples can register for civil partnerships for the first time in the UK \x96 although the ceremonies will only begin to take place in two weeks time, just before Christmas. This long-awaited milestone will effectively give…
Sex-Ed should be compulsory, says report
By Jess McCabe | 4 December 2005, 11:44
Sex-ed classes should be compulsary from the age of five, according details of a leaked report published in today’s Observer. “A joint report from the Government’s independent advisors on sexual health and teenage pregnancy recommends that detailed knowledge about sex…
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Anti-choice radicals the "baby daddies of the spiritual world"
By Jess McCabe | 2 December 2005, 16:29
An unusually elequant summing up of the anti-choice movement in America as the ” baby daddies of the spiritual world: full of promised love for the abstraction, and nowhere to be found when the kid shows up” from Steve Almond…
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3 Days of Activism in One: domestic violence, women in prison
By Jess McCabe | 2 December 2005, 16:01
A few days of activism in one, I’m afraid, as I’ve been a bit remiss in updating! Women in Prison (WIP) is a charitable organisation dedicated to making a difference to women facing prison, to those in custody and to…
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Teen zines and the politics of clean
By Jess McCabe | 1 December 2005, 12:41
US teen magazine Seventeen has got in trouble for a frank article on the vagina. It’s author, Jennifer Howze, tells the Guardian about writing the article and the subsequent furore when one supermarket chain pulled the issue from its shelves….
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16 days of activism - South Essex Rape and Incest Crisis Centre
By Jess McCabe | 29 November 2005, 18:55
More awareness raising from Lilith: day five of the 16 days of activism against violence against women focuses on SERICC: “Since 1984 SERICC has provided a confidential, independent and specialist women only sexual violence support, advocacy and counselling service for…
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Sentencing guidelines seek fairer way
By Jess McCabe | 29 November 2005, 09:44
New guidelines have finally been issued on sentencing of women and men convicted of the manslaughter of their partners. The advice to judges published by the new lord chief justice, Lord Philips, could go some way to correct the current…
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16 days of activism - Abortion Rights
By Jess McCabe | 28 November 2005, 19:46
The Reclaim the Night march on Friday was only the first event in a 16 day programme of activism on behalf of women’s rights. Today’s opportunity to make your mark comes through Abortion Rights, the campaign group that lobbies to…
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Jowell says men must do more
By Jess McCabe | 27 November 2005, 13:03
Men must spend more time looking after their children if women are to be able to spend more time at work and close the gender pay gap once and for all, the Minister for Women said today. It’s unusual enough…
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Reclaim the Night and News Update
By Jess McCabe | 25 November 2005, 12:43
Just a quick reminder that tonight is the Reclaim the Night march in London. The women-only march kicks off at 6pm at Soho Square. It will end with a party at the ULU which is open to all genders! Meanwhile…
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Suffragette Profile
By Jess McCabe | 24 November 2005, 15:54
The Independent today runs an overview of the life of prominent suffragette Kate Harvey, after a medal given to her for the time she spent in Holloway Prison for refusing to pay tax sold at action for \xA3840. When her…
Toy stores segregate the sexes
By Jess McCabe | 23 November 2005, 18:22
Last week, I posted about how to have a gender-savvy Christmas. But Women’s E-News has picked up on one element of this that I didn’t touch on. Something at the very centre of the Christmas consumerist binge. Of course, I…
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Do Iraq's women MPs have any power?
By Jess McCabe | 23 November 2005, 17:00
One of the facts touted to defend the UK’s involvement in the military ‘adventure’ in Iraq is that 25% of the country’s newly formed national assembly is made up of women. On AlterNet today, Raghad Ali questions whether this means…
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Suicide Girls' exodus
By Jess McCabe | 23 November 2005, 09:32
Around 40 of the women ‘modelling’ for the contraversial Suicide Girls website have left, citing a misogynist boss and dissapointment that the ‘community’ was not as concerned with empowerment as they once thought. The Boston Phoenix reports the women describe…
Japan to have an woman emperor?
By Jess McCabe | 21 November 2005, 21:27
Japan could have its first female emperor in 200 years, if proposals to overturn a 1947 ruling banning women from becoming heir to the throne are given the green light. This would also mean female members of the royal family…
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How many abortions are too many?
By Jess McCabe | 21 November 2005, 21:13
Is it worse to have two, or four abortions than it is to have one? That is the question Jennifer Baumgardner (co-author of Manifesta) tries to answer on AlterNet today. She notes that the abortion-positive message behind films such as…
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Public 'blames' women for rape
By Jess McCabe | 21 November 2005, 12:17
One third of Britons believe that women are totally or partially responsible for being raped if they are drunk or flirtatious, a poll of 1,000 adults commissioned by Amnesty International has revealed. Indicating that a good proportion of the public…
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Christmas for Feminists
By Jess McCabe | 19 November 2005, 18:19
As Christmas is coming earlier and earlier these days, and the weather is finally getting cold and, well, wintry, it seems timely to consider how to make your Christmas a Feminist Christmas. Firstly (and foremost, considering what a consumerist bloodbath…
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Zombie feminism?
By Jess McCabe | 19 November 2005, 17:11
Two books have re-ignited the old (tired?) debate over whether feminism is, at this moment, dead. ‘Are Men Necessary?’ by Maureen Dowd and ‘Female Chauvinist Pigs: Women and the Rise of Raunch Culture’, by Ariel Levy, both spawn from the…
Domestic violence case
By Jess McCabe | 4 November 2005, 09:48
In case you missed it (although it’s hard to see how), the editor of the Sun, Rebekah Wade, has been arrested for alleged assault on her EastEnders actor husband Ross Kemp. Now, women are far more likely to be victims…
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Supreme Court update
By Jess McCabe | 1 November 2005, 22:21
President Bush has nominated Samuel Alito to sit on the Supreme Court, a man who issued a minority ruling in 1991 that a pregnant married woman should be forced to inform her husband before having an abortion. If confirmed by…
Buffy draws women to sci-fi
By Jess McCabe | 1 November 2005, 21:59
Sci-fi has, at least in the popular imagination, always been the preserve of geeky boys. Well, no longer. According to the Sci-Fi Channel, an array of strong female characters such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Zena and (inexplicably) Lara Croft,…
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The Feminist Library needs you!
By Jess McCabe | 26 October 2005, 12:31
The Feminist Library is a gigantic collection of feminist books, magazines and more tucked away in Elephant and Castle. We’re in dire straits, and need enthusiastic volunteers to help keep us going and preserve our record of your history. Looking…
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Plan for more contraceptives on the NHS reveals conservative attitudes
By Jess McCabe | 26 October 2005, 11:29
Women should be able to access a wider range of contraceptives on the NHS, including injections that protect against pregnancy for three months, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence has said today. But this has drawn a predictably venomous response…
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Iran bans 'feminist' films
By Jess McCabe | 21 October 2005, 12:07
‘Feminist’ and pro-American films are to be banned in Iran, in an edict handed down by an Islamic thinktank headed up by hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. IranMania reports that the ban effects “the distribution and screening of foreign films which…
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Women set to be poorer than men
By Jess McCabe | 20 October 2005, 23:32
Everyone knows that women have been disadvantaged by the pensions system in the past. Two thirds of the poorest pensioners are women. But new figures reveal that we’re still not saving as much as men for our retirement, meaning women…
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Afghanistan
By Jess McCabe | 8 October 2005, 14:16
Two stories have come out of Afghanistan this week, reflecting the uneven progress of women’s rights and other basic freedoms in the country. The editor of a magazine called Women’s Rights has been arrested at the bequest of a presidential…
Prozac company targets women with severe PMS?
By Jess McCabe | 8 October 2005, 12:22
British readers may not realise that in the United States it is common for drug companies to ply their wares direct to ‘consumers’ through television and magazine advertising. In The Nation, two journalists uncover how this practice is leading to…
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South African women more likely to be HIV positive
By Jess McCabe | 1 October 2005, 22:52
Young South African women are three times more likely to be infected with HIV than men in the same age group, a new study has revealed. The Feminist Majority Foundation reports on the study, which involved anonymously testing 12,000 South…
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Portugal to vote on abortion
By Jess McCabe | 1 October 2005, 22:37
The people of Portugal are to vote on whether to legalise abortion, the Feminist Majority Foundation reports. Its parliament has voted to hold a referendum, which if successful would see Portuguese women able to legally access abortions during the first…
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Abortion rights for young women
By Jess McCabe | 28 September 2005, 14:22
Why is the growing movement to restrict access to abortion for minors a bad idea? Because even girls in liberal, accepting, happy families, sometimes don’t want to tell them they’re pregnant, says MANIFESTA co-author Jennifer Baumgardner on AlterNet….
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Garbage bags used as substitute condoms in Uganda
By Jess McCabe | 10 September 2005, 20:34
Garbage bags are being used as substitute condoms in Uganda, because the government is restricting access to prophylactics, The Feminist Majority Foundation reports. The Center for Health and Gender Equity has called attention to the shortage, which began in October…
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Crossdressing talks in London
By Jess McCabe | 10 September 2005, 12:00
The Fashion & Textile Museum in Bermondsey is putting on a series of panel discussions on crossdressing this month. Still to come: 14 September: Crossdressing in Non-European Cultures: Crossdressing is not a European phenomenon, but exists throughout the world. This…
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US withdraws funding from abstinance programme
By Jess McCabe | 28 August 2005, 19:04
Common sense and common knowledge have finally won out over abstinance programmes in the United States - or at least one programme, the ‘Silver Ring Thing’, as the Feminist Majority Foundation reports. The Silver Ring Thing is a religious organisation…
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Indian guerillas kidnapping rural women, forcing them into porn
By Jess McCabe | 28 August 2005, 15:06
Guerilla fighters in the north east of India have long been known to kidnap tribal women from remote areas. But in a new twist on this practice, the National Liberation Front of Tripura are now known to be forcing them…
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Men smarter than women?!
By Jess McCabe | 27 August 2005, 11:46
It takes a certain type of person to dedicate their career to proving one gender is brainier than the other. And, following on from headlines claiming ‘It’s official, men are smarter than women’, now we know exactly what type of…
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Women's rights in China, India
By Jess McCabe | 23 August 2005, 22:12
China is revisiting its 13 year old legislation on gender equality, it emerged today. While this can only be a good thing in a country which still lacks legal protection against domestic abuse, the wording of this announcement is a…
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Feminist play re-tells Ramayana
By Jess McCabe | 14 August 2005, 00:15
Hema Ramakrishna has published a feminist re-telling of the Ramayana, the Times of India reports. The play, Sanctuary, is in English, but unfortunately I haven’t been able to track down anyone selling it online. Rama is an avatar, or incarnation,…
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Women stand for council election in Pakistan - but do they risk safety for a facade of democracy?
By Jess McCabe | 13 August 2005, 23:58
The president (and military ruler) of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, is not generally known for his commitment to human rights, let alone women’s rights. So it will be, perhaps, little surprise to anyone that although he reserved a third of all…
Man to chair women's studies department
By Jess McCabe | 26 July 2005, 20:48
Is it appropriate for a man to chair an women’s studies department? The University of Washingston thinks so, because they’ve just appointed David G Allen to exactly that role. As Inside Higher Ed reports, the move has received a mixed…
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Iraqi women's rights under threat
By Jess McCabe | 21 July 2005, 21:57
Iraqi women could see their rights stripped away from them by their newly democratically elected government, Ms reports. Plans to revise the Iraqi constitution would see the stipulation that women hold 25% of seats in the national assembly scrapped, and…
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'Industrial revolution' of marriage all for the best
By Jess McCabe | 21 July 2005, 12:41
So-called “family values” have come to be the byword of social conservatives concerned with pulling back free-ranging social change and returning us to a time when women were women and men were men. And they were married to each other….
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'Wife fattening farm' force feeds Mauritanian girls
By Jess McCabe | 20 July 2005, 15:10
Although in the West we are used to one standard of beauty - thin, mostly white - this has not yet spread world-wide. However, as this BBC reports reveals, that does not mean the rest of the world is any…
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US women skip treatment because of cost
By Jess McCabe | 13 July 2005, 22:21
In the US, 27 per cent of women say they are have skipped doctors visits or delayed treatment, because they are afraid they cannot afford to pay, AJC reports (found via Lilith news round up). Women are also failing to…
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Careers advice failing Welsh girls
By Jess McCabe | 13 July 2005, 15:40
Girls in Wales are loosing out on better-paid careers, because schools are channelling them into jobs traditionally dominated by women, the Equal Opportunities Commission said today. A BBC report today reveals that Wales is worse than the rest of the…
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Woman to command first shuttle launch since Columbia
By Jess McCabe | 12 July 2005, 15:14
The first space shuttle to launch since the Columbia exploded in February 2003 will be commanded by a woman, Women’s E-News reports. Eileen Collins already has a number of firsts under her belt - she was NASA’s first female pilot…
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Late abortion survey
By Jess McCabe | 12 July 2005, 09:07
Most women who have abortions between 19 and 24 weeks into pregnancy do so because they only realise they are pregnant late on, Marie Stropes International reveals today. In a survey of more than 100 women who had undergone terminations…
Cambridge Shorts
By Jess McCabe | 11 July 2005, 15:59
Are you in Cambridge this weekend? If so, you may want to check out Birds Eye View’s series of shorts being screened on Saturday as part of the Cambridge Film Festival. More info here, but highlights include a samurai short…
Historical buzz
By Jess McCabe | 10 July 2005, 22:06
Did you know that the small electric motor was invented to power a vibrator? Or that it was the fifth electrical appliance to be sold for use in the home - after the sewing machine but before the electric iron?…
Emergency contraception use remains steady
By Jess McCabe | 10 July 2005, 18:15
Surprise surprise - making the morning after pill available over the counter in chemists has not resulted in a surge in unsafe sex, the BBC reports. Researchers from Imperial College London surveyed women aged 16 to 49, both before and…
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US emergency update
By Jess McCabe | 4 July 2005, 16:16
Ms Magazine have come up with a list of five rights Americans could be set to lose, if Bush elects a hard line right winger to the supreme court. We all knew about abortion, but did you know that gender…
US women face "state of emergency"
By Jess McCabe | 2 July 2005, 10:57
Women’s rights are facing a “state of emergency” in the US, NOW president Kim Gandy said yesterday. She was referring to the retirement of supreme court justice Sandra Day O’Conner - the first woman ever to serve on the supreme…
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Are there any female superheros? Yes!
By Jess McCabe | 1 July 2005, 09:41
As Batman Begins hits the screens, Tanya Gold (writing for the Guardian), asks where are all the femal superheros?. On the big screen, she’s right - they’re few and far between, and unconsciounably drippy. But that doesn’t mean they don’t…
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Colombian women face prison for abortion
By Jess McCabe | 27 June 2005, 22:13
Human Rights Watch have called for the Colombian government to repeal legislation which makes abortion - even in cases of rape - punishable by up to four and a half years in prison. Recent amendments which allow judges to use…
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MOD forced to take action on sexual harassment
By Jess McCabe | 25 June 2005, 10:50
One in five female Navy personnel, one in eight Army personnel and nearly one in 10 RAF personel have been subject to sexual harassment, the Equal Opportunities Commission revealed yesterday. In response to new evidence of the culture of sexual…
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US plans blow to teenage access to contraception
By Jess McCabe | 25 June 2005, 10:22
Teenagers in the United States could soon face a massive hurdle to accessing contraception, as new proposals would see clinics forced to notify their parents at least five days before writing a prescription. The Feminist Majority Foundation reports that the…
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Sappho poem discovered
By Jess McCabe | 24 June 2005, 12:26
A new 101 word poem by the Ancient Greek poet Sappho has been discovered, the Guardian reports today. The 2.600 year old poem, only the fourth ever recovered, was found in “the cartonnage of an Egyptian mummy, the flexible layer…
Chicks and joysticks
By Jess McCabe | 23 June 2005, 12:31
Women are making slow progress integrating into the gaming industry, The Guardian reports today. The Government has recently started a big push to get more girls interested in IT, in the hope it will lead to a less-male dominated working…
Girl blogs from Iraq
By Jess McCabe | 18 June 2005, 20:43
The Guardian today features extracts from the blog of “Riverbend”, an Iraqi woman, blowing apart the idea that life is better for women after the war. Riverbend blogs about the status of women in post-war Iraq: the fear of going…
Czech textbooks rife with gender bias
By Jess McCabe | 15 June 2005, 11:14
Textbooks in Czech schools are rife with gender bias full of “discouraging” role models for girls, Women’s eNews reports today. This has come to light after a government funded study examined gender in primary school textbooks - one example had…
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Bar staff face sack if they gain weight
By Jess McCabe | 13 June 2005, 16:01
With tales of Wal-mart woe in the papers every couple of weeks, no-one could say that worker’s rights in the United States are perfect. And this story from USAToday has some real horror stories of employers cracking down on their…
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Women at greater risk of contracting HIV
By Jess McCabe | 13 June 2005, 11:51
Women worldwide are at greater risk than men of contracting HIV, an American scientist has said. The Times reports that Thomas Quinn, Professor of Infectious Diseases at John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, has called for a global strategy to tackle…
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Mayan tomb sheds new light on status of women
By Jess McCabe | 12 June 2005, 09:51
A new archelogical find has prompted speculation that Mayan women may have had a much more powerful role in their society than previously thought, nature.com reports. A recently opened crypt in Guatemala, the site of the ancient Mayan city of…
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Sexual orientation 'irrelevant' to children's upbringing
By Jess McCabe | 10 June 2005, 09:48
Sexual orientation of a child’s parents is “irrelevant” to their upbringing, new research confirms. What really matters is whether or not that child has a stable, loving family environment. The study revealed that: “Teens with same-sex parents were identical to…
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Padme not as cool as Leia
By Jess McCabe | 8 June 2005, 20:22
Star Wars. It seems to have taken over the planet. I’ve personally managed to avoid watching it on principle, because George Lucus should not be getting rich off making endless, terrible movies that only get an audience because they cash…
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BBC shows women's football
By Jess McCabe | 8 June 2005, 19:46
We all know that women’s sport is no-where near as high profile as men’s sport. And so it is refreshing to see that the BBC is to broadcast this year’s 2005 Women’s European Championship football finals. This Saturday, England play…
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TV show tries to mould ladies from ladettes
By Jess McCabe | 8 June 2005, 00:59
Anyone who thought that reality tv couldn’t get any worse better brace themselves for Ladette to Lady. ITV has really excelled itself with this. As the title suggests, the series takes 10 ‘geezer birds’ and attempts to transform them into…
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Frida preview
By Jess McCabe | 7 June 2005, 15:27
Check out The Guardian for a sneak preview of some of the self portraits due to go on show as part of the Frida Kahlo exhibition at the Tate Modern….
(Some) women get rich
By Jess McCabe | 6 June 2005, 15:06
While many women in the UK still face poverty, some are doing very well for themselves. Brewin Dolphin Wealth Management has identified 360,000 women worth \xA3500,000 or more, with a collective wealth of \xA3292.88 billion and an average of \xA3798,000…
Met review rape investigation as convictions fall
By Jess McCabe | 6 June 2005, 11:52
The Met are to re-examine the way they investigate rape cases, in response to evidence that the number of convictions is falling, The Independent reports today. Only one in 20 reported rapes end up in a conviction, and an increasing…
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Teenage girls would rather be a glamour model than a teacher
By Jess McCabe | 6 June 2005, 11:35
Teenage girls want to be glamour models, not teachers, doctors or nurses, a new survey has revealed. As reported in Manchester Online, 63% of girls aged 15-19 would rather be glamour models than take up a profession such as teaching….
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A man's iron?
By Jess McCabe | 3 June 2005, 07:08
Argos are to market a range of irons designed for men, The Guardian reports. Apparently, “real men want a real iron”. On the one hand, women still do a vastly disproportionate amount of domestic chores and efforts to change that…
Human Rights Watch calls for legislation to tackle rape, HIV in Uganda
By Jess McCabe | 2 June 2005, 19:35
Meanwhile, in Uganda, Human Rights Watch are campaigning for the parliament to pass legislation which would outlaw marital rape and give girls and women greater equality. The Domestic Relations Bill is seen as the first step in helping Uganda’s women,…
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Bahraini woman faces trail after criticising family judges
By Jess McCabe | 2 June 2005, 19:26
A women’s rights activist in Bahrain faces trial this weekend, and the possibility of 15 years in jail, for publically criticising family judges. Ghada Jamsheer leads the Women’s Petition Committee, which campaigns for reform of Bahrain’s family law. She has…
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Fiction gender gap persists
By Jess McCabe | 31 May 2005, 12:07
A new report has revealed that men know that women are writing important books, but don’t want to read them, the Observer reports. The report, which marks the 10th anniversary of the Orange prize for fiction, which is only open…
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Sordid Japanese men make sex-ed comic a best-seller
By Jess McCabe | 27 May 2005, 09:56
Grown men have made a best-seller out of a realistic sex-education manga comic book aimed at elementary school girls in Japan, Mainichi Daily News reports. Men, generally in their 30s, obsessed with manga depicting young girls’ sexuality are called Otaku…
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The Pill may permanantly damage sex drive
By Jess McCabe | 27 May 2005, 09:22
The contraceptive pill may permanantly damage women’s sex drives, new research has revealed. It has long been known that taking the Pill led to a loss of libido, but it was thought this was a temporary effect that wore off…
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Mexico murders finally to be investigated
By Jess McCabe | 27 May 2005, 08:25
The Mexican government has finally taken action to investigate the notorious Juarez murders. The murders were first discovered in 1993, when bodies were found in the desert and by the roadside. The city has seen 350 women killed, and families…
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Buffy academics descend on Yorkshire
By Jess McCabe | 26 May 2005, 14:18
Buffy experts are set to flock to Huddersfield University in Yorkshire, to attend a three-day conference on how the show could be used as a teaching aid, Yorkshire Today reports. Anyone who fancies attending the conference, which is already attracting…
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Parents must talk to their kids about sex, says minister
By Jess McCabe | 26 May 2005, 12:06
Teenage pregnancy is in the news again. Just as the furore started to die down over these sisters, aged 12, 14 and 16, who all gave birth within a couple of years of each other, the new children and families…
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Pitcairn men's sex abuse appeal rejected
By Jess McCabe | 24 May 2005, 10:27
Six men found guilty of a series of sex attacks over a 40 year period, from the Pacific island of Pitcairn, today had their appeal rejected. The tiny island only has a population of 47 and has been under British…
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Women quoted less in the media
By Jess McCabe | 23 May 2005, 21:37
Women are cited far less frequently than men in news stories, a report out today reveals. The study, by the Project for Excellence in Journalism, surveyed nearly 17,000 news reports from all types of media excluding radio, magazines and local…
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100 most beautiful women not sexy enough?!
By Jess McCabe | 23 May 2005, 15:59
The Times today published a truely unpleasant column, ripe with sexism, by Richard Morrison. (Thanks to Londonist for pointing this one out). Morrison comes across as a randy old man, as he salivates over “so much female leg, tit, tum…
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Suffrage, equal pay and feminist celebrities
By Jess McCabe | 22 May 2005, 22:11
Women in Kuwait have finally won the vote - although not in time for the upcoming election, unfortunately. The Guardian has some very interesting excerpts from the world’s media on the issue. In Jordan, the American first lady made one…
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Fighter pilots and bus drivers break new ground
By Jess McCabe | 19 May 2005, 17:22
In Pakistan, the first cohort of women fighter pilots are on course to take to the skies, according to the BBC. This is the first time women have been able to train as aerospace engineers and fighter pilots, although only…
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Men's income nearly twice that of women's
By Jess McCabe | 17 May 2005, 22:31
The gender pay gap is alive and kicking. The Guardian reports today that men enjoy an income of almost doubt that of their female counterparts, although their incomes are growing at only half the rate of women’s. The figures, from…
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Police hold event to highlight hate crime in London
By Jess McCabe | 16 May 2005, 16:48
Londoners: the Southwark Police Hate Crime Unit is hosting an event in Elephant & Castle meant to improve relations between lesbian and gay locals and the police. It is taking place at the Elephant & Castle shopping centre (yes, the…
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Index on gender puts UK near the top
By Jess McCabe | 16 May 2005, 11:56
The World Economic Forum today launched a new gender gap index, measuring how countries perform on pay equality, economic opportunity, political empowerment, educational attainment and access to reproductive healthcare. The good news is that the UK did relatively well, coming…
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Women's minister forced to forego equal pay
By Jess McCabe | 16 May 2005, 09:22
The new junior women’s minister, Meg Munn, will have to work unpaid, the Telegraph reports. Munn will have to forego her junior minister’s salary, leading to very understandable accusations that the Government is not taking women’s rights seriously. Downing Street…
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US trade embargo devestating Cuban women
By Jess McCabe | 13 May 2005, 12:40
The US trade-and-travel embargo on Cuba is having a devestating effect on women, Women’s E-News reports today. Women are bearing the brunt of the sanctions in any number of ways, but mostly involving everyday hardships that make the day-to-day living…
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Feminism to end terrorism?
By Jess McCabe | 10 May 2005, 12:15
Is feminism, or at least human rights for women, the answer to an effective anti-terrorism strategy? Well, that’s what Barbara Ehrenreich thinks. In this article on AlterNet, she calls for the US government to pour resources into education for girls,…
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She Makes War
By Jess McCabe | 9 May 2005, 14:01
She Makes War could be the next big grrrl band. I caught them last night, supporting Die So Fluid at the Garage for what was only their second gig and was mightily impressed. Think Sleater Kinney. Londonist today carries a…
Homophobic bullying thrives in schools
By Jess McCabe | 9 May 2005, 08:58
Lesbian and gay children are being driven out of school by homophobic bullying, the Guardian reports today. Stonewall has estimated that 60,000 children are the victims of abuse from name-calling to “serious physical and sexual assaults”. Although teachers are finally…
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Figures on women MPs
By Jess McCabe | 6 May 2005, 15:56
OK, Fawcett have published the figures: 125 women MPs have been elected so far, a record number for the House of Commons. Conservatives: Number of women MPs up from 14 to 17, or 9% of their party. At the current…
Labour elect historic numbers of women MPs
By Jess McCabe | 6 May 2005, 14:18
The votes are in: we all know what happened, but what does it mean for women in the House of Commons? The detailed figures have yet to be worked out (by me at any rate, I’m waiting on the Fawcett…
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New member states lag behind on gender equality
By Jess McCabe | 5 May 2005, 10:10
The new EU member states are lagging behind the rest of Europe on gender equality, a report from Open Society Institute has revealed. EUobserver.com reports that Bulgaria, Estonia and Slovakia performed the worst, with a 25-30% pay gap between men…
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Rapist proposes marriage
By Jess McCabe | 5 May 2005, 09:36
A woman in India has rejected a courtroom plea from her rapist to marry him, the BBC reports today. Unbelievably, the judge halted sentencing proceedings at the last minute, to allow the man, who had already been found guilty of…
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Vote!
By Jess McCabe | 4 May 2005, 20:15
Only people who have spent the last month on a space station can not know this, but tomorrow is the election. Anyone who hasn’t made up their mind yet (just taking a minute here to beg you not to vote…
Masturbation, sex-ed and US development policy
By Jess McCabe | 4 May 2005, 12:04
Betty Dodson, masturbation activist and author of Sex for One is interviewed in AlterNet today. It’s a really interesting, but short interview, in which talks she about feminism steeling her thunder in bringing back vibrators and the perils of modern…
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Nine year maternity pay battle victory
By Jess McCabe | 4 May 2005, 09:19
A woman won her nine year battle for fair maternity pay yesterday. Woolwich Building Society, now part of Barclays, had calculated her maternity pay too low, basing it on her income before a pay rise. She finally received the \xA3270…
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Equality under attack in Japan
By Jess McCabe | 3 May 2005, 10:48
Women’s E-News reports that Japan is set to pass a constitutional amendment that will emphasise family values and undermine strides towards gender equality in government and business. The story is a bit light on the details of the amendment, but…
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Trainee detectives put in charge of rape cases
By Jess McCabe | 1 May 2005, 08:58
Trainee detectives without enough experience for the job are being put in charge of investigating rape cases in London because of a lack of resources, The Observer reports today. Could this be one of the reasons that rape convictions have…
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Poor women in the US denied abortions, even after rape, incest
By Jess McCabe | 29 April 2005, 12:33
Poor American women who become pregnant after rape or incest are being denied access to abortion, according to Stephanie Poggi from the Centre for American Progress. On AlterNet today, Poggi reports that legal protections that should allow women on Medicaid…
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Women fight it out to be Chile's president
By Jess McCabe | 29 April 2005, 12:03
Two Chilian politicians are fighting it out for a chance to become the country’s first ever female president. Michelle Bachelet and Soledad Alvear are only competing to be the presidential candidate for Chile’s centre-left coalition, but it is widely predicted…
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Women speak out about their abortions
By Jess McCabe | 28 April 2005, 23:15
It’s often said that abortion is not given much in the way of airtime. And certainly not in a way that portrays the complex reasons behind women’s choice to have an abortion. So, following on from I’m not sorry, the…
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Half of voters will not have the option of voting for a woman
By Jess McCabe | 27 April 2005, 11:28
Just under half of voters in next weeks general election will be denied the opportunity to vote for a woman, the Fawcett Society said today. None of the parties are doing that well, then, but Labour seems to do the…
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Mexico City shelter to house elderly prostitutes
By Jess McCabe | 27 April 2005, 11:12
A new shelter is being set up for elderly survivors of the sex trade in Mexico City, the Guardian reports today. The site of the shelter is a grand, abandoned sports museums, which the local authorities are providing rent free….
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Embroideries
By Jess McCabe | 26 April 2005, 23:39
Nerve is running a really interesting interview with Iranian comic book artist/writer Marjane Satrapi, about her latest comic Embroideries. The comic documents Satrapi and her female friends and relatives talking (mostly about sex) over tea one afternoon. From her comments…
Be heard
By Jess McCabe | 26 April 2005, 18:09
Women in London have set up a sister site to provide a forum for women to express their views on political issues ahead of the general election. The website, Women and e-democracy is pretty sparse, but includes an online survey….
Women to play golf alongside men
By Jess McCabe | 26 April 2005, 14:41
Women may compete alongside men for the first time at a prestigious golf tournament, the Open at St Andrews. The tournament\x92s organisers have said that American teenager Michelle Wie willbe allowed to play if she qualifies this year. Maybe this…
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Hidden army of girls uncovered
By Jess McCabe | 25 April 2005, 10:23
Girls around the world are being abducted and forced to work in the army, as soldiers, porters, cooks and cleaners, according to a report by Save the Children. Most of them are also forced to serve as sex slaves or…
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London women win recognition
By Jess McCabe | 24 April 2005, 20:41
Southwark Council are giving the public a chance to vote for who should be the recipients (both people and places) of the next round of blue plaques, commemorating the history of the area. There a couple of interesting ones, including…
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Fairytales are bad for you, it's (kind of) official
By Jess McCabe | 23 April 2005, 12:26
An American psychotherapist is to present a paper next month that suggests reading too many fairytales featuring submissive role models is bad for girls. As reported in the Guardian, Susan Darker-Smith found that women who were stuck in abusive relationships…
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Vagina badge sparks contraversy
By Jess McCabe | 23 April 2005, 11:44
Here is a story (via Boing Boing)which is interesting on a couple of levels. A teenager in the US has been banned from wearing an ‘I (heart) my vagina’ badge, the Winona Daily News reports. In most UK schools, wearing…
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Pilot wins sex discrimination case
By Jess McCabe | 23 April 2005, 11:17
A pilot who flies for British Airways has won her landmark sex discrimination case. Jessica Starmer, who has a young child, found it difficult to cope with the long and irregular hours of a full-time pilot, and asked to work…
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Musical doctors
By Jess McCabe | 22 April 2005, 14:11
The life of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, the first female doctor in the UK, is to be turned into a musical. According to this local news story, it is to be funded by the Camden Central Partnership, which exists to promote…
Sexism in the FT
By Jess McCabe | 22 April 2005, 11:19
It is annoying to find outdated, sexist sentiments, where-ever you find them. But it is even more annoying when you find sexism in the headline of a newspaper article that is purporting to highlight an example of discrimination against women….
My Name is Rachel Corrie
By Jess McCabe | 20 April 2005, 13:58
Guardian journalist Katherine Viner and the stupendous actor Alan Rickman have co-written a play about Rachel Corrie, the American activist who was killed by an Israeli bulldozer when she was protesting the destruction of Palestinian homes. My Name is Rachel…
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Women's votes?
By Jess McCabe | 20 April 2005, 11:54
For anyone agonising over how to vote in the upcoming elections, the Fawcett Society has put together a neat booklet comparing the main parties’ policies on issues of concern to women. The news is good (a bit), with all of…
New pope has 'limited' understanding of women
By Jess McCabe | 20 April 2005, 08:47
So, the white smoke has puffed out of the holy chimney, the bells have rung, and the world’s 1 billion Catholics have a new pope. I for one am already worried. The German Joseph Ratzinger is a hardline right winger,…
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Woman attempts gruelling army training
By Jess McCabe | 19 April 2005, 09:01
A 23 year-old from Birmingham is to attempt one of the most gruelling training regimes in the world, in a bid to become the army\x92s first female Para. Lieutenant Jenny Hands said in the Scotsman “I am looking forward to…
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Bam Bam and Celeste
By Jess McCabe | 18 April 2005, 22:24
Fans of the unstoppable Margaret Cho will be excited to know that filming has just wrapped on her first self-written movie, Bam Bam and Celeste. According to the press release, “In Bam Bam and Celeste, Celeste (Margaret Cho) and Bam…
Girls still not getting a fair deal in school
By Jess McCabe | 18 April 2005, 11:51
UNICEF is set to release a report today showing mixed progress in getting more girls into school around the world. According to the report, there are now the same number of girls as boys in school, world-wide. However, there is…
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Palindromes - choosing sides?
By Jess McCabe | 16 April 2005, 20:36
Todd Solondz is a director who provokes strong reactions. From ‘Welcome to the Dollshouse’ to ‘Storytelling’, Solondz thrives on controversial, whacked out, grim and gritty stereo-type busting. So it should come as no surprise that he has entered into America’s…
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