Blog posts by Jess McCabe: 2010
Weekly round-up and open thread (21-27 December)
by Jess McCabe // 27 December 2010, 22:41
It's our weekly open thread and round-up of all the things that fell through the blogging net. Please do add your own links or chat away in comments. Standard disclaimer: linking to something is not an enduring seal of approval...
New review - Woman's Work: Short Stories
by Jess McCabe // 16 December 2010, 15:50
Hayley Foster da Silva reviews this wide-ranging collection of short stories by women Woman's Work: Short Stories is an anthology with one common theme: all 40 of the short stories are written by women. Published by independent GirlChild Press and...
Wikileaks reveals how irrelevant women's rights are to US diplomacy?
by Jess McCabe // 14 December 2010, 12:00
A selective survey of the diplomatic cables made public by Wikileaks found that women's rights are not mentioned. Women's eNews commissioned a reporter to read through about 200 cables from 40 countries - only a small sample, but the conclusion...
The four Rape Crisis centres in London - where they are and how to find them
by Jess McCabe // 13 December 2010, 20:36
All three of the extra rape crisis centres promised by Boris Johnson are now up and running. London now has four Rape Crisis centres, one each in the North, South, East and West. There's also a Rape Crisis London website,...
New feature: Are you feminist enough?
by Jess McCabe // 13 December 2010, 08:54
Wearing your politics on your sleeve can be hard if you’re not in an explicitly feminist setting. Annika Spalding mulls over the challenge It wasn't until I started working for a women's organisation that I realised I was a feminist....
Scrawl on us: comments November 2010
by Jess McCabe // 12 December 2010, 17:10
The November edition of our round-up of comments on features and reviews is up and ready for your reading pleasure. Kudos once again to Helen G, who does the job of coding up and organising all the comments each month,...
Search malfunction
by Jess McCabe // 12 December 2010, 12:18
I've had a few emails about the search box on the site: yes, it's broken! While we work out what's wrong and fix it, if you need to search The F-Word, you can do it via Google, like this: search...
The man box
by Jess McCabe // 11 December 2010, 09:00
Tony Porter, co-founder of A Call to Men, talks about his own life experiences, the restrictions men face by trying to fit into the oppressive "man box", and also the damage this can do to women. (Trigger warning: this talk...
New feature: Dark angels
by Jess McCabe // 9 December 2010, 12:40
Roxanne Bibizadeh considers the experiences of women who choose to wear the manteau Two girls were walking to their usual bench in the playground; the only difference was the floating black cloth gracefully sweeping over the grey pavement. She stuck...
Fawcett refused judicial review of Budget
by Jess McCabe // 6 December 2010, 15:30
UPDATED to add Fawcett's response. The Fawcett Society has been refused a judicial review of the emergency budget. Fawcett was arguing that the Treasury did not carry out a gender audit of the budget, which it is legally required to...
New feature: Finding feminism
by Jess McCabe // 5 December 2010, 19:38
Josh Hadley charts his journey from teenage dismissal to identifying as pro-feminist I discovered that I was a pro-feminist kinda guy quite late - probably sometime in my mid-20s. Through most of my teens, I bought the party line on...
New review: Home Economics: Vintage Advice and Practical Science for the 21st Century Household
by Jess McCabe // 2 December 2010, 21:47
This is a collection of excerpts from the text books used to teach early 20th century schoolgirls home economics. The material has been uncritically repackaged and marketed to 21st century women, says Victoria Dutchman-Smith Husbands! Now that Christmas is approaching,...
New review: Villa Amalia
by Jess McCabe // 2 December 2010, 17:18
Composer Ann Hidden discovers her partner cheating on her - uproots her life and moves to Italy. Villa Amalia is refreshingly free of homilies and simple explanations, but Gloria Dawson finds it too enigmatic Composer and pianist Ann Hidden (played...
Changing our relationship to our bodies
by Jess McCabe // 1 December 2010, 23:28
Women's messed-up relationship to our bodies has been exhaustively documented. Jezebel has up an interesting post which looks at how some of their readers have shifted from viewing their bodies in negative ways, towards, as one commenter put it, viewing...
Who makes a good entrepreneur? From the mouths of venture capitalists...
by Jess McCabe // 29 November 2010, 19:26
Tech venture capitalist John Doerr spoke openly and revealingly about his views on entrepreneurs, during a recent Q&A session. Although the Wall Street Journal gravitated to focus on his preference for nerds "without a sex life", that's not the angle...
October's comments on features & reviews... finally up!
by Jess McCabe // 28 November 2010, 17:54
Comments on features and reviews from October are posted and waiting for you to read. As you will see from the first comment and response, I'm thinking about a switch away from our letters to the editor style comment system...
Sent to jail for falsely retracting rape allegation
by Jess McCabe // 27 November 2010, 17:40
Sarah's* story is extremely worrying for anyone concerned with rape prosecutions in this country. You have probably heard about her case: she rang 999 reporting her husband raped her. Under pressure from her husband and sister-in-law, Sarah retracted the rape...
How a 15-minute writing exercise closed the performance gap between men and women in a physics class
by Jess McCabe // 26 November 2010, 10:49
A small experiment at the University of Colorado was able to close the gap in performance between men and women taking an introduction to physics class - by means of a writing test wholly unrelated to science. Discover reports on...
International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women
by Jess McCabe // 25 November 2010, 12:27
Today is the UN's International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. Men can wear a white ribbon to express solidarity with this cause. I'm borrowing from something written last year for Netball Australia: What the White Ribbon...
New feature: A modest reminder
by Jess McCabe // 24 November 2010, 22:08
On 2 March, 1911, Emily Davison hid in a broom cupboard in order to be registered as resident at the House of Commons on the census. Nearly 100 years later, as the next census approaches, David Standen revisits Davison’s story...
HerStoria competition winners!
by Jess McCabe // 23 November 2010, 11:29
Back in September, we ran a competition to win three free subscriptions to HerStoria Magazine, which concentrates on “History that puts woman in her place”. Anyway, because of how monumentally busy I've been, I'm only now telling you who won...
Women in punk: the playlists
by Jess McCabe // 20 November 2010, 20:45
As though Cazz Blase's series on women in punk wasn't fabulous enough, she's concocted a series of playlists on Spotify, a soundtrack to the features. I've gone through and added a link to the relevant playlist on each part of...
More advice from cartoon princesses
by Jess McCabe // 19 November 2010, 12:35
The Advice from Cartoon Princesses series continues, this time with Snow White: "You know you've made it as the prettiest person when everyone wants to kill you." See also, advice from Belle in Beauty and the Beast. Via Jezebel....
Equality "alienates" (who, exactly?!)
by Jess McCabe // 18 November 2010, 10:29
Home Secretary Theresa May intends to abandon one of the central measures in the Equality Act passed by the last government, reports The Guardian. The socioeconomic duty would have required all public bodies to assess whether they were addressing inequalities...
Quick shout out to a new group: Black Feminists
by Jess McCabe // 17 November 2010, 23:11
Black Feminists is a new group set up in London recently. Here are the details: Black Feminists is a group for all women (including trans women) who are African, Asian, indigenous, Latin American and/ or Middle Eastern or of these...
Women in tech, on the cover
by Jess McCabe // 16 November 2010, 16:29
Business magazine Fast Company is calling for nominations to its list of the most influential women in tech. I think this bares highlighting given the recent controversy over Wired Magazine's failure to run cover stories on women (as highlighted...
Eve seen through another lense?
by Jess McCabe // 12 November 2010, 14:22
London Doodler Gabriel has posted this reframing of the story of Eve. Her His short comic strip was the result of a class assignment to "think of a famous person and draw a one page portrait of that person's...
New feature: Cuts? Women will take them on the chin
by Jess McCabe // 10 November 2010, 20:36
Government spending cuts will hit women the hardest, with the most marginalised suffering the most. Fionnuala Murphy from the Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation breaks it down On the morning of Wednesday 20 October if you Googled "women and...
New review: Blue is for boys?
by Jess McCabe // 9 November 2010, 16:47
Cordelia Fine unpicks the science (and pseudoscience) of sex difference in her latest book. Jessica Smith found the result a revelation As a mother of two children, I have often listened to other parents discussing how their little boy is...
Is it feminist to...?
by Jess McCabe // 7 November 2010, 08:59
Any feminist who has done interviews with the media will tell you about the frequency with which journalists will ask "is it feminist to [insert activity]?". Some interviewers, indeed, have been known to simply email across a list of stuff...
New review - Eat Pray Love: consumerism is not empowerment
by Jess McCabe // 5 November 2010, 10:25
By selling her travel experience as a path to wellness, Elizabeth Gilbert's trip becomes part of the predatory self-help industry, marketed specifically toward women, argues Taraneh Ghajar Jerven Eat Pray Love, the film adaption of bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert's post-divorce...
Blades within blades within blades
by Jess McCabe // 2 November 2010, 15:56
To make up for me and Lynne's cross-posting mishap about Equal Pay Day (it's so important we said it twice), here is a little animation inspired by Hyperbole and a Half's post from earlier in the year, satirising the...
'Yes, women can' - Brazil elects first female president
by Jess McCabe // 2 November 2010, 11:52
Dilma Rousseff, speaking after she had just been elected as Brazil's first female president this weekend: Equal opportunities for men and women are an essential principle of democracy. I would like for fathers and mothers to look into their...
Quick hit: Stephen Fry misquoted?
by Jess McCabe // 31 October 2010, 23:39
Stephen Fry says he was misquoted over comments suggesting that women just don't like sex. Misquoted or quoted, taken out of context or not, Fry's reported remarks include gems like: I feel sorry for straight men. The only reason women...
Interview with TNTT: Covering 'Closer'
by Jess McCabe // 29 October 2010, 13:24
Argentinian electro-pop-rock duo TNTT are the latest in a string of acts to cover NIN's classic hit 'Closer'. Due out on 15 November, you can listen to a preview on the band's MySpace or download the HouseHood remix here. No...
Sisyphus and feminist burn out
by Jess McCabe // 28 October 2010, 22:39
We all get it: the dreaded burnout. Those Sisyphus moments, where you feel like all the energy and effort that has been poured into making change is just not producing anything. Earlier this year, Bidisha wrote a rabble rousing piece...
New feature: Putting survivors back in the centre of the anti-violence movement
by Jess McCabe // 25 October 2010, 22:46
Girls and women who have survived violence are increasingly marginalised and silenced by the very services set up to support them, say Sophie Taylor and Davina James-Hanman from the AVA Project The movement to stop violence against women and girls...
A step forward for bolstering EU-wide maternity and paternity leave
by Jess McCabe // 21 October 2010, 08:07
The EU Parliament has voted to extend maternity and paternity leave across the EU, so that mothers would get a minimum of 20 weeks at full pay, with fathers getting a two weeks also at full pay. EUObserver reports the...
The cuts: a disastrous blow for women's equality
by Jess McCabe // 20 October 2010, 16:49
“Taken apart, many of the measures announced today will dismay women across the UK. Add them together and they’re a disastrous blow for women’s equality.” This is the early reaction from Ceri Goddard, CEO of the Fawcett Society to today's...
September feature/review comments online now
by Jess McCabe // 18 October 2010, 11:41
Belatedly, click here to read the comments round-up on features and reviews from September. From the archive this month, Sophie Platt's feature on the taboo against girls masturbating. Massive thanks again to Helen for coding and collating the comments on...
New review: Click!
by Jess McCabe // 17 October 2010, 14:52
Did you have a 'click' moment, a sudden realisation that "I am a feminist"? Or was it more gradual? Sian Norris reviews an anthology of stories about coming into a feminist identity It's that moment when something happens in your...
New feature: A cautionary tale of a ‘feminist’ man
by Jess McCabe // 13 October 2010, 19:33
Justine tells the story of one abusive relationship As stories rarely have a clearly-defined beginning, let alone end, I will start this one on the day that I emailed the local Rape Crisis Centre, as they were looking for new...
New review: Adventures in Kate Bush and Theory
by Jess McCabe // 13 October 2010, 11:31
Deborah Withers’ book is not a biography of Kate Bush. Instead, says Sian Norris, it is a treasure map to the theories underpinning the cultural icon’s work Having been a huge Kate Bush fan from a young age, and very...
New feature - Women in punk: the return
by Jess McCabe // 13 October 2010, 11:28
The 1990s brought with them grunge, riot grrrl - and fresh inspiration for the women at the centre of Britain’s 1970s punk scene. Cazz Blase continues her series This is part five in a series of features writing women back...
Female character flowchart
by Jess McCabe // 13 October 2010, 11:04
Penning a script for a movie/TV show/game? Writing a book? The folks at Overthinking It have put together a female character flowchart, representing the common stereotyping pitfalls of writing roles for girls and women that ultimately come across flat, two...
Feminism in London tickets selling fast
by Jess McCabe // 12 October 2010, 18:34
Just a quick service announcement: if you're wanting to buy tickets for Feminism in London 2010, you may want to get on that. Around 930 out of 1,000 tickets available have sold already for the 23 October event, with...
Bad Reputation blog launches
by Jess McCabe // 11 October 2010, 20:43
Bad Reputation is a new UK feminist blog, or, as their subhead would have it, "a feminist pop culture adventure". Only launched at the beginning of this month, there's already lots of good, long-form posts to read, including the...
Irish Feminist Network vox pops on the street
by Jess McCabe // 10 October 2010, 16:16
Interesting vox pop by the Irish Feminist Network. They're also on Twitter....
Actual headline
by Jess McCabe // 9 October 2010, 11:38
The Daily Telegraph keeps it classy with a blog post headlined "Ted Hughes's pain will never be intense enough for the Sylvia Plath harpies"....
New feature: Out with the old warrior queens, in with the new?
by Jess McCabe // 4 October 2010, 15:33
Boudicca's warrior-queen appeal to activists is enduring. But, argues Hanna Thomas, is it time to create some new myths? I came across this Cordelia Cembrowicz print earlier in the year and I am not exaggerating when I say that I...
New feature: ‘It’s not RAPE rape’
by Jess McCabe // 3 October 2010, 11:36
A flurry of reports on birth rape have prompted a backlash against women who use the term to describe their assault experiences. Amity Reed responds Birth rape is not rape because: the intent was not likely malicious; you solicited the...
Feminist postcard auction this Monday
by Jess McCabe // 2 October 2010, 10:08
38 postcards by artists, pop stars, actors and other prominent figures on the theme of feminism will be auctioned in London on Monday, to raise money for Feminism in London 2010. Even if you can't make it to see...
New feature - Jonathan Dean: Rethinking contemporary feminist politics
by Jess McCabe // 30 September 2010, 22:43
Jonathan Dean's recent academic book Rethinking Contemporary Feminist Politics analyses the state of contemporary feminism in the UK, and uses The F-Word as a case study. Catherine Redfern invited him to explain more about his findings Hi Jonathan. Please can...
New review: The Heretics
by Jess McCabe // 30 September 2010, 10:39
The Heretics charts the story of a feminist art magazine which grew out of the New York art scene in the 1970s. What was it like to work on Heresies? Where are these women today, and what has happened to...
New review: Beyond the Circle
by Jess McCabe // 29 September 2010, 22:38
Jane Fae Ozimek’s book takes a refreshing and inspiring look at questions of taboo, sex and the law - but does not quite have the answers, argues Victoria Dutchman-Smith Jane Fae Ozimek's Beyond the Circle is slim, powerful book about...
Competition! Win a free subscription to HerStoria online
by Jess McCabe // 28 September 2010, 20:59
HerStoria magazine has passed along three free subscriptions to their new online version to give away! HerStoria magazine specialises in "History that puts woman in her place", as in, right back in the centre of the story. The latest issue...
New review: A family portrait, without sentimentality
by Jess McCabe // 25 September 2010, 14:56
Alice Neel’s portraits of pregnant women, mothers and children, undercut the romanticisation of motherhood, argues Sarah Blake In an exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery in London, Alice Neel demolishes cosy notions of family life. She strips the family portrait of...
Latest issue of Race Revolt out now - plus website relaunches
by Jess McCabe // 22 September 2010, 11:02
The fifth issue of Race Revolt is out now, and the zine's website has relaunched - posting much of the contents of earlier issues online for all to read. Humaira Saeed set up Race Revolt in 2007, "as an intervention...
No, feminism did not 'kill' the art of home cooking
by Jess McCabe // 21 September 2010, 17:21
To answer the Daily Mail's facetious question, no, feminism did not kill the art of home cooking. Nor did feminists cause "an epidemic of childhood obesity", as Rose Prince argues, by encouraging women to abandon the production of "feminine...
US suffragette parodies the opposition
by Jess McCabe // 20 September 2010, 19:49
Marie Jenney Howe was a campaigner for women's enfranchisement in the US and wrote a funny satire of the arguments put forward by those who were against extending the vote to women. PhDork at the Pursuit of Harpyness described...
Weekly round-up and open thread, 20 September 2010
by Jess McCabe // 20 September 2010, 11:12
It's Monday - that means it's time for The F-Word's weekly link fest, when we link to recent stories of feminist interest that we didn't get a chance to write about during the last seven days. We may end...
Home Office cuts study on how police handle rape cases
by Jess McCabe // 17 September 2010, 19:41
An investigation into how the police treat rape cases has been abandoned, after the Home Office withdrew funding, reports The Guardian. The review was announced in response to the John Worboys case, and other incidents that raised worrying questions about...
New feature - Empowering just one person: An interview with Zoe Margolis
by Jess McCabe // 16 September 2010, 23:12
The outspoken feminist and author of Girl With a One Track Mind and Girl With a One Track Mind: Exposed spoke to Catherine Redfern about feminism, sex, activism and writing What are your hopes for your new book Girl With...
Sexual harassment at Samsung
by Jess McCabe // 7 September 2010, 11:35
Lee Eun-eui has won around $34,000 in damages from Samsung in a landmark sexual harassment case for South Korea. However, the case has not been covered by English-language media. The Grand Narrative, a blog which usually is concerned with analysing...
New review: Looking For Leonora
by Jess McCabe // 5 September 2010, 19:57
Artist Leonora Carrington is considered a national treasure in her home of Mexico. But the Lancashire-born surrealist is little known in the UK, where no public collection displays her paintings. Susan Gilbert argues more should be done to celebrate her...
August comments and review comments, for your perusal
by Jess McCabe // 3 September 2010, 13:13
Features and reviews comments received in the summery rainy month of August* are up now and ready for your reading pleasure. We were overwhelmed with responses to Hannah's cystitis feature, particularly with women reporting similar experiences and frustration with the...
More on floods in Pakistan and gender impact
by Jess McCabe // 3 September 2010, 12:04
Information on the gender impacts of the recent tragic flood in Pakistan is just now being parsed. The Global Fund for Women has a guest post which brings together some of this information, particularly about how the flood and aftermath...
New review - Awra Amba
by Jess McCabe // 31 August 2010, 16:37
Philippa Willitts reviews a documentary about this community in Northern Ethiopia, grounded in principles of equality between the sexes The words Awra Amba mean 'top of the hill', and are the name of a small community in Northern Ethiopia which...
New feature: On campus, feminism wavers
by Jess McCabe // 30 August 2010, 10:46
University students are used to applying feminist theory in their academic work, but this fails to transfer out of the classroom, reports Lizzie Dearden I realised I was a feminist when I was studying AS level sociology. Suddenly, feelings I'd...
New feature: Honeymoon cystitis?
by Jess McCabe // 17 August 2010, 10:41
Cystitis is bad enough, says Hannah Fearn. But why are doctors so dismissive? "Yes, it's just part of being a woman. Don't worry: it'll probably get better once you've had a baby." If I had needed a reminder that in...
New review: Men at the centre of the story
by Jess McCabe // 16 August 2010, 20:40
Barbara Kingsolver has finally won the Orange Prize. Sarah Bryne wonders, is it a coincidence that she has been recognised for The Lacuna, her first novel with a male protagonist? I've been a big fan of US novelist Barbara Kingsolver's...
New feature: Compulsory heterosexuality and lesbian existence, 30 years later
by Jess McCabe // 16 August 2010, 12:37
AJ Conroy looks back at what we can learn about the need to form ties with other women from Adrienne Rich’s famous essay What is wrong with feminism? Lately it seems like we're getting it from all sides, including from...
New review - Girl With a One Track Mind: Exposed
by Jess McCabe // 10 August 2010, 10:49
Sex blogger Abby Lee saw her anonymity stripped away by the media. Her latest book explores the personal consequences in a society that has yet to come to terms with female sexual desire, says Abby O’Reilly In 2006, Girl With...
New review - In the Loop
by Jess McCabe // 10 August 2010, 10:47
This collection of essays goes well beyond glossy photos and patterns, weaving together a serious assessment of knitting, its role in activism, art and more, says Kaite Welsh "Knitting is many things to many people - it can be cosy,...
Le Tigre documentary screening to raise funds for Ladyfest Ten
by Jess McCabe // 10 August 2010, 10:23
Le Tigre fans, there is a chance to see a preview of their in-progress backstage documentary in London later month. And raise money for Ladyfest Ten at the same time. On their blog, Le Tigre say: The film edits...
Support
by Jess McCabe // 9 August 2010, 14:45
I am sure many of you are familiar with Renee from Womanist Musings, an often-linked blog here at The F-Word. Renee has had a loss in her family and is fundraising to pay for the funeral of her nephew, who...
Registering for comments - tell us what you think
by Jess McCabe // 5 August 2010, 18:30
Comment moderation is one of the hardest, sometimes the hardest, part of blogging for The F-Word. In order to reduce some of the energy involved, we want to introduce commenter registration. This means that you would need to register (for...
New feature: Images of pregnancy, representations of birth
by Jess McCabe // 5 August 2010, 16:01
Pregnant celebrities post for photoshoots, we have childbirth-focused reality TV shows - but, argues Sara De Benedictis, only a sanatised, product-driven version of natality has gained the limelight Once hidden and masked in the home, images of pregnant women now...
Home Sec warns Chancellor on Budget inequality
by Jess McCabe // 4 August 2010, 13:37
UPDATE: It should be noted that today Theresa May scrapped powers to ban violent partners from their victim's home, citing the need to save money. Hopefully we will have more on this later. Home Secretary and Equalities Minister Theresa May...
"Unbought & Unbossed"
by Jess McCabe // 31 July 2010, 10:49
A documentary on Shirley Chisholm's campaign for US president in 1972 is available to watch free online. You do have to download a special player to watch Chisholm '72, but I definitely recommend it. (Or alternatively you can buy it...
New review: Theodora
by Jess McCabe // 30 July 2010, 14:26
Stella Duffy’s first historical novel tells the story of Theodora’s rise from the stage to co-ruler of Constantinople, says Bidisha, without glossing over her restricted agency Constantinople, the 6th century. Not, one would think, the optimum setting for a wild...
Q&A with Evelin Stermitz, founder of ArtFem.TV
by Jess McCabe // 28 July 2010, 10:44
Video has always been a rich vein for feminist artists; we are in the YouTube age, but still access to much of this material is limited. Evelin Stermitz's ArtFem.TV seeks to change that. Why did you decide to launch...
Seven days to raise £700 - F-Word fundraiser, last leg!
by Jess McCabe // 27 July 2010, 23:09
We have only £700 left to raise to completely pay for our long-awaited redesign! To donate through PayPal, click here. But if you don't want to use PayPal, never fear: our treasurer Lynne can fill you in on the other...
Good news: government drops plans for rape defendant anonymity
by Jess McCabe // 27 July 2010, 11:47
The coalition government has dropped plans to extend anonymity to rape defendants. Instead of legislation, the government is reportedly to "negotiate with the Press Complaints Commission to persuade newspapers and websites to allow suspected rapists to remain anonymous"....
Jane Austen's Fight Club
by Jess McCabe // 25 July 2010, 23:23
Via Jezebel...
New feature - Rape: treat the cause, not the symptom
by Jess McCabe // 24 July 2010, 17:38
After the rape attacks on female festival-goers this summer, platitudes are not the answer, argues Amy Nicholson Safety advice given to festival-goers often covers the basics. Don’t leave valuables in your tent, don’t let fires get out of control, don’t...
New review: Never Kiss a Man in a Canoe
by Jess McCabe // 24 July 2010, 17:34
Advice dished out by agony aunts and uncles from the 1850s to 1960s demonstrates how much has changed - and how much has stayed the same, argues Sian Norris This charming collection of agony aunt (and uncle) advice from the...
New review: Our Tragic Universe
by Jess McCabe // 24 July 2010, 17:32
Scarlett Thomas’ latest novel delves into the nature of narrative, says Katherine Wootton When a novelist creates a character who is also a writer, it is natural to assume a link between the struggles of the character and the author,...
Michelle Rodriguez on why her characters keep getting killed off
by Jess McCabe // 23 July 2010, 13:43
Actor Michelle Rodriguez has some theories on why she keeps getting cast in roles which see her killed off. Asked about this at a comics convention, she said: Because I don't take my clothes off, and I'm nobody's girlfriend. The...
New feature - Women in punk: the disappearing years
by Jess McCabe // 23 July 2010, 10:27
What happened to the women of 1970s British punk once the 1980s dawned? Cazz Blase continues her series This is part four in a series of features writing women back into the history of British punk. Click here to read:...
MAC apologises for theming makeup range around Juárez
by Jess McCabe // 21 July 2010, 20:35
Cosmetics firm MAC has apologised and is to rename a range of makeup, in response to the outrage caused by its decision to seek inspiration from Cuidad Juárez in Mexico, where an estimated 400 young women have been violently murdered...
New review: Women, Power & Politics: Now
by Jess McCabe // 19 July 2010, 07:38
Laura Nelson reviews this collection of short plays at London’s Tricycle theatre As part of The Tricycle's Women, Power & Politics series, the theatre is hosting two collections of short plays; 'Now' focusing on contemporary issues of women and politics,...
Advice needed: how should teenager deal with sexist teasing from boys at school?
by Jess McCabe // 16 July 2010, 14:41
What advice would you give a teenage girl on dealing with sexist comments from male classmates? Sarah wrote in with this question: I get teased in school - what's the best way of shutting down boys who say girls can't...
'My fault, I'm female'
by Jess McCabe // 15 July 2010, 18:38
Finally, a place to get those stories of "gender discrimination, pay gap disparity, denial of rights, and inequality" off your chest in an anonymous fashion. My Fault, I'm Female looks like an interesting blog-to-watch. So far the venting relates to...
me maskuline
by Jess McCabe // 15 July 2010, 14:00
This art and video exhibition in London on masculinity looks interesting. From the press release: 'me maskuline’ is an exhibition of photography and video works exposing masculinity. The exhibition will take place at ArtsBar, Camberwell from 26th July to...
Mid-week round up
by Jess McCabe // 13 July 2010, 23:22
Dishonourable mention in today's round-up has to go to the Daily Express, which has managed in the last few days to offend with not one but two incredibly awful covers. The racism and ignorance of today's Express headline, "One in...
Polanski freed
by Jess McCabe // 13 July 2010, 10:19
A Swiss court has decided not to extradite Roman Polankski to the US, and he will not face rape charges. For a summation of this whole episode, see Johann Hari in the Independent: So that's OK then. It's fine to...
New review: Women, Power & Politics: Then
by Jess McCabe // 12 July 2010, 11:53
Kate McCarthy reviews a collection of short plays at the Tricycle As part of The Tricycle's Women, Power & Politics series, the theatre is hosting two collections of short plays; 'Now' focusing on contemporary issues of women and politics, and...
Registration opens for Feminism in London 2010
by Jess McCabe // 11 July 2010, 22:51
Registration is now open for Feminism in London 2010. This year's programme is packed with super-exciting speakers and workshops, including a feminist primer workshop conducted by Heidi Mirza, an intergenerational workshop for older and younger feminists to connect and...
Croydon council leader cuts rape crisis funding, gives himself pay rise
by Jess McCabe // 9 July 2010, 09:15
Croydon's Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre is having its funding cut by £27,000 a year - while the top Tories in the council are giving themselves pay rises. This is the currently the only rape crisis centre in London...
Anonymity for rape defendants splits Commons on gender lines, as LibCons shirk formal consultation
by Jess McCabe // 9 July 2010, 08:39
UPDATE: Apparently Ken Clarke has put a correction on record that he meant to extend his concern to "acquitted" not "convicted" rapists - via @gorilerof3b No formal consultation will be held on proposals to grant anonymity to rape defendants, the...
Highlights of the London Literature Festival
by Jess McCabe // 6 July 2010, 19:51
This festival is already in full-swing, so I apologise for any obvious omissions! But here are some highlights of the London Literature Festival taking place on the South Bank, particularly pertinent for London-based F-Word readers: Friday 9 July: A Woman's...
More bad news on the Budget
by Jess McCabe // 5 July 2010, 08:45
Women will bear the brunt of three-quarters of extra taxes and benefit cuts, according to a gender audit of the Budget carried out by the House of Commons library. And that does not even include the impact of the astounding...
New review: Viva la vagina
by Jess McCabe // 4 July 2010, 13:51
Jessica Gjergji is blown away by a performance of The Vagina Monologues at the Bristol Old Vic "My daughter's got a part in tonight's performance," I hear a rather tall man dressed in a tweed jacket tell the woman with...
A juror speaks
by Jess McCabe // 1 July 2010, 08:18
Under UK law, it is illegal for the people on a jury to ever speak about what went on in the jury room. Today's Guardian includes a piece by one woman who was on a jury which found Kirk Reid...
New review: My Animal Life
by Jess McCabe // 28 June 2010, 19:13
Novelist Maggie Gee deals with the familiar subject-matter of family life and struggling artist, but Bidisha finds the results far from ordinary My Animal Life is the true story of the novelist Maggie Gee's life as it develops - no,...
New feature: Sarkless Kitty and the ghosts of misogyny
by Jess McCabe // 26 June 2010, 09:45
A young woman transgresses against the strict gender roles of her time. Katharine Edgar considers the seed of truth behind ghost stories such as Sarkless Kitty Between 1787 and 1809, at Lowna in the valley of Farndale in the North...
The gendered impact of the emergency Budget
by Jess McCabe // 24 June 2010, 12:06
The cuts have started, the emergency Budget is out. As Fawcett sets out the cuts are going to hit women hard. As Ceri Goddard says: Reducing women’s economic security in this way risks rolling back on women’s independence - as...
Prize draw!
by Jess McCabe // 23 June 2010, 22:45
We want to say thank you to all the FANTASTIC supporters of The F-Word, who contribute to our fundraising drive. Our £3,000 goal is just in sight but we cannot do it without you. If everyone contributes just a little...
Dates set for Ladyfest Ten
by Jess McCabe // 23 June 2010, 19:52
Get out your diary, the dates for the 10th anniversary of Ladyfest have been set. Ladyfest Ten will take place from 12-14 November across a number of North London locations, organisers have announced. The line-up is not yet available, however:...
UK fails trafficking victims
by Jess McCabe // 21 June 2010, 19:09
Worrying news about the failures of the UK's approach to human trafficking, as ill-equipped Border Agency staff react to victims with an anti-immigrant mentality. The major report by a coalition including Anti-Slavery International, Amnesty International UK and TARA, is...
New review: Love: Sacred and Profane
by Jess McCabe // 21 June 2010, 12:04
Kaite Welsh reviews a performance of “romantic duets and melancholy ayres” by new opera ensemble En Travesti Thanks to its somewhat stuffy reputation, you'd be forgiven for not knowing that there is a long tradition of gender-bending in classical music....
Lugar Común - Common Place
by Jess McCabe // 18 June 2010, 22:17
What is the relationship between domestic workers and women who employ them? How does the hierarchy of this situation play out? 50 pairs of women - domestic workers and their employers - posed for photographs in "equalising" white shirts, with...
One to watch: Nurse Jackie
by Jess McCabe // 15 June 2010, 20:23
Nurse Jackie is almost enough to return my faith in television to deliver interesting female characters and plot lines, particularly roles for older female actors. Season two just finished on US television, and I hear it will probably arrive on...
New review: The real story of The Last Station
by Jess McCabe // 15 June 2010, 08:32
Many married women will identify with Helen Mirren’s portrayal of Sofya, in a film set during the last months of Leo Tolstoy’s life, argues Rosjke Hasseldine Reading the reviews of the movie The Last Station confirms my fears - its...
Future Sex panel at BFI in London
by Jess McCabe // 14 June 2010, 16:54
UPDATE: I forgot to link up the event page on the BFI website, here it is for those interested in purchasing tickets. I'm so annoyed I can't make this one: the BFI is hosting a panel on "science fiction as...
Party for Ladyfest Ten
by Jess McCabe // 11 June 2010, 20:19
Feminist party organisers Girl Germs are hosting a fundraiser to support Ladyfest Ten: They explain: The thing is, in order to put on the greatest Ladyfest the world has ever seen, we need to raise some money. This Girl Germs...
Calling Labour members: Lead for Women
by Jess McCabe // 10 June 2010, 11:57
Labour members may want to sign this letter to all the candidates for party leader, urging them to Lead for Women: Will you lead for women? We are writing to you as women activists from across the Labour Party, who...
50:50 coalition to back 50% shadow cabinet quota
by Jess McCabe // 10 June 2010, 01:01
A coalition of women's groups has formed to back Harriet Harman's proposal that the shadow Cabinet should be made up of women and men in equal numbers, and support women's representation in politics. From the press release: Alison Clarke,...
Wednesday round-up
by Jess McCabe // 9 June 2010, 20:11
Reporting from their first Women Speak Out event in London, the discussion ranged over some interesting territory, from the impact of the recession to fear of violence against women and education. The daily dramas of a cast of 20-somethings...
£1,200 raised so far! Thank you!!
by Jess McCabe // 9 June 2010, 13:48
Thanks to you, F-Word readers, we have raised £1,200 towards The F-Word redesign in the first week. A massive, massive thank you to everyone who has contributed so far, getting us more than a third of the way towards our...
New review: Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging
by Jess McCabe // 8 June 2010, 20:44
A film which flirts with issues such as body image, but models a disappointingly passive approach to relationships for teenage girls and reinforces stereotypes, argues Carina Schneider Why of all films in the world would I choose to see this...
Victory for Syrian women's rights activists (as reported by detained hitchhiker Sarah Shourd)
by Jess McCabe // 8 June 2010, 20:21
Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal have been in a Tehran prison for nearly a year, after straying accidentally into Iran from Iraqi Kurdistan during a hike. A few days before their arrest, Sara Shourd filed a story with...
50% women for Labour's shadow Cabinet?
by Jess McCabe // 7 June 2010, 20:43
Harriet Harman may have ruled herself out of the Labour leadership contest, but she's certainly not stepping back from influencing the party. Last week, she called for a change in the rules to ensure an equal 50:50 split of women...
"SMASH ON MULTIPLE FRONTS"
by Jess McCabe // 7 June 2010, 15:38
Feminist tweeters will need no introduction to @feministhulk - but will still appreciate Ms Magazine's interview with the green feminist superhero and "literary life-partner, J": feministhulk: IN BEGINNING, HULK SMASH FOR LOVE OF SMASH. LATER, HULK REALIZE CRAVING FOR SMASH...
Brontë Sisters Power Dolls!
by Jess McCabe // 7 June 2010, 13:57
I realise this video has done the rounds of feminist blogs already, but somehow we managed to miss it - so, for a bit of Monday afternoon feminist fun:...
Welcome to Jenny Williamson, The F-Word's first pictures editor!
by Jess McCabe // 6 June 2010, 19:34
Welcome to Jenny Williamson, who has taken up the role of pictures editor and researcher for The F-Word. With Jenny's help, we're going to be including more illustrations, including original artwork, in our features and reviews. We advertised for the...
New review: One book - three reviews
by Jess McCabe // 5 June 2010, 12:49
Reviewing a book co-authored by Catherine, founder of The F-Word, was always going to be an interesting one. In a break from our usual review style, I asked three women to tackle Reclaiming the F Word: The New Feminist Movement....
Support The F-Word redesign, post our banner
by Jess McCabe // 3 June 2010, 00:06
Do you have a blog or website? One way you can help us reach our £3,000 target is to spread the word. You can post our banner on your blog, just copy and paste this code! <a href="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_sxclick&hosted_button_id=6YWF8LSQQZXZA" title="Donate to...
New feature: Is it time for abortion to return to the political agenda?
by Jess McCabe // 2 June 2010, 10:27
Anti-choice lobbyists are gearing up as the new coalition government settles in. We should not let them define the terms of debate, says Lisa Ansell, instead we should push for women’s right to access abortion to be shored up I...
RIP Louise Bourgeois
by Jess McCabe // 1 June 2010, 22:22
Louise Bourgeois died yesterday aged 98. The New York Times says: Louise Bourgeois, the French-born American artist who gained fame only late in a long career, when her psychologically charged abstract sculptures, drawings and prints had a galvanizing effect on...
Sign petition to drop plans to make rape defendants anonymous
by Jess McCabe // 1 June 2010, 18:57
If you oppose the Tory-Liberal Democrat plan to grant anonymity to defendants in rape cases, then you may want to sign this petition calling on Justice Secretary Ken Clarke to drop the idea. There is also an Early Day Motion,...
Mexico's Supreme Court upholds rape victims' right to access morning after pill
by Jess McCabe // 28 May 2010, 10:07
Good news from Mexico this week - the Supreme Court has upheld the right of rape victims across the country to access the morning-after pill, according to the Latin American Herald Tribune: After six sessions of intense debate, 10 of...
New review: Macbeth
by Jess McCabe // 27 May 2010, 14:34
Yasmin Eshref reviews a version of Macbeth set in the 1970s with an all-female cast Get Over It Macbeth from Mohammad Homouda on Vimeo. I'm a big fan of Mr William Shakespeare. I've got a well-thumbed copy of his complete...
Summer school for feminist activists
by Jess McCabe // 26 May 2010, 00:12
UK Feminista is holding a free two-day summer school in London on Saturday 31 July-Sunday 1 August. Here's the schedule, I'll be chairing a panel on women and the media on the Sunday: DAY 1: Saturday 31st July, 10:00-17:00 Speakers...
Haitian women's activists regrouping
by Jess McCabe // 25 May 2010, 19:43
Women's e-News has profiled a recently formed coalition of Haitan women's rights groups, lobbying for "a Haiti where women no longer suffer high levels of sexual violence and marginalization at home and in the paid work force". Femmes Citoyennes Haiti...
New review: Honour and the Sword
by Jess McCabe // 25 May 2010, 17:03
A L Berridge’s swashbuckler is a challenge to this male-dominated branch of historical fiction, says Sian Norris There are two types of historical fiction. The type where women are the centre of the action (usually focusing on sexual intrigue, romance...
New feature: Back to burlesque
by Jess McCabe // 24 May 2010, 14:01
Has the shine come off burlesque as it mainstreamed? Chloë Emmott revisits her views About two years ago, I wrote a piece for The F-Word, called 'Can Burlesque be Feminist?' I've been spurred on to revist the issue by an...
New feature: Hit Girl
by Jess McCabe // 24 May 2010, 11:00
Hit Girl, the 11-year-old assassin from the film Kick-Ass, represents a subversion of passive ideas of girlhood, argues Tracey Plowman. But at the same time the character poses some uncomfortable questions and contradictions Okay, so I had to do it....
New feature: Narcissus
by Jess McCabe // 23 May 2010, 16:58
This story by Madhvi Ramani considers the struggle of one woman to measure up to the beauty standard The first thing I saw were her feet and right off I knew she was a stunner. By then, I had become...
Anonymity for rape defendants?!
by Jess McCabe // 21 May 2010, 13:09
The government plans to grant defendants in rape trial anonymity, according to their coalition programme for government. Details are slight, by which I mean one line saying: We will extend anonymity in rape cases to defendants. As the Press Gazette...
New review: Quilts at the V&A
by Jess McCabe // 20 May 2010, 13:17
An exhibition at the Victoria & Albert museum puts the spotlight on quilting, and by extension on the unsung domestic history of women, says Tamasine Pottle Selling its largest ever pre-allocation of tickets, the V&A Museum recently opened an exhibition...
Wanted: reviewers
by Jess McCabe // 15 May 2010, 17:24
Have you ever fancied writing reviews for The F-Word? If you are interested in writing reviews of books, albums, films, events, etc, in exchange for free stuff/press tickets, then email me (jess.mccabe@thefword.org.uk) for more information, even better if you include...
Bumps in road for EU-wide protections for domestic violence victims
by Jess McCabe // 13 May 2010, 08:06
Efforts by the Spanish government to introduce EU-wide protection orders for victims of domestic violence, are hitting some roadblocks, EUObserver is reporting. You might remember that Spain introduced the idea as a priority back in January, when it took the...
Cabinet so far, so white, so male
by Jess McCabe // 12 May 2010, 09:27
UPDATE: Theresa May named as Home Secretary... and Minister for Women & Equality (@newsaboutwomen quips "I wonder why she's expected to do two jobs? Is she going to be Minister for Women in her spare time, when she's not Home...
New review: Women artists and Surrealism
by Jess McCabe // 11 May 2010, 22:37
Women have largely been painted out of popular understandings of the Surrealist movement. Susan Gilbert reviews a Manchester Art Gallery exhibition which showcased some of these ignored works There is a famous work of Surrealist art called Le Déjeuner en...
Quick hit: Liberian feminist writings
by Jess McCabe // 11 May 2010, 12:10
Feminist poet Korto Williams is guest editor of a Women's Issue of Liberian online journal Sea Breeze. Check it out for a wide selection of non-fiction and fiction, poetry and art, perhaps starting off with the editor's letter, including (among...
Dire Dyer and the Zoo advice column
by Jess McCabe // 11 May 2010, 08:35
The Danny Dyer advice column controversy is still ongoing, as Dyer and Zoo Magazine are squabbling over who can distance themselves fastest from an 'Ask Danny' segment which saw Dyer advise 'jokingly' that a reader should "cut your ex's face,...
Agnès Varda retrospective, course on history of French women filmmakers
by Jess McCabe // 9 May 2010, 09:52
The British Film Institute is putting on a retrospective of films by French director Agnès Varda. Also there's a short course Varda and her Sisters, about women filmmakers in France: Four two-hour sessions will take participants on a journey from...
Arts 4 Human Rights - displacement
by Jess McCabe // 8 May 2010, 19:16
A free arts festival starts today in south London, with art, film, performance, workshops and talks on the theme of displacement (including an installation by Monica Alcazar). More info on the Arts for Human Rights website....
Women's representation inches up - early estimate
by Jess McCabe // 7 May 2010, 14:44
The number of women MPs has edged up, and women are likely to make up about 21.5% of the Commons, from 19.5% before the election, according to the Centre for Women and Democracy, and the Fawcett Society. From their press...
Quick hit: election
by Jess McCabe // 7 May 2010, 10:50
Women's Views on News has running commentary on the implications of the election result for women's representation, and the Women's Resource Centre is already calling for all the parties to show their feminist credentials and not leave women's services "hanging"...
Election quick hit: check up on candidates in your constituency with Fawcett
by Jess McCabe // 6 May 2010, 10:28
The Fawcett Society asked prospective parliamentary candidates from up and down the country these three questions. Would they: 1. Support local and national action to tackle the gender pay gap? (yes/no) 2. Increase support services for women victims of rape...
An alternative anti-rape ad campaign...?
by Jess McCabe // 5 May 2010, 09:11
A while back in comments, the notion of a feminist bus ad campaign, as an antidote to some victim-blaming 'anti-rape' ads by TfL. Sian of Sian and Crooked Rib has posted her ideas following up on this on her blog:...
New feature: What happens when you don’t like what the doctor orders?
by Jess McCabe // 1 May 2010, 15:25
Bryony Long talks through how she resisted the dubious directions of a doctor in A&E I recently had an adverse reaction to some antibiotics I was prescribed, which resulted in my throat swelling up and a burning sensation down my...
Sounds and Silents
by Jess McCabe // 30 April 2010, 16:37
See classic silent films accompanied with "contemporary and experimental" live music at the latest Birds Eye View programme in London, Sounds and Silents. There's also a chance to attend a panel discussion on the gender gap in the music...
Stop Rape Now
by Jess McCabe // 30 April 2010, 10:15
In a symbolic gesture that sexual violence is unacceptable, UN is calling on people world-over to upload photos, with arms crossed, to its Stop Rape Now map. The UN campaign is particularly focused on conflict-related rape: United Nations Action...
Women Speak Out
by Jess McCabe // 29 April 2010, 23:18
Two feminists are travelling up and down England, to meet women and discuss what issues affect them. Michelle (an F-Word contributor) and Jessica are inspired by the Girldrive project, which saw Nona Willis Aronowitz and Emma Bee Bernstein roadtrip across...
Quick shout out to Women's Web, and other news
by Jess McCabe // 29 April 2010, 22:46
Feminist blogger Aparna V. Singh from Apu's World has launched a magazine aimed at Indian women, Women's Web. This recent feature about the challenging facing Indian women who relocate overseas because of their spouse's job includes this quote from an...
Feminist economics: Harman commits to publish impact of future budgets on women
by Jess McCabe // 28 April 2010, 20:12
UPDATE: Fawcett have posted a podcast of the full hustings event. Harriet Harman has committed future Labour governments to publish information on how the Budget will affect women. At Fawcett's hustings this week with the most senior woman from the...
Campaign against Tory plans for marriage tax break heats up
by Jess McCabe // 28 April 2010, 12:00
Don't Judge My Family is campaigning against Tory plans for a marriage tax break. By profiling families which would be rejected by the Tory party as ineligible for their £5 a week tax break - and which ones would get...
New feature: The case for all-women shortlists
by Jess McCabe // 26 April 2010, 10:26
Whatever the verdict of the General Election, women’s representation in the Commons will inch forward at best. Ros Ball argues that all parties must adopt all-women shortlists Who would have thought in the 21st century that having a pleasant wife...
New feature: Women of the punk era
by Jess McCabe // 26 April 2010, 09:19
Cazz Blase interviews women of British 1970s punk on the music - and the politics, in part three of her series Gina Birch was on an art foundation course in Nottingham when she first encountered what would become known as...
Women under-represented, reading the Orange shortlist
by Jess McCabe // 23 April 2010, 10:11
Women are drastically under-represented in bookshops, galleries, theatres, lecture series, Bidisha says in The Guardian, making the case in her usual fantastic style. Events organisers, editors in broadcasting and the media, radio and TV producers, commissioners and jurors. They are...
Urgent fundraising message from Abortion Support Network
by Jess McCabe // 21 April 2010, 19:55
Abortion Support Network seeking funds to help a young teenage girl who's travel to the UK to access an abortion has been thwarted by the volcano transport chaos. (The network is a volunteer-run London group which provides women traveling from...
The Tricycle puts on mammoth Women, Power & Politics season
by Jess McCabe // 21 April 2010, 11:48
Whatever the outcome of this election, the percentage of women MPs is likely to merely inch upwards, according to the Centre for Women and Democracy. The topical Tricycle in London has commissioned 12 plays in response to the issue of...
Yarl's Wood hunger strikers sue government
by Jess McCabe // 20 April 2010, 19:10
Four women from the Yarl's Wood hunger strike have launched legal action against the Home Office, reports Women's eNews. The case is likely to be heard in March: "Over 70 women were locked for several hours in a hot, airless...
Nawal El Saadawi interviewed
by Jess McCabe // 19 April 2010, 20:03
Egyptian radical feminist Nawal El Saadawi was interviewed by the Guardian last week. I've only read Memoirs from the Women's Prison, which charts her 1981 imprisonment for 'crimes against the State'. So I am probably coming at her all backwards,...
Theatre as a tool for survivors of sexual assault and rape?
by Jess McCabe // 19 April 2010, 10:48
A theatre company in Norwich has launched to work "with and for" survivors of sexual assault and rape, and their friends and families. The Theatre Empowerment Company has an under-construction website, which says its main aims are: To engage with...
Ruined, Almeida Theatre, London
by Jess McCabe // 17 April 2010, 11:27
If you're able to go and see Ruined, do. On until 5 June at the Almeida Theatre in London: A small mining town deep in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Mama Nadi’s bar her rules apply. No arguments, no...
March comments on features and reviews, up now!
by Jess McCabe // 15 April 2010, 11:53
Comments on features and reviews for March are up now and ready for your delectation. Lots of responses poured in this month to S's piece on vulvar vestibulitis. Me and Charlotte's review of the Women documentaries also drew a fair...
G(irls)20
by Jess McCabe // 14 April 2010, 11:07
One young woman from each G20 country will meet in Toronto, 10 days before the G20 summit, with the aim of drawing more attention to girls' and women's interests and contributions. The girls will submit to the G20 "tangible ideas...
New review: Demystifying the ‘feminine’
by Jess McCabe // 12 April 2010, 19:46
Seven artists explore femininity and domesticity in At Home at the Rollo Gallery. Itala Attieh has more Thanks to a friend who suggested we go, I celebrated International Women's Day by seeing the At Home exhibition (23 February-23 April) at...
A mini round-up
by Jess McCabe // 8 April 2010, 19:21
On the news that Tory party leader David Cameron supports cutting the time limit on abortion, Liberal Conspiracy have posted a thorough breakdown of the numbers, and what a swing towards the Tories could do for women's abortion access in...
Could you be The F-Word's first picture researcher/editor?
by Jess McCabe // 6 April 2010, 20:35
We are in the middle of redesigning The F-Word (more exciting info on this very soon!). Images and photos are going to become a lot more important for The F-Word 'magazine' section - our features and reviews. At the moment,...
Angry women in rock?
by Jess McCabe // 29 March 2010, 05:57
I'm not totally convinced by the premise of this Guardian feature - that women in rock are less angry (implicitly about sexism) than they once were. Nonetheless, Jude Rogers has interviewed some really interesting people, including Joan Jett, Kristin Hersh...
February comments on features and reviews - up now!
by Jess McCabe // 24 March 2010, 00:08
Comments on features and reviews from February are up now and ready to read. Huge thanks as usual to Helen G for her assistance coding the features and review comment. Lots of discussion this month of Helen's piece on feminism...
New feature: In conversation with Senzeni Marasela
by Jess McCabe // 17 March 2010, 23:09
Last year Senzeni Marasela created an art installation called Jonga: the Museum of Women, Dolls & Memories, in a shop-front in Huntly, Scotland. Here Marasela talks to Claudia Zeiske about Barbie and the ways that beauty standards and pressures impose...
New review: Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the Twentieth Century
by Jess McCabe // 17 March 2010, 19:06
Jess McCabe reviews Justine Larbalestier’s collection of 11 stories and accessible essays, which provide an engaging introduction to feminist scifi Curious about feminist science fiction, but don't know where to begin reading? Daughters of Earth: Feminist Science Fiction in the...
Round-up!
by Jess McCabe // 17 March 2010, 16:54
The Yarl's Wood hunger strike has been suspended. The women hunger-strikers say: The suspension will last for three weeks until something is done to all the issues that had been raised. Our position will be reviewed on suspension of the...
New feature: Writing women back into punk
by Jess McCabe // 15 March 2010, 10:01
In the second installment of her series, Cazz Blase looks at how punk was covered by the music and feminist presses, the work of female journalists, and how women punks came to be largely written out of the history books...
New feature: Painful vagina? Your poor husband!
by Jess McCabe // 14 March 2010, 12:34
S’s experience with vulvar vestibulitis - which makes penetrative sex painful - highlighted the phallocentric medical establishment and limited definitions of sex For almost 10 years I have suffered from a form of vulvodynia (vulval pain) known as vulvar vestibulitis,...
Samira Ahmed, behind the scenes with C4 news
by Jess McCabe // 14 March 2010, 10:40
Subtext Magazine has posted an enlightening piece by Samira Ahmed from Channel 4 news, which looks at how international news is reported. Among other things, she talks about reporting on 'corrective' rapes in South Africa: There is a challenge there...
Hidden Herstories: Women of Change, see it for free!
by Jess McCabe // 13 March 2010, 19:53
Hidden Herstories: Women of Change is a documentary which tells the stories of four influential women (Octavia Hill, Amy Ashwood Garvey, Claudia Jones and Jayaben Desai) who haven't had their rightful place in the history books. It was made...
New feature: Adventures in self-publishing
by Jess McCabe // 12 March 2010, 10:31
Can print-on-demand and self publishing help feminists today continue the legacy of the suffragettes & the women’s liberation movement? Deborah Withers considers the potential I have recently set up a publishing and information initiative, HammerOn Press, to publish my book,...
UN climate finance panel a boys' club
by Jess McCabe // 11 March 2010, 19:18
UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon has announced a key panel of 19 people, expected to mobilise $100 billion a year until 2020 to support the poorest nations affected by climate change. The panel is entirely made up of men. GenderCC,...
Welcome to our latest guest bloggers... Josephine and Piyali
by Jess McCabe // 10 March 2010, 16:54
A warm welcome to our latest guest bloggers this month! Josephine Tsui works in women's rights and international development. As a graduate from the University of Calgary and the School of Oriental and African Studies, her research has focused on...
Three rape crisis centres to open in London this year!
by Jess McCabe // 8 March 2010, 12:08
London mayor Boris Johnson will keep his promise and open three rape crisis centres in London this year! In a press release today the mayor announced: Islington and Westminster councils have taken the lead to deliver new Rape Crisis services...
New review: Women
by Jess McCabe // 8 March 2010, 10:06
This three-part BBC documentary has many interesting moments, say Charlotte Cooper and Jess McCabe. However, the series fails to adequately represent women of colour’s involvement in feminism and conceives of the family through a heteronormative lens Vanessa Engle’s three-part documentary...
Million Women Rise 2010
by Jess McCabe // 7 March 2010, 22:48
Eight thousand* women marched through central London yesterday for Million Women Rise, to demand an end to the "continued daily, hourly, minute-by-minute individual and institutionalised male violence enacted against women worldwide". The third Million Women Rise was just as...
The F-Word Blog Charter
by Jess McCabe // 5 March 2010, 22:04
The way we work over in the blog part of The F-Word has been changing. For some time now, we (the regular bloggers here) have behind the scenes been running the blog section of the site as a collective. Following...
January feature, review comments - up now!
by Jess McCabe // 2 March 2010, 11:41
Our comments round-up for your feedback on January features and reviews is up now, ready for your perusal. Massive thanks once again to Helen G for compiling and coding all the comments; and like last month, the delay in...
New review: The Equality Illusion
by Jess McCabe // 27 February 2010, 17:28
Do you think feminism’s job is done? Kat Banyard’s book will remove your rose-tinted glasses, says Jess McCabe The Equality Illusion, subtitled The Truth About Women & Men Today, aims to blow away the myth that feminism's work is over,...
40 years of women's liberation
by Jess McCabe // 26 February 2010, 22:13
It's 40 years since the first women's liberation conference at Ruskin College in Oxford, a significant event in the history of UK feminism. Next month the College is organising another conference to acknowledge the anniversary (more details here). Today the...
New review: Lighting a fire
by Jess McCabe // 22 February 2010, 22:57
Christiane Inmann’s history of women’s reading and writing is a delicious read, says Jessica Gjergji As all forbidden fruit should be, Christiane Inmann's cross-cultural history of women's role as readers and writers is mouthwateringly tempting from the moment you open...
New review: Hello Kitty Must Die
by Jess McCabe // 21 February 2010, 11:21
The protagonist of Angela S. Choi’s comic debut novel channels the anger of every woman who has been belittled or demeaned, says Kaite Welsh "I hate Hello Kitty. "I hate her for not having a mouth or fangs like a...
Kathleen Hanna interviewed
by Jess McCabe // 19 February 2010, 13:32
Former riot grrrl Kathleen Hanna is suddenly everywhere again (and very welcome she is too!) Her band Bikini Kill started an archive of stories about what their shows were like, and Hanna has donated her riot grrl archive and correspondence...
A Place of Rage: coming out on DVD
by Jess McCabe // 19 February 2010, 13:21
A Place of Rage - Trailer from Kali Films on Vimeo. Pratibha Parmar's documentary A Place of Rage is coming out on DVD: A Place of Rage is an exuberant award-winning documentary film by filmmaker Pratibha Parmar. A celebration of...
Bristol Feminist Network Reclaim the Night
by Jess McCabe // 18 February 2010, 11:32
Bristol is to host another Reclaim the Night march on: 26 February 2010, 5pm, College Green The march will start at 5pm at College Green with a vigil of remembrance, then at 6pm the march through Bristol will start. It...
The case of the decimal place: teenage pregnancy
by Jess McCabe // 15 February 2010, 18:45
The Tories published a report meant to highlight inequalities under Labour, which accidentally overstated the rate of teenage pregnancy among girls in deprived areas by a factor of 10, reports The Guardian. The actual rate of teen pregnancy is 54.32...
More depressing evidence of rape victim blaming
by Jess McCabe // 15 February 2010, 17:12
A survey of just over 1,000 Londoners found depressingly high levels of victim-blaming. The BBC reports that more than half of those surveyed said they believed "there were some circumstances when a rape victim should accept responsibility for an...
Help design the Ladyfest 10 logo
by Jess McCabe // 14 February 2010, 13:55
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Ladyfest. A celebration is in the works for later this year in London, but the organisers of Ladyfest Ten are searching for someone to design a logo for them: Preparations for Ladyfest Ten...
Goldsmiths Ladyfest
by Jess McCabe // 11 February 2010, 23:15
Goldsmiths' student union (in London) is holding another Ladyfest! I don't have very many details I'm afraid, just this flyer - click below to see full-scale version, which I found via Obesity Timebomb. It's taking place over 22-26 February. UPDATE:...
Protest in support of Yarl's Wood hunger strikers TOMORROW, London
by Jess McCabe // 11 February 2010, 12:47
A protest in solidarity with the Yarl's Wood hunger strike is taking place tomorrow afternoon in London. It's happening between 2.30pm and 4.30pm, tomorrow, Friday 12 February, at: Serco Offices, 18-20 Hand Court (off High Holborn) (Serco is the private...
Talk at Tate Britain: Grace Ndiritu, Questions from the past
by Jess McCabe // 11 February 2010, 11:24
Grace Ndiritu is doing a talk on 12 March at the Tate Britain: Artist Grace Ndiritu works at the intersection of film and performance. This talk uses performance video art using the female body from her Still Life and Responsible...
Fawcett
by Jess McCabe // 11 February 2010, 10:46
The Fawcett Society are hiring, and asked us to post this: Organisation - Fawcett Society Job title - Head of Policy and Campaigns Closing Date - 5pm on Friday 26th February 2010 How to apply - go to our website...
Another round-up
by Jess McCabe // 9 February 2010, 13:37
Bikini Kill are collecting stories for their archive. The former riot grrrls ask: Please add your Bikini Kill story to this blog! It can be totally off the top of your head and doesn’t need to be fancy. Maybe it’s...
Report from the Yarl's Wood hunger strike
by Jess McCabe // 8 February 2010, 16:54
The shocking situation for women at the Yarl's Wood detention centre continues. More than 50 women are on hunger strike, and today the Black Women's Rape Action Project sent out this report that some women have been beaten, and some...
New review - Girldrive: Criss-Crossing America, Redefining Feminism
by Jess McCabe // 5 February 2010, 15:41
Nona Willis Aronowitz and Emma Bee Bernstein’s book reclaims the road trip and tells a story about what young women across the US think about feminism and the issues facing them as women, says LonerGrrrl When young feminist writer Nona...
New review: The Fossil Hunter
by Jess McCabe // 4 February 2010, 22:29
Kaite Welsh reviews a fictionalised biography of early paleontologist Mary Anning The Fossil Hunter, journalist Shelley Emling's first book, is a fictionalised biography of Mary Anning, a woman whose fossil discoveries helped found paleontology and - although she didn't know...
New feature: Bring the herstory of riot grrrl back into the present
by Jess McCabe // 4 February 2010, 20:45
What has happened to the legacy of riot grrrl? asks Heather McIntosh The feminist-punk movement which was riot grrrl was hugely inspiring for me, and countless other girls and women. Riot grrrl created a platform – but what impact has...
New review: Living Dolls: The Return of Sexism
by Jess McCabe // 3 February 2010, 20:10
Natasha Walter’s latest book reflects her change of heart since The New Feminism, but Melanie Newman argues the result is a mixed bag In 1998, Natasha Walter said young women were fed up with being made to feel guilty for...
Comments on features and reviews from December 2009, up now!
by Jess McCabe // 2 February 2010, 19:20
Comments on features and reviews from December 2009 are up and ready to read! Props to Helen G for once again coding and sorting out the comments; the delay this month is all mine, as she was done with...
'Female arts collective' launches; Fat Quarter goes from online to print
by Jess McCabe // 2 February 2010, 13:36
Self-professed women-friendly blog/magazine Fat Quarter is launching its first print issue this month with a party in Mile End, London, promising poetry, rock and roll, cupcakes and zines. And, on the same night, Storm in a Teacup will launch: STORM...
Welcome to Jolene and Joanna, guest bloggers for February
by Jess McCabe // 1 February 2010, 21:58
February is here, and that means we sadly need to say goodbye to our fantastic guest bloggers for January, Syma and Grace. But it also means a massive welcome to our two new guest bloggers for February, Jolene Tan and...
Birds Eye View programme out now
by Jess McCabe // 1 February 2010, 17:08
Birds Eye View has posted its full programme for its next film festival, running from 4-12 March at London's ICA and BFI. Tickets go on sale 10 February. The festival closes with Whip It! - Drew Barrymore's directoral debut, a...
New feature: Feminism and fat
by Jess McCabe // 31 January 2010, 20:10
Susie Orbach’s classic Fat is a Feminist Issue became suddenly relevant to Helen Dring in the aftermath of a car accident which caused her to lose weight When I first read Susie Orbach's Fat is a Feminist Issue, I felt...
It's a Friday roundup!
by Jess McCabe // 29 January 2010, 18:30
Some diet and beauty ads will be banned on Spanish TV before a 10pm watershed, under proposals going through the country's legislature. Via Mi blog es tu blog. French gynaecologists have dismissed claims that the G-Spot doesn't exist. Pierre Foldès...
Want to help with revisions to Our Bodies, Ourselves?
by Jess McCabe // 29 January 2010, 17:23
The seminal women's health and sexuality book, Our Bodies, Ourselves, is going to be updated and re-released next year. As part of the revisions, they've asked us to publish this call for participants: Our Bodies Ourselves is seeking up to...
New feature: The professional masquerade
by Jess McCabe // 28 January 2010, 16:07
Women working in corporate finance are expected to adhere to sexist and objectifying dress codes, says Amica Lane "Womanliness therefore could be assumed and worn as a mask, both to hide the possession of masculinity and to avert the reprisals...
Women's Support Project in funding crisis
by Jess McCabe // 27 January 2010, 15:08
The Women's Support Project in Glasgow has had its funding slashed by Glasgow City Council, and is now searching for alternative funding. A reader sent in this statement: The Women’s Support Project’s core funding has been affected by local authority...
Quick hit: World's Wife
by Jess McCabe // 26 January 2010, 14:26
An adaptation of Carol Ann Duffy's collection of poems told from the perspective of the wives of famous men in mythology is currently on at Trafalgar Studios in London. From the Guardian review: What Linda Marlowe does in performing these...
Feminist language in France
by Jess McCabe // 25 January 2010, 16:04
The use of Ms as an honorific free of implications about women's marital status is pretty well established. But Francophone women don't have an equivalent. Over at Comment is Free today, Jessica Reed looks at the options, and concludes there's...
New feature: In our satin tights, fighting for our rights! But are women really natural campaigners?
by Jess McCabe // 25 January 2010, 11:21
Stereotypes about women drawn to campaigning because they are natural nurturers do more harm than good, argues Mhairi Guild We're a nurturing, caring bunch, aren't we, ladies? Not like those mean, power-obsessed, emotionally illiterate menfolk. Things would be different if...
Feminist action, Haiti
by Jess McCabe // 21 January 2010, 11:19
The Association for Women's Rights in Development is collecting together information on the crisis in Haiti, where you can read about the historical context, the gendered impact of the current disaster, and gather ideas on how to show your solidarity....
Interviewing men who buy sex
by Jess McCabe // 17 January 2010, 20:24
Just over 100 London men who buy sex from prostitutes/sex workers have been interviewed, as part of an international study the Guardian reports. You can also read the full report here. I've started, but not finished reading the London report...
Racism, reproductive (in)justice in Israel
by Jess McCabe // 15 January 2010, 11:57
Health clinics in Israel appear to be pushing a long-term and risky contraceptive on Ethiopian women in what feminist groups have called out as a fundamentally racist policy. The National reports that the research, carried out by Haifa-based feminist group...
Staying
by Jess McCabe // 14 January 2010, 20:42
House: How is life treating you living in Brixton, compared with your home country in Africa? Bin: I am not living yet. H: What do you mean? Bin: I am not living yet in Brixton, I am staying in...
Haiti earthquake, if you want to donate
by Jess McCabe // 13 January 2010, 15:50
Haiti has been hit by a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake, and thousands of people may be dead. This is just a quick post to note Liberal Conspiracy has a list of disaster relief charities working in Haiti. To add to...
Spanish government calls for Europe-wide restraining orders to tackle domestic violence
by Jess McCabe // 10 January 2010, 13:18
Spain has kicked off its six-month presidency of the EU calling for an EU-wide restraining order to be developed, to protect (overwhelmingly female) victims of domestic violence across borders, reports the Guardian. Announcing the plan, Spain's interior minister, Alfredo Rubalcaba,...
Selling cars with sexism
by Jess McCabe // 9 January 2010, 21:40
Bologna Motor Show: cars are like toys, women are like toys too! Particularly unsubtle use of objectification of women as a sales tactic: Via AdsoftheWorld.com...
Feminist year ahead...
by Jess McCabe // 8 January 2010, 10:27
The Guardian has briefly rounded up the feminist year ahead today, touching on Million Women Rise, the first Reclaim the Nights of the year, as well as films of interest to feminists. They also profile some of the books coming...
The Body Image Project
by Jess McCabe // 7 January 2010, 23:41
As a brief follow-on from Pippa's post on resolving not to resolve to pursue thinness, The Body Image Project looks like a good resource. The US site posts videos of people - most women - talking about positive body image...
How the gender binary is fractal - 'girly' blue
by Jess McCabe // 7 January 2010, 20:23
We're familiar with gender as a binary: under this system blue is coded as for boys, pink is for girls, and so on. But sometimes it does get more complicated. Using the gendering of colour as an example, lisa at...
Monday night round-up
by Jess McCabe // 4 January 2010, 21:20
Life and Times of an Indian Homemaker posts that a former police director general SPS Rathore has been sentenced to six months in prison and a fine, after being found guilty of molesting Ruchika, then aged 14, 19 years ago....
Founder of The F-Word, Catherine Redfern, has co-authored a new book with Kristin Aune. Find out more at the 
