31 December 2007

Anti-Rape Campaigns

Today has been the day of visual anti-rape campaign posters for some reason. We don’t tend to do this much in the UK which is a shame. Lets start here with a poster from Germany. The tag-line reads “More than… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 31 December 2007

18 December 2007

Tad Safran does it again…..

Further to his article on British Women being ugly and smelly (see here for the F Word’s take on it) Tad Safran has written a defence of his position. It goes along the lines of “I’m a man, I have… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 18 December 2007

17 December 2007

Wanna make feminism No1 in the Charts?

The organisation Tender has come up with a novel new way of making domestic violence a national issue. They are releasing a single in January and aim to top the charts with it. The single, “Let It Be Mine”, by… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 17 December 2007

11 December 2007

Belle du Jour? Here's the real story

Belle du Jour has been commissioned for a second series. But this isn’t a review of it. This is about the reality of prostitution in the UK. The Guardian has a piece on the realities of prostition for the (now… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 11 December 2007

10 December 2007

Warning - this is strong stuff

Video from the Helen Bamber Foundation on the impacts of trafficking - Trafficking is Torture… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 10 December 2007

Is Feminism Dead? Can't we put this one to bed too?

There is yet another defence of feminisms continuing existence in the New Statesman. Written by Courtney Martin, author of Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters: The Frightening New Normality of Hating Your Body. The most exciting thing about feminism, is that it… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 10 December 2007

Rape sentencing - a global issue

It’s not just the UK which suffers embarrassing judicial responses to rape trials. Now Australia has also had the same problem as a judge failed to imprison a group of men who gangraped a ten year old claiming the girl… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 10 December 2007

5 November 2007

And talking of new media and sexual assault…..

Viewers of Big Brother in Africa have been complaining about what appeared to be a rape shown live on the show. After a protracted drinking session Nigerian medical assistant Ofunneka Molokwu appeared to pass out at which point Richard Benzuidenhout… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 5 November 2007

Internet Reduces Rape?

Over at ifeminists.com is this short news item: Commentary and Opinion: Porn a catalyst of sexual violence? No No one would say the current level of violence against women is acceptable. But the enormous progress in recent years is one… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 5 November 2007

Female Artists - blog post of interest

Over at The Daily (Maybe) there is a post about the perceived absence of female artists and why that might be…. Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 5 November 2007

24 October 2007

Moaning Lisa - or how computer programmers conceive of female sexuality….

She looked at me with her motion detectors as I rubbed the piezoelectric sensor between her thighs. Then I spun the potentiometers that jutted out from her chest like nipples. But it wasn’t until I stroked the piezosensor on the… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 24 October 2007

UN says "Please stop raping women"

Now don’t get me wrong, the UN does amazing and important work. But I am not sure the way to prevent women’s and girl’s bodies being used as tools of war through rape and sexual assault is to ask nicely…. Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 24 October 2007

17 October 2007

Continuing the Abortion Thread

A survey released by Marie Stopes has revealed that just over half (52%) of G.P.s believe women should be able to access abortion with the agreement of one doctor (rather than the current two) until 14 weeks of pregnancy. Whilst… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 17 October 2007

15 October 2007

Sometimes the logic escapes me…

Apparently feminism is responsible for the deaths of 90 patients in NHS hospitals in Kent. Well according to Melanie Phillips anyway. Now just be prepared for this because you have to use some creativity to get there…. Apparently feminism was… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 15 October 2007

13 October 2007

Adding insult to, well, insult….

The High Court, after urging from the Attorney General, have increased the sentences of two men who (separately) raped young girls. Yes, a victory you think, except that they sentences were doubled from 2 to 4 years. One of the… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 13 October 2007

And apparently the Fourth Wave is….

A return to the pre-feminist ideas of modesty and feminine charms. According to writer Wendy Shalit in her new book Girls Gone Mild: Young Women Reclaim Self-Respect and Find It’s Not Bad to Be Good she argues that the sexual… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 13 October 2007

Playboy's insidious creep….

Cath Elliot has written a Comment is Free piece for the Guardian on Playboy’s intent to sexualise children. And they aren’t alone - Cardiff Council is providing pole dancing classes for children 11 years and upwards (willfully ignoring, one has… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 13 October 2007

5 October 2007

Meet Joe Francis….

Although I guess most of us would rather not. Joe Francis is the man who runs Girls Gone Wild. He’s been hit with a lawsuit by two young women who took part in sexual activity on camera for unlawful… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 5 October 2007

2 October 2007

Congrats to the F Word!

Two congrat mentions to us! (Self congratulatory mode in full swing). Firstly, the new Carnival of Sexual Violence is up here Abyss2Hope and The F Word gets a special mention for Samara’s article I didn’t ask for it. And Jess… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 2 October 2007

1 October 2007

Feminism caused by enviromental factors?

OK, I apologise, it’s such an easy target, but bloggers elsewhere have been arguing that feminism may be caused by plastic production globally! Mrs Elliott seems to truly believe that “hormones from the pill and hormones from our insatiable appetite… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 1 October 2007

28 September 2007

Cartoon on Internet Women

As a little light-hearted, Friday-frivolity go to the xkcd.com comic for today - and then wish it were true……. Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 28 September 2007

27 September 2007

Trafalger Square Installation on Trafficking

From 22nd to 30th September Trafalger Square is home to a photographic installation about the realities of trafficking. For those who can’t make it the website has preview materials…. Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 27 September 2007

Discussion of men as feminists

Apparently this old chestnut is raging around the blog-o-sphere so I thought I’d refer to this article which has a pretty good inventory of the recent posts and debates. Especially as the conclusion is a very reasonable: To that end,… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 27 September 2007

Apparently wanting justice for rape victims is a failing of feminism…

Hot on the heels of the government dropping plans to allow expert witnesses to appear in rape trials to discuss the aftermath of attacks on women (and y’know why women might appear unaffected, why they might not tell people, why… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 27 September 2007

25 September 2007

Men Taking Responsibility for Men's Violence Against Women

Sometimes you read something which makes the vision of the future of the species just a little less pessimistic. Today that was the work by Ben Atherton-Zeman in his one-man show Voice of Men. The show, which is a pastiche… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 25 September 2007

New Book on Porn Culture

Robert Jensen has written a new book called “Getting Off” critiquing the porn culture and in particular “gonzo” porn and new forms of extreme porn which are becoming mainstreamed. There is a very cogent article on it here…. Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 25 September 2007

Women Doctors Face Glass Ceiling - News Flash

The Scotsman reports today on research published in the Journal of Medical Education which shows that women doctors seeking the top of their profession (academic research) are still facing workforce practices detrimental to their careers. Despite women now being the… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 25 September 2007

20 September 2007

Tory MP arrested for assault on wife, Party refuses to comment

Conservative MP for Croydon Central, Andrew Pelling (48), was arrested on Tuesday during an investigation into an assault on his wife, Lucy (26). That the House of Commons would shelter domestically violent people isn’t really a surprise. . Mr… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 20 September 2007

19 September 2007

Women blamed for being ambitious

Today’s Daily Telegraph carries the headline that Childless women ‘hostile to working mums’. Based on a survey of 1,500 mothers childless women are being described as “unsympathetic” to those who have children. But, as with all our research expose’s -… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 19 September 2007

Want Power and Respect - forget it….

There has been a sad spate of misogyny over the last week. In particular a spate of forgetting that women’s career achievements should be remembered above their marital status. Let’s start with this morning’s Radio 4 shall we. Where Chief… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 19 September 2007

10 September 2007

Government May Move to Criminalise the Purchase of Sex

According to the Guardian, the government are considering criminalising the buying of sex following concern about the international trafficking in women. Currently it is not a crime to sell or buy sex but is a crime to solicit for custom…. Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 10 September 2007

Women like gadgets, dislike electronics shops.

Amazing new findings from Saatchi and Saatchi are that women do like electronic and gadgets but dislike the rampant laddism and butch heterosexuality of electronics shops. It’s apparently news that women don’t spend money in shops where they are treated… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 10 September 2007

Is this real?

OK so it may be a wind-up, but if so someone took a lot of time over this… Imagine a website where parents can “list” their teenager daughters for marriage based on the biblical notions of “bride-price” and arranged marriages…. Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 10 September 2007

7 September 2007

Carnivals Up

There are new Carnival’s up at these pages: Carnival of Radical Feminism Carnival Against Sexual Violence is up here. With special mention to the two F Word blog posts that get a mention which are this one on sexual violence… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 7 September 2007

30 August 2007

Amnesty reports on Hungary

I think the problem with sexual violence in Hungary can be summed up by this quote from the report: “At least 85% of them are whores: but they do not manage to come to an agreement. They are prostitutes: overtly… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 30 August 2007

29 August 2007

Feminism declared dead, again

Feminism has more lives than an average herd of very lucky cats, it’s seems. It’s been declared dead again by Magnus Linklater (see picture to right which I’ve captioned “Would you take feminist history 101 from this man?”) in… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 29 August 2007

Cosmo renames rape - as not rape

If anyone needed further proof that women’s glossy magazines are part of the problem see Cosmo’s renaming of “date rape” (a problematic enough term because people presume meanings not meant by the term) to “grey rape”. Yes that’s right, get… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 29 August 2007

27 August 2007

More on "Girl Power"

Following on from this discussion of the Spice Girls, the Halifax News (in Canada, not UK) has an interesting article on the “Perversion of Girl Power”. Including this: “The Spice Girls and that whole era of MTV feminism … really… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 27 August 2007

25 August 2007

Women are apparently not allowed to have women's bodies

After the coverage of Jacqui Smith’s cleavage and Hilary Clinton’s cleavage we now have the case of Emily Maitlis’s legs. Newsreader extraordinaire has been criticised for wearing a skirt which was so unedifyingly short (i.e. knee length) it might… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 25 August 2007

Sexual Violence in Congo at epidemic propotions

Sexual violence against women in the southern province of South-Kivu (number 7 on the map) has reached epidemic proportions according to reports by the local commission on sexual violence. Between January and June 2007 some 5,470 cases of sexual… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 25 August 2007

More improbably research "results"

According to the Telegraph and a research team from University of California, Santa Barbara and Yale University, women have a “homing” instinct for food. “Today, a scientific study says that over many thousands of years evolution has designed women to… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 25 August 2007

23 August 2007

"Girl Power" - yay or nay?

It’s ten years since the Spice Girls stormed the charts and stole the phrase “Girl Power” from the band Shampoo. And some people are fating this as a cultural landslide… Sex expert Tracey Cox says: ‘Girl Power didn’t just leave… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 23 August 2007

African-American Lesbians in NYC…

West Village has always been thought of as synonymous with LGBT freedom. Not anymore. On August 18th 2006 a group of seven young African-American lesbian-identified women travelled to West Village from Newark for a night out. Outside an independent cinema,… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 23 August 2007

22 August 2007

In answer to the question…..

Are there any women music bloggers out there…? Blogher.org has prepared this response confirming the existence of this apparently rare breed…. Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 22 August 2007

Evidence from Darfur confirms widespread use of sexual violence against women

The UN has released detailed reports of new crimes against Darfur women by soldiers and the government sponsored Janjaweed militia. The report also accuses the Sudanese government of failing to investigate these crimes and protect it’s population. “The abuses may… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 22 August 2007

21 August 2007

Sexual Assault is second most common injury for Jamaican Women

And 70% of rape victims in Jamaica are under the age of consent. Amnesty International has published a new report on sexual violence against women and children in Jamaica. “Just a Little Sex” is the result of research concluded in… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 21 August 2007

Women prefer pink - it's apparently genetic…. (Additional)

As flagged in a previous post theres much nonsense being spread about “genetic” liking of different colours by men and woman. On the basis of showing 208 participants 1,000 coloured squares either on a computer screen or flashcards (Reuters and… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 21 August 2007

20 August 2007

BA(Hons) Homemaking - teaching women's inferiority since 1910

Before I start, yes it’s at a private university in the US. However, as the radical and/or religious right get more air-time over here, then let’s see what’s on offer. Southwestern Bapist Theological Seminary in Texas (not to be… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 20 August 2007

Flagging up….

this excellent article on Women’s Health News on how anti-abortion groups “spin” research findings…. Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 20 August 2007

17 August 2007

Racism against indigenous peoples - alive and well

We all know that to be a woman is hard, to be a woman on minority ethnic descent harder. Spare a thought for Rigoberta Menchú, Nobel Peace Prize winner, UNESCO ambassador, Guatamalan Presidential Candidate, women’s and indigenous people’s rights… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 17 August 2007

18 July 2007

Stop giving them the oxygen of publicity!

At the height of the IRA troubles you weren’t allowed to interview a suspected IRA member - they had to use actors reading transcripts. It was known as refusing to give them the “oxygen of publicity”. Can’t we now advocate… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 18 July 2007

17 July 2007

Are Lad Mag's Porn?

Subvertising reaches new heights with the adaptation of lads mags cover reversing the gender roles. So are they porn? More here… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 17 July 2007

14 July 2007

Interview with Michele Roberts

The Guardian has interviewed feminist writer Michele Roberts here…. Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 14 July 2007

11 July 2007

Two bits of UK news

Under 16s are to be banned from modelling during London Fashion Week and Baroness Kingsmill, who is heading up the enquiry into practices in the modelling world has admitted that “There was strongly expressed concern that it is profoundly inappropriate… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 11 July 2007

Report on Prison and Women - Mixed Feelings

Loraine Gelsthorpe, Gilly Sharpe and Jenny Roberts have published a report saying that community sentences for women should be tailor-made to keep them out of jail. Writing the report on behalf of the Fawcett Society it is argued that:… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 11 July 2007

Jane Magazine Closes

Sad news, the US feminist publication Jane has ceased printing. More on this here…. Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 11 July 2007

African Leaders Call for Safe Abortion

Representatives of the governments of ten african nations have called for legalisation of safe abortion in their countries and across Africa. They are, of course, partially hand-tied by the President Bush’s withholding of any funding to charities which promote or… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 11 July 2007

New anti-pornography blog

Anti-Pornography Activists (or those wanting to do sometime on this) should check out this new blog - 101 Things to Do to Combat Pornography. A random selection of suggestions include: 23. Write your government representatives and elected officials, (mayor, members… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 11 July 2007

9 July 2007

Sex Discrimination is alive and kicking….

You know how we got the Sex Discrimination Act and the Equal Pay at Work Act and now the Gender Equality Duty? Well apparently it doesn’t mean much because (and this is a word of warning to the wise) it’s… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 9 July 2007

8 July 2007

Deborah Siegel Podcast

MojoMom has interviewed Deborah Siegel, author of Sisterhood Interrupted: From Radical Women to Girls Gone Wild for her podcast series - listen here…. Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 8 July 2007

Young Women and Pay Discrimination

It was often argued, after the Equal Pay Act, that as women entered the workforce in larger numbers pay discrimination would decline. It wasn’t true which is why Yvonne Roberts’ response to Zoe Williams’ article on collective action is a… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 8 July 2007

4 July 2007

Left-Wingers Dislike Thatcher Shock!

Sarah Sands has written an impassioned defence of Margaret Thatcher as a woman and a feminist. Definately of interest although her “comparisons” with Harman owe more to ideology than sincere debate…. Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 4 July 2007

28 June 2007

Australia launches Women-Only Political Party

Yesterday Brisbane saw the launch of the What Women Want Australia party which is an all-women political party. Spokeswoman and founder, Justine Caines said women needed better representation and were sick of being paid lip service on key issues (From… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 28 June 2007

26 June 2007

And whilst I'm spitting feathers….

Thanks to our eagle-eyed spotter of this new advertising campaign by Nila, catering industry company. Apparently other slogans include “corn star” (pun on “porn star”) and “just laid”. Any blog readers seeing similar adverts (for Nila or otherwise) can always… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 26 June 2007

Not sure how much I can say on this without spitting feathers….

Commentator Debbie Schlussel has interpreted the results of this study as follows: The conclusion they want you to get from this is that pro-life Congressmen are insensitive to women and don’t have contact with any.But I’d draw a different conclusion:… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 26 June 2007

Two good bits of news (because we can't say that often enough!)

From Thailand is the new that the government has now criminalized marital rape. The new crime carries a fine of 40,000 baht, or approx £625 and up to 20 years in jail. The new law also expands the definition of… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 26 June 2007

22 June 2007

Women in Computing - the debate continues

Prompted by this blog post by Tim Bray, Jeni Tennison has some interesting ideas about how we should encourage women into computer related industries. It’s worth quoting at length… First, we can shift the perception of the proportion of… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 22 June 2007

News From Africa

Two interestingly different perspectives on women in Africa today. First up, women in Uganda are suffering health impacts after sexual violence above normal levels because of additional issues of poverty and bureaucracy. When Maggie Samula [not real names] of… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 22 June 2007

21 June 2007

Israel uses women's bodies for public image boost

Welcome to Israel’s new PR campaign… In an attempt to boost their PR profile the Israeli government approached Maxim magazine to run a feature on the “hot” Israeli national conscripts shown here (actually four were included of which we show… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 21 June 2007

20 June 2007

Vilma Espin, Cuba's First Lady, Dies

Vilma Espin, wife of acting president Raul Castro, has died aged 77 after a long illness. Espin was considered Cuba’s unofficial first lady and was a key figure in advancing women’s equality in Cuba. Espin was part of the armed… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 20 June 2007

Video Games Controversy

Three video games have come under fire recently, Manhunt II (by the makers of Grand Theft Auto, Rock Star Games), Law and Order: Double or Nothing (Global Software) and Resistance: Fall of Man. The first has been banned for “sustained… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 20 June 2007

15 June 2007

Gatwick Flightpath Advertising causes controversy

This is the face of the man who sees nothing wrong in this advert visible only from a plane landing or taking off from Gatwick airport. Flightpath Media, the company who actually created the advert, are so proud of… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 15 June 2007

American Judge Rules phrases like "rape" and "sexual assault" are prejudicial to defendants

In a stunning piece of legalistic (un)reasoning, Lancaster County District Judge Jeffre Cheuvront ruled that the victim of a first degree sexual assault crime could not use the words “victim,” “assailant,” “attack,” “sexual assault kit” and “rape” when giving evidence… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 15 June 2007

Vatican calls for Catholics to Stop Supporting Amnesty International

News that the Catholic Church would rather condone (by ignoring) human rights abuses rather than support an organisation that supports women’s rights isn’t really news I guess, in the sense that the Catholic Church has a history of ignoring (or… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 15 June 2007

12 June 2007

Private Members Clubs Beware

Whilst the news coverage has been focussing on golf clubs, the review of Equality legislation has much wider implications. It will mean that mixed membership clubs cannot treat their male and female members differently. It doesn’t, sadly, force “male only”… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 12 June 2007

11 June 2007

Unmarried Partners to Gain "Divorce" rights

There are plans afoot to give cohabiting partners similar rights on relationship breakdown to married couples. The Law Commission is due to publish their recommendations soon which will include (if the rumours are true)… the ability to make claims for… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 11 June 2007

Fawcett launches new campaign

It’s twenty years since Diane Abbott was elected as the first black female MP. And twenty years on there are still only two - Diane Abbott and Dawn Butler. Fawcett are working on a campaign to gain support for… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 11 June 2007

Police using Cautions rather than charging sex offenders

“It is a slap in the face when the man is let off with merely a caution, a huge setback when you are trying to rebuild your life. Getting justice is essential to recovery after rape - cautions confirm that… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 11 June 2007

7 June 2007

Trafficking within countries - a hidden problem

Whilst most international attention focusses on women trafficked across borders there is a hidden epidemic in countries like India and Thailand of women trafficked within countries. Much of the attention on human trafficking focuses on the estimated 600,000 to 800,000… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 7 June 2007

31 May 2007

Sexual Violence - resistance and reality

In 2000 the UN released it’s Millennium Development Goals (MDG) and promised to achieve them by 2015. Now almost half way through that time there is some reviewing of the movement going on. “None of the Millennium Development Goals will… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 31 May 2007

Michelle Obama - damned if she does and damned if she doesn't

Michelle Obama, wife of presidential candidate Barrack Obama, is under scrutiny (as all potential presidential wives are) as the US works it’s way towards the next election. Here is a great analysis of why she isn’t going to have an… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 31 May 2007

Big Brother is Now "Big Sister"

And we should apparently all rejoice at this. According to The Times: Big Brother returned in the form of a giant hen party last night when producers unveiled an all-female cast in an attempt to revive the tarnished brand. The… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 31 May 2007

Livejournal Targets Sexual Violence

The freedom online to portray and promote illegal sexual activity has long been a contentious issue as has where we draw the line between promoting the illegal and allowing space for fantasy. Now internet blog site Livejournal has been drawn… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 31 May 2007

29 May 2007

Conference in Canada concludes Feminism isn't dead

Well I guess that’s a relief. More Here…. Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 29 May 2007

25 May 2007

Amnesty Internation reports sexual violence is everyday…

Amnesty’s recently published report on human rights worldwide has highlighted that sexual violence is common and everyday. Africa In Africa conflicts in central and east Africa (including Burundi, Central African Republic, Chad, Cote D’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia,… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 25 May 2007

24 May 2007

New Blog

Feminist Philosphers blog - not as daunting as it first sounds, promise…. Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 24 May 2007

Immigration Services does it again…

Last year the parts of the Immigration Service which run immigrant detention centres were told to stop separating breast-feeding mothers from their babies. The previous cases were said to: “fly in the face of a number of UN resolutions and… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 24 May 2007

EU calls for action on gender and disability

Full text of the new resolution is here…. Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 24 May 2007

22 May 2007

Anonymity in Rape Case Early Day Motion

MP Harry Cohen has introduced an Early Day Motion (1082) pressing the government to protect anonymity in rape cases. So far there are only 16 signatures from other MPs (see list below). You can use this site to lobby your… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 22 May 2007

Fashion Industry Told to Grow Up

The Model Health Inquiry has told the fashion industry that it needs to: just grow up and accept that it is a real industry and to look after the health and safety of the people who work within it From… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 22 May 2007

A strange combination - Joss Whedon on Dua Khalil

It’s a strange thing to write about a comic-book writer turned TV phenomenon writing about women’s rights. Particularly when that writer is as controversial as Joss Whedon, feted by some for portrayals of strong women characters and critiqued by others… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 22 May 2007

21 May 2007

Invisible Women

Despite the many gains in recent years in the film industry - women directors are still absent at the Cannes Film Festival. So much so that Jane Campion this year brought an allegorical film about how the film industry treats… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 21 May 2007

19 May 2007

Hotel opens women only floor

The Marriott chain are testing the idea of a women only floor in their Michigan hotel. The segregated space has improved security (yah-hay), fresh flowers (erm OK) and upgraded toiletries (yeah because that’s important), softer blankets, safes for jewelry (or… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 19 May 2007

A few wider news stories

Whilst not entirely gender focussed there are a couple of headlines of note: The Prime Minister has refused to rewrite the guidance on blood donations to stop discrimination against gay and bisexual men. Because a third to half of the… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 19 May 2007

Rape Victim should have been "grateful for the attention"

A defence barrister is today under pressure after comments made in court. Shellagh Davies said of the 16 year old gang rape victim (where the rape was videoed on the 13 year old attackers mobile phones) that because she was… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 19 May 2007

17 May 2007

You Tube Round Up

Some Feminism related clips from You Tube Which continues into this one And this one: Another Def Poetry entry here: And one on asian identity and take over (I have to admit finding this one absolutely brilliant!) Yeah OK so… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 17 May 2007

It rather speaks for itself but…

I felt this was worth reproducing over here, if only for the chuckles. With thanks to this site… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 17 May 2007

Women on the web, but absent from computing industry

Just to complete a hat-trick of geeky entries, the BBC are reporting that women outnumber men in internet use. Apparently young women (18-34 years) are now the most populous British users of the web, accounting for 18% of all… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 17 May 2007

16 May 2007

And as if Marvel hadn't been offensive enough…

Meet Marvel’s new villain, Lady Ultron. Apparently she’s a robot. And she doesn’t feel the need for clothing (or at least the artist doesn’t - perhaps he missed that lesson at art school?) OK so, she’s naked and it’s not… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 16 May 2007

15 May 2007

Comic Fans, Spiderman 3 and feminist ire

To celebrate the launch of Spiderman 3 Marvel released a series of statuettes for collectors. Including this one of Mary Jane (Peter Parker’s wife for the uninitiated). Here’s a piccie (the one on the left): From BoingBoing Needless to say… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 15 May 2007

Female Genital Mutilation

Here is a video by the UN about Female Genital Mutilation. In parts it is disturbing watching but it is very, very interesting watching. Spot lights on Sierra Leone and Ethiopia…. Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 15 May 2007

The Best Way to Beat Objectification - do it yourself…

In the rush to convince us that we are in a post-feminist era, clothing designers have decided to get in on the act. And why not - us “post-feminist” (/end irony/) women have more disposable income now because of all… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 15 May 2007

12 May 2007

Doll Face

YouTube provides interesting fodder sometimes (for anyone who hasn’t already seen it the “Fat Rant” is another example). Today’s offering was Doll Face. An interesting view on the unattainability of beauty in a media age and much kudos to the… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 12 May 2007

9 May 2007

Rights for the most marginal?

Two stories about the right to control women’s bodies make for interesting reading today. In the US the hysterectomy and continuing hormone treatment of a disabled girl has been deemed illegal and in Ireland a teenage girl in care has… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 9 May 2007

Patrick Moore should stick to the stars

Why, oh why, is an 84 year old astromer reported as having any notion of contemporary cultural mores? Can anyone tell me? This week it is reported Moore has been caught blaming women for falling standards in British TV. His… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 9 May 2007

Even when the man does something wrong, it's the woman who ends up paying.

Verizon Wireless has just pulled a sponsorship deal for Gwen Stefani’s new tour rumoured to be worth $3million. The reason? Her supporting act, Akon, was caught on film “dry humping” a 14 year old in dubious circumstances in a club… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 9 May 2007

8 May 2007

Gay Power - but only if you're male

The Independent on Sunday published it’s Pink Power list at the weekend. Of the 101 nominated people for being successes “key to British life” only 16 are women (and the highest placed is at number 18) and only one of… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 8 May 2007

6 May 2007

Multiculturalism and Women

The Independent on Colcatta raises this debate again, but with new cases. The article relates the problem of when multiculturalism is seen as an excuse for gendered racism. For example take the case of Nishal, a 26 year old Moroccan… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 6 May 2007

3 May 2007

Rape Sentencing Guideline

The definitive version of the Sentencing Guideline Council’s work on the 2003 Sexual Offences Act is now available and, as expected, is self-contradictory. The document acknowledges that sexual crimes against children are to be seen as automatically more serious 2.8… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 3 May 2007

2 May 2007

Birds Eye View Films seeks Volunteers

BIRDS EYE VIEW FILM FESTIVAL NEEDS YOU! We’re over our post fest burn out and we’re in need of a fresh injection of energy here at BEV HQ. We’re after administrators to keep the office in order, programmers to bring… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 2 May 2007

24 April 2007

US discovers pay-gap….

The US is having to face up to continuing pay differentials between men and women. A new survey shows that women working full-time earn dramatically less than men within a year of graduating. The gap is around 20% but greater… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 24 April 2007

Iranian Women Imprisoned for asking for end to discrimination

Human Rights activists are experiencing a new crackdown on their activities, despite Iran’s laws protecting Freedom of Assembly. When arrested protesters can spend almost the entire period in solitary confinement. Recent arrests include Mahboubeh Hosseinzadeh and Nahid Keshavarz areested for… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 24 April 2007

23 April 2007

Iranian Police begin crackdown on women's dress

In preparation for the summer Iranian Police have so far stopped 1,300 women and warned them about breaching the Sharia imposed dress code with 59 being referred to Court. Under Iran’s Islamic Sharia law, imposed after the 1979 revolution, women… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 23 April 2007

22 April 2007

Finland leads the way….

It was the first country to extend the franchise to women with complete parity with men (some states in America had extended then rescinded the franchise and Tasmania (1903) and South Australia (1902) extended suffrage with exceptions such as aboriginal… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 22 April 2007

19 April 2007

Something bad happened? Find a woman to blame… Virginia Tech and media coverage

I am sure I wasn’t the only feminist to have a shiver of fear on hearing the news from Virginia Tech and wonder whether it was another Ecole Polytechnique misogynistic massacre. However, even though it doesn’t seem to be gender… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 19 April 2007

Schools told to close gender gap

We haven’t said much to date on the blog about the gender equality duty (or GED as it’s become known). Public institutions must have written, by the end of the month, their Gender Equality Statement laying out how they intend… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 19 April 2007

Study into Late Term Abortions

Continuing the sudden revival of interest in abortion politics, news has been released of a study into why women have late term (i.e. second trimester) abortions. It’s worth noting at this point that only 10.7% of abortions caried out are… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 19 April 2007

17 April 2007

World News….

Following on from yesterday’s news of a defeat (if only just) to Polish moves to enshrine a ban on abortion in their Constitution today there is news that Portugal has legalised abortion up until the 10th week. The legislation was… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 17 April 2007

16 April 2007

Abortion Ban Prevented in Poland, But UK may soon suffer shortage of doctors….

For everyone who has been watching the abortion legislation furore in Poland, good news! Or at least in part. A Press Release today from the Federation for Women and Family Planning, Poland has announced a defeat to the possible Constitutional… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 16 April 2007

26 March 2007

Feminism Makes You Sick…

Research from Sweden has shown that egalitarian societies also suffer from greater rates of poor health than non-egalitarian societies. The study, published in Social Science and Medicine, compared data from all of Sweden’s 290 municipalities. They used nine indicators of… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 26 March 2007

16 March 2007

Def Poetry Reminder for Men

It’s not often we get to include performance art on the blog but here is a Def Poetry (a bit like Slam Poetry) reminder to men about what being a man means……. Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 16 March 2007

13 March 2007

Sisterhood is brutal - new form of empowerment?

Catfight is a new form of entertainment - skimpily dressed women, who in their publicity shots pose in quasi-pornographic stances, and box for the audience wearing tight white bra tops and short shorts. Just to reinforce this is women the… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 13 March 2007

8 March 2007

More on the Newham Record gangrape comments

Tom Duncan, the reporter who likened watching a football team lose to watching someone you like get gangraped, has written a follow-up comment to the story available here. In it he says It would be indeed be outrageous and absurd… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 8 March 2007

4 March 2007

Loosing at football = watching gang rape

According to reporter, Tom Duncan, from the Newham Recorder anyway. To indulge in a little deconstruction here I can only imagine he means that if watching someone be gang-raped he’d pay £50, sit alongside thousands of other gang-rape fans… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 4 March 2007

Japan denies "comfort women" were forced

Despite testimony from former soldiers, the Japanese government is continuing to allege that girls and women forced into sexual slavery for the Japanese army in World War II were professional prostitutes rather than victims of violence. Former soldier Yasuji Kaneko… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 4 March 2007

23 February 2007

Women, Games and the Internet

Women have always been a hidden presence on the internet but this e-article shows misogyny and heterosexism aren’t dead on the internet. World of Warcraft is a fantasy war-gaming platform and Whitney Butts is one player amongst millions. However Butts… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 23 February 2007

22 February 2007

Last Reminder - Save the Feminist Library!

Quick reminder that the emergency meeting to save the Feminist Library happens on Saturday at 11am at the Feminist Library, 5 Westminster Bridge Road. The Library needs new volunteers of all kinds and anyone is welcome to come along and… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 22 February 2007

20 February 2007

Hallmark release greeting cards for eating disorders, miscarriage and post-partum depression

Hallmark, makers of kitsch and cute-sy greetings cards, are now promoting their new line for traumatic life events. Friend had a miscarriage? Send them a Hallmark card! Eating Disorder threatening a friends health? Post-partum depression? Friend leaving an abusive relationship?… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 20 February 2007

Too fat to be beautiful, too old to be beautiful now too maternal to be beautiful

A Spanish Beauty Pageant winner has been de-frocked(? decrowned?) because it was “discovered” she had a three year old child. The competition rules disallowed any competitors who were pregnant or mothers although the reciprocal male competition doesn’t disallow fathers from… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 20 February 2007

13 February 2007

Robert Kilroy-Silk demands women are admitted to mosques

Never one to avoid controversy, Robert Kilroy-Silk (MEP) has written to Meg Munn (MP) to demand she takes action on women’s exclusion from some mosques. On Radio 4’s today programme this morning he blasted Islam as “tribal and backward” (see… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 13 February 2007

More on The Verdict

Protests did take place on Sunday and are planned again for tonight against the BBC2 programme The Verdict. Indymedia has coverage and a rather lovely photograph . In the meantime Woman’s Hour has a podcast on it where Stephen Lambert,… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 13 February 2007

12 February 2007

Routine Sexism on BBC Radio 4

Last week was a prize week for routine sexism on Radio 4 which, I think, serves well as an exemplar of just how widespread sexism still is and still is accepted in this country. First off was a statement by… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 12 February 2007

BBC 2'S The Verdict

Controversy reigns over the new BBC 2 programme which claims to be ground-breaking (despite the Channel 4 similar version a few weeks ago) and to explore the role of jurists. Unfortunately a few things that might give pause for thought:… Read more...

Posted by Louise Livesey at 12 February 2007