18 December 2007

A small thing made me cross today

So here is what has made me cross today. It’s a little thing that I happened to read. It wasn’t because I thought it might make good blog fodder but, lo, I am ranting. There’s an article on BBC online… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 18 December 2007

11 December 2007

Abby Lee – Blogger, Author, Sexual Health Ambassador

‘Abby Lee’, the Girl With A One Track Mind, has agreed to get on board (ho ho!) with Brooks sexual health clinics to be a sexual health ambassador. If you don’t already know ‘Abby’ (real name Zoe Margolis) from her… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 11 December 2007

14 November 2007

Rebecca Gomperts in The Guardian

There’s a fascinating interview in The Guardian’s Women’s pages today with Rebecca Gomperts. The name may not be familiar, but you may well have heard of her ship – Rebecca is the doctor responsible for the Dutch ship Women… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 14 November 2007

9 November 2007

HPV vaccination programme given go ahead

Minsters have given the go-ahead for a nationwide programme of vaccination against the HPV virus (a sexually transmitted disease which can cause cervical cancer). The vaccinations will be administered to 12 year old girls at a cost of £100m per… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 9 November 2007

1 November 2007

Commons committee validates pro-choice position

Well the Commons Science and Technology Committee has published its report following its inquiry into scientific developments relevant to the time limit for abortion. You’ve probably noticed that we’ve been all over this one (I describe the purpose of the… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 1 November 2007

18 October 2007

In praise of the pill

This is just a quick follow-on from Abby’s piece yesterday on the new ‘genetic contraceptive’ pill which may become available in the future. I disagree that this is an instance of (are they necessarily male?) scientists medicalising women’s bodies… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 18 October 2007

16 October 2007

The true cost of being fat?

For better or worse, I’m an occasional participant in WeightWatchers. Sometimes I’m okay with that, sometimes it makes me feel a bit dirty. There’s a whole other blog post or perhaps an article about the trying-to-lose-weight-in-a-feminist-manner issue. But anyway, let’s… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 16 October 2007

Feminists are better in bed

Of course we knew that already. But an article has just been published in the most recent issue of the academic journal ‘Sex Roles’ which has studied the impact of feminism in relationships and the extent to which sexual stereotypes… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 16 October 2007

15 October 2007

Impartiality of abortion enquiry witnesses called into question

There’s an important committee sitting today. The Parliamentary Select Committee on Science and Technology is beginning an enquiry into developments in science and evidence related to abortion since the passing of the 1967 Abortion Act (the act which is 40… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 15 October 2007

7 August 2007

New, Feminist Translation of Qur’an

Laleh Bakhtiar, a Muslim feminist Iranian-American is soon to publish a new English translation of the Qur’an. The new version was conceived at a gathering of Muslim feminists in New York last year, which decided to create the world’s… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 7 August 2007

3 August 2007

42nd Carnival of Feminists

The 42nd Carnival of Feminists is up at Uncool and has a whole host of brilliant posts. These are two of my personal favourites: Jill at Feministe picks up on the question ‘how much time should she do’? That is,… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 3 August 2007

1 August 2007

More tits!

Apparently we’re *still* talking about women’s tits insead of their politics. Thanks, guys. Not at all insulting …… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 1 August 2007

31 July 2007

Civil Partnerships for all!

The papers are reporting today on new proposals from the Law Commission that unmarried couples living together should be given the right to make legal claims to property and pensions after separation. There are problems with the system as it… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 31 July 2007

30 July 2007

Maternity – Britain’s Best Employers

The Guardian has published results of its survey of 250 of the country’s leading employers and their provision for parental leave. They believe that it is the first survey of its kind. Parental leave is something of a black spot,… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 30 July 2007

26 July 2007

Well I never

Seems like I was wrong. Sometimes even the Daily Mail can pleasantly surprise you…. Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 26 July 2007

25 July 2007

Guides set out new priorities

To make sure they stay relevant in today’s modern world, the Guides have polled their members to find out what it is that kids today really want to learn about. And I have to say that young women today sound… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 25 July 2007

24 July 2007

The Gender Agenda

The Equal Opportunities Commission has today published a report saying that equality between the sexes is ‘generations away’. ‘The Gender Agenda’ highlights a series of key gaps in equality, and estimates the length of time until they are redressed, according… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 24 July 2007

… more things not to do with breasts

#3 – breastfeed Following my last post about the woman berated by the bus driver for putting her breasts in his eyeline, Anj Green has emailed to point out that #3 on the list ought certainly to be breastfeeding:… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 24 July 2007

18 July 2007

Harman sets out priorities for women

Harriet Harman speaking in the House of Commons yesterday set out the priorities that she and Barbara Follet (they are the Ministers for Women) have agreed (you can read the transcript here). These are divided into three strands: helping families… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 18 July 2007

17 July 2007

Things not to do if you have breasts #2

A German bus driver recently threatened to throw a woman off his bus if she didn’t move out of his eyeline, because her breasts were distracting him. The bus driver in question shouted down the bus at the unfortunate women,… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 17 July 2007

5 July 2007

Sun Woman says “Stop Rape Now”

The Sun Woman has launched a ‘Stop Rape Now’ campaign, calling for better funding for rape crisis centres, more specially trained police officers and CPS barristers, a dedicated 24-hour telephone helpline for victims and an increase in the number of… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 5 July 2007

4 July 2007

New Home Secretary’s cleavage outbills her performance

Less than a week into the job, and the UK’s first female Home Secretary is drawing rather more attention for her cleavage than her – calm, confident and professional – manner in dealing with the recent spate of terror attacks…. Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 4 July 2007

20 June 2007

One step closer to a cervical cancer vaccine

The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has recommended that adolescent girls should receive a vaccination against HPV, the virus which causes cervical cancer. The recommendation is in principle only, and will be subject to further cost benefit analysis…. Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 20 June 2007

14 May 2007

Just a quick one …

For a really excellent medically-based point of view about why the American debate on partial birth abortion is a nonsense, see Good Enough Mum: This is not about being for or against abortion. It is not about saving fetuses, because… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 14 May 2007

4 May 2007

At least she’s decorative

It’s irritating how, when women strive for public office there seems to be as much attention paid to their hairstyles, outfits and shoes as there is to their policies and, you know, things that matter. The sort of things they… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 4 May 2007

30 April 2007

A mixed bag at Times Online

Scanning the Times Online over lunch I found myself groaning and cheering in turns. It’s a mixed old bag today. Firstly a report on nursery school uptake which simply cannot get over it’s glee at apparently obvious fact that the… Read more...

Posted by Lynne Miles at 30 April 2007