Two video links -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Om4d7L--q0E&feature=endscreen&NR=1
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_YkO2Fhxx4
Monday, 26 March 2012
Friday, 9 March 2012
Join me on the bridge
www.joinmeonthebridge.org Women all over the world have held marches on bridges, symbolising their support for women in war zones.
In Brooklyn women and men too marched across the Brooklyn Bridge just before midday - in support of victims of fighting in the DR Congo. There were representatives from other organisations too.
According to the website there are events over the next couple of days in various places too.
In Brooklyn women and men too marched across the Brooklyn Bridge just before midday - in support of victims of fighting in the DR Congo. There were representatives from other organisations too.
According to the website there are events over the next couple of days in various places too.
Wednesday, 15 February 2012
'Losing' or 'giving' virginity?
Excellent and clear post on this topic by a blogger known as @fearlessknits on Twitter.
Well worth a read - here's a very brief quote from the article:
If virginity is something that is given rather than taken, then that subtly shifts sex from being something that one person does to another, to something that two people do together. All in a mode of speech. That, if widely used by teachers in sex ed classes, should only take 15 - 20 years or so to become the accepted and expected way to discuss this.
Well worth a read - here's a very brief quote from the article:
If virginity is something that is given rather than taken, then that subtly shifts sex from being something that one person does to another, to something that two people do together. All in a mode of speech. That, if widely used by teachers in sex ed classes, should only take 15 - 20 years or so to become the accepted and expected way to discuss this.
Friday, 27 January 2012
Three faces of feminism - Libertarian Lou's blog
Why Jodie Marsch is more interesting than the Mensch-Penny discussion on Newsnight. I confess to turning off partway through Newsnight, but didn't even think of Channel 5.
Post from Left Eye Right Eye on the 3 faces of feminism
Worth a closer look. Last two paras are very good.
Post from Left Eye Right Eye on the 3 faces of feminism
Worth a closer look. Last two paras are very good.
Friday, 20 January 2012
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Men and depression
An article in the Guardian by Ally Fogg argues that the 'boys don't cry' culture is largely to blame for the suicides of under-35-year-old males. They need to be more open about their emotions, and more prepared to ask for help. The Dean Windlass story, and Gary Speed's death were the immediate triggers for the article.
As ever comments beneath are enough in places to drive me to despair - in others they are brilliant.
My own take? Definitely an issue for anyone concerned with gender equality.
As ever comments beneath are enough in places to drive me to despair - in others they are brilliant.
My own take? Definitely an issue for anyone concerned with gender equality.
Thursday, 29 December 2011
Wednesday, 28 December 2011
Female 'Faces of the Year' . Thanks Beeb!
London Feminist points out :
and don't forget the panda.
BBC link - Faces of the Year
Our active women, and their reasons for making the news, are: Adele (pop star), Sarah Burton (dress designer), Pauline Pearce (“heroine of Hackney”) and the Duchess of Alba (got married aged 88.)
Our passive women are: Gabrielle Giffords (got shot in the head and survived), Eman al-Obeidi (beaten and gang-raped by Gaddafi’s militia), Nafissatou Diallo (was allegedly subjected to a sexual attack by DSK), Jelena Lecic (her identity was stolen by a man pretending to be a Middle Eastern blogger), Charlene Wittstock (wept as she reluctantly married the Prince of Monaco – seriously, this woman’s fame is not something we as a society should be proud of), Rebecca Leighton (got falsely accused of murder) and Kelsey de Santis (got taken on a date by Justin Timberlake).
and don't forget the panda.
BBC link - Faces of the Year
Friday, 4 November 2011
Cuts hit women hard in the UK
Report from the Fawcett Society and various other groups. Article in the Guardian
As always some of the comments below the line show that some people's attitudes are well in reverse already.
As always some of the comments below the line show that some people's attitudes are well in reverse already.
Saturday, 29 October 2011
Sneery male writers
Reading what I normally find an intelligent site, Craig Murray which makes a decent analysis of the state of the world, I was annoyed by a (superficial? trivial?) issue today. He refers to Polly Toynbee as 'that poor deluded old bat'. Is there a male equivalent? Should anyone be referred to in this way, however much you disagree with their opinions?
Is the female version of ad hominem ad mulierem? I really fear that man cannot include woman in this case, since the patronising tone seems saved especially for women.
Yes, Polly can be too forgiving of the Labour Party, but where is the real alternative? Is it not true that the lesser of two evils is nevertheless, less evil. I paraphrase Chomsky, I think. And i do think that this government is more 'evil' than the last one.
I don't often allow myself to be provoked into a rant these days, but this did it. Hit both buttons - ageism and sexism.
Is the female version of ad hominem ad mulierem? I really fear that man cannot include woman in this case, since the patronising tone seems saved especially for women.
Yes, Polly can be too forgiving of the Labour Party, but where is the real alternative? Is it not true that the lesser of two evils is nevertheless, less evil. I paraphrase Chomsky, I think. And i do think that this government is more 'evil' than the last one.
I don't often allow myself to be provoked into a rant these days, but this did it. Hit both buttons - ageism and sexism.
Sunday, 23 October 2011
Women in Tunisia
hope that their rights are not side-lined as the new democracy takes shape.
Guardian/Observer publishes article by their Paris correspondent, Angelique Chrisafis.
Guardian/Observer publishes article by their Paris correspondent, Angelique Chrisafis.
Saturday, 1 October 2011
Ms/Miss/Mrs - Madame/Mademoiselle
A load of trivial bullshit, or something more?
Have you ever been in the position of being asked 'Miss or Mrs' and feeling annoyed, embarrassed, put on the spot? Perhaps it applies more to my generation (60+) than to younger women, but it always struck me as acutely unfair that personal questions start from something so simple as a child wishing to write a teacher's name on an exercise book.
For a man, it's just 'Mr'. No problem, no wondering. Simple.
And even now, in England, Ms is seen as the title mainly used by stroppy feminists, though it is useful in business situations, when a single title avoids the embarrassment of using the 'wrong' one.
In France feminists are demanding that all adult women should use the title 'Madame'. Now, would it be more practical, more equal, more feminist for all female English speakers over 18 to use 'Mrs'?
The fact that people think about this doesn't mean they cannot also think about social injustice, violence, people-trafficking.
Have you ever been in the position of being asked 'Miss or Mrs' and feeling annoyed, embarrassed, put on the spot? Perhaps it applies more to my generation (60+) than to younger women, but it always struck me as acutely unfair that personal questions start from something so simple as a child wishing to write a teacher's name on an exercise book.
For a man, it's just 'Mr'. No problem, no wondering. Simple.
And even now, in England, Ms is seen as the title mainly used by stroppy feminists, though it is useful in business situations, when a single title avoids the embarrassment of using the 'wrong' one.
In France feminists are demanding that all adult women should use the title 'Madame'. Now, would it be more practical, more equal, more feminist for all female English speakers over 18 to use 'Mrs'?
The fact that people think about this doesn't mean they cannot also think about social injustice, violence, people-trafficking.
Thursday, 22 September 2011
Sunday, 11 September 2011
What is science-fictional in a story about equality of the sexes...?
Over at The Future Fire blog, where we are writing about a subgenre a day this month, Deirdre Murphy talks about Feminist Science Fiction. She begins:
I remember growing up in the ‘60s and ‘70s, looking out at the vital civil rights movement and imagining that I would one day live in a world where women were seen as equal partners in all things, a world where we didn’t suffer from a gender gap in terms of respect, power, airplay, or paychecks. I envisioned a world where gender wouldn’t matter, unless someone wanted to create a new baby. In contrast, I looked at stuff like Dick Tracey’s cool wrist communicator more as science-fantasy.You see where this is going, right? Read the whole post here.
Wednesday, 4 May 2011
FeministSF Twitter chat in honour of Joanna Russ
Next Sunday at 14:00 Eastern US time, a group of interested writers, editors, readers and feminists will be participating in an informal Twitter chat in memory of Joanna Russ, the Feminist Science Fiction writer who died after suffering a series of strokes last week. (One of the best reminiscences of Russ's life is at the Body Impolitic blog; more links are collected at this SH post.)
If you're interested in taking part, either as a fan of Russ's novels The Female Man, Picnic on Paradise, etc., or her nonfiction writing such as How to Suppress Women's Writing; as a reader or producer of science fiction with an interest in women's or queer issues; or as a feminist who cares about imaginative and literary work in this field, details follow.
The conversation will take place on Twitter, the microblogging social network site, on Sunday May 8th at 14:00 (2pm) EDT (=17:00 BST, 11:00 PDT, etc.), and will last about an hour. All are welcome. To follow the conversation, search for the hashtag #FeministSF, and/or contact the chat coordinators @thefuturefire and @traciewelser. To post to the chat, simply use this same hashtag in a tweet, and it will appear to all other chatters who follow that search.
(And if you ever wondered how people could possibly have a meaningful conversation in 140-character snippets? Just watch.)
If you're interested in taking part, either as a fan of Russ's novels The Female Man, Picnic on Paradise, etc., or her nonfiction writing such as How to Suppress Women's Writing; as a reader or producer of science fiction with an interest in women's or queer issues; or as a feminist who cares about imaginative and literary work in this field, details follow.
The conversation will take place on Twitter, the microblogging social network site, on Sunday May 8th at 14:00 (2pm) EDT (=17:00 BST, 11:00 PDT, etc.), and will last about an hour. All are welcome. To follow the conversation, search for the hashtag #FeministSF, and/or contact the chat coordinators @thefuturefire and @traciewelser. To post to the chat, simply use this same hashtag in a tweet, and it will appear to all other chatters who follow that search.
(And if you ever wondered how people could possibly have a meaningful conversation in 140-character snippets? Just watch.)
Thursday, 7 April 2011
Watch this woman - Eva Joly
I didn't pick this up when it was first published in February this year, but she sounds like someone who's trying to do some good. And she hasn't lost her enthusiasm as she's grown older.
More later.
More later.
Saturday, 2 April 2011
Sarah Outen sets off around the world
Sarah Outen, from Ashwell, Rutland, has set off on a two and a half year journey round the world, using human power - kayaking, cycling an rowing.
She is raising money for various charities - including breast cancer awareness charity Coppafeel, The Jubilee Sailing Trust, the Motor Neurone Disease Association and WaterAid
She is raising money for various charities - including breast cancer awareness charity Coppafeel, The Jubilee Sailing Trust, the Motor Neurone Disease Association and WaterAid
Not an April Fool - just a fool?
How many brains? Universities minister?
Progress, where is thy backlash leading?
Words (clearly) fail me this morning.
The best article I have read on this is from Laurie Penny in the New Statesman on 7 April.
Progress, where is thy backlash leading?
Words (clearly) fail me this morning.
The best article I have read on this is from Laurie Penny in the New Statesman on 7 April.
Social mobility is a scam. It's a scam that is useful to governments implementing austerity programmes: after all, if anyone can make it, anyone who fails to do so must be personally at fault. Social mobility, however, is not an adequate substitute for social justice.
Which brings us neatly back to feminism, and to the uncomfortable admission that David Willetts does, in fact, have a point. Mass female employment has affected social mobility. Feminism is nowhere near as significant a factor in the stagnation of social mobility as the destruction of industry or wage repression. The fact remains, however, that if one accepts an unequal system whereby only a handful of elites make it into well-paying professions, and if one also accepts a feminism which settles for cramming a few extra women into those elite jobs, then some people are going to be nudged off the podium. What we have, to paraphrase Willetts, is neither feminism nor egalitarianism. What we have is a ruddy mess of recrimination and sharpened elbows.
Willetts has a point, and he is using that point to stab innocent bystanders in the back. Along with most of Westminster, Willetts has mistaken bourgeois feminism, which merely boosts the life chances of wealthy women within an unequal system, for feminism proper, which demands redistribution of work, wealth and power in order to deliver equality. Along with most of the country, Willetts has mistaken social mobility, which merely boosts the life chances of a few middle-class aspirants, for social justice.
Monday, 21 March 2011
A call for women's equality in Haiti
Marking the milestone of 100 years of International Women's Day is a cause for celebration - the fight for gender equality has come a long way. But there are still injustices that range from pay differences to glass ceilings; unfortunately the spectrum of inequality runs to far deeper injustices.
There are too many examples to list here, so I'll just pick one country: Haiti. It's been over a year since the earthquake devastated the region but the aftermath has given way to serious violence against women.
Here is a moving video of 15 year-old Katty Jean speaking at a meeting of the Zafe Fanm (Women's Issues) in Port-au-Prince, calling for the rights of women to be respected.
Let's hope someone will listen to her call.
There are too many examples to list here, so I'll just pick one country: Haiti. It's been over a year since the earthquake devastated the region but the aftermath has given way to serious violence against women.
Here is a moving video of 15 year-old Katty Jean speaking at a meeting of the Zafe Fanm (Women's Issues) in Port-au-Prince, calling for the rights of women to be respected.
Let's hope someone will listen to her call.
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