I hate olives. I pick them off of my pizza. I don’t order dishes with olives in them. If I ordered a martini I would order it with a twist. The other day I had a pasta dish with olives on it, and it was nice. Will they find their way into my Sainsbury’s shopping? No. I maintain my benign dislike of them. To oversimplify, … Continue reading I’m In Love, But I Still Hate Men
While the Bechdel Test was only ever meant to be a jokey, tongue-in-cheek way of showing a lack of female representation in the media, it really took off as a measure of female agency in TV and film. However, our contemporary media landscape is wildly different from that of the test’s origin in the 80s, and many criticise the Bechdel test for being over-simplified, minimum requirements for diversity which overlook other problems around underrepresentation in the film industry such as race and sexuality.┬á Continue reading The Importance of The Bechdel Test in Films
By Ashleigh Adams The character of the witch has been a mainstay in literature for centuries, with depictions ranging from menacing to aspirational. In modern media there is a wide variety of witchy stories; traditional portrayals present a sort of transgressive femininity, showcasing women who are old, vain, and power-hungry. Spectators have long enjoyed the witch as the ultimate horror, the abject woman. Old, ugly … Continue reading Toil and Trouble: The Character of the Witch in Literature
Yesterday, March 8th, marked International Women’s Day – a day dedicated to celebrating all women, everywhere. In this article, our contributors are reflecting on what International Women’s Day means to them… Words by Eve Davies This yearÔÇÖs International WomenÔÇÖs Day is all about #BreakTheBias. To me, International WomenÔÇÖs Day is about celebrating the everyday wins that I see regarding gender equality and female empowerment. The … Continue reading What Does International Women’s Day Mean To You?
by Leah Hocking. This March, to celebrate WomenÔÇÖs History Month, which highlights and commemorates womenÔÇÖs contributions to history and society, IÔÇÖve put together a (non-exhaustive) recommendations list of books, by women and about women, which are perfect to read this month: Hood Feminism – Mikki Kendall As the front cover of this feminist non-fiction states, ÔÇÿHood FeminismÔÇÖ is an exploration of the important issues and … Continue reading Celebrate Women’s History Month with These 6 Books
Trigger Warning: mentions of rape, sexual assault, violence and homophobia This opinion piece is by Kate Waldock Over the past few days, the UK has been in a growing turmoil. Sarah Everard, a 33 year old woman, disappeared as she walked home┬áin South London. As the days went by there was a growing murmur of worry. We all know from crime television shows that after … Continue reading It IsnÔÇÖt All Men, but It Is Almost Always a Man
Words by Indi Scott WhitehouseIllustration by Sian Hopkins The censorship of nipples and breasts on social media has been a large talking point in recent years. As social media becomes an increasing prevalent part of modern life, it is necessary to question the sexist and arguably archaic restrictions it imposes. What are the current rules and guidelines? Instagram and Facebook allow post-mastectomy and breastfeeding images … Continue reading Nipple Censorship on Social Media
By Sarah Harris When I think about how much the culture of gender has evolved in my 22 years of life, itÔÇÖs evident that weÔÇÖve come a long way as a society. I come from a South Asian background in which an integral part of our culture is the role of the female as a homemaker. As a child, it was cultivated in me that … Continue reading The Age of Shifting Gender Stereotypes and the Culture of Gender
By Ella Rowe-Hall Today, female fitness seems to be becoming greatly prominent within society. More and more women are getting fit and playing sports, and celebrities and fitness fanatics seem to be continuously brandishing their own fitness journeys across our social media screens. But what is this so-called female fitness revolution, and why now? After the introduction of womenÔÇÖs birth control in 1961 and the … Continue reading The Female Fitness Revolution
By Luisa De la Concha Montes Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà Ôÿà Last weekend, Ffotogallery launched their latest exhibition ÔÇ£Work to Be DoneÔÇØ, a visual meditation on gender stereotypes in Europe. The collection showcases the work of Beta Bajgart, Johan B├ñvman, Katrina Neiburga, Mikko Suutarinen, and Nella Nuora. The exhibition starts with Johan B├ñvmanÔÇÖs ÔÇ£Swedish DadsÔÇØ, a series of portraits depicting dads that have decided to take time off work to … Continue reading Work To Be Done | Photography exhibition review
On the 21st of November, the Student Union was filled with a with roaring applause from hundreds of students, as Cardiff UniversityÔÇÖs pro-choice motion was passed with a majority vote. The result was monumental and a moment of overwhelming pride for Cardiff UniversityÔÇÖs students; especially women. Initially, when I first decided to interview Isadora Sinha – the women who proposed the pro-choice motion to the … Continue reading Interview: Isadora Sinha, the Woman Who Made Waves in the Pro-choice Motion
Poppy Jennings *Trigger warning ÔÇô this article discusses rape and sexual violence* A 17-year-old girl ÔÇô and I cannot stress the word girl┬áenough ÔÇô had her own underwear held up in court last week after being raped. Her rapist, a 27-year-old man, was acquitted because the court decided that because she was wearing a thong, she was already ÔÇÿopen to sexÔÇÖ. So, yet again, … Continue reading “She was asking for it”
By Alys Hewitt The fashion industry has always been largely at odds with the feminist agenda. After all, what do you expect from an industry founded upon encouraging women to pursue unrealistic ideals of beauty and effectively telling them how to dress and express themselves? As well as this, like most industries, it is one where the agenda is often set by men ÔÇô the … Continue reading Fashion and Feminism ÔÇô whatÔÇÖs next for the industry in the era of #MeToo?
By Bethany Griffiths After facing years of backlash for poor sizing guidelines, some high street shops (notably H&M and Primark) have now progressed from their usual 6-20 sizing to XS-XXL sizing. The shops have claimed that this change in sizing guidelines will ensure that women can guarantee to find clothing to fit their standard size. Despite this, there have been countless complaints about the new … Continue reading New High Street Sizing: A Positive Move?
MenÔÇÖs rights activists, otherwise referred to as ÔÇÿmeninistsÔÇÖ face a lot of schtick in society. Honestly they donÔÇÖt help themselves a lot of the time, and IÔÇÖm not here to defend the actions of some of the more butt-hurt, but for the most part they have a point. ÔÇÿWoah, Maria, I thought you were a rampaging radical feminist!ÔÇÖ you cry! That is true, dear reader, … Continue reading #NotAllMen: The Problems Men Face in Society Can Be Solved with Feminism
In an unapologetic account, Sanya Budhiraja and Elis Williams discuss the realms of gender eqaulity and what it really means to be a feminist. HereÔÇÖs an idea: next time youÔÇÖre at the pub on a lecture-free Wednesday afternoon, bring up the topic of feminism and watch everyone cringe. Feminism, much like racism or individualism, is a social ideology; and feminism like any other social ideology, … Continue reading The F-word
As the feature continues to disappear and reappear again, Aimee-Lee Abraham┬áwrestles the ÔÇÿBritish institutionÔÇÖ that is (or was!?) The SunÔÇÖs Page Three in a tale of boobs and news. Model: Drake Steel Photography: Sam Wild The Sun, the best selling newspaper in the UK, hasnÔÇÖt run a pair of naked breasts on its third page for a record twenty-six days. This is a significant period … Continue reading Now You See It, Now You Don’t
Words by Laura Carter IÔÇÖm sure I wasnÔÇÖt the only one to be absolutely horrified at the news that Helen Fielding had killed off Mark Darcy in her new book Mad About The Boy. The last time we read about dear Bridget, she was about to embark on married life with Mr Darcy himself. I know what youÔÇÖre going to say: ÔÇ£ItÔÇÖs only a bookÔǪ … Continue reading Opinion: Why Burst Bridget Jones’ Bubble?
