FGM has no parallel
Culture is often used as a blanket ban to smother the flames of debate. I recently read Sue Lloyd Roberts’ book about her extraordinary lifetime in journalism. I bracketed the…
Alabama, Georgia, I refuse not to be heard
Many platforms, including the Broad, have published articles in the wake of the abortion laws passed in Alabama and Georgia. When deciding whether to write my own article on the…
Same work, same wage doesn’t just apply to gender
As always, 1 April saw an increase in the national minimum wages, across the age brackets. Contrary to previous employers, my current workplace pays everyone the over 25 wage, and…
Boys will be boys, girls will be girls
This week, I was honoured to be invited to speak on the BackBench Podcast on International Women’s Day. Admittedly, as someone who likes to carefully form arguments before expressing them,…
When it comes to porn, what shouldn’t turn us on?
As of this week, the laws surrounding the production of porn in England and Wales have changed. Where previously it was illegal to own or distribute “obscene” pornography, now it…
Whose responsibility is it to stop domestic abuse?
On Monday, the UK published a new draft Domestic Abuse Bill, defining economic and emotional abuse alongside physical, and further enforcing Clare’s Law. Clare’s Law follows Clare Wood’s 2009 murder,…
Barry: A Work in Progress and in tenderness
Going to the theatre always reminds me of being on a long train journey. There’s a sense of collectiveness about it, coupled with the mystery of being nothing more than…
Consent is more complicated than saying ‘no’
The BBC have been circulating a video this week, entitled ‘Is this sexual harassment?’ and the content of this that I found shocking and disturbing was not the depiction of…
We must stop commenting on female appearance
As with much of our society, the expectation of the female body is a concept that has been narrated and enforced by male desires. The unobtainable beauty standards placed upon…
Ashes to ashes, dust to the jerks who get promoted before you
This week, Beyoncé inadvertently delivered a pithy encapsulation of patriarchal expectation without even saying anything. Photos of her, managing to look like a regal puff of delicious cotton candy, next…
Who are the double agents of the patriarchy?
As feminist slogans are blazoned on t-shirts and Instagram posts of marches and protests are frequent and common, the increasingly trendy nature of current fourth-wave feminism is an incredible accomplishment,…
Turkish women are not asking to be abused
Last week, an Economist article held the tagline “Some 54% of Turkish women think it is acceptable for a man to use violence if he suspects his wife is cheating…
Let women express themselves however they want
Since my first year of primary school, I have been bossy, aggressive, ruthless. I have been a cold hard bitch. No—it’s not because I have an attitude, nor is it…
Rapists should not be able to apply for parental rights
A few weeks ago, I wrote about the neglect of Rotherham council (and the police), towards the women who survived historic abuse there. This week, Sammy Woodhouse, one of many…
People need to stop scaremongering about the pill
The year is 1961: the contraceptive pill has just been made legal and, as such, is now regulated and available for married women exclusively. Now, in 2018, the oral contraceptive…
Stop fannying around about pubic hair
In a time of immense social and political upheaval, it always amazes me that people have time to be worried about things like pubic hair. Truth is disintegrating and democracy…
There is no male hormone that grants scientific genius
Sexism in science is no secret. The field has been dominated by men since its creation, and continues in this way today. This is something I have been made aware…
In Rotherham, child abuse survivors need more support
After years of emotional, legal, and community upheaval, seven men have been found guilty of sexually exploiting teenage girls in Rotherham. This is not enough. Due to significant police neglect,…
In love, don’t put your cargo on someone else’s boat
As the temperature plummets and men start putting on their nice, weirdly sexy thick jumpers, I personally start thinking about romance. People always say that spring is the season for…
Frat culture can be damaging and limiting
American college culture is something that can be an elusive beast. Endless quizzes, wild frat parties, and annoying roommates were what I thought I’d have to look forward to, but…
Halloween, ironically, terrifies me
Somehow it seems that another year has passed and once again Halloween has dawned on us. My ears and eyes have already been assaulted by slurred words, screams and stumbling…
Growing up is scarier for women
This week, NY Times published an article about what it means to be a girl turning 18 around the world. I couldn’t help but think about how far I’ve come…
We can’t ignore the dangers of early sex determination
Throughout history, people have attempted to control the sex of their children. Whilst sex selection for medical purposes, like preventing genetic diseases is largely accepted, the non-medical use of sex…
Rape and sexual assault sentences are too short
Why is someone dubbed a ‘sexually violent predator’ only being sentenced to 3-10 years in prison? (Bill Cosby). Why did someone showing ‘no remorse for his crimes at all’ get…
MeToo should take male victims seriously
The reactions to Asia Argento’s alleged sexual assault of her young co-star, Jeremy Bennett have slid into two main factions. Either, people have claimed that it completely discredits the MeToo…
Feminists (like Serena Williams) don’t have to be polite
It’s amazing how in a world being battered from all sides by the winds of injustice, the momentary emotional reaction of a famous woman can cause so much controversy. Serena…
Drake shouldn’t be texting Millie Bobby Brown
I doubt that I am alone in my thinking that a 14-year-old and a 31-year-old having a text relationship is a bit odd, even more so when a) the texts…
Kavanaugh, and men like him, must be stopped
Men go on a date hoping to get laid, women go on a date hoping to not get killed. To some, that sentiment may seem excessive or exaggerated. And maybe…
Serena Williams’ behaved badly, gender equality aside
Unless you live under a rock, which admittedly I often do, you are most likely familiar with the outrage that accompanied Serena Williams’ behaviour during this year’s US Open Final….
Intersectionality ignores the diversity inherent to achieving equality
Are all problems of oppression inherently linked? Does social justice require a degree of solidarity between groups? Those who subscribe to theories of intersectionality would certainly argue so. While we’ve…
Don’t blame Ariana Grande for Mac Miller’s death
On Friday, news broke that Mac Miller had died of a suspected overdose in his California home. As his peers, such as Chance the Rapper and Kehlani, mourned him, fans…
Wombs are important, whether occupied or not
A few months ago, I underwent laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis, along with three other women. One of these women, who was in her 40s, expressed that she definitely did not…
Ask Ariana Grande for permission, not forgiveness
In a rapidly changing social environment, what is and isn’t acceptable can feel hard to keep up with. But, just because certain behaviours have only just become widely recognised as…
You’re still policing female appearance? In this economy?
If you aren’t a woman, and your morning routine consists of brushing your teeth and throwing on a t-shirt that only has one pesto stain on it, the preoccupation with…
Theatre shouldn’t be dominated by men
Theatre is dominated by men. It always has been. Women weren’t even allowed to act until the 18th century, and then they were all branded as prostitutes. Stories of white…
Brock Turner is a poster boy for rape culture
Two years ago, Brock Turner was found thrusting on top of an unconscious woman outside a party at Stanford University. Two male students chased him down and apprehended him. They…
If feminism doesn’t care about men, it isn’t feminism
Men often feel alienated from conversations about feminism and that can only be counterproductive. Misandry (which is misogyny, reversed) is not helpful. I’m not saying it’s not sometimes justified and…
Romance is dead, long live romance
Another day, another man being disappointing. All you have to do is be nice to us and not chase us down the street, which is apparently too much to ask…
Football related violence deserves a red card
Disclaimer: I hate football. I have sat patiently and silently through extensive male-led conversations about football players, matches and stats more times than I can count. Most often, when my…
Terry Crews’ fight against toxic masculinity is invaluable
Something that I find particularly difficult to process is the sad fact that one of the only realms in which we have a kind of ‘herstory’, is sexual violence. The…
Drake is a ‘nice guy’ and I’m upset
Up until recently, Aubrey Drake Graham (or for those of you who aren’t real fans, Drake) has been my dream man. I’ve loved him ever since an ex rapped every…
Why did the patriarchy blush? The seaweed
Seaweed may not mean much to you. For most of us it’s just that gross, slimy stuff we try and avoid in the sea, or occasionally enjoy as part of…
What type of girl am I?
At the ripe age of 20, I’ve wasted a lot of time wondering what “type” of girl I am. After endless quizzes about which Sex and The City woman I…
Football shouldn’t be an all boys’ club
Living in the UK right now feels a little like living in a parallel universal. It’s sunny all the time and England won a penalty shoot out for the first…
Why is there so much sexual violence in films?
Every five years, the British Board of Film Classification (the BBFC – or the guys who decide what number appears in the bottom corner of your DVD boxes) carry out…
Ocean’s 8 and the danger of the all female remake
After watching Ocean’s 8, a film featuring a relatively diverse group of female leads, a film in which almost every scene passes the Bechdel Test, I felt excited. Excited about…
Gayed’s gynaecological attacks cannot go unpunished
Australian news has been plagued in recent weeks by an investigation surrounding the male gynaecologist Dr Emil Shawky Gayed who appears to have butchered many of his female patients’ reproductive…
Wear sunscreen and leave women alone
As I write this, I can feel the sting of my sunburn and let me tell you, I feel alive. We all go a bit mad in the sunshine in…
In death, XXXTentacion is being remembered as talented, not abusive
This week rapper XXXTentacion’s death has caused a stir.People who are respected by millions are belittling the man’s abusive behaviours and crimes in favour of his musical talent. I’m not…
Why I have a problem with ‘daddy issues’
As someone who has seen hide nor hair of their father in seven years, I take real issue with the concept of ‘daddy issues’. I joke about it, as we…
Are equality and positive discrimination mutually exclusive?
This week, Penguin (the publisher, not everyone’s favourite vertically challenged bird) issued a new directive that stated that the publisher wanted their repertoire to more accurately represent society in terms…
Germaine Greer is out of touch and dangerous
For those of you not familiar, Germaine Greer is a feminist icon; she wrote the seminal feminist text The Female Eunuch and has spent much of life fighting for women’s…
The eye opening limbo of ethnic ambiguity
Being pale and mixed-race, you see interesting manifestations of racism. This was foregrounded to me this week when a comment was left on my article about the Warwick rape threats,…
Women are to be heard, not just seen
Illustration by Francesca Taiganides On 26 May, Ireland overwhelmingly voted to repeal the 8th amendment, allowing women to have abortions up to 12 weeks into pregnancy and up to 24 weeks…
Chivalry isn’t dead, but it should be
The wave of social change that has taken hold over the past six months has sparked major progress in the move towards gender equality. Yet while so many of our…