Women's Views on News |
- Walking for women’s rights: join us
- Don’t just write it, say it
- Celebrating the creased green spine
- Team GB’s top female hopes for Moscow
- Shamed for drinking as much as the boys
| Walking for women’s rights: join us Posted: 26 Jul 2013 09:30 AM PDT
Starting from as far away as Land’s End and Newcastle, they converged in Hyde Park, London, on 26 July. They were demonstrating to the government how many women wanted the right to vote. Now, 100 years later, women from Barnsley to Portsmouth to Manchester are putting their best foot forward to celebrate those who strived to make it possible for women to make their mark on the ballot paper. And on 27 July the Brighton Walk for Women, a walk from Brighton to London’s Hyde Park, which started on 21 July, reaches its final stretch. In the aftermath of Emily Wilding Davison's spectacular funeral procession in the summer of 1913, the constitutional suffragists, the National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies (NUWSS), planned a 'Woman's Suffrage Pilgrimage'. It was intended to act as a counter to perceived suffragette militancy, with the aim of creating a spectacle demonstrating that women were disciplined and law-abiding. At the time, the suffragette members of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU) were making headlines, and there were numerous reports of increasingly dangerous suffragette militancy, including Emmeline Pankhurst's successive hunger strikes, and Christabel Pankhurst's denunciation of prostitution and venereal disease. The NUWSS’s aim was to draw attention to the suffrage cause with a focus on the NUWSS’s constitutional aims. The NUWSS also believed that the public, who were by now becoming accustomed to repeated sensationalist stories about militants’ tactics, should be reminded that the women's suffrage movement had a much larger constitutional and non-militant wing – in 1913 the NUWSS had nearly had 100,000 members. And it was felt that what was described by one of the organisers as 'the enormous educational work that is being done by many thousands of peaceful, law-abiding Suffragists' should be promoted. During the autumn of 1912 a small group of women had journeyed from Edinburgh to London, and, based on this, the 1913 event was to be known as the 'Women's March'. But by mid-1913 the mood had changed, and the women were no longer marchers, they were pilgrims; Katherine Harley, a senior figure in the NUWSS, suggested holding a “Woman’s Suffrage Pilgrimage” in order to show Parliament how many women wanted the vote. Several federations from all over the UK set off on 18 June, 1913. Those from the North-Eastern, North and East Ridings, West Ridings, East Midland and the Eastern Counties – travelled the Newcastle-upon-Tyne to London route. The North-Western, Manchester and District, West Lancashire, West Cheshire and North Wales, West Midlands, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire Federations travelled on the Carlisle to London route. And the South-Western, the West of England, the Surrey, Sussex and Hampshire Federations walked from Land’s End to Hyde Park. According to author Elizabeth Crawford, “Pilgrims were urged to wear a uniform, a concept always close to Katherine Harley’s heart. ‘It was suggested that pilgrims should wear white, grey, black, or navy blue coats and skirts or dresses. Blouses were either to match the skirt or to be white. Hats were to be simple, and only black, white, grey, or navy blue. ‘Headquarters supplied a compulsory raffia cockle shell badge – the traditional symbol of pilgrimage – to be worn pinned to the hat. ‘Also available were a red, white and green shoulder sash, a haversack made of bright red waterproof cloth edged with green with white lettering spelling out the route travelled, and umbrellas in green or white, or red cotton covers to co-ordinate civilian umbrellas.’ “Most women travelled on foot, though some rode horses or bicycles, and wealthy sympathisers lent cars, carriages, or pony traps for the luggage. “The intention was not that each individual should cover the whole route but that the federations would do so collectively.” Fifteen women from Cornwall started walking on 19 June, carrying a banner saying ‘Land's End to Hyde Park’ – and they walked all the way. The Suffolk walkers left Yarmouth on 10 July, and walked through numerous villages and towns, holding meetings, church services, teas, giving out literature, carrying banners, and marching with bands. The pilgrims were accompanied by a lorry containing their baggage. NUWSS member Margaret Ashton brought her car and picked up those suffering from exhaustion. Cyclists served as outriders for the main body of marchers, often going ahead to announce their approach, secure accommodation, or prepare for meetings. And one pilgrim, Mrs Mason of the Bolton NUWSS, covered the entire route from her home town to London by bicycle. Foot marcher Margory Lees claimed that the pilgrimage succeeded in “visiting the people of this country in their own homes and villages, to explain to them the real meaning of the movement.” Another participant, Margaret Greg, said: “My verdict on the Pilgrimage is that it is going to do a very great deal of work – the sort of work that has hitherto only been done by towns or at election times is being spread all over the country.” Over the six weeks meetings were held all over Britain and NUWSS magazine The Common Cause and other NUWSS literature was sold. The meetings held on the way were portrayed as nearly all peaceful but the women had to endure a great deal of verbal, and sometimes, physical abuse. Harriet Blessley of Portsmouth recalled: “It is difficult to feel a holy pilgrim when one is called a brazen hussy.” And three days before the end of the march the 'ten ladies who were members of the Suffrage Society' led by Marie Corbett of the East Grinstead Suffrage Society – carrying a silken banner bearing the arms of East Grinstead – were greeted by yells and hooting and ‘were the targets for occasional pieces of turf’ as they arrived at a meeting organised by Marie Corbett and Edward Steer of the Men’s League for Women’s Suffrage. The local newspaper reported that Steer and Laurence Housman the main speaker, were attacked by the crowd: “By this time pieces of turf and a few ripe tomatoes and highly seasoned eggs were flying about.” On a Saturday afternoon all the pilgrims reached their goal in Hyde Park, where their journey culminated in a great demonstration arranged by the NUWSS ‘who put forward their views on the question of votes for women to a sympathetic crowd of about thirty or forty thousand people. ‘There were nineteen platforms, and the many speakers “included Mrs Fawcett, president of the National Union, Mrs Chapman Catt, an American lady, who was resident of the International Union, and Mrs Philip Snowdon. ‘The speakers carefully explained the reasons for their presence, and put forward arguments which they considered should convince their audience, and they were listened to patiently and quietly. ‘At none of the platforms was there any disturbances and when, in the end, a resolution was put simultaneously from all platforms, asking for the government measure to grant enfranchisement to women, there was little dissent. ‘And white clad ladies, members of the National Union, moved through the crowd and explained and argued their views on the suffrage question, and carried cards on which they obtained the signatures of converts to the cause. ‘Messages were received at the demonstration from a number of members of Parliament, expressing sympathy with the movement and wishing the demonstrators success.’ The Times, bless its cotton socks, carried a rather patronising report of the event, commenting that ‘some of the banners that they carried were extremely beautiful and they were an object lesson to trade unions and friendly societies whose solidarity is as a rule more pronounced than their artistic sense’. Speeches were followed at 6 o'clock by a resolution demanding a government measure for the enfranchisement of women 'carried everywhere to the unusual sound of women's cheering'. The Common Cause considered the pilgrimage a great success and said, “the result was nothing less than a revelation, to those who doubted it, of the almost universal sympathy given to the Non-militant Suffrage Cause once it is understood.” In celebration of the 1913 women’s achievements, the 2013 Walk for Women campaign is a series of walks taking place throughout July, with people across the country organising events. The distance hasn't mattered, nor the route taken – people have come together and celebrated the action taken a century ago and the positive change it brought about. The organisers explained, “we wanted to be part of the mass celebration of our brave sisters who campaigned tirelessly, often facing extreme conditions and treatment, to ensure women got the right to vote. “Thanks to their determination we can go to the polling stations and have our say during local, county and general elections. The right to vote cannot be underestimated." The London end of the Brighton walk sets off from Clapham South at 10.30 and ends in Hyde Park, with speakers including Laura Bates of The Everyday Sexism Project, and comedians Kate Smurthewaite and Sara Pascoe. Join us. For, as Caroline Lucas MP said at the start of the Brighton to London walk, there is a huge amount still to do. “It's not just that women are under-represented in politics, in business, in the media, and in power,” she said. "It's that we live in a culture where violence against women is endemic. In Brighton and Hove, 11,000 women experience domestic abuse each year. “Violence doesn't happen in a vacuum. The daily diet of images of women as available for men makes it more likely that discrimination and harassment are accepted. "Finally, the government's cruel and counterproductive austerity agenda is hurting women most of all. “Women use public services most; they work in them most; and if they're cut, women are most likely to be the ones who step in to fill the gap. "The struggle of the suffragettes teaches us to constantly speak up and speak out, to be courageous, and not to give up."  |
| Posted: 26 Jul 2013 07:37 AM PDT
Listening back to my interview with Chimene Suleyman I am struck again by a heartening feeling of optimism. The 30 year-old spoken word artist is immediately engaging, with a perhaps unsurprising but none the less impressive eloquence that reflects an intelligent and warm personality. This is one hell of a remarkable lady; a multi disciplined creative spirit who only began pursuing writing in earnest four years ago and embarked on a career in the field shortly thereafter. She is without pretension during the interview, despite being invited to curate a textual installation at the Royal Opera House after only performing 3 spoken word gigs and going on to represent the UK with a poetry collective at the International Biennale in Rome in 2011. And she's thankful for it all. Noting the confessional nature of spoken word Chimene says: "I am incredibly lucky to forge a career out of something that makes me feel better". But Chimene admits that pursuing writing and performing spoken word was something she "fell in to" after finding herself trapped doing "shit jobs" for three years post graduating from an English degree at Brunel University, London, in 2006. She acknowledges the irony of going on to launch a poetic career after she ” sacked off poetry at Uni [because I was] so bored of studying the same thing from the age of 11". Chimene openly volunteers that, one day during the dire job years "something snapped, everything snapped, and I had nothing left to lose". Thus she went to a poetry workshop, met and engaged with a network of poets and found herself thrust in to the spoken word 'scene' – Chimene hates this word but uses it as a convenient descriptor – at the hands of a friend's mother who volunteered her for an open mic slot. She was, she said, fantastically scared and desperately downed a bottle of wine before the performance. Sabrina Mahfouz, a feminist spoken word artist, took Chimene "under her wing", leaving Chimene immensely grateful and evidently full of admiration; she describes Mahfouz as "amazing". Mahfouz was partly politicised after working serving drinks in a lap dancing club and talks of her experiences with blistering honesty and a cool appeal that is more bewitching for clearly being genuine. She is relatable and very talented, her performance at Women of the World Festival 2013 (WOW), click here to see it, is well worth a watch. Chimene is also appreciative of all the favours she has had to "pull in" when launching and maintaining her successful spoken word night: 'Kid, I wrote back'. 'Kid, I wrote back', named after a line from a touching and emotive poem by Charles Bukowski, is held at Bar Kick in Shoreditch High Street approximately once a month. Bar Kick aims to serve as a friendly, comfortable platform for those just starting out in spoken word, as well as showcasing the inspirational abilities of those more established in the field. Chimene wanted a tangible way in to the spoken word community and was prepared to start a route for herself, and subsequently novices, through the creation of this night and by promoting, speaking at and attending the ‘nights’ of others. There is she sincerely believes "no competition" on spoken word nights. And she emphasises how important it is that veterans of the 'scene' talk to, help and encourage those newly emerging in to it partially because she is aware that there is still a stigma attached to poetry. This stigma is due in part, Chimene believes, to the lacklustre and constraining way that poetry is taught in schools. It is, she says, “a shame” we don't cultivate poetry more. As a teacher who runs workshops for both kids and adults, Chimene has had to fight against the misgivings of both groups who feel that poetry doesn't belong to them and that the school curriculum has left the bitter aftertaste that all poetry is written by a "white, middle aged, dead man". Chimene hopes to change this situation by – among other methods – encouraging those under her tutelage to write about things that genuinely interest them, and not fear the often restrictive notions of structure, grammar and spelling. She feels that she was never adequately taught about grammar, and as such "makes it up as she goes along", noting with a chuckle that this hasn't prevented her from having a career in the creative arts. Chimene calmly explained: "people tell you it's inaccessible, it doesn't belong to you". If you want to pursue something that you love just do it, she says, though she leans forward, smiling, to add that it is wise to be "brave enough to accept sometimes you die on stage…and that hurts". It sounds like the hurt is worth it. Chimene’s writing on politically current articles from a feminist perspective for Poejazzi website.  |
| Celebrating the creased green spine Posted: 26 Jul 2013 05:30 AM PDT
Virago was the brainchild of Carmen Callil, who was supported by many more behind the scenes including Spare Rib's Martha Rowe and Rosie Boycott. Its mission was to "publish books which celebrated women and women's lives, and which would, by so doing, spread the message of women's liberation to the whole population." Virago began in 1973. It was not the only feminist publishing house to emerge from that second wave era and was a product of the time, contributing to a burgeoning movement which sought to challenge the literary canon both past and present. And how they've challenged it! In 1979, Virago published Angela Carter's ‘The Sadian Woman’, and in 1984, the first UK edition of ‘I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings’ by Maya Angelou was another Virago success. Margaret Atwood wrote, "Virago became my UK paperback publisher in the seventies…because – quite frankly – no one else wanted to". In addition to three other nominations for Virago-published works, Atwood won the Man Booker Prize for The Blind Assassin in 2000. It's hard to believe that such a talent struggled for UK distribution, but what a testament to Virago that it saw her skill from the start, not to mention that she remains to this day one of its authors. Likewise, in 1997 Sarah Waters' debut novel ‘Tipping the Velvet’ was a huge commercial success and became a fixture on the reading lists of many universities around the country. Waters went on to be nominated for the Man Booker and Orange Prizes for her novels ‘Fingersmith’ and ‘The Night Watch’. Beyond its publishing of seminal contemporary works of fiction, the publisher’s second "lightbulb" moment, as Callil describes it, was in the instrumental recovery of a rich history of women writers including Antonia White, Rebecca West and Winifred Holty. Printing them in the now familiar green jackets, Virago has ensured that texts like Charlotte Perkins Gilman's ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ and Zora Neale Hurston's ‘Their Eyes Were Watching God’ are not just freely available, but have secured their rightful place as modern classics. As the UK webzine For Books' Sake, which is dedicated to promoting and celebrating writing by women, wrote: "Virago have been responsible for the rediscovery of numerous women writers who may otherwise have lapsed into obscurity." The fortieth anniversary celebratory edition ‘Virago is 40: A Celebration’, includes new works of fiction and non-fiction from writers including Margaret Atwood, Kate Mosse and Naomi Wolf. Some write poetry, others prose, some make lists, while others create puzzles. The single thread binding the work to a common theme is the word 40, which was the only brief provided to contributors. Much of the work is biographical, with many of the writers drawing inspiration from the fortieth year of their own lives – or writing back, as Virginia Woolf encouraged, through their biological or "feminist mothers". These maternal, biographical episodes are often poignant stories of self-sacrifice, women who had children and could not find, or were not permitted to find, a way to enter the working or educational lives they dreamed of. In Claire Messud's ‘Forty’, she writes: "Heroines do not always take the forms we might imagine. “When she was young, my mother had grand dreams. She knew by the age of forty that she would never be famous or important in the eyes of the world. By the age of fifty, her fantasies of a professional career had withered, and she knew that she would be known and remembered only as a mother, wife, and friend. She was ashamed of this, saw it as her failure." The high frequency of these maternal stories of loss which are contained in the edition is a reminder not only of the particular time that Virago itself was born out of, but of the principles guiding Callil's idea for the publishing house. In the introduction for the edition, some of the original aims of the publisher are described as: "to put women centre stage; to explore the untold stories of their lives and histories; to break the silence around many women's experiences." The role that Virago has played in putting "women centre stage" is well highlighted by an autobiographical piece from poet Jane Miller, who writes, "I read nothing by a woman when I did A levels in English, French, and German at school and nothing by a woman at University either…And yet all but one of my teachers were women. “At home, I read books and articles by women, of course, but I was pretty sure they weren't serious stuff. “All that changed just about forty years ago, and Virago had a hand in it." But while this edition is a reminder of the important work that Virago has done in supporting women's writing through tough times past and present, it is also a celebration of what has been achieved, and these accounts of loss are beautifully interspersed with just the right amount of humour. For example, Sandi Toksvig urges the women of the world to abandon their household chores in favour of catching up on forty winks. "It's time," she says, "for women to stop trying to do everything for everyone else. “It's past time to set aside the Superwoman label and sleep a little. I have an image of females across the world lying peacefully napping on a sofa in a library…while in a corner the Angel in the House frowns for the women are dreaming not dusting." There are numerous other creative ideas using 40 as their inspiration, for example Amanda Coe writes a piece about her dysfunctional relationship with her father which centres around the A40 road; Tracey Thorn (former member of the band Everything but the Girl) writes about her uncomfortable relationship with the Top Forty music chart; and Elizabeth Speller weaves an enchanting elegiac tale about "Plot 40" – the cemetery reference of the narrator's final resting place. The whole collection reminds us not only of a bright history, but paints a similarly bright future for women's writing. This strong showing, however, belies the continued need for a women-centric publisher, and if you are in any doubt about why we still need Virago then have a look at the Guardian's recent infographic showing the gender (im)balance of UK literary culture. ‘Virago is 40: A Celebration’ is available in different formats through Amazon, Apple, and other ebook retailers allowing free downloads. Long live the creased green spine!  |
| Team GB’s top female hopes for Moscow Posted: 26 Jul 2013 03:30 AM PDT
With the World Championships less than three weeks away, we take a look at the top five hopes on the women's side. Jess Ennis-Hill: Jess Ennis-Hill is one of the headline names in the squad, but her participation at the World Championships has been in doubt for months. A stubborn ankle injury has forced her to withdraw from five planned competitions recently, and she has not competed in a full heptathlon since winning Olympic gold in London last year. With less than three weeks before Moscow, Ennis-Hill competed for the first time this summer on July 23. She finished in fourth place in the javelin at the Loughborough European Athletics Permit meeting, throwing a new personal best of 48.33 metres: a considerable improvement on her previous best of 47.49, in what has often been one of her weaker events. However, she admitted that the ankle injury is still troubling her, and said that she will not travel to Moscow unless she feels strong enough to challenge for gold. "I want to be competitive," she said. "I don't want to go to just enjoy it. I want to contend for the gold medal." Ennis-Hill's participation is still far from certain, but if she is in shape, she will be one of Team GB's strongest bets for a medal. Jess Judd: 18 year-old 800 metre runner Jess Judd has burst onto the scene this year. Since she completed her A-levels just a few weeks ago, she has won gold at the European Team Championships, and broken two minutes for the first time to win at the Birmingham Diamond League. She had been due to compete at the European Junior Championships in Italy last weekend, but withdrew to concentrate on preparations for her debut World Championships. Judd just missed out on the British Championship title – won by Marilyn Okoro, another one to watch in Moscow – but with her inclusion in the Team GB squad, she looks set to continue her dream debut year. Perri Shakes-Drayton: An injury meant that 24 year-old Perri Shakes-Drayton missed out on the 400m hurdles final at London 2012, but in the last year a burst of good form has proved her potential on the track. The Londoner won 400m gold at the European Indoor Championships in March, ahead of fellow Brit Eilidh Child, setting a new personal best of 50.85 seconds in the process. She backed up her victory with a second gold medal in the 4x400m relay. Her place in Moscow was secured at the British Championships earlier this month, when she beat Sally Gunnell's British record for the 400m hurdles to take her fifth British title. Given that Gunnell went on to win Olympic and World Championship gold, Shakes-Drayton has proved that she will be a strong contender for the world title this year. Shara Proctor: Anguilla-born Shara Proctor leads the pack for Team GB off the track. She currently holds both the indoor and outdoor British records for the long jump. She leaped a distance of 6.89 metres on her way to a bronze medal at the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul last year, and managed 6.95 metres outdoors at last year's UK Olympic trials. Her 2013 season has so far been extremely consistent, and she has edged ever closer to repeating her record jumps. She finished third at the Lausanne Diamond League in early July, and now sits in second place in the overall Diamond League rankings. If she can continue to hold her impressive form, Proctor will be a real medal contender in Moscow. Anyika Onuora: Liverpool-born Anyika Onuora is one of just three women worldwide to hold the World Championship A standard qualifying time over 100m, 200m and 400m. She will be representing Team GB in the 200m, and in the 4x400m relay team. The 28 year-old won gold at the British Championships this month, crossing the line in 22.71 seconds. She is feeling optimistic ahead of the World Championships. "It was a little bit special, wasn't it?" she said of her British title race. "I'd like to think I'm in the form of my life. I'm feeling really good and I just hope it all bodes well for Moscow. "I've now got that opportunity now I've secured the actual ticket for the plane. I'm more than in shape and this just proves that and it's great to get my title back." The World Championships will be held in Moscow from August 10-18. The full Team GB squad is listed here.  |
| Shamed for drinking as much as the boys Posted: 26 Jul 2013 01:09 AM PDT
It turns out that us women, us in our 30s and 40s, have been so busy ‘having it all’ this last couple of decades – the career, the family, the fun - that we’ve missed the effect it has been having on our livers. If you’re a woman born in the 1970s as I was, and brought up to believe gender was never a barrier to what you could achieve in life, chances are you have a well-stocked wine rack and always have a bottle of Bombay Sapphire stashed in the cupboard. But ‘keeping up with boys’ is taking its toll. According to experts from the Glasgow Centre for Population Health (GCPH), more women in their 30s and 40s are dying from alcohol-related deaths than in any generation before us. As the tabloids set about stirring up a spot of moral panic, pointing the finger firmly at the ‘ladette’ culture of the 1990s and indulging in a bit of good old-fashioned slut-shaming (look at these hideous drunk women, acting like men, isn’t it disgusting?), they’ve omitted to mention the fact that men are still dying from alcohol-related illnesses at three times the rate of women. Now, I don’t want to make light of drinking to excess but society needs to understand that alcoholism is not a gender-specific disease; to single out women and suggest it’s somehow more shameful for ‘ladies’ to not be more ‘ladylike’ is, well, just plain old-fashioned sexism. For where are the outraged headlines demanding men be more gentlemen-like? It’s been a long time since society put such archaic demands on the male of the species, but thanks to the double standards we live by every day, men, and many women, have no qualms in heaping shame on any woman who doesn’t conform to the gender stereotype. We are expected to accept that ‘lads will be lads’ and let the boys get on with it, even if they are killing themselves in the process. Women however, must be given a stern telling off for daring to emulate this behaviour. The nineties were my formative years and I saw no reason why I, and my fellow female drinkers, couldn’t do as the boys did. We studied the same subjects at school and we went on to the same universities, so why not match them drink for drink?. By the time I hit 18 I couldn’t be within ten feet of an open bottle of cider lest it give me unpleasant flashbacks to an unfortunate incident in the toilets of the Rose and Crown, but that didn’t stop me. At university, drinking was ingrained in the culture, and the women indulged just as much as the men. One hall of residence even had a ‘Vom Soc’, which encouraged its members to go out drinking until they threw up. Both female and male students could be seen proudly sporting the relevant T-shirts around town. But no matter how much I believed I was on an equal footing to my male counterparts, the harsh reality was we were still operating in a male world; a society where in order for a woman to make it, she has to take on the male traits of success. Sally Marlow, from the Institute of Psychiatry at Kings College London, told BBC Radio 4′s Today programme recently that the report suggested a “ticking time bomb” of alcohol problems in women, mainly because they were acting like men. “We had women very out there, embracing male behaviours – one of which was excessive drinking,” she said. We’ve also had women out there breaking down barriers, making a success of themselves in the last 20 years, even in this male-dominated society In a somewhat unpleasant turn of events it seems, this increasing equality has opened up women to some of the risks men have faced for some time, but it is certainly no reason to turn back the clock. So we’re catching up with men in the horrible-deaths-which-could-be-avoided stakes, but the answer isn’t public woman-shaming across the national media. It is utterly tragic that so many people die from alcohol-related conditions every year – around 9,000 according to the BBC – but we can’t address the issue by simply discouraging women from drinking. The fact is that there are still a lot more men dying from alcohol-related problems than women, and our screwed-up society finds it quite easy to gloss over the hyper-masculine attitudes that have helped pave the way for this problem. Men can justify their behaviour by, well, just being men. If you’re ‘out with the boys’, anything goes, whereas women are called up and held to account for any behaviour that challenges traditional concepts of femininity. Such double standards won’t help us address the reasons why more and more people are turning to alcohol.  |
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