Women's Views on News |
- Older Women in Film and Television: The Roundup
- The media’s blind spot about women
- Child marriage: not just someone else’s problem
- Launch of Voices against Violence
- A big day of feminism in London
| Older Women in Film and Television: The Roundup Posted: 11 Oct 2013 11:14 AM PDT
Aging and existential crisis in 3rd Rock from the Sun by Jenny Lapekas Because Mary is teased for her old age, especially since she's no longer viewed as the sexual being she was once known as, it's at the forefront of particular episodes. In season three, Dick hounds a photographer who once took "tasteful, artistic" nude photos of Mary when she was younger, and he comes to terms with them only after he begins shredding them. He discovers that the shots are beautiful and capture how beautiful Mary was, but he also realizes that she's still sexually appealing because he loves her; he tells her that she has aged "like a fine wine." The ruthless power of Patty Hewes from Damages & Victoria Grayson from Revenge by Amanda Rodriguez Older women in film and TV are generally a stereotypical lot. They're usually sexless matrons or grandmothers who perform roles of support for their screen-stealing husbands or children. These older women are typically preoccupied with home and family, lacking a complex inner life because they are gendered symbols of, you guessed it, home and family. Occasionally we see older women who go beyond that trope, even defying it to focus more on power, prestige, winning, and their own personal success and public image rather than that of others. Two potent examples of this are Patty Hewes from Damages and Victoria Grayson from Revenge. The First Wives Club: "Don't get mad. Get everything."by Jen Thorpe There is a scene where Brenda is walking past a department store with a friend. She stops to look at a tiny black dress in the window. "Who's supposed to wear that?" she rhetorically asks her friend, "Some anorexic teenager? Some fetus?" Her rant continues with her intent to lead a protest by never buying any more clothing until the designers "come to their senses." Charlize Theron: Too hot to be wicked? by Katherine Newstead In a scene toward the beginning of Snow White and the Huntsman, during Ravenna's and the King's wedding night, she tells of how she has replaced his old (emphasis on the "old") Queen, and how, in time, she too would have been replaced. Thus, Ravenna speaks of the "natural" cycle of youth replacing age and appears to blame patriarchy for this situation, as men "toss women to the dogs like scraps" once they have finished with them. "When a woman stays young and beautiful forever, the world is hers." Telling stories: My House in Umbria by Amanda Civitello "We survived," Emily is fond of saying to a number of characters in the film – and while she's obviously referencing the terror attack when she speaks to her fellow "walking wounded" – it's apparent from its very first utterance that Emily has survived far more than the explosion in carrozza 219. As her story unfolds, we come to discover that Emily is a survivor of childhood abandonment: she was sold as an infant to a childless couple by her parents who had no place for a child in their circus-act lives. She's a survivor of sexual abuse and a survivor of a succession of abusive relationships. Notes on a Scandal: The older woman As predator and prey by Elizabeth Kiy Her loneliness is compounded by this narrative technique, as Barbara is often given no one to play off of and instead watches interactions from a distance, remaining an entirely closed off person with a rich internal life she only reveals in her private writing. For an older woman, whose age, unmarried status and perceived lack of attractiveness leave her virtually invisible and of no value to society, this narration allows her to express her resentment. But underneath her malice is the profound loneliness of a woman who seems to have never learned how to connect to people and to remain in their lives without manipulations. How Golden Girls shaped my feminism by Megan Kearns Golden Girls was ahead of its time. We rarely see female actors over the age of 50 portraying characters embracing and owning their sexuality. Reduced to our appearances, women are told time and again that beauty, youth and thinness determine our worth. When the media body shames and bodysnarks female actors' bodies, it's clear how how far we need to go in featuring women's stories. And so in our youth-obsessed society, it's revolutionary to see women over 50 on-screen as beautiful, vivacious and sexual. You Don't Own Me: The First Wives Club and feminismby Mia Steinle As a 12-year-old, my life bore little resemblance to theirs, but The First Wives Club gave me one of my first, delicious glimpses into womanhood — a womanhood that includes sassy retorts and getting drunk at lunch and hanging out with your best friends (and also with Bronson Pinchot and Gloria Steinem). It's a version of womanhood where we know that Maggie Smith, no matter how old, is always cooler than Sarah Jessica Parker. Where finding out that your daughter is a lesbian is no big thing. ("Lesbians are great nowadays!" Annie remarks after hearing the news.) Where female empowerment isn't just a nebulous buzzword, but something you achieve and celebrate. Fried Green Tomatoes: A celebration of (older) women by Amanda Morris In American society and in Hollywood films, too often women are invisible, much less a force to be reckoned with. Older women in particular are meant to be hidden away, not viewed as holders of wisdom or desired as sexual beings or feared as people who could create change or cause damage. And when women ARE a force in film, there tend to be dire consequences for demonstrating independence and strength. This is not the case in Fried Green Tomatoes. Ninny and Evelyn are older female characters who not only carry the film with their stories but also demonstrate real strength and determination in the face of denial, obstinacy, and youthful swagger.  |
| The media’s blind spot about women Posted: 11 Oct 2013 08:14 AM PDT
In the first of an ongoing series examining the media’s “blind spot” towards gender, race and class, Digital Women UK asked Bidisha to talk about media attitudes towards women and the role social media might play in ensuring women’s voices are heard. How would you define the media’s blind spot? I call it cultural femicide: the erasure of women from public life. We are completely under-represented as experts, artists, speakers, innovators, creators, spokeswomen, scientists, leaders, politicians. When we are featured, it is as objects – either modelling or being guinea pigs in fashion, hair, beauty makeup and fitness features, or as dead bodies – victims of endemic male violence, rape, abduction and so forth. Issues of rape and domestic violence, which are endemic, are ignored or underplayed, or, worse, play into rape myths which excuse perpetrators, blame victims and propagate the completely incorrect idea that false allegations of male sexual violence are rife. I think this is an overtly misogynistic, malicious tactic. There is also a blind spot behind the scenes: the paucity of women in the media in senior roles, especially in newspapers; the persisting pay gap; and the casual sexism which I have seen with my own eyes. What do you think of media coverage of women’s issues? While things are very slowly changing as the media wakes up the the sheer heat of women’s feminist voices, the traditional coverage of issues affecting women has been deeply misogynistic. The most misogynist tactic is simply to ignore women as though we don’t exist, or severely under-represent us as though we do not play a full and wholly exploited and undervalued part in the working, social, cultural and political life of the country. The next tactics along are simply to sneer at and undermine women, and to treat the things which affect us – sexual harassment, sexual violence, economic inequality – as though they are minor or a ‘women’s issue’ instead of something the whole world or nation is affected and concerned by. Many so-called women’s issues are actually men’s issues as the perpetrators of the sexual violence, harassment, objectification and violation are men, not women – so I don’t understand where the phrase ‘women’s issues’ really came from… oh yes I do: the perpetrators’ male apologists. How have you encountered this blind spot as a journalist? Typecasting and stereotyping are always an issue, in race as well as gender, although I should point out that I am a women’s advocate and believe that, in the limited time and space I have, I want to stand alongside women and support other women’s work, because the discrimination is so strong. I wish I could put into words the sheer waves of hostility, unwillingness, anger and resistance I have encountered when talking to TV, radio and newspaper editors/commissioners (some of whom are themselves women) and I recommend more than one or two women out of a list of ten. We live in an intensely misogynistic culture – and misogyny’s great triumph is to have completely infected women. This internalisation of self-hatred, hatred of other women and grovelling towards men really bothers me. What do you think are the challenges for people working in the media – women and men? A lot is changing now, down to a combination of the digital revolution, which has flattened out the authority of the media, and also led to the expectation of free content and free labour and the global recession which has affected ad sales. Newspapers and magazines are closing or losing pages due to falling readerships or falling investment from advertisers; meanwhile, our own habits are changing as readers/viewers. We are no longer loyal to one outlet or regard it as the voice of authority. Journalism is becoming de-professionalised: I make most of my income from presenting at live events at arts festivals nationally and sometimes internationally, but a lot of the journalism I do – and all of the activism – is done entirely for free. I don’t mind that, as such, but it does highlight the fact that journalism is no longer a profession and is down to people who already have full-time jobs working additionally, or to people who (like me) have had long careers, savings, established lives etc and therefore are not relying on journalism income. Either way, it’s unsatisfactory, labour-exploitative and class-exclusive. As a woman and a feminist I think we have to keep on challenging the discriminators, keeping up the pressure, keeping on counting (how I hate the counting…) and publicising the results. Discriminators of both sexes hate women, but they hate public scrutiny even more. What role does social media play in challenging the media’s blind spot? I am no fan of Facebook at all and like many people I’m ambivalent about Twitter: of course I like a buzz and an instant response but there’s an unfortunate repetitiveness and compulsiveness about it that, as a journalist, actually prevents me from going away and finding the mental space to craft a substantial article which contains original analysis and isn’t just a net of links to other people’s work. However, I think that social media in the form of online archives and research, blogs and webzines, activism and consciousness-raising – whether we are talking about The F Word, The Everyday Sexism Project, Hollaback or whatever else – have been instrumental in pushing forward women’s lived experiences, in showing our research and in demonstrating just how many capable, talented, dynamic and vocal women there are out there. Discriminators always backed up their undermining of women by saying that we are (in any field) absent, shy, unwilling, unproductive, scarce, unconfident and so on and so forth. These are lies used to justify abuse. The sheer numbers of women participating in social media not only as activists but also as reporters, authors, artists, musicians, collectives, filmmakers and much more shows how pathetic those excuses are. However, I am alarmed by the way the ‘freedom’ of the Internet has led to the idea that content should be free and that people who make it, whether it is a piece of research, a short story, a political campaign, a book, should be working for free. Women’s labour has been taken and exploited for 5,000 years. I believe that we deserve to be paid, credited and rewarded for our talent just as men are. Social media is a great antidote to the media blindspot – but basic human respect for women must now come right into the mainstream and be normalised because we are human beings after all, not some kind of strange, minor, outlying entity. That begins with giving women a place at the table so we can be heard.  |
| Child marriage: not just someone else’s problem Posted: 11 Oct 2013 07:27 AM PDT
On International Day of the Girl 2013, Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights Organisation (IKWRO) call for David Cameron increase the minimum age of marriage to 18. Child marriage is something we hear about in the UK, but it is not something all of us are familiar with – or something we like to think happens here. In reality, as well as being a global issue, it is something which we in the UK definitely need to concern ourselves with. National law here in the UK allows our children to marry at the age of 16 and 17 years old with consent from their parents. We may not consider this an issue for children who want to marry each other, but it becomes a real concern when the children do not. In situations of forced marriage. According to the Foreign and Commonwealth Offices Forced Marriage Unit (FMU), which in 2012 gave advice or support in 1485 cases related to possible forced marriages, 35 per cent of the victims were under 18 years old. A forced marriage is where one or both people do not or cannot consent to the marriage, for example in cases of people with learning or physical disabilities and where pressure or abuse is used. The pressure put on people to marry against their will can be physical – including threats, actual physical violence and sexual violence – or emotional and psychological, for example, when someone is made to feel like they are bringing shame on their family if they do not do what their parents’ say. Financial abuse can also be a factor in the pressure to forcibly marry and can take the form of wages being taken away or the withholding of financial support. In March 2013, the BBC reported on a two year-old victim who was saved from a forced marriage in the UK. Cases involving victims as young as this are rare but they do happen. More often, victims are aged between 16 and 25 years old and are at risk of significant harm if they refuse to comply with their parents’ wishes. Fatima (not her real name) is 17 years old. She lives in London and is British. She was born in the UK and has grown up here, living with her father, mother and her younger sisters. Her family are from a tribe in Southern Iran. When she was 13 her family started to tell her how she would have to marry her cousin, who is older than her. They told her that she would have to get married before she turned 18. Fatima was fearful and knows that they mean it. She doesn't want to get married yet and feels at 17 years old, she is too young and still a child. Fatima told me that only a few months ago someone saw her talking to a boy and informed her parents. She was beaten every day for a month as punishment. She added: “My parents are really controlling. They don't like me making friends. Other than to go to college, I am not allowed out on my own. They always take me to and collect me from college. “They limit how much money I have; they only give me £2 a day for lunch. They bought me a mobile phone when I started college and they call me all of the time to check on me. They don't like me talking to anyone outside of the family on the phone. When I need to go see my GP my family always come with me.” Fatima also told me how she has to hide her real life from her parents for fear of more abuse: “I have a boyfriend. He goes to my college. Of course I have to hide this from my parents. “Almost every day my parents threaten to kill me if I dishonour them by talking to boys. I don't know if they would actually kill me but it makes me feel depressed.” Fatima’s story took a shocking turn: “My father often gets angry with me and accuses me of disobeying him. My aunts encourage my parents to beat me. My father has pushed me many times giving me bruises. He has also hit me with sticks and shoes and has choked me. “I try to put on a brave face but really I am frightened most of the time. The only place that I feel safe is at college, but I know that I am only there for a few hours until I am picked up again.” Imagine living with this fear, this incredible pressure to conform, to obey and to do not what you choose, but what your parents choose for you. Imagine not knowing what lies ahead at home if you were to disobey, or, if you were to obey, what lies ahead for you in a life with a man you do not know, do not love and are with for your parents’ convenience. Domestic and sexual abuse are all frequently reported components of forced marriage, and this abuse includes rape. IKWRO work with women like Fatima every day. On 11 October, 2013, International Day of the Girl, they will be writing to Mr Cameron and asking for him to legislate so that stories like Fatima’s become stories of the past. IKWRO’s letter to David Cameron: Dear Prime Minister Re: Open letter calling for an end to UK Child Marriage I am the Executive Director of the Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights Organisation (IKWRO), a registered charity supporting women and girls from the UK's Middle Eastern and Afghan communities. I founded the charity after someone important to me was murdered in an 'honour' killing. I was shocked that this could happen to a woman who lived in the UK. I made a commitment to do all that I could to bring an end to all forms of 'Honour' Based Violence including Child Marriage. Today on International Day of the Girl I am writing to you to ask for your help to bring an end to Child Marriage. As well as being a major global problem, which we must play our part in stopping, Child Marriage is also happening within the UK. We must not neglect this issue at home. We must do everything that we can to ensure that we protect our children from Child Marriage which is a form of child abuse and is a human rights issue. According to Article 1 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was signed by the UK and came into force in this country on 15 January 1992 'a child means every human being below the age of 18 years'. We must not allow this vital period of physical and personal development to be cut short by premature marriage. I know from the accounts of women and girls whom IKWRO support, that Child Marriage has devastating lifelong impacts. It denies childhood and can subject the victim to a lifetime of rape and other forms of sexual abuse and physical violence, as well as emotional, financial and physical control. It often restricts access to education which curtails financial independence and can result in lower living standards, child pregnancy and associated and other health problems. UNICEF's report 'State of the World's Children' found that an infant born to a mother under the age of eighteen is sixty percent more likely to die in its first year of life than one born to a mother over the age of nineteen. Research from the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) found that girls married before the age of eighteen are more likely to experience domestic violence and depression than those who marry later. We must ensure that our legal framework prohibits Child Marriage. I support the recommendations of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Population, Development and Reproductive Health which in its report called 'A Childhood Lost' recommends that the minimum marriageable age is increased to 18 across the UK. Survivors of Child Marriage who we work with have told us that if Child Marriage was illegal they would have been empowered to try to seek help. Unlike several European countries including Belgium, Finland, France, Germany and Ireland, UK law currently permits Child Marriage. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, a 16 and 17 year old can marry with parental consent and in Scotland the minimum marriageable age is 16. We must abolish parental consent; if an individual is not considered to be old enough to make their own decision to marry, then they should not enter a marriage until they are an adult and are able to independently give informed consent. In Scotland, we must raise the minimum marriageable age to 18 to ensure that everyone who is entering a marriage is mature enough to consent to it and physically ready for its consequences. Some people might argue that some children mature more quickly than others and should have the opportunity to marry below the age of 18. I say that any frustration that a few might feel at having to wait for a short time until both parties are at least 18 and are able to give their own independent, informed consent, is far outweighed by the need to protect children, who are not ready either physically or mentally for marriage. The current law on marriageable age is particularly dangerous for 16 and 17 year-olds who are at risk of Forced Marriage. Sadly Forced Marriage of children is a significant problem in the UK. According to the Forced Marriage Unit, who in 2012 gave advice or support in 1485 cases related to a possible Forced Marriage, 35% of the victims were under 18 years old. We know that this figure, over 500 cases, is just the tip of the iceberg as many cases go unreported, often because the victims are threatened not to disclose the marriage to anyone. Another serious problem is religious Child Marriages as highlighted by the recent expose by ITV; when undercover reporters called 56 mosques to ask whether they would perform the marriage of a 14 year-old girl, 18 of the respondents agreed. I commend the strong stand that you have taken against Forced Marriage by committing to make it a criminal offence. I also applaud the excellent work of the Forced Marriage Unit. However we must do more to protect children. Setting the minimum marriageable age at 18 without exception, would be a hugely significant step. It will send a clear message that the UK does not accept Child Marriage, both at home and internationally. We should also ensure that the law being drafted to criminalise Forced Marriage states that a child cannot consent to marriage, recognising any Child Marriage as a Forced Marriage. Of course, whilst getting the law right is essential, to end Child Marriage we must take a holistic approach through community work, addressing the issue on the national curriculum, tackling unregistered religious Child Marriages including those under Sharia law and ensuring that all relevant frontline professionals receive comprehensive training. The goal is attainable. We can end Child Marriage both globally and here at home in the UK. Today on International Day of the Girl please join us in committing to make this happen. Yours sincerely Diana Nammi  |
| Launch of Voices against Violence Posted: 11 Oct 2013 03:00 AM PDT
On 9 December 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 66/170 to declare 11 October as the International Day of the Girl Child to recognize girls’ rights and emphasize the unique challenges girls face around the world. This year's theme from the United Nations (UN) is on ‘Innovating for Girls’ Education’. Go to the UN website to find out more about that. Here and now, though, we want to tell you that on International Day of the Girl Child 2013, UN Women and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) launched ‘Voices against Violence’, a new non-formal education curriculum on ending violence against women and girls, putting young people at the heart of prevention efforts. A first of its kind, the ‘Voices against Violence’ project is a co-educational curriculum designed for various age groups ranging from 5 to 25 years. It provides girls, boys, young women and young men with tools and expertise to understand the root causes of violence in their communities, to educate and involve their peers and communities to prevent such violence, and to learn about where to access support if they experience violence. UN partners and governments, UN Women and WAGGGS will work with youth organizations to roll out the curriculum to young people around the world. It will be adapted to national context, translated into local languages, and should reach an estimated five million children and young people by 2020. "We need to expand quality education that empowers girls, breaks gender stereotypes, and achieves real social change," said Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Under-Secretary-General and executive director of UN Women . "Education can play a key role in ending violence against women and girls and partnerships are critical to move this forward." "We are very excited about our partnership with the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts on this pioneering effort to prevent violence against women and girls worldwide," she added. With one in three women and girls experiencing abuse in their lifetime, violence against women and girls is the most pervasive human rights violation. Gender-based violence starts early, and girls and young women are particularly vulnerable; over 50 per cent of sexual assaults are committed against girls under 16 years. Globally, one in three girls are married before the age of 18 and one in nine before they turn 15 – effectively ending any chance they had of an education, and putting their lives at risk with early motherhood. "When we reached out to girls and young women around the world and asked what was important to them, they told us that they wanted to take a lead on tackling violence against girls and young women and that they wanted the World Association to work alongside them to do this," said Mary McPhail, chief executive of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts. "As part of our Stop the Violence campaign, ‘Voices against Violence’ is our first response; and with this programme we aim to go from a whisper of resistance to a shout of outrage, to stop the violence." The new curriculum stems from the understanding that prevention should start early in life, when values and norms around gender equality are formed, by educating girls and boys about respectful relationships and gender equality. Effective prevention efforts entail a cross-generational approach, working within schools and communities, and providing young people the tools they need to challenge gender stereotypes, discrimination and violence. Members of the Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting movement can earn a 'badge' by completing a set of six age-appropriate sessions from the curriculum. Sessions can range from the youngest groups starting out with storytelling and games that prompt them to think about gender bias and stereotypes, while older age groups might organize poster competitions, visit and volunteer with local shelters, or develop local community-based campaigns and projects to address specific forms of violence against girls and women. Follow #voicesagainstviolence and #dayofthegirl to find out more about what’s happening on the day. Also follow @un_women twitter account on the day – you won’t want to miss out. For more information on Voices against Violence, click here.  |
| A big day of feminism in London Posted: 11 Oct 2013 01:09 AM PDT
And afterwards there is a Stop Porn Culture meeting and London’s Reclaim the Night march. The Feminism in London Conference’s morning's panel discussion – Incarcerated Women – on women in prison, is particularly relevant today in the wake of the Corston Report. Speakers include Jenny Earle of the Prison Reform Trust, Adeline Trude of Bail for Immigration Detainees, and Rachel Helford of Women in Prison. Bridget Rukwira is chairing this. Then there's the morning workshops: No Choice At All: Raven Kaliana, an artist and human rights activist, presents a screening of her film Hooray for Hollywood, followed by a Q&A session. The film is a look at human trafficking and child exploitation. Raven’s motivation to inspire social change stems from her history as a survivor of these crimes. Heather Harvey of Eaves will also be there. Working Towards Non-Hierarchical Relationship Models: You can’t choose who you fall in love with, we’re told, but are there alternatives to traditional relationship structures and sexualities? What would relationship structures look like in a feminist utopia? Explore the possibilities of love in the 21st century and beyond. Presented by Dr Christine Campbell. Feminist Opposition to Militarised Male Violence: This workshop will explore why militarism is a feminist issue and what we can do about it; consider the role and consequences of armed male power on women’s lives, and discuss a range of feminist strategies and actions that can empower us to disarm patriarchy. With Rebecca Johnson. Challenging Linked Systems of Power: Towards a Whole-istic Feminism aims to transcend rifts between radical, liberal, socialist and other ‘kinds’ of feminism. Women are oppressed by male dominance but capitalism, white supremacy and other power relations do just as much damage. We will join the dots between these systems of domination – in workplaces, public services, at school, at home – and ask how a 'whole-istic' feminism can resist them. With Brigitte Lechner and Cynthia Cockburn. Secularism and Feminism within BME Communities: Gita Sahgal of the Centre for Secular Space and Lola Tinubu of African Atheists UK will discuss the shared challenges and experiences of BME women engaged in secular feminism. An MRA Workshop – a pro-feminist men’s workshop to which all are welcome. Men’s Rights Activists (MRAs) are a persistent presence in online forums and debates about feminism. This workshop looks at some typical MRA arguments and through group discussion seeks to arrive at effective responses to them. It is to be presented by Chris Green of the White Ribbon Campaign and David Brooks of the Men’s Feminist Book Group. There are two workshops for children – girls and boys aged 7 – 11 – ‘Girls in Stories’ in the morning to which boys and girls are welcome, and T-shirt making in the afternoon. The Teenage Workshops are for 11- 18 year-olds, but girls only: the morning workshop looks at What's so good about being a woman? and the afternoon workshop ‘Empowerment!’ takes a look at young women's rights. EMPOWER is part of the Safer London Foundation. The afternoon's panel, Women and the Media, A Post-Leveson World asks: What can we expect from the media in a post-Leveson world? The panel will include a speaker from Object, who made submissions to the Leveson enquiry about the portrayal of women in the media; Yasmin Alibhai-Brown who is a well known writer and journalist; and Ruth Barnes from The Other Woman radio show and will be chaired by Roweena Russell. The workshops in the afternoon: Sexual Violence And Trafficking: An International Perspective: Raggi Kotak, founder of the Anti-Trafficking Legal Project and Liberty Human Rights Award nominee, will co-ordinate a workshop on international violence against women (VAW) with Dr Aisha Gill, Associate Professor in Criminology at the University of Roehampton. Vagina! While awareness of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) as a human rights abuse increases, labiaplasty in the west gains popularity amongst those who seek the "perfect" genitalia. What does patriarchy encourage us to do to our vulvas and vaginas across the globe? Meet Nimco Ali of Daughters of Eve, BBC reporter Najlaa Abou Mehri and consultant gynaecologist Michelle Fynes. Kick-Ass Activism: A How to of Campaigning… Team No More Page 3 will show you the ropes of campaigning! Warning: You might just start a campaign after this! No More Page 3 is a campaign appealing to the editor of The Sun to please stop showing the Page 3 topless pictures. It has public backing from UK Girlguiding, National Union of Teachers, UNISON, Rape Crisis and many other unions, charities and organisations, as well as the support of 140 cross party MPs and well over 115,000 petition signers. In August this year the Irish Sun stopped showing the topless Page 3 pictures. The Ageism and Experiences of Ageism workshop will discuss stereotyping in its many forms and ageism in particular, in society generally and as it affects the young, older and old women present. We will consider old age as seen by younger women and experienced and lived by older women. This will be very much a participatory workshop, with useful academic material available for those who are interested. Presented by Marj of the Older Feminist Network and Vito from the Older Lesbian Network. Or join Rebecca of the Scary Little Girls theatre company for Taking Space, Talking Loud a – women only – workshop exploring what it means to take up space as a woman. Frequently asked to reduce ourselves and blend into the background, this workshop will use discussion, some simple drama and Transactional Analysis exercises to explore how we women can find our selves and our voices to enjoy a place in the world, rather than play under it! We will explore issues that affect women at work, socially and in relationships in a safe, women only space. All women welcome. The workshop on Healthy Relationships is a pro-feminist men’s workshop to which all are welcome. Working With Men (WWM) will introduce participants to our work which aims to prevent violence and gender inequality among young people. WWM uses its uniqueness in engaging boys and young men to explore masculinity and relationships within the contexts of race, culture and class. WWM supports boys and young men to gain an objective perspective of violence, in turn empowering them to regain control over their lives, make informed decisions and express themselves clearly with girls and young women. With Owen Thomas and Sally Mehta. After that: Stop Porn Culture International is hosting a post-conference workshop to explore ways that feminists across the world can organise against the porn industry. Part of this event will be planning for an international ‘Stop Porn Culture’ conference in London on March 15, 2014, that will bring together anti-porn feminists from all over to develop strategy to combat this multi-billion global industry. And then there is also an extra-special 10th London Reclaim the Night! Close down central London for women, put your feet on the streets to shout a loud NO to rape and all forms of male violence against women. The women-only march will assemble at 6.30pm outside the Institute of Education on Bedford Way – the nearest tube is Russell Square – and march through the centre of London. We will end with a mixed post-conference, post-march party – venue to be confirmed. Men are encouraged to join the Men's Vigil at the Edith Cavell memorial, just off Trafalgar Square. Join us. But conference tickets here.  |
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