Women's Views on News |
- Eye makeup excused from mercury ban
- Events: 11 – 17 November
- Sports round-up: 4-10 November
- One hundred women debate gender issues
| Eye makeup excused from mercury ban Posted: 11 Nov 2013 08:05 AM PST
Mercury was banned in cosmetics and soaps by a global treaty signed recently at the United Nations Environment Programme’s’ Minamata Convention for Mercury – but mascara and other eye makeup were exempted. Mercury is used in trace amounts in eye makeup as a preservative. The treaty exempts eye area cosmetics because "no effective, safe substitute alternatives are available." The Minamata Convention aims to protect human health and the environment from the adverse effects of mercury and is designed to limit mercury use and emissions internationally by reducing emissions and releases of the toxic metal into air, land and water and phasing out many products that contain mercury. The treaty was agreed to on 10 October after four years of negotiations. It is the first new global convention on environment and health for close to a decade. Many local people were poisoned in the mid-20th century after eating mercury-contaminated seafood from Minamata Bay in Japan. As a consequence, the neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning has come to be known as Minamata Disease. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said the intention of the ban was to eliminate cosmetics like skin-lightening cream and others that contain large concentrations of mercury and have been shown to cause kidney damage in women. The Times of India, reporting from a country where skin lightener use is widespread said the global health watchdog World Health Organisation (WHO) said the serious adverse effects of inorganic mercury, a common ingredient in skin lightening soaps and creams, include kidney damage, reduction in the skin’s resistance to bacterial and fungal infections, anxiety, depression or psychosis and peripheral neuropathy or damage to one or more of your peripheral nerves. The WHO, the newspaper continued, pointed out that mercury in soaps and creams is eventually discharged into wastewater. The mercury then enters the environment, where it becomes methylated, and enters the food chain as highly toxic methylmercury in fish. Pregnant women who consume fish containing methylmercury transfer the mercury to their foetuses and that can later result in neurological deficits in children. Defending UNEP’s stance, Joanna Tempowski, a scientist on the WHO’s International Program on Chemical Safety told Environmental Health News that mercury is added to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi that could infect and damage the eye, noting that "the risk-benefit analysis favours the use of these preservatives." Mascara brands without mercury sometimes use other harmful preservatives, such as formaldehyde, which is a carcinogenic, or parabens, which may be linked to hormone disruption, according to Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Database. Here is a list compiled by One Green Planet to help you find some chemical and cruelty-free mascaras.  |
| Posted: 11 Nov 2013 04:08 AM PST
Belfast: 17 November: OUTBURST 2013: Rosie Wilby and a day of events with Belfast Feminist Network at Black Box and Green Room, 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast from 2pm. What does it mean to be queer and feminist in 2013? Join Belfast Feminist Network as they take over OUTBURST for a day of events in the Black Box that explores what feminism is all about for a new generation of lesbian and bi women. Everyone welcome. The programme of events features: a showing of the film Lesbiana from Myriam Fougère followed by an inter-generational panel discussion on the relevance of lesbian feminism then and now, a Hollaback! zine workshop, and performance from Rosie Wilby of her latest show, 90s woman. Tickets £5. Places are limited.
Bristol: 14 November: What The Frock! Comedy Presents… Lucy Porter and Friends at the Colston Hall, Colston Street, Bristol, from 8pm-10.30pm. The Whiteladies Picture House has teamed up with Bristol's What The Frock! comedy for an extra special fundraising event. See the "witty, charming, amazing" (Chortle) Lucy Porter headline this all-female comedy night to raise money for the Whiteladies Picture House campaign. This event also stars the very talented Tania Edwards ("Born to perform…" The List"; Laura Lexx, who is billed as the "next generation Lucy Porter" (Chortle); while your host for the evening is multi-award winning comedian Rosie Wilby. This is a seated Hall 2 show. Tickets £13/£11 concessions. Carlisle: 16 November: Rape Crisis Charity Event featuring 'The Magic of The Drifters – Drifters Revue' at Shepherds Inn, Rosehill Estate, Carlisle, from 7pm. This fundraising event in aid of Rape Crisis Cumbria features The Drifters tribute act 'The Magic of The Drifters' and will also include a disco and raffle. Tickets £20/£16. Leeds: 16 November: Reclaim the Night meeting at Victoria Gardens (outside the Art Gallery), Leeds, from 6.30pm Those participating will arrive at Leeds Met Student Union Bar for approximately 7.30pm for speakers and stalls. London: 11 November: Blurred Lines or old-fashioned sexism? Tackling sexism and racism in music videos at the Grand Committee Room (off Westminster Hall), Houses of Parliament, London SW1, from 5pm-7pm. In this debate, the campaign launch for 'Rewind&Reframe', the panel will discuss the issue of music videos and lyrics which tell young people that there are 'blurred lines' when it comes to sexual consent and women's equality. Summer hits by Robin Thicke, Justin Timberlake and Miley Cyrus are just the latest to sexualise and racialise women. The panel, chaired by Kerry McCarthy MP, includes Ikamara Larasi (Imkaan) and Graham Hill (BBFC) who will debate the solutions to these issues. Admittance by RSVP only. 12 November: Secrets from the soul: Stories and Discussion about FGM at University College London (UCL) Medical School, London, from 7pm-9pm. Professional storyteller Vanessa Woolf and musician Nigel of Bermondsey investigate issues around female cutting through story and song. This event takes place among the mysterious and ancient artefacts of UCL's Petrie Museum. Post-event discussion with UCL Medical School’s Dr Jayne Kavanagh and Dr Katherine Woolf. 50 free places. Booking essential. 14-16 November: Sister: A Preview at Battersea Arts Centre, London, from 7.45pm. Amy and Rosana are sisters, born exactly 22 months apart in the mid 80s. Amy works in the sex industry. Rosana is a lesbian with a shaved head and hairy armpits. They are both feminists. This performative exploration of female sexuality will see them revealing everything in an attempt to understand their own and each other's sexual identities, and how the world they grew up in together has shaped them into who they are today. This is a preview performance of a show which is in an ongoing process of continued development. Rosana Cade is an artist based in Glasgow who creates work that challenges perceptions of sexuality and celebrates diversity. She has performed all over the UK and Ireland, and is co-founder of BUZZCUT. Tickets £8. 16 November: Gender, Fundamentalism, Nationalism at Room G51, SOAS, 10 Thornhaugh Street, London, WC1H from 5pm This seminar, brought to you by the Centre for Research on Migration, Refugees and Belonging, University of East London (UEL) and Centre for Gender Studies (SOAS), will feature Kumud Rana from Erasmus University, Dr Nayia Kamenou from the University of Cyprus, Dr Rashmi Varma from Warwick University and Dr Maja Korac from the University of East London. The event is free, but space is limited. 17 November: The Widow by Thomas Middleton at Sackler Studios, Shakespeare's Globe, London, from 3pm. Since 1995, Globe Education's Read Not Dead series has staged "performances with scripts" of plays written between 1576 and 1642 by Shakespeare's contemporaries, offering an adventure for actors and audiences alike. Professor Ann Thompson is guest curator of this autumn's series of staged readings. She has chosen plays which “did interesting things with the female roles. I hope the audience will come away thinking about the role of women in these plays but above all will enjoy them as staged readings.” The Widow is a romantic comedy based on a tale from Boccaccio's Decameron. The widow of the title is different from the misogynistic stereotype found in other plays, though she shares the usual desire to find herself another husband. Much intrigue and cross-dressing follows. As the Oxford editors put it, 'Middleton's play celebrates the collapse of sexual distinction in a merry-go-round of substitutions', and audiences can leave a performance arguing about the 'real' gender of one of the major characters. Ticket £8/£10. Until 6 December: Restored's exhibition of members' photos at The Salvation Army International HQ, 101 Queen Victoria Street, London, EC4V. 'Restored' is an international Christian alliance which aims to transform relationships and end violence against women. The alliance believe that Christian churches have huge potential to help prevent violence, but also need to change their own attitudes and practices. This exhibition is features photos from members which represent work undertaken on transforming relationships and ending violence against women. Entry is free. Newcastle upon Tyne: Until 21 December: Inspirational Women North East at Hatton Gallery, Claremont Road, Newcastle upon Tyne. A portrait exhibition featuring the work of photographers Bryony Bainbridge and Kami Dodds, celebrating the achievements of women who have played a vital role within the North. Oxford: 14 November: Reclaim The Moonlight meeting outside the Town Hall outside St Aldate's, Oxford at 6.30pm. Don't be afraid of the dark! Reclaim the Moonlight is a women's walk along the river at night – to reclaim a woman's right to be out at night and feel free from the fear of sexual harassment, violence and rape. This freedom is still often denied to women and far too many are attacked throughout the world. Even in the UK it is estimated that 85,000 women are raped every year and that over 400,000 women are sexually assaulted annually (Rape Crisis, 2013). This walk is for all self-identifying women, and children are welcome too. This walk is women only to demonstrate that women united can resist fear and violence. We will join to show the world that we are not scared to walk the streets. Together we will promote a culture where we listen and support each other while we walk proudly in the moonlight.  |
| Sports round-up: 4-10 November Posted: 11 Nov 2013 03:00 AM PST
Archery: Britain's women won several medals at the World Archery Para Championships in Bangkok this week. The first medal came courtesy of Mel Clarke on November 5, who took bronze in the women's open compound. She missed out on the final after a shock defeat in the semi-finals to Turkey's Burcu Dag. Double Paralympic champion Danielle Brown faced Dag in the final, but lost a close battle to take the silver medal. Brown and her teammate John Stubbs won the silver medal in the mixed team compound event November 7. Despite her success, Brown will no longer be able to compete in international Para-Archery events due to a change in classification procedures. Brown shoots sitting down due to a medical condition which causes her chronic pain in her feet. However, from April 1 next year, the rules will change so that only athletes whose disability directly affects their performance will be allowed to compete. Rugby: England's women convincingly beat France in their first autumn international at Twickenham on November 9, with a score of 40-20. Tries came from Maggie Alphonsi – back in the team after a 20 month absence due to injury – as well as captain Katy McLean, Claire Allan, Ruth Laybourn and Kay Wilson. Gymnastics: Britain's women won the world team trampoline title in Sofia, Bulgaria, on November 9. Emma Smith, Laura Gallagher, Bryony Page and Kat Driscoll scored a total of 164.845 points to finish ahead of Canada and Belarus. Driscoll said, "We had worked so hard over the last two to three years and this comes as an acknowledgement of all our efforts." Hockey: The International Hockey Federation announced this week that England is to host the 2018 women's World Cup. The event will be held at the Lee Valley Hockey Centre. England Hockey chairman Philip Kimberley said, "We're absolutely thrilled to have secured the World Cup. It's of huge importance to us as we look to build our momentum and increase the visibility of our sport." Ice Skating: Short-track skater Elise Christie set a new British record in the 1500m at an Olympic qualifier in Turin on November 9. The 23 year-old finished sixth with a time of 2:18.696 minutes. Christie also competed in the 500m, where she suffered two falls in the quarter finals. After colliding with another skater on the first corner, she fell again at the restart. She attributed the second fall to a damaged skate. "It was pretty embarrassing. I'm here for comical value," she told the BBC. Cycling: Emma Pooley is to return to the top level of road cycling next year. She has joined the Lotto Belisol team, and plans to target several top events in 2014. The 31 year-old, one of Britain's top road cyclists, has taken a step back from racing this year to focus on completing her PhD. Swimming: Lizzie Simmonds won two silver medals and a bronze at the Tokyo leg of the FINA World Cup series on November 9. The 22 year-old beat her own English record to win silver in the 50m backstroke, just 0.01 seconds behind Brazilian Etiene Madeiros. Her second silver medal came in the 200m backstroke, and her bronze in the 100m backstroke. Also competing was Sophie Allen, who won bronze in the 200m individual medley, and Siobhan-Marie O'Connor, who finished seventh in the race. The final leg of the series will take place in Beijing from November 13.  |
| One hundred women debate gender issues Posted: 11 Nov 2013 01:09 AM PST
The BBC’s recent 100 Women conference brought together 100 women from around the world at the BBC’s Broadcasting House in London for a day of debate, discussion and live broadcasting. Cherie Blair, British barrister and philanthropist; Tanni Grey-Thompson, Paralympic Games gold medallist; Jacqui Smith, former UK Home Secretary and Martha Lane Fox, UK technology entrepreneur and digital champion, joined others including Syrian blogger and activist, Razan Ghazzawi; a radical Spanish nun, the head of the English Collective of Prostitutes, Judith Webb, the first female officer to command an all-male squadron in the British Army and the UK’s first female porn director. Topics discussed included ‘Should mothers get a living wage?’, ‘Why are there so few female scientists?’ and ‘What is 21st century feminism?’ Former tennis champion Martina Navratilova revealed that her decision to come out as gay was branded career suicide and led to the loss of millions of dollars in endorsements. But she said that was a price she was willing to pay in order to remain ‘true to herself’. Navratilova, who has won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, believes it is important that women "break boundaries, be yourself and believe in yourself". She said that it was these three principles which had guided her life. British feminist writer Natasha Walter, who was among the women discussing feminism, said, “Feminism is all about equality and freedom. It’s great more men than ever before are now coming forward and saying ‘I am a feminist’.” During the discussion, journalist Ann Leslie recalled how, although she was a successful writer, she couldn’t get a mortgage because she wasn’t married, but when she but reapplied as Captain Griggs one was instantly granted. But English porn film director Anna Arrowsmith said, “One of the issues we have with feminism at the moment, is that we have to move on and look at men and how men are gendered. “I have studied men but they are just as anxious as we are but they have to perform to this strong, masculine thing which often leaves them isolated.” Sigridur Maria Egilsdottir, Iceland’s champion debater, talked about ending inequality. She said: “Although it may seem impossible to change outdated rules that stop girls being educated… our world is ruled by little else than thoughts and ideas, and therefore it is within our power to change it.” The event coincided with a survey by the World Economic Forum showing that there have been improvements in economic equality and political empowerment for women, but that there is still no country on earth where women and men are equal. The BBC’s 100 Women website has a host of video reports and graphics to highlight women’s issues. For the names of the 100 women who took part and their Twitter addresses click here.  |
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