Women's Views on News |
- Where to see the Lionesses now they are back home
- More education needed on hormonal contraception
- Ruth Simmons: “Be open to the world”
| Where to see the Lionesses now they are back home Posted: 10 Jul 2015 04:20 AM PDT
The Women's Super League (WSL) resumes this weekend, and hopes to benefit from the enthusiasm engendered by England’s tournament successes in Canada. Mind you, sometimes you have to wonder if anyone at football’s governing body, the Football Association (FA), has two brain cells to rub together. England’s Lionesses had a fantastic World Cup, finishing with a bronze medal, and on their return the best the FA could tweet was: "Our Lionesses go back to being mothers, partners and daughters today, but they have taken on another title – heroes." Talk about shooting yourself in the foot. The tweet, from an account run by the FA, was ‘hastily deleted’ and a "Go and support the WSL" message emphasised instead. So here we go: let’s support the WSL. And there are some great games see over the next month featuring England's top stars. This is who you can see, where and when: England Captain, Steph Houghton, plays for Manchester City, as do 'keeper Karen Bardsley, Jill Scott, Toni Duggan and Lucy Bronze. Their first game back is an at home against Birmingham City on 12 July, who boast Karen Carney, Jade Moore and Jo Potter in their squad. Chelsea are also at home on 12 July and have Eni Aluko, Katie Chapman, and Claire Rafferty on their books. They also have a star new signing in the "mini-Messi", Fran Kirby, who this week moved from WS2 side Reading, to join the Londoners. Chelsea are playing Bristol Academy. Arsenal are the third team at home on 12 July. You can see goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain, defenders Alex Scott and Casey Stoney and strikers Jordan Nobbs and Lianne Sanderson. They are playing reigning WSL1 champions, Liverpool, who have penalty-taking hero Fara Williams in their side. You'll have to wait until 22 July to see Notts County at home, although they play at Liverpool on 18 July. On 22 they are at home to Birmingham City and have the fantastic Laura Bassett, Alex Greenwood, Ellen White and keeper Carly Telford in their squad. All six teams are playing at home at some point this month. Here are the fixtures in full: Chelsea Ladies v Bristol Academy – 2pm, 12 July at Wheatsheaf Park; And you can also show your support for women’s football at the SSE Women's FA Cup Final. It is being held at Wembley Stadium for the first time ever and on 1 August at 3pm. Chelsea is playing Notts County. There are still tickets available, but if you can't make it, the game will be broadcast live on BBC1. A brilliant time to watch women's football, so why not give it a go?  |
| More education needed on hormonal contraception Posted: 10 Jul 2015 02:10 AM PDT
Hormonal contraception can have dangerous side-effects, so why is it still sold to us as the only option? When it was first made available – to married women only – in 1961, the Pill revolutionised sex, and contributed to changing attitudes towards women. Since then, different forms of hormonal contraception have arrived on the scene, catering to different needs and circumstances. The fact that contraception is now freely available to all women is something to be celebrated, but should we pay more attention to what we're putting into our bodies each month? But Karen Langhart spoke out recently about her daughter's death, caused by the NuvaRing. Erika had been prescribed NuvaRing four years earlier as a treatment for ovarian cysts – an off-label use. During the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hearings to discuss rising concerns about NuvaRing and newer hormonal contraceptives, Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills, and the Ortho Evra patch, Langhart wrote in the Guardian, 'we heard the "argument" that NuvaRing, Yaz, Yasmin and the Ortho Evra patch all have "acceptable risk factors" because "it is more dangerous to be pregnant". 'Our daughter was not an "acceptable risk factor percentage", and neither are you or your daughter, wife, mother or friend… 'It makes no sense when there are safer, effective alternative contraceptives available. 'Women do have other choices, if only they knew all the facts. ‘To say these drugs have "acceptable risk factors’ Langhart continued, ‘is an insult to women who have been injured and or who have died as a result of that acceptability.' The NuvaRing is an increasingly popular form of hormonal contraception, which sits inside the vagina for three weeks at a time, releasing hormones which prevent ovulation. Like other forms of hormonal contraception, the NuvaRing can increase the risk of blood clots. But tragically, like many women, Langhart's daughter Erika wasn't aware of the risks or the symptoms to look out for. It is a sad fact that the responsibility for and risks of using contraception almost always falls on women, and that we must choose which unpleasant side-effect we are the most prepared to put up with in order to prevent unwanted pregnancy. The Pill, along with its cousins the NuvaRing and the contraceptive implant are often sold to us as a one size fits all solution. They are prescribed not just to prevent pregnancy, but to relieve period pains and any number of ‘female problems’. While much is said about the revolutionary power of hormonal contraception, little information is offered about the side-effects – or the alternatives. For every woman I know who uses hormonal contraception without any problems, there is another who has struggled. Friends on the pill have experienced side-effects ranging from weight gain and acne to severe mood swings and depression. Women with the implant have found themselves bleeding constantly for months at a time. And what of the unknown side-effects? Is it healthy to pump artificial hormones into our bodies every month for twenty or thirty years at a time? These medicines aren't perfect, so why aren't young women more informed about the alternatives like the IUD and the diaphragm? Although the NHS is not – yet – run for profit, I can't help but suspect that big pharmaceutical companies hold more sway than we might like to think; keeping a woman dependent on hormonal contraception is a much better business model than selling the NHS a single copper IUD which lasts for ten years. We are still struggling to take control of our bodies and our health, and if GPs won't give us the information we need, speaking out about our experiences is a good step towards making sure that every woman can control her fertility in a way that suits her.  |
| Ruth Simmons: “Be open to the world” Posted: 10 Jul 2015 02:10 AM PDT
Speaking at a public event in London last week, former Brown University president, Texas-born Ruth Simmons shared her "fantasy" of being able to live "just as herself". She outlined a dream of being perceived and treated simply as a person of great capacity, intellect, strength, and a collection of really fantastic shoes. But freedom from labels and stereotyping, Simmons acknowledged, is not possible for anyone. It has though remained an irresistible dream throughout her career, as she has repeatedly had to navigate her own intersectional minority identity as a black woman, from a poor, racially segregated background in the Southern USA. As the first female president of Brown University and the first black person to head an Ivy League institution, Simmons emphasised the importance of speaking out about all the additional challenges she has had to deal with – which, she says, no male president would have faced. And she admitted that, had she known just what was in store, she probably would not have accepted the role. This was largely due to the personal pain of overseeing an investigation into the university founders' involvement in the slave trade, an especially emotive issue for Simmons, who is herself descended from slaves. Her decision to tackle the issue head-on by establishing a committee and a dedicated research centre initially met with much criticism and personal attack but it has since been lauded and emulated by institutions worldwide. Similarly, during earlier positions, her campaigns for more equal and inclusive hiring practices met with much initial resistance, but ultimately led to accolades for both herself and the institutions involved. While the fantasy of "just being herself" retains its allure, Simmons admitted that the challenges she has faced may well have made her a better leader. And she said focusing on helping others has helped her process the discrimination she personally encountered. She briefly alluded to being badly treated as a student at Harvard and the unequal pay she received as a young academic. She was told the men needed higher salaries, "because they had children to support". But, having emphasised the importance of speaking out about the challenges and discrimination she had to deal with, Simmons concluded by focusing on the possibility of change, which her own series of "firsts" illustrates so well. She highlighted all the support she received throughout her own career, including all the white male leaders who aided her development towards the presidencies of first Smith College and then Brown. And asked by a member of the audience whether she thought the UK could have a black prime minister within our generation, she responded "Why not?" and pointed out that unlikely as anything may seem at the present time, we simply can't predict what events are just around the corner. Her final call? "Be open to the world." Simmons was speaking as part of the LSE's Above the Parapet series. This is a project that has completed in-depth interviews with 80 women who reached the top levels of politics, diplomacy, academia and the civil service. Led by Dr Purna Sen, deputy director of the LSE's Institute of Public Affairs, the Above the Parapet team is now working on a report analysing the challenges their interviewees encountered, and how their experiences can be used to help future generations. The team is seeking recommendations of organisations to share their findings with; do get in touch with them if you have any suggestions.  |
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