My friends will tell you that I am an annoyingly honest person – my enemies would probably put it slightly differently. I have had to learn that when people talk to me about something, they are not always asking for my opinion. However, I still believe in communicating congruently and with integrity, even if you…
Beyond the Binary
As a feminist I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about gender. I have generally seen gender as an oppressive social construct that tries to put us in neat little pink and blue boxes. So, you like lipstick and dresses and hair extensions, you must belong over here with the girls, and you like…
The Power of the Feminist Lens
I got into an argument online this week with an old friend of mine. He is an intelligent and thoughtful man who I considered to be a feminist ally. He mentioned that he had nearly lost some friends on Facebook after he commented that he felt that class or racial oppression was far worse than gender…
“Just a Mum”
I left my job last week after being in continuous employment since I left University in 1999. Aside from a couple of stints on maternity leave, the grinding routine of the working week has been a constant feature of my life for the last 15 years. Although I would consider myself to have a pretty…
Feminism, empowerment and sexiness.
The hotly debated notion of ’empowerment’ is often conflated with whether something is ‘feminist’ or not. I have had numerous arguments with other women who believe that because they feel ’empowered’ by X (insert activity that would traditionally be seen by feminists as a product of patriarchy), then it is good and therefore feminist. This…
Woman As Subject 