The mention of quotas for women’s representation in politics and the private sector still triggers the staunchest of opposition from supporters of so-called ‘merit’ and those who claim quotas are ‘condescending to women’. These responses fail to dissect what meritRead more…
Dealing with political inequalities is an inescapable part of the daily life of a woman. It is perhaps equally unsurprising to consider that romantic love, particularly heterosexual romantic love is, as Laurie Penny so aptly calls it, a battlefield. RomanceRead more…
Language is inevitably gender-coded. It is, after all, “man-made”. We cultivate our own gender expression through language, and infer gender from the vernacular of others. While this occurs in every facet of our social existence, employment is an area whereRead more…
Japan is a country where everyday realities evoke ‘shame’ in people, so I didn’t expect to be bombarded with sexual and violent imagery when I visited. While the Japanese government finally banned the possession of child pornography in 2014, animeRead more…
I have long quoted lines from Muriel Spark’s most famous novel, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, claiming it to be among one of my favourite novels of my girlhood, and Spark to be one of my most admired writers.Read more…
