The greatest physician of ancient Rome, Galen, believed that menstrual blood was the result of eating bloody meat. He reasoned that women were just simply too slight to be able to digest meat as well as men. Hippocrates, who isRead more…
Somebody Else’s Cake
I had been working in hospitality for a few years when I began to notice a change in me. At the start of each shift, I felt like I was putting on an imaginary mask. Clearing my mind, I wouldRead more…
Body-policing, misogyny and the right to wear what I want
‘One hundred…one hundred Nairobi,’ one tout shouted after another. ‘Fifty bob, fifty bob Mlolongo.’ Another one interrupted as they jostled for passengers at Kitengela town, 45km south of Nairobi. I weaved my way through the crowd of mostly men andRead more…
Girls to the front – women, music and the patriarchy
It is incredibly evident that patriarchy is alive and well in the music industry, as it is in our society and culture in general. Just flick the television onto any music channel on a Monday morning and see the abundanceRead more…
The Retreat Hotel
*all names have been changed In June 2009 I was 20 years old and driving solo up the Eastern Coast of Australia. I was two months into my trip when my financial means dribbled away and I was dry. TheRead more…