Do a quick search on the internet on violence against women and girls and school-based projects and you’ll find: specific websites; a good number of excellent, innovative packs; lesson ideas; and reports on pilot studies. However, go into most schools or young people’s projects and this work is simply not evident. Young people are lucky if they get any information on this, despite the fact that we know the huge scale of woman and girl abuse in our society. It is sad, but this issue is generally not on our list of priorities, despite the potentially enormous impact it could have by being so. Continue reading ““You cannot be the doctor if you are the disease”: Tackling Violence against Women and Girls in Schools in the UK”
Conference 2011 Keynote Address: Gender and Education, History and Progress (Carol Dyhouse)
Carol’s keynote opened the conference by taking stock of girls and women’s position in education for “without the past we can’t understand the present”. She began by troubling the idea of progress for in the history of girls education, things do not only get better. Continue reading “Conference 2011 Keynote Address: Gender and Education, History and Progress (Carol Dyhouse)”
“I’m just a girl who just says no”: Guides to Keeping Your Legs crossed- Abstinence Only Sex Education for Girls
Whilst I am always happy to see critical discussion on the role of sex and relationship education in schools and youth centres, worryingly, this week saw a new amendment narrowly passed in the UK Commons. Continue reading ““I’m just a girl who just says no”: Guides to Keeping Your Legs crossed- Abstinence Only Sex Education for Girls”
Hair, Beauty and Child Care: Gender and Careers Education for Girls
Whilst working in youth projects over the past decade or so, I have often noticed the predominance of highly gendered career guidance for young people. Too often, when discussing what career options girls were considering, the ‘holy trinity’ of beauty, hair and child care cropped up repeatedly in young women’s visions for their future and their Year 10 work placements. Such options were further cemented in areas such as ‘alternative’ education provision, or vocationally orientated training aimed at ‘NEETS’ (Not in Education, Employment and Training), that seemed to guide working class, young women into courses and apprenticeships in beauty or child care, and their brothers into motor mechanics and bricklaying. Continue reading “Hair, Beauty and Child Care: Gender and Careers Education for Girls”
Libyan Women: Defying the Stereotypes
Whatever position you take on the democracy movements in North Africa and the Middle East, and the West’s reaction to them, it’s been heartening to see so many women involved in the demonstrations appearing daily on our television screens. The stereotypes of Arabs that we have grown up with – of bombers, belly dancers, and billionaires – have been blown to the skies as young men and women have taken to the streets wanting the same things as young people in the West – democratic rights, jobs, a good life. Not too much to ask for! Continue reading “Libyan Women: Defying the Stereotypes”
Japan and the Forgiveness of Women
In the wake of Japan’s catastrophic earthquake and tsunami, the English service of China Radio International reports that among the groups sending their condolences to the Japanese people has been a group of South Korean elderly women who organized a silent demonstration to commemorate the victims of the earthquake. Continue reading “Japan and the Forgiveness of Women”
Is feminism in the UK experiencing a double dip? Call for Action
‘Clinton is proving that feminist foreign policy is possible – and works’ so headlines an article in the Guardian in which Madeleine Bunting argues that Hilary Clinton is building her political foreign policy on a solid 1970s feminist mantra that ‘Transformation in the role of women is that last great impediment to universal progress.’ Clinton has proclaimed that ‘the rights of women and girls are now core to US foreign policy’ and Bunting draws attention to the 450 mentions of this ‘signature issue’ in the first five months of Clinton’s office. Clinton argues that ‘the empowerment, protect and protection of women and girls is vital to the long-term security of the US’. In a telling remark Bunting asks, imagine any politician saying something similar in the UK now. It is, indeed, unimaginable! Continue reading “Is feminism in the UK experiencing a double dip? Call for Action”
Browne Report + the White Paper = A Murky Outlook for Educational Equality
A report by GEA’s Policy Officer Miriam David, with Jessica Ringrose and Victoria Showunmi
October- December 2010
Continue reading “Browne Report + the White Paper = A Murky Outlook for Educational Equality”
Does Hit Girl Kick Ass?
Written by Jane Goldman and starring Aaron Johnson (a British actor known best for playing John Lennon in ‘Nowhere Boy’), Chole Moretz (last seen in the remake of the ‘Amityville Horror’) and Nicholas Cage, this movie was hailed simultaneously as
being ‘cynical, premeditated and mindbogglingly irresponsible’ (The Daily Mail) and, ‘a thoroughly outrageous, jaw-droppingly violent and very funny riff on the quasi-porn world of comic books’ (The Guardian). Wherever it went Kick Ass stirred emotions, fired debate and ultimately made a lot of money. The cause of the controversy? Hit Girl, an 11 year-old wise cracking, knife wielding, karate kicking female superhero-in-training. But is Hit Girl a Feminist icon for the 21st Century? Continue reading “Does Hit Girl Kick Ass?”
Cutting Women Out of Education?
The 10th of November 2010: I and 50,000 school, college and university students and staff gathered in central London to protest against the Tory-Lib Dem coalition government’s proposed cuts to education and rise in tuition fees up to £9000 per year. This placard – Don’t Cut Women out of Education – was left under the feet of the demonstrators, washed up by a tide of protest: one of a vast range of slogans on show, from the ironically knowing to the straightforwardly angry. But its message stands. Those who stand to lose out from the government’s plans are, overwhelmingly, those who already lose out. Continue reading “Cutting Women Out of Education?”