A dabble, a tipple, a little dram to take the edge off. For decades, alcohol consumption among women has been viewed with a wink and a nod. Viewed as an amusing little secret that’s actually not fooling anyone. It’s the old image of the harried mum taking nips and sips — and more — of…
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Despite societal pressure to break down traditional gender roles, there’s a large chunk of the population that still disapproves of women drinking anything more than a moderate amount of alcohol. Of course, this is a ridiculous double standard, as men are free to drink to their hearts’ content – without fear of judgement. Regardless of…
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It was a dark and stormy night but Belvoir Street Theatre was at full capacity for the inaugural On the Floor panel discussion in Sydney on Tuesday. The joint project by fashion brand/protest outfit House of Riot and youth non-profit Vibewire aims to start a conversation on pressing political issues in the lead up to the…
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After a successful season premiere at Melbourne’s The Butterfly Club, hit cabaret show, The Misadventures of Miss Bouzy Rouge, is back for another rollicking good time from Thursday 8th, Friday 10th and Sunday 11th of January. Written and performed by Sarah Goussé, and accompanied by Daniele Buatti, this one woman show explores universal themes…
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A state senator in Alaska is advocating that women have pregnancy tests before drinking in bars. State senator Pete Kelly believes that if this happened women would no longer drink when pregnant, thus not giving birth to babies with foetal alcohol syndrome. Senator Kelly also claims that birth control such as the pill is not…
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Christie Thompson’s debut novel relates contemporary Australian adolescence with brutal honesty. As her characters come of age in the grimy outer suburbs of Canberra in 2009, they manifest all the ennui and self-sabotage of the teen years. 17-year-old Jez is bored and disaffected. Her days in a suburb on the fringes of the national capital…
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Last week I was unlucky enough to come across an article in the Daily Telegraph entitled ‘More women are getting drunk on Sydney streets than ever before’. It was the usual article about women and sexual assault, i.e. how women can avoid getting assaulted if they simply stop being so darn silly and reckless…
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Standing in an eighteenth century period costume complete with hoops, looking like The Joker with tears streaming down my face at 4am on Adelaide’s Rundle Street, I wondered how it had come to this. Until that moment, I thought that I was pretty good at gauging situations and had the smarts to keep out of…
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I often find myself being a voyeur when I go out of an evening. There’s a certain amusement wanting how people go from being steadily happy to becoming increasingly uninhibited the more inebriated they become. I have also noticed a certain trend among crowds, those few unfortunate individuals who already arrive a little too gregarious,…
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Nursing seems like a cruelly difficult job to me. You’re on your feet all day, working all hours for little pay, and constantly exposed to disease, death, and the grossest of bodily functions. In a refreshingly honest manner, Kristy Chambers has written a memoir about her career in nursing from the premise that the job…
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A recent ad campaign in North America, entitled “Control Tonight”, and sponsored by The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PLCB) has once again turned rape into a pathetic blame game. The campaign, which aims to tackle teen binge drinking, has instead taken an uncouth stance that if you or your friends drink too much, you will…
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This new column will summarise events that have happened in the last week relevant to women, feminism, and sexuality and link you to related articles. It will also offer a brief analysis on some stories. This column is still finding its feet, so please feel free to give us feedback, as well as any news…
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