Feminism is defined as “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities”. The broad spectrum of feminist ideologies (from radical, Marxist to liberal) have different expressions of this core belief, but they are all fighting to create an egalitarian society. Many branches of feminism also place emphasis on intersectionality, which considers…
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I called myself a feminist out loud for the first time only last year. Mostly I felt proud, but lurking underneath this pride was an undeniable layer of guilt. I Call Myself a Feminist—an anthology compiled by Victoria Pepe, Rachel Holmes, Amy Annette, Alice Stride and Martha Mosse—helped me answer two questions at the heart…
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The other week I was told that I was ‘taking this whole feminist thing too seriously’. Sadly, this wasn’t the first time that I’ve been told to repress my passion for social equality. Mentioning feminist issues such as the gendered pay gap, sexual harassment and gender expectations are too often met with eye-rolling, yawning…
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In my experiences of working in retail, I’ve been pretty fortunate in regards to sexism. Apart from a few stand-out occurrences, most of my working retail life has been sexism-free, at least on the surface. However, the few times when I have been made to feel uncomfortable – because I happen to identify as female…
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In February this year, artist Julie Garran set herself a simple challenge. Post one photograph online, every day. As an experienced photographer, social media wasn’t something Julie had used in her practice. The project expanded, and became a large exhibition, A Photo Every Day, presented at PhotoAccess, Canberra in October. Julie’s project reveals how…
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In this series, Lip writers take a look at a wide range of films to determine what it is that makes a great feminist film. From the black-and-white classics right up to the newest of new releases, this retrospective examines just what’s in the feminist film canon — and asks if anything needs to be…
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I actually don’t know how to approach this topic seriously without turning to you with my resting bitch face and saying something like, ‘Treat her like you would any other woman or human being.’ I should probably add that if you just be yourself, your inherent goodness/badness will come through to whoever has agreed to…
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Cadets found guilty in Skype case Two cadets have been found guilty of ‘using a carriage service in an offensive manner’ in a case that has demonstrated the systemic gender problems in the Australian Defence Force Academy. ACT Supreme Court jury also found one of the men guilty of committing an act of indecency on…
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On 25 June, Texas Senator Wendy Davis stood for nearly eleven hours in order to block a controversial abortion bill referred to as ‘SB5’ (Senate Bill 5) being put forward by the Texas Republicans. In doing so, Davis was utilising the political technique of filibustering, discussing the issues surround SB5 at length in order to…
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I have never called myself a feminist. Being raised by a single mother in the 1980s with my sisters, equality for women wasn’t a concept that I questioned. You could say I took it for granted that women had equal rights. At this early age I didn’t question gender equality because I was only influenced…
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Julia Gillard ousted as Prime Minister After months of media speculation on strife within the Labor Party, Julia Gillard called for a leadership spill on Wednesday. A vote took place on Wednesday night and as a result, Kevin Rudd came to replace Gillard as leader of the Party and Prime Minister. Gillard has announced her…
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I have a girl-crush on Zooey Deschanel. I know, I know, so does half the female population. There are just too many good things about her. Her sort-of curly hair. Her bright blue eyes. Her deep, twangy voice. Her fashion sense and her status as a feminist. So when she declared her stance as…
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I saw Cutting Room Floor for the first time in a co-op basement in rural Ohio. That night I held hands with three different people, sat in the dark in a dried food cellar thinking sad thoughts, gave a gift, and had a giggly walk into the humid night. I arrived home with three new…
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Name: Hannah Guyon Age: 20 Occupation: Student and Yoga Instructor Location: Indiana, Pennsylvania, United States Describe yourself in one word: Determined What is your feminist philosophy? I believe in celebrating women and the major strides that strong women all over the world have made, and are making, both big and small. My biggest desire is…
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