The summer before my grandmother passed away, she visited me and my family in Australia. I sat with her one sunny afternoon as she told me about her life growing up in a Bangladeshi village and having an arranged marriage at the age of 12. I listened as she recounted how her father, my great-grandfather,…
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It was a photograph. Flipping through Christopher Lloyd’s The Story of the World in 100 Species (2016), I came across a classic mad scientist image: glass specimen jars, books, a microscope, test tubes and at the centre the scientist, sleeves rolled up above the elbows, wielding a pipette and engrossed in the all-important experiment of…
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Content Warning: this contains a brief mention of eating disorders People from different places envision something different when they think of the word “beauty”. For someone living in America, the word “beauty” could mean a young woman that looks like classic Barbie, with blonde hair, blue eyes, tanned skin, and a skinny figure. For…
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This is a review of a session held at the 2016 Sydney Writers’ Festival. * It’s not often that you’re able to sit in a room filled with proudly self-proclaimed feminists, listening to a panel of admirable and notable female authors, thinkers and activists describe exactly why you should have the right to rule the…
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Amy Stewart’s novel Girl Waits With Gun, based on the forgotten true story of one of the first American female deputy sheriffs, is every feminist’s dream read. Brimming with humour, sass, mystery, and delivered to the reader by a narrator so completely resistant to stereotype, Stewart’s novel is worthy of its acclaim from beginning to…
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It is unfortunate that archaic traditions still proliferate in many parts of the world despite how much more socially progressive and politically conscious its inhabitants have become. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a procedure often performed to ‘prepare’ girls for adulthood and marriage. You may ask: what exactly are the health benefits of such a…
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Feminism is a word I run into daily, whether it’s on Facebook, an Instagram post or care of a trending topic brought to light by a celebrity. Thanks to modern feminism and its promotion of basic women’s rights and gender equality, and the questioning of daily cultural biases, I have found myself reconsidering everyday behaviours…
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Geraldine Brooks is a genius. Historical biographical fiction is difficult to write at the best of times because of issues with source evidence and conflicting views; Brooks does a superlative job in her latest novel, The Secret Chord, taking inspiration from a historical figure from three thousand years ago. King David’s story of rags to…
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Food has been a major part of my life for as long as I can remember. As a child growing up in a Middle Eastern home, not a day went by where delicious, comforting, and nourishing food was not enjoyed and celebrated. I have fond memories of waking up to the smell of warm cooked…
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Enter the bedazzling land of the West! On May 16th, Footscray’s Nicholson Street came alive with the rich cultures of Africa at Emerge in the West Festival. Waves of vibrant traditions washed over me as I strolled through the avenue. A potpourri of emerging top artists hailing from Ethiopia, Sudan, South Africa, Papua New Guinea…
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‘Here, let me hold it – my arm is longer than yours.’ Three grinning faces crowd together at the bottom of the screen, the angle tilted just enough so that the majestic Eiffel Tower looms above their floating heads in the background. Kccch goes the simulated sound of the shutter opening and closing. Kccch. Kccch….
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Can feminists be funny? Of course. Feminism is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. That’s the dictionary definition. Here is a list of awesome people who are two of my favourite things: advocates of gender equality and who are fucking funny. Oh, and they’re not afraid to drop…
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There are few crimes worse than killing your own child – it appears to be an action which goes directly against our nature. And yet, on average, twenty-seven children are killed by their parents in Australia each year—with around half of them murdered by their mother. The question of what would drive…
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In the last few weeks we have reported on The Sydney Edit and some awesome NSW projects crowdfunded through Pozible. This week, however, our focus moves somewhere warmer: to Brisbane! The Brisbane Edit is the second of the Pozible Edits, highlighting projects, events and opportunities in the local Brisbane area. A busy and colourful webpage…
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