Kelsey Shwetz is a Canadian-born feminist painter currently living in Queens and working in Chelsea, NYC. Shwetz received a BA Honours in Psychology and Painting in 2009. Her work has been exhibited in Montreal, Toronto, New York, India, Paris, and Costa Rica. Shwetz has also been featured in The Journal of Gender and Sexuality,…
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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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When I first hear about the Gulabi Gang in India, my initial feeling was exultation. Being from an Indian background myself, I’m used to the inherent and pervasive issues of sexism and misogyny that seep through almost every aspect of Indian culture. I had never before seen Indian women taking action against sexism though –…
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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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**Trigger Warning : this article contains discussions of sexual assault, which may be triggering for some readers** 1. I need feminism because I need an ideological foundation of respect toward myself and others around me. Self-respect and self- worth doesn’t come innately, unfortunately. 2. I need feminism because I used to think it was okay…
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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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What is it with people getting all het up about women breastfeeding in public? Seriously – what is it about the sight of a small portion of breast, mostly covered by the head of a child, that stirs the masses into a morally outraged frenzy? This Monday saw a protest of hundreds of mothers outside…
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Three activists from the feminist action group Femen were arrested in Tunisia on June 13. Among the charges was ‘offending public morality’, for which, according to the Femen Germany Facebook page, the women have been sentenced to four months jail time. This contrasts sharply to the suspended sentence handed down to the men responsible for…
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Name: Chris Finnigan Age: 24 Occupation: Student Hometown: Canberra, Australia Describe yourself in one word: Privileged What is your feminist philosophy? My core philosophy is no one should be discriminated against, or defined wholly, by their gender. In my own society, this philosophy is orientated around the goal of ensuring that men and women have…
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Women’s toilet queues are a universally ‘shitty’ topic. Much discussion as to the logistical functionality from a ‘pee and flee’ or time management perspective has arisen since the creation of the modern day bathroom and sanitary revolution. In particular the lengthy lines that accompany all women’s toilets regardless of country, race, religious or wiping preference brings much speculation to…
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Girls is one of my favourite shows. A few weeks ago I watched the entirety of season two in one day: it involved my bed, my laptop, pyjamas and more junk food than I’d like to admit. So, I have an unashamed love for Lena Dunham and her show. I know lots of people don’t….
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Chime for Change concert promotes female empowerment The Chime for Change campaign brought feminism to the centre stage in the UK on Saturday through the Sound of Change Live concert. Headlined by Beyoncé, the concert raised $4m to support approximately 200 projects in 70 countries, while raising awareness of maternal death, domestic violence, and female…
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The Sydney Writers Festival held from 20-26 May featured and abundance of national and international writers and speakers on a broad spectrum of topics. Of particular note were the many strong female voices present in force at the festival, conducting discussions around feminism, women’s issues, sex, and writing in general. As the festival went on,…
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While researching for my earlier piece on rape during wartime, I kept coming across the Japanese military use of “comfort women” during the mid-20th century through World War II. I had never heard about this before, which prompted me to read further. Comfort women, or “ianfu,” a euphemism for “shofu,” meaning prostitute, were women and…
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