Saudi Arabia’s first female licensed attorney, Bayan Mahmoud Al-Zahran, has established an all-women law firm seeking to give women fair representation under the legal system. The firm is the first of its kind, coming just shortly after Saudi Arabia allowed women to serve in court at all. Al-Zahran’s vision for the firm is to explicitly fight for…
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Readers may recall that in 2013 the Swedish government adopted a measure called the Bechdel test to ensure greater female representation in film. The test analyses a film to see whether there are at least two female characters in a film who talk to each other about something other than a man. The test seems…
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Mothers in the American state of Oregon now have the right to take home their placenta along with their baby from the hospital. The New Year has seen state laws come into effect to allow a mother to take their afterbirth home for consumption, burial or other rituals. The organ – which provides oxygen and…
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Russian Feminist punk rockers, Pussy Riot are finally set to be released from prison after a year in Siberian prison camps and global outcry. Thanks to a new, PR-friendly change to Russia’s laws, the remaining two band members Nadezha Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina still behind bars are to be freed. A third Pussy Riot member,…
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The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is under pressure to return a painting claimed to have been looted by the Nazis. Swiss Lawyer Olaf Ossman claims the painting “Head of a Man” is a Van Gogh sold under duress by wealthy Jewish industrialist Richard Semmel in 1933 when he fled the Nazis. Although tests have…
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Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have found almost 1% of new mothers surveyed protest the conception of their child was immaculate. The Like a Virgin (Mother) study looked at the pregnancy and birth processes of 7,870 women over 14 years, finding 0.8% of these claiming they didn’t have sex to…
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An American plastic surgeon has created a product to numb the pain incurred while wearing high heels. Produced by Biochemistry, Dr Randal D. Haworth’s Heel No Pain spray boasts that ‘no matter how high your towering stilettos… high heel pain will soon be a thing of the past’. The product came about after Dr Haworth’s…
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By Spring 2014, all toys sold at Marks & Spencer will be completely gender neutral. The response comes after a series of complaints from customers claiming that the store markets items in accordance to stereotypes. The rebranding was made public when Marks & Spencer responded to a tweet from labour MP Stella Creasy. The company…
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Since reaching global success with her debut album, Pure Heroin, 17-year-old Lorde is becoming a spotlight for media attention. The pop star frequently discusses her views on feminism and over-sexualisation, and has recently been associated with ‘slut shaming,’ after comments she has made about other young starlets. The critical responses to Lorde’s ideals can be…
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Last week was the launch of the first search for indigenous models, which will coincide with the inaugural Australian Indigenous Fashion Week (AIFW) in April 2014. The search is aimed at shifting perceptions and encouraging diversity in the fashion industry. Speaking at the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence in Redfern, model Samantha Harris said that…
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Australian middle-market clothing and home wares retailer, Country Road has come under fire from an indignant customer via social media due to its startling lack of ethnically diverse models in its catalogue. Just having a quick look through the brand’s webpage it is clear to see that the only models utilised in its campaign are…
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Ah, another day, another celebrity using unfortunate cultural appropriation for their “work.” Last week, Lana Del Rey became the latest musician to feature some inappropriate references in her newest music video, which doubles as a kind of short film and goes for almost half an hour, Tropico. Now, don’t get me wrong. Spreading awareness of…
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The National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) has announced its National Agenda for the Visual Arts in Australia, outlining a 30 year vision which aims to see artists play a central role in all aspects of Australian life. Importantly, NAVA is hoping to see Australian arts funding double from 0.084% to 0.17%…
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Special K has launched a campaign to fight so-called ‘fat talk’ – comments from women harshly critiquing their own bodies. In a new advertisement titled ‘Shhhhut Down Fat Talk,’ the cereal brand filled a clothing store with placards quoting negative tweets and other online commentary. The ad shows women entering the store, reading the signs,…
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