‘Feminism is not supposed to be a synonym for sexism’ By Aphrodite Kocieda I’m writing this post, not necessarily to change your mind about whatever positions you hold about feminism, but to act in solidarity with other feminists — especially feminists of colour — who find it problematic that so many feminist sites are hailing […]
What’s the point of a National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women when we welcome artists who profit from promoting it?
A female teacher at a Tasmanian school where I spoke on the objectification of women could not stay to hear the end of my talk. The images I showed were too confronting, bringing back traumas suffered two decades ago. ”The very acts that have become part of my trauma were there on display as a […]
Miley recently cited Irish singer Sinead O’Connor as an influence for her Wrecking Ball video. O’Connor begged to differ. Here’s what she wrote in an open letter on her website: Dear Miley, I wasn’t going to write this letter, but today i’ve been dodging phone calls from various newspapers who wished me to remark […]
The dark side of a selfie On Monday morning ABC Radio Australia’s Phil Kafcaloudes hosted a discussion on the ‘selfie’ phenomena with Olympia Nelson, Naziah Ali from Fiji, and me. You can listen to the program here.
‘In a society where media is the most persuasive force shaping cultural norms, the collective message that our young women and men overwhelmingly receive is that a woman’s value and power lie in her youth, beauty, and sexuality’ By Ori Golan It’s on billboards, in newspapers and magazines; it proliferates on television and social networks. […]
In the pornified music world populated by churned-out female pop stars pumping and grinding to a sexualised script, cavorting semi-naked and presented as sexually insatiable, we see Miley Cyrus simulating sex acts while denuded of real sexuality. While many around the world condemned what was seen as an overtly sexualised performance at the recent MTV […]
Brave Girls Want Change! One of the great rewards of this work for women and girls is the global collaborations that have been forged by like-minded people who recognise there is strength in numbers: that a combined voice will achieve more. The latest exciting initiative is Brave Girls Want, a powerhouse think tank and advocacy […]
Complete disregard for the wellbeing and safety of young girls Last night Foxtel gave this response to our criticism of it facilitating a sexualising contest of adult beauty standards to promote Australia’s Next Top Model. “There’s no doubt that the socially engaged fans of Australia’s Next Top Model have embraced Australia’s Next Top Selfie. The […]
Pouty self portraits have turned boy-girl relations into a cut-throat sexual rat race. If social media only caused narcissism, it wouldn’t be the worst thing. Instagram and Facebook are social networks that not only breed narcissistic tendencies but transform relations into a sexual rat race. On these ubiquitous portals, the popularity of girls is hotly […]
‘Roxy and the “sex sells” agenda of surf corporations a la Big Surfing are completely disconnected from what we know surfing to be about: freedom. We don’t want what you are selling’ When writing my column on the objectification of women in sport, I came across the writings of American surfer and Women’s World Longboard […]
My first column with Fairfax As a teenage girl growing up in country Victoria, I was an avid reader of The Age. It inspired in me a passion for journalism. I did work experience on the local paper and went on to study journalism at RMIT. I scored a cadetship and began my life as […]
