Self-Love Amidst Marginalisation

by Somayra Ismailjee  This piece is for every woman who suffers at the hands of a white supremacist, cissexist and ableist heteropatriarchy, and for every woman who has suffered at the hands of colonialism and continues to suffer at the hands of Western imperialism. This piece is for marginalised women. For women of colour. For… Read More

Feminism in the Favela

Two Generations of Afro-Brazilian Women Reflect on Changes by Zaneta Denny  In such a diverse population, can one interpretation of feminism prevail, or is it a case of divide and rule? For 30 years, Latin American and Caribbean women have gathered together for Encuentros to discuss feminist issues in the region. Last November 1,500 women… Read More

Power and Control: Domestic and Intimate-Partner Violence in LGBTQ Relationships

by Carolyn Wysinger No one actually knows this story but me and God. Seven years ago I was in a relationship with another woman. She was beautiful, smart and had a great career. We shared a mutual respect for family, food and good times. The woman was also an abuser. I didn’t know that at… Read More

Women in Public Life

‘Women in Public Life’ a speech made by Rahila Gupta at a Feminism in London event Most people start with thank yous. I have to start with provisos: If one of the defining qualities of a woman in public life is instant name recognition, then all of you would be forgiven for asking Rahila –… Read More

Visual Subversions: At the Intersection of Art and Identity

Stunning traditional henna designs on hands, backs and legs are the subject of artist Hina Ali‘s photo essay, exploring skin as a ‘repository of honour & canvass of oppression’. with Rakshi Rath The Artist’s Journey: I am a final year undergraduate, studying Fine Art for Design. My search for mediums of artistic expression during my studies has also coincided… Read More

Black British feminism then and now

Professor Heidi Mirza reflects upon her involvement in black feminism and the changes she has witnessed over the past 30 years. She is hopeful about new generations of activists and reminds us that “black women’s activism has been central in tackling problems within our local communities.”   ‘Thank you for organising this. I thought black feminism was dead!’ wrote a young woman in an email to… Read More

‘Washing our dirty linen in public’

Reflecting on 25 years of Women Against Fundamentalism Sukhwant Dhaliwal reflects on 25 years of Women Against Fundamentalism, a coalition of women brought together in the aftermath of the Rushdie affair. For Dhaliwal, control of women’s bodies and minds lies at the heart of all religious fundamentalism For some of us, 2014 is a momentous year. It marks 25 years… Read More

First Boi In – Dressing Queer in the Corporate World

Carolyn Wysinger takes us on a journey into the corporate workplace, where as the ‘first boi in’ her inventive transgression of gender dress codes also means getting used to ‘the daily stares, the interested glances of some and the disdain of others.’ I’ve heard it said that lesbian femme women come out everyday. This is in reference to them having to constantly inform people… Read More

A Public Life of Intimate Violence

Touched by Patsey’s struggles in the Oscar winning film ’12 Years a Slave’, Karen Williams describes how the film helped her to recognise and articulate the depths of latter day racism in her own ‘Public Life of Intimate Violence’  I have spent decades challenging women to have public lives, and for dark women to insist on their right to it, even with the abuse… Read More

Challenging Mistaken Assumptions about Honour-Based Violence

Honour-Based Violence is part of a spectrum of violence against women that all too readily has become associated with certain cultures. Drawing from her research and activism Dr Aisha K. Gill *[1] tackles the racialisation of HBV and women’s complicity with it Violence against women and girls (VAWG) committed in the name of ‘honour’ is attracting increasing attention around the world.… Read More