imageThe male-dominated world of company boards is slowly but surely changing. The number of women on boards is increasing in the FTSE 100 and, crucially, in the FTSE 250. FTSE 250 companies have generally lagged behind those in the FTSE 100 when it comes to board diversity as they are less well known and therefore face less pressure to change. Yet over... The male-dominated world of company boards is slowly but surely changing. The number of women on boards is increasing in the FTSE 100 and, crucially, in the FTSE 250. FTSE 250 companies have generally lagged behind those in the FTSE 100 when it comes to board diversity as they are less well known and therefore face less pressure to change. Yet over the past 12 months, FTSE
imageRise in complaints and lack of data convinces government to give £1m for research. Charities that provide advice and support for women experiencing pregnancy and maternity discrimination have recorded a surge in calls to their helplines. Maternity Action says that it answers
imageIntercollegiate group recommends all evidence of FGM be reported to the police. Conservative estimates put the number of girls and women who have experienced female genital mutilation (FGM) in the UK at 66,000, with an additional 15,000 girls under the age of 15 considered to be at risk
imageWelcome to our weekly bulletin of British women’s sports results from around the globe. Archery: Britain’s women won several medals at the World Archery Para Championships in Bangkok this week. The first medal came courtesy of Mel Clarke on November 5, who took bronze
imageJaine Rose would like to share with you her thoughts on knitting a long scarf. Or, as she puts it, in launching a crazy and rather wonderful direct action protest involving 7 miles of pink wool’. Back in October 2012 she hatched a plan with Angie Zelter from Action AWE to get a huge
imageA UNWomen advertising  campaign reveals profound discriminatory attitudes towards women. It was with horror and deep distress that – following on from reading the recent ad campaign run by UN Women which exposed how deep rooted sexism by looking up through Google search
imageIt’s that time of year again.  The Movember campaign encourages men to sport follicle freestylings to raise awareness of men’s health issues, but what involvement can women have? And can letting it all grow out really change things? The Movember campaign began humbly
It’s not just the UK’s feminists fighting for the recognition of women’s role in history. Earlier this year British feminists launched a campaign to include a woman on banknotes because, ‘An all-male line-up on our banknotes sends out the damaging message that no woman has done
Recent figures from the ONS have been spun out of all proportion. There are more women in work than ever before! This is good news, I hear you cry. You’d have thought so, except some national newspapers have used the latest report on women in the labour market to lament the loss of
Julie Tomlin explains why the launch of Digital Women UK was so timely. August 2013 was an intense month for social media, women’s rights, feminism and race. Twitter has come under fire for dragging its heels over abuse on its site after the high profile trolling of bank note campaigner Caroline
New family planning technologies expand options for women. By Judy Manning and Zeda Rosenberg; a repost from Policy Innovations. The picture could not be clearer: A woman’s health and livelihood are threatened when modern family planning methods are out of her reach. On World Contraception
Here are some dates for your diary of woman-centric events going on around the UK this week. Bristol: 1 October: Rape Crisis benefit and Vision of Trees live launch at Mr. Wolf’s Bristol, 33 St Stephen’s Street, Bristol. Hysterical Injury launch their latest single “Vision of Trees” in a benefit
imageCinemas in Sweden to use ‘the Bechdel test’ to assess how women are portrayed in films. To pass the test, a film must feature at least two named female characters who talk to each other about something other than a man. The Lord of the Rings trilogy, all the Star Wars films and
imageBut even mascara brands without mercury sometimes use other harmful preservatives. Mercury was banned in cosmetics and soaps by a global treaty signed recently at the United Nations Environment Programme’s’ Minamata Convention for Mercury – but mascara and other eye makeup
imageA day of discussion and a host of video reports and graphics highlighted women’s issues. The BBC’s recent 100 Women conference brought together 100 women from around the world at the BBC’s Broadcasting House in London for a day of debate, discussion and live broadcasting
imagePlease help: send a message of hope to someone suffering human rights abuses. Every year during November and December Amnesty International (AI) asks people to join their Write for Rights campaign. They ask you to write a letter to send a message of hope to someone suffering human rights
imageEqual Pay Day marks the point at which women working full-time effectively stop earning each year. Women working full-time still earn almost £5,000 a year less than men, though the pay gap in some jobs is three times bigger, according to a Trade Union Congress (TUC) analysis of official
imageDebenhams drops “girls” and “boys” signs after pressure from Let Toys Be Toys. High street chain Debenhams has announced it will be removing all “girls” and “boys” signage from their toy departments. The statement comes after a sustained
Competition for under-25s so they can share their hopes for the future of public transport. The challenge is to portray opinions, ideas and dreams about the accessibility of public transport in a short video of 5 x 5 seconds. The skill level needed is very basic; equipment is simply a mobile phone
A veteran campaigner, a food blogger and a woman facing cuts to her care allowance speak out. Hetty Bower, has been a peace activist and anti-poverty campaigner for the past 90 years. Invited to speak against austerity cuts, at a Labour Conference Fringe meeting in Brighton last week, she told her
The party’s record is “not good enough”. The shockingly low number of female Liberal Democrat party (Lib Dem) MPs has led to calls for drastic change. Traditionally, all-women shortlists have been considered against the values of the party, but with the worst gender ratio record of all three major
White flowers, colourful banners, blocked roads; an autumn of disgust. Last weekend large area of Parliament Square in London was covered by white flowers to represent the more than 10,000 people who have died shortly after undergoing Work Capability Assessment, the degrading test used by the
Welcome to our weekly round-up of British women’s sports news and results from around the world. Football: There was a clean sweep for the home nations this week as they started their World Cup qualifying campaigns, journeying towards Canada in 2015. England began in impressive style with a
imageProtest against David Cameron’s attendance at Sri Lanka summit, says Tamil activist. This weekend Sri Lanka will host the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Leaders of one third of the world’s population will attend. Among them, the UK’s Prime Minister David
imageHere are some woman-centric events for your diary going on around the UK and Ireland this week. Belfast: 17 November: OUTBURST 2013: Rosie Wilby and a day of events with Belfast Feminist Network at Black Box and Green Room, 18-22 Hill Street, Belfast from 2pm. What does it mean to be queer
imageWhite poppies are for peace, and a challenge to the continuing drive to war. The first artificial white poppies appeared in 1933 on what was then called Armistice Day but started being called Remembrance Day after the Second World War. They were sold by the Co-operative Women’s Guild
imageFamily planning is one of the most cost-effectivetechnologies for improving the human condition. Approximately 287,000 women die every year from problems caused by childbirth – and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation estimates that approximately 1 in 4 of those women could be saved
imageSeven saunas in Edinburgh have had their licences renewed following raids in June. Until recently, Edinburgh had employed something of a laissez faire approach to public policy surrounding prostitution. The city’s saunas – which are licensed as ‘entertainment venues&rsquo
Welcome to our weekly round-up of British women’s sports news and results from around the world. Football: The last domestic silverware went to Arsenal this week as they beat Lincoln Ladies 2-0 in the final of the Continental Cup at Barnet’s home, The Hive, on 4 October. Lincoln were always
And still no women’s academy, still no full time women’s coach. It has been, at best, a mixed week for cycling in Britain. The mood was optimistic when British Cycling chief Brian Cookson replaced the unpopular Pat McQuaid as president of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) on September 27, but
A Labour government would appoint a national champion for victims of rape and domestic violence. Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary – who is also shadow minister for women and equalities – has claimed that women are less safe under a Coalition government because of cuts in
Figures show women are still in lower paid and less skilled work than men. This is despite the fact that 67 per cent of women are now in work, compared to 53 per cent in 1971. The proportion of men in work over the same period has decreased from 92 per cent to 76 per [...]...Leggi Tutto
Ask condom companies to support access to contraception for girls and women by tweeting. The It Takes Two campaign is calling on all reproductive health product companies – but starting with condom companies – to take the lead in supporting increased access for contraceptive services around
US retail giant Wallmart pulled a 'naughty leopard' Halloween costume from its shelves after parents complained it was sexualising young girls, but fancy dress costumes for girls are still defined by gender stereotypes,...Leggi Tutto