Womans
By Eleanor Bishop | 29 Sep, 2008
Sarah Palin. Hey Sarah Palin! Put down your gun. I’m talking to you. I felt I should write a column about you, cos soon you may be one of the most powerful women in the world.
A few people have asked me if I like you, referring me to my (somewhat foolish) comments earlier in the year, when I said “I like Hilary”. “Why?” “Cos she’s a woman”. Ok, simplistic, but partly true. More
By Sarah Richardson | 22 Sep, 2008
Yes, yes, everybody knows who Tina Fey is (and not just cos she’s a Sarah Palin doppelganger), but why does the stereotype of the humourless feminist still exist, eh? Why do people still, in this day and age, think that women just aren’t quite as funny as men? More
By Eleanor Bishop | 1 Sep, 2008
This column was inspired by the fact that I got a request for “a feminist interpretation” of Katy Perry’s ‘I Kissed A Girl’. Apparently among my wider peer group I’m now the ‘go-togirl’ for all things feminism. This is something that I like. More
By Kathleen Collins | 28 Jul, 2008
Girls play videogames. And when I say videogames, I mean The Sims. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with The Sims. I played The Sims once. I made little pixel versions of Neo and Trinity and they made a baby called Ninity and then my friends told me that spending half a party playing The Sims in a corner was anti-social so I stopped. More
By Eleanor Bishop | 7 Jul, 2008
I’m sure you’ve all seen the latest batch of ALAC’s “It’s not the drinking, it’s how we’re drinking” advertisements. There was the drunken guy at the BBQ who swings his kid round in an airplane accidentally throwing his child against the wall (idiot); the other drunken guy who starts beating up guys in the pub, including elbowing a lady More
By Eleanor Bishop | 26 May, 2008
It would appear from my graduation ceremony last week that Victoria University highly values a liberal arts education. The graduation speaker congratulated us on choosing to study the arts as they are the backbone of any critical and creative thinking. More
By Eleanor Bishop | 12 May, 2008
Last Tuesday women everywhere stopped dieting for a day. Why?
Because in 1992, British feminist Mary Evans Young decided to stand up and fight the fact that more than half of women in Western countries have anorexia and other eating disorders. She came up with the concept of No Diet Day, an annual celebration of body acceptance and body shape diversity. More
By Jess Braithwaite | 5 May, 2008
Dear readers,
You could be forgiven for thinking the Women’s Column for this week has sprouted a pair of testicles; such is its subject matter. But let me assure you, this issue really does need to be discussed. I generally require a certain amount of exposure to rage-engendering things to get me through the day, and the when all else has failed to make me angry over the last few weeks, this has not. More
By Eleanor Bishop | 7 Apr, 2008
I want Hilary Clinton to be President.
Or at least the Democratic Candidate.
Why? Because she’s awesome. Even before Bill Clinton came along she was turning heads. She was a lawyer, the first female partner at her law firm in 1979, and the first female New York senator. As First Lady, she achieved many great things for women. She helped create the Office on Violence Against Women at the Department of Justice. More
By Jess Braithwaite | 17 Mar, 2008
Harmless fun or sexual harassment?
It’s a phenomenon that every woman experiences at some point in her life. You’re walking down the street, you hear a whistle, or a truck driver makes a drive-by comment. Maybe you ignore it and go on walking. Maybe you feel diminished and embarrassed. Maybe you turn around and say “in your dreams, arsehole.” More
By Jess Braithwaite | 10 Mar, 2008
RIP Katherine Rich MP. Damn you for going quietly.
Motherhood reeks of the inexplicable. There’s an aura of ‘something else’ which transcends the bloody, biological act of giving birth, and pregnancy has acquired a mysticism which binds mother and baby together in a blanket of unconditional love and expected maternal sacrifice. More
By Salient | 25 Feb, 2008
Welcome to the Women’s Column for 2008. I’m proud to say I’m a feminist. In my eyes being a feminist means acknowledging that women have historically been oppressed and that although things are better today (in the Western world), they are far from perfect. I guess I’m also really interested in how “gender” and “sexuality” as a whole is constructed and enforced in our society, so for me, being a feminist doesn’t exclude looking at men’s issues - in fact I prefer looking at things in tandem. More
By Gabrielle Stewart | 8 Oct, 2007
Hi everyone!
The end of the University year is upon us. Congratulations to you if you have time to even read Salient, having completed all relevant assignments and being all studied up for tests and exams. I truly envy you! Another big congratulations to Georgie Dickson, 2008 Elected Women’s Rights Officer. More
By Gabrielle Stewart | 1 Oct, 2007
A big thank you to all that helped out and attended Women’s Fest events. The week was a successful celebration, despite everyone’s uni requirements! I had a great week and am especially thankful for the Stencilling workshop which has provided my flat with some fantastic artwork. A big shout out to all of our performers: Plum Green, Kitten et Me and others at our open mic night – wonderful performances, highly enjoyable - and Goodbye Galaxy, Death Rattle, The Windups and Punchbowl for your awesome performances at our ‘Women who want to scare you fest’. I also really appreciated a large glass of wine on Saturday while watching High School Musical II (review: very wholesome, great song rip off of ‘Oh Happy Day’, not the classic of HSM I, but recommended). More
By Esther Woodbury | 24 Sep, 2007
In many western countries, obesity has become the most prevalent way in which we discuss bodies and health. Arguments about the causes of obesity, or indeed the extent to which there is actually an ‘obesity epidemic’, continue to rage in the medical and academic worlds, but the rising panic in the media and in public debates remains consistent. More
By Gabrielle Stewart | 17 Sep, 2007
Hi All!
Welcome to Women’s Week. Last week, Salient highlighted some of the issues faced by women today and showed why we need to celebrate our successes and question our shortcomings as women. This week, VUWSA is running Women’s Fest in conjunction with National Suffrage Week, where we celebrate the efforts of strong women before us. This is a great reminder to respect the memory of all women who have fought for our future. Enrol to vote (National, local or even student elections), join the women’s group or attend an event that VUWSA is hosting. More
By Gabrielle Stewart | 10 Sep, 2007
To the men.
There are many definitions of consent. The following is one definition in terms of sexual contact: Consent is permission given freely by someone who understands what they are consenting to and knows they can withdraw their consent at any point during the interaction. More
By Gabrielle Stewart | 3 Sep, 2007
Welcome back, everyone! Today I have collated three feminist ‘sub-groups’ and their definitions, to provide you with some new facets to understand feminism and its leaders. Feminism takes a lot of hits through stereotypes and general misunderstandings that circulate amongst our popular culture. More
By Gabrielle Stewart | 30 Jul, 2007
Hi all!
For this column I decided to look at quotes depicting women and feminism. More
By Gabrielle Stewart | 16 Jul, 2007
Those whom have never been in the position to contemplate a long distance relationship are truly blown away by the concept. And understandably so. The idea of the LDR is based on limited sex, expensive phone calls and travel, constant interrogation from your friends, and at the end of the day going home to an empty bed. More
