Western media has a tendency to tell “a single story” of Africa, and particularly so of African women, which creates a stereotypical perception of Africa and opens the door for unhelpful white saviourism. Last year, Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah recently released an anthology called The Sex Lives of African Women, which explores the sexual lives of …
After the extensive media coverage received, there is no need to recap the events of 28th March 2022, when Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock out of anger at the latter’s belittling jokes about Jada Pinkett Smith’s shaven head caused by alopecia-induced hair loss at the Oscars. Very few Hollywood incidents have received this amount …
What does a Q&A between a White Englishman and BAME immigrant woman reveal about differences in lived experience and privilege, even between two people in a committed relationship? I am an Asian woman and immigrated to England at a very early age, so, for all intents and purposes, I think of myself as English and …
Diversity is a beautiful thing: every single person has a different perspective due to their unique background as they are of a different race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, and age to the next person. Without diversity, our world and lives would be dull. Diversity must be celebrated in all facets of life: at schools and …
Challenging the Taliban’s belief that women have no place in politics. On 7th September, the Taliban announced that they had formed the new Government of Afghanistan after they took control of more than 90% of the country and seized Kabul, the capital, last month. From Prime Minister to Interior Minister, the 33 roles have been …
Being exposed to stereotypes about women in sport has given me a complicated relationship with both sport and my own body. If you are a woman, you have most likely been subjected to stereotypes when participating in sports. I cannot remember how many times I have heard sentiments like women being “weak”, “slow”, “clumsy”, or …
Sex education has missed out on teaching all students about periods, which can leave women embarrassed and scared, and continues to stigmatise periods. We have previously written about period poverty and the barriers it can pose to those who menstruate. A related issue is the lack of education students receive on periods in school, which …
In June, JAN Trust wrote about “the not-so-hysterical problem of sexism in healthcare”, underlining the most blatant stereotype of the “hysterical” woman that has long been established in history and now in popular culture. The historical precedent for this sexist approach to mental health is undeniable. Since the advent of ‘insane asylums’, female mental health …
In light of the recent Euros, it is important to highlight the barriers and stereotypes women face in football, and have always faced historically. The ‘Men’s Euros’ recently ended, once again making it clear that men’s football is seen as the norm, much like in other sports. The official name of that tournament is UEFA …
Language used, both by those working or featured in the media and individuals, has a huge but often unseen effect on our unconscious biases. “Sticks and stones may break my bones, (but words can never hurt me)” is traditionally used to brush off insults but, whilst there is of course some benefit to boosting emotional …
