Issue 87.9 by On Dit

Elle Dit

ISSUE 87.9 OCTOBER 2019

Day on the Lawn Friday 25 October 11AM - 3PM

Maths Lawns Come and bask in some sunshine with the Union! Thrift Stalls, Membership Exclusives, Flower Braids, Kite Making, Tunes, Friendship Bracelet Workshop, Ice Cream, Mini Golf and Heaps More!

Guest Editors

Editorials State of the Union SRC Report What's On Econ Dit Left, Right and Centre Vox Pop

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Girlspace Interview Adelaide Women's Collective Interview Book Review: Shelby Lormanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Awards for Good Boys At The Fore Talking Taboos Speaking Out The Beauty Regime

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Emily Savage

Poem: Ode to an ex-friend (a.k.a my catharsis) All the Fish in the Sea No Man's Land They Speak Gig Guide

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Clare Dekuyer

Emma Mustaca Taylor Fernandez

Editors Imogen Hindson Sam Bedford Maxim Buckley

Subeditors

Felix Eldridge Ella Michele Stasi Kapetanos Cover Art

We would like to Acknowledge that the land of The University of Adelaide is the traditional lands for the Kaurna people and that we respect their spiritual relationship with their Country. We also acknowledge the Kaurna people as the traditional custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living Kaurna people today.

Anzelle de Kock Design Emily Savage

The efforts made to combat misogyny in 2018 have been somewhat unravelled by the lacklustre actions of the University. Last year, we had a student-driven movement to end sexual assault and hazing at student residential colleges. What we’ve seen since this movement has been a complete paradoxical shift in the University's stance on protecting women’s rights on campus. The current University’s idea of promoting women’s rights apparently includes welcoming an anti-abortion club with open arms and inviting a music festival onto campus during the most dangerous time for women at University: O’Week. The need for a privatised University space and a faux sense of a “student-driven culture” has been deemed more important than the education and safety of (female) students. Putting posters around the campus of

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TORIA L EDI E Welcome to another year of Elle Dit. I had the pleasure of working on last year’s Elle Dit, introducing me to the world of student media which inevitably led to my position as editor. In 2018, I had a somewhat disconcerting drive to create something truly special, exploring the prejudices that women face while celebrating their achievements in balanced harmony. In 2019, my position is somewhat different: what was once blind naivety has been transformed into a sense of frustration that is pushing me towards advocating for women’s positions on campus.

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influential female alumni doesn’t excuse the University from allowing misogyny on campus to thrive. It seems the University cares about the protection of women, but only when 60 Minutes is involved. Entering into the year as a team of four women, we were met with a sense of animosity that was clearly reserved for us on the basis of our gender. What was intended to be a critique of our work was instead an attack on the person; with our male counterparts, this critique remained purely professional. Instead of stifling us, it motivated us to work harder. Elle Dit is a celebration of everything we’ve learned this year as editors while throwing some shade to those who doubted us on the basis of our womanhood. This edition is no doubt a celebration of the lives and works of women from our University, but stifling my frustration to paint the illusion of complacency has never really been my style. You’ll find within these pages a heavy critique of what misogyny looks like on campus, something in balance with a clear celebration of women’s achievements at University. I hope this edition paints a picture that is inspiring, challenging, and above all, communitydriven. With love, Imogen

This edition of Elle Dit discusses the challenges females face, in the piece on the criticism Shelby Lorman is subject to as a female comedian, and another on how skin care ideals can be damaging. I hope you are all able to enjoy and engage with this edition! Taylor Fernandez

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TORIAL EDI E I am very excited to have this opportunity to be one of the 2019 guest editors for Elle Dit. Elle Dit serves as a testament to female achievements, not only publishing pieces situated around females, but ultimately, giving their voices a platform. It is very important to encourage the idea that being female is inherently exciting and amazing, yet also recognise that it permeates further than the Cyndi Lauper-esque sense of girl power. We should be making sure to educate each other on relevant feminine issues, whilst continuing to make progress toward gender equality.

This is my second time editing Elle Dit, having first considered taking on an editorial position after editing the women’s edition last year. So much has happened for women in the past 12 months, but I’d like to speak about someone special to me. My Nonna has since been diagnosed with terminal stage 4 diffuse large B cell lymphoma. She has always been a central pillar in my life - strong and unyielding, but maternal and full of unbridled love for her family. She was born in a poor rural town in southern Italy and was only able to attend school until she was 13 years old. She then travelled to Australia because she felt she had to follow her husband’s lead, and raised three young daughters on her own following his untimely death while barely being able to speak English in an unfamiliar and largely unwelcoming country. Reflecting on her struggles reminds me of what an immense privilege it is to be at university and to have the opportunities afforded to me. I hope that Elle Dit 2019 can serve as a celebration of the survival of many women who share similar stories. Samantha Bedford

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EDITORIALS The collective power of females at our university is something that I love to be exposed to: by meeting passionate students in tutorials; through my involvement in clubs where girls hold executive roles; or simply by reading some kickass rebuttal posted by females in Overheard. Walking around the campus, we can all become appreciative of this notion by admiring the 125 Years of Suffrage banners which recognise Adelaide Uni alumnae achievements in gender equality.

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How good is being a woman? I am thrilled to have been trusted to guest edit Elle Dit, as there has never, ever been a better time to be a woman on campus. (I mean, minus that union-funded antiabortion club hanging around. That’s not great.) I couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of an issue that celebrates the accomplishments of women across campus.

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But I can hear it now, like the rumble of thunder off the coast; “Where’s the On Dit for men? Isn’t this reverse sexism?” Shut up. Get mad about a real problem. When the spotlight is off of men for more than five seconds, there is an attempt to derail the conversation almost immediately whether the topic is domestic violence (one woman a week will be murdered by a former partner), sexual assault (1 in 6 women will be physically or sexually abused before the age of 15), or the introduction of gender quotas (of the 151 members of federal government, only 46 are women). The rise of women does not come at the expense of men. Elle Dit exists simply to give women on campus a platform to express the real issues in our lives that are too often ignored or accepted as the norm. I hope that by shutting your mouth and using your eyes to read this issue written by women, for women, about issues that affect women, that you learn something. And even if you don’t, at least the women around you get to enjoy your silence. How good. Emma Mustaca

STATE OF THE UNION Words by AUU Board Member Stella Woo

My name is Stella Woo and I am one of the three woman board members of the AUU. Although we have different views about the direction of how the AUU should be run and in different issues, but I believe we have the same view for all women represented in all different representational system at our university. In my State of Union, I will also be communicating in my own language what we as female students experience when studying in the university and away from our family. Leaving our families to come to the university, we do so alone and are vulnerable to problems not noticed or understood by others outside of our community. This is especially hard for an international female student (I have been in Philippines for my whole high school life- so the transition was similar as an international student). Especially fake visa agents and scam calls that specifically targeting international students make our life even harder. All of these with lack of information with our own first language makes life more challenging. I’ve recently read an article by SBS, stating “Thousands of international students studying in Australia are having to seek help to access abortions. The numbers are prompting experts to question whether universities are doing enough to educate international students about sexual health”. All of these are really concerning, and this must change. I will be working hard as a member of the board and with the incoming board directors, especially Angela Qin which have advocated for women in her position as Ethnocultural Officer this year, to improve with the conditions for women, especially international students. Women in leadership positions are essential in every effort to fight discrimination, communicate and listen to

women from all backgrounds and direct people or resources to solve problems that matter for us. So, join me to celebrate the 125th anniversary of landmark legislation that enabled women – for the first time in Australia – to vote in general elections and to stand as members of Parliament. 여러분 안녕하세요!! 저는 우승해주에요 지금 3명에 여자 board director 중 한 명이고요. 저희는 다 생각 이 다르지만, 여자를 대표해야 한다는 생각은 같을 거 예요.

여러분 대부분은 지금 가족이랑 떨어져서 살고 있으 니깐, 여자로서 다른 사람들은 모르는 문제들이 많 아요. 이런 거는 국제 학생으로서 특히 더 힘들어요 ( 저는 domestic student 이긴 하지만, 중 고등학교 는 필리핀에서 다녀가지고요, 여기로 오는 과정은 international 학생이랑 비슷했어요). 가짜 비자 요원 들이나, 스팸전화를 한 번쯤은 겪어보셨을 거예요. 특 히나 영어가 서투르면, 더 힘들기만 하죠 ㅠㅠ. 최근 에 SBS (호주 거요 ㅎㅎ) 에서 기사를 하나 읽었어요 “Thousands of international students studying in Australia are having to seek help to access abortions.” 여기서 나오는 숫자는 전문가들을 생각 하게 만들었어요, 하지만 이건 꼭 바뀌어야 돼요. Board director으로서 지금 board랑 이번에 들어는 5명의 board director 특히 Angela Qin (이번 년에 Ethnocultural officer으로 여자들 특히 국제 학생들 을 위해서 열심히 해줬어요). 권력을 쥐고 있는 여성 들은 지금 차별받는 거랑 싸워야 하고요, 그리고 모든 배경의 여자들에 말도 들어 여하죠. 그러니 표 주게요 처음으로 투표권을 받고 국회의원으로서 슬 수 있게 된 125 주년을 저화 함께 기념해요! 무슨 얘기든 하고 싶은 게 있으면요, 언제든지 이메일 보내세요!

Stella Seung-Joo Woo (우승주) Clubs Committee Chair, Executive, Board Director, Adelaide University Union stella.woo@student.adelaide.edu.au

SRC WOMEN’S OFFICER Words by 2020 SRC Women’s Officer Rebecca Etienne

CONTENT WARNING: Mentions of sexual assault and harassment Hi all, welcome to Elle Dit! I’m Rebecca, your SRC Women’s Officer for 2020. When I was asked to write for ElleDit, I was really excited to reach out to you in my first official statement in the position! Very keen to work with you all and advocate on your behalf to the university to do better. ElleDit is a celebration of women, for women and by women. Simple as that. To have our voices heard and stories shared is a liberating thing. OnDit is the third oldest student magazine, so for ElleDit to be a part of that history is extraordinary! December 2019 marks the 125th anniversary of Women’s Suffrage in South Australia. 125 years, can you believe it? It took a whole movement to allow women to vote in general elections, stand in state parliament - to have a voice in the world. We were also the first in Australia to pass this legislation, and for that, I can speak on behalf of most if not all women to say that we are incredibly proud. The theme this year is “Their Triumph, Our Motivation”, so I thought I would touch on our continued efforts in working towards gender equality. After years and years of campaigning, letter writing, signature gathering and lobbying, women were finally enabled to vote.

125 years on from suffrage, we still have big fights we need to win. Women are still afraid to walk alone at night, and for good reason. Almost every day we see news articles detailing the gruesome murders and assaults of women. As of the 31st of May it was reported that 34 Australian women have been killed violently in Australia. This number will shamefully continue to rise. A woman who had their drink spiked at a nightclub recently informed the venue. She was then ridiculed by the manager and asked whether she felt she was “worthy” or “attractive” enough to even be spiked. This is disgusting. In response to all the injustice and inequality still facing women I aim to launch campaigns, create fundraisers and to extensively collaborate with the UofA Women’s Collective. A newly established club, unaffiliated with the AUU, the UofA Women’s Collective has been making waves and making sure that everyone feels safe, comfortable and included. The initiative had been stagnant for a number of years, but this year, is coming back bigger and better than ever! We want to create an inclusive space where all women are welcomed in, but where we also invite all who don’t identify as being a woman to join us in our fight for gender equality. With the Women’s Collective, I will work on campus events and maintain responsibility for the development of the Anna Menz’ Women’s Room, which is now on Level 8 of the Hughes building (due to infrastructure moving around). We will attend and run pro-choice campaigns and

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consult the university when the results from the 2020 Sexual Assault Survey are released. In this column, I was also asked to touch on a current issue affecting the women in our community. As difficult as it is, I would like to focus your attention on the 2020 Sexual Harassment & Sexual Assault Survey. The 2016 results that came in were appalling. 1 in 5 students were sexually harassed in a university setting, and that is excluding travel to and from university. Women were three times as likely as men to have been sexually assaulted in a university setting, and almost twice as likely as men to be sexually harassed in a university setting. How can we tackle this? Universities Australia made a measly effort. “Respect. Now. Always”. And yes, while I agree that awareness is a major aspect of the problem, the even bigger problem is accountability. We must be teaching consent from a younger age, taking action against perpetrators and putting more funding towards counselling services for survivors.

My parting message is this: feminism is the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. Feminists are not evil. We are not man-hating, nor carry pitchforks. This stereotype is tired, false and offensive. We seek equality. We seek justice where there is none. We are passionate, we are culturally diverse. We respect our leaders’ past, present and emerging. We are your friends, your sisters. We will fight the good fight, so will you fight too? Rebecca Etienne SRC Women’s Officer

WHAT’S ON

9th

8th

10th

What: Criminology Students Pizza Night Where: Flentje Foyer When: October 9th, 6:30-7:30pm

What: Artland with the AUU Where: Level 4, Hub Central When: October 8th11th, 11am-2pm

What: Picnic & Yoga in the Secret Garden Where: Napier Building Courtyard When: October 10th, 11am-2pm

11th

What: Put a Spring in Your Step (Rotaract Club) Where: Barr Smith Lawns When: October 11th, 12-3pm

What: Education Students’ Association Cocktail Night Where: Ambassador’s Hotel When: October 11th, 7pm

What: AMSS x AULSS Suits & Scrubs Party Where: Super California When: October 11th, 9pm

11th

13th

16th

What: Destress with Essential Oils Where: Student Zone in the Professions Hub When: October 11th, 10am-12pm

What: University of Adelaide Wine Club Tour Where: Adelaide Hills’ Wineries When: October 13th, 9am-5pm

What: Arts Association Semester 2 Quiz Night Where: The Elephant British Pub When: October 16th, 6pm-10pm

17th

18th

What: Adelaide Fashion Collective’s Themed Thursday Where: Uni Bar When: October 17th, 5pm

What: Engineering Society BBQ Where: Barr Smith Lawns When: October 18th, 12-3pm

What: AUU Clubs President’s Dinner & Awards Night Where: Adelaide Zoo When: October 18th, 7-11pm

OCTOBER

Words by Alice Burch and Madison Terrell

EconDit One-Size-Fits-Men: The Invisible Woman

Ever wondered why the car seat belt doesn’t fit right? Or why we have longer bathroom queues than men? This is a result of the gender data gap, having a profound effect on women’s lives. Data is the greatest tool for understanding and designing the world around us. It’s used to make decisions on the price of your uber, the size of your shoes, urban planning, government policy and everything in between. Alarmingly though, most of the data that makes up the world’s decisions revolves around the ‘default male’ - a supposed stand-in for all of humanity. This dates back all the way to Ancient Greece when the female physique was termed a ‘mutilated male body’. But whilst the name has drifted away, the concept has not.

‘Invisible Women’, written by Caroline Criado Perez, explores the gender data gap and how this leads to systemic discrimination affecting half the world’s population. Gender data bias has consequences that impact women every day. Despite research showing women were more likely to purchase iPhones than men, Apple designed the phones too big for our hands. Why can some of us never reach the top shelf? Maybe because the shelves were built to favour the average male, not the average person. Consider bathroom design; giving 50-50 space to men and women seems like an equitable concept, but then why do we see a hundred person line for women at every event when men go straight in and straight out? Well for starters, women take twice as long as men to use a bathroom for a variety of reasons. Secondly, urinals take up less space

than cubicles with more men being able to use the bathroom at one time. Unfortunately, none of this is considered when public bathrooms are designed. This stuff is annoying but what about if it was life threatening? The typical CPR mannequin doesn’t have breasts and as a result, men are 23% more likely to survive public resuscitation than women. How about safety measures in a car? For decades test dummies have been based on the average male body, leading to women having a 47% greater chance of serious injury in a vehicular accident than men. Perez notes that ‘female’ dummies are now being used, but these are just smaller versions of the male dummy only tested in the passenger seat. A particularly shocking issue is the continuous exclusion of women in the medical sphere, a sector typically considered objective and free of bias. Due to the absence of female representation in clinical trials, the standard prescribed dosage for many medications is for the average male. This has the consequences of women having less effective treatment, more side effects or even overdosing. Women are also being misdiagnosed from lack of knowledge in how medical symptoms differ between genders. The supposed ‘gender neutral’ heart attack symptoms are of course pain in the chest and down the left arm. However, women actually

experience indigestion, nausea, fatigue and restlessness when having a heart attack, with only one in eight experiencing the well-known symptoms. This bias means many women, and even their doctors, don’t even realise they’re having a heart attack! Consequently, women are more likely to die from a heart attack than men. The reality is women are constantly trying to navigate a world designed for men. We don’t believe we’re purposely getting screwed over, the issue is that the default person is a man with women being the niche. Women are considered too ‘costly’ to test on because we get our periods and those pesky hormones really make everything far too complicated. As a result, the data is completely devoid of women and our needs, treated as invisible. The gender gap in data is the cause of perpetual discrimination against women, negatively affecting our health and wellbeing. We need more female representation in data, not just for convenience or efficiency but for survival.

LEFT RIGHT & CENTRE Left

Sage Jupe Socialist Alternative 1.Absolutely not. It’s absolute theatre to claim reverse-sexism is real, it has no basis in reality. Inequality for women in society remains in virtually every aspect of life; the workforce is highly gender segregated, women overall continue to earn less than men, and the weight of unpaid home at work continues to disproportionately fall on women. Abortion is still on the criminal record in South Australia, and everywhere a woman goes she cannot escape the sexist media and advertising asserting harmful tropes. The problems that men face in capitalism are not the fault of women and not the fault of women’s rights. The fact that working class men have to go and fight in wars is because the rich and powerful send them to their deaths. If they don’t get hired for certain job positions, it’s because bosses are cheapskates. Some gender stereotypes that constrain the emotional behaviors of men come from a place of maintaining women’s oppression: the idea that emotions are fragile and feminine and therefore bad. The basis of ‘reverse sexism’ is just complete hostility to equality for women.

2. Bolsonaro’s comments about Macron’s wife are yet another indication of the sexist scum embodying the ruling class. Trump and Bolsonaro alike are both known for their increasingly sexist rhetoric. This fits in perfect with the system they represent and rule: capitalism. A system based off of inequality and sexism, of underpaying women and denying us rights over our bodies. Brett Kavanaugh is a perfect example: a product of elite schooling, known widely for committing sexual assault under said schooling, nominated to the Supreme Court in the US to continue his elite trajectory, behavior towards women ignored. And let’s not forget our own country, where scummy ruling class men in the liberal party are rallying against abortion rights in NSW and fighting for the homophobic ‘religious freedoms’ bill. 3. Bernadette Devlin! She was an Irish civil rights leader in the late 60s, an MP, a socialist, and an absolute rebel. In 1969, Bernadette Devlin made history when she became the youngest woman to be elected to parliament. This was off the back of gaining a reputation as a socialist who fought for freedom and against police brutality. Bernadette used her position, unlike a majority of MPs today, to support

workers’ struggles and civil rights campaigns. She went to picket lines and joined anti-racist demonstrations. One particularly great thing she did is summed up in this quote about the civil rights movement in the US: “They said exactly the same things about blacks that the loyalists said about us at home. In New York I was given the key to the city by the mayor, an honour not to be sneezed at. I gave it to the Black Panthers.”

Centre Arabella Wauchope Adelaide University Labor Club 1. Sexism by its own definition is discrimination based on ones sex. This stereotyping and discrimination can be applied to any gender. I find that the term ‘Reverse sexism’ is a commonly thrown around by those trying to devalue a criticism or callout of sexism aimed towards women. However, I do think men can be victims of the patriarchy too. Societal standards for masculinity have produced a culture of bottling emotions which lends itself to higher suicide rates and worsened mental health. The way that raising children was considered to be the sole responsibility of women locked men out of the family conversation, which has now lead to things like limited

Does ‘reverse sexism’ exist?

Bolsonaro recently mocked Macron wife’s appearance, construing France’s “improper and

wanton” plan for an international alliance for the protection of the Amazon as an attack on Brazilian autonomy, tying it to supposed jealousy over Bolsonaro’s relatively younger wife. To what extent does machismo and masculine posturing play in modern global politics? 3.

Who, in your opinion, is the best female politician in history? Why?

paid parental leave compared to that for women. I think we all have a common enemy in stereotyping and the patriarchy. 2. The term ‘it’s a mans world’ still holds true when it comes to international politics. We’ve all seen photos of the UN where the men were photoshopped out, and there were a lot of empty seats. Each country has its own battles in terms of equal representation but these battles aren’t necessarily fixed by women being in the room. Once there, each woman battles male entitlement. Machismo and masculine posturing exist largely in response to the rise of women in power. It looks like men being obsessed with their own masculinity and power to the detriment of others. You see it when women are labelled as being overly emotional, not thinking rationally or pursuing personal grievances when they’re in a professional capacity. The competency of good women is undermined. This machismo, at its worst, is an untouchable attitude, a sense of entitlement and an above the law approach. You don’t need to look far to find comprehensive evidence. The Prime Minister of the Philippines described the murder of an Australian missionary last year as a waste because she was beautiful, and said that the mayor of the town she was murdered in should have been first. The comments made

by President Trump on women has systemically portrayed them as objects. Our very own Ex-PM Julia Gillard was subjected to criticism based on her gender and appearance instead of her politics. At the end of the day until there are enough women in the room in the first place this behaviour will continue. The higher positions women hold, the less prominent this kind of behaviour will become. But with misogynistic men like Trump having international influence, this sense of entitlement will still be there. 3. Jacinda Arden. She has become a symbol of women being able to ‘do it all’. She has been pregnant and a mother during her prime ministership. She inspires young women who are often turned away from politics because of the social pressure to choose between career or family. But Jacinda has achieved more than symbolism in her term to date. Notably, her families package increased paid parental leave and gave handouts for middle income families with young children. She is not alone in women who have made a real impact in positions of power but half of the problem is that the list is limited because equal representation has still not been achieved.

Right

Alex Betheras Adelaide University Liberal Club 1. Absolutely. Look at issues like paternity leave, male on male violence rates, and male suicide rates to see that many men are having very tough times and being entirely ignored by the feminist movement. Think about how men have been left out of feminist discourse on future leadership with the “future is female” conversation and the rising trend of male resentment as legitimized by social media and the feminist movement. 2. This was obviously a cheap shot. It’s pretty poor politics to make comments about a rivals private life for personal political gain and does very little to aid politics. 3. Without any doubt, Margaret Thatcher. The first female and longest serving 20th century Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. She is an iconic powerhouse female who refused to bow down to anyone, and never settled for anything less than what she believed could be the future of the UK. Not only did she have a vision, she had so much belief in herself that she was able to deliver the prosperity that she believed in.

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CLARE Bachelor of Environmental Policy and Management

1. Definitely the determination, despite the crap, to keep going 2. You can boil it down to the disrespect women face

ABBY Bachelor of International Relations and Bachelor of Arts

1. The solidarity 2. People not wanting to acknowledge inequality, calling those who fight for it “snowflakes”

3. Greta Thunberg

3. Jamila Jamil and Matt Haig. Miranda Hart, she’s amazing I love her

4. One guy said I didn’t know anything about history and that Abraham Lincoln was the first president

4. “You look like an ice princess”

1. What do you study? 2. What makes you proud to be a woman? 3. What do you think is the greatest issue facing women today? 4. Who inspires you? 5. The dumbest thing a man has ever said to you?

Michael Law/International Relations

MILLIE

REBECCA

Bachelor of Arts (Advanced)

Bachelor of Astrophysics

1. The creativity and resilience of all the women in my life 2. Violence from the men in our lives, even strangers 3. Greta Thunberg 4. I have visible spots on my face and a guy asked I was born with them. I was like “um, do you know what acne is?”

1. The world does not like us, but we’re still here 2. Climate change - can’t exist if everything is on fire 3. My grandmother 4. Apropos of nothing, a man shared an embarrassing first date story and expected me to reciprocate

“Girl Spaces exist within both abstract and defined terms. They are places in which women can gather – or maybe escape alone to – and be safe and welcome.” This is exactly what the women behind Girl Space, Hannah and Laura, have created. Girl Space focuses on promoting and helping create a community for female, trans and NB artists within Adelaide. As a result, they’ve opened the doors for art created by wom*n to become more accessible to the wider public, creating exhibitions and a strong online community.

GIRL SPACE Opening the Floodgates for Female Artists in Adelaide Questions prepared by Imogen Hindson Answered by Hannah Southcombe and Laura Gentgall

Tell us a bit about yourselves! Hannah: I recently finished a bachelor’s degree in International Development, minoring in International Studies at The University of Adelaide. I don’t really think I have a traditional “hobby” per se. Spending a lot of my spare time on projects such as Girl Space doesn’t leave me much time to regularly do things for leisure but I when I get time I like to catch up with friends over dinner or at the pub. Adelaide has some of the best food, pubs and bars! Early into my teenage years I knew I wasn’t happy about the inequalities women face. I find it completely unacceptable that anyone identifying as a woman does not have the same social, political or economic rights as men. For a few years now I have been trying to educate myself as much as possible and involve myself with state, national and international women’s rights issues through different nongovernment organisations. Through these experiences I’ve been able to stand in solidarity with women. Laura: I am a soon to be Registered Nurse with a passion for mental health, about to graduate at the end of this year. I am an artist in my spare time – not so much these days – and I love painting with watercolour and doing digital drawing on my iPad. Girl Space does take up a lot of my spare time, and so tends to override my own artistic endeavours, but I find curating and organising the events to be artistically fulfilling in a different sense. I also love food and cooking, and love checking out all the new restaurants Adelaide has to offer.

How did Girl Space originate? What drove you to start it? Laura: I started Girl Space when I was producing a fair bit of my own art, and was looking for ways to exhibit and increase my platform. I was finding it very intimidating to reach out to more established artists and venues, and I could see that other artists and friends around me were feeling similarly. I noticed that many of the local artists gaining traction were male, and local female artists were harder to discover. I was working in a café/ bar, and they were looking to exhibit some art, and so with two weeks to organise, I put together the first Girl Space exhibition. My hope was to create a space that allowed young, up and coming women artists to exhibit in a safe, non-pretentious and accepting environment. That was almost 5 years ago, and I think while Girl Space has grown and developed so much since that; our core values have remained the same while elevating a larger group of artists. Why do you think it’s important to have a platform exclusively for women artists? How does this sense of community help artists thrive? Hannah: When you look at the statistics, it is so obvious that women are disproportionately represented in the art industry compared to men, no matter the medium. Having an exclusive platform for women doesn’t just allow us to engage the public with female artists and showcase the talent of the artists but we also hope it provides a safe and accessible

place for these artists to share their stories and work. Often our artists have never exhibited before and often reach out to us for guidance in exhibiting. We think this is largely to do with the fantastic community around Girl Space. Everyone is welcoming, respectful and eager to create change in the art world. Our community doesn’t just include ourselves and the artists but also photographers, musicians, media, gallery and event space operators and of course those who attend our events and follow our socials. We’re very lucky to have worked with people who share the same values and through this have been able to build a strong community connecting all aspect of the art industry. Social media has opened new doors for many artists, particularly those in marginalised groups, to reach a broader group of consumers in a way which is no longer limited by elitist industrial traditions. How do you think Girl Space contributes to this new era of supporting artists through social media platforms? Laura: We exist almost primarily online in times when we are not actively exhibiting. We use social media in so many ways – we reach out to artists, we share and promote artists’ work, artists contact us for advice or support or upcoming exhibitions and events they’re organising. I think social media means that art is more immediately accessible, and it has meant that we are able to access a much wider variety of artists. It has also meant we are able to promote and lift up more and more artists quickly and easily. Girl Space isn’t exclusively an online platform, with the recent exhibition as ‘Goddess’ and your Zine launch gaining a lot of traction. How has hosting these events helped women artists within the Adelaide community grow? Hannah: It’s super important that we have both a social media presence as well as print media and physical spaces. Although

we recognise that social media is such an important platform, accessible to a lot of people and super convenient there’s just something about having a zine to hold. It was also a great way for us to share the story of Girl Space and feature amazing artists. Laura: Our events are probably my favourite part of Girl Space. They take the most hours and hard work, but it pays off on opening night when we get to mingle and meet artists and supporters, and to see the featured artists shine. What would you say your biggest achievement has been to date? Hannah: It’s hard to pinpoint our biggest achievement because all of our events have been quite different. Our last exhibition was a stand out for me. It was themed ‘Goddess’ and showcased four artists interpretation of what the word Goddess means to them. As most opening nights are, this one was something special. We got to connect to people who have been a part of our community for some time as well as people who have never been to a Girl Space event. During the month-long exhibition we hosted two events. In collaboration with Poko Ono, we held a Flash Day to raise money for Poko Ono’s partner, Milo’s top surgery and Black Rainbow, an advocacy platform for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander LGBQTI peoples. We also had Sarah Burley, owner of The Tit Club, come and do a workshop where the group made incense holders. Both workshops brought great collaboration and our community together. Laura: Yeah I agree, I think that each event just keeps getting bigger and better, and the ‘Goddess’ exhibition was so much fun. The Mill has always been a fantastic venue to work with, and we love supporting another local initiative, which has been super successful. I think our biggest achievement is the community that we have built. I am always so happy to see artists absolutely shine and gain confidence in their ability through being a part of our community and exhibiting their work, and watching the artists build friendships and their own communities.

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THE COLLECTIVE ARE STANDING UP FOR WOMEN’S RIGHTS ON CAMPUS ANSWERS BY STELLA SALVEMINI INTERVIEW BY IMOGEN HINDSON

The Women’s Collective has previously been a stagnant group, but the new students behind the reigniting of the club are sparking interest all over campus. The new club intends to advocate for and create a feminist culture on campus, advocating for women’s rights in a time where pro-life clubs and festivals are being invited onto campus, all while providing a safe space for women to join together.

I saw the formation of LifeChoice. I sought out to see if there was a club that supported women and their rights, only to find there wasn’t one. I want there to be a club where women can share ideas and issues they face as women, as well as find support. What are the main goals of the Women’s Collective?

The main aims of the club are to create a feminist campus culture and raise awareness on issues that affect women such as domestic violence and The Women’s collective has been reproductive rights. It is important quite stagnant on campus in the women aren’t apathetic to politics and past few years – despite the aren’t complacent to issues such as introduction of an anti-abortion sexual assault or abortion, given that club, reports of sexual hazing they are universal issues which affect in colleges and violence against all women. I think it’s important for the women gaining traction in the Collective to promote sexual health media - what drove you to start it and healthy relationships, through our up again? main actions of advocacy, education and socialisation. The collective will be As far as I know, the previous collective a club where women can discuss and fizzled out a couple of years ago, which gain knowledge as well as socialise. The I feel is telling of where our University club will be in charge of maintaining is at in regards to having a strong and the women’s room in the Lady Symons active female voice. I’ve been a student building which is currently under at Adelaide for four years and haven’t renovation but has been temporarily been actively involved with clubs until relocated to Hughes 806. CW: Sexual harassment, abortion

Why is it so important to have a safe space where women can gather in a community? It’s so important women have a space to feel comfortable and supported without judgement. Too often our space is taken up by male-dominated groups and it’s important to have a femaleled club that can provide a female voice on campus. I feel the Collective in collaboration with the SRC Women’s Officer can bring women together and do some good for the student body. Do you believe having the RCC return to campus is creating a safe environment for women, particularly in light of a culture of sexual assault on campus? What is your position, and that of the Women’s Collective, regarding the introduction of a Pro-Life group on campus? Having the RCC return to campus is not creating a safe environment for women at all. Although it brings really amazing music and local businesses to the university, the behaviours around binge drinking and “going out to town” creates a space where women are easily taken advantage of, assaulted and raped. Statistically, 3 out of 4 times women are raped or sexually assaulted by someone they know. It’s hard to say what is a safe environment for women when you could be betrayed by someone you trust. Besides this, the RCC creates dangerous situations for women - especially travelling to and from other venues. Women need to stick together and have a sober friend. I hope there will be ample security and lighting around the university during the duration of the event. Groups such as Pro-Life group are always going to be people with extreme views regarding abortion,

and they have a right to hold their opinion. But that does not mean they should be given funds and a platform, especially in an academic environment where people know the facts. Decriminalising abortions doesn’t stop them from happening - it makes women have to choose unsafe methods of abortion which puts their lives at risk. The Collective does not support the group and believes they shouldn’t be on campus spouting their harmful beliefs with the support of the Adelaide University Union’s money. The ONLY people who should be deciding what a woman does with her body is her and her doctor. There is no social or academic need for their debates. Are you hosting any events soon for women to attend? There will be a clear schedule of regular events for next semester available soon. For now, we are getting on our feet, meeting new members and making connections with organisations we want to fundraise for and work with. For the remainder of the year, we will be holding social meetings in the women’s room to bring attention to the available space where women can meet or study and where mothers can enjoy privacy and quietness. How do students get involved with the Women’s collective on campus? Students can like us on Facebook to see upcoming events and meetings held by us. Membership is free and open to everyone! All you have to do is sign up via a survey monkey link (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ SDP8Q78) available on our Facebook page. Alternatively, if someone wants to become a more active member, they can send me an email at: a1706471@student.adelaide.edu.au.

Book Review: Shelby Lorman’s Awards for Good Boys: Tales of Dating, Double Standards, and Doom Words by Abbey King

I’ve been a fan of all things comedy since I was young. I loved shows such as Friends and The Simpsons, and I still do. But as I grew up, I began to question why it was always women who were on the butt end of the jokes. So, comedy in which women aren’t degraded and put down for a change? I’m all for it.

‘Good Boy’: “A man who would never do anything explicitly, quote-unquote, "bad" by his own measure but, consciously or not, uses his goodness as a shield behind which he can get away with still pretty bad behavior on the grounds that it's not outwardly horrific.” -Shelby Lorman

I’ve been a follower of Shelby Lorman on Instagram (under @awardsforgoodboys) since she was starting up in 2017. As she has grown a fanbase, I’ve watched people troll her accounts claiming she isn’t a comedian and attacking her over her personal life and appearance with a particular kind of backlash that men don’t receive. I bought this book not only because I’m a huge fan of Shelby’s work, but also because I believe it is important to support fellow female artists and to acknowledge that it’s a different battle for women working in fields dominated by males. In a world where women like Shelby have a literal profession to be funny, they are still told that they’re funny ‘for a girl’.

With a focus on the toxic culture of dating, Shelby creates satirical ‘awards’ for men who do the bare minimum, highlighting how men are often rewarded for behaviour that is not necessarily extraordinary, but rather, has underlying selfish and misogynistic motives behind it. Shelby elaborates on this concept in her book, explaining how we often put these men on literal and figurative pedestals. As women, we have all had to encounter serious and obvious forms of misogyny at some point in our lives. Shelby’s book aims to call out the subtle misogynist behaviour that men hide under the facade of being a ‘good boy’, which makes the toxic behaviour much harder to identify. The book involves personal stories of Shelby’s own dating life, which is the main motivation behind her work.

Throughout the book, Shelby introduces concepts such as 'liminal relationships': the messy inbetween stage of dating and a relationship where there is no communication or clarity; and 'the spread': the way in which men often make women feel small physically (like manspreading) or from being spoken over, ignoring their opinions, or stealing their ideas. Shelby’s cleverly written concepts detailed in the book are a stepping stone into educating us on the toxic dating culture and the patriarchal hierarchy in general. It’s a short and refreshing read, and as a young adult who has experienced my fair share in negative relationships, I found the book super relatable. Calling out ‘good boy’ behaviour is just as important as calling out the more obvious forms of misogyny, because this behaviour is what subtly reaffirms the toxicity of our dating culture. In the past few years there has been a rise in women sticking up for themselves and calling out toxic behaviour, which Shelby’s art has helped me and many others to identify. I believe this is such a difficult and confronting concept for men to experience because their toxic behaviour and misogyny has been deeply normalised in our society, and often criticism makes them feel fragile and insecure. Women have been criticized for everything we do since the dawn of time, so when suddenly men are being called out for their actions and are expected to take accountability, they feel attacked and lash out- fuelled by fragile masculinity. Despite all of the hateful and sexist comments left on her art and in her DMs, Shelby

continues to make her art and voice heard, as the hateful comments she receives only validates the message behind her work even more. My final praise towards the book is that it provokes deeper thought into self-awareness and accountability. The book isn’t just putting men down by criticising their behaviour, Shelby also reflects on her own behaviour (like sending her exboyfriend a here’s how you wronged me email) while reflecting on her own privilege as a straight white woman- showing that ‘good girls’ can exist too! In the final chapter, Shelby asks the reader to use her book as groundwork into applying it to our own experiences, as a way to offload and remind ourselves that we are all deserving of a laugh and to have our story heard. The book is hilarious: I had a grin on my face for the entirety of it and caught myself laughing out loud multiple times. It’s refreshing to read work from a female artist who is as confident as Shelby is about her art: an inspiration for other women who are anxious about putting their own work out into the public sphere. I read the book quickly in between classes and loved it, and immediately knew I needed to sit down and read it again. I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of satirical comedy which isn’t at the expense of women, anyone who is in need of a good relatable laugh, or anyone who wants to become more self-aware of their ‘good boy’ (or ‘good girl’) behaviour.

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Content warning: In a world marred by anxieties and Rape, sexual filled with loud voices, it’s no surprise assault that audiences are looking for a softer escape. Entrenched in and born out of today’s social climate, a Words by variety of voices from the indie-folk Tom Johnston world deliver on this wish. From Julian Baker to Adrianne Lenker, there’s a big picture view within the subtleties of their minimalist, introspective songwriting. It’s no coincidence that the voices leading this movement are women, though a pleasant surprise that some of the best are Australian. Stella Donnelly hit the radio in 2017 with the opening track to her EP ‘Thrush Metal’ - Mechanical Bull. In it, she uses a tense pair of chords, matched to her two-note vocal line: “I'm gonna throw you all off me / like a mechanical bull”. It’s a frustrated opening to an EP that expands on the need for space, for listening and for change, compounded in the simple, melodic chorus that follows “I need to be alone / you've been at my throat”. The second track comes with a more sinister tone. Calling out the excuse that ‘boys will be boys’, Donnelly creates a soft, fingerpicked ballad to contrast the damning idea too often purported that women are equally to blame in rape cases. It’s not an overtly angry, or loud call by Donnelly, but instead riddled with a sense of defeat. Releasing her second album ‘Crushing’ this year, Julia Jacklin is another voice that’s gained international attention. Laced throughout the album is a sobering, anger-inducing reflection on how patriarchy still dictates so many

male-female interactions. The album opens quietly with Body, where she is “heading to the city to get my body back”. It’s a story that finds it’s narrative in each song, where in Head Alone she requests that “I don't want to be touched all the time / I raised my body up to be mine”. Her concern for the relationship between oneself and one’s body is a reminder that nothing is as simple as it seems. Using introspection to convey her thoughts on a much larger societal issue, Jacklin is candid, yet far from brash. A new voice in the fray has been Angie McMahon, releasing her debut album ‘Salt’ in July. With tracks outlining the difficulty of moving on and of getting out of a rut, the album crescendos into the second to last track, I Am A Woman. She explains to a partner that she doesn’t like a musician, because “I have heard him referring to girls as if they are a game”, yet he seems deaf to listen. Frustrated at the thought, she turns inward: “I'm not your teacher, I am little and I am learning”. But against these forces of stubbornness, she finally, boldly declares “You are in my home now / And I am a woman”. It’s these stories of body, identity and ownership that have captured something missing in music today, and these stories that lead a new folk rising. Stella Donnelly performs at Lion Arts Factory on Nov 4. Angie McMahon performs at The Gov on Oct 16. And Julia Jacklin returns from overseas touring in December.

TALKING TABOOS Ah, yes. The Crimson Wave, Aunt Flow, Shark Week, Bloody Mary, Lady Time, On The Rag. Many of us know of the euphemisms we adopt to hide the ‘shame’ of menstruation. Young female Adelaidian duo Isobel and Eloise of TABOO are tackling this shame head-on, helping eradicate periodpoverty on a global scale. Their business model is a social enterprise, with 100% of their profits from their organic tampons and pads heading directly to developing countries to help with education, hygiene, and access to menstrual products. The team at On Dit sat down with Sofia Arlotta, a brand ambassador who recently started up a university club to further the brand's influence, to discuss all things TABOO.

THE CLUB HELPING ERADICATE PERIOD POVERTY Answers by Sofia Arlotta, Interview by Imogen Hindson

How did you get involved in TABOO? What drove you to start up a TABOO club on campus? “I heard about the organisation in 2017 through social media and thought they were quite impressive given the fact they’re only a year older than I am... ” Sofia explained. Initially, she started running fundraisers to help them achieve crowdfunding goals, and from there she continued on as an ambassador for the social enterprise. Inevitably, the job of a TABOO ambassador is to spread the word, but Sofia had a deeper incentive for starting the TABOO club. The introduction of the club it seemed like a natural fit, given the impact of period poverty on education, the fact that one of two the cofounders of TABOO goes to Adelaide University, and the sensitive discussion around TABOO. “University environments are really good spaces to get involved in charitable organisations like this and to discuss issues that can otherwise be controversial.” How does period poverty impact the reality of women’s lives? How does it impact women’s education? Period poverty has a significant impact on women, especially those living within developing countries. Much of this stems from the stigma that is associated with menstruation: “women are ostracised and isolated from communities, which has a big impact on the way you see yourself and interact with your broader community”, Sofia highlighted. This isolation from communities has direct impacts on girls and women. In September, a teenage Kenyan girl committed suicide over period shaming inflicted by her school teacher. This taboo around periods has a significant influence over young girls education. In Sierra Leone, girls miss approximately 50 school days per year due to their period. In India, approximately 20% of girls drop out of school due to period poverty. “One of the key necessary

factors in ending poverty is education, so it’s shocking to know how many young girls aren’t going to school because of something that could be so accessible... girls not having access to sanitary products only amplifies the ramifications of poverty” Sofia explained. Do you feel proud to be supporting a business founded by young South Australian women (Isobel Marshall and Eloise Hall)? Sofia reflects on the founders: “I think it’s really good to be supporting young Australian women… Lots of people talk about these issues, but seeing these young women taking their activism one step further and being proactive is really inspiring.” She emphasises how remarkable it is that the founders thought of this concept while they were in school and have travelled internationally to research this issue. Their product is ethical on all levels, as TABOO pads and tampons are created in a factory running exclusively from hydroelectricity, which “adds another layer to their product, given the current climate crisis”. Knowing the product(s) are made from 100% organic cotton certainly puts the mind at peace. Why is it important that students get involved in charitable causes that support women throughout University? How can they get involved in TABOO? It’s important to get involved in collective causes for the benefit of the whole, Sofia explains. “We need to work together to achieve global progression; just because something doesn’t directly impact you, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give your time and resources to a cause.” The TABOO club will be running events through Facebook and Instagram, as well as a member form, which are in the process of being set up. Keep your eyes on the ‘Adelaide University TABOO Club’ for more information. TABOO: https://tabooau.co/

K A I N E G P S

O UT Against Abusive Bands and a Culture of Control Words by Tori Delany

I wonder how many (heterosexual) women are in textbook abusive relationships without knowing. Emotionally damaging and cruel behaviours in heterosexual relationships are normalised to a terrifying point. Men generally control the narrative of these relationships and it seems too easy for people to believe that the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;crazy exgirlfriendâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; really is just mad about being broken up with. My fellow crazy ex-girlfriends know how incredibly painful and fucking infuriating it is to have our pain invalidated like this.

Although by the time we are of dating age many women have already been deeply hurt and betrayed by men, we still seem to instinctively hold space for them. A lot of the time, this is even more space than we allow for ourselves, as we continue to put our needs and desires after that of the men we love. In this way we make ourselves smaller, minimise the amount of space we take up, in an effort to be easier to love. If we notice their emotional shortcomings, we quickly brush it aside believing that if we just love them enough, properly, that they will open up to us, develop a bare minimum level of emotional maturity and start to care about our needs and desires. I do think we should encourage the men we love to become more familiar with their emotions, but we need to stop babying them. It is too much to ask of us to sugar coat all of this and turn it into an easier to digest version that will spare his feelings and the blow to his ego. Earlier this year I saw on Instagram that The Smith Street Band are touring again after a small hiatus following accusations of abuse perpetrated by frontman Wil Wagner. Wagner published an essay on Facebook, full of excuses and denial, while the band announced shows, some of which quickly sold out. It hit too close to home for me because it reminded me of my own experience of calling out an abuser to be met with invalidation and accusations of harassment. What is the point of speaking out against abusive men when we are faced with the fact that people simply will not believe us or do not care, and that our abusers will not face any consequences for their actions. I was in a relationship for two and a half years with somebody I poured all of my love, compassion and energy into. After the relationship ended this time last year, I listened to South East Facing Wall by the Smith Street Band on repeat as I cried with both relief and grief. I was free at last, but I also felt worthless, like I had been discarded. My identity was shattered and for months I was consumed by a need to prove that I was worth something, while simultaneously believing I was not.

Looking back now I find it very difficult to tell when the abuse started. The man that I came to know was not the person I met and fell in love with, and the time in between is a blur to me. At some point I had become numb, and my priority was to try and make him happy, to make him love me like I did him, and eventually to simply be nice to me. I was emotionally exhausted by the time we had broken up, and felt as if he had sucked everything out of me, and then moved onto the next manic pixie dream girl tinder match. I was at a Smith Street Band show at the Gov sometime early in my relationship. Wil Wagner spoke about wanting women to feel safe in the audience, and encouraged women to go home, learn an instrument and start a band so that there would be more women in the music industry. I felt incredibly betrayed when I found out this man, who I believed was different to other men, was so similar to the man that abused me. For years I loved The Smith Street Band passionately and desperately, and so much of my own pain and growth became associated with Wil Wagner’s lyrics. When I found out who Wil Wagner really was, the betrayal I felt at believing and identifying with the words of someone who was in many ways like the man who had manipulated and dehumanised me for two years enraged me. He hid away for a few months, and then came back and sold out shows much like the way my abuser gets to live his life like nothing happened while a year on, I’m still traumatised by being reduced to a body, because someone I loved made me smaller and smaller and smaller until I wasn’t worth anything. That man gets to potentially do the same thing to his new girlfriend. Wil Wagner’s abuse extends beyond his victims. He doesn’t deserve the platform he has. Having tried to reclaim that the narrative of what happened to me was wrong and deliberate and that I’m not just another crazy ex-girlfriend has also meant constantly trying to justify that to everybody, especially myself. Victims having spoken out against their abusers get invalidated and retraumatised and Will Wagner gets to sell out shows.

THE BEAUTY REGIME WORDS BY SAMANTHA BEDFORD

Due to the negative perception of the beauty industry as reinforcing the objectification of women, it has now, like many industries, adapted its marketing to popularise the “natural look” – to be achieved with as many products as is possible to sell. Corporate advertisers have cleverly incorporated the language of progressivity into their marketing schemes and changed its image, showing a greater diversity of women, and even incorporating male celebrities, into advertising. At the forefront of the trend are imported South Korean 10-step beauty regimens which promise an imperfection free appearance and basically the image of eternal youth. The beauty industry has, bar Kardashian look-a-like Instagram influencers, shifted its approach away from covering the skin to refining it; lip injections, botox, dermal fillers, and semi-permanent facial tattoos are becoming increasingly normalized and commonplace. I am almost 22 – a year younger than my mother was before she married my father, and when she had already taken on her own mother’s advice of always moisturizing before bed, in the morning,

and never forgetting to apply SPF before going outside. The recent expansion of my collection of organic face washes is due to adult acne that decided to turn up the second I thought I was in the clear, also partially spurred on by truly moving into proper adulthood accompanied by that niggling feeling of my biological clock ticking. I will concede that it is certainly relaxing to come home from a busy day at work or uni to slough off the day, as well as the very top layer of my skin, but what exactly am I, and many other women, compensating for here? Integral to the beauty industry’s continuation is capitalizing on anxieties about the future, which seems fraught with ecological devastation, conflict, and the gradual disappearance of work-life balance. MECCA Cosmetica recently published an article titled ‘How To Practice A Little Self-Love’ which, in its long list of products to purchase, recommends 111Skin’s Celestial Black Diamond Lifting and Firming Treatment Mask ($277) and the Evercalm Ultra Comforting Rescue Mask ($63) for “stressed out skin”. Capitalising on contrived fears of conspicuous fallibility and decline, the beauty industry has turned cosmetology into an elaborate

coping mechanism for the stresses and pressures of 21st century neoliberal modernity. The entire enterprise of skin care is an attempt to stave off the effects of aging, the inevitable entropy of youthful beauty - what Susan Sontag describes as the “humiliating process of gradual sexual disqualification”. With increasing female objectification in which a woman’s prettiness is a form of currency, we almost invariably become caught up in this, augmenting our appearances to fend off our own planned obsolescence like any other commodity. Prominent social theorist and originator of the philosophy of everyday life, Henri Lefebvre, wrote that it “weighs heaviest on women.” At a time when women were deprived of the ability to make meaningful social impact through political involvement, Lefebvre described the burden of quotidian mundanity and women’s relegation to social insignificance through forced domesticity. “Some,” he wrote, “are bogged down by its peculiar cloying substance… they are the subject of everyday life and its victims.” The reified production of feminine performativity is crystalised in the onus of sameness and conformity in the repetition of everyday life. The politic of self-care as resistance began with Second Wave Feminism; in 1988, Audre Lorde wrote that “caring for myself is not an act of self-indulgence, it is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare”. While spending time on yourself is necessary respite, wrapping this up in a pink bow and offering selfobjectification as legitimate reprieve is a mere corporate spin on this radical sentiment. The self-care movement is also a part of broader social

atomisation which insists on individual culpability and solutions. Turning the project of social improvement onto oneself, away from the public sphere into the domestic, individuating and internalising the struggle for pause from the strain of modern life, cannot be a meaningful form of resistance. The quick fix presented by a $20 Korean sheet mask is far more appealing than the reality of almost complete helplessness in a system in which value is supplanted to the ruling dictum of attractiveness and youth, and in which one of the few aspects of our lives that we can attempt to control is our bodies. Coupled with the rapid descent of civilisation into eco-disaster which continues due to the complacency of those most powerful, attempting the smaller and seemingly more manageable task of facial refinement is a palatable alternative to confronting the crises we collectively face. There is an illusion of choice and being self-serving in contemporary beauty culture. We apparently choose to spend hundreds of dollars and hours on our appearance for ourselves. In actuality, the coercive force of punishment for non-conformity through social irrelevancy is a form of control and repression. Maybe superficial relief from the fear of the unknown is what we truly need, but it is far more probable that spending an hour with the LEDs from Dr. Dennis Gross’ Spectralite Faceware Pro ($665) beaming red light into your epidermis is a covert form of capitulation, merely positioned as practical escapism. Fundamentally, you cannot take down a system by literally buying into it finding solace in its spoils will simply reinforce the conditions that brought us to this point.

ODE TO AN EX-FRIEND (A.K.A MY CATHARSIS) Poem by Charlie Kay

Remember how I said you were an echo of the night, When you smiled, in the glow of the dull-orange streetlight, Constellations of freckles, your skin pale as the moon, Now the day comes and will engulf your darkness soon. I ached for months in the places where I once loved you, Hollow spaces, cavernous, with no window to look through, Did I deserve your desertion? Yet, for all that I lackI was only worthy of you when I refused to come back. This kind of betrayal, this rupture, is not palpable in art, Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s no sex appeal in the way that you broke my heart, But no one ever broke it quite like you, so cheaply. Not one girl that I kissed ever cut me quite so deeply. Know that I love you still, know that I mourn us at times, For months you were tangled in my veins, in my rhymes, I wrung out my soul once, twice, three times â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;til my words ran clear, So I could bid you goodbye without calling you near.

ALL THE FISH IN THE SEA Words by Michelle Roylance Content Warning: Graphic Sexual Assault

All the Fish in the Sea By Michelle Roylance Content Warning: Graphic Sexual Assault He was the sun and he found his moon. She wasn’t me. “There are plenty more fish in the sea.” My friends say as they pull on their heels and pull down the hems of their mini dresses. They forget to mention that for every fish, there’s a fisherman waiting with his lethal hook. I agree to go with them to the club. “It’ll be fun.” They say as they cake my face in frosting and dress me down. It is fun. Like a movie, we enter elbows linked, laughing at nothing one of us said. I see you at the bar, your buddies crowded around you as you down a whole beer in one breath. I point you out to my friends, they nod approvingly and gradually we make our way over. You have a fresh drink in front of you. I reach for the glass and take a sip. I hate beer, but you don’t need to know that. You look at me surprised and then accusingly. “That’s a bit rude.” You say, “You didn’t even ask me first.” For a second my buzz starts to die, my mind races, have I gone too far? You walk off with your friends, but I find you later, again at the bar. I apologise and offer to replace your drink. You’re face breaks into a smile, and you nod. When it arrives, you push the drink towards me for a sip. I’ve already had a few… but I oblige, boys like spontaneous girls. I hear encouraging calls from my friends and turn to them with a grin, swallowing my doubts with each sip. I turn back to you and you take my hand, leading me away from the bar to where people are swaying and jumping to the music. I wrap my hands around your neck. You place your hands on my hips. We’re dancing – well as much as the people around us are anyway. Your hands creep lower. You don’t meet my eye. I force a smile and keep moving the way the other girls around me are. They seem happy. You dip your head and your lips clasp onto mine. Is this what it’s like? I really do feel like a fish. Your hand reached for the hem of my dress and I feel you slowly pull it up. Behind me your friends hoot and howl. I don’t want them here. I don’t want your hand there. I break from your hold on my lips, your hand grabs my arm and rubs it reassuringly. “Let’s find somewhere with some more privacy.” I say. My mind filling with the questions I can ask you. Do you study? Do you like dogs? Are you a Gemini? Your eyes widen and you give a quick nod. We head outside, my place is just down the block, close to campus.

“Perfect.” You say. We start to walk. I reach for your hand, but you reach for my waist and my hands gets brushed aside. We reach my apartment. I find my keys and you take them from me. You unlock my door and walk into my living room, I close the door and follow shyly behind. You walk into my room and glance around. You give a chuckle as you sit on the bed. “Cute.” You muse. I sit down beside you. “So, do you-” Your hands are on me, you lips are on mine. But what about my questions? I kiss you back as you lay me down on my bed and pull at the hem of my dress again. I thought we were done with that. Or had my whisper for privacy sounded like an invitation? I pull you hand up and link it in my own. You let it go and decide it’s time your hand got to know my chest. I try to pull back, but you follow, drowning out my words with fish kisses. But I’m starting to see you less as a fish, and more like a hook that I can’t unlatch from. Your hands begin to wander again, but so do mine. I push against your chest. No! You chuckle against my lips. You’ve pinned down my legs and start to move between them. Your shirt comes off, then your pants. My dress gets ripped… and then I hear another rip. Stop! I have to tell you something first, about my garden. It’s never been touched; the flowers are still intact. But like the snake in the beginning, you have no care for these things and Adam eats the apple before it was ready to be picked. I tell you to leave. A strange look crosses your face, but you don’t argue, you slowly rise from the bed as I gather the sheets around my body and play with the chain around my neck; that silly chain that hours earlier I had hoped would grab your attention. You pull your pants on and slide into your shirt, you glance around my room and give a little chuckle. “It’s cute.” You say and then wave in my direction before striding to the door. I trust that you’ll show yourself out, you found it easy enough to show yourself in. I fall back onto the bed and lie there in the messy sheets. It doesn’t feel like my bed anymore, it feels like the bed of a girl I used to know. A girl who would never have worn such a short dress, would never have given you those looks. A girl that was me only an hour ago. I don’t know how long I lie there, before I tumble out of bed and stumble to the shower. The water doesn’t help, I try to wash away the dirt that you covered me in, but it stays, it’s imprinted on me now. I guess your mother never told you that no means no… or maybe she did, but your father shouted over the top of her, telling you to ignore her, that is was okay, then he turned to her with a smirk, ‘boys will be boys, dear.’

Tomorrow I will meet my friends for brunch. We will laugh and we will gossip. One of

Book Review: ‘Sex Power Money’ Words by Alexandra Karstens There are three things in the world that dominate each and every society: sex, power and money. Sara Pascoe delves into the power of these societal themes in this moving novel of comedic gold. In Sara Pascoe’s recent book release, ‘Sex Power Money’, the comedian explores some pressing questions. Namely:"why don't people care about the welfare of the people they masturbate to?", "why is there still such stigma around those who work in the sex industry?", and "why do some people still want men to buy them dinner?" Pascoe investigates all aspects of these questions by delving into topics such as porn, the importance of big dicks (including whether or not they exist), and sex work. Like much of her stand-up, this book is laugh-out-loud at times. At others, it touches on markedly more serious issues regarding the reality of sex trafficking and consent. This book is not a memoir nor an autobiography by Pascoe. While there are sprinkles of vivid anecdotes throughout the book, such as her discovery of an exboyfriend’s stash of porn on his computer, this book is ultimately an exploration of scientific hypotheses as to why our sexual lives have evolved the way they have, and how they are affected by power and money. There are examinations into theories of everyday sexual mysteries, like why male bodies get tired after sex, why humans tend to have sex in secret or in the dark, why sexual stamina is valued, and how evolution has geared us to become infatuated with our sexual partners. Sex Power Money is obviously wellresearched: citing various studies, interviewing sex workers and including research the author has carried out on their own. She also lists an extensive amount of further reading at the end of the book and summaries of their worth as resources.

Written by a comedian, humour is almost always the priority of the book. With chapter titles like: "The Penis in Our Mind", "How to Cuckold", "Nature’s Hookers", and "Anti-fap", this book can’t help but make you laugh at the absurdity of sex. There are moments that make you furrow your brow in concern. While Pascoe tends to keep it relatively light in the majority of the book, there are aspects of sex, power and money that are not as laughable. Yet in doing so, it provides a space to discuss the more uncomfortable parts of sex. For example, Pascoe presents the statistics of transgender people in the sex industry and the prejudices they suffer. However, as a cishet woman, Pascoeclarifies that her opinion is by no means the most educated, even in attempts to learn more. She also expresses her discomfort with sex work, even though she encourages the autonomy of sex workers. In reading this book, it was significant to me that sometimes there is no clear answer. I am often wary of reading a book about relevant issues written by celebrities or entertainers that I’m a fan of; I don’t want to be persuaded into an immoral or uneducated mindset out of admiration for someone who is not an expert on the topic they discuss. However, I feel confident that Pascoe allows room for others’ opinions. She confesses her own ineptitude in the subject and her efforts to educate herself. Pascoe doesn’t tell you what to think or who to believe. She examines the subjectivity of studies and sometimes their inability to be replicated when assessing its results. What she does do in this book is make you think about the issues raised. And that’s all I can really ask for. Sex Power Money is Pascoe’s second book; her first is called Animal: the autobiography of a female body, which discusses sexual biology with levity.

NO MAN'S LAND Words by Alexandra Karstens

You are many things: a body, a vessel for a soul. A child, same as any other, until you are named “woman.” You are respectable, dutiful, ladylike, patient, kind, naturally beautiful, sexy, quiet - until you are not. Until you are tired of silence and it leaves you screaming to fill the void. Until you are angry, resilient, and ugly because worth does not end with appearance. You are all of your history and the burden of it leaves bruises on your back. You are all of the women who came before you and you are all the women who will come after you. You have a duty to hold the hands of your sisters, no matter their skin colour or their gods or their ability to stand. You are a guitar slinger. You pick up a White Gibson SG and never put it down. You sing for your mother, you sing for the church, you sing for rich white men, and you sing for every young boy and girl who needs a place of their own. You play for the clueless white boys of England who will be writing music in your wake. You are joined by Marie Knight. The two of you are a force of nature. You do your own set up and Marie does your hair and makeup each night. You play for 25,000 people in DC, but the amount of people who have heard your music is far beyond that measly number. Chuck and Elvis are mere children while you are inventing rock’n’roll. Your first record is released in 1938, but you don’t enter the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame until 2017. We will make sure it never leaves. You are a singer. When your husband abandons you, you head for Dodge City. You join the performing girls at the dance halls to be a vaudeville singer. The cowboys of this old frontier town warm to you quickly. You care for the needy, and you gain respect. You don’t journey north of the tracks often, but when you sing at the church it is packed to the brim. Your voice and beauty catch the eye of not just the mayor, but another jaded admirer whose drinking and gambling leave him unwelcome in Kelley’s town. In his anger, he schemes to kill your alleged lover. Much later, when Wyatt Earp and the others have tracked him down to arrest him and he discovers it was you he shot and killed in the dark, he says “I wish you had killed me.” Your funeral march is a grand affair; the town is devastated, heartbroken, in mourning. Your body is lost in the confusion of misplaced records, but perhaps your soul is not; still watching over your beloved town. You have many names: whore, prostitute, lover, mistress, outcast, Winchester Geese, but your real name, the one that was purely yours, is lost. You work the brothels along the South riverbank and every single coin you earn goes into the pocket of the Bishop of Winchester. It is not a place for the ladies or gentlemen of London town, but it is yours. Your life is brief. Once the unwitnessed lives of you and your sisters are over, you are dumped unceremoniously in a mass grave. Your bones are crowded as weeds grow over your unmarked grave. Historians passively remark on your burial grounds as time goes by and it becomes a graveyard for paupers, and eventually, shuts. It is a poet, a playwright, who finds you again. Your modern day lover. Woken one night by The Goose and the Crow to be lead to your resting place. He returns to bring others on the 23rd of each month. Your unnamed life is still worth remembering. So are your hopes, your dreams, and your mighthave-beens.

You go through names like stages of metamorphosis. First you are Margaretha. You answer an advertisement to become Lady Macleod. Your brief married life in the East Indies is a disappointment; your husband beats you and steals your daughter. You take to France and you are unlike anything anything the country has ever seen. You take the name Mata Hari. You look to orientalism for inspiration and it brings you fame and success. Your eroticism attracts many lovers. By the time your dancing career begins to see its end, you are a courtesan to officers of war. You become involved where you should not be. The soldiers that arrest you call you H21. You are interrogated and though you admit nothing, your execution is decided upon. You refuse a blindfold so that you might stare death in the eye. True to your nature, you blow your executors a kiss. Your body lies unclaimed and unremembered in a prison cell. Though who you truly were is a mystery; were it wife, harlot, or spy, you chose your own fate. You named yourself after the sun. You are the Eye of the Day. You are a teacher. You teach the next generation. You know the importance of your work. But your eyes also drift to the stars above. You are watching while the Space Age is born. When NASA decides to send teachers to space, you are chosen among thousands of applicants. Your enthusiasm and determination humbles an entire nation. You train along the other astronauts and are ready to board the Space Shuttle Challenger as one of them. The country watches as you and your six crewmates burst into the atmosphere. You don’t get far. Little over a minute, the o-rings fail and it tears your ship apart. You and your crewmates are killed instantaneously. A small mercy. You made a sacrifice that was never supposed to be yours to make. Teacher or astronaut, you are a shining beacon hurtling towards the future. You are an abbess. You make your vow to the son of God, though you are a woman who has fallen in many sins. But you are also a creator. A poet and a composer whose works outlive your empire. Few women in your time are recorded, let alone remembered at all. When the emperor approached you with a pithy saying, you replied with a wit to match his own. You hated silence when it was time to speak. You have much to say. Hundreds of your verses survive. You are the woman who rejected the king, but you are so much more than your relationship with a man who was not worth your time. Your fierce defense of your venerated icons cost you a lashing, but you take it with dignity. Your presence is undeniable. You live on in your hymns, still sung centuries after your empire faded. You are - who are you? No one really knows. You arrive, floating down the river like a gift sent down the Nile. Your body is far too impeccable for the waters of the Seine, or to have been dumped by some unruly criminal. You were young; your maidenhood untouched. Your strange smile tells us nothing of your life or why you might have thrown yourself in, but Europe is captivated by your face. It is a doctor who is inspired by your death mask, who uses it to make a body. And now you wait in every part of the world, and your chest has been pressed a million times and no one’s lips more kissed than yours. Your death lead to life. Others will be rescued where you were not. You are more history than you can even remember. The weight of your history is heavy, and it makes you strong. But you don’t carry it alone. You have the hands of every woman before you. You are not just you. You are Sister Rosetta Tharpe. You are Dora Hand. You are the Winchester Geese. You are Mata Hari. You are Christa McAuliffe. You are Kassiani. You are Rescue Annie. You are a university student trying to find meaning in your education. You are a tutor who is trying to inspire students too young to be jaded. You are a woman in a time where it is getting easier to be a woman but it is not something that is achieved alone. It is hard to be a woman sometimes, but it is easy to be grateful for the women who spoke when you were still finding your voice.

Words by Imogen Hindson

Queen (feat. Chronixx) Estelle, Chronixx

Miss Shiney Kaiit

Unstoppable FKJ Remix by Lianne La Havas, FKJ

Truth Hurts Lizzo

I Follow Rivers Lykke Li

06 Water Me Lizzo

Tricks Stella Donnelly

FEMALE Sampa the Great

Stop! In The Name Of Love The Supremes

With or Without Tired Lion

Bury Our Friends Sleater-Kinney

Sweet Dreams Angel Olsen

Hey Heartbreaker Dream Wife

Holy Roller Emily Wolfe

Cold Comfort Zone Holy Moley & The Crackers

Real Thing Middle Kids

Suburbia Press Club

Labrador WAAX

WORDS BY IMOGEN HINDSON

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