AIN'T I A WOMAN?

Illustrated by Tyler Feder

In 1851 Sojourner Truth gave the now famous 'Ain't I A Woman' speech, in which she questioned both the maltreatment of women and highlighted the significance of the maltreatment of black women within this. Truth raised the point that the definition of a 'woman' at the time somehow managed to overlook her because of her race; that she, unlike white women at the time, was not a recipient of courteous, gentlemanly treatment that women so rightly 'deserved' as the society she lived had decided that her dark skin made her less of a woman. Over 150 years later and the same issues still stand, women of all different races, genders, sexualities and even abilities are discriminated against accordingly and still ask, "Ain't I a woman?"

THE ART OF SAYING 'NO'

"College is the time when everyone experiences those things such as sex and fun and pleasure. But in those years I've had to rot in loneliness. It's not fair. You girls have never been attracted to me. I don't know why you girls aren't attracted to me. But I will punish you all for it,"

The last time I heard of University College of Santa Barbara was on Hannah Montana circa 2011. As I scrolled down my tumblr dashboard last night I came across the name again, only in a less comical tone. May 23rd saw a killing spree committed by Elliot Rodger who took the lives of at least 6 young people. Prior to the attack Rodger posted a video on YouTube in which he classed his act as one of retribution. Whilst watching the video I realised that I was listening to somebody who has been failed by our society. Not because he couldn't get laid, but because he had been taught that he, as a male, deserved to. Elliot Rodger was acting in retribution for being denied sex from girls - what we have here is a victim of the friend zone:

THE S WORD

"She's such a slut!"

Aged 12, I overheard this being spat out as I walked down the school garden path. It was my second year in an all girls' school and (surprisingly) the first time I had heard the word being said in 'real life'. Standing before me were two girls ejecting a succession of hate-filled words about their (coincidentally absent) peer. That same night I found myself sitting at the desktop and typing the four letters into the urban dictionary search bar - s l u t:

SHOW ME THE LEG

How Media Failed Women 2013

While fulfilling my role as a middle class teenager by watching 'Have I Got News For You' on Sunday evening, my attention was caught at the mention of the name Susanna Reid. Going to school at stupid o'clock every morning leaves me with incredibly small opportunity, if any, to watch breakfast TV so my knowledge was as limited as anybody's when last year's Strictly star was brought into conversation.

"I'VE NEVER BEEN WITH A _____ GIRL BEFORE"

"Stop treating us like samples a grocery store" - 

Sometime last week during my routine twitter procrastination sessions, I scrolled across the tag '#creepywhiteguys'. At a first glance it is understandable why many would have been taken aback by what seemed like an open hatred fest against the white male, but, after reading a few of the tweets it became clear to me that this was nothing of the sort. Through this tag numbers of women had opened up a new world to many twitter users, of all races, sharing their experiences with white men as women of colour. However this didn't stop twitter's very own pathetic parties hauling useless claims of 'reverse-racism' or 'oppression of the white male' into the trending tag (glee). Racism and sexism are two corresponding issues in our society which have, to an extent, been normalised. What many people fail to recognise is that we live in a white-male dominated society, and therefore it is non-white women, trans and non trans, who are the most oppressed.

I'M BRINGING (TAKING) SEXY BACK

Petra Collins

I know it may come as a surprise to some, but I spent quite a large proportion of my childhood at my mother's breast; whether I was sucking or snuggling, there was a 12/10 chance that that's where I'd be. Little did I know that I, as little as I was, had a front row seat at one of the world's sexiest sites - that I spent everyday at the eighth wonder of the world. Watching her blouse unbutton did thrill me, there's no denying that, but it was more because I knew food was coming - not because of a lustful leak in my diaper. Now, aged 15 I sit with set of my own and wonder, what is so sexy about my chest chums? 

WOMEN (AND MEN) OF THE WORLD !!!

Feminism is a foreign concept to many teenagers in today’s society. In many cases the movement fails to actually move a younger audience as it is only seen as relevant to grown women, if it's lucky enough considered to be relevant at all. I mean, borderline misandrist, middle-aged women with razor sharp tongues and not-so razored (you get what I mean) armpits are hardly welcoming invites to your local pussy power party?