The period party
Lammily, also dubbed the “anti-Barbie”, is the doll that was created by Nickolay Lamm and crowd funded into existence last year to promote the message that “average is beautiful”. Unlike Barbie, Lammily is modelled on the average measurements of a 19-year-old woman. Launched with her own “Lammily Marks” – a set of freckles, acne, bruises, stretch marks and cellulite stickers – Lammily isdesigned to promote how women really look.
And now she has her period. Billed as “the fun way to explain the menstrual cycle to kids”, the Period Party pack contains a pair of doll-sized pants, 18 reusable sanitary pad stickers, a calendar, stickers to track Lammily’s period and a guide on what happens during the menstrual cycle.
Speaking to TIME, Lamm explained: “It’s just what happens in real life. We wanted to put it on the doll so it’s not a scary thing.” The idea took hold after Donald Trump recently described a journalist as having “blood coming out of [her] eyes, blood coming out of her wherever”. Lamm said:
“I don’t want to make this a whole political project or anything, but I think when [Trump] said that, it was just an example of the overall culture where menstruation is very taboo, and not only taboo, but some people use it as an insult.”
Qualifications matter, to a degree
As freshers’ week up and down the country draws to a close today, it’s worth reminding students that the hangover will (eventually) be worth it, as a new study confirms that those with degrees will earn more than those without. And for women, in particular, degrees appear to be especially valuable, with female graduates earning on average three times as much as their non-graduate counterparts. Male graduates, on the other hand, only earn twice as much as non graduates. The study, carried out by the Institute of Fiscal Studies, shows that while 10% of male graduates are earning more than £55,000 10 years after graduating, the same number of women are taking home £43,000. The contrast is even starker in the top 1% of graduates, with men earning £148,000 and women £89,000.
Judged equally
Gender equality in the UK’s judiciary system is not something that should be rushed, according to one supreme court judge, warning that increasing the number of female judges too quickly might make men who want a place on the Bench feel the “cards are stacked against them”.
Lord Jonathan Sumption argued that “Eighty-five per cent of newly appointed judges in France are women because the men stay away. Eighty-five per cent women is just as bad as 85% men.” Sumption believes an equal mix of men and women judges will be reached – but in 50 years, not 20.
Sumption goes on to say that it is “lifestyle choices” that tend to deter women from the Bar, and that “it is incredibly demanding in the hours of work and the working conditions are frankly appalling. There are more women than men who are not prepared to put up with that.”
Unsurprisingly, Sumption’s remarks have raised a few eyebrows. Charlotte Proudman wrote in this paper that, “His comments encapsulate his deepest fears that power vested in the old boys’ network could come under siege.”
#MasculinitySoFragile
In this week’s Twitter trending news, a sociology student has caused a gender-based storm around his hashtag #MasculinitySoFragile. Anthony Williams started the hashtag in a bid to get people to talk about the violence and harassment women suffer at the hands of men owing to their sense of masculinity.
Talking to the LA Times, Williams said:
“When you challenge masculinity, it hits a nerve. It makes some men nervous. But violence against women is a result of the fragility of masculinity. A woman can say ‘no’ to a man on a date, and she could end up dead. That’s what women have to deal with. And we, as men, have to recognise that.”
But, sometimes, hashtags go wrong (We only need to remind ourselves of the Susan Boyle album launch party Twitter fiasco to be sure of that). While some used the hashtag as Williams intended, others accused “feminazis” of an unnecessary attack on masculine males. But, as the Huffington Post points out, the backlash is exactly why the movement is so necessary.
Dalai Lama’s ‘sexist’ quip ruffles equality activists
Why women need to shout about sexual pleasure
NHS reports 1,026 new cases of female genital mutilation in three months
British women have second worst life expectancy in Europe
• This article was amended on 13 October 2015 to correct Anthony Williams’s name, from Ashley as an earlier version said.
