The hotly anticipated fourth and final season of Sex Education was released on Netflix last week. Fans have been patiently awaiting answers for two years. Would Moordale Secondary rise from the ashes following its Season 3 bankruptcy? How would Jean (Gillian Anderson) tackle life as a single mother? And would we finally see Otis (Asa Butterfield) and Maeve (Emma Mackey) live happily ever after? As ever, this season continues to teach us more about sexual assault and consent t

Note in support of the women subjected to sexual harassment, violence & abuse by Russell Brand: Brand wasn’t the first and won’t be the last male public figure from that era to be exposed for being predatory and abusive. Right now, we need to rally around and support the women who have had the courage to speak out, especially when speaking out against powerful public figures with a fanbase that is ready to weaponise. Speaking out about sexual violence is one of the hardest th

Between 2017 and 2022, 35 000 cases of sexual misconduct were reported in the NHS, and recent research conducted by the Working Party on Sexual Misconduct in Surgery (WPSMS) has correlated this finding, highlighting high rates of sexual violence in the surgical workforce, perpetrated by colleagues. A recent analysis of NHS staff by WPSMS has shown that female surgeons are being subjected to sexual harassment, sexual assault and rape by colleagues, with nearly two thirds of fe

The absolute hostility and disdain with which many men treat women’s football has always baffled me, and it becomes especially apparent whenever there’s an important women’s football tournament. It’s gotten better in recent years, but it’s not hard to find men who still scoff at the game and don’t take it seriously, while they go feral over the exact same sport when men play it. A few seem to take offense at the idea that women could ever play; in their minds, football is ‘a

People often use alcohol as a kind of crutch to lean on, to inspire confidence in social settings. This is especially the case with young people; I know I’ve used it to raise my self-esteem a little, and a lot of my friends would admit to having a drink before a date or party. This liquid courage is not a bad thing when it comes to having fun and initiating sexual intimacy, but it does heighten the need for communication if you and/or your partner have been drinking to ensure

Have you ever found yourself unnecessarily apologising, or noticed it from someone else? In my first few driving lessons, the amount of times I said sorry for my shoddy driving was so ridiculous that my driving instructor told me to stop, because I was learning, and it was fine, and wasn’t driving badly on purpose. I thought that was nice of him, but then I realised that he was right. Why exactly was I apologising, when it was my first time behind the wheel and this was liter

Amendments have recently been made to the Online Safety Bill which made persecuting perpetrators of revenge porn easier. This amendment removes the requirement for prosecutors to prove the intent to cause distress, therefore, anyone who has shared explicit videos of someone without their consent will be sentenced to a minimum of six months in prison. Former Love Island star Georgia Harrison has been a passionate campaigner for such reforms after falling victim to revenge porn

In March 2023, Baroness Casey released her report into the problems that exist within the Metropolitan Police force in the wake of the kidnap, murder and rape of Sarah Everard. The Met has been notorious for its toxic environment, riddled with sexism, misogyny and racism which causes us to question - if those who are meant to keep us safe indulge in the same thing as those who abuse us, how are we supposed to protect ourselves? One of the report’s main findings was the inadeq

We all know about the psycho-ex trope; she (yes, she , because let’s face it, it is a heavily engendered trope) turns up at your house crying for you to take her back, she blows up your phone with messages and calls, she will go to extreme lengths to take out her rage and upset on your new partner who ‘stole’ you from her. She may or may not have severe mental health disorders which are often used against her – and she is old ; she has cropped up across history from Jason and

“Don’t walk home alone at night.” We’ve all been given this advice. We’ve all felt the injustice of it. Why should women bear the responsibility of rape? Why should we change our behaviour on account of rapists? Yes, we need to ‘educate our sons,’ but in the meantime, we need to think more carefully about the advice we are giving to women. There are two reasons why telling women not to walk home alone at night is exacerbating the problem. Firstly, it reinforces the misogynist

. ‘Red Flags;’ the term given to describe behaviours in a relationship that could lead to harm, be it physically, mentally or emotionally. In short, red flags are literal warning signs. There are countless articles, videos, tiktoks that give us all the ‘hints and tips’ of how to spot red flags, obvious red flags we shouldn’t ignore, and even examples of ones that are harder to spot. So why is it, with this wealth of information and resources at our fingertips, do we still som

. Hey! How are you all?! I have been umming and ahhing how to write this blog post for months. I haven’t been sure how to express myself writing this. I have written it in so many forms and then torn it up because I wasn’t happy with how I said it, or what I said. And maybe my views have changed with time in the last few months too. I think one of the hardest but most important acts after an experience of sexual assault is knowing how and when to set your boundaries. But GOD,

Note: This article focuses on the impact of pornography on sexual violence & abuse against women - although not explicit in depictions, this controversial and explicit topic of porn is referenced. All views surrounding this topic are personal. However, I would first like to acknowledge that in alignment with GINA's values, while not discussed in this article, porn can perpetuate, condone & profits from violence against women & girls. Upon viewing, porn can influence attitudes

I’ve debated writing in detail about abortion law in America. In truth, I have very little to say. I’m sure we can all agree that the rights of women are being deeply violated. In approximately half of the states in the US, abortion is impossible to come by except in exceptional circumstances, such as a risk to the mother’s life. Unfortunately, I’m not surprised. The three conservative judges Donald Trump appointed to the Supreme Court made these kinds of antiquated laws like

For as long as I could, I put off writing about Johnny Depp’s defamation case against his ex-wife, Amber Heard. In all honesty, the trial made me so angry, I didn’t want to read about it, let alone write about it. However, since Depp won in the US, the media frenzy seems to have died down, and I’ve finally felt able to approach this divisive piece of news. Putting those involved aside for a second, I have been disgusted by the way this trial has been treated as a source of en

Like, I am sure, everyone who's following the horrific events taking place in Ukraine, I have been horrified by the continuing reports of sexual violence perpetrated by Russian Soldiers against Ukrainian women. It is beginning to emerge that, alongside bombs and guns, rape is also a weapon of warfare. The scale of the sexual violence is impossible to know. In the best of times, it’s very difficult for victims to report abuse. Sadly, victims are often made to feel both guilty

A quick google search reveals that there has been much backlash in the wake of Netflix’s release of the documentary Savile: A British Horror Story. Why, then, are newspapers such as The Guardian and The Telegraph giving it respectable reviews? Many have argued that the documentary unveils the true horror of Jimmy Savile’s crimes, without sensationalism. Even if this were true, it does not excuse the fact that Savile is at the heart of this documentary, not the people he assau

Note: this post acknowledges that the definition of ‘sexual liberation’ is an open one, with this term being ambiguous in nature - there is no set definition of a sexually liberated woman; this will mean something different for every woman. Hey! Welcome back to the May instalment of the blog that I have just about managed to write before the end of May… I hope you’re good and looking after yourself! I watched the new Sex and the City recently, and that, as well as some conver

Hello, Welcome back! It’s been a couple of months since I last wrote for this blog. I promise it’s all for good reason though… exciting things are coming soon!! April is sexual assault awareness month; it seemed fitting for me to make my return on here this month, because I think it’s really important, we talk about this month and everything that comes with it. Because April can be hard. At least I know I have found it hard before. They say ‘ignorance is bliss’, and during se

“We have to highlight the ways women perpetuate and sustain patriarchal culture.” ~ Bell Hooks Hello Hey there! I hope you are all doing well. Mother daughter relationships are a complex phenomenon that most women I have come across seem to be able to relate to. Quite often, I think there is a perceived pressure on these relationships to be “perfect” and both mother and daughter to be each other’s best friends. For a long time my relationship with my mother was very conflict