The Sydney Feminists

Image description: Photo of a man against a blurred background of water. He is sitting with his elbows propped up on his knees and his hands clasped over his head. He is looking at the ground in a dejected manner. He is wearing dark wash blue jeans, a blue and brown plaid button-up and a black watch, as well as a wedding ring.  Feminism and women’s rights are just as much a priority for Australian women today as they have ever been. Recently, the media has bombarded us with statistics about domestic violence being the most common cause of injury and death of Australian women under the age of 45. At the time of writing this article, 39 women have been confirmed killed by domestic violence in 2019. ABS statistics from 2016 state one in four women will experience violence by an intimate partner compared to one in 13 men.  In comparison, men are more likely to suffer violence at the hands of another man and more than one in four men suffer violence at the hands of a stranger...

Women are taking over the world. We are reclaiming our power from the white, conservative males actively scheming to confine the female subject to mundane domesticity of the familial household. These men start shaking in their patent, business shoes when confronted with a woman who commands professional respect beyond a receptionist, paralegal or clerical role . Standing there, in all the glory of her Elle-Woods inspired, rich-pink suit , she is a threat to the domestically-based gender roles institutionalized within the legal profession. Gender, at its essence, is nothing more than a product of the repeated ‘stylization of the body’ (Butler 2006). The legal workplace is renowned for its cut-throat, boys-club culture, infused with alcohol and deceit. Quintessential masculinity lingers as a rich scent of Tom Ford aftershave drifting through the air of frosted glass meeting rooms. Corner offices are dominated with mahogany desks and leather stitched chairs. Sports memorabilia is...

Everybody’s Auntie, nobody’s fool … Dear Auntie, I’ve been reading a lot about feminism lately, but my bf is against it because he had a fight with a feminist last year. He gets fired up when I try to talk to him about it. Why does he get so angry? Any advice would be great. Oh. And he has a daughter and calls activists “social justice warriors.” Ally Wow, what a catch. Sorry babe but tsk, tsk, tsk, *saddles up feminist high horse on top of soapbox.* Oh Ally’s BF, is hanging onto your anger for one feminist worth disregarding billions of people’s basic human rights? Can you see how your inability to hold an adult discussion is indicative of your male privilege?? It’s an impotent no, to both. Scorning and dismissing things that don’t affect you directly is the height of entitlement. Being white and male means you don’t experience the everyday challenges/dangers of being female or black. Refusing to respect that you are exempt from these types of t...

Image Credit:  https://www.amazon.com/RAZOR-BLADES-HEART-SHAVING-BUCKLES/dp/B00WOSITX6 I not only believe there is a place in the gender equality minefield for men’s liberation, but that, in such a politically charged society, this movement is sorely needed. I know this is an odd statement to make in a space that by and large houses Feminist thought and action. But I’m certain that encouraging such a movement is the only way to preserve the integrity of Feminist spaces. I’m absolutely not suggesting we contact our local MRA’s and ask them out to lunch. I’m not of the mind that the bridge trolls that comprise such a movement are capable of any action that would complement, or even run remotely parallel to, the outcomes Feminism works to achieve. What I have in mind is more of a safe space for men seeking to combat the toxic masculinity so pervasive in our culture. The fact of the matter is, toxic masculinity is not and should not be a Feminist issue. But ...

Up until I was ten years old, when my mother choreographed for and taught dance to the kids of the local Indian community, I looked up to one of her students. She was in her later teens and was the star of every show because she was the best dancer in the group. I knew she was studying to be a civil engineer, and she refused to listen to her mother’s advice to take better care of her skin every time she went out into the field for work, making her intrepid in my eyes. After we moved away, my mother unsuccessfully searched for a contact number or an email address to get back in touch with her family for decades. Twenty-two years later (just last month) my mother was finally able to track her down and speak to her. I was happy to hear that she asked about my career and wanted to know if I was still working in mechanical engineering. When my mother said yes, she said, “Good.” Women frequently dropping out of STEM fields is a very commonly acknowledged, and almost accepted, pheno...