Engender blog

GUEST POST: The Unwelcome Feminist

Growing up, I was always fed the narrative (which I am sure many Muslim women are) that we cover ourselves so that we don’t receive unwanted male attention.     It is a narrative which I reject   - I most likely would have stopped wearing hijab many years ago if I believed it

Fai Yousaf regularly blogs over at Life of Fai and here she writes for On the Engender about her views on feminism and the hijab.

You can follow Fai on Twitter at Life_0f_Fai


“You’re destroying any progress women have made by wearing that on your head”

By that, they don’t mean the back combed hell that I attempt on occasion nor my oversized pom pom hat – both of which, it can be argued, should be banned. It is the hijab/head scarf which often evokes such strong responses from some of my female counterparts. The word hijab is more widely associated with the head covering Muslim women wear and for the purpose of this article, I’ll translate it as such. However in reality, the word encompasses a way of being, behind which is the principle of modesty and not only applies to females but men too.

Guest post: Reflections on the Intersection Between Race and Gender in Public Life

Briana Pegado is the Founder and Director of the Edinburgh Student Arts Festival. During Black History Month she appeared on a panel to discuss the film Confirmation, which tells the story of Anita Hill's testimony against Supreme Court Nominee Clarence Thomas.

Here, she reflects on the themes raised by the film.

It is this very ability to identify, namely to self-identify, that allows us to be fully heard, seen, respected and enabled to exercise our agency. The term self-identification isn't simply a fad or trend - it is a political act.

 

Guest Post: My week at Engender

This week Engender welcomed Amy, a pupil at Ross High School, for her work experience. She has written a blog about her experience and what she has gained from her weeks work experience.

Guest post: #MeToo: just how tedious can it get?

In the year since #MeToo became the most talked about hashtag on the internet, we've seen high profile men exposed as abusers, and women shamed for speaking the truth.

This guest blog from an Engender member who wishes to remain anonymous explores the legacy of #MeToo and the reality of violence against women in Scotland.

Visibly Invisible: Our bodies, our voices, our rights

Engender has been working with University of Stirling student Caroline Darke on a project exploring some of the issues around the representation (or rather, lack) of women with disabilities within the mainstream Scottish and UK media. This project connects with Engender’s on-going commitment to achieving gender parity within the Scottish media, and our Disabled Women: Our Bodies, Our Rights project, which examines the rights of disabled women and their reproductive journeys within current social care practices and government policy.

This is Caroline's fifth blog as part of this series. Read blogs one, two, three and four here.


Downloads

Engender Briefing: Pension Credit Entitlement ChangesEngender Briefing: Pension Credit Entitlement Changes From 15 May 2019, new changes will be introduced which will require couples where one partner has reached state pension age and one has not (‘mixed age couples’) to claim universal credit (UC) instead of Pension Credit.

Engender Parliamentary Briefing: Condemnation of Misogyny, Racism, Harassment and SexismEngender Parliamentary Briefing: Condemnation of Misogyny, Racism, Harassment and Sexism Engender welcomes this Scottish Parliament Debate on Condemnation of Misogyny, Racism, Harassment and Sexism and the opportunity to raise awareness of the ways in which women in Scotland’s inequality contributes to gender-based violence.

Gender Matters in Social Security: Individual Payments of Universal CreditGender Matters in Social Security: Individual Payments of Universal Credit A paper calling on the Scottish Government to automatically split payments of Universal Credit between couples, once this power is devolved to the Scottish Parliament.

Gender Matters Manifesto: Twenty for 2016Gender Matters Manifesto: Twenty for 2016 This manifesto sets out measures that, with political will, can be taken over the next parliamentary term in pursuit of these goals.

Scottish NGO Briefing for UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against WomenScottish NGO Briefing for UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women Joint briefing paper for the UN Rapporteur on Violence Against Women.

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