The Unfairer Sex

Today’s episode covers the topic of pregnancy, motherhood and all the fun stuff that comes from having a baby, not having a baby, the complex relationship between feminism and the pregnant body, certain taboos around being a stay at home parent and everything in between. Even if you don't have children, this is a fun episode for all those perceived to be capable of having children, and the pre...

After a brief hiatus, due to work, moving house and various life things, we are back with QUITE the episode! This week we speak with Jessica Taylor FRSA. Jessica is a British feminist author and campaigner. She is a Chartered Psychologist, Sunday Times bestselling author and Director of VictimFocus. Her books include ' Why Women Are Blamed For Everything ' and ' Sexy but Psycho' ,...

We had plans this week but sometimes plans don't...well....go to plan. So Rhiannon and Ely sat down for an impromptu chat about the things that made their blood boil this week — namely, a series of public-facing misogynostic trope. Topics include: > The incredibly sexist comment by Alan Sugar on The Apprentice which inexplicably didn't make the headlines. > It being suggested that Rihanna is "wear...

Join us for an incredibly honest conversation with the Former Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth of Canada. This episode explores the volatility of progress, the resolve of the women’s movement and the painstaking heartbreak that comes with watching women have their rights removed overnight. Maryam Monsef warns that every step that women and equity seeking groups have taken that has...

Next up in our guest series is Lena Patel – multi award winning Chartered Financial Planner at ISJ Financial Planning Ltd and Financial Adviser of the Year at the Growth Investor Awards. Lena joins us on The Unfairer Sex podcast to discuss financial independence, the impact of the sandwich generation and how we need to reframe how we think about money.  **PLEASE NOTE** the contents of the epi...

**Trigger warning** – In this episode we discuss body image, diets, eating disorders and disordered eating. Please consider this when choosing whether to listen to this episode.  How many times have you found yourself readjusting your clothing or glancing in a reflective surface, judging yourself and criticising one thing or another?  And have you ever asked yourself why you do it?&...

Join The Unfairer Sex Podcast for our festive finale where we explore the unequal labour of love at Christmas, the nightmare that is buying non-gendered gifts for children and why everybody needs to wave a swift goodbye to Elf on the Shelf. We also welcome a listener's 'Sorry, what did you say' moment, looking at the inappropriateness of assuming you get to bag a women's job simply because she's h...

Episode 23 explores three feminist stories – Glasgow becoming the UK's first feminist city, early years funding being missed off the Autumn budget and the criminalisation of 'Downblousing’ & the sharing of pornographic deepfakes in England and Wales.  We are also honoured to share Martine's 'sorry, what did you say' moment. Sadly, her story remains a persistent problem in the wo...

We are beyond excited to share our conversation with Kristina Lunz – co-founder and co-CEO of the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy, an award-winning human rights activist, and former advisor to the German Federal Foreign Office. In this episode we explore what Feminist Foreign Policy is, where it went wrong for Sweden and how Margot Wallstorm's 4 Rs work in practice. We also share examples...

Ever wondered where the bra-burning barren feminist trope came from? Turns out, it all started with the Freedom Trash Can and one rouge bra that made headlines.  And we're pleased to say, that wasn't the only thing that's made headlines when it came to feminism! Over the next 90mins, you have the absolute pleasure of listening to stories from life-long feminist Patricia Hodgins – an incredibl...

Why is the study of men, and the social the constructs of what being "a man" is, important to feminism? And why are the women at the Unfairer Sex talking about it? The simple answer – men being expected to behave in a particular way has a direct impact on the way women are expected to behave.  This week we have the pleasure of hosting Steve Roberts, a Professor at the School of Education...

Ladies First The Musical is a new musical based on the life of the first female doctor in the UK: Elizabeth Garrett Anderson. And we were beyond excited to have the feminist icon, composer and writer Alice Johnstone on our podcast to talk more about her work. During this episode, we learn more about the lives of Elizabeth, her sister Millicent Fawcett and Emily Davies, as well as take a look at th...

There have been many successes for women in sport in the last couple of months. This success, notoriety and the subsequent media attention has attracted criticism – with some believing men are having resources pulled to give women an unfair advantage. In the second in our guest host series we were super lucky to speak with GB Olympic weightlifter Michaela Breeze about what it's like to be an...

In the words of Paul Dolan, a professor of behavioural science at the London School of Economics, “We do have some good longitudinal data following the same people over time, but I am going to do a massive disservice to that science and just say: if you’re a man, you should probably get married; if you’re a woman, don’t bother.”  Data has suggested that women are happier without children or a...

Why is it, when a man is trailed by rumours of sexual harassment and assault, or their behaviour reaches the level of a "despicable open secret," we are so quick to dismiss women and protect men?  This episode explores some of the reasons why women aren't believed and why it takes upwards of 10, 20, 60 women to come forward before an accusation is taken seriously, or 50+ UK MPs to be currentl...

For as long as our bodies have been clothed, breasts have been a point of contention. Our nipples even more so. In this episode we explore the double standard when it comes to sexually promiscuity, how breasts are used in art and marketing to sell consumer goods but a picture of a woman breast-feeding on a magazine cover, instagram feed or park bench is considered unsavoury, and how women are expe...

Picture someone suffering from domestic violence. Do they have bruises? Is their partner clenching a fist? Are they sitting next to you at work volunteering for overtime because they can’t keep up with their partner’s spending? Domestic violence takes many forms. It isn’t always physical. It isn’t always obvious.  It is always impactful. It is always unacceptable. This episode of The Unfairer...

The Walt Disney Company – home to Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm and the much loved Pixar and Walt Disney Pictures animated movies. And it is from these animations that many of us learnt about Prince Charming, true love's kiss, and happily ever afters.   While at first glance they are seemingly harmless and entertaining tales of princes and princesses, many of the animated children’s fil...

We discuss the carnival of misogyny unleashed by the recent Depp v Heard court case. Despite an English court having already determined that it was "substantially true" that Depp had subjected Heard to domestic violence, Depp then decided to pursue Heard through the US court system and what followed was very much a trial by media - in particular, social media. Content with the hashtag #justiceforj...

When so many people still believe a woman’s place is in the home when a comedian’s place is anywhere but, an aversion or bias against women performing comedy (in any context) should be expected. Inspired by a conversation with a woman who claimed she "just doesn't find women funny", we explore where this idea comes from, why it has survived so long and some of the pathetic attempts people have mad...

Before we jump in, a quick note on this episode's content. This particular conversation covers issues around abortion, rape and incest. In light of the recent introduction of restrictive abortion laws in some US states and the possibility that the US Supreme Court may overturn Roe v Wade, we thought we should address the issue of access to abortion.  In this episode we discuss the ways in whi...

In this episode we discuss periods – the stigma, the bizarre myths about what effect periods can have on everything from crops to handling ham, and why in the 21st century, periods are still considered shameful, mysterious and symbolic of many things, from entry to womanhood to a woman's "crazy", emotional behaviour. We also talk about period poverty, tax on period products and how adverts and the...

Join us for another instalment of the Unfairer Sex. This episode we’re discussing equality in sport. Why are so many school girls dropping out of sport even though a majority of women wish they were sportier? Where is the media exposure for our role models and why aren’t female athletes paid as much as men? We also discuss the flawed reasons some give to justify inequality sport and shine a light...

In this episode we discuss a phenomenon termed the "double bind" or the "corporate tightrope". At its simplest, the double bind that women face results from the fact that we have all been taught that the base case or natural leader is male. This leads to problems with how women are perceived when they lead. More specifically, we have been taught that men lead, men take charge, they are s...

Welcome back to the Unfairer Sex Podcast. We hope you're having a misogyny-free week so far! In episode six we look at different ways film and media have failed women – either by deliberately omitting things from the big screen or failing to recognise optimum moments to better educate their audience. It’s worth noting at this point that we recognise that our intake of film and media will have...