Strong Women • 26th March 2024

“4 in 10 elite sportswomen still earn less than £10,000 a year – it's not good enough”

A survey of elite UK sportswomen by the BBC found that a third had considered giving up their sport due to the cost of living crisis. It’s a sign that the battle for equality is far from over, writes Lauren Geall.

Strong Women • 23rd November 2023

“Women’s football fan culture is unique – but the demand being placed on players is unsustainable”

From signs asking for shirts to crowds lining up for autographs, it’s becoming impossible for players to meet the demands of their fans.

Stylist • 4th October 2022

Nicola Coughlan’s post-workout selfie is not an invitation to comment on her body

There’s nothing quite like some unsolicited tabloid commentary about a woman’s body to get you raging in the morning, but unfortunately, it’s hardly a rare occurrence. The latest target of said commentary is none other than Bridgerton’s Nicola Coughlan, whose decision to upload a simple post-workout selfie to her Instagram stories has attracted a variety of unnecessary headlines. The picture – which saw the actor wearing a black Nike sports bra and Adidas leggings – was accompanied by the commen

Stylist • 7th September 2022

Why Liz Truss’s failure to appoint a minister for women is so concerning

She may have only been prime minister for 24 hours, but Liz Truss is already making waves from behind the door of Number 10 Downing Street. After travelling to Balmoral to meet the Queen and be named prime minister yesterday, Truss spent the rest of the day announcing her new cabinet. To say some of her choices have proven controversial would be an understatement. Appointments that are already making waves include naming Thérèse Coffey – who has voted against abortion laws in the past – the new

Stylist • 6th September 2022

“Boris Johnson’s legacy isn’t the shining example he makes it out to be – and we mustn’t forget it”

Boris Johnson has officially departed 10 Downing Street – leaving behind him a country facing the worst cost of living crises in a generation. You wouldn’t think it, though, based on the speech the former Conservative leader gave as he left No 10 this morning (6 September). Taking to the lectern at 7.30am, before he departed for Balmoral to meet with the Queen, Johnson remained defiant – using his time in front of the media to paint a picture of himself as the successful, victorious leader he wa

Stylist • 26th July 2022

Why it’s time to change the way we talk about people taking antidepressants

As someone whose job requires spending a lot of time online, I can often predict what the reaction to a story will be as soon as I read the headline. So, when I saw the recent news that the number of adults taking antidepressants has increased by nearly half a million over the last year, I felt a sense of dread. Over the last decade, the increase in the number of people taking antidepressants has repeatedly been painted as some kind of societal failure, and it didn’t take long for that same resp

Stylist • 14th July 2022

“I’m sick of Prince Harry pretending good mental health is all about effort”

Since stepping down as a senior member of the royal family over two years ago, Prince Harry has made a name for himself as a vocal mental health advocate. From opening up about the struggles he’s personally faced to raising awareness of the benefits of therapy, the Duke of Sussex has brought conversations about mental health to the forefront. But despite how refreshing it is to see such a public figure talking in this way, there’s always been something about the way Harry approaches the subject

Stylist • 29th June 2022

Why everything Tory MP Danny Kruger said about abortion is so terrifying

If you’ve been on social media at all this morning, you’ll no doubt have seen a video of the Conservative MP Danny Kruger making the rounds. In the video – which was taken during a parliamentary debate about the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade – the MP said he recognised the “degree of distress and concern” felt by many MPs in response to the news, but went on to share a different opinion. “The facts are that I would probably disagree with most members who’ve spoken so far abo

Stylist • 25th April 2022

What that sexist smear campaign against Angela Rayner actually reveals

If you’ve checked the news at all today, chances are you’ve seen reports of the ridiculous claims made against Labour’s deputy leader, Angela Rayner, this weekend. In yesterday’s edition of the Mail On Sunday, the newspaper’s political editor said that several Conservative MPs had claimed that Rayner tries to distract the prime minister when she goes head-to-head with him during PMQs by crossing and uncrossing her legs. A spokesperson for Angela Rayner has, of course, dismissed the story as “cat

Stylist • 30th March 2022

“I was told I just worried too much”: the reality of fighting for mental health support

I first sought help for my mental health in autumn 2016. A month or two into the first term of my second year at university, I’d found myself confronted with wave after wave of anxiety, which had grown steadily worse since the start of the year. It was unlike the low-level anxiety I’d experienced previously – and I knew something wasn’t right. I was, of course, nervous about the prospect of opening up to a stranger – it was something I’d never done before, and it was hard to imagine what receivi

Stylist • 10th February 2022

Enough of the apps already: why we can’t rely on technology to ‘fix’ male violence against women

Sarah Everard. Bibaa Henry. Nicole Smallman. Sabina Nessa. Ashling Murphy. Over the last two years, the news has been dominated by stories about women who have lost their lives to male violence. This is, of course, nothing new. While the issue of male violence against women may have seemed more prominent due to the extent of news coverage dedicated to it over the last 24 months, women have been facing this reality for years: in 2020, a report from the Femicide Census revealed that at least 1,425

Stylist • 18th January 2022

The big problem with how Ashling Murphy’s murder is being framed on social media

Ever since the details of Ashling Murphy’s horrific murder were released last week, the phrase “she was just going for a run” has taken over social media. Alongside sadness that another young woman has been lost to male violence – and empathy for the children who Murphy taught in her job as a primary school teacher – the idea that Murphy’s life was taken while she was completing such an ‘everyday’ activity has struck a chord. But that initial response – and the ‘not all men’ backlash that’s come

Stylist • 6th October 2021

Dominic Raab’s latest blunder shows the danger of confusing misogyny and sexism

As one of the central focuses of the Law Commission’s ongoing review into hate crime legislation, the conversation surrounding the criminalisation of misogyny has been happening for many years now. But despite this, prominent government figures have repeatedly demonstrated how little they understand about what campaigners are asking for. Just yesterday, Boris Johnson ruled out making misogyny a hate crime because he said it would “widen the scope” of what the police are required to do. And this

Stylist • 19th August 2021

Blaming women or mental health issues for mass shootings isn’t solving anything

Last Thursday (12 August), the city of Plymouth bore witness to the UK’s worst mass shooting in a decade. The gunman behind the attack – who was later named as 22-year-old Jake Davison – shot two women, two men and a three-year-old girl before turning the gun on himself. When news of the shooting first broke, it was met with widespread shock and horror. But since then, much of the conversation surrounding the incident, especially online, has revolved around blame. From a horrific viral tweet (wh