What is YouGov? It's an website set up by the government where you can register to take surveys. These results are collected and used as official data, for example, most recently in the election polls.
Today I was both exceptionally pleased and disappointed. I'll start with the bad news first.
A few days ago there was a poll that asked the following question..."Do you think that wolf-whistling is a compliment and just a bit of harmless fun?" I was appalled to see the results below... only 23% thought that it was sexist and unacceptable.
I was expecting a gender split in the results....but it appears not as fewer males thought it was acceptable and more males thought it was unacceptable. This is definitely a step in the right direction.
It seemed that the major fact here was age, as 76% of the oldest age group thought it was okay compared to 32% of the younger age group. This agrees with my person experience that it's generally older people who catcall. But this is great news for my generation.
Now onto the good news. I filled out a survey this morning and the following question was asked....
SO THANK YOU YOUGOV FOR HELPING TO SMASH THE TABOO.
If you'd like to register for YouGov and make your voice heard here's the link.
Have a beautiful day x
If you are under 25 you can't have a cervical cancer smear test.
Even if you have cancer.
Even if you're dying from it.
What is a smear test? It is the collection of cells from the cervix to look for any abnormalities that could possibly lead to cancer.
In 2003, the age guideline for a woman's first test was increased from 20 years of age to 25.
But 1 in 50 women diagnosed are under 25.
Currently, your GP may allow you have have a smear test, but the lab that will analyse the test has the right to not analyse your results if you are under 25. Surely if your doctor suggests you should have a medical test it's for a reason?
This year, Amber Rose Cliff died of cervical cancer.
She was diagnosed at 21.
She visited the doctor over 20 times because she had severe sickness and bleeding, but was continually denied a smear test.
She was told her symptoms were due to the pill, hormones or a water infection.
She died in January at 25.
Since her death her brother has started up a campaign called Amber's Law.
The campaign isn't saying that everyone between the ages of 18 and 25 will have to be screened, just that if you have reason to believe you may have cervical cancer and have visited the doctor twice then you can make an informed choice on whether to be screened or not.
More simply, you have the right to practice body autonomy.
Which should be a legal right.
I would urge anyone reading this, if they have any symptoms they're not happy with or feel that something isn't right you should talk to your GP.
You are not wasting their time, it's what they're there for.
Remember that you know your body best.
You can sign Amber's Laws' petition here.
And here is a useful guide on the symptoms of cervical cancer.
Have a beautiful day x
References:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4108688/Graduate-died-diagnosed-cervical-cancer-just-21-begged-doctors-smear-tests-told-young.html
https://www.change.org/p/the-government-lower-the-age-of-cervical-cancer-screening-to-18-for-high-risk-groups
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/lorraine-kelly-backs-calls-ambers-12462976
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-health/11820318/Cervical-cancer-Should-women-be-allowed-screenings-before-25.html
https://www.jostrust.org.uk/about-cervical-cancer/cervical-cancer/symptoms
https://www.jostrust.org.uk/about-cervical-cancer/cervical-screening-smear-test-and-abnormal-cells/cervical-screening-under25
Period poverty is when women and girls struggle to pay for basic
sanitary products on a monthly basis which has a significant impact on their
hygiene, health and wellbeing.
Sara Barrie, safer schools officer for West Yorkshire Police, reported that many girls were having to rely on teachers to provide them
with sanitary products, and others didn't attend school for several days a month. We can't allow this to affect girls' education.
Many girls also reported that they only used one tampon a day, which massively increases their risk of developing toxic shock syndrome and urinary tract infections. The use of socks, sellotape and newspapers is also common. So girls' health is being affected too.
Many girls wouldn't know how to turn to to ask for others and others will simply be too embarrassed to talk about it.
Amazingly, the houses of parliment have been discussing how to create a solution to this problem...
13th March
Labour MP Helen Goodman asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions: "whether
the Government offers any provision of female sanitary products for
women who consider themselves unable to afford such products."
The response from Conservative Minister Damian Hinds was that: ‘Benefits do not include a specific amount for sanitary products, just as
they do not include a specific amount for any other item such as food or
fuel charges. Instead, an “applicable amount” is set through
legislation passed by Parliament for each benefit."
14th March
The House of Lords had a debate on the provision of sanitary products and Baroness Burt of Solihull asked "Could
we not give sanitary towels to girls who qualify for free school meals?
We already know who they are, and the cost of setting up the system
would, I am sure, be very small. It would mean that all girls in school
could confidently attend school all month round without having to worry
about the embarrassment of their period letting them down."
Conservative Lord Porter of Spalding said that this was "one of the best
suggestions I have heard in here, which is to allow girls on free school
meals access to free sanitary products. If there is a way of exploring
that, I would welcome it, and I hope my noble friend the Minister can at
least ask whether it is feasible."
15th March
13 MPs have shown their support and signed a petition to provide sanitary products to girls from low income families which was started up by Liberal Democrat MP Greg Mulholland. Other MPs are also becoming involved with Labour MSP Monica Lennon calling for sanitary products to be given out free in Scotland.
It's fantastic to see many parties in parliament, especially male MPs, acting to smash the period taboo and help girls in need.
You can sign the campaign lobbying the government for the provision of sanitary products for girls at school who have free meals here.
Have a beautiful day x
References:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/dec/12/period-poverty-call-to-tackle-the-hidden-side-of-inequality
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/girls-skipping-school-periods-cant-afford-tampons-sanitary-pads-a7629766.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/women-are-using-newspapers-because-they-cannot-afford-tampons-warns-salvation-army-food-bank-a6932111.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39266056
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/mar/17/girls-from-poorer-families-in-england-struggle-to-afford-sanitary-protection
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/laura-coryton/the-lords-and-commons-are_b_15569270.html
https://www.change.org/p/theresa-may-mp-free-sanitary-products-for-girls-on-free-school-meals-freeperiods?source_location=minibar
The following conversation is between a six year old and her Mum...
"The boy I sit next to in class kept pulling my dress and calling me names at break time."
"Don't worry sweetheart, he only does that because he likes you. He's trying to get your attention."
Now read it again as a conversation between a sixteen year old and her Mum. Suddenly it's unacceptable isn't it?
Can we please stop telling little girls that boys are nasty to them because they like them.
This is a phrase that I remember hearing when I was young from various different people. It is important that we call out this behaviour to benefit both girls and boys...
- It will teach boys that violence is never okay and is not a way to communicate your feelings.
- It will teach girls that there is a massive difference between love and abuse.
Abuse is not affection at any age.
Have a beautiful day x
Abortion is often thought of as a female issue but all too often male opinion seems to be the dominating voice we hear. So how is the best way to talk to guys about it? After watching Stacey Dooley's 'Brainwashing Stacey: Anti-Abortion Camp', I spoke to my closest male friend about abortion. He's super easy to talk to about anything because he's completely supportive and thinks in a very similar way to me. He brought up some really important points. Including if people really are pro-life it's so hypocritical that they turn guns onto abortion clinics.
He also massively opposes the use of children in anti-abortion protests. In the documentary, American families were treating the camp as a family holiday- removing the ability of the child to form their own opinion on such a controversial issue. As my friend put it, they should "just go and sit in a caravan in Devon".
What we hate most are the pro-life signs that say "God sent you a child that could cure cancer but you aborted them." Our response is "Maybe God sent someone to cure cancer but she killed herself after being raped and not allowed an abortion." It's no secret that a fully grown female has fewer rights than a foetus in some states of America because there's a 50% the foetus could be male.
My partner in crime also pointed out that the majority of pro-life leaders are male and said that for some incomprehensible reason they can't really seem to grasp the concept. He seems to have managed it so why can't the majority of the others? I googled from a male perspective of how to help a female loved one through an abortion. Most of the pages that came up were how to 'gently' deter them from having an abortion, including making sure you only allow them to visit a pro-life doctor and to refer to the foetus as a 'baby' as it induces a stronger emotional connection.
However, it's really important not to tar all men with the same brush, there are good ones like my friend out there. Men carry out abortions every day, men are affected by abortion every day and men support women making the very difficult decision about termination every day. I personally feel that if a man can't respect a women's rights and decisions then he has no right to an opinion. However, if he is supportive like my friend then they really can be the best person to talk to.
Interestingly, I couldn't find any statistics on how many women turn to a male friend when considering an abortion, although I can hazard a guess that it would be quite a low percentage. This is likely because she may fear judgement, being steamrollered by a male opinion or being told what to do. But I can safely say that if I was deciding whether to have an abortion, he would probably be the person I would feel most comfortable turning to. Because friendship is always much stronger than a gender difference.
I would definitely recommend talking to friends of all genders about abortion as it is such an important and taboo topic, and knowing that you would support them no matter what could make a massive difference.
My friend concluded that people who can't respect the rights of women to have an abortion should "go and get in a bin". And I fully support him on that.
Have a beautiful day x
Catcalling isn't a compliment. It is street harassment.
The guy in question knows that I'm not going to turn around and instantly fall in love with him because he's yelled something disgusting at me.
"How did you two meet?"
"Well he yelled at me out a car window and it was love at first sight."
Yeah. I don't think so.
It's about having power over a woman, and attempting to humiliate her in public.
During semester one this year at uni I walked to lectures on my own, I was catcalled around 40 times. All by men much older than me and including once by a drunk man who decided to follow me with a lighter.
During semester two I began walking everywhere with a male friend, I was whistled at once.
I don't think that's a coincidence.
Have a beautiful day x
After the election resulted in a hung parliament, Theresa May has controversially attempted to team up with the DUP. But who are they and what are their views on important issues?
Abortion:
The DUP are one of the main reasons that women are unable to have an abortion in Northern Island. Arlene Foster, who is the party's leader, vowed last year than she would make sure women are prevented from having an abortion unless their life was in danger and would "carefully consider" if an abortion was acceptable after rape. Because of course she's an expert in the lives of every single woman in Northern Ireland and would DEFINITELY know if a pregnancy was putting their life at risk...The DUP's manifesto includes a section on 'Perinatal hospice care for life limiting conditions' and pledges to give the best medical and emotional support possible to women carrying a child with a life limiting condition. They claim to be committed to 'establishing a perinatal care service or facility in Northern Ireland.' Which really seems like too little help and too little choice.
HIV:
Trevor Clarke, a DUP assembly member, stated last year that he believed only gay men could contract HIV. This lack of knowledge of such an important topic is a serious concern.
LGBT+:
Arlene Foster has previously supported the 'conscience clause' which allows religious people to openly discriminate against anyone from the LGBT+ community without legal consequence. This can lead to LGBT+ people being turned down for jobs due to their sexuality or gender and being refused service.
It's no surprise that the DUP are also against the adoption of children by same-sex couples. And in fact seem to be against the LGBT+ community completely as in 2013, Tom Buchanan, a member of the party, informed schoolchildren that homosexuality is "an abomination". The party also strongly opposes same-sex marriage and have attempted to block gay men from donating blood throughout their lives.
Unfortunately, to obtain a majority government Theresa May has no other choice but to ask nicely if she can team up with the DUP. This gives them a huge amount of power.
The DUP can ask for anything and Theresa May will give it to them.... a vote against same-sex marriage?
A vote for banning abortion?
A vote for halving the wages of the LGBT+ community?
How far will this disgraceful party go?
Despite this, have a beautiful day x
References:
