Sovereignty by emmaohanlon

201

sprin g

sovereignty

no fox given

Welcome!

To the very first issue. Here at Sovereignty magazine, women are at the forefront of everything we do. We are called

Sovereignty because we are strong, bold and domineering. No matter what gets thrown at us, we will stand up twice as tall. This is what defines Sovereignty and powerful is how we define women. Our aim is to tackle issues that women face in contemporary society. The mainstream media put pressure on women, and we want to unload that pressure and turn it to something that positively embraces women. Granted, sh*t is going to worse before it gets better. And we’re not afraid of that. What we are afraid of is women not having a platform to voice their opinions. We at Sovereignty are going to act as this much needed platform to amplify women’s voices. We want to encourage a feminist response and ensure women can shout loudly and be heard. Thank you for supporting this journey to equalit y. Speak soon. EMMA O’HANLON - EDITOR

not afraid to say the f word

1 (FE

) ISM N I

sovereignty

CONTENTS

spring 2 0 1 7

4-5

Stop Slut Shaming

6-8

Your Voice Make-Up: The Debate

10-11

Free the Nipple Have We Taken It Too Far?

Our Body Our Choice

14-15

The F Word Do We Need It?

16-17

First Ladies

19-22

Role Models

24-25

F*CK The Stereotypes

24-25

Love Your Body

YOU DONTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T LOOK LIKE A

FEMINIST

FU*@

YOURSELF

STOP

SLUT SHAMING -MS. O’HANLON

shaming. Two words S lut that mean so much.

Two words that discriminate against women. If you’ve been living under a rock, you wouldn’t have heard how women are being judged for freely expressing their sexuality. But it’s not just men, it is women also who pass judgement. As if body shaming isn’t enough, society feel the need to slut shame women. It is a form of control and derogatory abuse against women that needs to be stopped. 4

She wears a short skirt, she’s a slut. She shows her cleavage, she’s a slut. She sends a nude, she’s a slut. She has casual sex, well that is just unheard of… slut! This bias, gendered attitude towards women who embrace their female sexuality is quite frankly disgusting. Whether we do this or not, we will still be labelled as being a slut. It’s only a word right? Wrong. We are raised in a culture that teaches us to be beautiful, pretty and available.

But not too much. Nothing more and nothing less. What the f*ck is that all about? Women are passed around like a trophy, a prize, a possession. But hell would freeze over before women objectify men in the same way. Treat them like a trophy wife. Could you imagine? There would be moral panic, an outcry. I’m only a slut because my sexuality scares you. You’re ignorance offends me. My promiscuity is no more scandalous than your f*cking oblivious attitude.

shaming a form of sexism. Imagine a world where men and women are treated equally? Now that would be something. Women, we have the right to be sexual and serious. Slut shaming encourages rape culture. We need to educate others that our selfworth has nothing to do with what we wear, or what we don’t. If you are sexualising me because of this, then I am not the problem. You are. My body, my choice, my f*cking business.

And no. This is not a hate article against men. Because it’s not just men who slut shame. It’s other women also. Aren’t we all on the same side? Obviously not. We have become numb to the words ‘slut’, ‘slag’, ‘easy’. Assuming a woman is all of these things because of the way she dresses is ludacris. Believe it or believe not, wearing a short skirt or having my tits on show does not make me any less of a person. Sex isn’t vulgar. Slut shaming is. When will it stop? Women should be able to enjoy sexual liberation as much as men do. Slut

MAKEthe debate UP YOUR VOICE

-MS. WESTWOOD

once wrote that P lautus “A woman without paint

is like food without salt”. This “paint” women have sought after in their daily beauty routines has been a long love affair. From Cleopatra’s signature cat-eye, to Marilyn Monroe’s flirty red pout, the history of makeup is a winding tale of power, rebellion and bawdiness.

We have come a long way from the arsenic-laden face powder often used during the Italian Renaissance, or the egg-white glaze smeared over women’s faces during the Elizabethan period.

Although the quality and availability of our makeup products has clearly changed, the initial purpose has not - which is for women to both accentuate and enhance their facial features. For me, the fascination began from a young age; like most young girls, I would often look up at older women with a sense of awe and amazement. What was this magical face paint that lifted brows, lightened eyes and stained the lips with such a deep-rosy glow? And why wasn’t I allowed to play with it? Although it felt like a life-

time, within a few years of these thoughts I was dabbling with makeup like I had imagined in my childhood. It gave me the juxtaposing powers to both highlight my natural beauty, and hide it. And now, as I approach my twenties, I like to think I have, over the years, honed my makeup skills to a point where I can actually make myself look somewhat presentable and fresh, despite a night deprived of the 8 hour sleep I’m supposed to have. But, often is such, it’s fun to break the rules, and makeup is no “It gave me the juxtaposing exceppowers to both highlight my tion. A natural beauty, and hide it” simple flick of a cat-eye, or a stroke of red lipstick can make a woman feel a million dollars. And that, is, for me, empowerment. For others, it may be different. “I don’t feel comfortable going without makeup because I feel like I look plain and less attractive than other girls,” says 19 year-old Ms. Willetts. “Wearing a full face of makeup makes me feel confident and comfortable engaging with people.” Upon being asked if Ms. Willetts had ever received any negative criticism for her makeup choices, she states “no one has ever made

a hurtful comment on how much I wear but have done on the need I feel to wear it, like it’s wrong or unhealthy.” Unsurprisingly, it became a common theme for my interviewee’s to have been condemned in some way for their choices regarding makeup. “I remember when I was in secondary school, I used pile on my makeup because I didn’t really know how else to apply it”, recounts Ms. Ghazzawi, on her experiences with makeup at a younger age. “So I would go to school, wearing heavy lined black eyes, and this bright red eyeshadow that I thought made me look really punk and alternative. And every morning when I would walk into my form room, my form leader would literally call me up to the front of the classroom in front of everybody, and lecture me on how I looked like a prostitute, or that I looked like I had just escaped from a coal mine with my kohl-lined eyes.” Hearing this, it seemed as though it has often been the older generation who look down upon experimental makeup. Encounters like this are seemingly what make women feel powerless, when they are condemned on the choices they make to change 7

their appearance. Yet what made the difference, was the attitude of my interviewee as she recalled her stories. With a glint in her eye and a smirk on her face, Ms. Ghazzawi almost chuckled as she told me about her critical form teacher. “Whatever, I mean, it was kind of traumatizing at the time. But I just look back on it and kind of laugh now. How can you get so mad at a girl for just being experimental with her appearance? I wasn’t doing it to ‘impress the boys’, as she might of said. I was doing it for the sheer fun of it; altering your appearance is fun, it really is… and if you’re going to condemn me for having fun, well then, you can go to hell!”. I asked Ms. Ghazzawi what she’d tell her fourteen-year old self, who felt red-faced about being publically called out by her teacher. “I’d tell her, maybe quit on the foundation that is about two shades too dark for your face. But the red eyeshadow? Keep it! Don’t let the haters bring you down - as long as you feel fierce, you can be fierce”. This carefree attitude a particular resonance shakes through me. hear these refreshing, 8

has that To re-

bellious attitudes from my female peers really made me reconsider the power of makeup, and how makeup really allows a woman to express herself in a way that, although often can be criticized criticised for, can make her feel on top of the world.

CERVICAL

CANCER has no age limit IT MATTERS

FREE THE NIPPLE HAVE WE TAKEN IT TOO FAR? -MS. SADLER

Breasts, boobs, tits, knockers, hooters. We all have them. But have we taken ittoo far with revealing them?

greed, but once considering the nudity fines and consequences for the campaign, she agreed in regards to these actions.

‘Free the Nipple’ by Lina Esco sparked the Free the Nipple movement in 2012 which has become a new revolution for gender equality. Campaigners argue that women should be allowed to show their nipples in public and to make the sight of full frontal breasts (or whatever you want to call them) normalised. The effort to raise awareness of this issue grew fast with many women wanting to go topless to increase female empowerment and freedom – yet has it gone too far?

Many drawbacks have stemmed from the campaign. Hundreds of people parade across protests throughout Europe, America and New Zealand. Topless woman campaigning to highlight the nipple ban receives a lot of attention from the public, the press, but equally the law.

Ms. Zarrick argues, “I think there are more important campaigns and aspects to male and female equality, yet this campaign is still very important. The number of people that have joined the movement is an improvement, but I don’t think we have benefited as society yet.” When asking Ms. Zarrick whether she believes the campaign has gone too far, at first she disa-

Ms. Mitchell argues, “It is f***ing outrageous that if I wanted to walk around and show my breasts then I couldn’t. That choice has been taken away from me because of the law. Breasts need to be de-sexualised. They are a natural part of the woman’s body.” Social media also blew up from this campaign; for both the right and the wrong reasons. There are now hundreds 1000’s of Free the Nipple campaign platforms for protestors to get involved with across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Despite this, these websites prohibit any nudity, and as the nip-

ple is considered to be “graphic content,” many users are banned for sharing these images. Ms. Ponce argued that claims that “Banning nudity from social media is going too far. Our bodies are just shells for our souls and works of art. We should be able to show them online whenever we want. I support the peaceful protests. We need them to get our points across. It’s okay for women to show their breasts as long as it’s for pleasing men, but if we want to do it for comfort it’s illegal.” Ms. Winters argues that the campaign can never go “too far.” “The degrading and assaulting words from men are less offensive than the bodies we are born with tells a lot about where we stand in how we view women.” It appears that the only way we can be heard is when we are showcasing our bare breasts for all to see. Surely that is degrading for all women across the world?

OUR BODY OUR

CHOICE

-MS. JOHNSON

As you know, 2016 was deemed a popular time for contraception in the world of media, particularly surrounding a certain case study involving men. For those of you who don’t know, climb out from under your rock and give ‘men’s contraception’ a quick internet search. What you’ll find is a case study involving men trying two different contraceptive methods. FYI, it wasn’t successful. ‘The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism’ published the results showing that the drug had too many negative side effects. Shocking, right? Some of these oh-so-dreadful side effects included: mood swings, weight gain, acne, depression and muscle pain. Sound familiar? Oh, wait, that’s because they are familiar. Us women experience these side effects daily. Although 75% of the men said they would choose to continue with the contraception, they won’t need to worry.

The conclusion for this is down to men not needing to be at risk of the negative side effects as they don’t have the risk of falling pregnant themselves. In other words: It’s our problem. Ms. Bryant, a student representative, said: “I’m sick and tired of always being the one who’s responsible. 9 times out of 10 a man will hope the woman is on contraception because he doesn’t enjoy wearing johnnies.

“They never stop to consider whether I don’t enjoy taking contraception or that it’s a matter of being sensible, not a matter of preference”. Negative side effects aren’t the only reason contraception is continuously up for debate. IUDs and the ‘morning-after-pill’ (MAP) are now being considered as early abortions, rather than forms of contraception. Ms. Smith, a preacher, said: “Yes, women have had to adapt their lifestyles to one of more convenience now. It’s no secret that premarital sex is now popular as women gain their freedom and independence. “You are your own person and have a right to your own morals and values. You should stand by them no matter what” Over the years, it has become clear that there is a wide range of diversity between our lifestyles as women now. Change is occurring and us women need to stop being scrutinized and ridiculed for eve-ry choice we make and start getting credit for the shit we do and go through to benefit not only our-selves, but others around us. Be it you agree with contraception and abortions or you don’t. It will always be your body and your decision.

She was wearing the shortest skirt

She was asking for it

She was drunk

She was flirting with me all night

CAUSES OF RAPE: Television Alcohol Weather Clothes Rapists

THE feminism

WORD

do we need it? -MS. JOHNSON

FEMINISM IS THE RADICAL NOTION THAT WOMEN ARE

PEOPLE

Trump is now the 45th D onald president of the United States

and as we see him move into the White House, we see new debates of feminism arise. Feminism is thought to be at risk of losing its relevance in our modern lives unless it recognises the diversity amongst its members. We know that not every feminist is white, middle-class, heterosexual and able bodied. So I ask, are there issues with mainstream feminism? 14

Let’s look at a recent act of feminism. An estimate of 3 million women marched on 21st January in protest to Trump’s inauguration. Photos from the event have gone viral, with some reaching a whooping 97 thousand retweets on twitter. One of which was of a white woman holding a poster that read: “White women, we need to look in the mirror and ask ourselves if we’re doing enough to help all our sisters

or just the ones who look like us”. Some have the idea that many white women have only participated in the ‘women’s march’ since they are now being directly impacted by the current gender equality issues themselves. Ms. Diaby, a black feminist, said: “Those who shout and scream about ‘All lives matter’ have never really believed it. It was just a passive way of disagreeing with us all stating that ‘black lives matter’. I find it shocking that us reminding the world that black people deserve to live and have equal rights is controversial”.

ied 5.9%. Prejudice and discrimination are what feminism aims to combat, however, it doesn’t entirely achieve these two things. Feminism has been necessary for decades now and the sad truth is that we do still need it. Perhaps we need to reconsider the aspects of the movement. We need to adapt it to benefit women from all backgrounds and open our minds to life from all perspectives. As sisters, we should always fight for our rights together, and not just focus on feminism when we are being individually concerned.

Feminism is thought to reflect the singular mainstream point of view and ignores the multiple layers that the new wave of feminism forces us to consider. The comparison of statistics such as annual wages and employment portrays some examples. According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, white women earn 78% of what white men earn. In comparison, black women earn 64% and Hispanic women earn 54%. This proves that the experiences of women of colour (WOC) are not considered in the improvements feminism is said to be fighting for. The irony of feminism is also outlined by the 12.5% of women with disabilities who face unemployment, compared to the able-bod15

DONALD WHO

FIRST LADIES -MS. O’HANLON

is the 21st century and oh how I tthings have changed. The glass ceil-

ing is showing numerous cracks that cannot be fixed. Women are to be celebrated. From the Suffragettes fighting for women’s rights to vote, to Hilary Clinton, the first elected female presidential candidate. This is what feminism is- despite claims of it being otherwise. Women are standing together and flying the flag for equality worldwide. Hilary Clinton is one of the most powerful women in politics. Since the 1970’s, she has paved the way for women’s rights. Her powerful “Women’s Rights Are Human Rights” speech in 1995 was inspirational and something that should be applauded. Clinton embodies ambition and determination in the fight against misogyny. The 2016 election has been inspirational for young women to look up to. Although not victorious, she was modest against an individual who I cannot even bring myself to name. Modern day sexism and hate against women is an issue that is still ongoing. But with

women like Clinton around to motivate and deliver, the path against feminism is becoming shorter and narrower. Yes, it is the 21st f***ing century but yet a woman who was in the running for becoming the most powerful individual in the world was relentlessly gendered. She was judged for being a woman. Something we are all too familiar with. She doesn’t smile enough…she looks too frail…her voice is too firm. Yawn! Let us be. Clinton has shattered ceilings and she is being judged…for coughing! This is everything that is wrong with society. Up until the very end she was unpretentious, memorably stating, “To all the little girls watching...never doubt that you are valuable and powerful and deserving of every chance and opportunity in the world.” A comment that has stuck with me and is a comment that is so relevant in this day and age.

The future is female. Here is to strong women and First Ladies. 17

“

i want to apologize to all the women i have called beautiful before i’ve called them intelligent or brave i am sorry i made it sound as though something as simple as what you’re born with is all you have to be proud of when you have broken mountains with your wit from now on i will say things like you are resilient, or you are extraordinary not because i don’t think you’re beautiful but because i need you to know you are more than that

”

- RUPI KAUR

ROLE MODELS CULTURE DOES NOT MAKE PEOPLE.

-MS. WESTWOOD

people make culture.

IF IT IS TRUE THAT THE FULL

humanity of women

IS NOT OUR CULTURE, THEN WE CAN AND MUST MAKE IT OUR CULTURE. - CHIMAMANDA NGOZI ADICHI

definition, a role model has been B ydescribed as a “person looked to by

others as an example to be imitated”. For me, a role model is someone who utilizes utilises their power in the world to bring about positive change. In mainstream media, however, these kinds of positive role models are hard to find. In a world where women are endlessly scrolling through their Instagram, and Snapchat feeds, we rarely see these A-Listers we all follow promoting social and political change.

I’m tired of seeing celebrities thrown into the limelight, gaining hundreds, of thousands of followers and using their platforms to merely promote clothes, makeup and the troublesome diet industries. It’s not that there’s an issue with this kind of promotion... it’s just that it’s not what the world needs. What the world needs right now is female role models who inspire unique thought, incite action and start meaningful conversations in a society where the most famous women in the world are merely famous for ‘being famous’. In this article, I will be discussing the women who, past and present, have influenced and taken the bravery and courage to use their platforms to change the world for the better.

JORK Icelandic musician and producer Bjork has long been a role model for not only me but women worldwide for not only her boundary-pushing, avant-garde music but also for her sincere and honest statements regarding her experiences as a woman in the music industry.

Recently speaking on her troubles, she stated in an interview with The Guardian “Everything that a guy says once, you have to say five times.” Bjork has on countless occasions not only campaigned for equal rights for women but also has utilized her fame to speak on climate change; in 2015, she canceled her show at Iceland Airwaves Festival to replace the performance with a press conference with Icelandic conservationist Andri Snaer Magnason, insisting for a national park to be built to prevent the creation of an energy pipeline in Iceland’s highlands, transporting volcanically-heated power to the rest of the world. Bjork stands in this article as a leading role model as she draws attention to real issues the world needs to be thinking about. 21

IOUXIE SIOUX can be described as the first real role model to women within the British punk scene of the late 1970’s and early 80’s. Her rejection of feminine gender roles, tied with an eccentric persona stood her apart from the crowd which arguably brought a whole new dynamic to Punk, which was understood as a predominantly male audience. In an interview with The Independent, in 1999, Siouxie defined what was the secrets to her success, stating that being her “own boss” was for her additive. She added she is “fed up with people who want a safe, quiet life, and don’t want to risk anything. You’ve got to stretch yourself; too many people don’t. You can’t be polite and meekly wait to be invited - sometimes you just have to gatecrash your way through life.” For Siouxie, she would let nothing stop in her way, making her own rules and helping women to be taken more seriously in the music industry. Just listening to tracks such as ‘Surburban Relapse’, describing a women rebelling against a domestic routine, or ‘Spend Spend Spend’, which tackles the issues of consumer culture for women, brings forth messages just as relevant today as it was 30 years ago.

LICIA SILVERSTONE California-raised actress and model Alicia Silverstone is most known for her role in 90’s cult movie Clueless. Despite her ditzy, superficial image in the film, Silverstone in reality is anything but - her role in promoting veganism has been crucial in bringing awareness to the mainstream media and public about the issues regarding animal welfare, and environmental issues surrounding the animal agriculture industry. In countless interviews Silverstone has used her voice to help millions of innocent animals be free from a life of enslavement and torture, and has even written a book named ‘The Kind Diet’ where she introduces her audience to a diet which not only saves the planet but also enables women to feel satiated, nourished and alive. Alicia is the kind of woman I aspire to be - to use my power to influence not only for the greater good of mankind but also to enable myself to feel better from the inside and out.

E P

A R

ltu -M

- noun

ES TW OO D

1. The use of misogynistic language, the objectification of womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bodies, and the glamorisation of sexual violence. 2. The culture we live in where we are taught not to get raped instead of donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rape. 3. F*cking B.S

F*CK e h t s e p y t

o e r e st

-MS. WESTWOOD

igg d ld

r who

h b* tc trash easy

The most prolific way in which stereotypes arise about women is through the mass media. Whether it be a film, TV show, game, or music video, women can often be assigned labels, which, is rarely EVER a woman’s choice. Common labels include derogatory terms such as ‘whore’, ‘gold-digger’, or ‘bitch’. These labels are placed upon women in order to jam them into metaphorical boxes, where the outsider can assume her role in society, and with it, assume that she can never escape this stereotype and it is fixed upon her as a result of her actions in society.

In order to gain an insight into the kind of stereotypes women face in their work industries, I had a one-to-one chat with 21-year-old student Erin Grace who is both frontwoman and bassist for Birmingham trio The Cosmics. Upon discussing whether women are stereotyped within the music industry, the singer commented, “I haven’t recognised a particular stereotype associated with women in the music industry, however, there are certainly less female musicians than male around, particularly with rock music. I’ve noticed there are expectations for women in the music when it comes to attractiveness, weight, outfit choice, and the decision to wear makeup, but we don’t have to abide by these. It’s a choice.” Upon asking her who she admires within the music industry, she commented on her admiration for women such as Joan Jett, Debbie Harry and Janis Joplin, as “they’ve all been strong characters, with incredible music… these women have created a foundation for powerful female musicians”. Particularly Joan Jett has been an inspiration for her willingness to reject feminine expectations and stereotypes within both the music industry and within her personal life: “A girl can do what she wants to do / And that’s what I’m gonna do,”) is a lyric that particularly resonates in my conversation with Ms. Grace. I spoke with Ms. Hanson who expressed her concern for the blogosphere being gendered;

“I also think that blogging is kinda seen as a female thing. A lot of my female friends have blogs but I have no male friends with blogs. So I think the profession of blogging can be stereotyped as quite a female thing to do. It might be because a lot of women use blogs to communicate their own emotional issues and personal struggles, which, in a society where men are deemed as ‘feminine’ or ‘cowardly’ for expressing any form of struggle or sadness, it’s understandable. It seems much more typical for a woman to be writing about her emotions, yet she would still be labelled as ‘whiny’, ‘overly emotional’ or ‘naggy’. Overall I think that there are problems on both sides of the spectrum when it comes to stereotyping women, or men. Stereotypes in general are wrong but I suppose they’re just a part of life.” Humans are innately designed to make quick, rational decisions about the people they see in front of them. Yet, forming a ‘stereotype’ about a woman before you have got to know who she is as a person, and what she stands for, is inherently wrong. Although blogging platforms and journalism is where these women can use their platform as an agent of social change. Women may not rule the world, yet, they are finding their voices and expressing their experiences and struggles in order to make the world a better place for women to live in, where we are not labelled for what we look like, or what we are assumed to be like, but who we genuinely are as human beings.

love your body. -MS. JOHNSON

WHAT IS BODY SHAMING AND WHY DO WE DO IT?

The text book definition for body shaming is: the practice of making critical, potentially humiliating comments about a personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s body size or weight. When I say body shaming, telling someone theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re too fat probably jumps to mind. However, as our mentality and body goals change, so does the shift in body shaming.

016 saw the most drastic change in the ‘ideal body’ as Kylie Jenner became a new role model for young women as she broadcasted her new physique on her social media platforms. How are you supposed to feel when you see her maintained slim waist with her newly formed curves all over Instagram and snapchat? We’re constantly told about the issues with social media and the way it makes us feel like shit. But how can these little apps upon our mobile screens have such a significant effect on the way we view ourselves? Through judgement and comparison, that’s how.

Ms. Maloney has gained her few thousand Instagram followers through posting photos embracing her voluptuous physique. “It used to all be about the thigh gap and visible hip bones. Times are changing now and that’s no longer deemed as attractive or trendy. We now want a fat ass and thighs but still enjoy the small waist. “We find ourselves telling slim girls that they’re ‘unhealthy’, ‘too skinny’ and that they need to eat properly. But this is the same issue that we had with body shaming larger women in the past. We need to stop with the comparisons and genuinely start loving ourselves. Opinions on physical beauty will never be universal but the attractiveness of happiness and confidence will”.

Now before you get all defensive on me and assure yourself that you would never be a part of the cut throat savagery of social media prejudice, let With the new wave of To bring you back to us just recap on my point, you as a part how our old friendself love comes the of society are the Instagram works.tsunami of sister hate driving force behind the judgements It’s difficult to avoid the carefulon social media, whether you’re ly controlled images of people’s conscious of it or not. Start using seemingly perfect lives with their media as a platform to spread perfect bodies that fill your feeds. love and support for your sisThese have been publically shared ters, because we are all beautifor your stamp of approval with the ful, no matter what shape or size. double tap of a finger, boosting egos everywhere. Well, not exactly. With the new wave of self-love comes the tsunami of sister-hate. It’s been a year of loving the skin you’re in and the old ‘flaws’ become the new features to flaunt.

“

”

Dear body,

You are not the problem.

The problem is other people. We are expected to

look a certain w ay that is

unattainable. We are forcefed the perfect body. No matter

how much society

BODY SHAMES

you, remember that you are not ugly. Society is ugly. Anyone who thinks

differently, can kiss my...

STOP COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS

sovereignty