In praise of Martine's eyeroll

Her brief gesture speaks a thousand words of feminist solidarity

Yes yes, I know, I’m supposed to be promoting my new book about ultra processed food and women’s health. And, when you have a career, and money to earn, and bills to pay, it’s better to keep your head down - right? Perhaps, in particular, if, like me, you’re a) female and b) have heretical views about gender.

This month I’ve been thinking a lot about all of this because, to be honest, it’s actually been really nice to have a break from writing so much about the importance of biological sex to women’s rights - in particular the demise of the word ‘woman’, which I usually write about every Friday - and to focus on a completely different topic. I’m passionate about my new book and I genuinely think I’ve written a blinder, so I do actually really enjoy talking about this topic and getting women thinking about how their diet might be impacting their health.

However, stepping back a bit, rather than giving the clarity of distance, has only left me feeling even more baffled. As I’ve quietly watching the fall-out from the Supreme Court judgement over the past few weeks, it’s often been difficult to work out what exactly is going on. For example, I read a letter from an MP today (shared in a whatsapp group) which carefully explained why she felt that the judgement was bad for all women, because it would inevitably lead to ‘actual’ women being challenged in public toilets if they didn’t look feminine enough, and that the resulting policing of women’s appearance would risk ‘rolling back feminist progress’.