The Word is Woman #53

Documenting the erasure of women from language and life.

Did you think I’d forgotten you?! I would never do such a thing!

I’m sorry to be sending this a day later than usual, and hope you managed to find the motivation for a large Friday night gin without my usual help.

If I tell you the reason I ran out of time yesterday, you’ll think I’m stuck in some kind of Groundhog Day situation, and you’d be right. It was EDITS.

Yes, I’ve just done another go through the manuscript of Ultra Processed Women, as well as the ‘medical edit’, sent it back yesterday lunchtime (a day or two late, of course, as is expected and traditional), and then spent the next couple of hours getting ready (aka Panicking) to be a guest on my absolute favourite podcast, Subject to Power.

After the recording was over, I was knackered, kids were coming through the door, and so The Word is Woman just had to wait. But now, brace yourselves, because I’m about to ruin your Saturday…

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First up…are you vaginally presenting?

Here’s the full clip if you are in a state of complete disbelief.

This was a case in the US courts discussing whether men are permitted in a women only nude spa.

Of course, the phrase ‘vaginally presenting’ brings a few things to mind.

Sheela-na-gig, for starters.

Elaine Miller, also.

Have Elaine, the parliamentary official and this 1674 plate from La Fontaine ever been seen in the same room?

And let’s not forget the Persian women who shamed their husbands back into battle by channeling Jarvis Cocker at the Brit Awards 1996.

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‘Raising the skirt’, or ‘anasyrma’ as it’s also called, has been used by women since the dawn of time as a power flex or protest. We could use it now to draw attention to the dire state of gynaecological services, but no wait, that wouldn’t work, because according to the Guardian this is a problem for PEOPLE.

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If you’re a vaginally presenting person I guess there’s every chance you’re also a menstruating body…

This is apparently a leaflet handed out to school kids in Wales.

Also…vaginal moisturiser?

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Given the current implosion of La Leche League, it’s depressing to see another UK breastfeeding charity going firmly in the same direction. Here’s an example of a page on nipple pain from The Breastfeeding Network.

Word watch:

Woman - 0

Parent - 11

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These posters, pinned to the wall of a UK antenatal clinic and published by Gestational Diabetes UK, erase women completely. On poster one it’s ‘pregnant person’ and on poster two ‘some people may need medication’. No mention of the W word.

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Another poster, this time from the Swedish underground / tube - it apparently is a campaign for the HPV vaccine aimed at, ‘you who has a womb’.

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Next week the Supreme Court will consider whether the meaning of “sex” in the Equality Act 2010 should be read as being modified by the Gender Recognition Act. In other words, they will decide on whether the protected characteristic of ‘sex’ in the EA actually means biological sex, or something else. In a sense, they are contemplating the question: what is a woman?

From Sex Matters:

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You can watch the case online on the Supreme Court’s YouTube channel (you don’t need to log in or watch in real time).

The hearing is in Court 1 of the Supreme Court in London. It is open to the public but there are limited seats (about 70 spaces). There will also be overflow rooms with screens set up, so hopefully everyone who comes along will get to watch. Both days start at 10:30am.

• Tuesday 26th is FWS and Sex Matters

• Wednesday 27th is the Scottish Government and the EHRC 

Tribunal Tweets will be live tweeting. 

Read all the written submissions that have been published so far.

The judgment is expected in spring 2025.

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This case is vital. You can donate here to support Sex Matters intervention.

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That’s all for this week! Now as it’s pissing down and grey and basically going to be winter forever, I highly recommend you go and get under a duvet and watch Groundhog Day! See you next week when everything will no doubt be exactly the same! Milli x

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