♥️NEWS!♥️on 23 May the paperback version of How Men Can Help will be released. The Times said “all men should read this book”. So buy it for your father/husband/brother/friend. You can pre-order now.
Keys between fingers, walking in the middle of the road, avoiding gaps in hedges or entrances to alleyways, phone on, headphones out, cross the road, check over your shoulder. We aren't born doing this stuff, we learn over years of watching women's trauma play out
#SarahEverard
Hey kids!!! It doesn’t matter what A level results you get today because in ten years time the only thing you’ll actually care about is the suction quality on your new hoover.
My sadness re. Sabina matched only by rage at the inevitable 'safety tips'; "well lit areas!" "no headphones" "be on phone for backup!" "don't be on phone, stay vigilant!". The Met one literally says "stay assertive". THESE THINGS ARE IN OUR BONES FROM DAY 1. WE ARE NOT THE ISSUE
One of my most inane political opinions is that i literally don't understand reshuffles. What do you mean the person who was in charge of all our fisheries is now in charge of all our primary schools? No other industry works this way?!! Maybe i fancy myself as a brain surgeon
This profile is great. Danielle Steel has written 179 books. She writes for 20-22 hours a day. She lives on a diet of toast & miniature chocolate bars. She has a personalised desk made out of her own books. She has 9 children and 6000 pairs of Louboutins..
Sorry but £7.15 for a cheese sandwich. What the fuck is happening here.
I am not in an airport or major travel hub. This has fully tipped me over the edge this afternoon 🧀
Suella Braverman standing on the tail of a guide dog at Tory Conference and the Home Office releasing spreadsheets with the annotation "reason for arrest data is dodgy so maybe we shouldn't publish it" within the same day is so Thick of It you can't make it up.
Carrie Gracie is donating her backdated pay from the BBC to
@fawcettsociety
to set up a fund for women who need legal advice on equal pay claims. Is there anything more joyous in these trying times than women helping women?
This made me rage cry to write. But here we are. Your safety tips are a fallacy, designed to abdicate responsibility for a society that places the rights of violent men to exist above the rights of women to be safe. We know the score.
#SayHerName
Can't wait to be travelling in the dark/late on a train, feel unsafe and know there will be no one anywhere to help
Just as they're doing better with comms re. women's safety on pub transport, they remove a key element of report & support. Policies like this work for so few ppl
just found out my boyfriend has been using the Aesop handwash to wash his face and honestly do I dump him now or what. will be escalating this query to Mumsnet
I know you’re all busy with Love Island & confidence votes but can we indulge my pastime of analysing royal photos. Lilibet in a bow 🎀 Meghan’s Cali outfit. Do we reckon there were party rings and iced gems at the birthday buffet? God I wish The Tig was still going
Tomorrow will be a year since Sarah Everard was kidnapped. That stomach-flipping moment of seeing the posters. Of hearing a police officer was involved. But do women feel any safer? Has anything changed? For women walking, at night, alone, does all the discourse come to anything?
Women know what today means. A political journalist dragged for being 'unf**kable', a 15yo girl murdered reportedly after rejecting flowers from a boy.
These might seem unconnected but maintenance of power/control over women is all rooted in misogyny. We knew it never went away
The bravery to do this - women will know the learnt hyper-vigilance & internal battle of do I move/do I stay/do I risk making him more angry/does sitting still mean it will escalate? The comments show how much men still don't understand/don't want to see the dynamics @ play here.
Women on public transport have to explain why they don’t want a man to speak to them, why they don’t want his attention as HE ARGUES with her about her behaviour towards him
guy I know you’ve all gone absolutely mad for this tweet (which is a distinctly average example of my craftsmanship IMHO) but Roxane Gay just liked it so every single one of the thousands of notifications my phone has fielded today are all worth it now
I haven't been running on a weekday since before Christmas - as it is dark when I start work and finish. The one time I did a man ran down the road after me telling me I was going to "get myself killed" for not running on the dark, unlit pavement...
#SarahEverard
After nine wonderful months of freelancing, I am starting a new role as Dep Features Editor
@theipaper
. New email is sophie.gallagher
@inews
.co.uk and will be looking for commissions in due course🐙
Absolutely loved writing this piece - yes today might be Brexit day but it's also five years since the first same-sex marriage in the UK. I spoke to 5 glorious couples about how happy it made them to have their love recognised as equal ❤️🌈🏳️🌈❤️
infantalising men and rewarding them (especially with sexual favour) for doing the most basic of tasks - mainly helping in the functioning of your SHARED family - is one of the worst symptoms of toxic masculinity
🤠Update: Am now acting features editor
@theipaper
for the foreseeable. Always interested in commissions from freelancers (especially some August joy) but beware the inbox is very busy.
Good morning and welcome to a world where Boris Johnson is Prime Minister and it’s 34 degrees in central London. Truely the dystopian future we deserve
🚨Bring out the personal news klaxon! In case anyone out there doesn’t know already (you try keeping a secret in a newsroom) after 3 wild years I’ll be departing Huffpost to go to the Indy as Deputy Lifestyle Ed on 4 Nov. Ex-HuffPosters please join us for a drink next Friday🚨
For many people the last few months mean Father’s Day is going to be one like never before. I spoke to three people whose dads have died from Covid about loss, memories and getting through today
1) So, I've written a book!📣📕
How Men Can Help is an urgent look at the state of men’s violence against women in the UK - asking why the problem is left for women to suffer under & solve (flag down a bus!). Why are men never expected to be part of the solution?
@welbeckpublish
Reminder that always open to pitches at
@theipaper
for the features desk on lifestyle topics, health, sex, relationships, parenting, food etc, first person great storytelling and writing or reporting. sophie.gallagher
@inews
.co.uk
I've written q a personal piece about why so many millennials presume they will struggle to get pregnant. It's about ageing fertility, social media, and a rise in money-making enterprises like fertility MOTs and egg freezing that pushes fear.
@theipaper
"Be a lady they said: eat up, slim down, stop eating so much, don't eat carbs, god you look like a skeleton, why don't you just eat?" This is so good but I will now be angry all afternoon...
I don't understand how grown adults are still struggling with vagina. This is how insidious patriarchy is where girls are missing out on learning about their own bodies bcos we've all been conditioned to believe men's body parts are far more acceptable and normal to talk about.
Thread
One time in 2017 when I was teaching teachers how to deliver good sex ed in schools, at the beginning of the course, the headteacher came to me & said ‘We had a meeting and we all agreed that we will say ‘penis’ but none of us are comfortable saying ‘vagina’ in lessons.’
@Gouldzilla_PR
When I first dated my partner he lived on the ground floor of a building and slept with the window open all night in summer....I could never get my head round feeling that safe.
i know everyone is always telling me not all men, but if even the most enlightened guy in the world still can't get it right, what hope do we have left
I know Pfizer has come to save our bacon but I spent the weekend cooking
@Nigella_Lawson
's new recipes & I think she might save us first (Included pics because I'm nothing if not thorough but please Nigella, don't look at them)
#CookEatRepeat
@Independent
Desp to write about how Slack entirely changed the way we work. & I don't mean how WFH changed us (they are v separate in terms of productivity IMO). That constant pinging, the expectation of instantaneous reply, the digital presenteeism, the false sense of connectivity it gives
📖 News! Very excited to reveal the cover of my debut book. It explores why violence against women can no longer be seen as a women’s problem & what men now must do. Topical indeed. Out on 7July & pre-order open now! Go go!
@FelicityBryan
@welbeckpublish
1/4 After literal years of campaigning on cyber flashing, today the
@Law_Commission
recommended it be included as a sexual offence under s.66 of the Sexual Offences Act. I am over the moon (and although not the end of the road - a significant step in the right direction) 🎉
Not many reasons I’d go out on a Monday night but went to see Jodie Comer in Prima Facie yday & it was so good. It’s 1hr40 without an interval but you barely draw a breath in that time let alone look at your watch. Go see if you can💫
@HPinterTheatre
@OteghaUwagba
!!!!
As it stands, an undiscounted online-ordered Pret ham sandwich, brownie and Coke was £5.55 in 2020, £6.80 last May, and £9.90 today.
!!!
All those who sent messages of support and well wishes, you'll be pleased to hear that Mal Martin is being weaned off the ventilator - although Sue tells
@Independent
they aren't out of the woods yet and there is no guarantee it will work yet
The brilliant
@NadiaWhittomeMP
on entering politics as a young woman in the current landscape, which has been described by women's charities as "toxic"
WHO are all these ppl who have time to nap? I feel like the narrative (from Johnson & others) is that being at home is an easy ride and that is just not the reality for many who find work encroaching on every part of their lives. We don't work from home we now live in the office
@tash_wynarczyk
isn't it! It's the same in supermarkets too now - like to literally buy food you need to be a member and give them your data no thank u
1/2 Hardly hot take but Davies stopping people from eating on public transport feels like the kind of filler you get from an 11th hour policy meeting. What about long journeys? Ppl with diabetes? Ppl working shifts who would otherwise go hungry? Kids who miss breakfast but their
Freelancers - how do you motivate yourself to get out of bed at a reasonable time (for me this is before 8.30…) when it is so cold and dark? I now realise I only did it before because I had to be at work on time🥲
The Beeb copying refinery29's money diary shows 2 things 1) this is one of the most successful lifestyle formats we've seen in years, everyone has tried to have their slice of the pie, & 2) i don't want a mortgage if it means eating baked cod for 30 years
Every August I'm annoyed @ myself that I haven't booked a holiday when everyone else is leaving the office. Then I remember the buses are empty, I don't have to queue for coffee and I can still go on holiday in September when everyone else comes back
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: A woman told me
@HuffPostUK
how she tried to report cyberflashing to the police but ended up having to explain what AirDrop was (let alone how it was being abused). "It shouldn't be the victim's job to explain the tech," she told me."
Today (after a delightful week of camping & ignoring Twitter) is my first day at
@Independent
! After only 3 calls to IT I have computer access and a new email address. Contact Sophie.gallagher
@independent
.co.uk to get in touch or share stories📝
Today is 6 months since BoJo announced (1st) lockdown. Back then, although bleak, it was somewhat of a novelty & enthusiasm for baking/reorganising wardrobes/DIY was high. This time round starring down the barrel of winter feels v different. Who will be our Tiger King now?
Ruined my own Friday by not putting my empty Weetabix bowl in the sink to soak instantly. Now will have to call off all other work for 3 hours to address the mess.
Truly amateur breakfast hour mistake.
For 40 days of lockdown whenever I sit outside I can hear my neighbours chatting but have never seen the 2 of them (I have no idea what they look like either). I find so much joy in their little chats about the sun, squirrels, cycling. She just burnt a cake, he’s comforting her❤️
"Trying to have a successful career, stay connected to family, spend time with your partner, exercise, keep the house clean, eat 3 meals a day, have a skincare routine that isn’t face wipes, sleep for 8 hours, tweet, something’s got to give..."
After seeing several examples of women being asked to refund men who'd bought them drinks but not had sex with them, I wanted to know why in 2019 dating is seen as transactional. The answers were shocking if not entirely surprising...
I know many are disappointed this morning but (despite the fact there were no female candidates in 11% of seats) 220 female MPs have been elected - a record number. The previous record was 208 in 2017. Is this something for women to feel buoyed by? How does it make you feel?
@2021_Cassandra
I cannot imagine how endlessly frustrating it is having to be the civil servants explaining the v basics of an area you are an expert in to someone who knows nothing but is meant to represent your department
Did you know 30% of all criminal prosecutions against women are for not paying TV license fees....? Comp to 4% of men's offences. Thank you to
@NSakande
@Samsmethers
&
@SophieRunning
for speaking to me today about the TV license being a feminist issue
This is happening across newsrooms. Amazing female (in particular) feature writers cutting ties. They aren't (largely) mothers - so why? & how are we going to address gender imbalances at the top of the news hierarchy if women feel they need to leave on the middle of the ladder?
So many incredible journalists on my timeline going freelance and they are all women. I know the world of work has always catered to men's needs over women's (amirite ladies) but what are the main reasons for this skew?
So my day of highs (BBC News) and lows (smear test) has just ended in an interesting way... even managed to squeeze my laptop in the shot. Being kept humble by the fact I’m now going to transcribe for 3 hours and eat toast for dinner..
AOC being called a "bitch" at work the same day a UK survey found a third of women are being asked to wear more makeup/redo their hair/look sexier on Zoom calls. Who says sexism in the workplace is dead!!!? We're getting a pandemic reboot my friends
endlessly talking about dick pics doesn't make me the most popular person in the newsroom. But when I have 17-year-old girls in my inbox telling me they're scared because a man at work keeps sending them unsolicited images, it feels like something worth shouting about💔
If you follow my colleague
@SCFGallagher
, you'll know she's been tirelessly reporting on cyberflashing. After a stranger sent her more than 100 dick pics on the tube last year, she's committed to sharing victims stories & finding out what's being done to stop it happening.
Great interview on
@BBCWomansHour
this morning about teen mental health. GP says she couldn't care if she never saw another MH awareness campaign again because without the funding to back it up, posters do nothing. She speaks about the decimation of CAMHS £££.
I feel, since this has done greater numbers than I anticipated at 22.03 last night, I should add that he also cleaned the bathroom and I shall be keeping him till further notice
🚨The old personal news klaxon is getting a hammering on the TL this week but after nearly 2 years I'm leaving the
@Independent
(& wife
@Harri_Grace
) at the end of the month for pastures new. If you're interested in my dep ed job, the ad is already online
Bye Northcliffe house &
@Independent
. Thank you for the desperately inconvenient location for two years, & thanks to the
@IndyLife
team for being understanding when I wiped my laptop at 16.55 before saying goodbye to anyone on Slack. A tech legend & friend of IT till the end 🦅
Looking back on 2021 it likely won't go down in history as a vintage year. But there were some wins. I quit a job that made me unhappy, started a business of one, taught journalism, got new bylines, got an agent (!), had 3 Covid jabs, swam in the sea, (& a partridge in a🍐tree).
I will hugely miss Clap for Carers and the sense of community it created in those first few weeks. But if the very people we're doing it for feel the claps ring hollow, we'd be continuing in spite of them
#ClapforCarers
#clapforNHS
2/2 ...parents hand them fruit or snack bar on the way out the door? Late workers who cba to make dinner when they get in? Not to mention drunk food - DON'T MAKE ME VOMIT. Sounds like the policy of someone who travels regularly in a car free to snack away...
Education secretary Gillian Keegan is recorded on camera saying others ‘have been sat on their a***s’ on schools Raac crisis and shares frustration about not being thanked for doing ‘a f***ing good job’
1/10 In the spirit of being totally self-indulgent and self-promotional (hey, if you don't who will?) on my last day at
@HuffPostUK
I just want to share a few of the pieces I've been most proud of along the way. Promise not to make it too long/unbearable...
If you suffer from migraine or know anyone who does this is fascinating from
@TomChivers
@theipaper
on why we need to stop thinking it is like a 'bad headache'🧠I feel very strongly that if 3/4 of sufferers were men not women this narrative would not exist
'Down in the cramped press room, they’ve squeezed together to offer other reporters a place to work...' Love these photographs of the core female journalists at the Weinstein trial - especially the ones of them hanging out of the bathroom window to get📷
Today is a bleak milestone to still be in lockdown but this time next week the sun will set at 19.31 in London and I can start running after work again👏🏻
Ashling Murphy. Yet another woman dead. We're so tired.
@Womens_Aid
said it best today: "We must not fall into tired tropes of examining whether areas are ‘safe’ but consider instead the attitudes and actions of men who make women feel unsafe even in crowded and well lit areas...
In April I went through a really difficult time & found myself binge-watching The Office (US) just for background noise. This article perfectly sums up the warmth & comfort old TV series can bring when we live in increasingly fractured & unsettling times
As is now tradition, I personally cannot wait for another few weeks of indecision and doing nothing, before a crippling winter of stronger measures because we've failed to do anything earlier or sooner, and it being characterised as unavoidable. Lovely.