The Unfairer Sex

We've covered the menopause before, but not like this!

Dr Wendy Molefi joins Rhiannon and Ely to discuss the differences in menstrual patterns among various ethnicities, why menopause is still considered a social stigma in many minority communities – and how this affects the treatment of women going through the menopause, as well as how we address the misconception that menopause is a loss of femininity.

Dr Molefi will be speaking at Pause Live – the UK’s largest menopause event. It takes place this year on 14th September, in London.

Helpful links

BMS – Menopause in ethnic minority women

2023 online survey of postmenopausal women to determine their attitudes and knowledge of the menopause. Rawan Aljumah, Samantha Phillips, and  Joyce C Harper

APPG on Menopause inquiry: Assessing the impacts of Menopause and the case for policy reform

£25 million for women's health hub expansion

“A part of being a woman, really”: Menopause at work as “dirty” femininity, 2022

In Australia, intimate partner violence contributes to more death, disability and illness in women aged 25-44 than any other preventable risk factor.

So far this year in Australia, more than one woman per week has been killed by a male perpetrator.

The rate of women killed by an intimate partner in Australia has increased by nearly 30% in 2022-23 (Australian Institute of Criminology), with research from Ipsos and the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership (GIWL) showing that Australian men hold some of the most misogynistic views in the Western world.

In this episode, we are once again honoured to be graced with the presence of The Unfairer Professor, Steve Roberts, alongside his esteemed colleague Dr Stephanie Wescott (Monash University).

Together, we delve into the impact of toxic masculinity within Australian schools, the response from the Australian government, and why asking women and girls to suffer so men and boys can 'learn a lesson' isn't right or sustainable.

We explore how harmful stereotypes affect students, educators, and the overall learning environment, and how much harder it's becoming to tackle what's been called a 'national crisis' when the likes of Andrew Tate continue to embed themself in the consciousness of teenage boys...

Links:

The problem of anti-feminist ‘manfluencer’ Andrew Tate in Australian schools: women teachers’ experiences of resurgent male supremacy – Stephanie Wescott, Steve Roberts and Xuenan Zhao paper

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09540253.2023.2292622

Interview with The Conversation about Doctor Stephanie Wescott's and Prof Steve Roberts' research paper: https://theconversation.com/andrew-tates-extreme-views-about-women-are-infiltrating-australian-schools-we-need-a-zero-tolerance-response-229603

The National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022-2032

https://www.dss.gov.au/the-national-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children/the-national-plan-to-end-violence-against-women-and-children-2022-2032

Yarra Valley grammar students suspended:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/may/06/yarra-valley-grammar-students-suspended-spreadsheet-rating-female-classmates

Julia Gillard misogyny speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fCNuPcf8L00

We are no strangers to competition – give us a board game or a sports field and we will compete till the cows come home, but in this episode, we talk about an arena in which we refuse to compete.

We dive into the historical and ongoing trend of pitting women against each other, from the royal courts of Henry VIII to the pop culture clash between Britney and Christina, and beyond.

Why has society long fostered a culture of competition among women in areas where it doesn't belong?

Why do we perpetuate this cycle of competition, and is it time to put an end to it?

We examine the impact of rivalry in various spheres, including pop culture, the workplace, and the pressures mothers face to avoid judgment.

Through a range of examples, we discuss the reasons behind this phenomenon, the unfairness and absurdity of it, and most importantly, how we can shift from competition to support. Join us as we challenge the status quo and this tired game of competition, and advocate for a world where women empower each other in all their endeavours, celebrating unity over rivalry.

One in three.

That's the number of women who will experience sexual assault in their lives. And that's an uncomfortable truth Suzie Miller addresses in her play, Prima Facie – recently evolved into a novel by the same name (released 14th March 2024).

Keen to better understand the themes behind Prima Facie – namely the limitations of the UK legal system when it comes to cases of rape and sexual assault – The Unfairer Sex was thrilled to get its mitts on a pre-released copy of the book and have the opportunity to speak to Suzie Miller herself about:

This conversation was nothing short of awe-inspiring and we hope you love listening as much as we did recording.

P.S. Penguin Random House very kindly shared some audio clips featuring the incredibly talented Jodie Comer – enjoy!

Helpful links:

Jodie Comer and Suzie Miller Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gSOazhMuH0

Right to Equality campaign:

https://theconversation.com/affirmative-consent-campaign-calls-for-sexual-assault-law-change-in-england-and-wales-but-this-approach-has-pitfalls-too-225317

EU Resolution – first EU law on violence against women:

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240205IPR17412/first-ever-eu-rules-on-combating-violence-against-women-deal-reached

Tea and Consent:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZwvrxVavnQ

Larry Nassar case: The 156 women who confronted a predator:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42725339

Inquiry into serial sexual offender Wayne Couzens:

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2024/feb/29/killer-of-sarah-everard-should-never-have-joined-police-report-finds

We are delighted to have Prof Steve Roberts and Chris Stein return to The Unfairer Sex podcast to talk to us about anger; in particular, how anger manifests itself and the different ways its socially sanctioned and conditioned depending on gender.

We discuss the interlink between anger and fear, the support available to men today, why we need to invest in intergenerational support and resolve the chronic underfunding of social care in the UK.

We also discuss why women are deemed to be a legitimate target of male aggression, and how anger is channeled and controlled. Please note, we briefly touch on the subject of suicide.

******

Helpful links:

Prof Steve Roberts

Future Men

Healthy Masculinities Project, Australia

The Good Childhood Report 2023

Ep 39 – The Complexities of Masculinity with Future Men

Ep 20 – Politics of Masculinity with Steve Roberts

According to a report by the Female Founders Fund, the menopause market is worth an estimated $600bn – with companies targeting perimenopausal women with everything from vampire facials (PRP) for the vagina to ovary supplements and super blended teas.

Whilst women have been crying out for solutions to the 30+ symptoms they can experience during this particular life stage, when the menopause is described as a 'gold rush' and 'untapped market', solutions popping up on the market start to feel less sincere in their efforts.

And that got us thinking, are those operating in the menopause market serving women, or simply capitalising on women's discomfort to line their pockets?

For episode 42 (and the first of 2024!), The Unfairer Sex were joined by Emily Barclay – founder of The Perimenopause Hub, author of The Aargh to Zen of Perimenopause and proud peri godmother with all the hugs – to discuss the commercialisation of the menopause, why we need to stop calling the perimenopause a diagnosis and why as estrogen declines, so does a woman's tolerance for BS.

We also look at harmful myths around HRT, advocating for yourself at the doctors and how we can protect our mental health from diet culture, especially during life phrases where our weight is more likely to fluctuate.

Such a great episode! Yep, it's long, but it comes with wine recommendations so we recommend keeping with it ;-)

It is the holiday season and the end of the year, so we wanted to look at the good things that happened in 2023.

Whilst preparing for Ep 39, we reached out to a number of men to ask their thoughts on the term masculinity, possible causes to the growing popularity of misogyny in younger generations, and why some men feel the need to be violent, dominant and/or aggressive. We also asked about what role models are available for men today, and discussed why trying to find all the answers in one person might not be as conducive as it feels.

This episode is a deep dive into those interviews.

A HUGE thank you to everyone who took the time to respond to these questions. Some of you disagreed with the premise of the questions we asked, others read them in a way we never considered. Some brought Bluey into the mix, and others warned us about traps. However you replied, we valued hearing your thoughts and learning so much about this conversation from a variety of POVs. Thank you.