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.

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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.

To mark International Men's Day, The Unfairer Sex teamed up with Chris Stein from Future Men, exploring the concept of masculinity, what it means to be a dynamic and healthy man, role models available to men today and the great work Future Men is doing in our communities.

We also discussed Future Men's attempts to get paternity recognised as a protected characteristic in the Equalities Act 2010.

Whilst preparing for this episode, 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 men might not feel able to speak up when a victim of abuse. These interviews will also feature in a future episode so keep your eyes peeled!

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 Lady Gaga into the mix! However you replied, we valued hearing your thoughts and learning so much about this conversation from a variety of POVs. Thank you.

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https://futuremen.org/

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/contents

You've possibly heard of shrinking violets, but have you heard of the shrinking clit?

This episode, The Unfairer Sex are joined by Smita Sinha, founder of Serenity Women’s Clinic is a Consultant Gynaecologist with over 15 years experience in Women’s Health and specialises in Menopause and Vulval Health, and Charlotte Body, founder and visionary behind Aesthetic Associates and pause live! to talk about all things menopause, vulvas and wonder birds.

We talk about symptoms, finding your tribe, and our thoughts on the UK government rejecting five proposals in the Menopause and the Workplace Report by the Women and Equalities Committees (January 2023).

PLUS! If you want to attend a fabulous day out in London focused on women empowerment, health workshops and wellbeing, grab a ticket to PAUSE Live! on November 25th in Islington.

Pause have very kindly shared a VIP CODE for our followers so use WMD10 to claim 10% off!

Run, don't walk! https://www.tickettailor.com/events/pause/879819

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Helpful links:

Sadia Azmat is a comedic force challenging the status quo on being a hijab-wearing, sex-positive Muslim women who also happens to be a fellow podcaster, comedian and author of 'Sex Bomb' – a deliciously intimate, funny and heartfelt memoir on friendships, love and of course, sex!

We discuss western women having a monopoly on love, the practice of arranged marriages and other Indian & Pakistanian customs, and what it means to Sadia to be a hijab-wearing Muslim. We also explore Sadia's comedy career, possible retorts for 'get your tits out' and try to get to the bottom of why Ray J wasn't dumped five pages after he was introduced in the memoir...

We hope you enjoy listening as much as we did recording it!