Thinkers and theories
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How the feminist philosopher Helene Stöcker canonised Nietzsche
Despite Nietzsche’s reputation for misogyny, his work inspired a leading women’s rights activist of the early 20th century
by Lydia Moland
Human rights and justice
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The day the Taliban banned women like me from working
With my daughters’ education cancelled, I thought the regime had done its worst. Then a new message came from my office
by Nargis
Communication and language
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Listening in on horror: why many women love true crime podcasts
True crime podcasts turn violence against women into a form of entertainment. Why do so many female listeners enjoy them?
by Amelia Anthony
Change and self-development
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The cult of being confident and why it doesn’t help women
By making women solely responsible for their own empowerment, the culture of confidence masks the true causes of inequality
by Rosalind Gill & Shani Orgad
Stories and literature
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Forget ‘Little Women’. How did girls learn to be grown women?
How might 19th-century novels for adolescent girls help us find healthier models of what it means to grow up female today?
by Julie Pfeiffer
Theatre and performance
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Why did Ibsen put ‘philosophers in skirts’ up on the stage?
When Henrik Ibsen put ‘philosophers in skirts’ into his plays, he demonstrated a different way of thinking about the world
by Kristin Gjesdal
Laughter and comedy
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Just when in history did men decide that women are not funny?
Women have been witty and bawdy throughout history. It’s only recently that men haven’t been able to see their funny side
by Joy Wiltenburg
Gender
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What sex-difference science misses about the messy reality of sex
Men aren’t from Mars, women aren’t from Venus, and other persistent myths derived from debunked sex-difference science
by Jeffrey W Lockhart
Sex and sexuality
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Does porn harm or help? Gender could matter in a surprising way
Whether porn use benefits or harms young adults’ sex lives is a contentious question. Data suggest some (nuanced) answers
by Nicolas Sommet & Jacques Berent
Gender
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The reality of prostitution is not complex. It is simple
Prostitution is not sex and it’s not work. Its reality is far from complex – in fact, it’s simple. Trust me, I’ve done it
by Rachel Moran
Identity
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Affirming transgender people’s identities is more than politeness
Trans people bear a heavy burden of stigma. Affirming their chosen identity helps to build their psychological resilience
by David Matthew Doyle
Sports and games
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Why do hardcore football fans behave like rutting stags?
Sport spectators can let off steam by chanting and group bonding, but why do hardcore football fans turn to real violence?
by Martha Newson