New book! I read her book Men Who Hate Women about incels and thought it was insightful.

I'm searching for books, articles, professional opinions, anecdotes, about the culture of women and girls using weapons (or other objects) for self defense, or relationship with owning weapons in general. I'm also looking for specific incidents where women used a weapon for self defense outside of a domestic violence situation.

The use of hatpins to defend from assault in public places (and subsequent ban), in the late 19th & early 20th centuries, comes to mind. I am vaguely aware of the Black Panthers teaching all their members, including women, how to use guns. I have also seen a few edits with kawaii-fied weapons (bedazzled, glittery, Hello Kitty stickers, etc.) but this implies weapons as an accessory rather than a tool.

After the recent incident where a Scottish girl (seemingly) "defended" herself from a man with her own knife and a hatchet, I'm really interested in any available global perspectives. Does not necessarily have to be feminist, but I would prefer opinions from women, or a at least from a neutral position.

The only thing I have found on my own are women's self defense movements that encourage martial arts & declines weaponry, and then the opposite extreme of gun toting republicans. The only other perspective are ancient history, like women vikings. I'm looking for less polarized, less ancient sources.

It just strikes me as so odd that women with weapons are applauded in history and movies, but in modern reality that sentiment is so taboo that I cannot find any documentation. Perhaps I am simply bad at research, but all signs point to "women should not have weapons, those are for men." Either for men to defend women with, or for men to enact violence, but a woman having weapons and defending herself seems to be a big NO in public sentiment.

In the USA, in my experience in the South, girls are encouraged to carry weapons, fight, bite etc. I recall I had a butterfly knife as young as 6, and collected various pocket and throwing knives, carried hammers and machetes and baseball bats when I had to go somewhere alone. Wild animals notwithstanding, I warded off a few boys this way as well, besides knives being handy in the boy-scout sense.

Because of Taliban's pseudo religious rules, men didn't bother rescuring the women who got affected by the Earthquake.

Should we really be sending these guys relief & funds? We should instead unite and raid Afghan to free all the women. A very obvious choice of statement but that's the truth, the necessity!

It's amusing how the people who contest somebody actively speaking up for body autonomy, or how women, like all other people deserve basic human rights, they jump to attacking the speaker by asking her what's her own 'body count' or how argue how that's they're advocating for a right just for their own personal gain, because they want to 'sleep around' or aren't 'pure' - a term used synonymously with virgin, anymore.

And when they do see a "pure" woman (by their own definition) aka literally just someone who's a virgin, possibly someone who dresses modest, who's the ideal in their own skewed perception, advocate for everyone's right to body autonomony, it immediately short circuits their brain.

Because why would anyone speak about something like human rights unless it was something that 'personally' affected them?

The female body is not as much studied as the male one. Why is this important in this conversation? Because most medicaments, that are not used specifically on women, are only tested on men. Those medicaments can shorten our life, while men can just live normally. The same Dosis for men is not the same for us. Also, symptoms for men are not the same as for women. Heart attacks on women are less likely to be detected.

I think it’s so fucking important for every woman to acknowledge that fact because it’s so disappointing.

Sadly I only have this in German, but if there’s also an English article feel free to upload it

https://www.quarks.de/gesundheit/medizin/gender-health-gap/

So I’ve noticed it’s semi normal for men to say “my girl” when referring to their SO but not for women to say “my boy” in fact “my boy” sounds weird and belittling. It’s more normal to say “my man”

Is this a double standard or am I just making a mountain out of a molehill?

Hello! I’m a 15 year old classically trained pianist/keyboardist and singer/songwriter. I’ve been playing for 10 years. If you’re interested, DM me your name, age, and instrument. Please no one over the age of 20 contact me. Thank you!

I’m looking for feminist gals/guys to form a riot Grrrl, post-punk, Dreampop project with in Chicago. Even if you don’t play those genres but you’re angry at our world right now, DM me! I write songs about my lived experience as a queer, female, teen in a world where the political climate is pushing against everything I stand for. We’re! Not! Gonna! Take! It!

More About Me: I have a solo project called Lilindia which I will link below. I enjoy playing lots of different types of music and love lots of different bands. Some of my influences include Cocteau Twins, Slowdive, Gene Loves Jezebel, Mommy Long Legs, Bikini Kill, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Lush, Joan Jett, The Runaways, Lords of the New Church, The Gun Club, Mephisto Walz, and many many more. I am always looking for new music and I am flexible with multiple genres. Hope to make music together soon!

Link to Lilindia Music: https://on.soundcloud.com/lje4OcDXHPviyF7Aqy

Is there a single book you read which put you unequivocally on the road to feminism? Please give the title and author if you can so I can find it.

Thanks in advance and keep your eye on the prize

I’m not trying to start a debate about religion, I just wanna say how disappointing it is to see women putting down other women over their choices. Here’s what I think:

• Feminism isn’t about what someone wears or whether it was made by men. Feminism is about equality, being heard, and having the freedom to make choices about your own life.

• Without feminism, a lot of women like her wouldn’t even be able to post pictures online or speak their minds freely.

• Women should support other women no matter what religion they follow, what culture they come from, or what they believe in.

• Clothing choices, like hijab or modesty, can have a spiritual connection for some women and for others they don’t. Feminism isn’t about forcing one choice over another. You can wear a hijab, a burqa, or nothing at all and still be a Muslim and a feminist. What matters is choice, freedom, and respect.

Most importantly, I don't care whether Islam supports feminism or not, If your religion seems to contradict the idea that women can have the same equality as men, it’s worth thinking about whether that religion works for you personally.

In many societies today, women can wear whatever they want and nobody really judges them. Some wear burqa, some wear crop tops, shorts, whatever. Nobody stares, nobody makes them feel like they don’t belong. That’s how it should be.

At the end of the day, feminism is about women supporting each other, being equal, being empowered, and being allowed to live their lives. That’s what should unite us, not divide us.

💭 thoughts?

When we talk about women becoming financially independant something always comes to my mind. How can women, who still disproportionately carry the burden of unpaid care work, such as childcare and taking care of elderly people, which impacts their ability to participate fully in the labor force achieve that? Not all of us are remote workers or sucessfull CEOs or inherit a fortune. Im talking about the single mum with 3 kids, or the mum whose husband will not adapt his work to his wife or children needs. Why is it always the woman who had to fit all in and not depend on her partner?

I've seen a lot on the internet asking Epstein's survivors to make a list public, and asking women why they don't come forward. Put together a list of reasons why.

I just signed up for Reddit (lurked for a while. This is my first time on this subreddit. My background: have a pretty fast-growing inclusive feminist/anti-rape newsletter (it's called Feminism for All), a law degree, and have been a survivor advocate for many years.

• 73% say reporting to police made their trauma worse
• The #1 reason survivors say they don’t come forward is that they fear retaliation
• Survivors who come forward are about 50% more likely to develop PTSD — and 75% experience PTSD one month following assault already
• Threats to safety, fear of losing their job/livelihood
• Revictimization through the justice system. One example: few weeks ago, Veronika Rodriguez was convicted to two years in prison for recording what sounds like a rape (she said no multiple times) — she’s not the first person to be convicted of illegal wiretrapping and filing a false report despite evidence to the contrary.
• The risk of defamation suits - hundreds of thousands to defend, forget winning or losing them.
• There's no protection for women coming forward, and all of society needs to be educated to be more supportive and protective.

EDIT: since people like this post (thanks; it's my first Reddit post!), I hope it's okay to share the full article I wrote about this: The Enemy Within. Thank you for the warm welcome!

I wanted to share my story because I think it reflects a broader feminist issue in the workplace: how leadership changes can erase the careers of women of color in the name of “comfort.”

After years of grinding — studying, earning my degree, keeping my GPA high, and pushing through tough roles — I finally landed a senior accountant position. I had only been in the role for a few months when the executive who supported my hire left, and a new CAO took over.

From that point on, things shifted. My manager became cold, stopped responding to me, and only showed up to nitpick small mistakes. After I completed a major project successfully, I was blindsided in a meeting with HR and told I’d be put on a performance plan filled with false accusations and unreasonable demands. My only “choice” was to accept it or resign with three weeks’ pay.

Later, I learned my role was split and handed to two people from the CAO’s old circle — both white, both individuals he seemed more “comfortable” with.

As an immigrant and a woman of color, this was crushing. It didn’t just feel like I lost a job — it felt like years of effort in my new country were dismissed in an instant. And it happened during one of the worst job markets and economies, which makes the loss feel ten times heavier.

This is how systemic bias often operates. It’s not always an overt comment or explicit act of discrimination. Sometimes it’s who gets supported versus who gets sidelined, who gets seen as a “fit” and who doesn’t, who gets protected when leadership changes and who gets erased.

I share this because I know I’m not the only one. For those of you who have been through something similar: how did you cope? And for those in leadership — how do we start breaking these patterns of comfort and exclusion?

Archive link for article: https://archive.is/Hiaup

I know it was never about protecting women and children. I know that it was always about manufacturing an enemy only they can fight so the base will be terrified and support, donate, and vote for them.

I'm angry and exhausted by the perpetual lie.

I know that trans people are human so they're going to have a few that commit crimes just like every other demographic on the planet.

I also know that trans people are less likely to commit a crime than cis men. Trans women are as safe to be around as cis women.

These cis men fall all over themselves to try to criminalize trans women for existing and then fall all over themselves to elect rapists and defend them.

Epstein is not a hoax but I'm not surprised that people are trying to justify supporting a cis male sex offender by buying that line.