The madness has been setting in....

...and I've been too busy to write about it, unfortunately. That is, the madness of so-called 'Women and Equalities Minister' Maria Miller suggesting that the abortion time limit needs reducing to 20 weeks, and then Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt deciding to run with the baton and saying actually, it needs cutting to 12 weeks.

So it's just as well some other writers have been on the case. Wendy Savage asks "Where's the evidence, Mr Hunt?".

Laurie Penny wonders about Hunt's ulterior motives in "The right time for a debate, or the right time for a diversion?"

Mary Ann Sieghart points out Maria Miller is not just misguided, but downright wrong, as "advances in medical science have had no effect on babies’ survival rates below the legal limit of 24 weeks."

Tanya Gold suggests "Miller does not understand why any woman would want an abortion, because she has never needed one".

And Sarah Ditum simply calls Miller's stance what it is - simplistic and dishonest.

On a related note, this excellent video from Guttmacher institute shows that "Some of the highest of abortion rates are where abortion is highly restricted. The world's lowest abortion rates are where the procedure is legal and highly accessible. The way to reduce abortion is not to outlaw it."

One might add that another way to reduce abortion is not to try to erode existing laws that are working fine and pretend you are doing it out of 'concern for women'. MPs Hunt and Miller, take note.

Latest Writings By Me

One for Independent Voices, on why 'sexy' breast cancer awareness ads are offensive to us all. I would like to state that I did not choose the accompanying picture for the piece!

And one for new online magazine LIB, reviewing the excellent book Meat Market by Laurie Penny.

What I'm Reading

Apologies for lack of recent posts - I've been having a lovely time working for BBC College of Production whose podcast on Women In Comedy, recorded live at the Edinburgh Fringe, is well worth a listen. While I was there I did this guest blog post for BBC Comedy.

Here's some writing by other people I've enjoyed:

Excellent post on the Pervocracy about how ridiculous and insulting it is to both men and women to perpetuate the myth of uncontrollable male sexuality.

A different take on hook-up culture at over at Ms. magazine, which manages to move beyond simplistic 'it's great'/'you're going to hell' arguments.

Fantastically true and honest piece [TRIGGER WARNING] by Laurie Penny on why we need to abandon the idea that rapists are monsters lurking in alleys and can't possibly be the 'nice guys' who we interact with every day.