In this episode, Helena Kondak is joined by Zoe Abrams, DPhil student in Sociology at the University of Oxford, to discuss her latest work: Explaining Societal Shifts in Victim Blaming and Perpetrator Culpability for Sexual Violence: Evidence From the #MeToo Era.

Abrams studied Politics and Sociology at the University of Cambridge before pursuing an MSci in Sociology at the University of Oxford, where she was awarded the A. H. Halsey Prize for Best Performance. She is now pursuing a DPhil in Sociology, focusing on the gender gap in political mobilisation among young people.

During the interview, Abrams and I discussed whether individuals reacted to the shift in public discourse concerning sexual violence after the MeToo movement in the same way that institutions did. Zoe's focus on Scotland was crucial to understanding how feminist politics and influence in policy-making led to Scotland being the only country to collect data on attitudes towards sexual violence.

"From the founding of the Scottish Parliament, the feminist movements were there, framing the key issues and collecting data on attitudes towards women".

Here is a list of the resources mentioned in the episode:

Diana E. H. Russell, & Howell, N. (1983). The Prevalence of Rape in the United States Revisited. Signs, 8(4), 688–695. http://www.jstor.org/stable/3173690

Wilson, L. C., & Miller, K. E. (2015). Meta-Analysis of the Prevalence of Unacknowledged Rape. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 17(2), 149-159. https://doi.org/10.1177/1524838015576391 (Original work published 2016).

Want to respond to something said in this episode? Or propose an episode of your own? Get in touch via email: thefeministfiles2025@gmail.com or via Instagram: @the_feminist_files

You can also find us on Instagram: @the_feminist_files

Credits:

Hosted by Helena Kondak

Joined by Zoe Abrams

Edited by Rowan Berkley

Cover design by Madeleine Baber

Music by Jacob Carey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Women’s college-level football has recently taken the form of an informal intercollegiate league following the banning of transgender women from participation in college-affiliated league matches, in line with the UK Supreme Court ruling earlier this year. What are captains, colleges and Cambridge University doing in light of this legislative pressure? What does this mean for inclusivity and the future of women’s football as a whole? Faith Cunningham discusses this sensitive and complex issue with guests Lara and Tia, members of the college women's football league.

For any welfare concerns, please get in contact with Louisa, the CUAFC Welfare Officer. If you have any questions or comments, please email fc5562@cam.ac.uk

Follow The Feminist Files on instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/the_feminist_files_/

Follow The Feminist Files Substack:

https://substack.com/@thefeministfiles

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we are joined by Sam McQuaker and Ella Perkin, founders of Cambridge society, Coalition Against Sexual Exploitation (CASE) to discuss impact and institutionalisation of sexual exploitation. We discuss perspectives on topics like porn and the decriminalisation of sex work, and question how existing institutions need to be reconfigured for gender and sexual equality to be achieved. This episode discusses themes of sexual exploitation and abuse which may be distressing to some listeners. If you have experienced sexual violence or abuse, consider reaching out to a trusted support service or helpline in your area for assistance.

• Cambridge Women’s Aid: 01223 361214 or via email at outreach@cambridgewa.org.uk
• Cambridge Rape Crisis Centre: 01223 245 888 or via support@cambridgerapecrisis.org.uk
• Rape Crisis England and Wales, Rape and Sexual Abuse 24/7 support line: 0808 500 2222
• Galop run a helpline for LGBTQ+ survivors of sexual violence: 0800 999 5428

Here are links to any articles or reports we mention in the podcast:

Takedown: Inside the Fight to Shut Down Pornhub for Child Abuse, Rape, and Sex Trafficking, Leila Mickelwait https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/Takedown-by-Laila-Mickelwait/9780593542019?srsltid=AfmBOooCumndxCQkyq7crODi-8drrXZRhj30cBPSsqjWZkrF5t59hCQL

Hot Money Podcast: https://www.ft.com/hot-money

Children’s Commissioner, Children’s Experiences of the Online World:

https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/resource/ive-seen-horrible-things-childrens-experiences-of-the-online-world/

Lost Boys Report:

https://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/library/lost-boys

The Online Degradation of Women and Girls That We Met with a Shrug, Nicholas Kristof:

​​https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/23/opinion/deepfake-sex-videos.html

Elly Hanson’s work:

https://fullyhuman.org.uk/

Josh Pieter’s documentary with Lily Phillips: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFySAh0g-MI&t=6s

Everyone’s Invited:

https://www.everyonesinvited.uk/

Andrew Norfolk interview about the struggle to expose the Rochdale grooming gangs:

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

Naked Truth Project:

https://nakedtruthproject.com/get-educated/

Episode edited by Rowan Berkley

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we are joined by Angèle Albrengues to discuss how current EU legal frameworks fail to address the risks of gender discrimination associated with artificial intelligence models. We discuss how AI technology reinforces the biases it is fed, reproducing inequality in both overt and covert ways. We highlight how sexism, misogyny, and gender-based violence cannot be escaped in digital spaces. Despite the prevalence of this issue, we explore how AI’s lack of transparency and lack of legal personhood makes it challenging to legislatively address the discrimination it perpetuates. Angèle discusses how existing frameworks can be used to confront this issue, and we consider whether AI can be reprogrammed to champion the feminist perspective.

If you are interested in this topic, here are some further reading suggestions:

• ‘Weight of gender in artificial intelligence models’ implementation in the European Union non-discrimination laws’ by Angèle Albrengues and Lerong Lu https://www.elspub.com/papers/j/1912463123407900672
• ‘Generative AI exists because of the transformer’ written by Madhumita Murgia for the Financial Times https://ig.ft.com/generative-ai/
• ‘Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence: An Overview’ by Suzie Dunn https://www.cigionline.org/publications/technology-facilitated-gender-based-violence-overview/
• New Age of Sexism by Laura Bates
• To check out the charity Angele works for: https://stopfisha.org/, https://www.instagram.com/stopfisha/

If you enjoyed this episode, please follow our instagram and substack!

https://www.instagram.com/the_feminist_files_/

https://substack.com/@thefeministfiles

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How can our political beliefs be shaped in the classroom?

In this episode, hosts Rosie Hillary and Asha Metcalfe talk with Australian teacher and PHD Candidate, Alice Elwell about the power of feminist pedagogy in promoting democratic citizenship among students. Knowledge is never politically neutral; we discuss how feminist pedagogy conceptualises the classroom as a space for socio-political activism, aiming to challenge patriarchal paradigms in education. Alice discusses how teachers can use critical literacy to become 'affective curators' by harnessing feelings of discomfort among students. Feelings of affective dissonance emerge from one’s embodied sense of self, and the self we are socially expected to be. When these feelings arise among students in the classroom they can be a catalyst for political change.

Media mentioned in this podcast:

• New Perspectives on Education for Democracy: Creative Responses to Local and Global Challenges by Alice Elwell https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003145806-13
• Feminist pedagogies in a time of backlash by Alice Elwell and Rachel Buchanan https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2019.1680810
• We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Affective Economies by Sara Ahmed https://voidnetwork.gr/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Affective-economies-by-Ahmed-Sara-1.pdf
• The problem of anti-feminist 'Denfluencer' Andrew Tate in Australian schools: women teachers' experiences of resurgent male supremacy by Stephanie Wescott https://doi.org/10.1080/09540253.2023.2292622
• Exploring the online experiences of young men and boys: what influences, motivates, shapes and informs their experiences by Deakin University https://theconversation.com/i-dont-really-wanna-consume-his-content-what-do-young-australian-men-think-of-andrew-tate-233654
• Why doesn't this feel empowering? Working through the repressive myths of critical pedagogy by Elizabeth Ellsworth https://mariaacaso.es/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/56fb22eadc6312a9894c7ad84547022b.pdf
• See the works of Jessia Ringrose https:///profiles.ucl.oc.uk/48638-jesaica-ringrose
• See the works of EJ Reynolds https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/staff/reynold

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, co-hosts Niamh Cafferty and Ellen Brewster delve into the complexities of gender roles and expectations within queer relationships, challenging traditional norms and binaries. Through open conversation, personal reflection, and community voices, they explore how gender is navigated, expressed, and understood beyond the heteronormative framework. Whether it's discussing emotional labour, presentation, or power dynamics, this episode offers an honest and nuanced look at what it means to love and connect in queer spaces.

Want to respond to something said in this episode? Or propose an episode of your own? Get in touch via our instagram @gender.agenda and @collective.phoenix

Credits:

Hosted by Niamh Cafferty and Ellen Brewster

Edited by Ellen Brewster

Cover design by Madeleine Baber

Music by Jacob Carey

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.