Nichi Hodgson's blog

While the media has gauged itself silly on riot stories this week (the Murdoch stuffing does seem all of about a fortnight ago now), there is one crumb of moralising yet to be considered; the effect of all this anti-social behaviour on birth rates.

UN Goodwill Ambassador Angelina Jolie may be about to lose the role closest to her heart, following accusations that her directorial debut romantices the rape of Bosnian women during the Balkan war.  At least, that's if a Bosnian women's rights campaign group has anything to do with it.

This week was an important one for lesbians the kingdom over.  Finally, a British televisual representation of their very own, which flaunts them in all their beer-glugging, frock-snatching, straight girl fucking glory. BBC3's Lip Service was first-class entertainment.  If you were looking to play a game of cunt-lover cliche bingo, that is. And it wasted no time in calling out the winning numbers.

'The woman is a many-layered gateau', decries the caption on one of French Connection's latest Autumn collection ads  And yet with her fungi-dull-cheeks and peg-dolly physique, the Advertising Standards Agency has clearly decided this latest slice of female representation tastes equally good, with or without the sardonicism.

What do I mean?

Following months of lobbying for women's rights group OBJECT, feminist organisations from UK Feminista to the Fawcett Society are celebrating another strike against the sex industry, with Employment Minister Chris Grayling's announcement that phone sex work and lap dancing will no longer be advertised in UK job centres. This followed the Fawcett Society's decision to launch a judicial review against the government, claiming that 72% of budget cuts to welfare and tax benefits would be met directly by women, thus contravening the Gender Equality duty.