There has been much animosity – some of it vile – hurled at JK Rowling in recent times. Here Holly Lawford-Smith unpicks the anti-Rowling critique and argues why Rowling’s point of view matters. A...
Archive: Feature
Imposter syndrome isn’t real, but I call mine ‘Beryl’
I hate to fail. My failure avoidance leads to a tendency for overwork. I drive myself harder than any manager will, mostly out of fear of failure rather than love for the work. My feelings of...
Cathy Freeman, Jemma Mi Mi and the delusion of inclusion
Kuku Yalanji woman Cathy Freeman was the most prominent person in recent media coverage of the 20th anniversary of the Sydney Olympics. She was acclaimed for unifying the nation in 2000 by lighting...
How investing in the care sector can save the economy
Pandemics affect men and women differently. COVID-19 has magnified our existing, entrenched and systemic inequalities, disproportionately impacting those in part-time and casual work (largely...
The curious case of The Age, murdered women and a jigsaw puzzle
The other week former journalists from The Age started receiving a rather bizarre advertisement via their Facebook feeds. The product being sold was a jigsaw puzzle of an Age front page - seemingly...
The blokefest budget: How on earth did we end up here?
The signs were looking hopeful. Days prior to the 6 October budget, the Treasurer Josh Frydenberg hinted at things to come, that female voices were finally penetrating the male ear. Accounting for...
Gladys and Daryl: why do intelligent and accomplished women fall for toxic men?
The first thing that struck me after Monday’s explosive revelations about Gladys Berejiklian and her secret five-year relationship with Daryl Maguire is why. Why do good women settle for bad men?...
Dear Gladys, you are breaking my heart
Oh, Gladys, you’re such a heartbreaker. Women everywhere wanted you to be so, so much better. We wanted you to be the star school prefect we thought you were, in your thick stockings, sensible heels...
On beauty: The secret lives of salon workers
Whether it is for cutting, dying, drying, tanning, plucking, waxing, popping or smoothing, almost all of us attend a salon - at least a few times a year. And in that exchange - between worker and...