Tansy Hoskins on sexism, war, & awfullness in *that* Rhianna video

New left-wing blog in town, it's Tanzle Town! HERE.

And what a great first article talking about the strange, if not down right perverted, video by Rhianna depicting war, sexism & violence as if it is empowering and something to be proud of.

Well done Tansy, I look forward to many more of your musings.

So, her premier, premiere article goes as follows:

"If you haven't already seen the music video for Rihanna's new single 'Hard' you can view it here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qMIyGOFhZ4

My problems with this video are threefold. Firstly, this video is pure old fashioned misogyny masquerading as empowerment. The second is that the position of female soldiers has been completely distorted – US State Department figures report that one in three women in the US military will be raped or sexually assaulted by her male counterparts. And the third is that riding around on a colonialist expedition with America’s army does not make you ‘hard’ and that war is not something to be glamorised.

It saddens me to see the route that Rihanna has taken with this video, particularly since she has herself recently been the victim of domestic violence by her former partner. It appears that this video is in part a reaction to that period of her life or at least a reaction to the media circus that sprung up around her since. The fact remains that we live in a world where one in six women are raped and even greater numbers suffer abuse – stopping this should be a priority in the world today but it isn’t. It is no wonder therefore that there is still a market for the false empowerment in this video, that the music industry can tell women that sex is the real way to be respected by men. Unless things change more young women will remain both lost, exploited and unempowered.

“Its not for her specific feminine virtue that gives women a place of honour in human society, but the worth of her useful work accomplished for society, the worth of her personality as a human being, as a creative worker, as citizen, thinker or fighter.” So wrote Alexandra Kollantai almost a hundred years ago. Sadly not much has changed in this respect. Women are still valued primarily for how they look. This is not to say that women can not be fighters. They are. Across the world they play their part in conflicts, fighting and dying along side men. And at the other end of the spectrum they take their place on the sporting field, becoming known for their strength, courage and endurance."

Read more HERE.

http://http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qMIyGOFhZ4

[Posted with iBlogger from my iphone ]

London Student Feminist network activist day. Is this a return to Feminism?

It's interesting how many more young women, and men, are becoming once again interested in what has classically been called Feminism. But what does feminism mean today? Are we still fighting for the right to work, for equal pay, for equal position in society? Well, yes, it seems so. Women, although we are now encouraged out of the home, to work for a boss, to be free to wear what we like in reality this is by no means equal. What sort of work are we allowed to do? Who do we want to be equal to? Who are we trying to emulate? Certainly we are not really equal. The media is littered with sexist images and propaganda which encourage women to behave in certainn ways. Fro example, I was astounded by this article on the launch of the new Pole Dancing doll. 

I don't want to here go over the well argued positions in the many feminist strains but to draw your attention to the fact that feminism the word is back on the agenda and is attracting a new layer of activists.


Although as a Marxist I do not see the struggle for womens rights as seperate from the struggle for equality for all I welcome any moves which encourage people to join in the fight. It is through these campaigns that many people become full blown revolutionaries.

In 1909 Alexandra Kollontai, a leading revolutionary, wrote a fabulous pamphlet entitled  'The Social Basis of the Woman Question'


Here is a quote which encaputlates the opposition to feminism as seperate from class struggle:

The feminists see men as the main enemy, for men have unjustly seized all rights and privileges for themselves, leaving women only chains and duties. For them a victory is won when a prerogative previously enjoyed exclusively by the male sex is conceded to the “fair sex”. Proletarian women have a different attitude. They do not see men as the enemy and the oppressor; on the contrary, they think of men as their comrades, who share with them the drudgery of the daily round and fight with them for a better future

 and further:

For the majority of women of the proletariat, equal rights with men would mean only an equal share in inequality, but for the “chosen few”, for the bourgeois women, it would indeed open doors to new and unprecedented rights and privileges that until now have been enjoyed by men of the bourgeois class alone.

 It is on this basis that '[a] woman can possess equal rights and be truly free only in a world of socialised labour, of harmony and justice.'  We can only have equality once the conditions from which oppression are founded have been removed. And this means we must continue our struggle, our fight and our campaigns against an unjust system which places profit before people, which places competition at the heart of all movtivations and which justifies class inequality. You should read her whole article; she puts it much better than me!

Anyway, a suuprising development has arisen surrounding the iminent Feminist Activist Day to be hosted at SOAS: MEN are allowed to attend. And a welcome addition this is. The day will be guided by women; all votes and decisions will be made by women but men can come as observers. Great.

I am providing a short introduction to the political uses of the internet and demonstrating some of the tools of internet activism. I welcome any comments and advice on this.

The day will be kicked off by JUDITH ORR- author of Sexism and the System, former editor of the Socialist Review and veteran speaker at SOAS feminist events and rallys. She will be giving the opening speech on the challenges for feminism today and the backlash against feminism.

The full timetable can be found at the London Student Feminists Network blog

Whilst this is a dayschool for student activists, I'm sure non-students can attend as observers. Please email them to request a space.

Also, if you wish to have a stall there feel free to also contact Elly.

I look forward to seing you all.

Feminist Friday Friends

Well done to London Student Feminists for organising this fab action.

Whilst I am not in favour of a blanket ban on porn, these mags do nothing other than feed into sexist stereotypes of what a woman should look and behave like and feed the pockets of the rich owners.

Capitalism and the rapidly increasing (can it increase any more?) consumerism that it uses to control us recreates the notions that women should be subserviant and sexualised in order for men to find us attractive. Male dominance perpetuated in these mags provides men the excuse to carry out offensive actions against us against our will. Two male members of staff put the covered mags "down their pants and told our activists to pointed to his crotch and said come and get them". Fucking cheek. They have been reported to the police.

So, well done Feminist Friday, long may it continue. Please let us and others know when you're doing more action and we can help build for it and let people know after.

Read excellent reports on Lad's Mags HERE at Object website.

Miss England protest kicked off with body search

VIDEO OF SPEECHES COMING SOON FROM KATYA

Check out the jealous comments of the clearly homophobic sexist pig below in the 'comments' (this is the sort of thing we usually get when campaigning against sexism)

Arriving slightly early I looked for a loo. Just as walking down Edgeware Rd I was sprung upon by 2 coppers. A really tall male one literally jumped in front of me and shouted in my face. I nearly jumped out of my skin.

They said they had reason to believe i was about to commit a crime and wanted to search me. Naturally, since i had nothing on me, i resisted. I know my rights but then when you're up against the law who knows what your rights really are? (We need someone to write a pamphlet and wallet sized card for us to carry round with us).

It says 'Subject was seen by a member of the public with ink which was believed to be used to cause criminal damage. Subject searched. Negative result.'

And a near on full body search ensued. When I had a go at them for making me jump I asked if this is a new tactic; to try to give people heart attacks like they did to Ian Tomlinson. The pig called me stupid! Me, stupid?!

Anyway, clearly they were worried about us storming the building, occupying the stage and causing a bit of embarassment for their pathetic little operation. They needn't have been. We were only there for a peaceful protest.

5 mins later and Ellie was also subjected to intrusive questioning.

Mind the Gap had even had the protest authorised with the police in advance. They tried to shove us into a pen about 50m away from the entrance to the hotel! We resisted again. We ended up doing speeches and chants right on the corner of Edgeware Rd and Praed St. They had clearly alerted all the attendees of the pagaent to either arrive early or come in through a different door because we hardly anyone arrive.

Many people stopped to talk and join in. Got some really good contacts from young angry women who were just passing by. 'Damn straight it's sexist' said one. Loads of men also stuck around. A lovely old woman in hijab chanted with us too. A car full of teenage girls with their mum hooted and waved.

I couldn't take the best pictures coz i was holdin megaphone but loads of others did. Will link to them once uploaded. Katya videoed speeches. The BBC and Evening Standard came and took both pictures and video's.

As per tradition we followed protest by a few pints to 'discuss and plan to ensure the next ones are even bigger and better'!

We found out whilst in the pub that Vestas factory has gone into occupation. We whipped up a couple of eloquent placards in solidarity.

What former Miss England 2006 has to say...ITS SHOCKING

****This is taken from the following facebook group - http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1050802838&ref=profile#/group.php?gid=2516100950

She posted this on their wall.

""Ah The Political Machine that is the 'Beauty Pageant'.

I won Miss England 2006 and continued to Miss World. I very much got dragged into it and stuck,young and naive.The organisers know this will happen. My family forked out god knows how much over the year.And I got in a HUGE amount of debt; money which slithers into the owners nice warm pockets by exploiting young women. It all started walking down a street in Oxford.

The worst experience of my life.Bloody hated it (and that's not because I didn't win) In fact I'm glad I didn't.

Unfortunatly you're programmed to tell the world how great it is.

You don't stand a chance if you're from England anyway.

So now I'm off to Uni to progress with my real career. I plan to stay as far away from the competitions as possible and continue with my studies. They wont be duping me again. And I wouldn't advise anyone to enter one or let them use my name to front one.

Happy Grinning,Merry Slimming.

Eleanor.From Oxford.""

** This, coming form an actual former MISS ENGLAND. What more evidence do we need, that these pageants being far more BAD than good into this world??

Rape Crisis centre in crisis. Rape alarms let off in GLA.

FEMINISTS released attack alarms in City Hall today in a protest calling for Mayor Boris Johnson to secure funding for rape crisis centres.

Five women smuggled the alarms through security and set them off just after 11.30am as assembly members discussed how much money should go to referral and support centres.

The protesters were wearing t-shirts painted with the slogan “rape crisis in crisis” in red as they sat in the public gallery of the GLA centre next to former mayor Ken Livingstone.

Read a full report at rogue journalist Brendan's blog 'At The Sauce' HERE

Ms America 1969.

Anyone know how to get hold of the full length video? We want to project it onto big screen at London demo.

No to Miss-Ogyny! Protest against Miss England 6:30pm Monday 20th of July

2009 and again we see a rise in the return of this sexist competition that our comrades fought against over 40 years ago.

One of the contestants for this years Miss England even boasts in her application of having fought in the Iraq war (liberating women military style?)

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=96686983324&ref=mf

Called for by Mind the Gap: London Student Feminists, Object, London Feminist Network, Feminist Fightback, NUS, UNISON, UCU, and Socialist Worker Student Society.

Speakers include

JUDITH ORR- author of ‘Sexism and the System’

ALEX CALLINICOS- Author and professor from Kings College

LIV BAILEY- NUS Women’s Officer

40 years ago feminist activists succeeded in banning the Miss World contest. In celebration of this eminent anniversary, we will ban it again and invite you to join us in the struggle.

6:30pm Hilton Edgeware Road.

WHY PROTEST?

The 2009 Miss England claims to be ‘Myth Busting’ including degree students, war veterans and sports women. It also supports B-eat and eating disorders charity and claims to have ‘no size zeros’. Yet, whatever shape, size, ethnicity, and occupation the contestants are, the competition still remains a beauty contest; promoting the judgment of women according to set parameters. Whether they are an Iraq veteran, or a clinical psychologist, upon that platform their worth is reduced to a vacuous stereotype.

OBJECTIFICATION

We see the resurgence of beauty pageants as indicative of a backlash against the fragile gains that feminism has won. In a society where ¼ women will experience violence, 92% of vice chancellors are women and 75% of people living in poverty are women, challenging the objectification of women is becoming widely recognised as attacking the roots of gender subordination in wider society. OBJECT sees the objectification of women as seen in advertising, lads mags, strip clubs, and beauty pageants as promoting the dehumanisation of women, that leads them to be seen as subordinate in society, encouraging and legitimising exploitation and violence. See OBJECTs website for more info, evidence and how you can take action.

DISCRIMINATION AND WELFARE

The notion of beauty attached to the image promoted by beauty pageants is discriminatory according to gender, sexuality, age, race, and disability. In a society where we are bombarded with commercial images, trying to uglify us into buy into this notion of beauty, it is almost impossible not to judge oneself and each other according to these ideals. Whether we choose to accept or reject them we are left chasing what is essentially a mirage of digitally touched up perfection, creating body disphormia that leads to eating disorders, depression, and pits women against one another in life, not just on a platform.

Only one woman can win a crown, pageants divide rather unite us, preventing us from demanding our rights and freedoms.

FOR MORE INFO

Mind the Gap http://londonstudentfeminists.blogspot.com/ (flier)

Object http://object.org.uk/index.php/campaigns/beauty-pageants (includes useful FAQs and factsheet)

Miss England http://www.missengland.info/

Info and press enquiries contact londonstudentfeminists@googlemail.com or call 07595672964

COMING SOON>>>>>

20th of July

Before Miss England we will be holding a rally in the afternoon at the GLA consultation on rape crisis centres (email to follow this one)

So, the 'war-efforts' of BME are not recognised after all-SOAS occupation justified

In January, SOAS students occupied the Brunei gallery over the MoD's disgraceful exhibition which was supposed to be celebrating the 'war efforts of Black and Minority Ethnic' soldiers in the First World War. Claiming that the first Britons were those who fought in their wars, the military  were using SOAS space for free in an attempt to attract SOAS students into joining. The exhibition spoke about a few high ranking officers from India and various places in africa who chose to join the armed forces but did not at all, which is whhat we feared, talk about the many who were forced to join and subsequently used as human shields and worse...check out somee of the racist imagery that was used at the time. 

So, now it comes as no surprise that the MoD have issued a series of Action Man dolls in another attempt to recruit even younger kids. (And Hackney Stop the War anti-recruitment campaign fights on...new photos of action HERE)

Stop the War Statement on MOD dolls.

The MOD has sponsored a set of "HM Armed Forces" dolls. All are male, all are white, none have missing limbs or bear the psychological scars of warfare.

Since the ‘war on terror’, the government has been struggling to make the army something to be respected and emulated and to make war seem acceptable and justifiable. These toys are a part of that drive as are the resurgence of military parades and recruitment campaigns aimed at teenagers.

The reality is that the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan are disasters and the last three soldiers to die in Iraq committed suicide because they found their lives unbearable. These toys attempt to make acceptable a completely unacceptable situation. Children have no natural predilection to violence nor do they have any need to play with toys that normalise war. This glamorisation of war and today’s rising levels of unemployment are a dangerous combination. Children should not be targeted for military recruitment.

Salmon fishfingers are apparently 'pink in the middle'

Why am i always amazed when i see advertising mogules come up with yet another sexist way to sell a product by objectifying women's bodies? What a ridiculously tenuous link. 

As if we women don't have enough to worry about and now we're being compared to fish-frickin-fingers and yes I am aware of all the extra puns that Nuts magazine could come up with but right now I am fuming and can't think how else to put it. Check this post again and I should hopefully thought of a better way to express my anger. 

Don't watch it HERE

Anyone got any ideas on what we can do to compain?

Protest outside Miss London 2009 ... beautiful people show that beauty is not skin deep

The title for the YouTube video just reinforces our point. i'm waiting for Elly's report-will post here soon. Well done to everyone who made a stand against the commodification and objectification of all our bodies.

We object to being objects.

Miss-Ogynist FINALs protest

miss ogynist FINALs protest, originally uploaded by solomonsmfield.

I cant believe i haven't put this up before today-sorry ladies (and guys). Also sorry i haven't got time to comment either so please make do with the bare bones and see you at the protest.

PROTEST TONIGHT.

This event is being followed by BBC, the Independent, the Guardian, Socialist Worker, Indymedia and many more.

Now Miss Heythrop has been banned. Read Independent article HERE

SOAS from 7pm we have art exhibition, speakers and a final push to bring people to protest.

Protest from 10pm outside Crystal Club, Wells St, Just off Oxford St, London, W1. 

Call 07958 034 181 if lost.

Object to being objects

A protest by 40 women and men outside the School of Oriental and African Studies’ (Soas) heats of the Miss University of London Beauty Pageant has caused a furore across the media.

Most of the opposition to our protest has come from liberals who believe that beauty contests are just a “bit of fun” in our “post-feminist” society.

But our position is strengthened by what has been a rolling back in the rights of women to walk down the street, or through campus, without the fear of being judged on their looks.

We have had comments such as, “You’re just jealous because you don’t look like these women – you would be OK if you put on a bit of lipstick,” to “If you don’t like being judged by your looks why don’t you wear a burkha?”

There have been even worse remarks, such as “women fantasise about being raped”.

This uncovers the terrible reality behind the seemingly benign arguments.

Women continue to face oppression in our society, with lower pay than men, worse job opportunities and the burden of childcare. We do not believe that women are being forced to enter these contests but how free is their choice?

There is a bombardment from the media and advertising about how a woman should act, dress and think. Because of this it is no surprise that 63 percent of young women would rather be a glamour model than a doctor or a lawyer.

We are told that being paraded round like a prize bull in a beauty pageant is the sort of liberation that women have fought for.

We also wonder how the contestants felt when men shouted that they should work in a brothel? With the introduction of top-up fees, some women students can see the exploitative glamour industry as an opportunity to make a bit of cash to help them through university.

What message does this send to our younger generation? That in order to feel valued you have to devalue yourself? We want a society that does not judge and then rank us on anything, let alone on the narrow stereotype of what it is to be beautiful.

We were told by a man – ironically in a class on feminism – that we should stop telling people what to think.

But by speaking out we are challenging the dominant ideas in society and making people question them.

This is exactly what we aim for. Why should we be silenced? We object to being objects and we are going to continue shouting.

We urge everyone to support the campaign against these degrading pageants by signing the petition, details of which can be found at » www.solomonsmindfield.net

Elly James, Soas students union women’s officer

Clare Solomon, Central London

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Miniskirts at a beauty contest have inspired me - and not a dungaree in sight! Evening Standard article.

Viv Groskop 

11.12.08

I was not expecting this but the King's College heat of the Miss University London beauty pageant on Tuesday night has made me feel glad to be alive. Not because it's always nice to see more chignons worn in public. Although it is. And it's definitely not because I feel empowered by seeing young women queuing up to be evaluated, like Stepford Wives. I don't. I feel a bit queasy.

No, the reason I'm so excited is because - wait for it - people actually came, dozens of them, to the Crystal Club in Marylebone expressly to protest. They were incensed enough to write slogans on their own bed sheets. They had invented chants like "Beauty is not skin deep" and "Our bodies are not for sale". This is extraordinary. Someone cared enough to turn up and say: "This is wrong." This is important. It means that feminism is not dead.

The protesters were young, hip men and women. (You can tell I am too old to be one of their number as I still use the word "hip".) A lot of them were cute too: a few were wearing miniskirts and one girl had on a fantastic pair of red suede knee-high boots. They were not weirdo killjoys. They were ordinary students who felt depressed about the fact that 30 years after feminism, beauty contests are still taking place where young women are lined up and judged as sex objects.

From what I can tell from looking at the protesters' clothes (not a dungaree or hairy armpit in sight), they, like me, have nothing against glamour, beauty or fun - the opposite.

Read the rest here

Kings College protest

Kings College protest, originally uploaded by solomonsmfield.

Kings protest 2, originally uploaded by solomonsmfield.

Miss Kings protest tonight

Meet 9:30pm Kings College London Waterfront bar or at Crystal Club, Wells St, W1 at 11pm

Call me 07595672964 for more info

Elly

Minute 3.50 - wear a burka if you don't want to be judged by your looks

Beauty is not a contest goes to Kings. And more press coverage...

Does "Miss King's" Belong at King's?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/feb/02/gender.uk

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/janice_turner/article5295125.ece

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1092319/Feminism-rules-Now-8217-s-swimsuit-DEBORAH-ROSS-reflects-Miss-University-London-beauty-pageant.html

"University beauty contest sparks ugly row"

Once again, well done to everyone for the brilliant campaign to highlight the inequalities in our system. Yesterday, in class, Elly and I were rudely told - by a man - that we 'should stop telling people what to think': how ironic that a man was telling us what to do, telling us that we should not express our opinion, that we should just shut up and accept the status quo.

Also ironically this was in a class on Feminisms. They ignored us when we were explaining what differences we have with the femininst movements but then continued to lump all the problems with it at our feet, as if we were to blame for the past.

We do not, despite being elected, claim to speak for ALL women; we certainly dont stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Margeret Thatcher or Condeleeza Rice, we

Choice quotes from opponents so far: 

"If you don't like being judged by your looks why don't you wear a burkha?" Jonathon Lapagge during meeting on Nov 25th abou Objectification.

"Come on, admit it-women fantasise about being raped don't they?" unknown from Birkbeck bar.

"you should work at a brothel you whore"- kind young man at the QMUL heats...

BBC LINK 1:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/ondemand/london/realmedia/news/londontv?bgc=C0C0C0&nbram=1&lang=en&nbwm=1&bbram=1&ms3=6&ms_javascript=true&bbcws=1&size=16x9&bbwm=1

BBC LINK 2:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/london/realmedia/news/londontv?size=16x9&bgc=C0C0C0&nbram=1&bbram=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1

THE DAILY MAIL:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1091533/Fury-hundreds-students-sign-misogynistic-degrading-Miss-University-beauty-contest.html

BBC4:

http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/society/ugly+row+over+beauty+contest/2866257

LONDON EVENING STANDARD:
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23596304-details/Protesters+call+for+university+beauty+contest+to+be+banned/article.do

LONDON STUDENT:
http://www.london-student.net/2008/12/01/miss-soas-miss-take/

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/universityeducation/3545587/University-beauty-contest-sparks-ugly-row.html

http://www.corriere.it/cronache/08_dicembre_03/londra_studentesse_protesta_miss_universita_3f4e686c-c157-11dd-9466-00144f02aabc.shtml

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23596304-details/Protesters%20call%20for%20university%20beauty%20contest%20to%20be%20banned/article.do?expand=true#StartComments

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1091533/Fury-hundreds-students-sign-misogynistic-degrading-Miss-University-beauty-contest.html

http://www.thecnj.co.uk/camden/2008/112708/news112708_04.html

Miss SOAS protests a success...

Photo: Lorenzo Lavirini.

This is the report from London Student newspaper regarding our on-going campaign against the sexist beauty pageants that have been doing the rounds at universities in London. Of the 200 or so attendees only 1/3rd of these were SOAS students, and 2/3rds had guest list. There were a few Donald Trump-esque men with Barbie dolls on either arm none of whom were SOAS students. During the protest we had many people attending come over to us and say they fully supported us and that they were only there to support their friends who had entered. The reportage from LS i will let you comment on but i am glad they have printed some of the ridiculous comments from Amjad Gafoor, chief protagonist-he kinda epitomises all that is to object to about with these vile competitions. During the campaign elly, the women's officer was attacked for standing in the way of a women’s charity event.

"The principle of fundraising for Breast Cancer Research as a marketing tactic is quite disgraceful in my opinion, as the commercial stereotypes that the event promotes make it psychologically harder for women to recover after losing their breasts and hair, as they are then deemed not a “real” woman. "

Well done to Elly and the team for highlighting this issue at SOAS and fighting for the right of women to come to university free from objectification.

London Student report: "The ongoing hullabaloo at SOAS surrounding 121 Entertainment’s Miss University London pageant came to a head on Tuesday the 25th of November as the SOAS Women’s Society held a ‘day of action’ protesting against the event.

Speaking before the event, Eleanor James, SOAS Women’s Officer, said: “We want to make it clear that it’s not the individuals taking part that we are directing this campaign at.

“I feel that the campaign is not really about the beauty pageant itself or the contestants, we’re not trying to ban people from going we’re not trying to ban people from taking part, it’s the system in which this pageant has been allowed to arise that we’re objecting to.

“The university voted against the pageant, and I need to reinforce that it has nothing to do with the School of Oriental and African Studies, ‘SOAS’ is a generic term which is why they can use the name ‘Miss SOAS’.”

James feels that while they oppose the Miss University London event generally, the SOAS round had special significance: “67% of male students are satisfied with their experiences at SOAS, while just 43% of women feel satisfied. This shows a clear disparity between the university experience itself, and the gender pay gap is also still very apparent.

“63% of women on leaving university would rather be a glamour model than be a doctor, so these are quite shocking facts I think, and now with the student financing problems more and more women are having to work in sex call centres and lap dancing clubs which are actually allowed to advertise at some Freshers Fairs!

“The pageant and objectification are just a symptom of wider things that are going on. One of the things that brought me to SOAS was the climate of equality, diversity and I feel that these are things that we need to protect here because I think there’s a lot of complacency in society in groups of people who don’t feel that they have been oppressed because they haven’t experienced these forms of oppression and don’t realise what it can be like.

“For instance, if they’ve never had an eating disorder or someone around them has never had an eating disorder, or if they haven’t come into contact with domestic violence. Or if they are from, as lot of people here are, liberal families where people aren’t constantly reading fashion magazines, I think because people are intelligent enough to see these things and reject them they don’t feel the need to protect the safe place we have at this university.

“The Miss SOAS pageant is an example of something I don’t like in society encroaching on the student’s space here, and I don’t want the JCR turning into a cattle market.

“I was told yesterday that before the girls go on they have their waists measured and their breasts measured, that’s something that used to happen at horse shows that I used to go to.

There is, however, a large block of support for the event, with attendance estimated to be well over 200 people.

Amjad Ghafoor, of 121 Entertainment and organiser of the Miss SOAS pageant believes the event to be a: “triumph for freedom of speech at SOAS. The student body is changing for the better, by becoming more accepting of different views. People have to realise that not everyone at SOAS is a hardcore leftist & they need to be more tolerant of people who don’t agree with them, rather than intimidating them like thugs or shouting them down!

“They are a minority with no mandate, who “claim” to speak for all the women at SOAS and it’s just annoyed a lot of them, who feel that there actions are misrepresenting them. Their behaviour has been Stalinist and amounted to that of a juvenile delinquent. Tearing down posters etc. is pure censorship. Unlike them, I and a lot of people believe that SOAS students are intelligent enough to be given the choice to decide for themselves and that can only be done if they are informed of both sides of the argument. Behaving like a nanny state just patronises the intelligence of the vast majority of students at SOAS.”

Read much more, if you need to, here..