Current RSS news men and women
men and women
Sexist grammar: the French and German cases
Poor adjectives need take their husband's name no more. Sort of. Whilst one French association has attacked a centuries-old 'oversight', the Germans (or at least their moderate feminists) have taken plural forms to task. In all, the debate succeeds in desexualising our common language
men and women, feminism, germany, best of cafebabel.com, languages, society, france
United Hush-ia: will Russians elect another doomed Duma?
On 4 December Russians will elect a new parliament. Whilst ruling party United Russia has been in power for over a decade, it looks set to reduce its majority in the lower house, or State Duma. The centrist party’s success will doubtless foreshadow Vladimir Putin’s comeback as president in a ‘job swap’ with Dmitry Medvedev at elections in March 2012. Behind the scenes of this circus, the chorus is beginning to grow edgy. Whilst over 60% of United Russia supporters are female and its popularity is growing amongst young people and across a strengthened Eurasian region, more and more journalists, activists and students are speaking out, especially across social networks. Even the purported star of the show Putin has lost favour, receiving his first ever catcalls. Has the bread and circuses act fallen through? (Image: © Kristof)
- Read the special edition United Hush-ia: will Russians elect another doomed Duma?
- Why I like Putin for president: young Russians speak
- Cyril Tuschi’s ‘Khodorkovsky’: 'I’m not so frightened - I’ll be flying to Moscow premiere'
- Reforms and Russians: mapping young people’s stalled futures
- Boo-tin: Russian prime minister Vladimir catcalled in public
- Strategy 31: Russians protest for right to demonstrate
- Dear granddad, for Christmas I'd like a Eurasian union
GPS: taking directions from a woman
Most satellite navigation devices predominantly use female voices – and German BMW drivers can’t cope with them. Is this sexism or science fiction?
men and women, feminism, germany, gps, techno-media, best of cafebabel.com, consumers
‘Why can’t German men flirt?’ - a German man answers
A few days ago I came across an article online by a young British girl who describes her experiences with men in Germany. I often stumble across articles from women who claim Germany to be a developing nation with respect to flirting. Yet why is this the case and where are all the emancipated women?
men and women, lifestyle, feminism, germany, lifestyle, emancipation, nightlife
God Save my Shoes: one French woman explains why
Women own at least five pairs of shoes according to the debut documentary by Franco-American director Julie Benasra, which celebrates women, sexuality, shopping and shoes. Any less means you’re not a real woman
Asexual awareness week: what’s wrong with preferring cake?
Asexuals form a colourful and diverse community of people who don’t want sex and want their little-known sexual orientation to be acknowledged and respected, especially during a special awareness week between 23 to 29 October. After all, what’s wrong with preferring cake, which is one of the symbols they use to promote themselves?
men and women, lifestyle, sexuality, asexual, lifestyle, sex, society
If you're happy and you know it
Answering the question ‘how do you measure happiness in Europe’ is a tricky one; there’s been no end to surveys, polls and graphs. For example, little will ever be rotten in the state of Denmark according to the infamous results of one survey in the mid-noughties. Reaching beyond the feasibility of statistics, cafebabel.com’s citizen journalists have opted to share the happiness they have at hand, which is synonymous with pan-European experiences of travel, having company and celebrating the non-traditional. In this week’s special edition, happiness is not just a topic restricted to the girls. Read the profiles of a Mediterranean boy and girl who charted very different courses to ‘happiness’ through travel. Or learn how to laugh, even at something as melancholy as a break-up (Image: (cc) Pink Sherbet Photography/ Flickr)
- Read the special edition If you're happy and you know it
- Spain: leaving crisis behind to find 'happiness' in and of Latin America
- The rise of divorce parties in Europe
- How an Italian boy became a ‘happiness coach’
- Tips for taking a ‘laughter yoga class’ in Paris
- cafebabel.com boys speak: what makes Europe’s twentysomething men happy
Feminist France: ‘mademoiselle’ vs 'madame'
Is it discriminatory that women have to tick whether they are a ‘mademoiselle’ (unmarried) or a ‘madame’ (married) on administrative forms, whilst men can just put a tick next to ‘monsieur’? The feminist association Osez le feminisme says YES, and calls on women to claim their right to be ‘madame’
men and women, feminism, germany, best of cafebabel.com, society, france, language
Catherine Hakim: women, use your erotic capital
Across the British media over the last few weeks, London-based sociologist Catherine Hakim argues that erotic capital is missing from the economic, cultural and social capital that we all command. The basic principle is simple: take care of your appearance! Beautiful people earn 13% more than their averagely attractive colleagues. However, this is just the beginning
men and women, labour, feminism, angelina jolie, sexuality, christine lagarde, london school of economics
Malmo, London, Berlin, Glasgow: roller girls derby in Europe
Cat fights on wheels? Or a sport to be taken seriously? In the run up to the first ever ‘roller derby’ world championships in Toronto in early December, the women’s team sport on wheels brought to the big screen in Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut ‘Whip It’ (2009) has been steadily sweeping through Europe. To mark the film's release in Germany, a German roller girl gets on the case
men and women, sport, cinema, lifestyle, best of cafebabel.com, film, europe
Double discrimination: roma women in central and eastern Europe
Romania has recently announced plans to evict roma from the northern town of Baia Mare, in a move which could leave hundreds homeless. The move emphasises the continued urgency of the theme ‘roma women in central and eastern Europe’, discussed during the European women's lobby’s conference in Budapest on 7 April this year. The lobby aims to bring the double discrimination that roma women endure to the attention of European decision-makers. Interview with Brigitte Triems, the lobby's president
men and women, discrimination, hungary, roma minorities, budapest, right wing extremism, women's rights
Lisbon, London: the problem with SlutWalks or Who's afraid of feminine sexuality?
Europe has been celebrating three months of the Canadian-exported 'SlutWalks', with the next protest against the equation 'sexy clothing does not mean slut' taking place in Lisbon on 25 June. 11 June saw the phenomenon hitting British shores
men and women, sexuality, london, canada, lisbon, united kingdom, burqa
Are men dominant or dominated? View from Super France
With the release of the 'anti-male' documentary Masculine Domination in November 2009, the debate regarding the crisis in masculinity has flared up in the French media. But we are still far from the 'masculinist' theses which originated in America. Perspective from early 2010
men and women, parity, cinema, masculinity, documentary, film, gender
100th International Women's Day: blow me down
8 March 1911, Copenhagen was about the right to vote. In 2011, the new borders separating the genders are in administration, where the door remains shut to those in heels, unless those are Spanish and French shoes. It's shut in literature, where male editors and literary critics have traditionally made up the majority. Yet in the Ukraine or Italy, it's only women who can denounce prostitution or oppose the trivilisation of political life. cafebabel.com is comprised of three (virile) male and three (voluptuous) female editors. In following these European news or trends together, we agree with something the French writer Rafik Smati once said: 'The world's biggest emerging market is neither Brazil, Russia nor China, but women'. Happy 8th March
- Read the special edition 100th International Women's Day: blow me down
- 40% for Norway’s ‘golden skirt’ board members: do companies need quotas for women?
- Lorella Zanardo: real women 'endangered species' on Italian TV
- Ukraine feminists ‘Femen’: topless a political weapon
- Lithuania's female bloggers: cooking, sex and the city
- International Women's Day: no way we're reading a book by a woman
Are Balkan women more promiscuous?
It's official: more women are approaching men in the dating stakes and a recent book in Serbia reveals a more liberal attitude. So is the Balkan woman moving towards a western, less conservative European model? We hear from Balkan guys and girls
men and women, love, parity, literature, psychology, balkans, sex
Micro-penis: men on verge of a nervous breakdown
At a 'New Men: Really?' conference at Dusseldorf University in February, the possibility of introducing a representative for male equal opportunities at the German government level was bandied about. It seems the modern man has no certainties left - not even between his legs
men and women, italy, masculinity, germany, sexuality, europe, united kingdom
Expats dating abroad? That's Brussels for you
Why in Brussels do my friends of every nationality land themselves in the most bizarrely complicated relationships? Do all men here just want sex? One woman on why fellow expats can't do steady relationships
men and women, parity, lifestyle, expatriates, sex, brussels, lifestyle
Tips: dating success the Greek way
Dear friends from the north. You can print this out and give it a try but it’s useless. Flirting in this part of Europe is an art. It’s impossible to learn it, because southern men are born casanovas. Opinion
German standards: men in speedos vs topless women
Summer might be over, the time when too many items of clothing are bothersome. Boys can jog around without a top, so why can’t women in their bikini tops? One woman rants
men and women, lifestyle, feminism, discrimination, burqa, summer, politics
by
