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sexist

The long-held absurd belief that men have massive libidos and women are pretty indifferent when it comes to sex is still a prominent myth in our society, and new research proves this point.

A new study commissioned by the End Violence Against Women Coalition has shown that almost half of people still reckon that men have stronger sex drives than women.

3,922 British adults were quizzed on heterosexual relationships, and one-third of people (32 percent) think men need sex more than women (WOW) compared to only one percent who said the opposite.

45 percent of the study's participants said that they think a man is more likely to initiate sex, compared with three percent who believe the opposite. 

43 percent said that both sexes were equally responsible for starting sex. One-in-10 of respondents claimed that a woman decides when the intimate act has finished, compared with 36 percent for men and 38 percent who said both.

"Although it's good to find that three-quarters of adults believe men and women are both likely to enjoy sex, what we clearly also have are persistent, widely held views about who sex is primarily 'for', who 'needs' it and whose pleasure matters,” said Sarah Green, director of the organisation.

"This is a cornerstone of equality as much as equal pay and shared parenting, but 'the orgasm gap' is perhaps not as widely discussed as some other key equality issues."

Interestingly, pensioners are more likely than 18-24-year-olds to believe both partners enjoy sex. People aged 65 and older felt both a man and woman would equally enjoy sex.

Among 18-24-year-olds, just 25 percent believe having sex is a mutual decision, while 50 percent think it is up to the man to decide. Just 10 percent believe it’s up to women to choose whether they have sex.

7 percent think women are more likely to "go along with sex to keep their partner happy", compared with only 2 percent who thought the same of men.

Dr Fiona Vera Gray, research fellow at Durham Law School and expert on sexual harassment and pornography, said: "This report shows how far we've got to go in changing outdated ideas about women as sexual gatekeepers."

Research has recently proven that men and women are equally aroused by sexual images, showing that sex makes no difference to the response to sexual visual stimuli.

The Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen, Germany published the news in the scientific journal PNAS last month, saying; "Erotic pictures and videos are widely assumed to induce differential response due to sexual duality," the researchers stated.

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Tributes are pouring in for tennis star Andy Murray after a tearful press conference addressing his possible retirement.

The former world number one has claimed that retirement is imminent following injuries which have plagued him for years, especially that of his hip.

Speaking about the upcoming Australian Open, Murray broke down in tears as he said it could be his last tournament.

The three-time Grand Slam winner has broken himself in order to keep up with arguably tennis' greatest generation, with Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer hot on his heels all the time.

Murray was emotional as he spoke about this summer's Wimbledon tournament, saying; “I'm not sure I'm able to play through the pain for another four or five months.”

The Scotsman has won the beloved British tournament twice, and wants to finish his career in the place where he won his first ever Grand Slam.

He couldn't hold back the tears at the conference, after years of intensive physiotherapy and surgeries to try and maintain his status as one of the world's top players.

"I said to my team I think I can get through this until Wimbledon – that's when I'd like to stop playing,” he said.

Tributes have been coming in fast for the player and iconic feminist, among them is one from the infamous 39-time Grand Slam winner Billie Jean King;

Fellow player and BFF Nick Kyrgios posted a touching tribute to his 'brother' and 'old friend' Andy, and our hearts legitimately shattered;

Murray has become a low-key feminist icon after consistently defending female tennis players battling the notorious sexist in the sport, such as Serena Williams.

He has argued for women's rights in the sport in numerous press conferences, and has battled sexist questions from journalists throughout his career. SLAY ANDY.

During Wimbledon in 2017, Murray called on schedulers to give women more opportunities to play on the main show courts.

Let's not forget his unreal take-down of a reporter who claimed a male player was "the first US player to reach a major semi-final since 2009," even though Venus and Serena Williams as well as three other female players had achieved this.

YAS ANDY. SAY IT LOUDER FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK

He's also renowned for his blunt Scottish wit;

We love you Andy, never change.

Congratulations for all that you've achieved in the tennis world, you'll be remembered as one of the greats.

 andy murray trophy GIF by College GameDay

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The X-Factor isn't on many of our 'To Watch' lists anymore, despite the fact that it used to be one of the most influential shows on ITV.

An old clip from the show has resurfaced and is causing a LOT of drama , mainly because of Simon Cowell's fat-shaming contestants.

The video went viral after one Twitter user found a clip from the show's early days which highlights the RELENTLESSLY harsh comments given by the judges.

In the clip, a newlywed named Samantha auditions for a place on the star search show, and faces absolute abuse from the judges at the time; Simon Cowell, Louis Walsh and Sharon Osbourne.

Sharon says; "I think you have a lovely face and a lovely voice," after Louis refers to the singer as "mission impossible."

Though Samantha is eventually voted through to the next round of The X-Factor, Sharon tells her to "go on a diet" after Simon wonders what she's "willing to do." WHAT?

Another Twitter user reminded the internet of how ruthless the music industry was during those years, claiming "Adele wouldn't have stood a chance of making it even with her amazing voice."

(That's just plain nonsense, Adele could change the WORLD with one single note.)

Other social media users reacted with outrage at the clip, claiming to be "shaken" by the harsh comments, which Simon earned fame for.

We think Samantha is gorgeous inside and out, we hope she's happy and confident wherever she is.

.confidence damn i look good GIF

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Not many of our peers can say that we have read the full Irish Constitution, and yet it’s the most important political document in a country’s legislature.

Following the removal of the article regarding blasphemy, and of course the 8th Amendment, it’s time to turn back to the Irish Constitution, and examine what is left to be done to bring this document straight into the 21st century.

To start, the sexism, elitism and reductionist standards are alien to modern life, and the Irish people deserve a legal document which accurately represents all of its citizens.

In case we have forgotten from secondary school political history classes, Bunreacht na hÉireann was drafted way back in 1937, by the hugely conservative Éamon de Valera, who perfectly represented the conservative Catholic Church-state environment of the era.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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By writing a new Constitution, de Valera embarked upon a very risky political strategy considering Irish political life at the time was hugely volatile. It replaced the Irish Free State Constitution of 1922, and therefore erased Article 3 which guaranteed “discrimination without distinction of sex.

He revitalised his dream of Catholic women serving good, Catholic men in the home. Religious leaders also had a far-too-big input into the Constitution, including men who are now recognised as protecting child abusers.

Now, of course the entire religious community of Ireland weren't involved in abuse scandals, but it's important to note that a large group of them were, and were protected for years to the detriment of abuse survivors.

The Constitution has caused many a controversy, among them is the X case, where a young woman who was raped was denied the right to travel to the UK for an abortion. This was changed officially in 1992, as the 14th Amendment.

The right to divorce was only ratified in the mid-1990s, and even then partners had to be officially separated for four years. An annulment was next to impossible to get, even for those who were stuck in situations of abuse.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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The protection for the life of the unborn still causes turbulence, seeing as it dramatically impedes female healthcare even outside of reproduction.

The legislation repealing the 8th has yet to come into practice, and is showing no sign of entering the healthcare system anytime soon despite it's valuable victory which took in 66 per cent of votes.

The right for members of the LGBQ+ community to marry was only passed in 2015. You cannot run for President until you turn 35, which would have ruled out some of Ireland’s major political candidates in the 1930s.

As recently as 2015, a shocking 73.1 per cent of the population voted against reducing the age to 21. Irish law appears to believe that age brings wisdom, rather than actual experience.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Many members of Irish society struggle with the union of the Catholic religion with the Constitution. It’s completely saturated with it. The opening lines to this day read:

“In the Name of the Most Holy Trinity, from Whom is all authority and to Whom, as our final end, all actions both of men and States must be referred, We, the people of Éire, Humbly acknowledging all our obligations to our Divine Lord, Jesus Christ.”

The oath sworn by the President of Ireland is “under almighty God.”

Article 44 on religion enshrines freedom of worship, but also notes that “The State acknowledges that the homage of public worship is due to Almighty God. It shall hold His Name in reverence, and shall respect and honour religion.”

So there’s not much room for expansion there, to say the least.

I mean, seriously? Four million inhabitants on the island, and the Constitution fails to separate Church and State, fails to acknowledge that there is another religion besides Catholicism, and other nuanced beliefs and practices.

Ireland is a diverse place, an Emerald Isle of nationalities and cultures, yet this piece of paper essentially only benefits elite, Catholic men in upper class positions. Like Éamon De Valera. Who had ZERO LAW EXPERIENCE.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Éamon De Valera cast a shadow over Irish women when he drafted it by ignoring pleas from Irish women’s councils to aid in writing the charter.

One of the most intensely problematic, not to mention out-dated articles is 41.2 the infamous ‘women’s place in the home’ section of the Constitution. By now there are zero doubts as to the sexism surrounding the enshrined words.

It reads as follows:

In particular, the State recognises that by her life within the home, woman gives to the State a support without which the common good cannot be achieved.

The State shall, therefore, endeavour to ensure that mothers shall not be obliged by economic necessity to engage in labour to the neglect of their duties in the home.”

This essentially claims that women are needed to carry out their housework duties and care for children so that the real work (by men) can be carried out elsewhere, i.e. running the damn country. The duties of the home are elevated far above labour outside of domesticity.

Image: Oireachtas

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan says that the issue of Article 41.2 is primarily one of gender equality, and it’s next to impossible to disagree with him. The article limits the role of women entirely, and completely rejects the notion of men as carers and fathers, which is also unfair.

Men must take responsibility as carers of those who are vulnerable in society, not simply children. The elderly, disabled people, sick relatives and friends are all part of this category, which places most of the burden on women alone for their seemingly ‘nurturing qualities’.

The contention surrounding the article is whether or not to replace it with an alternative, or just delete it altogether. We’re thinking… DELETE.

The emotional and difficult referendum on the 8th amendment has had a clear impact on Irish society, especially on Irish women, who have recognised the inequality which still plagues our country, such as sexual assault and violence, discrimination and unequal pay.

The Constitution Bill (38th Amendment) must make its way through both houses of the Oireachtas before the Irish people can have their say on Article 41.2 via a referendum.

Independent TD Clare Daly said in response to Charlie Flanagan that she “feels like laughing, to think that you see yourself as a champion of gender equality given some of the decisions of your government.”

Image: Oireachtas

Another Independent representative Mick Wallace added his own negative comments to the pile:

“I find it interesting that you speak of gender equality in the workplace when the greatest barrier to that equality is the cost of childcare and your government has done bugger all about it.”

Ireland has the second highest-price of childcare in the OECD, meaning that it is still mostly women who struggle to return to work following pregnancy as the costs of childcare make the situation impossible.

Orla O’Connor, acting Director of the National Women’s Council of Ireland, later added that Article 41.2 “has not supported the home and family, and in our opinion has diminished the position of women” in Irish society.

Dr Laura Cahillane of the University of Limerick’s school of law described the Article as “an embarrassment”, as well as “effectively useless in law”.

A Constitution is meant to embody the moral and legal aspirations of an entire country and it’s individual citizens, we shouldn’t forget this. Women have the most to gain from changes to the Constitution.

All of the civic service committee members which Éamon de Valera employed in order to help him draft the document were men.

Archbishop of Dublin John Charles McQuaid as well as the head of the Supreme Court were two major influences, both male. Only three women were TDs during this time, and none of them said a word during the Dáil debate on the matter.

Essentially, we aren’t part of this document, and this document isn’t part of us. We make up half of this population, and yet not a single word of the parchment portrays the female experience.

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After Jade Hameister gave a TEDx Talk detailing her expedition to the North Pole, the 16-year-old was subjected to a barrage of sexist comments from YouTubers.

Suggesting the Australian adventurer should focus on traditional female roles rather than, you know, owning it on the exploration front, one YouTuber wrote: "Good on you sweetie, maybe you could find a successful husband and make him a sandwich."

With the farcical criticism still ringing in her ears, Jade set off on her next expedition, and this time she was heading to the South Pole.

After performing what is known as the polar hat trick, Jade reached the South Pole on January 10, and reflected on her journey.

"We skied over to the Ceremonial South Pole (probably the Pole that everyone knows as the only South Pole – the barbers Pole with the flags) and the actual Geographic South Pole (which moves around 10m each year), which is marked separately," Jade wrote.

The teen then revealed she made the decision to return in order to leave a ham and cheese sandwich.

"Now ski 37 days and 600km to the South Pole and you can eat it," she wrote.

Ladies, we've found our new hero.

Jade, take a bow.

Images via Jade Hameister Facebook

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A recent This Morning interviewee has pulled back the curtain on a disgusting prank committed by men against women. 

Sophie Stevenson opened up to Holly and Phillip about allegedly being the brunt of a 'pull a pig' joke. 

Sophie told the talk show duo that she had met a holiday romance while on a recent trip to Barcelona, and hung out with him the entire holiday. 

 

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Sophie alleges that they continued talking when she returned to the UK and he returned to the Netherlands, but it wasn't long before Sophie says she decided to fly to Amsterdam to meet her Barcelona beau. 

When she arrived in Amsterdam, he ghosted her, leaving her at the airport to go to her hotel alone.

'I tried to call him, I tried to message him, I tried to message his friend but he'd blocked me already which I thought was weird,' she told This Morning

When she arrived, she allegedly received a Snapchat message from the lad saying 'you were pigged. It was all a joke.' 

She responded: 'I just replied saying 'How can you be so cruel though?' and then he just blocked me.'

Pulling a pig is the term for a stunt pulled by men against women, for no reason other than to humiliate someone for cheap laughs from what can only be immature friends.

Twitter users have pointed out that this activity has been around for decades, with rumours of fraternities in the USA hosting 'pig parties' where the pledges must bring a date they perceive to be unattractive happening for years.

Sophie told Holly and Phillip that she was devastated by the horrific prank.

'It’s embarrassing, it’s humiliating. The only reason I’ve spoken out about this is because I don’t want this to happen to other girls.'

Sophie's holiday love has denied all of the allegations against him. 

Speaking on The Niall Boylan Show on 4FM, a male caller from Dublin told Niall that he had played the 'pull a pig' game 'a few times.'

Laughing, the caller told Niall: 'Me and the boys went over to Liverpool, we were on a lad's weekend, and one of the boys goes, messing, look we're heading over here no one is going to know anyone from anyone, lets see who can pull the worst girl ever, like I mean the worst, so that was the goal for the weekend.'

'So we just had to plough through the worst girls in Liverpool, and the winner, we all put twenty quid in each and the winner got the pot at the end of it.' 

'I found a horrible thing I did,' he said, when Niall asked him if he found a woman he perceived to be unattractive. 

'If you're scraping the bottom of the barrel, it's easy. They're delighted you're giving them the light of day,' he said, laughing again. 

'Anytime there is a big lads weekend we try and do it.'

When asked what this stunt makes him, the caller responded: 'It makes me a legend with the lads.'

There are actually no words for the sheer cruelty this so called 'prank' involves. 

It is nothing but callous degradation of another human and we can only commend Sophie for speaking out and exposing this harsh stunt. 

Feature image: This Morning / YouTube

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Just weeks after we bore witness to a group of privileged white men in suits hindering a woman’s right to bodily autonomy in developing countries, women in 2017 are being told that we should spend our Sunday mornings tending to our partner’s needs.

No, seriously.

If it turned out that the inauguration of President Donald Trump came with its very own time travel machine, would any of us actually be surprised at this stage?

In a move which had Twitter furrowing its brow, shaking its head and reaching for a stiff gin in recent days, two Republican politicians suggested that it’s far from nursing hangovers and binge-watching boxsets us women should be doing of a weekend.

While discussing the merits involved in closing some businesses on a Sunday, North Dakota Representative, Vernon Laning, told the female population that the Lord’s day isn’t for shopping… despite what his wife might think.

"I don’t know about you but my wife has no problem spending everything I earn in six and a half days. I don’t think it hurts at all to have half a day off," he claimed on the chamber floor earlier this month.

Welcome to 21st century politics, y'all.

Adamant good ol' Vernie wouldn't be going it alone on his steam train back to the 50s, Republican Bernie Satrom, chimed in and insisted that Sunday was for spending with your partner “making him breakfast, bringing it to him in bed, and then after you’re done with that, go take your kids for a walk.”

Oh Vern, how well you know us gals. If their shirts don't need pressin', their shoes need shinin'. A woman's work is never done, right guys?

And while the Twitosphere went into meltdown mode and desperately attempted to make sense of this archaic assessment of womanhood, Bernie and Vernie insisted their comments had been made in jest.

Hmmm, where have we heard that before?

Oh, that's right; from the President of the United States of America when he was overheard admitting he grabs women by the genitals because… well… he can.

"Anyone who knows me knows these words don't reflect who I am," Trump recited in a televised apology last October after his sexist and misogynistic sentiments were made public.

But here's the thing lads; when you're a politician, your words DO reflect who you are.

And, unfortunately for you, you can't choose when and where this rule applies.

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Joy Clothing is under fire this week after an email newsletter sent out to all of their customers was branded as sexist.

People are outraged by the retailer, who have more than 25 stores across the UK, as the comments in the email are seen as outdated and from "the 1950s."

The newsletter, entitled "Meet The Parents" is all about covering up on Christmas Day to please the whims of your boyfriend's (or "little prince's") parents.

"Show your boyfriend's Mum you're the girl to take care of her little prince in beautiful dresses that scream marriage material," reads the email.

"Knee length skirts exude class while respectable necklines mean Father-In-Law won't have a heart attack when you lean across the table for a second helping of roast potatoes."

The email is under fire, with many customers taking to Twitter and Facebook to slate the brand. 

"Try to refrain from blasting out your 1950s heteronormative advertising for 2017. You might win a few more customers," said one angry customer. 

"Also, if anyone's partner's dad is ogling their boobs over dinner, punch him square in the nose and take that meal to go."

The brand told the Daily Mail: “We acknowledge that we missed the mark with our phrasing and apologise deeply to all our customers who feel offended, as this was certainly not our intention. We treasure and value our customers greatly.”

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Many of us grew up loving the Spice Girls, and after seeing this footage, we're so glad they were our role models.

In a video that has just surfaced online, the girls are seen shaming a sexist film director who wants to make them look sexy for the camera.

The girls were dressed in school uniforms, but the director wanted them to show some cleavage and their midriffs.

Having none of it, Mel B approaches the man and says, "Why did you ask that?"

The man in sun glasses and a yellow top asks, "What?" before Mel says, "To have cleavage showing and a midriff showing?" 

The director replied that that's "every man's fantasy." UGH.

It didn't end their though, with Mel shouting, "Well you can f*ck off," before Geri and Victoria join in.

Geri calls him a "chauvinistic pig," and then Victoria takes his glasses and tries to sell them for "one quid."

Ah girls, you did us proud.

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This week, Amy Schumer took to Instagram to share a picture of two magazine covers she spotted on the Internet… and she was outraged by them.

Standing side by side is a Girls' Life mag and a Boys' Life mag, with completely contrasting views.

 

No

A photo posted by @amyschumer on

The Girls' Life cover includes lines such as 'Your dream hair', 'Wake up pretty' and 'First Kiss' confessionals.

Yet, on the flipside, the Boys' Life covers has 'Explore your future' sprawled across the front along with 'Astronaut? Artist? Firefighter? Chef? Here's how to be what you want to be'.

 

Wow. @amyschumer I second that emotion. Ladies, let's not let this happen anymore…

A photo posted by Blake Lively (@blakelively) on

Amy simply captioned the post: "No," and later Blake Lively retweeted the comedian's picture and said, "Wow. @amyschumer I second that emotion. Ladies, let's not let this happen anymore…"

Katie Holmes later joined in and hashtagged it, "#thisneedstochange."

Don't get us wrong, we love a nice hair do, but c'mon, we can be whoever we want to be and reach for the stars when it comes to our careers. No, not only our careers, our whole damn lives.

SMH…

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We all have that one dude on Facebook who always posts gifs and memes about women being in the kitchen or how his perfect type of gal is a Victoria's Secret model (because we clearly all look like them).

Most of the time we scroll past the ridiculous views, but one Facebook user couldn't help but notice a mother losing her sh*t at her son when he shared THIS online:

The Twitter user @ghoulia, shared the mothering masterpiece and we can't help but laugh, especially when she calls her son a 'DOUCHE CANOE."

Buuuuurrn. 

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It looks like Olly Murs has been feeling the heat since his comments about Taylor Swift’s songwriting hit headlines.

The X Factor star has now admitted that he has apologised for his comments, after Taylor appeared on radio calling speculation on her songwriting “sexist”.

Taylor was replying to questions regarding the men in her life that have inspired some of her most favourite songs: “That’s a very sexist angle to take. No one says that about Ed Sheeran, no one says that about Bruno Mars, they’re all writing songs about their exes … and no one raises a red flag there.”

See the moment at 5:36 in the video below:

Olly seems to feel that Taylor’s comments were aimed at him, as he has recently said: “I reached out to Taylor around two days ago. I gave her a letter and said, “I’m really sorry … It came out wrong. I’m sorry I didn’t mean to make any offence. It always came out that every article says Taylor writes songs and they always link it to Harry so I was just making a joke and defending my mate. But there’s one thing – I’m not and I’ve never been sexist. I don’t think that’s right.”

Hmm, who says Taylor was speaking to you directly, Olly?! Sounds like someone has a guilty conscious!

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