Summer reissue: Join Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden as On the Rag looks at how the world around us has been built by men, for men. First published December 7, 2020. Independent journalism depends on you. Help us stay curious in 2021. The Spinoff’s journalism is funded by its members – click here to learn … Read more
How does one turn into a rabid extremist over the description of a children’s bike? Emily Writes looks at Facebook comments so you don’t have to. You’ve been there, I know it. You’re scrolling along, trying to avoid QAnon conspiracy theories and Trump apocalypse memes when a story catches your eye. You scan the headline, … Read more
Join Michèle A’Court, Alex Casey and Leonie Hayden as On the Rag looks at how the world around us has been built by men, for men. It can be hard to feel welcome in a world where the phones are slightly too big, your pockets are welded shut and the floors below you are so … Read more
The idea of women late in pregnancy ‘nesting’ – preparing the home for the arrival of their newborn – is ingrained in popular culture and reinforced by health-care professionals, but in fact has no scientific basis. We’ve been led to believe women have a biological urge to tidy, clean and prepare the home for their … Read more
No matter how you measure it, science remains systematically biased against women – and ethnically diverse women even more so, writes Dr Hinemoa Elder. Women and girls in science, this is a public health announcement. You are entering unfriendly territory. Kia mataara, be vigilant. Keep your wits about you. There is irrefutable data that discrimination … Read more
Summer reissue: In the week that a woman was told her bikini was “inappropriate” to wear at an Auckland pool, Alex Casey provided some much-needed reminders for women wearing clothes everywhere. First published on 9 April 2019 Women, you probably already know this but… you’re wrong. Your clothes are wrong, your togs are wrong, whatever … Read more
What happens when your work is the victim of attempted sabotage by a group of slow-moving middle-aged men? Author and journalist Michelle Duff reveals all. Initially, it was kind of unclear what I was looking at. The disembodied hand loomed from the shaky first-person footage, flipping the cover of the book around. I’d been sent … Read more
Gloria Steinem speaks to On the Rag about what she has learned from over 50 years of feminist activism. In this very special episode of On the Rag, we are joined by journalist, author, activist and feminist hero Gloria Steinem ahead of the launch of her new book The Truth Will Set You Free, But … Read more
To many, Marco Pierre White is a legend, but his controversial remarks in a recent interview have some New Zealand chefs questioning why the former enfant terrible has star billing at Taste of Auckland. A celebrity chef who recently made global headlines for his sexist comments about female chefs is headlining Auckland’s biggest restaurant festival, … Read more
Gabrielle Jackson is a Sydney-based Guardian journalist who has written a book about her pain, and the pain of women, and the ways in which the medical system is making it worse. The book is called Pain and Prejudice: a call to arms for women and their bodies. It focuses on ‘women’s troubles’ – a … Read more
A new study has found that nearly 50% of New Zealand girls are getting their periods before high school. Experts say it is time for our education system to step up. Nearly 50% of New Zealand girls will have their first period before they begin secondary school, and 6.3% while they are still at primary … Read more
While ageing men are celebrated as sexy silver foxes, their female counterparts tend to slowly disappear from our screens – an example of how prejudices often leave older women sidelined. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Alex Casey talks to two women who are defying the expectations around old age. At 82 years … Read more
Marian Keyes is a stone-cold legend: terrifically funny and emotionally intelligent, and never afraid of the dark. She deserves all the prizes. In lieu of that, here’s a heartfelt piece by Scarlett Cayford, who grew up steeped in Keyes’ stories and sensibilities. My first encounter with Marian Keyes was in a bedroom in Devonport in … Read more
Large breasts can be great, but they can also wreak havoc – mentally, physically and sexually. Erin Gourley talks to university students who want to reduce their cup size by going under the knife. This story was first published in Critic Te Arohi, the University of Otago student magazine. “I found my old bra the … Read more
Despite the outdated format, the premiere of Wife Swap NZ felt quietly revolutionary thanks to one woman. Alex Casey explains why. Everything about the Wife Swap format is cause for teeth-shattering cringe. Two families trade their wives – who are often also their precious unpaid cook, cleaner and child-minder – for a week in the … Read more
If you’re a man who isn’t sure that you’re a good partner to the mother of your children, then you’re probably not, says Emily Writes. There’s a thing that happens on Facebook groups and group chats across the country on, or the day after, Mother’s Day. Every year without fail I see it – mothers sharing the … Read more
Three eliminations down, three women gone. But why is Dancing with the Stars so harsh to its female contestants? Miriam Moore writes. The fourth week and third elimination of Dancing with the Stars has come and gone. Once again, the talent was off the charts, and we got to see what Aotearoa’s group of B-to-H-list celebrities … Read more
Emily Writes has been leaked the minutes to a Mother’s Day gift guide focus group for Farmers department store. Here is the unedited transcript of the hour-long meeting. The Spinoff has obtained an exclusive transcript of the focus group that become the basis for the 2019 Mother’s Day Farmers catalogue – one which featured 11 … Read more
In the same week that a woman was told her bikini was “inappropriate” to wear at an Auckland pool, Alex Casey provides some much-needed reminders for women wearing clothes everywhere. Women, you probably already know this but… you’re wrong. Your clothes are wrong, your togs are wrong, whatever you are wearing on your head is … Read more
Re-introducing On the Rag, The Spinoff’s feminist podcast that is launching as a webseries next Wednesday. Any woman that has ever been to a sleepover, a coffee group, or assembled drunkenly in a bathroom knows that a very special thing happens when we get together in a tight circle. Safe from the rest of the … Read more
A reporter for the Daily Mail interviewed some “interiors therapists” who warned her that her home was repelling men. Emily Writes has some advice on how to make your home welcoming to dudes. I knew I had to click the article as soon as I saw it. How to avoid turning your home into a manrepeller: … Read more
Does the way science gets passed down through generations make it harder for girls to get into? And what can help change that? Alex Braae reports from the first day of the 9th International Conference on Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology. Science has long been a bit of a boy’s club. That’s not a figure of … Read more
Alex Casey, Leonie Hayden and Michèle A’Court tackle the past month in women, news and popular culture, with thanks to our friends at The Women’s Bookshop. It began with a Gillette razor and it ended with a whole week of New Zealand rape culture under a microscope. January was a rough one for sure, so join … Read more
Women have been doing groundbreaking science for centuries. So why don’t students learn more about them? Can you name a female scientist from history? Chances are you are shouting out Marie Curie. The twice Nobel Prize-winning Curie and mathematician Ada Lovelace are two of the few women within Western science to receive lasting popular recognition. … Read more
Listen to Alex Casey, Leonie Hayden and Michèle A’Court tackle the past YEAR in women, news and popular culture, with thanks to our friends at The Women’s Bookshop. We made it everyone! It’s last episode of On the Rag for the year, and we are more than ready to say goodbye to 2018. But first, we … Read more
In the wake of the death of Grace Millane, violence against women has prompted the usual round of complaints that not all men are violent. Shut it down, says Sophie Bateman for Newshub. In this unpredictable, ever-changing world, a few things remain absolutely dependable. The sun will rise every morning. Babies will be born. Aucklanders … Read more
Ahead of Wednesday’s March for Reproductive Rights in Wellington, four people weigh in on why they’ll be supporting the march and what they hope to see from the national discussion around abortion rights. ALRANZ supports Model A by Terry Bellamak, national president of ALRANZ Abortion Rights Aotearoa By now, most New Zealanders are familiar with … Read more
Healthcare workers experience more violence than any other job in New Zealand. A nurse writes about her experiences in ED wards around the country, and what needs to change. I don’t work as an ED nurse to be assaulted. I go to work to help people. Unfortunately, the two currently seem inseparable. Violence and aggression towards … Read more
Over 24 hours, The Spinoff received more than 100 stories from New Zealand women who have been made to feel unsafe in a taxi or Uber. This article contains description of sexual assault and harassment, please take care. Yesterday, a feeble troll of a petition on Change.org announced that the new women-only ride-sharing app DriveHer … Read more