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Back To Eight: Support vs Pressure
http://backtoeight.blogspot.com/2014/05/support-vs-pressure.html
Wednesday, 28 May 2014. But this post isn't about that incident or that woman, not directly. It's to do with what she said. As I've said in a previous post, I'm lucky enough to be working in a school that I love, and I've been there since January. This half term, my induction reports from my first two terms finally arrived from my previous authority, and I was asked into the headteacher's office. Why did you struggle so much? When I was interviewed for a proper contract (rather than the supply I'm curren...
backtoeight.blogspot.com
Back To Eight: November 2013
http://backtoeight.blogspot.com/2013_11_01_archive.html
Monday, 25 November 2013. Today feels like a sort of birthday for me. The international day for the elimination of violence against women. It featured quite heavily in my life in 2012. One of the things that I've realised over the past year is that I'm not alone in that feeling. The situation for women worldwide is so horrific, so incredibly dire and overwhelming, that it feels like we're tiny drops in an ocean. How can one woman make any impact? But we can. We must. Advocating for women's rights doesn't...
backtoeight.blogspot.com
Back To Eight: New Uniform
http://backtoeight.blogspot.com/2014/08/new-uniform.html
Tuesday, 12 August 2014. Whenever something changes, there is always resistance. Watching the launch of the new Guide uniform has been fascinating, as it has been one of the first major changes in recent times where I have been on the outside looking in. I mean, I'm still a member, just not leading. So I don't have that same "on the ground" experience anymore. The fact that Girlguiding have taken this step forward is brilliant - I just wish that some of my sister Guides would honour the confidentiality!
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Back To Eight: October 2013
http://backtoeight.blogspot.com/2013_10_01_archive.html
Friday, 25 October 2013. I woke up this morning and checked my Twitter feed (which makes me seem very sad, but I was actually searching for details on the DW 50th anniversary screening. Not helping my case), when I saw a very heated debate being fought by feminist Roweena Russell and the EVB Campaign. But something about this caught my eye. What was so special? So I went to have a look. The first thing that struck me was that the product seriously misunderstood the reality of rape. It was designed to...
backtoeight.blogspot.com
Back To Eight: July 2014
http://backtoeight.blogspot.com/2014_07_01_archive.html
Thursday, 24 July 2014. The last week has been an eye opener for me, and reminded me of the kindness, resilience and passion of the women out there, regardless of whether I know them or not. Due to a series of strange migraines which leave me unable to move or speak (they present themselves a bit like strokes), I've been off work for two weeks. And, somehow, my consent forms and other details went missing from occupational health, prompting my boss to suggest I deliver them by hand. A few hours later, I ...
backtoeight.blogspot.com
Back To Eight: February 2014
http://backtoeight.blogspot.com/2014_02_01_archive.html
Wednesday, 19 February 2014. 8220;I know it wasn’t my fault,” I told my counsellor last summer. “It was his; he was the one who did it… At least it was only me he got.”. This was my reaction to being raped a second time. At least it was only me. I couldn’t quite understand why she was so upset by this, not at the time. After all, surely it was better that I was the victim than someone else? But as time went on, I started to realise something awful. Because by assuming that responsibility, or acceptin...
backtoeight.blogspot.com
Back To Eight: Posters and Tweets
http://backtoeight.blogspot.com/2014/07/posters-and-tweets.html
Thursday, 24 July 2014. The last week has been an eye opener for me, and reminded me of the kindness, resilience and passion of the women out there, regardless of whether I know them or not. Due to a series of strange migraines which leave me unable to move or speak (they present themselves a bit like strokes), I've been off work for two weeks. And, somehow, my consent forms and other details went missing from occupational health, prompting my boss to suggest I deliver them by hand. A few hours later, I ...
backtoeight.blogspot.com
Back To Eight: January 2014
http://backtoeight.blogspot.com/2014_01_01_archive.html
Tuesday, 28 January 2014. New Year, New Job. So I've been quiet recently. Really quiet. It's been a difficult few months between the rollercoaster events of last summer, the decision to take a break from unit Guiding and many other things. I fully intended to blog more this new year, but every year brings fresh challenges and 2014's is in the shape of a new job. Set up a languages club that has got TWENTY TWO participants. and that's only from the lower school! My class is brilliant. I'd say that I'v...
backtoeight.blogspot.com
Back To Eight: Rape and Alcohol
http://backtoeight.blogspot.com/2014/08/rape-and-alcohol.html
Tuesday, 26 August 2014. Over the last few weeks, I've been fortunate enough to speak to several fantastic bloggers and journalists, who have been writing about victim blaming and violence. Most of this has been related to a the posters at occupational health (which have now been taken down), though I was asked to comment on a different issue today. The statement I gave to the journalist is as follows:. Comments on the Mail Online's article include such gems as:. Women have to learn their limits". Men wi...
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Back To Eight: March 2014
http://backtoeight.blogspot.com/2014_03_01_archive.html
Friday, 28 March 2014. Hello," the man greeted, as I trotted down the corridor. "Is there a big event on this weekend? It wasn't the first time I had seen him over the weekend. When I arrived last Friday night, he was on his way out of the gym. But it had been nice and easy that time - I kept my head down and scurried on by as he left. This was a little different. But I did last Saturday. He nodded. "I've heard of that one before. Are you staff or just here for fun? It was absolute rage and indignation&#...
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