Tag Archives: Malala Yousafzai

#ELLEfeminism Every Girl Needs Access To Education

Posted on by
Reply

Malala Yousafzai addressing the UN

As I don’t work in a salon, here’s a question I often get asked, “How do you keep up with fashion?”

The same way as I always have done; I keep a beady eye out for what is going on around me, and I read as many Online fashion magazines as possible!

A current favourite being Elle UK. Elle has a special place in my heart because at the start of my hairdressing career I did a session with Alexandra Bastedo (19 September 1974) for She magazine (Christmas issue. Photographer Chris Simpson)! Yeah I know She isn’t Elle, but in those days we used to say, She was the English version of Elle (French) – it wasn’t, actually Elle was always better, it didn’t just reflect fashion, Elle decreed it! And I’ve been an avid reader for too many years.

Okay, so I’m reading Elle UK, and I’m reading The feminist hashtags that matter in 2015 by Kenya Hunt (@KenyaNHunt). Kenya writes eloquently about seven Twitter hashtags that actually affect you: #PeriodsAreNotAnInsult, #TheEmptyChair, #SayHerName, #GirlsWithToys, #NotGuilty, #EffYourBeautyStandards and #HeforShe.

However the big feminist hashtag, that I believe effects Everyone, #GirlsEducation was very sadly missing – Every girl needs access to education.

Anyway, it was a good read Kenya

#BringBackOurGirls Subterranean Homesick Blues

Posted on by
Reply

As soon as I saw Michelle Obama (raises pressure over kidnapped schoolgirls via The Guardian) holding up the sign #BringBackOurGirls, I thought, “Oh shit, there’s another opportunity for some clever dick to change the heartfelt message.” – It didn’t take long! Then there were all those fucking celebrities who jumped on the bandwagon hoping for a few thousand ReTweets.

Malala Yousafzai #BringBackOurGirls

Malala Yousafzai says the world must not stay silent over the abduction of the Nigerian schoolgirls.

I’d like to think that some of them were actually genuine. I trust Malala’s was. I’ve quite a strong feeling that David Cameron’s was too, as I watched the Andrew Marr Show where he ‘did it’ – maybe it was ‘planned?’

David Cameron and Christiane Amanpour supporting Bring Back Our Girls #BringBackOurGirls
David Cameron and CNN’s Christiane Amanpour with the Twitter campaign’s hashtag #BringBackOurGirls

I’ve a strong feeling that Twitter hashtag campaigns are not a real measure of public feeling – once the celebrities start Tweeting their hashtagged selfies, there is a lot of sycophantic action from their hoards of followers, who are desperate to connect with their idols! However, I think it’s the nearest we are going to get to knowing the size of world opinion.

The massive outpouring of world feeling for these abducted Nigerian girls on the social networks, is akin to prayer – ultimately useless I’m affraid. What we really need to do is sort out extremist religion and corruption in world politics.

koo bring back our girls

Koo, my lovely wife, made this cross stitch #BringBackOurGirls banner