I finally got around to looking at my Saturday Guardian on Sunday. I was struck by the various images of women including those who are notorious, harmed and poor; others who are strong, triumphant and achievers.
On the front page is Rebekah Brooks, certainly notorious. Yet when I heard a clip of her evidence to the Leveson inquiry the detail of text messages sounded so banal, especially the bit where she explained how she clarified for PM David Cameron that LOL is in fact not ‘lots of love’.
That is until I remembered that Leveson may reveal in public the closeness of the Murdoch media empire with the very highest strata of the political elite. This mix of media dominance and political influence helps us understand the power Murdoch exercised to make and break governments.
Further into the paper is a picture of Doreen Lawrence outside the Old Bailey after the conviction of the men who murdered her son Stephen.
She has called for a second public inquiry as it seems there is fresh evidence to back the belief that errors in the police investigation were because of corruption between criminal families and police, as well as racism.
I believe that she will succeed as she has with the campaign over many years to bring the men who murdered Stephen to court. Her strength is inspirational.
Then there is Vicky Featherstone next to the headline “Royal Court appoints first female artistic director in 56 years”. Good for her but am I alone in wishing for the day when such ‘firsts’ for women is ancient history?
And three cheers for Jeanette Winterson who has been appointed professor of creative writing at Manchester University.
Winterson’s book ‘Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit’ is now a part of the A Level curriculum that would have been unimaginable when it was first published, as Section 28, introduced by the last Tory government, institutionalised homophobic attitudes in education.
Violence against women and the importance of reporting perpetrators to the police was another headline story following the conviction of Shane Jenkin whose attack against his former girlfriend Tina Nash included gouging her eyes out.
Tina Nash urged others suffering abuse to contact the police “before it is too late” and paid tribute to Women’s Aid.
And finally Clare Lomas who completed the London Marathon 16 days after starting the race. Paralysed from the chest down she raised £134,000 for the charity Spinal Research.
What matters to women is so often buried along with their achievements and struggles very often against all the odds.
There is a great group ‘Women’s Views on News’ founded by a friend of mine that winkles out the stories of particular relevance to women, not just in the UK but globally. Take a look for yourself.
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