I, like millions of girls across the great wide-open interwebz, have uploaded a Facebook picture where my lips are pursed defiantly at the camera. I do it all the time, actually, and I think it’s badass. Recently, to my slight dismay, I found out that this facial expression is called “duckface."  I also noticed a trend around the webz of people, mostly young men, dissing (for lack of a better term) the duckface; calling it ... Read More

Beyoncé’s recent popular song, “Run the World (Girls)” has received a lot of praise as well as criticism for its so-called ‘faux-feminism.’ The song is fantastically danceable and fun, like everything she does, and sends an upbeat message basically saying that girls rock and ‘rule the world.’ Which, as we all know, is not exactly true as this video explains quite well.  In a recent ... Read More

Despite being outlawed in 2004, the rates of selective abortions of girls in India have substantially increased—particularly among the wealthier classes—according to a recent study published by The Lancet. The sex of a fetus can be determined in an ultrasound after 14 weeks, and in India abortions are only legal until the 12-week point. While gender ratios vary among the regions, the overall rates of girls have greatly decreased ... Read More

Navigating gendered vocabulary can be tricky. I use the term “guys” to refer to just about anyone—men, women, children, even the elderly—but every now and then my poor vocabulary has led to confusion or even discomfort.  But terms for the “fairer sex” are pretty limited. “Females” sounds starchy and medical, and even “women” often feels too official. “Girls” ... Read More

We’ve all heard it before: someone tries to inform young women about their options regarding an unwanted pregnancy, and they’re blamed for “promoting abortion” to young girls. But this time the attacks are coming from two Texan teenagers—against Girl Scouts. Tess and Sydney Volansk have launched a new anti-abortion rights website, Speak Now: girl scouts. The sisters were involved in Girl Scouts for eight ... Read More