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From strip clubs to sports halls: the reinvention of pole dancingStrength, endurance – and children – were all present at The World Pole Sports Championships over the weekend. But, given its seedy history, can the pole ever escape its stigma to become an Olympic sport?
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Spanking, caning and consent play: how feminist porn frees women from shameCreators focus on a healthy environment for actors as they subvert mainstream expectations – and nothing is off-limits in the world of fantasy -
Leslie Jones's Twitter abuse proves relying on users to report bullies isn't enoughThe platform has banned a high-profile user – but it still needs to find more effective ways to combat racist and misogynistic bullies -
Unsquashable squirts: the legacy of Roald Dahl's girl heroesThe children’s author was a known womaniser and bigot. But in characters such as Matilda or The BFG’s Sophie, he wrote quietly valiant heroines who continue to give solace – even to grown women
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Felicia Browne: the only known British woman to die in the Spanish civil warWe all know WH Auden and George Orwell volunteered to fight. But what about Felicia Browne? On the 80th anniversary of the start of the war, we look at the artist who was the first Briton to be killed
talking points
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Millions are turning to poetry in response to a year of troubling news stories – with previously excluded voices in the field now going viralPoetic justice: the rise of brilliant women writing in dark times
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‘Honour’ killing may not be in your culture, but the problem belongs to us allAfter the murder of Qandeel Baloch, police are investigating the suspicious death in Pakistan of one of my constituents. We can stay silent no longer
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video
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Meet the Republican women backing Donald Trump – videoWomen at the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, explain why they support the party’s presidential candidate
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Spice Girls cover promotes equality for women and girls – videoMusic video for the 1996 Spice Girls track Wannabe, created by Project Everyone, an initiative which aims to eradicate poverty and injustice
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#Canhesaythat? Calling out moments that make women feel uneasy at work – videoWhen Shoes of Prey co-founder Jodie Fox met a potential investor, he said something that didn’t feel right. We want to know what you think, and also to share your stories when you’ve wondered #canhesaythat?
women in politics
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Women at the topAngela, Hillary, Christine, Luciana… and now Theresa – what a week it’s been for women in power, says Katharine Whitehorn
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Handbags and kitten heels – how not to write about prime ministersWhen Margaret Thatcher entered No 10, the headlines made little comment on her gender. ‘Heel, boys’, reads the Sun’s headline about Theresa May today
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What I learned from the White House's first summit on womenIn a room with the Obamas, Oprah and scores of activists, there was rallying talk of self-care, rape survival and why men should never ‘babysit’ their own children
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‘Cheer up, love’ – why is Harriet Tubman being told to smile 100 years after her death?The abolitionist has received criticism this week for her stern expression on a new $20 bill. But from Margaret Thatcher to Victoria Wood, women are marginalised and subject to sexism even when they are no longer alive
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A day in the life of an executive coach‘My job is helping people become aware of their strengths and the mindsets that sabotage them.’
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Obama on feminism and other lessons from the first United State of Women summitThere are more people fighting for gender equality than ever before. We need to harness this power while there’s still time
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A cycle of violence: when a woman’s murder is called ‘understandable’