What's the gift that keeps on giving? - Equal pay.

Come on, this is such a simple requirement that employers love to ignore! Gender Parity is a real issue, with gendered pay gaps having a knock-on effect on family livelihoods, and a woman's quality of life. Equal pay is as simple as adjusting paysheets to show the same pay for the same job, regardless of gender. Why on Earth this is so difficult in 2016 is beyond me!

What's a girls best friend? - Her independence.

Instead of banding about silly answers such as 'a perfect hymen' or 'open legs', a woman's independence makes so much more sense. If we, as women, can live independently, think independently, and work independently, it can only make us stronger. Right?

Maybe she's born with it. Maybe it's - Confidence and an understanding of internalised sexism.

I'm swiftly approaching my twenties, and with that has come a new lease of confidence and an eye-opening realisation of the monster that is internalised sexism. I try to to judge other women (I'm still working on this), and never berate myself for feeling confident, or being as successful as my male collegues. Every woman was born with the capacity to feel confident, has the ability to understand everyday internalised sexism, and therefore conquer anything. 

How did I lose my virginity? - Comfortably, on my own terms.

Eurgh. I absolutely hate that I have to explain this still to some people on a regular basis. Virginity is a concept that does not denote anyone's worth. You should lose it when you're ready, and in a way that makes you feel comfortable. Let's keep the rape jokes firmly in the past, shall we?

I get by with a little help from - The genuine support of other women.

If I ever acquired a time machine, I would find out who the first woman was who criticized another woman, and give them a thoroughly good talking to. Talking other women down should be the least of our problems. Surely mutually supporting each other, and simply leaving those who you don't get on with be, is a much more productive way to live?

Whats that sound? - Applauds for the first female US President.

I couldn't not mention this after Hilary Clinton's victory over Bernie Sanders in the US Presidential race. Wouldn't it be great to see a woman at the helm of a country that holds considerable influence across the globe? Surely this could only be a good thing!

Maybe next time you play this game, take a closer look at what you're cards are implying. Like me, you may be pretty horrified.

Beth x

As I've grown older, I've become more and more interested in equality issues and women's rights. Going to an all girls grammar school, my friends and I were told that the sky was the limit, the glass ceiling was a myth, and that gender played no negative part in our futures. Now I have come to realise that gender does play a big role in my life, and so does my commitment to feminism. For me, We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, sums up exactly what I feel needs to be changed in order to achieve gender equality and/or further the feminist movement.

We Should All Be Feminists is the transcript of Adichie's Ted xEuston talk, in which she addressed feminism and gender equality in Africa. Instead of simply stating the obvious - Africa, much like other continents, struggles with gender equality - she explains why and provides this very simple solution:

"We must raise our daughters differently. We must also raise our sons differently."

And there you have it. Unlike some feminist writers, Adichie has said it how it is. Problems with gender inequality do not stem from the younger generations. They stem from the older generations who pass on gender norms to the new blood. This is not necessarily family members, but teaching institutions, the media, simply anything that has the potential to impact on someone's opinions. We shouldn't be teaching young women to dress modestly in order to attract the 'right sort of male attention', we should be teaching young men that a woman's item of clothing does not denote their value, intelligence or promiscuity.  As Adichie writes, women should not be thanking men for doing the housework purely because they have 'been given the night off', but simply out of thanks for doing their share.

We Should All Be Feminists took next to no time to read from cover to cover, but contained a wealth of knowledge about an aspect of feminism that is so simple, yet has the potential to be so effective. If you have 15 minutes spare, an open mind, and a thirst for new feminist thought, I implore you to make this your next read.

Beth x