Have you ever watched a movie that you hoped was fictional because the events were so horrible and unbelievable? Netflix is airing Unbelievable with an unbelievable plot based on a true story. The events viewers see in the film actually happened. The Netflix film is a miniseries with only eight episodes based on an article by The Marshall Project and ProPublica, An Unbelievable Story of Rape, as well as an episode of NPR's This American Life. Most viewers watch all the episodes at once because they are eager to find out how the series ends.

Have you ever Googled "What do women want?" I have. It's a little disconcerting. Because, despite the fact that I didn't put the words "in a man" in my search, the first page of results came up with articles with titles like "What do women want in a man?" and "10 Things Men Wish Women Knew About Sex" (Guess what, we probably already know them. In fact, there are probably more than 10 things WOMEN wish men knew about sex).

In this day and age, we need to relearn what consent is. In the Netflix show 13 Reasons Why, one of the main characters (Bryce) said: "I could tell she wanted it and she didn't exactly say no." That's such a young guy way of thinking, and some men never grow out of that. They can't wrap their minds around why women don't want sex with them all the time. Men also don't understand why women don't want sex to be the focus of a relationship. You will not die if you don't get sex when you want it. Not every girl is going to want you... shocker, I know. Now I know not all men think the way I just described. There are decent men out there. It's not just men that need to learn about consent either, we all do.

It happened to me about 4 years ago. I just got out of my first relationship and I went back on a popular dating site (I won't name it because it may not want to be associated with this). About a week later I started to talk to a guy who lived about 30 or 45 minutes away. This new guy and I met a few days later. It went well but at the end of the night he touched me and I didn't stop him. I think that's where the ball started to roll in his head about what he would do next to me. So we saw each other the next day at a park near my house. At dark we sat in my car talking. One of the last things he did was touch me down there; I wanted it so that wasn't the assault. This is going to sound weird, but I think when I consented he thought my consent overrode the times I would say no. At this point it all seemed normal. I felt like I found a good guy.

The African National Congress Women's League has called for few recommendations on how sexual offenders should be dealt with. The recommendations include: life imprisonment without parole, no bail, and chemical castration.

A bare stage. Slowly, a single pool of light to the far left side lights up. It is a perfect circle. Gradually, the intensity of the light brightens, threatening to blind us for a moment until it dims down to tolerance. We wait for a minute until a second pool of light comes up in line with the first on the right side of the stage. This does the same as the first light, brightening with much intensity but then returns to tolerance. Finally, the last pool of light glows in between the others far upstage and center, to reveal the silhouette of A NAKED MAN standing in a tub of water. His back is turned to us. The NAKED MAN can be a father, a brother, a lover, a rapist, or a photographer. We don’t know. What we do know is that the light he is in doesn’t get brighter. It just obeys the laws of darkness, and is barely lit, leaving the man in an uncomfortable night. From stage left, A GIRL walks in backwards, holding an empty leash in her left hand and a basket in the other. She seems to be looking for something, or searching for someone—perhaps the animal that belongs on the leash, or the food that belongs in the basket. This too, we do not know. What we do know is that the basket is white, and the leash is white with red. Both were made to be white, but a crimson design lives on the collar of the leash. The crimson is blood. A GIRL steps into the first stage left pool of light, and blinks eight times in an attempt to clear her vision. She inhales deeply. The sound of her inhale is magnified, and the tiny breath can be heard from six directions. A DRUNK enters from upstage, passes the NAKED MAN, and joins the GIRL, dressed in an elegant evening gown made of green silk. Her wet hair hangs on her cheeks, and she appears to be very pregnant, stretching the delicate fabric too thin around her swollen belly. The two speak.

Today, Toni Morrison transitioned from living legend to ancestor.

This piece was originally published on Medium.

Summer is here, and that means it’s time to go to the beach. Everyone loves that wonderful ocean smell, the way the sand feels between your toes, and the warm sun-kissed glow a day at the beach gives your skin. Beach-going is glamorous, fun, and a perennially summer thing to do. I mean, who doesn’t love sipping drinks near the sea?

Before I got pregnant, I thought that all of the "New Moms" in my circle were intentionally going out of their way to cut me out.

New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT) had its 20th annual Designing Women Awards gala on Tuesday, June 11 at the acclaimed Directors Guild of America Theater in New York City and was once again a motivational celebration. Co-presented by Variety, the event recognized and celebrated extraordinary women behind-the-scenes, renowned make-up artists, hair stylists and costume designers for their achievements, talent, and vision in the entertainment industry.

Menstrual Hygiene Day brings to light the importance of feminine hygiene, and therefore brings attention to all the women around the world who may not have access to the hygiene products they need to be healthy and comfortable. As a woman living in America, I often think about how privileged I am in many ways, but I don’t think often enough about those women who don’t have these basic necessities. I hardly ever think about the fact that I am so privileged to be able to have my choice of what kind of hygiene product I will use, while some women do not have any options at all, let alone enough to get them through their cycle. Many girls in developing countries do not even have access to accurate information regarding feminine hygiene. There are brands out there who are on a mission of good, brands like Intimina who will educate people on women’s hygiene products and even donate proceeds and products to someone who needs it.

The African National Congress Women's League has called for few recommendations on how sexual offenders should be dealt with. The recommendations include: life imprisonment without parole, no bail, and chemical castration.

So I'm writing this post for people who don't know what it's like being a survivor of sexual misconduct, but maybe knows someone who was a survivor. Sexual misconduct is an umbrella term for any act like rape and sexual assault. I will not pretend to know how everyone else handles sexual misconduct, I can only speak for myself and the stories I've heard.

We have all heard the saying 'prostitution is the oldest form of work', and whilst this statement is very true, society has always looked down on the men and women who engage in this particular line of work. And many still believe the misconception that the job is done out of desperation or because they were forced into it.

Sitting in my kitchen, so nervous I was shaking, I decided to shave my head. I remember all the weeks I had paced about within the confines of my mind, rolling the idea around like marbles, popping the 'yes' and 'no' in and out of the realm of possibility. Around this time, I had suffered a tremendous breakup, and in my acts of stress, I resorted to my cyclical shaving and dyeing and re-dyeing and growing... and found myself with about two inches of growth, and pastel pink locks.

For those of you who don't know, I am currently working with Queens and Future Queens (a non-profit organization determined to assist young girls in becoming future leaders through mentorship programs consisting of female CEOs, CFOs, etc. of big companies as well as inspirational speakers, artist, etc.) to create an event called Champions for Change Leadership Awards 2020. Now one of the things I needed to do was find empowering music for women to feature at the event and I found one song that really made me think. The song is "Strip" by Little Mix.

Have you ever wanted to have a look that makes men's heads turn and women jealous? Chances are, you're just a few short steps away from achieving it.

To the guy that sexually assaulted me,

“When I lose the weight, then I’ll take a cute Instagram picture.” “When I lose the wait, I’ll get this dress.” “When I lose the weight, then I’ll make a blog page and take pictures to promote it.” “When I lose the weight, then I’ll go talk to that cute guy I see all the time” “When I lose the weight…”

I was born in January 1989. At birth, I had two older sisters, and over the next seven years, I would gain a brother and two younger sisters. During my first five years, I lived in the suburbs of a large city. My mom homeschooled my siblings and me, and my family was very conservative and identified as fundamentalist Christians. At age 5, we moved to my paternal Grandparents' farm, where my cousins lived as well.

"If only you'd listened to us, none of this would have happened."

Gender diversity in the business world is changing. Across the globe, successful women are taking on senior positions in various industries. Businesses like tech companies, law firms, startups, and media platforms have started appointing women as board members, senior staff, and advisory committee members.

Most of the modeling industry has strict appearance rules, which most people don't check the box for. But by it being 2019, many models are defying the odds and showing the world that it is okay to be "different" from other models and to accept what makes you stand out.

New York Women in Film and Television (NYWIFT) had its 20th annual Designing Women Awards gala on Tuesday, June 11 at the acclaimed Directors Guild of America Theater in New York City and was once again a motivational celebration. Co-presented by Variety, the event recognized and celebrated extraordinary women behind-the-scenes, renowned make-up artists, hair stylists and costume designers for their achievements, talent, and vision in the entertainment industry.

A bare stage. Slowly, a single pool of light to the far left side lights up. It is a perfect circle. Gradually, the intensity of the light brightens, threatening to blind us for a moment until it dims down to tolerance. We wait for a minute until a second pool of light comes up in line with the first on the right side of the stage. This does the same as the first light, brightening with much intensity but then returns to tolerance. Finally, the last pool of light glows in between the others far upstage and center, to reveal the silhouette of A NAKED MAN standing in a tub of water. His back is turned to us. The NAKED MAN can be a father, a brother, a lover, a rapist, or a photographer. We don’t know. What we do know is that the light he is in doesn’t get brighter. It just obeys the laws of darkness, and is barely lit, leaving the man in an uncomfortable night. From stage left, A GIRL walks in backwards, holding an empty leash in her left hand and a basket in the other. She seems to be looking for something, or searching for someone—perhaps the animal that belongs on the leash, or the food that belongs in the basket. This too, we do not know. What we do know is that the basket is white, and the leash is white with red. Both were made to be white, but a crimson design lives on the collar of the leash. The crimson is blood. A GIRL steps into the first stage left pool of light, and blinks eight times in an attempt to clear her vision. She inhales deeply. The sound of her inhale is magnified, and the tiny breath can be heard from six directions. A DRUNK enters from upstage, passes the NAKED MAN, and joins the GIRL, dressed in an elegant evening gown made of green silk. Her wet hair hangs on her cheeks, and she appears to be very pregnant, stretching the delicate fabric too thin around her swollen belly. The two speak.

There have been a lot of articles saying that woman collect DNA from every man they ever slept with (even in their brain), all of these articles seemed to be case off of one study which... isn't exactly about what I thought it would. For one, the study does not once mention sexual intercourse as a potential reason why woman may carry 'male' cells. If anything, the study suggests that these 'male' cells are from their sons. Yes, sons! Mothers who have carried baby boys for nine months. Another theory mentioned that these 'male' cells came from an older brother, which they also while they were still in the womb. So... NO! These stories about gaining DNA from every man you have had sex with is still yet another mis-use and inaccurate use of scientific research targeting woman with a sexuality because... sexism!

We all want to believe that a rapist is an undeniable monster. A person who is so easy to pick out in the crowd for being an undeniable creep. They are that stranger in the dark alley or lurking in the bushes. Some despicable man with no semblance of soul or care for other human beings that lives to attack women because he couldn't be with a woman otherwise.

Have you ever Googled "What do women want?" I have. It's a little disconcerting. Because, despite the fact that I didn't put the words "in a man" in my search, the first page of results came up with articles with titles like "What do women want in a man?" and "10 Things Men Wish Women Knew About Sex" (Guess what, we probably already know them. In fact, there are probably more than 10 things WOMEN wish men knew about sex).

While most people don't think of Major Kira when they think of feminism, I honestly think she should be one of the first examples. It's almost as if her brand of feminism is too quiet, too earned, too perfect. Her lack of struggles in this area make it seem like maybe her society is just the same as every other. With the deeply problematic history of Star Trek, in terms of the sexualization of women and even their mistreatment in some scenes, it also isn't surprising that Star Trek is not the first place that people look for feminist messages. So, why do I make this argument? Well, read on to find out more.

I don’t talk about true crime extensively on this blog, but I’d like to. It’s an important topic that can honestly say a lot more about the audience and fanbase than the crimes and criminals themselves. And I think this post about why I take interest in this unsavory topic in the first place is a good way to open the door for future conversation.

Hello Boys. I think I get you more than ever. These past couple of years must have been horrible for you. I mean this. I’m assuming I’m talking to men who are completely flabbergasted at how many of their peers have had to learn not to rape, assault and overlook women for work. No, I’m not being facetious. I know more decent men than I know indecent men. A very decent, funny and smart man raised me. I’m the sister of one of one of those decent, funny and smart men. I’m talking to those men, right now. I’m talking to the guy who, even by the recent discovery of what women have known forever, still don’t fear going on a date, because if he was wondering about his past own behavior on dates, maybe he shouldn’t be dating, at all. If you’re a man who says that you don’t want to date now, because you don’t know if you might do something wrong, don’t date.

Women are bitches and not bosses. That is the patriarch. It is oppression of women on a societal scale. Roles conditioned by demographics like: finances, education, culture, family. As a mother, I want more for my girls. I want them to know that you, a woman, can absolutely run your world.

A simple image, yet it was something that grabbed my attention instantly—it was stuck onto a dingy lamppost somewhere between the Haggerston canal and Dalston junction. My memory fails me as to where exactly I took this picture so long ago (as you can probably tell by the snapchat format, a dying app), still, I come back to this image constantly. It's saved on my phone as well as my laptop, in which I can count on one hand the pictures I have.

Menopause is an inevitable stage in a woman’s life that brings about an array of physiological changes that are responsible for significant alterations in mental and physical health. Menopause causes levels of estrogen and progesterone hormones to drop, resulting in a variety of changes that many women dread. With the multitude of significant shifts that women experience during these stages of life, it is not uncommon for some women to turn to drugs and alcohol to cope with physical changes, emotional shifts, and pain that is likely to occur during these times. Unfortunately, some women fall victim to addiction during menopause.

Any of my fellow menstruating individuals know all about the struggles of menstruation. Most of us know the uncomfortable feeling of wearing sanitary products. What most of us don’t know, however, is how our sanitary products affect the environment. A menstrual cup is a game changer in all ways.

Health is something that all people should prioritize. And for females, part of prioritizing health includes visiting the gynecologist. While going to the gynecologist can be intimidating, especially for the first few appointments, reproductive healthcare is essential. So what should women expect when they visit a gynecologist?

This Changes Everything is new in theatres and should be required viewing for all women, girls, and anyone in the entertainment industry. Tom Donahue's discussion of the lack of female representation behind the camera is well-structured, compelling, clear, and concise. Though it doesn't necessarily tell us anything we haven't been hearing for years, it’s (hopefully) still enough to get people listening. It reiterates that men outnumber women in film in almost every department and, while the Me Too movement has pulled many peoples' heads out of their asses, we still have a long way to go before the representation on a film set matches the demographics that represent our society.

She gazed out her office window and sighed. She had no idea how she was going to handle her workload today. Those she supervised had their own cases to deal with so there was no dividing her work among them. Normally when she walked into her office, she made herself a cup of tea and jumped right in. But this day, a nagging headache made her too tired to even pick up a file. She opened her desk drawer to get an aspirin. But the bottle wasn’t there. Then she remembered: She took the aspirin bottle home the day before with the intention of purchasing a new bottle. She must have forgotten. Jane Wisdom left her office to walk to a store on Barrington Street to get some aspirin. It was December 16, 1917 in Halifax, Canada. Jane pulled her coat around her as a chill breeze surrounded her on her walk. The scent of the harbor wafted along that breeze: the smell of water, smoke, and iron from the ships passing through the Narrows, the strait connecting Halifax Harbour and Bedford Basin. Though she was 1.8 miles (3 km) south of the Harbour a clear, cold day like today carried the scents throughout Halifax. Like most people who lived and worked near the harbor, Jane was accustomed to the sights, smells and sounds of the ships that traversed the waters. At precisely 9:04:35 AST (Atlantic Time Zone), just before she reached the drugstore, Jane lost her footing as the ground beneath her shook. A tremendous boom! reached her ears amidst the shattering of glass storefront windows along the street. She cried out and reached for a wall to keep herself from falling. Born March 1, 1884, Jane was influenced by the Social Gospel of her Presbyterian upbringing. The Social Gospel focused on utilizing social involvement to assist those in need, such as the impoverished and those suffering alcohol abuse. She attended McGill University in Montreal and got a taste for professional social work. Though social work was well established in England and the United States, it was still a new concept in Canada. She attended Columbia’s New York School of Philanthropy to earn a diploma in the field of social work. She took her diploma and knowledge back to Canada. She worked for the Montreal Charity Organization, helping families assess needs and resources. She was offered a position as secretary general for the Halifax Welfare Bureau. The first thing she did was to create a social welfare agency consisting of charitable organizations in the area. Ever hands-on, she continued working individual cases and supervising other workers. The scene around Jane was utter chaos: people running, crying out in fear and pain: glass shards from broken windows littered the street and sidewalk. Whatever had happened had thrown everyone into a panic. Instincts prevailed as she ran to a man who had fallen nearby. She attended to a gash in his forehead, watching as smoke began to drift over the city. A new smell entered the atmosphere: the acrid scent of smoke from a fire. Her first concern was for the people of Halifax. Just from those she saw on Barrington Street, many of them needed medical attention. Some were on the verge of hysteria. She could only imagine how many more people needed assistance in the area. She knew the world was at war. Was it possible Halifax had been bombed? But the blast Jane heard had not come from a bomb. Two ships had collided in the Narrows: a Norwegian vessel, the SS Imo and the SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship loaded with high explosives. The impact of the collision damaged benzol barrels on the deck of the Mont-Blanc. This released vapors which ignited during the collision, setting off an explosion aboard the ship. Structures within a half-mile radius were destroyed. Pressure waves from the blast snapped trees, bent iron rails and grounded ships. A tsunami created from the blast entirely wiped out the Mi’kmaq First nation living in the Tufts Cove. Fragments from the Mont-Blanc were spread for miles. Two thousand people were killed. Nine thousand more were injured. Upon learning what had happened, Jane was numbed by the realization that, had she been in her office, she would have been killed by the implosion of the glass windows beside her desk. But she knew there was no time to lose. She was the only trained professional social worker in Nova Scotia. Gathering more than sixty local charity workers, they created a food distribution system, depots for the distribution of clothing and blankets and applications for food and coal. Jane worked tirelessly for the first twenty-four hours after the disaster, organizing workers for distribution of supplies and to go street-by-street making lists of survivors and their whereabouts. Those first twenty-four hours following the worst disaster on Canadian soil were critical in the recovery of the people of Halifax. Jane’s efforts brought attention to the need for relief efforts – not only in time of disaster – but also relief to those in need in general. It was Jane’s belief that a social work system should help create jobs, assist with education and medical needs, and help with recreation for the indigent. A broad scope of social work such as this had not been achieved, but her vision formed the foundation upon which modern social work is based. After the Halifax explosion, Jane worked as a Supervisor for the Rehabilitation Department of the Halifax Relief Commission, organizing Community Houses for survivors of the explosion. In the years after the Halifax Explosion, Jane worked as the director of the Halifax Relief Commission’s Social Service Department. She acted as liaison between the local charity sector and the more official governmental side of charity work, enabling them to benefit from each other. She worked on the Nova Scotia Provincial Commission focusing primarily on women’s issues: Mother’s Allowances and wages and working conditions of women in factories. She eventually returned to McGill University where she was an instructor part time of the social case work in the Department of Social Science and School of Social Work. She then worked for the Women’s Directory of Montreal, specializing in the care of single parent families. Ending up in Glace Bay, Jane studied the social conditions in the coal mining town. She remained in Glace Bay as the town’s first social worker, developing their program of social services. She retired in 1952 to Sutherlands River, Pictou County. On December 16, 1917, Jane Wisdom was in the right place at the right time. For want of an aspirin. The historical portrayals are fictionalized, powered by pure imagination. Pen is a published author with 30+ titles to her credit. A biography of Jane Wisdom is included in Legacies and Legends, Women Who Dared to Make History, Volume 1. Please also visit Nero’s Fiddle for more books by Pen.

This is the first in a series of biographies I will be writing about women from all walks of life and time periods. I'm open to suggestions of women I should write about.

The birth control patch is one method of birth control that uses a release of hormones to prevent pregnancy. It is a beige patch that is stuck to the skin. The user wears the patch for a week before replacing it with a new patch. This is done for three weeks in a row and then a week break is taken for menstruation.

I decided to buy my first collection of affirmation cards and I ended up choosing one called She Believed She Could, So She Did byPeter Pauper Press Inc. However, I realized even before buying them that I can't see all of the cards that come inside. Since I took the chance anyway and had them delivered to my doorstep, now it's my turn to let you know what cards come in this pack and what I thought about them.

For the sake of this article, I will be using she/her pronouns, but it is important to note that periods and menstruation occur in people of all different genders and pronouns.

In this day and age, we need to relearn what consent is. In the Netflix show 13 Reasons Why, one of the main characters (Bryce) said: "I could tell she wanted it and she didn't exactly say no." That's such a young guy way of thinking, and some men never grow out of that. They can't wrap their minds around why women don't want sex with them all the time. Men also don't understand why women don't want sex to be the focus of a relationship. You will not die if you don't get sex when you want it. Not every girl is going to want you... shocker, I know. Now I know not all men think the way I just described. There are decent men out there. It's not just men that need to learn about consent either, we all do.

It happened to me about 4 years ago. I just got out of my first relationship and I went back on a popular dating site (I won't name it because it may not want to be associated with this). About a week later I started to talk to a guy who lived about 30 or 45 minutes away. This new guy and I met a few days later. It went well but at the end of the night he touched me and I didn't stop him. I think that's where the ball started to roll in his head about what he would do next to me. So we saw each other the next day at a park near my house. At dark we sat in my car talking. One of the last things he did was touch me down there; I wanted it so that wasn't the assault. This is going to sound weird, but I think when I consented he thought my consent overrode the times I would say no. At this point it all seemed normal. I felt like I found a good guy.

"If tomorrow, women woke up and decided they really liked their bodies, just think how many industries would go out of business."—Gail Dines