In a couple of weeks I’ll be 47, and I’ve been surveying the emotional and physical landscape of my year. But in many ways, taking stock of myself has taken a backseat to thinking about my older child, who will turn 10 in a month. When I squint and angle my head just so, I […]
Afghan women meet in Albania in ‘act of defiance’ against Taliban crackdown | Global development
More than 130 Afghan women have gathered in Albania at an All Afghan Women summit, in an attempt to develop a united voice representing the women and girls of Afghanistan in the fight against the ongoing assault on human rights by the Taliban. Some women who attempted to reach the summit from inside Afghanistan were […]
‘I regret being a little bit poor’: Doon Mackichan on stardom, Smack the Pony and never selling out | TV comedy
One of my favourite moments from Doon Mackichan’s memoir is the day she auditions for a part in a hit sitcom. Waiting for her turn in a church hall in central London, she was already annoyed at the way the role was written – a “cougar”, an older woman trying to ensnare a younger man, […]
National Housewives’ Register was a lifeline for women like me | Friendship
I was a young housewife in the early 1970s when I heard about the National Housewives’ Register – now the National Women’s Register – founded by Maureen Nicol (Obituary, 3 September). It was a lifeline. My husband’s job required us to move around the country, and finding myself in a new location with two infants […]
Author Tracy Chevalier: forget the tired old art vs craft debate – this is the age of konstantverk! | Art
The art versus craft debate is almost as old as the question: “What is art?” Boiled down to its gnarly, still disputable essence, art is created to make us think and feel, while craft is made to be used. A painting on a wall makes us ponder, whereas knitted scarves keep us warm, ceramic vases […]
Meet the postpartum punks – a primal scream in the face of all tradwives | Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett
It’s a greyish Saturday afternoon in late August, and alongside other street party attenders, I’m watching two flamboyantly dressed women, one clutching a flute, backed by three male musicians while they shout out the lyrics to their new song, Kiddy Ska Party. “I told you about my stitches / I told you about my stitches […]
A different goal: how women’s football is changing the beautiful game | Women’s football
A small wooden beach hut. Not your usual pitch-side corporate hospitality suite. But this is Lewes FC and the four beach huts are its equivalent of glass-encased executive boxes. “You can rent them out,” says Karen Dobres, the club’s special project lead. I have a quick look in one: clean, functional, also chilly, I should think, […]
TikTok has declared concealer is over. I’m not so sure | Makeup
Concealer is dead, according to the beauty fans on TikTok. In their book, looking good is no longer about disguising your dark circles – it’s about embracing them. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. I have some misgivings about that. I’m all for self-acceptance, but […]
How we met: ‘Our friendship is built on trust and loyalty – but we also have a really good laugh’ | Women
When Mary got pregnant with her second child in lockdown, she was keen to connect with other mums in the same situation. “We moved from London to Pocklington in Yorkshire in 2020 and went straight into lockdown,” she says. “It made the culture shock even worse because I couldn’t easily get out to meet people.” […]
Donald Trump is backing free IVF? You can practically smell the desperation | Arwa Mahdawi
Would you like to do your bit to curb population decline in the west? Fancy a home full of babies with very high IQs and extremely blond hair? Well, let me introduce you to the Donald J Trump Insemination Institute. On a sprawling ranch in New Mexico, women can be impregnated, free of charge, with […]