Vladimir Putin is still Russia's top dog...

If there is one man who is the embodiment of the old adage that one man’s meat is another man’s poison, it’s Vladimir Putin. The 59-year-old has recently stepped up to the Kremlin’s most powerful role for the third time. Yes, the 63.6% of the vote he gained in March was just under 10% down on his massive 71% majority in 2004, but there’s no doubting that Putin is still Russia’s top dog. For all the allegations of fraud in elections held during March and December, for all the protests that engulfed his election campaign, Putin’s nearest rival, Communist candidate Gennady Zyuganov only racked up 17% of the vote. Indeed, there are very few in Russia or outside it that would claim that Putin wasn’t the outright winner.

That’s not to say that the protests which swept through Russia’s cities are irrelevant. Far from it. These were the biggest demonstrations since the fall of the Soviet Union. People from all walks of life came together, chanting the same slogans (one of which was “Russia without Putin”) and wearing identical white ribbons as a symbol of peaceful dissent. The Russian government would be a fool not to heed thousands of bright, young, vocal and technologically savvy Russians out on the streets.

Ridicule won’t be good enough

Asked for his initial response to the protests back in December, Putin likened their white ribbons to condoms. In the long run however, he will need a more sophisticated strategy to deal with them. The question is, will he clamp down on civil liberties further, or will Russian society get a dose of much needed liberalisation?

The good news for Putin is that he still basks in a vast amount of fervent support. It was no surprise that his rhetoric in the 2012 election campaign reverted to what had propelled him from a virtual nobody into the hearts and minds of Russians back in 1999: patriotism. Back then, Mr Putin was virtually unknown, even within Russia. But with the efficiency he is now known for, he won over the populace with a single, crude sentence. When four apartment blocks were destroyed by Chechnyan terrorist bombs, Mr Putin managed to express all the pent up anger that engulfed Russia: “We will wipe out the terrorists out wherever we find them. If we find them sitting on the toilet, then that’s where we will do it.”

Putin the heartthrob

His popularity skyrocketed. He gained respect among men, and women went crazy for him – stories of women swooning and admitting to erotic dreams about him abounded in magazines. Mr Putin quickly established himself as a no-nonsense leader whose acerbic man-of-the-people remarks and unconcealed nostalgia for the Soviet Union – he once called its collapse “the greatest geopolitical catastrophe” of the 20th Century – reflected the mood among great swathes of the population. He even restored the much-loved Soviet anthem, albeit with new lyrics.

Many Russians wanted and still want their country to regain its superpower status. Moreover, passion for Putin is also often a factor of virulent hatred of Yeltsin. Where the West tends to see Boris Yeltsin as the man who overturned the Soviet Union, who forced in a new era of democracy and freedom, to many Russians he is the man who turned their lives upside down, plummeting them into destitution when the collapse of a state triggered turmoil and chaos.

Economic stability, then, is not to be sniffed at. And neither is the man that made it happen.

Order, stability and growth

Putin steadied the economy and came to represent order, striking a chord with those hit by the chaos of the ‘90s. He presided over steady economic growth, growing investor confidence and rising living standards, cementing his popularity among those who’d lost everything. He reined in the oligarchs, lowering taxes to a fixed rate of 13%, but making it clear that tax evasion would no longer be tolerated.

No doubt a good understanding of finance went a long way in shaping Mr Putin’s shrewd economic decisions. A working-class boy, Mr Putin managed to gain PhD in Economics from Leningrad University. He then joined the KGB where he would work for 15 years, eventually becoming the top man in 1998. He spent five years in East Germany, mostly recruiting KGB agents, and speaks fluent German. He married his wife, Liudmila, in 1983.They now have two daughters. The family is Russian Orthodox Christian.

Corruption and control

Yet for all his economic competence, he failed to diversify the economy away from oil and gas or to reduce Russia’s endemic corruption. He gradually eased liberals out of government, often replacing them with more hardline allies or neutrals seen as little more than yes-men.

Chechnya – an ongoing issue

Putin’s first two premierships were also consumed by military campaigns in Chechnya , which earned him recognition and praise at home. They came at a high price, however. Russia was subjected to a number of Chechnyan terror attacks. At Moscow’s Dubrovka Theatre 130 people died; then over 334 people were killed, including 186 children during the Beslan school crisis. Despite this, many Russians felt that Putin’s hard-line stance was healing the hurts and humiliations they suffered under Yeltsin.

Putin makes no bones about his policy in Chechnya – on the one hand air and artillery strikes caused huge “collateral damage” among Chechen civilians, on the other he attempted to rebuild areas of Chechnya that submit to Russian control. If this is a carrot and stick strategy, the West tends to see the stick. But rebuilding something you destroyed isn’t exactly a fair carrot.

Putin makes no bones about his policy in Chechnya; if this is a carrot and stick strategy, leaders in the West tend to see the stick.

The Beslan siege is seen by many to have ushered in increasingly authoritarian policies. Regional governors were now chosen by Moscow instead of being elected, Putin’s Party United Russia became increasingly dominant, the FSB became ever more powerful, and several high profile journalists including Anna Politkovskaya, were murdered. Despite “consistently high public approval rating” (outside OSCE observers noted), Putin’s rule was deemed to discourage democratic debate and “genuine pluralism”.

A strong man for a strong Russia

Putin is the man who stands up for Russia, and he’s not afraid to show it, be it in political showdowns or in his own macho, don’t-mess-with-me image. His black belt in judo is legendary, he has piloted a fighter jet, hunted whales, and rides horses.

For many, the turbulent history of this nascent country means that Putin is a natural choice. As such, while it’s tempting to think, from our Western parapets, that the reason for Putin’s enduring popularity lies in his manipulation of his message and image thanks to almost ubiquitous state control of the media, it’s also not accurate.

Engagement may become a necessity

That’s not to say that the tight media control in Russia isn’t worrying. It’s another symptom of a ruling tactic which has traditionally preferred to nip true debate and democracy in the bud rather than engaging. But with internet penetration growing and almost no firewall in Russia at present, engagement may well become less of a choice and more of a necessity.

There have been some promising signs. Mr Putin has recognised that as well as the protesters on the streets, his hegemony is also being challenged by a growing number of organised political movements.

New political parties

At the beginning of April, Russia’s upper house approved a bill to make registering a political party easier. Critics say this is a scheme to appease protesters and blunt opposition, and that the Kremlin hopes a proliferation of small parties and will ensure no serious challenge emerges. But if it’s not a straightforward step in the right direction, at least it’s not a step backwards.

The biggest problem with Putin’s determinedly populist stance is that it flies in the face of assurances made by Russian diplomats that, once head of state, Putin will be open to dialogue with foreign powers. Putin’s choices over his attitude to the West and to the rest of the world will be a defining element of his presidency.

A fair weather friend

Through Putin’s first two terms as president, his foreign policy became increasingly assertive and critical. Military spending shot up. On the one hand, Putin improved relations with the US by phoning President Bush to offer his personal condolences following 9/11, but at home his speeches suggested an aversion of US dominance on the world stage. He remains comfortably conscious of Europe’s ongoing dependence on Russian gas, building up good relations with many European leaders.

And yet, Mr Putin’s Kremlin was accused of abusing its huge energy clout, punishing fellow ex-Soviet states like Ukraine by cutting off gas supplies and hiking prices when they leant towards the West. Putin’s is something of a fair weather friend to the rest of the world. A great ally so long as your goals match up. He’s happy to cosy up, as long as he gets his way.

What now?

It did seem that, as the reality that control is simply easier sunk in, Putin lost or abandoned the drive for change that marked his early successes in power. But while he might have lost the desire for progress, Russians, increasingly, haven’t. Protests have died down for the time being. But the realisation that actually coming together in such numbers in a country known for its tough stance against protesters is even possible won’t fade any time soon.

Maybe the protests will prove to be a kind of political kick up the bum that will spur Putin on to the right kind of reform. Maybe Putin will continue to free up the political landscape as the bill on political parties has done already. Maybe we’ll see a reinvigorated Russia, led by a refreshed Putin. It’s a big maybe.

Maybe the people's protests will prove to be a kind of political kick up the bum that will spur Putin on to the right kind of reform....

Grazia on Rihanna and domestic violence

Since it burst onto the interwebs in January, the Vagenda blog has proved an almost overnight hit with its sharp, witty critique of media for women. Likening the content of the usual suspects on a hitlist of glossy mags as ‘a large hadron collider of bullshit,’ the two founding editors determined that Something Had To Be Done. The result? A blog that has become a daily must-click for a generation of women bored with the bland, trite and quite honestly tedious(not to mention sexist) features that we find in the magazines created for ABC1 readers looking for something to peruse during their lunch break.

There’s a feminist slant to the blog, but reading the Vagenda doesn’t feel like having your slightly militant feminist friend yaddering on about women’s rights when really you’d rather be drinking rosé and having a discussion about politics AND shoes AND art AND whether to get a fringe or not. Well, the Vagenda is the pal that would certainly accompany you in that enterprise. The blog’s posts are insightful, interesting and, in general totally hilarious. You’ll be guffawing at your screen and thinking ‘Damn right!’ as you read Grazia’s Insights Into Domestic Violence or Are Successful Women Scary?

The Vagenda is penned by a small team, and as a proportion of the writers work in media, most have chosen to remain anonymous. That said, Vagenda has already featured in the Sunday Times, the Evening Standard and one of the co-editors even went head-to-head with Cosmo editor Louise Court on the BBC”s Woman’s Hour. In the future, we’d love to see the journalists behind the features Vagenda critiques actually take time to address their detractors. We’ll see.

So with no further ado, we’d like to introduce Holly and Rhiannon, the two fiercely funny ladies who set up Vagenda, ‘a hormonal Private Eye, without the Oxbridge education’. Do follow them on Twitter, they’d definitely swig rosé with you – and tell you why you definitely don’t need to lose weight, improve your blow job technique or get plastic surgery any time soon.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Rhiannon: It’s something I’ve always enjoyed. All of us at the Vagenda enjoy doing it in our spare time, and some of us do it as a profession, too. But unfortunately being a journalist doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be a good writer. I guess the Vagenda was something of an outlet for that.

Holly: The short answer is yes – it’s the longest term ambition I’ve ever had. Blogging is the best kind of writing for our lives at the moment, because it’s a short, rapid response to the media that you can fit around a busy lifestyle!

Why did you set up The Vagenda?

R: Us editors we sitting on the floor in our old, condemned attic flat reading aloud from women’s mags. We were both in stitches. We just thought, “this is utter crap.” We’re also strident feminists and felt there needed to be a new approach to this that was accessible- we believe that you’re more likely to get through to people if you’ve got some good gags up your sleeve.

H: We didn’t see what we wanted to see, as normal twenty-something women, from the media aimed at our own demographic. And apparently, neither did thousands of others!

What’s the blog all about?

H: We do like to think of ourselves as a female Private Eye, although maybe that’s a bit ambitious! A media watchdog is definitely how we’d describe ourselves – although one with a different slant to our predecessors. We also see ourselves as a straight-up source of comedy, using women’s lifestyle mags as our inspiration. The fact that it can be seen as a comedy blog, rather than straight-up feminist commentary, seems to have widened our appeal.

R:It’s sort of a media watchdog, if you will. We monitor women’s mags and highlight the good, the bad and the ugly in terms of women’s issues. Unfortunately it’s mostly the last two categories. But the blog is 95% piss-taking, 5% hard-hitting, which is what has made it so popular, I think.

Just in case you were wondering... Phew!

Who writes for the blog?

H: An ever-growing community of women and men who have some great ideas and some shitty magazines. Rhiannon and I edit the content and produce as much of it as we can.

R: Initially there were ten of us, all of whom went to uni together. Now there are loads more because we’re getting sent pitches all the time from people all over the world, some of whom are journos wanting to stay anonymous because they’re keen to bring the system down from the inside!

How do you feel about women’s magazines?

R: We think they’re funny. They don’t really speak to us. If the Sun newspaper is a builder catcalling you in the street, a women’s mag is your snide best friend who isn’t really your friend at all, telling you you’re fat and a crap shag to boot.

H: There’s just not enough content out there that’s representative of women’s lives or concerns. Women’s magazines are stagnating and sometimes even going backwards in terms of feminism, so we’re hoping to point that out before the entire media gets on board with it. Unfortunately, the magazines that we attack now used to be boundary-pushing at their genesis.

What would you like to see from women’s magazines?

R: More general content. We do dig politics and philosophy and books, too, you know. Less of a body focus too, because the majority of us aren’t thinking about our cellulite on any given Sunday, we’re getting drunk and dancing to Cyndi Lauper.

H: The end of Photoshopping would be the best thing that could happen in that industry, alongside the snide best friend becoming a lot less of a devil on your shoulder waiting gleefully for you to have a breakdown.

What about men’s magazines?

What, you mean like Nuts and Zoo?

H: The seedier ones are obviously just the Rosencrantz to Cosmopolitan‘s Guildenstern. But before we turn our attention to those, it’s more important to target what’s being said directly to women, often by women.

R: They’re pretty funny. Those interviews with glamour models crack me up. It’s always stuff like, “how does it feel to have boobs?” I would ask them, “how does it feel to be a bellend?” Insofar as Private Eye is a “men’s magazine”, obviously I think it’s GREAT.

How did you get to where you are today and would you do anything differently?

R: It feels weird to think that we’ve got anywhere. The Vagenda is like an unplanned pregnancy. We’ve created this thing which exists in the world, and now we have to make sure it doesn’t die. It’s scary. But I guess supportive parents is the main reason we’ve done so well so far. Both Holly and I had single mums, and they have been great (as have our dads) Also just being in the right place at the right time i.e. our crap flat where the baby was conceived. I wouldn’t change a thing.

H: We built the Vagenda out of circumstances that many would describe as completely bizarre – mice, a windowless garret with a weed-smoking actor in the next room, and the dole queue inevitably after graduating from university. Unplanned pregnancy is right on the money, and we’re at the point now where we’ve birthed the concept, it needs loads of attention, and we’re still stumbling along and working out how best to deal with it all!

Who helped you along the way?

R: We all helped each other – that’s what’s great about having a collective voice. Our parents have been full of good advice too.

H: As Rhiannon said, we have a very supportive community of excellent women (and a couple of men) around us, which has been brilliant.

Who inspires you?

H: Our mums have to be number one. My mum did an entire degree in evening classes when I was a toddler, as a single mother with no childcare and a full-time job. Every time I think I’m getting snowed under by my own career, I think of that.

Vagenda's weekly Retro Feminist Cartoon

The world is full of incredibly inspirational figures, and it’s testament to how crappy women’s magazines are that we rarely hear of them. There wasn’t a whisper of Marie Colvin in any mainstream female lifestyle media until she died – so I think it’s fair to say that we need to be able to ask this question in generations to come, and young women won’t have to scrape the barrel for anyone who’s actually aligned with their principles or perspectives.

R: Our Mums. Great female journalists who don’t buy into all that “lingerie can change your life” crap. Equally bad women’s mags inspire us in terms of our writing. We’re hoping that one day we can embarrass them into compliance.

What do you think is the biggest problem in British society today and what is the most positive thing?

H: I think the biggest problem is the division that has been reintroduced by government cuts – women versus men, poor moving further from the rich, North versus South. It’s a cliche but at least it’s a good one that we’re stronger when we’re united. That’s why the Vagenda takes a very inclusive stance to feminism and our readership – divisiveness has never got us anywhere positive, or anywhere fast.

R: I’d say the most positive thing is the internet. It’s giving people a voice. It’s giving them power. It’s become a real tool for social change.

H: I agree that the internet – in particular, the rise of social media – is an incredibly positive force nowadays. Just look at Kony 2012 and its incredible success, which would never have happened before people could share things at the click of a button in real time. Of course it’s necessary to remind people sometimes that they should exercise responsibility with this new-found power!

R: I’d say the biggest problem is latent conservatism. People don’t seem to give a crap about those who are suffering anymore. They’re just cutting everything. It’s a fundamentally selfish political stance to have.

Do you feel British or European?

H: Depends on the time of day and the state of the weather! Britain has a unique culture, and I’d have to say in all honesty that even though I’d love to feel European, I don’t feel entirely aligned with mainland Europe. However, the influence of European languages and culture upon us are such a positive force, and I like the way that differentiates us from other English-speaking countries like the US and Australia.

R: British. But I speak two European languages and have lived in both those countries, and I love Europe. But I think we as an Island nation have some peculiarities which certainly don’t translate on the continent.

How do you feel about feminism today?

R: Hopeful. You have to be or you’d just lie inside crying all the time. I think it’s become a dirty word, certainly, but we’re slowly reclaiming it (with no help from Cosmo)

H:I feel disappointed that people twice my age tell me they see us stagnating, but positive about a future where we seem to have reignited our mojo a bit.

Who are you listening to at the moment?

H: The temptation to answer ‘Anyone but The Man!’ is really tugging at me. But in the serious sense: Andrew Bird, Hiatus and Shura, and Natalie Merchant.

R: My mum has moved house and has offloaded all her stuff to me so at the moment I’m going through all her vinyl. She has all the Beatles albums.

What couldn’t you live without?

R: Friends and family.

H: Salted popcorn, the food of kings.

"Next to ‘BODY NEWS’ which pretends to examine the psychology of not loving your body enough is an advert for plastic surgery"

Dream purchase?

H: A round-the-world ticket, all expenses paid!

R: Probably a flat. Ain’t no chance I’m getting on the London property ladder anytime soon. Saying that, Europeans rent happily throughout their lives so in that respect I’m not really arsed.

Favourite movie?

R: Casablanca.

H: I’ll have Tarkovsky’s Stalker as my hella pretentious one, and Bridesmaids as the funniest thing made last year. Bridesmaids definitely made me rethink whether all ‘chick flicks’ are bad news.

Favourite European city and why?

H: St Petersburg. Why not?

R: Paris, because of my misspent youth. But I can’t go back because I’ll bump into an ex for sure.

How do you stay motivated?

R: I don’t. If I lose motivation, I’ll just take a break and have a snooze. You can’t force things sometimes.

H: It’s a carefully cultivated combination of junk food and feeling that the Vagenda is something bigger than us now – it’s a concept that people love, and it’s our responsibility to keep it going because it’s such a good thing. You can’t do work that you don’t believe in.

Desert island book?

H: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, or White Teeth by Zadie Smith. Marquez was the master of his time, and Smith is the master of ours.

R: I have reread The Blind Assassin by Margaret Attwood more times than I can remember.

Favourite bar?

R: A micro-brewery in Milan called Birrificcio Lambrate. They make 10% ale and play the Smiths if you ask nicely. I spent every weekend in there for a year. It was a home from home. I knew everyone in the place.

H: Cafe 1001 off Brick Lane still gets my vote, five years after I first went there. Best place to get lunch and stay until midnight.

Where do you see yourselves in five years?

H: I don’t think further ahead than a fortnight, or I get vertigo.

R: Working from home, hopefully. I’m lazy, and generally loathe office environments.

Can you run in heels?

R: I’d prefer not to, but if a man’s chasing you down a dark street, what choice do you have?

H: Of course. How else am I going to catch up with the patriarchy?

The Vagenda: you'll be guffawing at your computer screen and thinking 'Damn right!' as you read the blog's fiercely funny posts...

Are you battling that to-do list again?

It’s a commonly held misconception that life is hard. That it’s a struggle, a war, and that, even in the comfort of relatively peaceful first-world countries, we still have to do daily battle – with a never-ending to-do list, demands from family, friends and colleagues, the pressure to keep up with fashion, the news, the Joneses…

But I don’t buy all that. Sure, life has its challenges. They range from the everyday, like finding and keeping a job and maintain good relationships, to the exceptionally hard times when we encounter death, heartbreak, serious illness, depression… Luckily, these kinds of major problems are infrequent for most of us. What’s more, when the serious problems do come along, we have a tendency to rise to the challenge – we activate our support network, we shore ourselves up, and become acutely aware of the need to be kind to ourselves and stay strong.

Nice and easy does it every time

In my experience, it’s not the “big stuff” that floors people, but the accumulation of lots of “small stuff”. When people talk about what regularly exhausts them and causes them stress, more often that not it’s the regular hassles, the daily grind, a lack of time, the constant feeling of frazzled and overstretched. Yet, most of these sources of stress are self-induced. Household clutter is an issue for many people – yet what’s to stop them clearing it away? The pre-work rush gets lots of us off to a bad start but the quality of our morning routine is entirely in our own hands.

Acquiring a few simple and healthy organisational habits can make such a difference and help you live a more easeful life. After all, when you rush from place to place, lurching from crisis to crisis, are you running your life or is your life running you – into the ground? I get frazzled at times, just like everyone, but I do try to stick to a few great strategies for making life just a little easier and therefore more pleasant for myself and everyone around me.

If it will only take two minutes, do it straight away

You get home from work and change your clothes, remove your jewellery, etc. It takes almost as long to throw everything on your dressing table as it does to put them in the wash basket, hang them up and put your earrings into your jewellery box. The difference: a clear bedroom, your favourite gold hoops don’t eventually get lost, and, when you have friends for dinner that week, the pre-visit clearing up is reduced, which in turn means you don’t have to rush home from work, frantically stuffing piles of clothes under the bed and swearing as you step barefoot on the aforementioned lost earrings!

Leave more than enough time between meetings and appointments

You need to make a doctor’s appointment. The receptionist suggests 6pm on Tuesday. You’ve got a meeting until 5.30pm and you want to get to your tango class at 8pm. The doctor’s office and the dance school are about 45 minutes apart. Sounds doable, but before accepting the appointment, think about the possibilities for that day. Your meeting ends at 5.45pm instead of 5.30pm. You don’t even have time to tidy your desk before rushing out the door to the doctor. She’s running late and you don’t get to see her before 6.45pm. The doctor has a test she wants you to undergo, she calls the clinic to make the appointment while you’re there…the clock is ticking. You leave her at 7.15pm, run to the station, catch a train in the nick of time and arrive at your class just as the warm-up is beginning. You’re already hot and frazzled, you haven’t had time to change your shoes, and you go straight into the class without even having time to say hi to a few of the other regulars (which was the reason you joined in the first place – to make new friends). What part of all of that did you actually enjoy, let along savour? And, seriously – why on earth would you do that to yourself?

Pack your bag the night before

It takes three minutes to make sure your handbag is ready for the next day before turning in for the night (even better – do it as soon as you get home, before you sit down to relax). Run through your day in your mind and imagine what you’ll need as you leave the house, see a client, walk to the tube, call a taxi, stop by the shops. Keys, purse, phone (does it need charging? plug it in now!), train pass, lip balm, period is due – shove a couple of tampons in the side pocket, meeting first thing – do I have a few business cards in my wallet?, take that letter to post, grab a reusable shopping bag… It’s one thing you won’t have to do the next day before the coffee has truly kicked in and you’re firing on all cylinders.

Try to oganise emails as they arrive

Delete or file emails as you read and reply

My email inbox is basically my online to-do list. Everyday, I go through the new emails, read and file things that are just for information, delete the junk and am left with, say ten, that actually require action. I fire off responses to the ones I can (glorious quick wins) and then file them. The inbox is now halved. As long as an email remains in my inbox I know I haven’t finished dealing with it, and the fact that it’s not lost among 50 emails that I have dealt with means that I won’t forget to do so.

Let the phone go to voicemail

Ok. Minor rant now. Why, oh why, do people answer the phone only to say “Sorry, I’m in a meeting/having lunch with a friend/in a museum. Can I call you back?” Firstly, it’s rude to the person they’re actually with. Secondly, it ruins their concentration and ability to be in the here and now. Thirdly, they almost always forget to call that person back because how often do you immediately write “Call Sandra back” on your to-do list? What is so wrong with letting calls go to voicemail when it’s an inconvenient time to talk? The voicemail reminders ensure you won’t forget to return the call, and your etiquette karma is intact.

2011: Protests over public sector cuts

Images of women dominated the media coverage of industrial action across the UK last November, when millions of public sector workers walked off the job amid proposed pension reforms. This was no coincidence, as it is largely women who populate jobs reliant on government funding such as teaching, nursing and social work. They also tend to be some of the most under-valued, under-paid and least respected professions to work in, despite the important role they play.

So what is it about these types of roles that attracts women more so than men? It certainly isn’t pay or accolades; are women really that much more altruistic than men?

Like most debates about equality, the discussion inevitably becomes one of inherent differences between the sexes; whether there are in fact fundamental traits that define the masculine and the feminine. We could argue that women are naturally drawn to roles that speak to their desire to nurture, and while this has negative connotations among some feminist camps this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. One of the greatest female strengths is our ability to empathise with others, yet this is so often seen as a sign of weakness.

Interestingly, traditionally male-dominated industries such as banking and finance, politics and the corporate sphere more generally, are not only extremely well-paid industries but also tend to be places where aggression and ruthlessness are highly-valued personality traits. These are sectors where empathy, compassion and understanding are seen as counter to growth and productivity. Women in these industries often say they feel it necessary to hide the ‘weaker’ aspects of their personality in order to succeed; in fact, this is cited as one of the biggest deterrents for women looking to enter into or progress within these industries. It is a rare woman who manages to get to the top of any male-dominated profession without adopting this persona.

Within public sector professions, it is often the case male workers progress up the career ladder much faster than their female co-workers. London-based social worker Kate*, says that male social workers tend to progress into management roles much faster than their female counterparts. “Most management positions tend to be taken by men, who move up the ladder much easier than women seem to. Women in social work will stay at entry level their entire career, and it’s not because they don’t want to progress,” Kate said.

That is certainly not to say that women are incapable of aggression or that men lack compassion but the correlation between these traits, the workplace and gender are undeniable. And in truth, it matters less whether men and women truly do have inherent personality traits that propel them down certain career paths, but more importantly – how we go about removing the preconceptions we attach to those traits.

So where to from here? The first step would be to ask ourselves why it is we value the role of CEO above that of teacher, investment banker above social worker, and almost everything above mother as if these positions were somehow inferior. When we look closely, it is less about the job itself or the person occupying the role, and more about our own gender-bias.

For a long time, the only roles women were allowed to fulfil were those of wife and mother. Later this became secretary, teacher or nurse and in the end it all comes back to the value we attach to the roles women play. We were given what society deemed less important, gender-appropriate jobs that wouldn’t make anyone uncomfortable or threaten the male-dominated work space and the attitudes forged then are haunting us now.

Are 'women's' professions undervalued?

In the meantime of course women have broken down all sorts of barriers to inclusion. We are CEOs, business owners, airline pilots, frontline soldiers. We also choose to be mothers, social workers, teachers, and all those other ‘gender’ appropriate positions – not because we have to but because we want to. Yet, despite all the progress women – and indeed men – have made in breaking down gender stereotypes we are still mired down in the deeply ingrained bias that clings to the ‘fairer’ sex.

As a result these positions are grossly underpaid, underfunded and consistently devalued when in reality few people work harder for less than teachers, nurses and social workers. They put in long, often stressful hours simply for the love of what they do – dealing with situations most of us can’t even bring ourselves to think about. These roles in fact require a level of perseverance and strength that women are rarely credited with.

“Our profession is a hidden profession. People don’t really think about what we do every day they just want to know that it gets taken care of somehow. It’s usually these same people who are quick to vilify us when something goes wrong,” Kate said. “I really believe that people don’t want to hear about what I do or see each day.”

I wonder how many CEOs would do what they do on a teacher’s wage and how many bankers would show the same level passion or dedication to their job if they received as little respect.

What does cheating really mean today?

As little as five years ago, cheating was clearly defined. From a drunken fumble to an ongoing affair, adultery was committed while both parties were in the same room. Fast forward to 2012 and the cheating line has become far more blurred. From ‘sexting’ to a Facebook chat with someone you’re attracted to, what constitutes cheating has become much harder to define. So where is the line between harmless flirting and infidelity? And more importantly do you and your partner agree where the line is?

The notion of online infidelity, as with so many things today, seems to have started with celebrities. From Tiger Woods to Vernon Kay, more and more celebrities began being caught not so much with their pants down but with their fingertips flying over the keypad. As smartphones got smarter, dirty texts, erotic pictures and furtive late night phone sex became easier than ever to indulge in. And the evidence became a lot harder to conceal.

Even before the concept of online infidelity entered our heads, the definition of cheating has polarised opinion. On a sliding scale from full-blown affair to illicit kiss via the one night stand, we all have different feelings about what would be a deal-breaker. And obviously that opinion can change if it is your relationship at stake.

Infidelity is not as clear cut as a physical act. If someone is actively looking for something outside their relationship that they should be finding within it, alarm bells need to start ringing. Whether it’s conversation, support or sex, it’s not a healthy way to behave. Once you start letting a third person into the aspects of your life that should remain between you and your partner, you’re asking for trouble.

The hardest thing to forgive about virtual cheating must be the premeditated aspect of it. Like conducting an affair, going online to find something different or nurture a connection means you have thought about it, and decided to do it anyway. That must be far more hurtful then a drunken one night stand.

The components of a successful relationship include love, respect and trust. All things that are easy to say but can prove a lot harder to put into practice. Any type of cheating, whether virtual or physical destroys those important ingredients for a happy relationship. Something to think about the next time a handsome man pops into your Facebook chat?

Maxed out your credit cards yet again?

It’s over a week from pay day; you’re peeking at your bank balance through your fingers and wondering how you’re going to pay for drinks at that expensive cocktail bar that you’re meeting the girls at later. Sound familiar? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. According to research from the Halifax bank, people are concerned about their financial situation just 17 days after they have been paid. And one in ten people admit that money is tight just a week after receiving their monthly salary.

It’s not surprising that people are feeling the pinch, as the economic turmoil in Europe continues to rage, the average consumer is being hit where it hurts – their pocket. If you’re struggling to find money to do the things you would like or spending more than you earn, then you need to budget. Budgeting is neither glamorous nor fun but unless you have the income of an investment banker or a very generous old aunt, the chances are you will need to keep an eye on your cash.

Where do I start?

If you’ve committed to tackling your finances, well done; deciding to stop ignoring your mounting credit card bill is a big step. Budgeting will be tough and will require a change in lifestyle but it’s not about depriving yourself, it’s about identifying the priorities for your money.

The first thing to do is dig out those bank statements – this is going to be frightening but it will make you realise how much money you spend on non-essentials. Go through the last three months’ bank statements and work out where your money goes each month. How many Starbucks’ lattes and magazines have you bought, or are you keeping your local bar in business with boozy nights on the pinot?

The Essentials

Now for the science – well maths – bit: add up all your essential outgoings each month. This includes your rent or mortgage, gas and electricity bills, mobile phone bill and travel to work. Make sure your list of essential outgoings is comprehensive and then subtract the total from your monthly salary.

The amount of money you have left is your budget for the month. At this point it would be a good idea to work out non-essential items that you pay for throughout the year and work them into your budget. Do you get your hair cut every eight weeks at a cost of £50 per time? Then you need to save £25 a month in order to afford that haircut. Work out how much you need to put aside each month in order to pay for bigger one-off expenses such as summer holidays.

Money in Your Pocket

The money you have left is yours to spend, save or pay off debts with. Top tip: If you have debts, it makes sense to pay these off before you start saving. The trick now is to make the money you are left with go as far as it can each month. There are lots of easy ways to save money each day, and small savings add up:

● Cull the things you don’t need – is that gym membership really worth it when all you do is sit in the sauna? Grab your running shoes and hit the park instead.

● Pre-packaged sandwiches cost a fortune and are full of preservatives, so take your lunch to work; it will be cheaper and healthier.

● You’ve just bought half of the new Topshop collection but aren’t sure on a couple of things, make sure you take the items back rather than throwing them in the back of the wardrobe.

● Never shop when you are hungry and always take a shopping list, this will mean you buy ingredients for meals and don’t overspend on the specials advertised.

There are lots of fantastic blogs out there, giving tips on how to live a stylish and frugal life. Penny Golightly and Miss Thrifty are particularly good. It is also worth taking the time to download an app on your smartphone that lets you keep track of your spending. One of the best is iXpenseIt, which is comprehensive and lets your detail spending by type. And if all else fails, freeze your credit card, by the time it has thawed out you will have had time to think about whether you really need another pair of Nicolas Kirkwood shoes!

Control your finances on the go: the iXpenseIt app is comprehensive and lets your detail spending by type and track budgeting

Stress and worrying can affect anyone

Stress can affect anyone; it is an illness that can lead to both physical and mental problems. Heart attacks can be brought on by stress and depression is another consequence of stress. For some, stress will result in having a nervous breakdown. Overcoming stress will help a person live longer. Conversely, stress can shorten a person’s life considerably. There is no one immune from the possibility of being affected by stress. A person who seems mentally strong and able to cope with everything life throws at them may, one day, completely crumble.

Lack of sleep is one of the worst ways that stress can damage a person’s health. Worrying about anything from losing one’s job to concerns about an ill member of the family can lead to sleepless nights. Not sleeping will just increase the levels of stress, as feeling tired throughout the day will make it harder to concentrate on and deal with any difficult issues that arise.

One of the biggest causes of lack of sleep, when troubled by stress, is worrying about money. Tossing and turning and thinking about how to manage one’s financial affairs can end up being a serious problem. If this happens night after night, then a person’s health will begin to be affected. A good night’s sleep does tend to help a person to think more clearly. Waking up tired will just increase the level of stress a person is already feeling.

Relationship problems can be a major cause of stress. This is even more the case when one person wants to end a relationship and the other doesn’t. Relationship problems can impact on a person’s confidence and cause them to become stressed both in a relationship and when tentatively trying to start a new one.

People will often feel stressed working at a job that they don’t like. This feeling will become exacerbated if they are also working with people that they don’t get on with. Fear of losing a job is a contender for being the biggest cause of stress. In this instance stress can manifest itself because of a lack of self-esteem, worries about money, worries about keeping the family together and worries about losing a home.

Combating stress is not impossible. Being positive is important and will make a person more prepared to fight back against life’s bad times. Thinking of stress as something unpleasant, which won’t get the upper hand, is another way of tackling it. Having a list of problems to solve each day will help to give the day purpose. The things to try and solve should be realistic and if the day doesn’t go well, try and focus on the following day.

Many things can lift a person’s spirits and help them to look at life with greater optimism. This could be taking a walk in beautiful countryside on a summer’s day to listening to music or watching a film. Often just getting up in the morning is difficult for people suffering from stress. Doing that, without thinking about what problems may lie ahead, is one giant step towards feeling better again.

Comparethemarket is a UK price comparison site that can help you save money on a range of financial products. Whether you’re looking for car, home or life insurance, or a quote on a loan or a credit card, Comparethemarket are able to help you find the best deals without spending all your time looking.

If only dating was so simple today...

There is a story – a story about love – that always seems to resonate with me. It is the story of how a friend of mine’s Grandparents met. He had noticed her on a long train ride from London to Devon, and spent the rest of the journey trying to make her notice him too. They started talking, felt the ignition of that fabled spark and agreed to meet up when they were both back in the capital some weeks later. The rest, as they say, is history.

There’s something so simple about this; I think it makes such an impression because I really doubt that it would ever happen these days. If someone starts talking to you on the train, more often than not, you don’t think ‘timeless romance’, but rather: ‘oh no, I’ve sat next to THAT guy, better commence operation pretend-to-be-reading-a-really-interesting-book’, which, if you think about it, is actually pretty sad. Because I think every single girl – no matter how cynical – secretly wants to be swept off her feet in a way that wouldn’t look out of place in an Audrey Hepburn movie.

Now I’m not saying dating was ever easy; it has always been a battleground of game-playing and a concrete alliance with a set of rules which, to me, seem so arbitrarily written that it astounds me that anybody can take them seriously. I mean, why not phone somebody the day after a date if you had a good time? And has ‘treat them mean, keep ‘em keen’ ever produced results deviating from boy meeting girl, boy ‘treating girl mean’ and girl assuming that boy doesn’t like her and moving on?

However, I think being single now can be more of a minefield than ever, and, in my mind, the culprit is fairly obvious. Technology. For something that claims to make our lives easier, it has complicated the shit out of dating. Remember Drew Barrymore’s rant in He’s Just Not That Into You? “Now you just have to go around checking all these different portals just to get rejected by seven different technologies. It’s exhausting.” And I have to say, I’m with Drew on this one. Being a child of the 90’s, the internet is all I’ve ever known, and while I’m no technophobe I can’t help but strangely envy the days when, like my friend’s Grandparents, it really was as simple as if you like them, talk to them. I know the tagline of this article promises to shed some light on how to meet men, and honestly, I don’t know. Love is so turbulent, so wildly unpredictable that you cannot provide an exhaustive list of where to find it. But I can tell you where not to – glued to your iPhone or laptop. Want to meet men? Get out there and do it the old-fashioned way – sans technology.

From my own experience of being single, I have found the mixed messages about my aspirations pretty difficult to wade through. In one breath, we are told to be focused, independent career women. The next, our main aim should be to find somebody willing to put a ring on it. Oh, and all-the-while we’re supposed to be environmentally conscious, shrewd with our money (seriously, am I the only person who doesn’t have investments or stocks and shares? It seems like some kind of fiscal Fight Club – everybody has it, nobody talks about it) and carefully prepping our bodies to shoot out a couple of kids. Soon you end up with a knotted web of advice, rules and expectations.

Got your life plan in place already?

It can be difficult to work out what to chase first. So why not abandon the rule book? Because who decided we have to be homeowners by 26, married by 28, and mothers by 30 anyway? There’s nothing wrong with creating your own life plan. In my circle of friends, for example, we all want different things. One of us is incredibly career-driven, and to her mind, everything else can take a back burner. Another wants nothing more than to settle down with a husband and children.

So yes, dating is complicated. It always has been. It always will be. And I know that navigating your way through all the game-playing, all the bullshit and all the horrible, horrible couple’s dinner parties can seem disheartening. But this article promised to shed some light on meeting the elusive ‘One’, and so I want you to make this one thought louder than anything else: don’t give up hope. Take every unreturned phone call or disastrous date and turn it into a positive; at least you’re finding out this idiot is an idiot now, and not months down the line. Because you’re single, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting a guy to be pretty damn special to change that.

Oh, and to all of our coupled up friends out there, will you PLEASE stop with the ‘accidental-oh-look-it’s-my-single-male-friend-how-unexpected’ set ups? Because you are seriously as subtle as George Michael’s parking.

Only 1% of trades people are women

You can see the original version of this feature on Women’s Views On News.

Women make up 49% of the UK workforce, but just 1% of its trades people. While progress is being made in getting women to enter traditionally male-dominated fields such as science and engineering, the stereotypes of blokey builders, plumbers and electricians have proved harder to shift.

Diane Johnson, the outgoing president of the Electrical Contractors Association, thinks she might have the answer in the form of a new training scheme, which she describes as a “blueprint” for getting women into the manual trades. Wired for Success will train 12 women over two years. Unlike a conventional four-year apprenticeship, the scheme harnesses a new qualification allowing electricians to enter the profession at a domestic rather than industrial level after two years.

A key part of the scheme’s accessibility is its childcare flexibility. Instead of a normal apprenticeship, which is fulltime, Wired for Success takes place during term time and coincides with the school day. When a child is sick and cannot attend school, trainees can get their childcare costs refunded. However, unlike an apprenticeship, the women taking part in Wired for Success are not paid. Instead the participants are all unemployed tenants of London and Quadrant (L&Q) social housing. Under the government’s New Deal plan, they are eligible to complete training while continuing to receive state benefits.

As Johnson explains, L&Q are ideal partners for the scheme since “it’s part of their remit to enrich the lives of those living in their properties.” The association owns 66,000 homes, presenting many opportunities for the kind of electrical maintenance jobs the scheme trains for. And, as Johnson stresses, this is a familiar and non-threatening environment for women to start working in rather than a building site which typically has a more macho atmosphere.

The view that women can be deterred by a male-dominated industry is shared by Niki Luscombe, chief executive of Women and Manual Trades (WAMT). “There are huge cultural issues accepting women into trade roles, despite changes to legislation and equality policies,” she says, citing common prejudices such as women not being strong enough to lift heavy objects.

WAMT runs regular workshops and work placements enabling women to gain skills in a supportive atmosphere. Luscombe argues that this “crucial experience” can be key to helping women get their foot in the door. While there are preconceptions to be overcome, Johnson also maintains there is a gap in the market that could be met uniquely by women.

“The UK’s ageing population and varied cultures create customers who would feel more comfortable with having women, rather than men, visit them at home,” she says. “There are some religions that don’t permit women to be alone at home with a man from outside the family, for example.”

Another opportunity that Johnson identifies is weekend and evening work, arguing that in an economic downturn, people are less willing or able to take time off work to wait while tradespeople come round. Luscombe also dismisses the idea that women are unable to work antisocial hours as “rubbish”. “Care roles are often antisocial and involve long hours. Women have creative ways of building support networks from family and friends.”

Johnson explains that her motivation for launching Wired for Success came from meeting unemployed women who were repeatedly offered temporary cleaning and administration jobs with little opportunity for promotion or progression. “I want to state that there is nothing wrong in itself with these jobs, but when there are a million women of working age unemployed in the UK, it its time that more of them are encouraged to work in skilled sectors.”

But while self-employment has the advantages of flexibility, there are definite downsides including foregoing the stability of sick pay, holiday allowances and a guaranteed income. Luscombe agrees that setting up alone, particularly in a time of economic downturn, can be daunting. “90% of first businesses fail, and women seeking to enter the trades face additional prejudices. So it’s not surprising that tradeswomen can find self-employment difficult” she says. According to Office for National Statistics data, there is an average 9% pay disparity between the earnings of male and female trades people. Luscombe attributes this to women feeling compelled to under price their work in order to win contracts.

Training just 12 women, Wired for Success is a drop in the ocean. However, what it does is seek out an alternative to the apprenticeship model by partnering with a housing association – though cost of training is met by the taxpayer in the form of benefits. And while women continue to account for just 1% of all tradespeople, it is clear that something needs to change to create a flexible route into the industry.

Women’s Views On News is the women’s daily online news and current affairs service, operating on a ‘not for profit’ basis. The site provides up to date news on all the major national and international stories of the day, in much the same way as any newspaper or online news service, but the stories featured are always about women.

An video explaining ECA’s Wired for Success

Are you defined by your nine to five?

‘So, what do you do?’ It’s usually the first question we ask a new person when we meet them. It’s socially acceptable small talk and usually helps to spark a conversation. It’s more interesting than talking about the weather, more appropriate than launching into an interrogation about their personal life, and (usually) a safe option.

But if it’s the first thing we find out about a person, does that mean we form our judgement of them based on that answer? How important is somebody’s career in defining who they are as a person? Of course, it usually depends on who you ask. Some people feel that their career is their life, while others feel no attachment to their role at all, and view their nine to five simply as something they have to do to fund their five to nine.

Perhaps it comes down to a question of vocation versus paying the bills: for some people, their job is simply a means to an end, whilst for others, their job is an end in itself. This difference may depend on the role, rather than the person. Doctors, policemen, teachers: these are, generally speaking, the kind of roles that seem to extend beyond a career choice and into a lifestyle. Sarah, a 24-year old teacher, says that, although she definitely feels there is more to her life than teaching: ‘I think I am a constant teacher – I now find myself thinking about the way young cousins or friends children access the world, how I would support them to learn certain skills… The way I look at life in general is hugely influenced by my training and my career – not just other children I come into contact with, but a lot of my life choices are based on pedagogical factors that came on board during my teacher training.’

It’s true that people who take on certain careers may experience a certain amount of pressure to fulfill their roles even outside the workplace. As Sarah explained, a teacher may find that they are always teaching in some way or another. A doctor would be unlikely to walk past an injured person in the street without offering medical assistance, and a police officer is unlikely to ignore a crime just because they are off duty. This kind of social responsibility doesn’t always extend to other roles. I work as an editor and proofreader, and although I frequently spot misspellings and grammatical errors on signs in public places, I don’t feel any kind of duty to correct these errors (although, if they are particularly amusing, I may be tempted to take a photo).

If you feel that your job is something that you wish to be defined by, you may take a great deal of pleasure in telling people: ‘I am a writer,’ or ‘I work in fashion.’ But if it’s something that you do to pay the rent, it isn’t always something you want to share. Laura, who works as a PA in London, says: ‘I dislike how in this day and age if you aren’t in a ‘career’ type job people assume you aren’t interesting/driven/intelligent. And I find that so interesting because the best people I know, the most engaging and unique people, define themselves through what they do outside of the work place…. For me, I realize that the job I would actually love to do is sort of unachievable at the moment. And sometimes it proves you are more dedicated to make time for what you really care about in your own time. I do dislike telling people I’m a PA because you do get that ‘Oh, you’re stuck in a dead-end job’ look, but the fact is that that salary allows me to do all sorts of interesting things in my free time.’

A career with a sense of purpose?

So although many people thrive on their career and feel strongly defined by what they do, there are just as many out there who see their nine to five as something rather dull: perhaps even as something they dislike. With the jobs market moving more slowly than ever, plenty of us are stuck in roles we don’t really want, hoping that something better will come up.

If you fall into the first category, and feel your career is worthwhile and something that defines you, then you should feel free to warmly congratulate yourself on discovering a job that means something to you. If you fall into the second category, however, it shouldn’t be something to be ashamed of. Your job doesn’t have to mean everything. You don’t have to be defined by the desk you sit at, the salary you earn, or the room you spend 40 hours a week in. There are 128 other hours in the week to account for. And, as 25-year old electrician Joe points out: ‘I enjoy my job, but I’d much rather not be working. Even if I had the greatest job in the world I’m sure I’d rather be free to choose what I want to do with my day.’

So, next time somebody turns to you and asks: ‘So, what do you do?’ why not give them a smile, and reply: ‘What, between nine and five, or five and nine?’