about gender equality Women s football

Men versus Women Ambreen Khan (11W) and Jaya

Malhi (11D) interview LGS staff

and explore views and ideas

about gender equality

No farmers, no food Tara Lidder and Simran Thandi

(11R) discuss the roots and explore

the impact of the ongoing farmers’

protests in India

Issue #3 APRIL 2021 EDITION

1914 10R’s Shavi Bir

delivers another poetic

masterpiece with this

tribute to those who

gave their lives in the

First World War

Women’s football Natasha Khan (11R) on why

she loves football and why we

should all be concerned by

gender inequality in the game

Issue #3 APRIL 2021 EDITION

(Cover artwork: Tayyba Tabassum 11R)

Inside this edition…

: Why is sleep so important? Bano Salman (11L) highlights the importance of a good night’s sleep

Page 4: 1914 Shavi Bir (10R) offers a poetic tribute to those who died in World War One

Page 5: ‘The First Location’ Chapter Two from ‘The Mystery Adventure & Diamond Brooch’, a short story by Fathima Khaliq (7W) – the opening chapter was in February’s ‘Loudspeaker’

Page 6: Gender inequality in football Natasha Khan (11R) explores gender bias in the so-called ‘beautiful game’

Page 7: Art by Rawa Rawa Rhel (8G) shares some of her artistic creations

Page 8: The storming of the Capitol Sera Abraham (7S) discusses the causes and consequences of the shocking scenes at the US Capitol building in January

Page 9: Men versus Women Ambreen Khan (11W) and Jaya Malhi (11D) ask teachers about their experiences of and views on gender inequality

Page 13: No farmers, no food Tara Lidder and Simran Thandi (11R) examine the causes

and impact of the ongoing farmers’ protests in India

Page 15: ‘The Boy With No Story’ Tayyba Tabassum (11R) shares her latest masterpiece

Page 14: Covid racism Aram Akbari Madovi (11W) explains

how anti-Asian discrimination has

worsened since the start of the

Covid-19 pandemic

April 2021 Edition PAGE 2 __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________

Why is sleep so important? Bano Salman 11L

How do you know if you are sleep deprived in the first place? Ask yourself these three questions:

Do you often have to set an alarm clock in order to wake up on time?

Do you find yourself re-reading things?

Can you function optimally before noon without caffeine? If you said ‘Yes’ to even one of these questions, or had to read them again, I have some bad news for you…

Sleep is the most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day. Any individual, no matter what age, will exhibit physical ailments, mental health instability, reduced alertness and impaired memory if their sleep is chronically disrupted. It is something that we know we need but most of us fail to do properly. Throughout developed nations such as the UK, most teens and adults sleep for an average duration of less than seven hours. Obtaining anything less than eight hours of sleep a night, especially less than six hours a night, leads to an overall decrease in performance throughout the entire body – even in its ability to cool itself! Can you survive - function completely normally – with only six hours of sleep?

If you can, then you are part of a very rare collection of individuals (3%) who appear to be able to survive on six hours of sleep and show minimal impairment – a sleepless elite, who have a sub-variant of a gene called BHLHE41. How lucky!

How bad can sleep deprivation really be?

Unfortunately, the human mind cannot accurately sense how sleep-deprived it is. Research in the Northern Hemisphere showed that the switch to daylight savings time in March resulted in most people losing an hour of sleep opportunity; this caused a spike in heart attacks the following day. Intriguingly, in the autumn within the Northern Hemisphere, when the clocks moved back an hour, rates of heart attacks plummeted the day after. Who knew an hour could make such a difference?!

April 2021 Edition PAGE 3 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________

What are the benefits of sleep?

Sleep has proven itself, time and again, as a memory aid: both before learning, to prepare your brain for initially making new memories, and after learning, to cement those memories and prevent forgetting, sleep helps us to remember. A good sleep the very first night after learning increases your chance to consolidate those memories: REM sleep (the portion of sleep when there is rapid eye movement, which occurs 3 to 5 per night, lasting 5 minutes to 1 hour) will allow you to stay sane and fuel your creativity. More than seven hours of sleep each night will maintain cognitive performance and prevent brain dysfunction.

Why does a weekend lie-in still leave me feeling tired?

Three full nights of recovery sleep (i.e. more nights than there actually are in a weekend) are insufficient to restore performance back to normal levels after a week of short sleeping. Neither naps nor caffeine can salvage more complex functions of the brain, including learning, memory, emotional stability, complex reasoning, or decision-making. What are the long-term benefits of routinely sleeping?

Sleep increases your likelihood to prevent infection, and increases your response to viruses like the flu virus. In essence, adequate sleep equals longer life span: sleep reduces a person’s chances of heart disease, obesity, diabetes and even cancer, as well as preventing numerous neurological and psychiatric conditions (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, anxiety, depression).

Is your phone your worst enemy?

Our phones are amazing. They allow us to relax, have fun and interact with our loved ones – but they can be harmful, too. Blue lights: that is what our eyes see when we look at a screen. This tricks our brains into thinking that we are awake and feeling ready for the day (as we would think when we see sunlight), which breaks our circadian cycle (essentially our body clock). A way to help your body fall asleep is using ‘Night mode’ on your phone, making the screen a more orange colour and helping to produce melatonin (a chemical that helps you sleep). Another method can be guided meditation that relaxes you brain: apps that are useful for this are Headspace, Calm and even YouTube.

12 ways that you can improve the quality of your sleep:

1. Stick to a sleep schedule. 2. Exercise is great, but not too late in the day. Try to exercise for at least thirty minutes on most days but no

closer than two to three hours before your bedtime, otherwise your body will be on high alert. 3. Avoid caffeine and large meals or beverages late at night. 4. If possible, avoid medicines that delay or disrupt your sleep. 5. Don’t take naps after 3pm, as tempting as they be. 6. Relax before bed. 7. Don’t overschedule your day so that no time is left for unwinding. A

relaxing activity, such as reading or listening to music, should be part of your bedtime ritual.

8. Take a hot bath before bed. 9. Create the right environment: dark bedroom, cool bedroom, gadget-free

bedroom. 10. Daylight is key to regulating daily sleep patterns. Try to get outside in

natural sunlight for at least thirty minutes each day. 11. Have the right sunlight exposure. If possible, wake up with the sun or use

very bright lights in the morning. 12. Don’t lie in bed awake.

If you liked reading this article I would recommend reading the book that inspired this article, ‘Why We Sleep’ by Matthew Walker. Sweet dreams!


‘1914’ Shavi Bir 10R

As the crimson gore flew,

As the cannons blew,

One by one

We traversed beyond the sun.

Our families thought all was swell;

But they didn’t know that the mouth of hell

Had unhinged his jaws open so wide

And lured us all whole inside.

As he crunched on the skeletons of our kin

Not even God knew what there was left to win.

Our fathers were obese with the nation’s pride;

They had no shame in signing their sons up to die.

As our mothers tossed and turned in restless sleep,

Upon our fleshless graves they’d mourn and weep -

And every seed that could have been sown

Will never have the chance to live nor grow.

Our parents received this one faux message:

“We love it here in the trenches.”

As our brothers lie in pieces on the battlefield

Scarlet poppies grow over us – our only shield.

You view the plants encrusted with jewels rogue red

And remember: beneath your feet lie the dead.

As the bloodshot sun fell and the frost began to bite

Thousands more of us diminished into the light.

Forced to suppress our tears and choke our frightened screams,

That was the true battle of 1914.


The following extract is Chapter Two from ‘The Mystery Adventure &

Diamond Brooch’, an exciting short story by Fathima Khaliq (7W). Chapter

One appeared in February’s edition of LOUDSPEAKER…

The First Location I have arrived at the ruined temple. I tread slowly,

carefully, trying not to step on anything that would set

off a booby trap. The kinds from my adventure books:

the ones that have big metal balls that come out from

the large thick walls; the kinds that have flying axes

coming out of the ceiling above; the ones that have

big, thin grinding wheels that could easily make me

into human spaghetti.

I get to the front but there is no entrance. I look

around and around wondering what is going to happen

next. I decide to go round and check the back. I come

across an oddly-shaped, almost triangular dent in the

wall of the temple. Brushing off the dust and sand, I

notice that on the dent are some peculiar shapes…

symbols. I think that these ruins might mean

something.

I try all sorts of translations. I try to guess what it

means. Then I give up. I take out my journal to write

about my frustration. Skimming through it, trying to

find today, I come across a page that has the exact

same marks as on the door, with some English letters

underneath. I take my time, looking for the letters that

match the symbols, and figure out that they mean...

𓀀𓀀𓀀𓀀𓀀 𓀀𓀀𓀀𓀀 𓀀𓀀𓀀𓀀𓀀𓀀

TAKE ONE STEP FORWARD

I take one step forward and go tumbling down, down,

down, into what seems a bottomless pit. Landing with

a CRASH, I feel as though I have broken a bone. The

hard ground below may have broken my fall but I feel

so numb that I don't know. I could still be falling.

I brush the sand and concrete from my shirt and take

a deep breath. Looking around, I think about what to

do now that I'm in this empty, deserted room. I pace

around, at the same time scanning my new

surroundings. I come across a partially-opened latch. I

open it slowly. To my surprise, all that is in there is an

oddly-shaped cube that looks more like a 3D rhombus.

I take it out, but then the mirror vibrates violently.

Much too violently. It makes me drop the rhombus-

shaped object: it cracks into a million pieces, only they

come back together the moment it touches the floor.

It is as if a strong magnetic force is pulling them back

together. Cautiously, I pick it back up and hold it far

away from me while I analyse it.

I look around the empty room trying to find something,

anything that can tell me more about it. I walk, rapidly

gaining speed... then I come to a stop. There, on the

wall, is a dent the same shape as the rhombus-shaped

object. I approach it and push it in... then the room

fills with a blinding light. The shape has some more

symbols written on it and I translate it as

FIND YOUR WAY OUT OF HERE TO CONTINUE YOUR QUEST

Anxiously, I look around, desperately trying to find a

way out of here. I see a small crack big enough for only

a baby monkey to fit through. Then the ceiling starts

to crumble: big pieces of it start to fall. My clothes

start to get stuck underneath the rocks. I quickly take

the mirror out of my bag and wish to be out of this

empty space...


Gender inequality in football and what we can do to support the women’s game

Natasha Khan 11R

My name is Natasha and I love football. I have been playing since 2011. When I joined Lordswood in 2017, the school’s first-ever football team was put together and we all found it an amazing experience; even now you can still attend. Football is a huge part of my life and I am glad, since it has many benefits. For example, football is a great way for children and teenagers to improve social skills as, when playing as part of a team, you can learn how to communicate with each other and with adults such as coaches and referees. It also gives you increased energy: playing sport regularly will generally enhance your energy levels, which in turn can lead to greater stamina and physical ability. Whether you play football for fun or are looking for a career in the future, as lockdown ends and outdoor team sports are allowed again, it could be your chance to learn new skills and make some new friends. Although we have not been able to play football with others during lockdown, many clubs have been providing video links for you to learn some new skills or improve your old ones. There are plenty of YouTube channels that will help you to learn new tricks: “All Attack”, “Unisport” and “Foothacker”.

More importantly, however, since we are discussing football, I would like to shed some light on women’s football and the inequalities that thousands of female players face. There is a huge economic gap between men’s and women’s football and many female players face the prospect of ending their careers due to financial reasons. In a December 2019 report, it was found that 88 per cent of players in the Women’s Super League in England earn less than £18,000 a year. That is, shockingly, just 0.7 per cent of the average annual salary for men playing in the Premier League, which now comes to £2.6 million. Reports also showed that 58 per cent of the competition’s players have considered quitting their careers for financial reasons.

How would you feel if you earnt less for the same job, just because of your gender?

Furthermore, there is a significant divide between how much money is actually invested in male and female football. In total, FIFA awarded £24m to the competing teams in the women's World Cup: however, for last year's men's World Cup, the total prize money awarded was £315m, more than ten times as much. Additionally, on top of prize money, each woman's team received a little over £800,000 for preparation costs and club compensation. The men's teams last year each received £1.5m. This shows how unfair the economic inequality is. However, there are some positives. Over the next three years, FIFA plans to invest £400m to £500m directly into the women's game and clubs are looking for big sponsors and business to support female football. Recently it was announced that all Women’s Super League matches would be televised, live, on BBC or Sky. Additionally, the Football Association has announced that it has launched an initiative focused on the development of coaches working in the elite women's game, which means more teams and players. We can also combat football’s inequalities. There are many organisations and charities present on social media, through which you can learn more and help the drive towards gender equality in football. Social media provides an opportunity for people to learn about gender discrimination and sexism outside of school, and to think differently about gender inequality. I hope this gives you some insight on how we can combat the inequalities in football. I’ll end with a quote that inspires me and, hopefully, it inspires you too: “What all this will lead to, I hope, is that women will build each other up and continue our fight for a seat at the table.” - Alex Morgan, USA football superstar.


The artwork on this page has been created by the wonderfully talented Rawa Rhel (8G).


The storming of the US Capitol

Sera Abraham 7S

Back in January, the world watched in horror as a large group of Donald Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol building in Washington DC. It was a devastating event that resulted in the deaths of four civilians and one police officer.

Why did they do that?

Unfortunately, they had been fed a lie when Mr Trump had said that the election had been a ‘fraud’: there was, in fact, no evidence to support his comments. They also wanted to stop the US Senate declaring Joe Biden the winner of the Presidential Election. Their efforts, thankfully for democracy, were in vain. Why did Donald Trump think that there was electoral fraud?

Before the USA even voted for a new President, Mr Trump was very confident that he was going to win. It is also significant that, normally, people would go to election centres to vote. This year, because of the pandemic, lots of people voted by mail and that also caused lots of tension: it provided Trump with an excuse for his defeat, an opportunity to question the validity of postal votes. Who was Eugen Goodman?

Eugen Goodman was one of the many police officers fighting against the protesters. But he did something quite incredible. While all of the politicians were taking cover in the Senate building, the protesters were getting really close. Eugen Goodman was the only policeman as the protesters chased him up the Capitol stairs. He managed to divert them to another part of the building. It might not seem like the most heroic act in the world but his actions saved the politicians.

How does the storming of the Capitol link to BLM protests?

You may be wondering how this links to the Black Lives Matter movement but it actually does. Many black people in America criticised the way that the police handled the storming of the Capitol. The police seemed to act differently when faced with violent, mostly white pro-Trump protesters compared with how many black people were treated, aggressively, by police during BLM protests in the last year. The double standards seemed alarmingly clear: many peaceful BLM protests resulted in arrests and aggression from police, yet mostly white people stormed the Capitol and very few arrests were made.

Random facts:

1. President Joe Biden is the oldest sitting president at 78 years old! Donald Trump is ‘only’ 74! 2. Donald Trump is one of the tallest presidents at 1.90m (6ft 2in). 3. Amanda Gorman, who read the poem ‘The Hill We Climb’ at President Biden’s inauguration ceremony, is America’s youngest ever Poet Laureate.


Men versus women: A take on gender equality

Jaya Malhi 11D and Ambreen Khan 11W At LGS, we take pride in demonstrating fairness in terms of provision of opportunities and experiences. However, as we take a look at the more modern world, gender prejudice and inequality is still prevalent in our society. We decided to ask your teachers what they think about the lack of equality and their experiences through a range of questions. What does gender equality mean to you?

Mrs Faulkner, do you think it’s important that everyone learns food tech?

Yes (...) it is one of the most important life skills.

Cooking is another step to becoming independent, it is definitely not just the domain of women. Many

men work in the catering industry and are great chefs. However, maybe there is a disparity here: famous female chefs tend to be home cooks such as Mary Berry, Nigella Lawson, Nadiya Hussain, Lorraine Pascale etc. On the other hand, famous male chefs, such as Jamie Oliver, Gordan Ramsey, James Martin etc tend to own restaurants and have worked within

the catering industry. At the end of 2019, 3 Michelin starred female chefs make up less than 4% of the 3 Michelin starred restaurant population.

From my own experience, women tend to do more of the home cooking and I hope it will change in the future. In my home, the cooking duties are shared! Do you think that the hospitality and catering industry is heavily male-dominated? Why?

I do think that the hospitality and catering industry, in terms of cooking, is dominated by men but in other aspects such as housekeeping it is dominated by

women. Maybe it is to do with gender stereotypes and what both women and men are expected to do. Indeed, I trained as a design and technology

resistant materials teacher which is a very male-

dominated world, and sometimes when I told people

what I did they would be very surprised. But I

love doing anything practical and so it was natural to

go into a career and be a role model for other girls.

Mrs Boodhoo, was it difficult at university, as maths is such a male-dominated subject?

There were few girls, for sure; I did find the degree

hard but not because it was a male-dominated subject, just because of the complexity of the subject

itself.

What do you think people could change to solve the pressing issue of gender inequality?

I think women have come a long way but many institutions still fall behind when it comes to

appointing women in executive roles. Educating,

accepting and kindness, especially learning about the struggles of the transgender community or those who do not fall under the binary definition of gender, will be a start.

‘Having equal access to

opportunities and pay regardless of gender.’

‘Taking your car to a garage and not assuming that the

mechanic is a man, that pubs are packed full of fans watching and celebrating England's women's football team

in a World Cup just as they would be for the men's team.’

‘Not judging someone based on their gender.’

‘We should embrace and support anyone of any gender who works to embrace and

support others.’

‘Listening to and understanding the differences of experience’


Mr Lovejoy, do you think History can be significant in teaching us about the importance of gender equality?

Yes! Studying History can help us learn about gender equality and its importance. By studying

the global examples of people who have demanded change towards gender equality, we can understand how positive changes have been achieved - and how we could address the inequalities that remain. What examples of gender inequality have you witnessed or experienced, if you have?

I've never experienced any form of gender inequality myself but I've seen signs of gender inequality as it

affects others, from sexist "jokes" to different treatment at work. I hope, in future, I can be

consistent about challenging this when I see it, or supporting others.

Miss Hart, how do you feel when you see things like ‘women’s’ football or WNBA in the media?

Reframing some sport played by women in terms of gender (and not doing the same for some sport played by men – i.e. referring to ‘women’s football’ whereas ‘men’s football’ is simply referred to as ‘football’),

serves to identify this sport as something different to the norm and therefore reinforces outdated stereotypes. Either this sport is defined by gender,

i.e. men’s football and women's football, or it is defined by sport, i.e. football. Some sports (e.g. equestrianism) have no gender determinations. In what ways do you hope to inspire the girls at Lordswood Girls’ school?

We try to inspire all students to explore a variety of sports and activities to find the one that suits

them best, regardless of gender. For us, participation is the most important thing. What do you think people could change to solve the pressing issue of gender inequality?

It is up to the community of LGS to understand the

importance of challenging the stereotypes and educating ourselves and others.

Mrs Brook, how important do you think women in STEM are?

STEM careers make a huge impact on our society: engineers design our technology. As women make up

half of the population, it’s𓀀 important𓀀 to𓀀 have𓀀female perspectives. Furthermore, the UK has a

shortage of STEM skills: 89% of STEM businesses struggle to recruit. However, it’s a growing industry

with, typically, well paid jobs. The most logical way for this need to be met is for women to fill these roles.

Did you find it difficult to be taken seriously as a woman studying Physics at university?

My time at uni was a very positive experience and I was fortunate to have a couple of great male friends. There

were times where I did feel like I had more to prove because I was a woman. People didn’t believe I

studied Physics when we first met. I remember a guy saying Physics was for ‘geeks’ and ‘ugly girls’. Another time, I worked on a maths problem together with 10 guys (I was the only girl). I had reached the answer but

they𓀀 didn’t𓀀 listen𓀀 to𓀀me𓀀 for𓀀 a𓀀 long𓀀 time. Over

time, I did earn their respect as they saw my grades coming in, but I had to earn it. My friend once said to me that I suffered with imposter syndrome; he was trying to help – he could tell that I had some underlying belief that I didn’t belong and that I wasn’t good at

physics. This wasn’t true – I actually left University with a commendation from the Dean – but I spent

a lot of time thinking I was an imposter. What do you think people could change to solve the pressing issue of gender inequality?

It is deeply rooted in society. When we grow up,

girls are encouraged to play with dolls and boys may be encouraged to play with construction toys. Boys’ toys are likely to lead them to develop confidence in engineering from a young age as they have already had more opportunities to develop their spatial skills.

Solutions need to start young. We need to give

girls the opportunity to choose what toys they play with, to not inhibit them from developing skills that

boys may develop. I think it would also help to raise more awareness of gender bias in society. STEM

classrooms also need to make sure that whoever is the

minority in a class is made to feel valued and like

they belong.


Mr Goetschel, how often have you seen examples of gender prejudice? How does it make you feel?

Gender inequality is all too common. I have

coached a girls' football team and a talented player was forbidden from attending training by her parents because she was told that girls should not be playing football. There are glaringly obvious examples of gender inequality everywhere: for example, of the

almost 800 million illiterate adults worldwide, two thirds are women. In many countries, girls are

out of school since the education of boys is prioritised. What frustrates me most is that we seem to speak

about gender equality every single year and yet we are still so far from true 'equality'. In lockdown

there was a rise in the number of women who became victims of domestic violence. Many

women live in fear of their male partners. This should not happen. Do you think gender equality should be a concern for men?

Gender equality is everyone's problem: if men do

not consider it as their concern, then they are a part

of the problem. A barrier to genuine progress is

the misconception that 'feminist' is a 'dirty word': women and men often feel scared to refer to themselves as a 'feminist' and think it means ‘man-hater’. It doesn’t. It just means that you believe in gender equality. Ultimately, it’s a question of

morality: I believe that you are either a feminist or immoral.

Ms Lynock, have you seen examples of gender prejudice? How did it make you feel?

It is everywhere and it's sneaky! Girls get told that

'boys won't like you' if you're too emotional or forthright, as if making boys like them is more important than being themselves; it's women being told that unwanted attention is a 'compliment'; it's women's health being less well researched. It's also knowing how badly men's mental health is impacted because they're not encouraged to share their

problems and it's seeing how boys get mocked for being𓀀 more𓀀 ‘feminine’. The emotion I most

associate with these experiences is frustration! Frustration that people perpetuate gender inequality or that people lack empathy when others experience

inequality; frustration when people think changing their views after learning new information is somehow a flaw. Experiencing

prejudice and being told that 'you're just being

sensitive' can be damaging. No, it's not ‘being sensitive’ when it happens on a regular basis to so many!

What works of literature do you think are important in the modern day in terms of empowering women and sending significant messages?

Reading classic texts like 'Jane Eyre' can be helpful to track progress so far, but rather than labelling a few

select works as being significant, I'd say it's more important to read a range of texts by a wide range of writers. Not doing so is problematic as it

narrows focus: readers might begin to lump groups of people together, assuming their experiences are all

the same. But reading a range of texts can empower and make it more likely that we will see parts of ourselves reflected in the literature we read.

Mrs Stanley, how do you feel about the gender pay gap?

We have come a long way in the UK to acknowledge

the problems we have with the gender pay gap.

However, there are still unacceptable gaps in high positions in business. As a mother, what society would you like your daughter to be part of?

I want my daughter to feel empowered by her

gender. I want her to understand that she will have certain strengths in some areas and to embrace those, but also that society will not make her feel that she cannot achieve something due to the preconceived ideas of what she should enjoy or excel in. I want her

to be part of a society that makes her feel heard.

What do you think people could change to solve the pressing issue of gender inequality?

Starting these conversations at home is important. It is also important to have clearer

promotion of the laws that are available to people to use to support themselves when they do feel they have

been treated unequally. Lastly, we need to challenge stereotypes of what jobs, interests, sports, etc. are

aligned or associated with each gender: abolishing gender stereotyping is fundamental to making changes that will directly affect future generations.


More responses to the question, ‘What do you think people could change to solve the pressing issue of gender inequality?’… We would like to say an immense thank you to all of the teachers who agreed to take part. Hopefully, this discussion can be continued outside of this article and help to promote the change we need.

If you’d like to read more on the topic of gender equality, here’s the link to an article from The Guardian to get you thinking: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jan/28/no-10-pulls-sexist-covid-ad-showing-all-chores-done-by-women

You might also want to watch this TED talk for examples and ideas of female empowerment and gender equality:

(22) Inspiring the next generation of female engineers | Debbie Sterling | TEDxPSU – YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEeTLopLkEo

‘Make sure gender equality change happens: for instance, making sure both men and women do the shopping, the cooking, the cleaning, the childcare, the DIY, have the career they want,

etc. I have never not chosen to do something because I am a woman.’

‘We can write to MPs and protest: we saw with the 'Black Lives Matter' protests across

the world, what can happen when people come together: if we recognise the need for change and if we demand that change, there

will be progress.’

‘There is still a lot to achieve to bring us closer to gender equality: political change, economic change, cultural

change, social change, etc. How you do it

is up to you. Using your vote is always a good start!’

‘Educate yourselves and encourage others to educate themselves. Read more on the topic, take note when it's in the news and, most importantly, speak up. Prejudice continues when

we're not informed and when it's socially acceptable to allow it to continue.’

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jan/28/no-10-pulls-sexist-covid-ad-showing-all-chores-done-by-women



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEeTLopLkEo


No farmers, no food: What is happening in India?

Tara Lidder and Simran Thandi 11R

Many people may be aware of the current lack of democratic stability in India, either from images and posts via social media or through daily news stories. Thousands of farmers are protesting against what is seen as unjust new legislation that the Indian Government is trying to pass. The three laws involved are expected to be damaging to the livelihoods of farmers in India which, as a result, has led to a massive increase in support for the protesting.

Currently, in India, 58% of the population are farmers who either hold land that has been family-owned for 10 to 12 generations or live in rural parts of India that heavily rely on agriculture to provide for their families. Given this fact, it is unsurprising that the protests and scrutiny on the new laws has gained so much momentum within India. A shocking 16, 000 farmers a year commit suicide in the country, influenced by a range of factors: increasing levels of pollution, decreases in crop production, unfair pay and, most recently, Modi’s laws. The response of farmers to these proposed laws has been one of outrage, with people travelling from the states of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh to Delhi to raise their voices of protest. The laws state that big corporations will buy produce from farmers and further sell them at a much higher price. Farmers do not want the privatisation of the food supply as this will affect prices, income and their standard of living. The corporations have already started buying crops from farmers for 7 rupees ( 7p ) and are selling to cities for 150 rupees (£1.50), which highlights the inequality and unfairness of the pay that India’s farmers are receiving. In the UK, the minimum wage is around £8.72 per hour: this is an £8.65 difference between the average Indian farmer’s hourly pay and people earning minimum wage in the UK. This decrease in pay would be similar to our government

cutting down the minimum wage from £8.72 to £2.00 per hour. It is no surprise, then, that Prime Minister Modi and the Indian government have recently been criticised for displaying the so-called ‘oligarchy effect’ - where a rich, powerful person takes control of a country's most valuable assets. Perhaps most concerningly, Modi has also continued to violate the UN’s human right of freedom to protest. While implementing their rights, farmers have had tear gas and water cannons fired at them, as well as being hit with batons and, in some cases, even chained up. Over 200 farmers have died. Most of these farmers have been elderly, at least 60 years old. The Indian government even reportedly went as far as cutting protesters’ WiFi and internet access as well as getting 250 Twitter accounts that mentioned the farmers protest banned (Source: BBC News).

A surge of support for the Khalistan movement, named after the region where Punjab separates from India, to form an independent country has risen over the past couple of months. Many people now believe that Modi is actively seeking to discriminate against Muslims and Sikhs living in India. South Asians from around the world have been campaigning for this movement but celebrities have also spoken out. Influencers such as Rihanna, Russ, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris are supporting the Khalistan movement. The hope is that, if enough people raise their voices in support of the protests, Modi and the Indian government might finally hear. And listen.


Covid-19: The rise in anti-Asian hate crimes …and why we need to talk about it

Aram Akbari Madovi 11W At Lordswood Girls’ School, we pride ourselves on our diversity and multiculturalism: we respect all people and all backgrounds; we are tolerant of all cultures, genders, races and sexualities. Unfortunately, this respect for others does not exist throughout the world. A worrying side-effect of the Covid-19 pandemic has been an alarming rise in the number of hate crimes against Asian people reported to the police, as well as a more subtle, but no less concerning, discrimination and prejudice that is often overlooked and ignored.

Statistics…

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, anti-Asian hate crimes have increased by almost 300% in the UK alone and a shocking 1900% in the United States. Reported hate crimes have increased significantly after each national lockdown, rising from 261 to 396 per month between April and June 2020.

Along with the rise in xenophobia towards the Chinese community, other East and Southeast Asian groups have found themselves the targets of bigotry and prejudice, becoming victims of unprovoked violence, bullying and verbal harassment across the world.

The𓀀effect𓀀of𓀀the𓀀pandemic…

The start of the pandemic also reportedly escalated micro-aggressions experienced by people of East Asian and Southeast Asian descent - such as members of the public avoiding them on public transport, or refusing to share lifts. Discrimination against the Asian communities has, of course, sadly always existed (as, indeed, does prejudice against all minority groups in some form), but it has rarely been reported by mainstream media - the pandemic, however, has forced us to confront this worrying prejudice.

How𓀀societal𓀀structures𓀀enable𓀀this𓀀racism…

Regardless of uncertainty over the origin of the coronavirus, news articles have extensively used pictures and videos of people of Asian descent, therefore giving coronavirus a ‘face’.

Sarah Owen, who became the first female MP of Chinese descent in 2019, recently said, ‘Anti-Asian and anti-Chinese racism has unfortunately always existed, but the pandemic has lifted the lid and poured fuel on the fire for the far right. [There have been attempts] to dehumanise, devalue and lump us together.’

The normalisation of such rhetoric as ‘Kung Flu’ and ‘Chinese virus’ further reinforces assumptions that Asian communities are associated with the virus.

The Met police have recorded crimes against ‘oriental’ people throughout the pandemic: the institutional use of this term not only supports the outdated stereotypes of East Asian groups as “exotic” but also underpins the notion that they are not truly part of British society.

Take𓀀action.𓀀Raise𓀀awareness…

Reach out to your Asian friends and colleagues – but don't ask them to educate you. Remember that racism can be unlearned. Owen added: ‘Racism is taught. And it may not be your parents sitting you down telling you specifically like, 'Don't trust those Asians. Don't be friends with Black people.' No, I think it's in every grain of your upbringing.’

In order to unlearn racism, you need to question your own privileges, consider the media you consume and accept the fact that you will make mistakes. Also, apologise and own up to your mistakes. After all, we are all equal.


‘The Boy With No Story’ Tayyba Tabassum 11R

The boy-with-no-story stared at his reflection in the mirror. Golden eyes, sun-kissed curls, pale skin and a mouth that looked as if it should always be smiling. It only looked as such.

The frown that plagued his mouth at that moment was enough to ruin anyone’s day. It was a frown that bore the fear he felt: fear of the unknown; the fear of having no control over his future; the fear that nothing would ever last.

Just like him. Eventually, he would grow old. He would die. And he would be lost forever.

The boy-with-no-story often spent his nights wondering if he would wake up tomorrow and, more often than not, he would stay awake the whole night, fear eating away inside him. To awake the next day was the biggest blessing he’d ever received. But what was the point if the next day was as fruitless as his life had been?

Time always seemed to be slipping out of his fingers, and no matter how often he tried to catch up, he was left behind. At some point, he stopped chasing it and at some point, his smile became nothing more than a front.

Because there was nothing to smile about.

But he would keep smiling despite the war that took place in his mind. And if his smile could make someone else’s day even the slightest bit better, then he would smile. Smile until it hurt. Until his heart no longer did. No one in this world was without their own suffering. A ‘tragic backstory’ was something almost everyone had in common.

However, the boy-with-no-story couldn’t claim that narrative. There was no narrative in his life; not really.

He was a healthy young man, with a financially stable family and, all his childhood, he had been given everything he wanted. There was no longer any desire in him to have more.

Because he had enough. But he didn’t feel like he was enough.

So why wasn’t he happy? Why couldn’t he comfort his poor mother who worried about him every second of the day, telling him how gaunt he looked? Why couldn’t he comfort himself? What was missing in his life? When would he stop just existing and actually start living? Was this a life worth living?

These were the thoughts that constantly rose in his mind. Some people had defeated death and lived to tell their tales. There were people changing the world. There were people making a difference.

He was not one of those people. So why?

Why, why, why?

The boy-with-no-story could only ask himself why? There were so many questions he had. So many left unanswered.

“I am tired. I am tired of feeling nothing and everything. I am tired of feeling worthless. I am tired of being tired. I am…”

And when Zeus had finally relented his storms, his son Apollo came to greet the world with his bright smile. The boy-with-no-story smiled back.

He stood on the hill and stared down at the world in front of him, inches away from the edge.

He inhaled slowly, the scent of the ocean wafting into his nose, the cool breeze rustling his hair. The brightest and most beautiful colours of life were spread out in front of him. The sky was a striking blue, the grass was greener than he remembered and the array of flowers peeked up at him. Small figures manoeuvred their ways through the crowds, all living together but living alone all the same.

He exhaled.

The boy-with-no-story glanced at the book in his hand, the story of some stranger with him, their thoughts and words now a part of him. Would his words ever change someone’s life as this stranger’s had changed his?


Some stranger who he had never met before but now knew as well as he knew himself. They had made their story known and he had lost himself in their world. Could his words do the same? Could the boy-with-no-story have a story? Once he would have thought he had no story because what was a story if even the owner didn’t know where it was going? But his story had only just begun. He would make his own story and he would share it with the world. Stories are meant to be shared - even stories like his. So until death beckons him closer, he will write his own story. Even if is eventually lost, he hopes his story will not be forgotten by you. The boy-with-no-story, the boy with golden eyes, sun-kissed curls, pale skin and a mouth that looked as if it should smile. The boy-with-no-story stepped forward, and the world welcomed him with open arms. After all, his world was also something to get lost in.

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