Is social media demonising female contraception?
The wellness narrative on apps like TikTok is driving a distrust of the contraceptive pill. Is this a regression of modern feminism, or a valid stance against medical intervention into women' s bodies? Speaking about her role as a school sex educator, Maya Walsh-Little told Polyester readers that the...
Current in Change
Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza attacked by drone for a second time
The flotilla, aimed at breaking Israel’s siege on Gaza, was targeted twice by drones carrying flammable projectiles. On both occasions the boats were moored in Tunisia. Boats making up the Global Sumud Flotilla have been targeted twice in two days by drones dropping flammable objects as they docked overnight in...
World Athletics mandates gene test for athletes in women’s categories
The athletics governing body has mandated that female athletes undergo testing to detect the presence of the Y chromosome, which is linked to male sex characteristics. Those who test positive are barred from competition on the grounds of having an unfair advantage over athletes without the gene. The sex-determining region...
What Rylan Clark tells us about the failure of government communication
The presenter’s stance on immigration has caused widespread backlash. But is the response a sign that the immigration debate is shifting? When Rylan Clark first appeared on the X Factor in 2012, sporting a set of blinding white veneers and a wotsit shade of spray tan, it was hard to...
Should the world map be changed to reflect Africa’s true size?
The African Union – made up of Africa’s 55 countries – has joined a campaign called Correct the Map to urge national governments and international organizations to use a more accurate world map. You’ve probably heard that the world map we’re used to seeing is skewed, with the proportions of...
Lush shuts UK shops, factories, and website in solidarity with Gaza
The high street cosmetics retailer has shut down its website, UK shops, and factories to protest Israel’s ongoing starvation of people in Gaza. On September 3rd, beauty retailer Lush announced it would be closing its website, shops, and factories across the UK to protest Israel’s forced starvation of Gaza’s...
What’s up with A-level and GCSE grades in 2025?
Results season recently rolled around again, and with it came the usual mix of tears, relief, and a flurry of memes. But this year’s A-level and GCSE grades in the UK paint a particularly complicated picture - one that Gen Z students can’t afford to ignore. Why are grades shifting post-Covid? When Covid-19 shut down schools, traditional exams were replaced with teacher-assessed grades. That meant results in 2020 and 2021 were...
Amidst a cost of living crisis, children are the ultimate status symbol
Large families are increasingly hard to achieve – and afford. As the cost of living continues to rise, have children become the ultimate status symbol? And what does this say about our values? In Britain today, raising a single child is enough to stretch most households to the edge of their means. Housing costs, childcare, food, and education make family planning a calculation in survival as much as sentiment. Against this...
What is the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza?
A fleet of more than 50 ships will embark on the largest mission to break Israel’s ongoing illegal siege on Gaza yet. A storm has delayed the first leg of the trip, but organisers are determined to take to the seas as soon as it is safe to do so – possibly tonight. A global fleet of more than 50 ships set sail from Barcelona on Sunday with the aim...
African agriculture must reckon with child labour
In many African countries, classrooms remain almost empty during farming season. This is due to the workforce needed on these farms, and children under 18 years, are burdened to offer such services with little to no pay. Africa’s child labour problem has become a global crisis. The International Labour Organisation (ILO), as well as UNICEF, estimates that globally more than 160 million children are still engaged in...
