Myth-busting Women’s Prisons

There are many misunderstandings circulating about the criminal justice system and the prisoners which inhabit it. For example, as a young child you may have learnt that prison makes society safer: somewhat true, but also very much not. As part of the HMP Downview partnership, which focuses on educating ourselves and others about women in the criminal justice system, we are here to help bust some of common myths about prisons.

Myth-busting Women’s Prisons

China’s Population Demographics: Winners and Losers

Until recently, China was the world’s most populous country with around 1.4 billion people, equivalent to a staggering 17.72% of the total world population. Yet, an irreversible population decline in China has led to India overtaking it as the world’s most populous country. Reasons for this mainly centre around the transition of China’s traditional centrally planned economy to a mixed economy, allowing for greater freedom from the state in many industries. This has allowed for China to become an internationally competitive country, with employment opportunities for men and women that has resulted in households no longer feeling obligated to have children. In fact, between 2019 and 2021, large Chinese provinces and cities have seen huge drops in birth rates, largely due to China’s economic boom. China’s urbanisation has also shown a change of view in a woman’s “purpose” and “role” in the household, particularly in rural areas. Chinese traditions that were once focussed on women being responsible for all domestic duties and having children, rather than aspiring to obtain a future career, have given way to greater emphasis on gender equality, especially in education. These progressive values have encouraged women to work rather than settling down and is leading to a view that marriage and birth are barriers to freedom.

China’s Population Demographics: Winners and Losers

The Science of Apologising

Be honest – have you ever found it difficult to apologise? It could range from not wanting to admit a mistake, to refusing to admit you were wrong to a friend because it’s so awkward. And whilst apologising can be awkward and uncomfortable in the moment, the long-term benefits always outweigh the emotional discomfort in the moment. But why do we find it so uncomfortable to apologise, even though we understand that the pros will usually outweigh the cons in the long-term?

The Science of Apologising

Sri Lanka’s financial crisis: What has happened so far and what are the next steps for this struggling economy?

Sri Lanka’s financial crisis is the worst that the country has faced since its independence in 1948 and has included a steep increase in the amount of debt that the country owes, and extremely high rates of inflation. Although the peak of the crisis occurred in the spring and summer of 2022, the country is still dealing with the effects of the disastrous period and is slowly starting to try to work towards some forms of solution to help heal the broken economy and repair the damage that was caused.

Sri Lanka’s financial crisis: What has happened so far and what are the next steps for this struggling economy?

Representation and the Girl in the Mirror

As a child, whenever I watched TV, I never saw somebody who looked like me. It was hard to dress up as my favourite character from a movie. Tiana was great but I loved Belle’s dress the most. It was only when I started watching Disney Channel that I got to see Zendaya in Shake It Up and I could think that maybe I looked a bit like her. So many kids grow up not being able to see themselves in their favourite characters from the shows they watch every day. I couldn’t picture what it would be like to look at those characters and see what I saw in the mirror, especially growing up as a mixed child, I never got to see characters that looked even remotely like me.

Representation and the Girl in the Mirror