International Women’s Day 2016: Read our most-read feminist articles

From the tampon tax to Taylor Swift, these have been our most read articles written by and about women over the last year

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Women who have been raped can now pay for their own counselling through the tampon tax. Bravo, Osborne

Holly Baxter

Some remote communities believe they will suffer bad luck such as natural disasters, abrupt death of animals, and illnesses if women are not banished to huts or cowsheds when they menstruate

“Osborne presumably thinks that women will respond gratefully to his announcement, allowing us to finally enjoy the spoils of our luxury tampon tax. ‘What a noble move!’ we are supposed to cry, while shredding our sanitary towels into confetti and sprinkling them in the streets (don’t worry about the waste – it’s all going to charity, girls.) ‘Women can now collectively take responsibility for the provision of support services to women. Finally, we’re being given the means to sort out the problems we created. This truly is the Big Society.”

Follow Holly: @h0llyb4xter

In her response to Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift has proven that she's white feminism's off-beat, bambi-legged patronus

Yomi Adegoke

Smiles all round (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

"Despite popular belief, "white feminism" is not about white women who happen to be feminists. It is about feminism that prioritises the needs of white women while sidelining issues affecting women of colour. And Swift has just proved she is white feminism's off-beat, bambi-legged Patronus.

"Swift appears to have been so dazed by her own blinding white privilege that she couldn’t see Minaj’s tweets extended far beyond usual pop princess pettiness. Her tone deaf response proves the music industry’s well-documented issues with race aren’t on her radar because they don’t affect her and instead of taking heed, took offence. But it’s nothing we’ve not seen before."

Follow Yomi: @yomiadegoke

My frightening experience with a male friend taught me that women are innately vulnerable

Anonymous

“Without a word he kicked me out of the bed with completely unreasonable force. The next time I tried to get into the bed he wrestled me (successfully, because I weigh 105 lbs), painfully grabbing onto my wrists and arms and throwing me onto the floor.

"Once more I climbed under the duvet, at which point he stood up, pulled the covers away from the bed, leaving me exposed and feeling very confused and very vulnerable. Then he picked up a full glass of water from the bed side table, and slowly, from a height poured it over me.”

I've been called a 'Feminazi' for calling out a sexist man on Linkedin – but I spoke out for all women

Charlotte Proudman

“While I am very much aware of the importance of privacy, I named the solicitor who sent the message, because, in my view, the public interest of exposing sexism outweighed any right to privacy here. If people don’t experience the repercussions for their actions, which are plainly wrong, then their behaviour will not change, and neither will sexist culture. All too often, women are afraid to speak up about these small but significant comments on their appearance which happen every single day. In this instance, I was particularly taken back as the message was sent by a senior legal professional.”

Adam Johnson's defence was a worryingly feminist one

Siobhan Fenton

Adam Johnson was convicted of a sex offence against a 15-year-old girl (Corbis)

“The suggestion during the trial that Johnson's career affected his mental progression, and that this could somehow excuse his harmful attitude towards young women, taps directly into feminist arguments about rape culture. And by doing so, it minimises his actions, and invokes the trappings of masculinity as a defence for his violence. It’s an odd, inverted logic and a troubling development in sexual violence trials.”

Follow Siobhan: @siobhanfenton