Naked calendar in national backlash

**The University’s first Women’s Rowing Naked Calendar has come to the attention of the national press after the society’s stocking-filler sparked debate over the ethics of its production.**

Shot on the banks of the Avon river in the first term of this year in black and white tones, the calendar is on sale to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Research, joining the annual men’s naked calendar.

The men’s calendar, which has been published for the past four years, has never produced much criticism, and this year’s copy has already sold out.

The women rowers however, have found themselves subject to a backlash that has now made national news headlines.

Featured on _The Huffington Post_ and the _Mail Online_, debate has erupted as to whether the women’s calendar is pandering to the objectification of women and damaging the feminist cause.

Student blogger Layla Haidrani from the University of Kent dismissed the calendar as “tacky” and “helping women to be perpetually viewed as sex objects, something to be bought, sold and then tossed away”.

Her article has prompted an unprecedented debate involving students from all over the country as to the merits of getting naked for charity, with over 270 comments online.

Hettie Reed, from Women’s Rowing’s PR team, told _The Huffington Post_ that the calendars were not “watered-down pornography” and that “these calendars make money for some fantastic charities, so what really is the harm in them?”

Ms Reed also drew attention to the one-sidedness of the criticisms, noting that the men’s calendar had experienced no such outrage: “It’s grossly unfair,” she said.

“Our men’s calendar has received none of this kind of attention. It is much easier for a woman to be labelled a ‘slut’ than a man, and this attitude has seemingly filtered down into the naked calendar market.”

The rowers expect to raise in excess of £500 for Macmillan through the sales of both calendars, with the women’s calendar proceeds specifically focused on raising money for cervical cancer research.

Frankie Salzano, also from the society’s PR team, spoke exclusively to the _Boar_: “Women everyday find themselves subject to constant scrutiny from the media on how much they should weigh, how their bodies should look.

“This feeds a stereotype to women, which is what feminism is trying to break.”

Reacting to the criticism, she said: “Our calendar shows real, sporty women’s figures that have not been photoshopped or edited. For young women of our age I think it is important to be confident in yourselves – in this day and age, body confidence is so important.

“It was empowering to go against the grain, to embrace how you look and to feel confident.”

Sports officer at Warwick Students’ Union Natasha Cabral also condemned the criticism. She said: “After experiencing the success of the men’s rowing naked calendar, the women’s club identified an opportunity to raise money for a charity that is personal to a number of their members.

“The SEMI-naked photographs are tasteful and not remotely tacky. This calendar illustrates the choices and opportunities women now have. To suggest the calendar ‘damages the feminist cause’ simultaneously contradicts the aim of the movement to achieve liberation and equality.

“Macmillian Cancer Research is a charity incredibly close to my heart so for that reason I congratulate the girls for being inspired my the men’s club and having the initiative to create their own. If that’s not equality in action, I don’t know what is.”

Owen Evans, a third year Classics student, said: “I don’t think this can be branded as a sexism debate when there is a men’s calendar which hasn’t come under the same level of criticism. Besides, it’s for charity, which is a good thing.”

Third-year Psychology student Hava Kranat told the _Boar_: “It’s raising money for a good cause, I like the idea. And it’s a ‘bit of fun’, it’s not directly harming anyone. If it is, just don’t buy a calendar.”