Because we are (mostly) wimmin at Squeamish we follow BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour on Twitter (you can follow us here! Or, while we're shamelessly self-promoting, like us here). Balanced as it is we often see the Woman's Hour Twitter account juggle new trends such as wearing neon with matters such as age, equality and the how to cook the perfect lasagne.

Today they are asking if parents are leaving too much to schools when it comes to sex education. A look at a certain paper and it looks a lot like the answer is yes. Or rather it would be preferable for neither teachers nor parents to broach the subject of, you know, you know. The birds and the bees. It is, apparently, a parent's right to ignore any signs of their child's burgeoning sexuality and a breach of this right for anyone else to keep the kids informed.

You know it, I know it, Annie Lennox knows it: 'Behind every great man there had to be a great woman.' So it should come as no surprise that David Cameron would like to get in on this act and tell us his wife Samantha Cameron has been taking time out from London Fashion Week to inform him he needs more women in his cabinet.

Speaking at Unilever's headquarters in Mumbai in response to the question of Britain having anything to teach India about opening up opportunities to women. “If you look at politics in Britain, there aren't nearly enough women around the Cabinet table.” Cameron conjured up the image of he and Sam in the marital bed. Morcambe and Wise style. Sam looking up from her iPad and saying: 'Babe,* I think you need more girlies on the cab' and David nodding in acknowledgement saying: 'Babe, I might tweet that. Night.'

On this last Squeamish Bikini post of 2012 it's definitely worth noting this was the year the word 'intersectional' was brought to the attention of many feminists. I know a lot of feminists have probably started to form a twitch every time they see the words 'intersectional' or 'privilege' on Twitter. I know some feminists have despaired and branded much of this year's feminist discussion in-fighting.

I am sure there has been some in-fighting this year, in playgrounds, boardrooms and social networking. But I don't believe calling a person who would like to identify as an ally out for ill used language, for instance, is in-fighting. Can it really be such a terrible power sap to listen to minorities? Frankly if I ever find myself part of a movement that doesn't question itself, that isn't striving for constant development or evolution then I want out. Immediately. 

TRIGGER WARNING

In July we wrote about the General Synod's decision to adjourn the debate on the legislation of women bishops. The votes were counted as 288 for the appointment of women bishops, 144 against and 1 abstentions. Perhaps you're not particularly interested in the fight over who gets to wear what hat. Maybe you think it doesn't apply to you – you're not of the C of E domination, you aren't a church goer. Perhaps you are someone who enjoys discussions about all the evils organised religion has brought on the world. Or you are simply of another faith. Yawn, are we still talking about this? Surely it's just another sign of how behind the times the Church of England is.

But is it? Is the hostility towards women in pointy hats something that belongs in our shameful past (hah) of witch hunts or is it bang on to the present? It isn't necessarily a question of readiness, tradition or scripture (the difficulty with which I will discuss later) but precedent. Consider the apparent lack of consideration for a woman Director General of the BBC. There's no real reason why there shouldn't be one besides the fact it just isn't done. 

Feminism. Even before Caitlin Moran launched her book How to be a Woman feminism has been finding itself brought up in conversation. A new unapologetic ownership of the word 'feminism' is rising up. American feminist magazine Bust interviews usually ask their interviewees if they are a feminist. A surprising amount of women would take the opportunity to distance themselves from woman's lib. Gwen Stefani, the woman who fronted No Doubt singing about how the boys in her band (it was the 90s – it was kinderwhore era - nobody grew up) got a different deal from her, who wrote the song Just a Girl, informed Bust in 2007 that she was not a feminist. This year the young women Kat Dennings, Tavi Gevinson and Mindy Kaling were all happy to discuss their feminism in Bust Magazine.

Once a year, a couple of hundred people gather somewhere in the UK for a weekend of discussion, socialising, and workshops known as Bicon.

I spent last weekend at Bicon 2012, and when Squeamish Kate asked me to write about it for this site, I wasn't sure where to start at first. But then I realised that when I've said where I've been, I often get the same few questions: what? how? And, perhaps most often – why? So I'll do my best – newbie to the scene that I am – to answer them. Not necessarily in any particular order mind you...

The most straightforward is probably the 'what?'

As the name might suggest, it's largely a place for bisexuals. But the event is not exclusive – as the main website explains, “We don't all use the labels "bi" or "bisexual" or even agree on what it means to be bi, but bisexuality is the common theme.” Friends, allies, lovers and the curious are welcomed with open arms, so long as they abide by the code of conduct (which I'll come onto in a moment). 

On Saturday, London hosted World Pride – an event that should have been a riotous combination of political protest, partying and spectacle. But that's not quite how it happened.

The event has been in the news for all the wrong reasons during the run-up, with the organisers and City Hall arguing over financing and regulations. Floats were banned from taking part after groups had already hired and decorated them, the start time was moved from 1pm to 11am, and all of the events that usually take place in Soho were cancelled, with venues warned that excessive noise or outside drinkers would see their licences revoked.

It's hard to know where to point the finger of blame for what can only be described as a massive débâcle. It seems that the organisers, politicians and bureaucrats  all need to take a share of the blame – as detailed in this uncharacteristically thoughtful article by Peter Tatchell. All in all it looks like a series of miscalculations that would put Gerald Ratner to shame. 

Following the unsurprising news that having an abortion does not increase women’s chances of having any form of mental illness a debate went ahead yesterday in Parliament.

Gavin Shuker, Labour MP for Luton South, called for an Adjournment Debate on pregnancy counselling which was held yesterday in the House of Commons.

This debate covered the Amendments to the Health and Social Care Bill tabled by Nadine Dorries MP and Frank Field MP which proposed changed to abortion counselling requirements. Oh, you thought the fact that it was comprehensively rejected by Parliament in September meant it was over? Ha! And again ha!