Introduction: ‘Threat’

Yet this practice, which seems so threatening, is itself always under threat. First it was under threat from the boys: banging on the door and demanding to be let in to the girls’ night. Then the persuasions of supportive professionals were also potentially threatening: ‘There is such a need for progressive and supportive work with boys as well as girls, on sexual health and teenage pregnancy for example.’ Of course this is true. But because the larger share of budgets still goes to boys, anti-sexist work needs to recognise and respect the power of agenda-setting in autonomous work with girls.