It is our belief that there is another side to every story and that human voices add an extra dimension to our perception of places, events and groups of people. Our mission is to provide relevant and challenging content to our target audience; those in their teens to late twenties who want intelligent reading material that celebrates their successes and acknowledges the complexities of the young
adult experience. We are feminists and proud of it, yet while the content you'll find in our early stages is written by and often most relevant to women, the stories that we share here are for everyone. Men are welcome to engage with and contribute to et cetera, the one thing that we demand from every member of this community is that you value and respect everyone as much as you expect them to value and respect you. We seek as much diversity as possible from our collaborators and our readership. Our aim is to grow organically, reaching out to potential collaborators across borders and time zones to ensure that we represent the voices of the widest possible range of people. Our online journal is a fashion-free and beauty-free space. Not because these aren't valid interests about which there is an incredible volume of witty, insightful and intelligent writing, but because there is a distinct lack of space for women's voices and thoughts that does not also contain some message about personal appearance. We are far too quick to undermine ourselves and our right to express our intelligence without also feeling the need to assert our femininity. The way that we look is personal and should not infiltrate every aspect of our day-to-day lives. In our ‘soul food’ section you can expect to find memoirs and personal pieces, such as our series on Identity or our set of Letters to My Sixteen Year Old Self. The stories you’ll find here are the product of the bravery and honesty of our contributors; we have some raw and powerful content that addresses issues of race, religion, body image, mental health, sexuality, gender and many other of the challenges that face today’s young women. In ‘comment’, we take on issues that that are culturally or politically relevant and that will provoke thought and debate among our readers. As well as keeping you up to date on key political events, we plan to discuss the issues that threaten women’s equality and freedom, such as sexual exploitation and harassment. It is our intention to tackle these subjects with the respect that they deserve and with the aim of encouraging open debate among our readers. In ‘world’, we look to our collaborators to share their experiences of other places and cultures. From interviews with those working in international development, to personal reflections on travel, it is our aim to give our readers a taste of the unknown and the inspiration to go and discover more about the world for themselves.
‘The Digest’ is a Sunday evening update of the news stories that you may have missed and the things you need to take note of to start your week off well. By joining our newsletter, you can have it sent straight to your inbox. Finally, ‘life’ is where you’ll find our authors sharing their experiences of being young and independent with you. In our monthly Reading List you’ll find links to free, online resources, articles, essays and other literature to challenge and inspire you. You’ll also see features on relationships, growing up and finding your feet in the wider world. This is your go-to for our take on what it means to be a young woman in the twenty-first century. For more information or to enquire about collaborating with et cetera, please email [email protected].
