I’d like to wish GirlsGerms readers a happy new year! Thanks for being interested in learning about some of the important and interesting things women have been doing during the past twelve months. The news line has been a little quiet over the last two months while I have been dealing with an urgent family health issue, but things are settling down now and you can look forward to new stories – and a fresh look for the website – after the new year. If you need some summer holiday reading you may find some of these features from other writers worthwhile. You can access them via the headline links…

Women in uniform -  by Anne Summers in The Monthly (Dec 2011 – Jan 2012). Anne’s essay looks at some of the work women already undertake in Australia’s Defence Force and, in light of the Federal Government’s decision to remove the remaining restrictions on women in combat roles, she discusses the already-blurred lines between combat and non-combat activities.

Young Victorian of the Year crusades for disabled youth - by Michelle Griffin in The Age (28 Dec). Michelle profiles Georgia Retallick, the 2011 Young Victorian of the Year. At just 20 she is already working hard to establish the country’s first nursing home for young people. After setting up her own charitable foundation (Y House) she already has the design for a 25-bed centre and a list of builders, carpenters and disability specialists ready to donate labour and materials. Now she is pursuing the funds to embark on the next stage.

Women’s freedom after the Arab revolutions - by Or Avi-Guy in The Age National Times (27 December). Women were a vital part of the protest movements during the Arab Spring uprisings. Or discusses whether women can expect any greater freedoms in the aftermath of those revolutions. And for a more detailed examination of the threats to women’s rights in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya, read Or’s essay (here) from last month on the AIJAC website.

Women’s boxing vs the skirt -by Sam Derrick in The Punch (30 December). Sam draws on the recent controversy in women’s boxing, which makes its debut at the 2012 London Olympics, to discuss how women in sport are portrayed and valued. She also reminds us of some of the strong sporting performances by Australian women over the year.

Body image and women’s magazines - by Mia Freedman on mamamia website (29 December). Mia, a former editor of Cosmo, Cleo and Dolly magazines, tried to highlight the positives of the unusual occurrence of an older woman (50 year-old Deborah Hutton) as the naked cover girl on a a recent issue of Women’s Weekly, but found herself having to justify her acceptance of the ‘minimal’ airbrushing used on the image. She does also make some worthwhile observations about the realities of publishing women’s magazines.