The Funny Women Awards 2013 are now open. And as well as looking for the funniest female stand-ups in the UK, the awards are also on the hunt for come...

We've come a way in female comedy. When I created Funny Women just over 10 years ago it was the 'single white female' of the comedy circuit. With the help of an experienced (male) comedy promoter, we encouraged and cajoled around 70 women to enter the first ever Funny Women Awards in 2003 for one main prize. Now we attract over 300 women (and growing year on year) to enter for five different categories.

The Funny Women Awards are back to find and support the next generation of brilliant female comics. The awards have been the launch pad for a numbe...

There are great 'tribes' of women around the world with an armoury of communication skills inherent to their cultures yet the common denominator, the uniting factor, will nearly always be humour and laughter. This is the means by which we can speak as one voice.

We should be celebrating Miranda Hart's achievements in the male-dominated world of TV comedy, not searching for offence Sometimes you can time a b...

There is a serious trend for rape jokes in comedy clubs. On an average night, you'll hear the word "rape" more often than "David Cameron", "the NHS" or "Mitt Romney".

“Women” (pronounced “wee – men”) It seems like they are everywhere these days; shops, barns, even the local barn shop (where you buy barns.)...

Outright sexism is such a rare sight in an office, it's fascinating to see it depicted as a recent historical curiosity in the fictional world of Sterling Cooper. But lately I've noticed that it parallels pretty well with attitudes that 21st Century women working in comedy, deal with all the time.

I feel that large parts of the comedy establishment create a hostile working environment for women, by holding views and practices that are outdated in nearly all other industries.

I'd say that Britain has a problem with beautiful women being funny while Hollywood has a problem with not-conventionally-beautiful women being funny. But that's because Hollywood has a problem with not-conventionally-beautiful women, full stop.

I will say this: feminism, especially feminism on the comedy circuit, is in a weird place right now. From my experiences the past few years doing stand up, I've learnt that if you're a woman on the circuit you're expected to feel a certain way about certain issues, shun certain organisations, promoters and publications, and conversely, embrace others.

A lot of research vexing about body image seems to be getting air time. Some findings have revealed that more men are worrying about their appearance from 'man boobs to tums' - http://bit.ly/z1EtUT- but the tax payer has also funded some contra revelations: 'until young girls get more esteem we won't have any female doctors for the future' with the additional back up fact that women no longer need to be judged on puffy criteria http://ind.pn/Hah3X2

Two days ago, UK comedy website Chortle announced its nominations for the 2012 Chortle Awards. Covering live, TV, radio, web and even DVD comedy, the...

However, it was brought to my attention early last year that I suffer from what I think is a common disease (excuse) amongst creatives: lazyitis. Do you wake every morning with a gut reaching feeling of anxiety (Usually because it's past 10am and I know I should have got up earlier and therein the guilt starts)?

Call it belief, call it over-excitement, call it both dumb and blind optimism: I am rather sharing Mr Welland's view right now after the year 2011 has been. Not for Brits in movies, that is - but for women in comedy.