A phoenix from the ashes of despair. An ugly duckling that became a swan. What is initially unappealing and unpromising has the potential to become beautiful and admirable in maturity. There is hope for us all.
Category Archives: feminism
Mirror Mirror
Why is it that women have such a difficult time accepting aging? Sure, in ancient times our life opportunities could be determined by looks and child bearing capabilities; but those times are long gone and yet society still seems unable to value women over the age of 40.
She Persisted
Research shows that women who want to succeed are told that they need to consciously monitor themselves to balance assertion with enough caring/nurturing behaviours so they don’t upset the way in which others are used to seeing the world working. How much longer do we need to hide our strength behind a soft outer shell to be accepted and recognised for what we can contribute?
So much more to give
What are we doing in reading Rapunzel to our sons and daughters? A girl who was so conditioned to focus on her looks that she fails to realise that she could use her own hair to abseil down the tower and escape to freedom. So much for realistic life expectations and good role models.
Asking for it?
Stay on the path and don’t talk to strangers is the advice from little Red Riding Hood’s mother as she sends her off on another elder care errand, a little basket of cakes dangling from her arm.
Who blazed your trail?
There are so many women who have inspired me, and made my life and career a little richer. So thank you to all those feminists who stood up and challenged those in power enabling me to study, to work after marriage, to own property and to vote. Thank you to those who endeavoured to get me equal pay. Thank you to those who are making it clear that sexual harassment is not OK.
Lock up your daughters
According to UNESCO estimates, 130 million girls between the age of 6 and 17 are out of school and 15 million girls of primary-school age will never enter a classroom. What’s taking us so long to get this right; when people like Mary Wollstonecraft was arguing as early as 1791 that women were deserving of the same fundamental rights as men and were not just ornaments to society or property to be traded in marriage?
The Surrendered Wife
From an early age I’d always wanted to make a quilt. Some kind of childhood fantasy about stitching around an open fire, making a beautiful heirloom from treasured scraps of clothing. You only have to think about Red Riding Hood’s grandmother tucked up under the covers, or Goldilocks examining the beds in the bears’ houseContinue reading “The Surrendered Wife”
Some day my prince will come
When I was a child, I would read fairy tales late into the night by the light on the landing outside my bedroom (unless I was caught that is…). I despised the insipid heroines waiting patiently for rescue instead identifying with those who used their skills to rescue their brothers or cursed princes by weavingContinue reading “Some day my prince will come”
Darn It
I was listening to woman’s hour quietly sipping my coffee (a white americano since you ask), when I nearly spat it across the room with outrage. An elderly lady was describing how, when she was a young child, her mother had bought her an expensive pair of silk stockings and immediately ripped them in frontContinue reading “Darn It”
Jen Cable Art 