Jacinda Ardern was New Zealands’ youngest female Prime Minister. She also was the youngest sitting MP when she was just 28. She took New Zealand through the Covid-19 pandemic very successfully, implementing strict lockdown procedures and tight border control to stop the spread. Despite her successful two terms as Prime Minister, the media surrounding her […]
When I told my flatmate I was writing about “mansplaining at uni,” she erupted in laughter. “I have some stories,” she offered. Yeah. Me too, sister. It seems that for some innate social reason, probably to do with an historic patriarchy, too much brain-fogging testosterone and far too little common sense and self-awareness, men fail […]
February the 14th, a day of stuffed toys, red roses, and chocolates, of course followed by a romantic candlelit dinner. While expectations are an inherent part of relationships, is Valentine’s Day still applicable? Does the holiday revert to the problematic gender stereotype and heteronormity? What value does the holiday still serve in today’s society? After […]
Cw: sexual harassment and assault. Tragedy, once we process the pain, can lead to profound realisations about the world around us. Both a personal loss, and that of Sarah Everard, illustrated to me that we only have a finite amount of time in life, so I now endeavour to engage with and appreciate my relatives […]
CW: sexual assault I still remember the first time my mother told me not to smile too much when taking a walk. Keep your head down, she used to tell me. You don’t want to attract negative attention. A mother of two daughters in a city known for its violence, she was afraid for us. […]
CW: sexual assault I want to tell you what is normal for women and non-binary people. To be regularly told what we must do to ‘keep ourselves safe’. Don’t walk alone after dark, but don’t give the cab driver your actual address, don’t wear headphones, but pretend to be on the phone, always have your […]
One essential part of an older patient’s management is the Mini-Mental State Examination. There are various questions to consider, but most include the practitioner asking, “who am I?” to assess the patient’s awareness of their surroundings. A question to which at least two women doctors I know consider as having been answered correctly if the […]
How do you feel about your body? For those of us who identify as women, this usually requires a pretty complicated answer. Everyone has their own story, but most of us grew up feeling we were never quite the right shape or size or shade or weight, or anything. I am privileged enough to mostly […]