I'm guessing that any woman who has struggled with infertility or past the age of 50 has become aware of the ways that women are discounted in contemporary society. Iam reading a book that I think should be read by every woman who wants to know how our bodies have been discounted by centuries of patriarchy. The title: Vagina Obscura. It traces the disrespect as far back as Aristotle in the European and Eurocentric worlds, and shows that as late at the mid-20th century when medical books for people learning to be doctors did not include the cliterus (it's huge but mostly inside the body) in drawings of the female body. How could those doctors avoid damaging the cliterus while doing episeotomies during baby deliveries or during surgery for cancer in the pelvic area? This book traces the women, and some men, who changed all that through their research (instead of unfounded theory) into female sexual and reproductive organs. It's very readable, very inspiring. I think it's a must read for any one who thinks women are important and who thinks that women's bodies are not holding them back. It turns most of what we learned about the male and female roles in sex and reproduction on its head.
Holla, Jody! And this article about Mary Tyler Moore is in the very same spirit - especially her iconic role as Mary Richards in the 70s on the MTM Show. A fascinating life! 💪 https://shorturl.at/hDXCq
Thanks Micheal - I'm just a tiny bit too young (and too English) to really appreciate just how radical MTM Show was; the article really helped, thank you!
Jody, here's a link with the first and then second theme song-openings to the show. If you listen close, you can hear how they changed the words after the first season. The character was already getting stronger and the original lyrics were already obsolete and seemed condescending. The show evolved all along. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s8qWXqm2bI
Thank you for being one of my 'wonderful, rich and varied' non-mother role models Cathy! Looking forward to seeing you soon when I get home to Ireland in a few weeks! xx
Thank you for this wonderful celebration of all those who are forgotten, feel they are not celebrated, or feel they don't belong just because they aren't in the Mom-group. I love the way you use Not Mother to describe these women and from now on I'm not going to use child-LESS or child-FREE but NonMom to describe them. ❤️
I agree that non-mother or non-parent is much less intrusive than childless/free - which is a binary that fails to capture so many women's experiences anyway! I created the term 'nomo' in 2012 (not-mother) which is use around the world, and my colleague Karen Malone Wright created her organisation 'the NotMom' around the same time https://thenotmom.com
We are so much more than our reproductive identity (Dr Aurelie Athan's term) but as long as we keep getting reduced to it as women, then we need to fight to make sure that ALL reproductive identities get space, not only motherhood. (Ad motherhood of course needs more than just lip-service support!)
Thank you! It looks like a lovely gathering of wise ones. Ive been searching high and low for elders around me as I am doing “elder research” in the field- coming up mostly dry. Perhaps I need to adjust/readjust my definitions.
I began this project 4 years ago with exactly the same realisation - there are very few publically visible elders in our communities and cultures... so how do we apprentice ourselves? This will be the 18th webinar in the series and I hope it's changing that paucity!
This is beautiful Jody, and as a Childfree Elder Cat Woman I celebrate with all of my sisters around the world. May you all feel joy, peace, and the flame that burns inside all our hearts.
Thank you for truly seeing all of us, Jody; your work has become such an important anchor in my life over the past year. “Seeing” you enjoy the company of elephants & capybaras during your trip has brought small moments of joy to otherwise very dark days.
Ah my dear Marta, I'm so glad that I can be an anchor for you, and so very glad that thanks to Katy Seppi, we got to meet last April! Big hugs lovely xxx
I will always be thankful that the stars (and the lovely Katy!) aligned to make the Summit happen just 2 months after I first read your book. And I am excited to join the Elders once I cross the threshold to 50 in just two months - big hugs right back! 💕
Big hugs to my BIG Sis Jody - thank you for all you do to ensure we all feel seen and heard. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and lighting the path to make it less dark for us. You continue to inspire and embolden me, to walk tall, my way. ❤️
You are so welcome dear Victoria. YOUR work, YOUR passion and YOUR insights into caregiving bring so much wisdom, compassion, insight, data and oomph to my inbox too! Right back atcha! Hugs for IWD x
So much love for this. Our minds are in a similar place. The March writing prompt for Life Without Children this month is about how IWD often defaults to another Mother's Day.
I look forward to reading those prompts too! I still haven't got to grips with Medium (and as I'm travelling every day/other day the chance of doing so is simply not going to happen till I'm back home in April!) - or I would have submitted it to you! Hugs, Jody x
Fear not my lovely, Medium is a bit of a shit show at the moment. Give me a shout when you are back and I will fire over a bit of a help guide to you for all things Medium. Enjoy your travels. :-)
May every female person be knowing their inherent beauty, value, love-abilities. Thank you for a lovely recognition of us all, especially those of us marginalized, and otherwise uncelebrated, noticed.
I'm guessing that any woman who has struggled with infertility or past the age of 50 has become aware of the ways that women are discounted in contemporary society. Iam reading a book that I think should be read by every woman who wants to know how our bodies have been discounted by centuries of patriarchy. The title: Vagina Obscura. It traces the disrespect as far back as Aristotle in the European and Eurocentric worlds, and shows that as late at the mid-20th century when medical books for people learning to be doctors did not include the cliterus (it's huge but mostly inside the body) in drawings of the female body. How could those doctors avoid damaging the cliterus while doing episeotomies during baby deliveries or during surgery for cancer in the pelvic area? This book traces the women, and some men, who changed all that through their research (instead of unfounded theory) into female sexual and reproductive organs. It's very readable, very inspiring. I think it's a must read for any one who thinks women are important and who thinks that women's bodies are not holding them back. It turns most of what we learned about the male and female roles in sex and reproduction on its head.
Thanks for the book recommendation Hazel - sounds fascinating and important x
Holla, Jody! And this article about Mary Tyler Moore is in the very same spirit - especially her iconic role as Mary Richards in the 70s on the MTM Show. A fascinating life! 💪 https://shorturl.at/hDXCq
Thanks Micheal - I'm just a tiny bit too young (and too English) to really appreciate just how radical MTM Show was; the article really helped, thank you!
Jody, here's a link with the first and then second theme song-openings to the show. If you listen close, you can hear how they changed the words after the first season. The character was already getting stronger and the original lyrics were already obsolete and seemed condescending. The show evolved all along. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s8qWXqm2bI
Hi Jody thank you for celebrating these wonderful, rich and varied women who are much needed in the world. xxx
Yes me too xxx
Thank you for being one of my 'wonderful, rich and varied' non-mother role models Cathy! Looking forward to seeing you soon when I get home to Ireland in a few weeks! xx
Thank you for this wonderful celebration of all those who are forgotten, feel they are not celebrated, or feel they don't belong just because they aren't in the Mom-group. I love the way you use Not Mother to describe these women and from now on I'm not going to use child-LESS or child-FREE but NonMom to describe them. ❤️
I agree that non-mother or non-parent is much less intrusive than childless/free - which is a binary that fails to capture so many women's experiences anyway! I created the term 'nomo' in 2012 (not-mother) which is use around the world, and my colleague Karen Malone Wright created her organisation 'the NotMom' around the same time https://thenotmom.com
We are so much more than our reproductive identity (Dr Aurelie Athan's term) but as long as we keep getting reduced to it as women, then we need to fight to make sure that ALL reproductive identities get space, not only motherhood. (Ad motherhood of course needs more than just lip-service support!)
Thank you for the reminder that we are not really an eldermen and elderwomen deficient world. 🫶🏻✨
You might enjoy the next outing of the NomoCrones later this month!
https://gateway-women.com/collapse
Thank you! It looks like a lovely gathering of wise ones. Ive been searching high and low for elders around me as I am doing “elder research” in the field- coming up mostly dry. Perhaps I need to adjust/readjust my definitions.
I began this project 4 years ago with exactly the same realisation - there are very few publically visible elders in our communities and cultures... so how do we apprentice ourselves? This will be the 18th webinar in the series and I hope it's changing that paucity!
I am grateful. I signed up. Thank you.
This is beautiful Jody, and as a Childfree Elder Cat Woman I celebrate with all of my sisters around the world. May you all feel joy, peace, and the flame that burns inside all our hearts.
Sending love back atcha from a cat and dog lady and apprentice crone xx
Thanks for the resharing love! Happy IWD xx
Thank you for truly seeing all of us, Jody; your work has become such an important anchor in my life over the past year. “Seeing” you enjoy the company of elephants & capybaras during your trip has brought small moments of joy to otherwise very dark days.
Ah my dear Marta, I'm so glad that I can be an anchor for you, and so very glad that thanks to Katy Seppi, we got to meet last April! Big hugs lovely xxx
I will always be thankful that the stars (and the lovely Katy!) aligned to make the Summit happen just 2 months after I first read your book. And I am excited to join the Elders once I cross the threshold to 50 in just two months - big hugs right back! 💕
Thank you for posting this. For some reason I really needed to seen and celebrated today.
I see you and celebrate you today Rozi xx
Big hugs to my BIG Sis Jody - thank you for all you do to ensure we all feel seen and heard. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and lighting the path to make it less dark for us. You continue to inspire and embolden me, to walk tall, my way. ❤️
You are so welcome dear Victoria. YOUR work, YOUR passion and YOUR insights into caregiving bring so much wisdom, compassion, insight, data and oomph to my inbox too! Right back atcha! Hugs for IWD x
So much love for this. Our minds are in a similar place. The March writing prompt for Life Without Children this month is about how IWD often defaults to another Mother's Day.
I look forward to reading those prompts too! I still haven't got to grips with Medium (and as I'm travelling every day/other day the chance of doing so is simply not going to happen till I'm back home in April!) - or I would have submitted it to you! Hugs, Jody x
Fear not my lovely, Medium is a bit of a shit show at the moment. Give me a shout when you are back and I will fire over a bit of a help guide to you for all things Medium. Enjoy your travels. :-)
Will do!
Thank you!
You are so welcome! I champion your work whenever I can! Happy IWD you remarkable woman you! Hugs, Jody x
You are awesome! Thanks again.
Receiving your celebration loud and clear! Thankyou xx
And a hug too Chloe! x
That is such a powerful post. Thank you.
Thank you for your appreciation - it really helps me to keep writing! Hugs, Jody x
I've just posted it on my FB wall.
Happy IWD 💜💚🤍
Happy IWD to you too Simone! x
💪🥰🙌
May every female person be knowing their inherent beauty, value, love-abilities. Thank you for a lovely recognition of us all, especially those of us marginalized, and otherwise uncelebrated, noticed.
Visibility matters... and even more so when so many marginalized groups are facing further stigmas! Sending hugs x