Shambolic Living

The F Series – Taking The Circuitous Staircase

Janine — Mon, 03 Nov 2014 11:21:08 +0000

As I predicted, Julie Bishop’s refusal to embrace the F word, drew criticism. One of the most interesting pieces about this issue was by Paula Matthewson over at Women’s Agenda, The real reason women of the right will never call themselves feminists. Matthewson explained, Those of us who are right-leaning individualists believe it is...

The F Series – Who’s Wearing The Right Label?

Janine — Wed, 29 Oct 2014 10:33:08 +0000

I have written before about my struggles with the term feminist. To recap basically it’s this; in my twenties I would have clearly defined myself as a feminist; in my thirties I would still have regarded myself as a feminist but was beginning to feel that traditional feminists wouldn’t describe me as such given...

The F Series – Reading This Week – The Wife Drought – Annabel Crabb

Janine — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 23:19:12 +0000

If Annabel Crabb and I weren’t both straight women I would kiss her passionately on the lips. Finally, somebody explains clearly the impact of children, family responsibilities and the goddamn housework on a woman’s ability to participate fully in the workforce. Finally, somebody lays out the impediments men face in trying to have fully...

The F Series – We Could Need Help.

Janine — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 02:18:01 +0000

“Gender equality is not a battle of the sexes – it is about one half of humanity supporting each other,” Elizabeth Broderick, Sex Discrimination Commissioner. In 1967 a nineteen year-old student at Syracuse University, Kathrine Switzer, was unofficially training with the men’s cross-country team because there was no female running team. A 50 year-old bloke...

Just Apologising In Advance To My Readers

Janine — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 11:28:57 +0000

Dear Readers, I tried to get over my anger regarding feminism/equality/commentators but I failed. So for the next five days I’m going to inflict upon you The F Series. It’s a series where I wander aimlessly through the vast empty expanse of my tired mind to try to sort exactly what I think about that...

The Feminism Battle Continues

Janine — Wed, 22 Oct 2014 01:58:35 +0000

The bitchiness has to stop, we are inhaling it like it is a carbon emission blowing out of the exhaust pipe of the cross town bus we are stuck behind. Snark is the idiots version of wit and we are being polluted by it. There are things we can do. Things that we can do...

I May Have Accidentally Retired

Janine — Fri, 07 Mar 2014 01:12:19 +0000

I woke up this morning and the realisation hit me that I may have accidentally retired, at the ripe old age of 46. It seems the combination of age, gender and living in a regional area delivers a triple whammy of despair when it comes to employment. Last year I wrapped up a contract position...

So What Do I Tell My Daughter About Drinking and Rape?

Janine — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 07:06:54 +0000

Disclaimer: This article deals with rape and sexual assault and may be triggering for survivors of abuse. There is a huge online debate taking place at the moment in response to an article by Mia Freedman This Isn’t Victim Blaming. This is Common Sense where she argues we need to tell our daughters getting drunk...

Opting Out – A Realistic Option?

Janine — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 02:48:36 +0000

People have been a little stunned when I announced I was taking a break from work for a few months to supposedly finish this book that’s been rolling around in my head for years. Will I be able to get work again when I’m ready? Who knows. Can we afford this? Definitely not. But I’m...

Not A Mother Of Boys

Janine — Sun, 23 Jun 2013 07:15:52 +0000

The last couple of weeks have been a dream run for ingrained sexism, misogyny and well just plain old-fashioned stupidity. We were treated to a “joke” menu referring to the PM’s genitalia, then a radio host hell-bent on quizzing that PM on the “rumours” of her partner’s homosexuality, the Army launched an investigation into “demeaning,...