The power that parents have over their children is not always wielded in a benevolent manner; how many of us have looked through old family photos to find that, when we were too young to know better or even protest, we were dressed in the most embarrassing outfits by our parents? For instance, a glimpse…
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On Monday, May 25, young activist Subeta Vimalarajah appeared on Q&A to talk to Joe Hockey about the ‘tampon tax’. She and a group of fellow activists had sent in a video question, the group holding a giant tampon in their hands: ‘Mr Hockey, STOP TAXING MY PERIOD!’ The tampon was signed by supporters. ‘Do…
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According to the Stress and Wellbeing in Australia Survey 2014 conducted by the Australian Psychological Society, women reported significantly higher stress levels than men, with the top stressors including money, family and personal health. Whilst daily hassles are a normal part of life, extreme stress levels can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and other…
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A few years ago I went rummaging on Amazon to find something that doesn’t cross most peoples’ minds. I purchased a book called The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability. I bought this book so I could flip through the pages and hopefully recognise a little bit of myself in them. Growing up with a…
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Destroy The Joint’s (DTJ) Counting Dead Women campaign was launched on 20 May 2014 to honour women who have lost their lives as a result of violence. Inspired by a model developed by a UK Counting Dead Women Register, the count includes all violent acts, such as murders traditionally attributed as Domestic Violence (‘DV’,…
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Meet Harnaam Kaur, a 24 year old British teacher’s aide and anti-bullying activist who happens to have a whopping great beard. The self-proclaimed “Bearded Dame” was diagnosed with a hormonal disorder called Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) at age 11. This relatively common disorder – affecting 12-18% of women of reproductive age – is diagnosed based…
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Electroconvulsive Therapy: kind of conjures up images of sterile hospital rooms with old-world medical machinery attached to a helpless young woman strapped to a gurney. Well, sadly, if you pictured that image, you would have been pretty close to the truth. Electroconvulsive Therapy, otherwise known as ECT, was a form of treatment used primarily in…
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On the rear of my car, there is a sticker declaring how much I love my box. I’m not just talking about the hatchback or the boxes of wine it is meant to denote (cheers, university Goonion.) This sticker also connotes the admiration I have for my vagina, my vulva and all the other intricate…
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The vaccination debate heated up again recently when in March four-week old Riley Hughes died from whooping cough in Perth. Riley was too young to have had the whooping cough vaccine and therefore relied on the immunity of those around him to protect him from the disease. With a growing number of parents choosing not to…
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Meet a woman who is championing the rights of women living with HIV in Papua New Guinea. Sylvia John is a 33 year old women’s rights activist living with HIV in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. A few years ago, Sylvia knew something wasn’t right. She happened to be attending an awareness talk at her…
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It can difficult to explain panic attacks to people that have never experienced them before. Yes, I could rattle off the symptoms that are such a big part of them, like trembling, a sense of unreality, stomach pains, dizziness, a tight chest, difficulty swallowing, heart palpitations and numbness; but this doesn’t give anyone a real…
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Yep, I’m in a mental health state of mind. Last week was National Mental Health Week. Upon learning this (mostly through the amazing coverage by the ABC during the week) my thoughts have been consumed by the complexity of this topic. Illness, stigma, disease, access, reaching out, not reaching out, lack of support; my mind…
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DISCLAIMER: This article is written only from my own experiences and is not meant to represent other people’s experiences of ableism, transmisogyny, sexual assault, or other experiences. Trigger Warnings: Rape, sexual assault. A lot of people look up to people who appear to be struggling with life, as if they are inspirational in some…
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Author’s Note: Please remember while reading this that these are my own personal thoughts and experiences and they do not represent everyone with a diagnosis of BPD. Please follow the links provided for more information. Writing a concise piece on a very misunderstood and stigmatised mental illness is no easy feat. When you speak…
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