Sometimes we seem to have far too many decisions to make and it can be unsettling. We long for black and white choices.
Gender and locker room banter
This week saw the US Presidential race sink to new lows as Donald Trump’s appalling language about women and his alleged behaviour took up the media’s attention and serious policy slipped further down the agenda. What a sad election this is. The fact that Trump has tried to excuse his language as locker room banter … Continue reading Gender and locker room banter
Women, work and worth
I must admit that my literacy about aspects of the economy would not get me an A*. I have my head around the difference between fiscal and monetary policy and could even define quantitative easing but details of the financial crash of 2008 just don’t stay in my brain. And if you look at media … Continue reading Women, work and worth
When sex is monstrous terror
Along the dusty roads in Bukavu Eastern Congo (DRC), tiny women walk huddled over with 30kg loads of firewood. They are human beasts of burden forced into this tough work because they are victims of poverty and violence. Many have been raped, some are widows, which means they face social rejection as well as pain. … Continue reading When sex is monstrous terror
Whatever happened to wearing Sunday best?
When I was a girl (OK, it was a fair while ago) we all wore our best clothes to church. My mum made me a Sunday-best-dress – one for summer and one for winter all through my childhood. As the youngest of three girls, I wore a lot of hand-me-downs so the Sunday dresses, which … Continue reading Whatever happened to wearing Sunday best?
Stories make life richer
"If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten." Rudyard Kipling So you’ll be pleased to know that I am going to tell you two stories about remarkable women that I heard at the weekend. That makes them ‘herstories’, not histories. I had never heard of … Continue reading Stories make life richer
Cast a net of caring
Looking out at me from the front page of the newspaper yesterday were the faces of eight women – all killed by their partners or boyfriends. Lovely women and teenagers from all backgrounds. And a little girl, Darcey, aged four who was thrown off a bridge by her father. Today, there was another story of … Continue reading Cast a net of caring
Brunch is the new Communion
At the beginning of a new year, I want to explore a big challenge for the Church – women, who have always been the backbone of church life, are slipping away. Why? And what can be done? We all know that men are giving up on church big-time: the typical U.S. congregation is 61% female … Continue reading Brunch is the new Communion
Staying ‘safe’ this Christmas
Christmas in TV adverts is a time to be with smiling family and friends, and to relax in Santa hats, sharing carefully chosen gifts. And it is tempting to yearn for a ‘safe’ celebration of tinsel, home cooked food and generosity where you don’t have to deal with outsiders or difficult issues; where we can … Continue reading Staying ‘safe’ this Christmas
The soul beneath our skin
Today (November 25th) is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. Not exactly a day to ‘celebrate’ so much as to lament, that all round the world, women live with abuse and girls grow up in fear. In some cultures, women are still seen as inferior in intelligence and strength. They may … Continue reading The soul beneath our skin
Amandas Blog 