Current Affairs Round-up: Feminism vs Trump

I’ve a confession to make: my reading of and commenting on blogs has slipped of late. It’s something of which I know the importance, worth and value – yet for one reason or another I’ve just not found the time recently. So I was looking forward to an evening of enforced catch-up so I could write this piece.

Alas, I’m disappointed to have to tell you that despite some fantastic posts, it was not an enjoyable time. Such is the curse of being the current affairs round-up editor, perhaps? Put it this way – I was feeling rather envious of Claire Kirby (LOL round-up editor).

For my first round-up, I focused on women in the workplace – and this is a theme that’s not going away. I suppose it’s inevitable to a point, given that a vast majority of us are opinionated ladies who’ve left formal employment to raise a family…

Case in point: Laura from Max and Mummy discussing her maternity discrimination and Talya from Motherhood: The Real Deal interviewing moi about my experience; Lisa from Bad Mammy sharing her grim story and views about the potential horrors of childbirth in Ireland; Reneé from Mummy Tries on being a strong woman; and Katie from Squirmy Popple illustrating the ridiculousness of being charged to hold the baby you’ve just expelled. Whaaaaat? Yep, that happened. (In the US, obvs.)

Heavy stuff – and sadly all very necessary discussions we need to be having. (This one from the fabby Jess at Mrs Helicopter Writes, possibly less so… But light relief and all that, I was glad of the distraction.)

The topic of feminism leads us nicely onto the current presidential race taking place across the pond. I hoped there would be some posts on this – and you guys did not disappoint.

I was both delighted and saddened to read a great post written by Simon from Man vs Pink. Delighted to read such a feminist piece from a guy (for anybody feeling disillusioned: proof there are very decent ones out there) – but saddened at the despair I feel that it needed to be written at all.

Zoe, aka The Pudding Lady (private joke!) from Petite Pudding wrote a slightly more optimistic piece about the possibilities ahead of us. I especially loved the aspect of the collective strength of bloggers in driving the momentum of positive change. (Incidentally, I recently published a crowdsourced post including some great contributions, showcasing the fabulous community we’re all part of if you fancy having a read). I also came across another hopeful piece written by Emma from Island Living 365, about feminism in the year 2016; I hope she’s right and that the tides are turning – for the better.

As if Trump were not bad enough, I can’t omit the dreadful situation in Calais. I’d anticipated a flood of posts about the crisis and was surprised to have just one submitted by Naomi from Nomipalony. Nonetheless, this piece covers everything you need to know but will wish you didn’t.

Finally, I’d like to share a couple of posts about a horrifically tragic event that took place in Aberfan, Wales 50 years ago. I’d never heard about it; but it so happened on the anniversary of that day, to be one of those rare occasions I fought my two year old for the remote and was (briefly) victorious – and I watched the news coverage in horror. So when these posts were submitted I knew what they were referencing. I’m not going to rehash the poignant words written by Cathryn from Cardiff Mummy Says, and Yvette from Ranting Gran. If you’re unaware of the tragedy, please take the time to learn about it. And if you do know about it, I’m sure you’ll want to read anyway.

I’ll cross my fingers for some positivity next month, perhaps some posts about fairydust and unicorns. Or at least Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood, which are basically the same thing.