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Women's Health Wiki – Week 1 //“Married men live longer” // A Study of 127,545 American adults found that married men were healthier and lived longer than men without spouses. Many questions rise to mind when reading about this study. Is the men’s longevity and better health due to marriage, their partner or other influencing factors? And can same sex couples or defacto couples receive these same health benefits? Review the study here: []

Researchers claim married men will live longer as their wives will **nag** them into regular health check-ups whilst encouraging men to perform physical activity, have healthier food choices and participate in less risky behaviours. An Article in the Daily Mail showed married men were 20 per cent more likely to go for a run once a week and were 6 per cent more likely to go to the doctor for a check-up. View article here: []

These studies showed that whilst married men lived longer, those in stressful or unhappy marriages could have the opposite effect. A British study of 9,011 civil servants found those in stressful relationships had increased their risk of heart attacks and angina by 34%. Whilst an Israeli study of 10,059 men found stressful family relationships were linked to a 34% increased risk of dying from a stroke.

So far the evidence concludes a happy marriage is quite beneficial to improving our health. So what’s the secret to a happy marriage? Denzel Washington proclaims the secret to a happy marriage is simply to ‘Do what your wife tells you”.

A study in 1995 showed men and women who entered same-sex unions had mortality rates similar to the heterosexual general population, after a small excess during the first few years of their union. However the study did not compare the mortality rates of homosexual couples with those of single/unmarried homosexuals thus despite having similar mortality rates as heterosexuals evidence that these partnerships are beneficial to health and mortality are yet to be confirmed.

After reviewing this literature it is evident future research needs to consider a longer perspective and take into account transitions in living arrangements throughout an individual’s life course rather than focusing on just one stage in the life cycle. Some reasons proposed as to why these studies have found that married men live longer include: - Those in partnerships have someone caring for them when they are sick and encouraging good behaviours such as regular doctors check ups. - The power of two incomes: Those who are in partnerships have the benefit of having additional financial security - Loneliness, depression and social isolation also contribute to a shorter lifespan attributed often associated with those facing divorce, bereavement or those who have never married. [|http://www.abc.net.au/health/talkinghealth/factbuster/stories/2008/09/03/2354566.htm#.UfYlWRh--Uk]

Living in a defacto relationship I myself find living in a partnership beneficial to my health. My partner often books my doctors’ appointments, drags me along to the dentist and encourages healthy food and regular physical activity. In today’s modern society we can become so busy with work, study, families and friends that we often forget the most important thing is looking after our health. Having a partner, family member or friend that reminds us to take care of ourselves and have regular check-ups is just what the doctor ordered.



= Womens Health Wiki - Week 2 = //Beauty doesn’t come in just one Bra size! //

=
Whilst the media just loves to portray the ideal woman with a perfectly flat stomach, that beautiful hourglass figure, flawless hair and makeup and of course bountiful breasts. The truth is we all come in different shapes and sizes. A fact we should all be proud of. Both men and women have breasts and are capable of developing breast cancer and other such diseases however it is predominantly women’s breasts that feature in the media.====== The recent breastfeeding in public debate is just one example of how women’s breasts have become so sexualised that even their primary function of providing breast milk to a hungry baby has received enormous media attention. Should women really have to cover their breasts when feeding their bubs in public places?

Earlier this year I remember watching a Sunrise segment on a public breastfeeding incident. The comments by host Koshi sparked enormous protests regarding women’s rights to breastfeed or express milk in public.

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As a student with no children of my own I am unsure where I stand in regards to this incident and acknowledge I have little understanding in this area. Nutrition units I have undertaken in my course of study show breast milk to be the best food to feed and nourish a growing baby and I strongly support women in doing this, however in a western society where breasts have become so over sexualised I don’t think it would hurt to be courteous and cover up. Though this notion may just be due to my conservative upbringing and less than confident body perceptions.

A really interesting social experiment regarding peoples perceptions on breastfeeding in a public was covered in Brooklyn. media type="custom" key="24326564" align="center"

The aim was to see who would come to the aid of a woman pretending to breastfeed in a café while the manager of the café berates her, even asking her to leave. Peoples reactions were shocking, some were quick to come to her aid, others did nothing and some even helped the manager!

What’s really amazing about this whole breastfeeding in the media debacle is the way it is promoted in Australia compared to other countries. In Australia rarely is a woman's breast depicted in the advert, where as in other predominantly European countries, women breastfeeding with a bare breast is quite common. This would seem to show that Australians are quite conservative yet clearly this isn’t the case. One only has to step outside and look at the latest billboards or magazine to be greeted with that glossy image of a perfect woman sporting massive amounts of cleavage. If we are all ok with staring at those photo-shopped models in skimpy clothes why can’t we put an actual image of a breastfeeding mother on our health campaigns?

(Australian Style Advertising) It still amazes me that as a nation we have grown so much yet as a society we are still so far behind other countries. Women’s boobs are for breastfeeding, women were not created for men’s sexual pleasures and I don’t believe seeing a woman’s breasts or nipple/s in health campaigns such as breastfeeding or even breast cancer awareness adverts should be seen to be any more offensive than that guy we all see at the beach who makes us question if his bra is bigger than our own.

**Breastfeeding, don’t be a boob about it!** = Know your rights and where to get help. View the links for more details. http://www.health.gov.au/breastfeeding https://www.breastfeeding.asn.au/bf-info/breastfeeding-and-law/legalright http://www.health.gov.au/breastfeeding http://psychcentral.com/news/2011/08/11/medias-growing-sexualization-of-women/28539.html http://www.womhealth.org.au/healthy-lifestyle/116-the-sexualisation-of-girls [|http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/government-in-action/national-breastfeeding-campaign/#materials] Women's Health Wiki – Week 3 Sugar, Spice and everything not so nice! The most captivating topic of this week’s lecture for me was the ideology that women hate each other and cannot work together. This really astounded me as I work in a female dominated branch as a bank teller and we are often praised on being one of the most cohesive teams within our region. My supervisor and manager are both female and as far as I can tell, do not seem to draw hate from other workers given their higher positions. Though I haven’t found any examples of gender discrimination within my workplace or any evidence of women that power trip when given higher positions it is impossible to forget the comments one may often hear when a woman is promoted to power.  Comments such as ‘ She must have slept her way to the top’ or‘ She only got that position because of her looks’ is a common way for women to justify why the other woman got promoted above herself. Rather than look to her own faults as reasons for her failure she will try to find fault with the other woman. Interestingly women don’t seem to be worried about their male counterparts’ success, their main concern is focused on other women within the organization and their perceived success. Unfortunately this **'girl hate girl'**, **'women cannot be trusted'** notion starts long before the workforce. Though it is argued it is perhaps most evident in a girls teenage years. The 2005 hit movie ‘mean girls is full of examples that show how horrible teenage girls can be towards one another. See a clip [|here]for an example. This type of catty behavior can have devastating effects on the receiving individual including depression, encouraged eating disorders even suicide. The most astounding thing is that it’s not just women or teenage girls who receive the mean girl reputation but girls as young as 8 can be shown to have a mean girl attitude that society perceives as normal! I think at least every woman within her childhood can remember their mothers telling them not to worry about that incident with another girl at school because ‘girls can sometimes just be mean’. Whilst this is true, little boys can also be mean yet it seems in society they are never spoken of as being cruel or nasty to one another. Understanding girl world is a near impossible task. Every day we are bombarded with magazines, newspapers, advertisements and television segments that demand our attention and provide the rules of how a proper lady should behave, what to wear and what’s in or out of fashion. In some aspects it’s simple, conform to these commandments and your part of the sisterhood, but fail to comply and you’re an outcast open for scrutiny by your female peers. My only question is why do we do this to ourselves? In an article by Tara Moss, view article [|here] I found a rather shocking answer to my question. '**women exist to be beautiful and to compete for the attention of men, whom they are lost without. Women’s looks are their most valuable asset in this quest for a man, an asset they’ll do anything to hang on to (‘Who’s the fairest of them all…?’). Women must have a man and they must also bear children, without which they are – again – lost. Women don’t have value so much on their own, but rather in what they can attach themselves to – a male partner and family unit.’** It seems rather unfair that being born female means we have to march our way through an emotional battlefield to make it to the top only to realize once we are there our fellow ladies will be there to knock us back down. My take home message this week: we don’t have to be full of hatred for those who don’t fit the mould created for us or hate those who have put the effort into succeeding. In many parts of the world it has been shown that when women work together (e.g. woman in Pakistan and their micro-finance business) it threatens male dominance and brings us another step closer to equality. So how about it ladies, can we put this mean girl attitude to rest and work together to bring equality to all women? __**Sources**__ __**Articles**__ http://sabotagetimes.com/life/women-could-rule-the-world-if-only-we-stopped-hating-eachother/  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2344785/Theres-women-hate-women-succeeding-Thats-stabbing-says-Katie-Hopkins.html  http://taramoss.com/all-women-hate-each-other-or-do-they/ __**Video**__  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3szlAYwhLK8  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72VarQVshxs Womens Health Wiki – WEEK 4 "Motherhood is like getting a tattoo…..on your face, you have to be really sure you want it."  Perhaps one of the biggest questions in life we may ever ask is ‘When is it the right time to have a baby? ‘It seems everyone has an opinion on when the time is right. For some it’s when they have a house, are financially secure, when they reach a certain age or milestone in their career and for others it happens out of the blue and as an unplanned miracle. Some women don’t want children at all or don’t see them as a priority. =

Growing up I didn’t play with dolls, I didn’t envision myself getting married or having children of my own and yet people would always say to me 'one day that will change.' Even as a young girl it was kind of upsetting people just expected me to change my way of thought, as if the future I had envisioned for myself was wrong or selfish.

The invention of the contraceptive pill in the late 1960’s gave women the power of choice regarding their journey to motherhood. After its release women’s participation in the workforce increased and for the first time in history women were offered equal pay for equal work. The introduction of the pill now made a clear separation between reproduction and sexual intercourse; no longer did the two acts have to go hand in hand. Whilst there are many debates about whether it is morally right to use contraception I believe it has done marvellous things in giving a little power back to women.

The introduction of contraception however can be linked to a decrease in fertility rates as many women were able to delay childbirth and pursue careers, education or travel. These women dubbed childless by choice or child free as some prefer are regarded as dangerous oddities, they are selfish and possibly suffer from some sort of social disease. They are told they are less of a woman and their lives won’t be as fulfilling as motherhood is a right of passage every woman should pursue. An article I read on newstatesman.com by authors Rhiannon and Holly read //‘'// Even worse is the female half of the dreaded "childless by choice" couple, all settled down with someone they love in a perfectly good home with a spare bedroom that could be easily transformed into a nursery and just downright refusing to warm up a bun in her oven. "Tick tock" This is a fabulous article that gives a great representation of the childless population and their take on society. View the article **[|here]**.

Both Sunrise and The Today show recently ran segments on childless women within society. The points made by the women in these clips summaries the childless and happy argument perfectly. To view these segments click on the links below:

**[|Sunrise Women Shunning Motherhood]**

**[|Today Show Childless By Choice]**

Society is quite harsh on the childless women but childless men rarely cop the same slack. A childless male bachelor is just seen as someone who parties and enjoys himself a lot, a married guy with no offspring is certainly not a talking point but switch the genders around and everything changes. A bachelorette is more likely to be seen as tragic, bitter and yearning for the family she hasn’t yet had the opportunity to create. The married woman with no kids is simply a mother in waiting. It angers me that no matter how far we come, women are always perceived as nothing more than a mere baby maker.

Having covered those who choose not to have children my curiosity turns to those who simply cannot have children. What does society think of them, are they still natural women? Have they lost their feministic appeal? A few years back one of my good friends had to have surgery to remove an ovary due to cysts that could not be removed easily. At just 20 years old her doctor advised her that by the time she reaches 25 her chances of conceiving were slim. As a girl she always wanted to have a family of her own and her hopes and dreams were shattered in an instant. She had yet to find a partner let alone one she wanted to raise a child with and her financial situation was less than perfect. Approaching 23 she is still yet to conceive but has worked extremely hard to improve her financial situation and has now found herself in a caring and loving relationship. Only time will tell if she will achieve her goal of falling pregnant, before her deadline approaches.

After this week’s lecture I worry about what her future will hold and how society will perceive her if she is unable to conceive, personally I would never deem her less of a woman for not being able to have a child. It has made me aware never to start a conversation with things such as ‘do you have children’? For those with the inability to conceive this simple question could be just as hurtful as the criticism I receive for choosing not to have children. Women without children shouldn’t have to justify their choice or position to society, we should be more concerned with those who have children for no reason other than they refuse to use a form of contraception. Deciding to enter motherhood is a life changing decision that shouldn’t be made lightly. Children are expensive, and take an enormous amount of time and effort to raise, those who choose to walk down a different path shouldn’t be criticized for their decision.

An just for the record I did change my mind on having children when I met my current partner of 3 years but we have agreed to wait until my studies have finished and we are in a better financial position to be able to care and provide for the child. But I do not intend on giving up my career, my social life or my overseas travels to raise a family. Some may see that as selfish but I say to hell with them its my life and I'll live it the way I want to.



= = =Women's Health Wiki - Week 5 =

When you look in the mirror[[image:pub336womenshealth2013/Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.jpg align="left"]], do you like what you see?
In medicine and psychology body image refers to a person’s emotional attitudes, beliefs and perceptions of their own body. ([] ) Doing some research this week I came across the message //**‘Girls don’t simply decided to hate their bodies, we teach them to’**//.This has then made me question where my own body image was founded, had I been born with it or was I taught to hate my flaws?

Generally speaking an individual either has a positive or negative body image of oneself. Positive body image was defined in the study by Wood-Barcalow,Tylka and Augustus-Hovath as ‘ //**a healthy balance between accepting and appreciating certain things about the shape, substance and function of your body’**// Yet only one in five Australian women are satisfied with their body weight and nearly half of all normal weight women overestimate their size and shape. Distorted body images as evident in the survery results can result in self-destructive and unhealthy behaviours such as extreme dieting, binge eating or excessive exercise regimes.

Our ideas around what constitutes the perfect or acceptable body image are influenced by many factors including: culture, family, friends, media, religion etc. Even young girls are exposed to images of the perfect woman through the beloved Barbie Doll. Despite Barbies physical measurements being near impossible to achieve some women still strive to be like these dolls so much they undergo plastic surgery to look exactly like them. Such as Valeria Lukyanova dubed the real life Barbie Doll.

Artist Nickolay Lamm held a different approach when it came to Barbie dolls, rather than have real women try to fit the impossible measurements of the doll, he decided to create a barbie doll using the CDC measurements of an average 19 year old American. I think if dolls like this were actually marketed to the public women would stand a chance of showing young girls they don’t need massive breasts, long legs and a flat stomach to be beautiful.

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Another individual who I believe is helping to achieve positive body images among women is Katie Halchishik. Katie is the founder of Natural models and healthy is the new skinny. Natural models was founded to help represent the medium sized models who neither fitted in the straight or plus size categories in the fashion industry. In the video below, Interviewee and model Alex Ferguson explains //**‘ for me in order to model fully plus, I would probably have to gain thirty pounds or more or to model straight size, I would have to loose that much as well’**//. It seems in the fashion industry one must starve themselves to fit a size zero thus putting them at risk of developing anorexia or bulimia or else to be a plus size model they promote binge eating of unhealthy foods to gain excess weight thus increasing the risk of becoming obese and developing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. **This is just extreme madness!** Women of all shapes and sizes are beautiful and frankly I think we need to see more of them, not just the ones at the smaller or larger ends of the scale but the ones in-between as well.

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//**Girls of all kinds can be beautiful — from the thin, plus-sized, short, very tall, ebony to porcelain skinned, the quirky, clumsy, shy, outgoing and all in between. It’s not easy though because many people still put beauty into a confining, narrow box…Think outside of the box…Pledge that you will look in the mirror and find the unique beauty in you.”~Tyra Banks**//

From the study by Wood-Barcalow,Tylka and Augustus-Hovath the participants offered some very insightful statements about body image which I want to share.

“ //**You find out that this is your body type and you either learn to accept it or you fight with it”**// – Veronica //**" Appreciate the things you were given in life rather than wishing that you had the stuff that you don’t, that’s when life is good and like what its supposed to be”**// – Jasmine  Having a positive body image includes //**“ accepting a body image that often doesn’t get reflected back to you in the magazines or media"**// – Dawn //**"These images are so unrealistic because they have make-up artists, personal trainers, stylists. Take that all away and they’ll look like everyone else. It’s unrealistic to compare us to celebrities and models"**// – Pattie on western culture’s idealised images of women //**"I don’t think just because your small you’re beautiful or just because you’re big you’re not beautiful. I feel like I’m beautiful still even if I’m a little different from (societal) standards. Beauty is the way you feel mentally about your physical image. If you feel positive, then you can pretty much think a lot of (shapes) are beautiful"**// - Angela

In summary this week I believe we are shaped by our peers, culture, religion and media when it comes to defining our body image. We don’t want to hate our bodies but we sometimes feel we fail as women when we cannot live up to those Barbie doll images. This week I came across Oprah Winfrey’s call to arms and despite always being critical of myself and my flaws I finally took the time to notice my best attributes and was able to decide without negativity the areas I want to work on. I strongly recommend every woman take a few moments to look in a mirror and reflect on their positive attributes. There are no words to describe that moment when the negative thoughts are finally clouded by the positive and you realise how beautiful you truly are.

//**"This is a call to arms. A call to be gentle, to be forgiving, to be generous with yourself. The next time you look into the mirror, try to let go of the story line that says you're too fat or too sallow, too ashy or too old, your eyes are too small or your nose too big; just look into the mirror and see your face. When the criticism drops away, what you will see then is just you, without judgment, and that is the first step toward transforming your experience of the world.”**// ― Oprah Winfrey

“If I don’t know my options, I don’t have any” – Diana Korte
This week’s lecture focused on the politics of birth which I found quite eye opening. Never before had I considered women’s choices and power when it came to giving birth to be inadequate. The quote above by childbirth and pregnancy author Diana Korte ‘If I don’t know my options, I don’t have any” prior to the lecture would have meant something totally different to what it means to me now.

What amazes me is that in a society that strives for equality, women’s choices are being limited on a topic as gender sensitive as childbirth. I strongly believe that any decision regarding childbirth should not be decided by some silly old men in politics or unsympathetic men in a delivery room but by no one else, other than the mother to be. Only she can decide what is right for her body and what will serve her and her baby best. Besides after having to carry a baby for 9 long months and enduring all the hardships of pregnancy its only fair she decide how and where to have the little one she carries.

However statistics show women to be very restricted in their decision on where to have the baby and how. In Australia in 2007 just 2% of births occurred in a birth center. In the same year only 0.3% of births occurred at home whilst a staggering 97% were born in hospitals. Such large differences in place of birth are controlled by many factors. Perhaps one that influences mothers most is the media which promotes safe hospital births and declares home births to be more risky and likely to result in death. However statistics show that the only main difference between home births and hospital births was a higher rate of deaths due to intrapartum asphyxia in home births. Hospitals births in general had higher rates of death not due to intrapartum asphyxia.



The intervention rates listed in the table below are perhaps most surprising. It would never have occurred to me that there could be such different practices occurring between public and private hospitals. These figures from 2006 steadily rose in the 2008 mothers and babies report. From the mothers and babies report 2008, women in a private hospital were 1.9 times more likely to have a caesarean than those in public hospitals. Yet there was no significant difference in women’s preference for a caesarean between public and private hospitals (9% public and 13% private). In regards to women’s choices to have a c section only 6.5% of those performed were psychosocial/ elective.



After this weeks lecture I decided to investigate childbirth rights a little more and was shocked to find that midwives around the world are often prosecuted for helping women have home births. I strongly recommend watching the ‘Freedom for birth’ video posted below for a greater insight into this tragedy. With the government set to limit the access to private midwives, not only will we lose the freedom of choice but we will lose the skills associated with this profession as it slowly becomes a dying trade.

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//“It seems that many health professionals involved in antenatal care have not realized that one of their roles should be to protect the emotional state of pregnant women.” ~Michel Odent, M.D. //

As Michel Odent acknowledges, pregnant women are vital in childbirth, there is no birth without their cooperation and as such their rights and freedom of choice should be protected. Doctors and health professionals need to care not only for the physical wellbeing of mum and baby but also the emotional or psychological state of pregnant women. If a woman wishes to have a water birth, birth at home or use a midwife they should have equal access to all options,resources and information. Restricting their options is only going to cause the pregnant women unnecessary emotional stress which is neither good for her or her unborn baby.

Perhaps the quote below by midwife Jennie Tesky has some truth behind it given the higher rates of medical interventions in hospitals. //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">"Midwives are the experts in normal births. Obstetricians are the experts in abnormal births. Leave a normal birth in the hands of an obstetrician, and it’s more likely to end up abnormal". – Independent Midwife, Jennie Tesky // media type="custom" key="23720036" align="center"

The biggest take home message this week. You have a choice! Be informed about your options and where to go to seek help.

[] [] [] = = =<span style="display: block; font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Women's Health Wiki - Week 7 =
 * //<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%;">Resources //**

There are very few jobs that actually require a penis or vagina. All other jobs should be open to everybody. ~Florynce Kennedy media type="custom" key="23769086" align="center"

This week's lecture focused on women in the workforce and the differences between men and women's roles in the family. Traditionally women's roles have been seen as the primary care givers. Women are the ones expected to look after the family and put their career on hold to do so. Their work is unpaid, never ending and exhausting. A man's traditional role is perceived as the bread winner, he gets to have a successful and rewarding career, and he is paid for the work he does. His role is to provide for the family and upon his shift ending he has no other duties within the household except to relax. It seems nowadays gender roles are constantly changing, with more women entering the workforce and men even helping around the house or choosing to be stay at home dads.

//Not only is women's work never done, the definition keeps changing.// ~Bill Copeland Whilst its great to see and hear that the traditional gender roles are slowly changing, its disappointing that women are still not receiving equal pay for equal work. In 2011 women in Australia earnt on average 17% less than men! media type="custom" key="23768798" align="center"

Equally upsetting is the knowledge that men hold a much larger proportion of management or high end corporate positions than their female counterparts, despite women in general having higher education qualifications. There should be no reason why women are overlooked for management positions, if they are able to obtain the same qualifications as men.

//The only jobs for which no man is qualified are human incubators and wet nurse. Likewise, the only job for which no woman is or can be qualified is sperm donor.// ~Wilma Scott Heide

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It seems men are now a little more tolerant of women in the workplace than the 1950's and this has been helped along with legislation such as the Sex Discrimination Act 1984. The sex discrimination act 1984 was implemented to eliminate discrimination and sexual harassment and to promote greater equality in all aspects of the Australian community.

Despite some changes to our traditional gender roles the cleaning duties, child care and household management is still perceived as primarily a woman's task. Women's rights to equality in the workplace are worth fighting for. media type="custom" key="23768882" align="center"

__TOP TIPS__ Top tips from successful business women in how to balance a family and working life.
 * Stop doing other people’s work and get them to do yours.
 * Don’t take years off to look after babies. Get back to work as soon as you can, even if it’s only one day a week for a few months. Always think about what your next contribution to the business is, so you progress up the ladder.
 * Have great holidays with your kids. Buy or rent a holiday house or pitch a tent by the beach and spend four weeks a year and every long weekend you can just hanging with them.
 * There is never a right time to start a business or to take the big job. But opportunities often come only once. So grab it and then make it all work.
 * Work hard at staying married. Bored? Too bad. The same economies of scale that apply to successful businesses also apply to successful parenting. Besides, the world is about your kids, not you.
 * Put these things first all the time: your business, family, friends, creative activities, community contributions, and your health. Everything else, such as shopping or housework, gets outsourced.
 * Make a long list of all the things you will never do, such as vacuuming, dusting, cleaning and gardening. And then never do them.
 * When you come across barriers, knock them down – and when you see sexism and bullying it, call it, loudly.
 * Always be available to your children – wherever you are and whatever you are doing. Involve them in the business and ask for their advice and support.
 * Never feel guilty. Decide the time you need to spend with your children and be completely present. Never be late and don’t let them down.
 * Don’t strive for work/life balance. Enjoy your working life because that is the life you have.

[] __QUOTES__ Nobody objects to a woman being a good writer or sculptor or geneticist if at the same time she manages to be a good wife, a good mother, good-looking, good-tempered, well-dressed, well-groomed, and unaggressive. ~Marya Mannes Because women's work is never done and is underpaid or unpaid or boring or repetitious and we're the first to get fired and what we look like is more important than what we do and if we get raped it's our fault and if we get beaten we must have provoked it and if we raise our voices we're nagging bitches and if we enjoy sex we're nymphos and if we don't we're frigid and if we love women it's because we can't get a "real" man and if we ask our doctor too many questions we're neurotic and/or pushy and if we expect childcare we're selfish and if we stand up for our rights we're aggressive and "unfeminine" and if we don't we're typical weak females and if we want to get married we're out to trap a man and if we don't we're unnatural and because we still can't get an adequate safe contraceptive but men can walk on the moon and if we can't cope or don't want a pregnancy we're made to feel guilty about abortion and...for lots of other reasons we are part of the women's liberation movement. ~Author unknown, quoted in //The Torch//, 14 September 1987

= <span style="font-family: "Arial Black",Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Women's Health - Week 8 =

"He's drunk again it's time to fight, she must have done something wrong tonight. The living room becomes a boxing ring. It's time to run when you see him." - Never Again lyrics by Nickelback

This weeks lecture on domestic violence for me was quite difficult to sit through. I think it was perhaps one of the more emotional topics to discuss as it is often something that goes on behind closed doors. Domestic violence can be described as an abuse of power. It is the domination, coercion, intimidation and victimisation of one person by another by physical, sexual or emotional means within intimate relationships. Domestic violence affects all people regardless of educational, economic, social, geographic or racial background yet the problem is often overlooked, excused or denied. This is especially true when the abuse is psychological rather than physical.

It was interesting to note that the majority of domestic assault occurred within the family home yet most of non domestic assault occurred in an outdoor public place.



"Well she seemed all right by dawns early light. Though she looked a little worried and weak. She tried to pretend he wasn't drinkin' again. But daddy left the proof on her cheek" - Martina McBride Independence Day Lyrics

Alcohol consumption remains an associated factor within many domestic violence cases. According to the National Drug Strategy household survey of alcohol-related violence in 2007 1 in 4 Australians were a victim of alcohol-related abuse. While 13 percent were made to feel fearful by someone under the influence of alcohol and a further 4.5% of Australians aged 14 years or older had been physically abused by someone under the influence of alcohol. In this study the rates of physical and verbal abuse by a person affected by alcohol were more than twice the rate for other drug types. []

While doing some research this week I came across this song by Florence and the Machine titled " A kiss with a fist". Though the artist claims the song isn't about domestic violence, but rather "two people pushing each other to psychological extremes because they love each other" The lyrics though not meant for literal interpretation I found quite powerful such as "A kick in the teeth is good for some. A kiss with a fist is better than none". The music clip features bright playful colours and a smiling songstress which I found quite absurd and somewhat insulting to those who have experienced domestic violence. I can't see how anyone deserves a kick in the teeth or how being hit over the head with a plate is ok.

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This week I found many other song lyrics, pictures and movies which incorporate domestic violence within society. Some condemn it such as the lyrics below other like this Dolce & Gabbana add advertise it as being sexy. Even Disney movies such as Beauty and the Beast seem to portray domestic violence as ok. "Some folks whispered and some folks talked. But everybody looked the other way. And when time ran out there was no one about." Martina Mcbride lyrics from Independence Day

"Just tell the nurse, you slipped and fell. It starts to sting as it starts to swell. She looks ar you, she wants the truth. It's right out there in the waiting room. With those hands Looking just as sweet as he can" - Nickelback

"She always belonged to someone else" - Maroon 5 lyrics to She will be loved

Family violence(Domestic Violence) is NOT acceptable, it is a crime. There is no excuse in the world that can justify or excuse those who use domestic violence as a means of solving their personal problems. For those who try and cover it up, and those who choose to ignore it your only protecting the abuser. media type="custom" key="23822982" align="center"

If you suspect someone is experiencing domestic violence don't be afraid to speak up. Talk to the person somewhere private and explain your concerns. Tell the person that you are available whenever they feel ready to talk and that you will keep your discussions between the two of you. There are many support services out for those experiencing domestic violence but victims often don't know where or how to seek help. A few resources have been included here for easy reference.

Contacts National Hotlines > 07 3842 5888
 * **1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732): 24 hour, National Sexual Assault, Family & Domestic Violence Counselling Line** for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault.
 * **Lifeline** has a national number who can help put you in contact with a crisis service in your State (24 hours) 131 114
 * **Police or Ambulance** 000 in an emergency for police or ambulance.
 * **Translating and Interpreting Service** Phone to gain access to an interpreter in your own language (free) 131 450
 * **Mensline Australia** Supports men and boys who are dealing with family and relationship difficulties 1300 78 99 78
 * **Kids Help Line** Telephone counselling for children and young people Freecall: 1800 551 800. E-mail and web counselling www.kidshelp.com.au
 * **Australian Childhood Foundation** Counselling for children and young people affected by abuse 1800-176-453 or 9874 -3922 www.childhood.org.au or www.stopchildabuse.com.au
 * **Relationships Australia** Support groups and counselling on relationships, and for abusive and abused partners. 1300-364-277 or Vic (03) 9261-8700. Website: www.relationships.com.au
 * **ASCA (Adults Surviving Child Abuse)** A service to adult survivors, their friends and family and the health care professionals who support them. Support line: 1300 657 380 www.asca.org.au
 * **National Disability Abuse and Neglect Hotline** An Australia-wide telephone hotline for reporting abuse and neglect of people with disability. Ph. 1800 880 052 www.disabilityhotline.org
 * **Queensland Law Society**
 * **Domestic Violence Telephone Service** 1800 811 811
 * **Sexual Assault Help Line** 1800 010 120
 * **Men's Info Line** 1800 600 636

White Ribbon Australia seeks to change the attitudes and behaviours that lead to and perpetuate men’s violence against women, by engaging boys and men to lead social change. They are a wonderful organisation making great progress by putting the spotlight on abusers. media type="custom" key="23822986" align="center"

REFERENCES [] [] [] [] [] []

Women's Health Wiki - Week 9 "We know we cannot live in the past but the past lives in us" - Charles Perkins

There is no doubt that Aboriginal Australians have suffered both physically and emotionally in the past, yet discrimination, victimisation and isolation of the indigenous community still occurs and this in turn is having a great impact on their health and well-being. There are many proposed reasons why aboriginals experience poorer health outcomes, many of which put the blame on the indigenous population and their inability to control themselves.

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Women have many roles and responsibilities, they can be mothers, grandmothers, sisters, daughters, wives and partners. Women predominantly have caring roles within the family structure and as such their main responsibility is often looking after the health and wellbeing of family members. Statistics have shown Aboriginal and Torres strait women experience poorer health across all health areas when compared with non Indigenous women.

Figure 5: Female life expectancy, by Indigenous status and jurisdiction, 2005-2007 The ABS estimates that Indigenous females born in 2005-2007 could be expected to live to 72.9 years, about 9.7 years less than the 82.6 years expected for all females. One reason why indigenous women may have poorer health outcomes may relate to a lack of education. The graph below shows attendance rates at school were much lower for indigenous females than for non-indigenous females with the difference being especially high in the 15-19 year old age group. Indigenous females were less likely to complete year 12 than their non indigenous counterparts, making them even less likely to complete tertiary education. The 2006 Australian Census of Population and Housing estimated just 20% of indigenous females aged over 15 years had a post-school qualification compared to 37% of non indigenous females. 17% of non indigenous females attained a bachelor degree or higher compared with just 5% of indigenous females.

Figure 3: Female school retention until year 12, by Indigenous status and jurisdiction, Australia, 2006 The lack in education for indigenous women has significantly influenced their ability to earn an income. The table below shows the differences between indigenous and non indigenous females in gross weekly income. The mean equivalised gross income per week for Indigenous households in 2006 was $521, compared with $730 for non-Indigenous households. With such a large difference in income it's no surprise that indigenous women will have a dominant experience of facing relative economic hardship.


 * Figure 4: Median gross weekly individual income for females aged 15 years and over, by Indigenous status and jurisdiction, 2006**

Substantial progress has recently been made between government and Indigenous communities to Close the Gap between indigenous and non indigenous Australians. But more support is needed if we are to end the indigenous health crisis with a generation.

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The article "It's so hip to be black" by Andrew bolt raised many questions. When is someone deemed to be aboriginal? And can someone use their cultural identity to seek career advancement, special treatment or financial assistance?

The Australian goverment and community identify someone as aboriginal when the person: • is of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent • identifies as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person, and • is accepted as an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person by the community in which he or she lives.

//"This is the welfare generation, and that is incredibly sad. That will be judged in history as being far worse, I believe, than the stolen generation, because we are literally losing thousands and thousands of our indigenous brothers and sisters to the effects of welfare – drugs, gunja, low morale, alcoholism. I see it everyday and it can stop. The solution is education, training and a guaranteed opportunity."// - Andrew Forrest

Mr Bolt seems to think we can use cultural identity to seek career advancement however in the examples he used, these women/men could simply have had better qualifications than the other applicants at the time. The article by Mr Bolt was deemed unlawful in having contravened s 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth). I don't believe writing discriminatory articles that put down sucessful indigenous people will help society to close the gap between the indigenous and australian community. I do however believe education and training as well as policy reform will help us close the gap.

To ensure better health outcomes, strategies need to include knowledge and awareness of indigenous history, experience, culture and rights. The traditional Indigenous perspective of health is holistic and encompasses everything important in a person's life including land, environment, physical body, community, relationships and law. Health is the social, emotional, and cultural wellbeing of the whole community and the concept is thus linked to the sense of being Indigenous. It is important that we acknowledge this when trying to develop health promotion strategies to help close the gap. Kevin Rudd describes it best in his apology speech.

//"A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed. A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility. A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia The truth is: a business as usual approach towards Indigenous Australians is not working. Most old approaches are not working. We need a new beginning—a new beginning which contains real measures of policy success or policy failure; a new beginning, a new partnership, on closing the gap with sufficient flexibility not to insist on a one-size-fits-all …approach for each of the hundreds of remote and regional Indigenous communities across the country but instead allowing flexible, tailored, local approaches to achieve commonly-agreed national objectives that lie at the core of our proposed new partnership; a new beginning that draws intelligently on the experiences of new policy settings across the nation."// - Kevin Rudd, The Apology

QUOTES
 * //"This is the welfare generation, and that is incredibly sad. That will be judged in history as being far worse, I believe, than the stolen generation, because we are literally losing thousands and thousands of our indigenous brothers and sisters to the effects of welfare – drugs, gunja, low morale, alcoholism. I see it everyday and it can stop. The solution is education, training and a guaranteed opportunity. "-// Andrew Forrest
 * //"He taught me the power of encouragement. He taught me the reward of having a go, where there seems to be no way up but if you persevere, if you don’t ever give up, then you can achieve things which others think are impossible.// " - Andrew Forrest, of Scotty Black, aboriginal stockman and mentor.


 * //"We know we cannot live in the past but the past lives in us. "// Charles Perkins


 * //"Our culture is something that has sustained us for thousands and thousands of years and will continue to do so in generations to come."// - Hetti Perkins


 * //"The women are the movers and shakers in the community...they initiate things...they keep things going."-// Patricia O’Shane


 * "They (the women) will always do it, it seems to me... I am woman and I am strong. "- Patricia O’Shane

REFERENCES http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/column_white_is_the_new_black/ http://www.indigenous.gov.au/reconciliation/ http://www.fiftythousandjobs.com.au/ http://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/content/racial_discrimination/face_facts/ftf_2012_web.pdf http://australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/women-in-colonial-times http://www.anitaheiss.com/ []

INSIGHTFUL VIDEOS [] [] []

Women's Health Wiki - Week 10