Celebrating women (10/03/21)

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This week marks International Women's Day on Monday and International Women's Week at UoS. This year's theme is Women in Leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world, to celebrate the efforts of women and girls around the world in shaping a more equal future and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and to highlight the gaps that remain.
Globally, women have been at the forefront of the battle against COVID-19, as front-line and health sector workers, as scientists, doctors and caregivers, yet they get paid 11 per cent less than their male counterparts. Women in the UK have experienced the pandemic in diverse ways. As a working mum and academic, I am interested in mothers' experiences of juggling childcare responsibilities and employment in lockdown. Recent research has shown a stark impact on mother's mental wellbeing, particular for women from racially minoritised groups. As a society we need to understand the disproportionate impact of COVID on women and take this into account as we begin to rebuild and recover.
So this Wellness Wednesday, a huge shout out to all of our amazing women colleagues and students and all that we have achieved over the past 12 months. I will leave you with this short piece by moon mentor Kirsty Gallagher:
Traditionally, not even so long ago, women would have gathered for a few days at a new moon to menstruate in a moon lodge or red tent. This would have been a sacred time of withdrawal from day-to-day life when women would share, support and encourage each other, and tune more deeply into the wisdom of the moon and their own heightened inner understanding and intuition during this time of the month.
This kind of connection has sadly been forgotten in modern-day society, but it is invaluable, powerful and magical. It’s time for us to remember the power of women coming together, it’s time to remember the power of the feminine. For way too many years we have been pitted against each other based on our bodies, behaviours and emotions. It’s time to say no more to divide and conquer.
No more should we see other women as competition, no more should we be pulling each other down through gossip or opinions formed on what we see online or read in the mainstream media and absolutely no more revelling in another woman’s downfall. How have we got to the stage where we allow anyone to pull another women down without banging our drum and standing behind her?
My loves it’s time to rise. It’s time to rise together. It’s time to heal together. It’s time to come together. It’s time to celebrate each other. It’s time to remember ancient wisdom. It’s time to turn back to the power of the feminine. It’s time once more to share with each other, support each other and encourage each other.
Today, and everyday, I’m with all women ❤️
https://www.facebook.com/KirstyGallagherLunarLiving
Image: https://www.facebook.com/tarnellisart

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