There’s nothing natural about this disaster — On 8 September 2023, Morocco was hit by a magnitude-6.8 earthquake — the most powerful earthquake the country has experienced in over 100 years. The number of casualties continues to grow. At present, around 3,000 people have been killed and nearly 6,000 injured. Morocco will continue to feel the effects…

Financial abuse is a silent yet powerful tool of control, often eluding detection while enmeshing its victims in invisible chains. This nefarious form of control, subtly manifesting within the confines of relationships, often targets the already economically vulnerable, trapping them in cycles of dependency. Examining the issue within the broader…

The magic of music, heartbreak, and a woman’s love — My first breakup happened to coincide with Alanis Morissette’s volcanic eruption onto the American music scene. It was early 1996 and I’d just spent the better part of a year trying to twist myself into knots for my boyfriend, who started physically and emotionally abusing me the moment we moved…

The joys and pains of reclaiming your body in middle age — CW: body image, eating disorders, sexual assault I’m staring at myself in the mirror with a look of disbelief on my face. What the hell am I doing, standing there in a black string bikini that I’d slipped on over my underwear? Even with my full-coverage granny panties underneath, I…

Can any good come from this good-bye? — I’d felt the lump for a few months but I wasn’t in the habit of rubbing my boobs so when I noticed it in the shower I’d think, Hmmm, is this a lump? Is this different than my other breast? …

On the detrimental effects of raising a child in an abusive environment. — Mom let out a big sigh. Her chest stopped moving. She was gone, forever. My angel, my rock, the one who screwed me over — for life. A stolen childhood My mom was a petite woman with a bright face and a smile that lit up the room. Pancreatic cancer had ravaged her…

Living for others is not the same as living for yourself — For 26 years, I thought I lived a good life. I prided myself on the virtues ingrained in me. To respect our elders who came before us. To compromise for others. I was a good daughter. I was a good sister. But there was one thing I wasn’t good at…

I promise, if you would just listen, this would solve your problem, too… — Can you guess how many women were so catastrophically affected by marriage or heterosexual partnerships that they never want to date or marry again? Yes, I understand men have had bad experiences in romantic partnerships, too, but can we talk about women for a moment? Can you guess that number? …

And feeling grateful that I found myself, instead — It’s hard to look back on my twenties. What a terrible time. It was a decade when I arguably should have been delighted to explore my options, to devote time to my craft, to learn and experience so I could make good choices when the time for choosing came around. …

A guiding light for women writers juggling multiple roles in today’s fast-paced world — In the bustling tapestry of life, it’s not uncommon for modern women to play multiple roles — mother, professional, caretaker, friend, and so much more. Juggling these roles, along with the desire to express oneself through the written word, can be an intricate dance. …

Most women don’t even know the one woman who made sure we can’t be medicated without consent anymore — Eleanor Riese was 47 when she died of the side effects of drugs she was forced to take against her will. In an asylum. In America. It wasn’t even forever ago. Because that’s a thing we think about those terrifying stories of women being thrown in asylums. …

And it’s even happening in the world’s most powerful country, the United States. — Period blood. It was viewed as dangerous to men’s power, so they made up all kinds of shit to cut off women from the “evil powers” they possessed. The ancient Greeks believed that if the first period were late, it would cause “blood clots around the heart, the uterus to…

For those who know how it feels to be a burden — In my culture, a girl becomes a burden as soon as she’s born. Sons are desirable. Daughters are not. Throughout her life, a girl is carried in her family’s backpack, her every move restricted until she is ready to be exchanged for marriage. Our culture loves bargains. Men get the…

Violence often happens in plain sight — Swim Lessons I lost my kid at the pool. She’s seven. She loves to swim. She was supposed to be sitting on the bench waiting for lessons to start, but when I walked over to help her get into the right group, she wasn’t there. Her older sister looked at me confused…

Words really do matter — At one point or another, we’ve all worried about our weight, leading us to exclaim something along the lines of “Urgh, I look so fat today!” Or worse, some idiot has made a nasty comment, calling us fat, intending it as an attack. And without fail, there’ll be a well-meaning…

One group of women you don’t hear enough from — those who can’t conceive. — You’d think women who are biologically unable to conceive and carry a child would find an unborn life precious, right? You’d think all those couples struggling to conceive would want every embryo to be saved, wouldn’t you? The fact is, the fertility community hates the abortion ban. I can’t speak…

A valuable lesson I learned in my postpartum journey — Four weeks ago my daughter was born. She arrived at sunrise after a fast and intense labor. My husband caught her after two easy pushes. We were the first two people to touch her. I had her at home, with just my husband and midwife present. …

There are two types of confidence, one that repels and one that attracts — The cursor blinks on my screen, the steam has long since stopped rising from my cup of tea and if I don’t show signs of life soon my neighbour who walked past my window an hour ago may return and think me a mannequin. While my surface is still, my…

Has the time come to censor what is classed as ‘entertainment’? — When I heard Amanda Palmer and Reb Fountain’s mash-up of “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke and “Rape Me” by Nirvana I was stunned into silence. It is raw, cathartic, and deeply revealing about the music we currently call popular, but who were these women? Amanda Palmer is a performance artist…

There’s a society-wide abusive relationship. Let’s end it. — I’ve been stuck in a loop, thinking about the changes that haven’t quite happened. The movements that rise and fall, again and again, gathering momentum as the public voice swells, only to fizzle out like a birthday balloon with a tiny hole. It mirrors an abusive relationship but it’s almost…