Rose's Place

PETA often doesn't treat women's issues very delicately. Apparently we're not as important as animals. There was the ad linking animal abuse to Robert Pickton's victims, and the ad labeling women who don't shave their pubic hair as unattractive, and of course the numerous ads portraying idealistic and unrealistic images of women's bodies. Now they're taking on breastfeeding mothers.This morning PETA sent a letter to Ben and Jerry's asking them to replace cow's milk with human breast milk. PETA argues that breast milk is better for the health of Ben and Jerry's customers, but they don't take into … [Read more...]

If you're just catching up, here's part I and here's part II.Since they were left out of Code Blue's child care report card, today I will be discussing the Bloc Québécois. (Please note that some of quotes from the Bloc Québécois website may be bad translations since my French has a lot of room for improvement.)Bloc QuébécoisCode Blue says that they left the Bloc Québécois off of their report card because "they do not express an opinion on child care outside of Quebec." I agree that the Bloc Québécois platform is very, erm, Quebec-centric. I disagree that this is a good reason for them … [Read more...]

A doctor's point of view about children's issues in this election.It would be wonderful if, over the next few weeks, serious, thoughtful proposals would emerge from all parties, particularly the Conservatives, on the issues that matter to children. It would be great if, rather than simply being the background to another announcement, children became an election issue in and of themselves. But, as there is no magic wand in my pocket, I really don't think I will get my wish. Instead, I will be satisfied if, perhaps, I could convince Harper that, while I appreciate that a Conservative government would … [Read more...]

We have a federal election in Canada coming soon, so I'm going to examine what the different parties are saying about women and families. There are other important issues to consider when deciding who to vote for, but due to the nature of this blog these are the issues that I will be discussing.Conservative Party of CanadaI'll start with the Conservative Party of Canada, since I've been seeing ads on TV about how much Stephen Harper cares about families.Under the heading "key issues" on their website, we have child care. Child care in Canada wasn't in good shape before the Conservatives came into … [Read more...]

The other day, I read in somebody's livejournal that she had watched a movie called An American Crime. Afterwards she looked up the true story that the movie was based on and was horrified.I had not heard about the movie and I was curious, so I looked it up too and learned about the death of Sylvia Likens. (The details of her torture and death may me triggering for survivors of abuse.)Sylvia Likens was a 16 year old girl in Indiana who, along with her 15 year old sister, Jenny, went to live with a woman named Gertrude Baniszewski and her family in the 1960s. The parents of the Likens girls were … [Read more...]

In Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself, Amy Richards explores the relationship between motherhood and feminism.When I am asked, "Can you be a feminist and a mother?" I answer yes, but not if that means escaping the realities of your own life. Being exclusively a mother can be an easy way out, seeing yourself in a relationship to others rather than figuring out what you uniquely want or who you uniquely are. In fact, the initial tension between feminism and motherhood developed because the former advocates the pursuit of independence, while the latter is based on dependence. In its … [Read more...]

First, let me say that I'm glad Elizabeth May will be in the debates. Not because I'm a Green Party supporter (I actually wish people were less convinced that they're a left-leaning party), but because it's fair. There is a Green MP -- if that's not the threshold for debate participation, they're just bending the rules specifically to exclude May.That said, I don't quite get why we're all saying it was sexist to exclude her in the first place, or that her inclusion is a victory over sexism.Usually, I'm ready to see the sexist overtones of all kinds of things, but in this case... I just don't see … [Read more...]

Do you need to be a millionaire to have kids?Potential parents need to be able to not only afford daycare (which in Vancouver is around $1200 a month, if you can get a place) or a nanny, expensive kid gear like strollers and fashionable baby clothes and the keys to their own house. There's a growing expectation that one parent will take a year off work, and given the cost of living and housing, that means an even higher level of affluence is required.I guess I'm lucky to be living in Quebec where we have seven dollar a day daycare, although it is difficult to find a spot.In our society, we have … [Read more...]

I had an appointment at the Royal Victoria Hospital today, and after speaking with the nurse and with the doctor, I feel confident that I will be able to have a natural birth there. I was told that episiotomies are not routine, having a cesarean is my choice, and I can sit up when I am giving birth. They do not make a habit of intervening with an episiotomy or cesarean unless it is absolutely necessary. I will need an IV, but I do not have to have one for water.The nurse told me not be scared because having a child is a natural occurrence and it does not mean that the woman is sick. This is how … [Read more...]

This was one of my favourite books when I was a child. It was written by Robert Munsch and illustrated by Michael Martchenko.Princess Elizabeth is engaged to Prince Ronald. When a dragon comes and destroys the castle and kidnaps Prince Ronald, Elizabeth sets off on a journey to rescue him.She finds the dragon and outsmarts him and then goes into his lair to get Prince Ronald, who berates her for her shabby appearance. Elizabeth decides that it is not worth it to rescue her prince after all and dances off into the sun set.In a culture where a lot of traditional children's stories put women and girls … [Read more...]

I plan on having a natural birth. That means no cesarean, no forceps, and no epidural. At first I wanted to have an epidural, but then I read in Henci Goer's The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth that an epidural, which numbs you from the waist down, interferes with pushing, and a woman who has one is more likely to need a cesarean or an episiotomy.This book and a natural birth forum that I have been following give the impression that you cannot have a natural birth in a hospital. They give the message that a hospital will not respect a pregnant woman's wishes while a mid-wife who assists … [Read more...]