Light Work by Dear Patriarchy

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Welcome to Episode 8 of Series 2, the subject of which we think will resonate with many of you: Having a Hard Time. We start off by discussing the impending  lunar eclipse (Super Blood Flower Moon) and how it can represent and/or bring about closure and evolution. We discuss abusive work relationships and how hard it can be to drop what doesn't serve you as well as divest yourself of the old trope that "this is just the way things are". Lisa goes on a bit of a dark one from the 6 minute mark and questions what the point is of even trying to make it work as a woman in a male dominated industry. Jenni then discusses how her recent abdominal surgery brought to light how little care and attention women receive post-childbirth and how the promises of the diet industry do a number on recovering moms. All in all, this episode is about finding ways to get through the maelstrom and firmly close that door behind you in order to welcome in the new. It's scary but we think it's worth it - we hope you do too.

- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from an Feminist author.
- Find out more about the amazing artists, Nubefy, behind the graphics we use (though not on this episode) here.

If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍

Welcome to Episode 7 of Series 2 where we're discussing how to take back your power. While this is not an issue solely limited to women, the constant struggle to earn, hold and maintain our own power is unique to women both in the workplace and the wider world. We discuss how childhood trauma and ancestral/generational trauma combine with toxic stress to render many women more susceptible to feeling incapable of wielding their own power or speaking out in defence of it. We discuss our personal experiences of attempting to hold onto or maintain our own power in male-dominated environments and what things (and people) you should avoid in order to preserve your energy. We hope this episode helps those who are feeling forgotten, disrespected or trivialised within their workplace - you deserve better!

- Signe Dean's April 2018 article for Science Alert entitled "Scientists Have Observed Epigenetic Memories Being Passed Down For 14 Generations" was used while discussing ancestral trauma.
- December 2020 California Surgeon General's report entitled " Roadmap for Resilience" was used while discussing the effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACE's) and toxic stress.
- Alexandra Harra's December 2017 article for Huffpost entitled "Women Only: 7 Steps to Reclaim Your Power" was used while discussing ways to reclaim your power.
- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from an Feminist author.
- Find out more about the amazing artists, Nubefy, behind the graphics we use (though not on this episode) here.

If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍

Welcome to Episode 6 of Series 2, we're sharing our recent guest spot on the "Things That Keep Us Up At Night" podcast with Abby DesJardien. We spoke about a variety of topics ranging from why we do what we do, the Patriarchy and activism, the weight of expectation on working mothers (because all mothers work, right?), how we take care of ourselves and how little sleep Jenni is actually getting. We hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as we enjoyed recording it.

- Find Abby's excellent podcast, which is devoted to empowering women through better sleep, here.
- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from an incredible Feminist author.
- Find out more about the amazing artists, Nubefy, behind the graphics we use (though not on this episode) here.

If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍

Welcome to Episode 5 of Series 2 where we are talking about when to call it. We start by breaking down what a toxic workplace is and what some major red flags are that you're working in one before diving into reasons why some women may feel that they need to quit a job they still really love. We discuss a few of our own experiences when we had to call time on an abusive relationship with a workplace before closing out the episode by examining a few key signs that it's time to leave your job. While quitting your job in an unstable job market may not seem like the safest choice to make, the most important thing we need you to remember is that you deserve the best. If your worth is not being recognised at your workplace, it might be time to call it!

- Brigid Schulte's April 2018 article for Slate entitled " The Way We Work Is Killing Us" details the initial statistic quoted regarding 120,000 deaths annually in the U.S. due to workplace stress
- April 2021 article for Appreciation at Work entitled "Toxic Workplaces Can Kill You (Really)" was used for its breakdown of the major signs of a toxic workplace
- Liz Elting's August 2019 articled for Forbes entitled " Why Women Quit" provided the key statistics on working mother's financial and unpaid care burdens
- Amanda Riojas' 2021 article for Fairy God Boss entitled "5 Reasons For Leaving a Job: Why Women Quit Even When They Like Their Work" was used in the discussion about why women may need to quit a job they love
- Kathy Caprino's February 2017 article for Forbes entitled "5 Undeniable Signs It's Time To Leave Your Job" which provided a list of key experiences that mean you might need to quit
- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from an incredible female author!
- Find out more about the amazing artists, Nubefy, behind the graphics we use here.

If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍

Welcome to Episode 4 of Series 2 where we start by talking about global racial injustice, specifically what’s happening in the U.S.A. & the U.K. We talk about the unending police shootings in North America, the Sewell Report in the UK, racist Dr. Seuss books and how disappointing it is to see so many social media accounts ignore the inhumanity of what is taking place prolifically around the world. We discuss why no one doing anti-racist work should expect a pat on the back for it and then break down a list of common phrases used in the office (and the wider world) that are racist. We also talk about the healing power of being uncomfortable, apologising and learning to do better.

- Marguerite Ward & Rachel Premack's March 2021 article for Business Insider entitled "What is a microaggression? 14 things people think are fine to say at work — but are actually racist, sexist, or offensive" which was the basis for our discussion about racist, offensive phrases not to use in the office.
- We love the June 2020 Huffpost article by Kelsey Borreson entitled "6 Things White People Say That Highlight Their Privilege" as it quotes Myisha Hill (who we love along with her wonderful work on Check Your Privilege) and breaks down a lot of pervasive tropes about racism commonly used by White people.
- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from an incredible female author!
- Find out more about the amazing artists, Nubefy, behind the graphics we use here.

If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍

Welcome to Episode 3 of Series 2, where we explore joy. We examine some of the reasons why women struggle to retain and engender joy in their lives and discuss how we personally feel joy is lost during the day as a working woman. We talk about the ways in which people and pressures can strip joy from daily life and what can be done to lighten your load and help to make space for the pursuit of joy as an integral and vital part of your personal journey.

- The May 2009 paper "The Paradox of Declining Female Happiness" by Betsey Stevenson & Justin Wolfers.
- Anne Petherick's May 2016 article for The Guardian entitled "Gains in women’s rights haven't made women happier. Why is that?" which breaks down some of the reasons why women have struggled with happiness over the last four decades.
- Dr.Erin Leyba's April 2017 article for Working Mother entitled "10 Quick Joy Fixes for Weary Working Moms" whose contents and suggestions we discuss in the episode.
- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from an incredible female author!
- Find out more about the amazing artists, Nubefy, behind the graphics we use here.

If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍

Welcome to Episode 2 of Series 2 where we dive into a topic we're deeply passionate about: Gaslighting. We discuss how we've encountered this in a multitude of ways in both our personal and professional lives as well as how women with prior experiences of sexual or physical violence may be more susceptible to gaslighting. We touch on the many ways women might experience gaslighting in the corporate environment, how our experience with it spurred us into writing our book and starting this podcast (!) and how to deal with gaslighting when it happens. We know this is something many women encounter all too often so we hope you'll finish this episode feeling supported and ready to challenge gaslighting when it next rears it ugly head.

- World Health Organisation report released March 2021 entitled "Devastatingly pervasive: 1 in 3 women globally experience violence" confirming that 1 in 3 women globally experience sexual or physical violence in their lifetime
- Suzannah Weiss' August 2018 article for Bustle entitled "7 Subtle Ways Women Experience Gaslighting On A Daily Basis" which breaks down gaslighting most women encounter on a daily basis
- Psychology Today July 2020 article entitled "7 Signs of Gaslighting at the Workplace" which breaks down the gaslighting that many people experience in the workplace
- Dr. Stephanie Sarkis' April 2020 article for Mind Body Green entitled "How To Know If You're Dealing With Gaslighting At Work" which further breaks down gaslighting in the workplace as well as strategies for dealing with it
- U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission enforces federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee
- UK Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) which provides free, impartial advice on workplace rights, rules and best practice
- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from an incredible female author!
- Find out more about the amazing artists, Nubefy, behind the graphics we use here

If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍

Welcome to Series 2 of the podcast! We jump right into the deep end with our discussion about how current events (femicide, mass shootings) are all directly tied to anger, specifically male anger. We dive into how toxic masculinity and White privilege feeds our global problem with male anger before applying it directly to a corporate setting where the protective stereotype of the "hard to work with, but good at his job" businessman is rarely, if ever, allowed to apply to women. We touch on our personal experiences with this and how past experiences of physical and/or sexual violence can make male aggression in the workplace very triggering.

- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from an incredible female author!
- Find out more about the amazing artists, Nubefy, behind the graphics we use here

If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍

Welcome to Episode 20, the finale of series 1! This is our series recap of all the discussions we had along with some background behind each conversation and further fleshing out of some of our previous discussions. We hope you've enjoyed the journey so far as much as we have, we look forward to our next round of difficult, thought-provoking conversations with you starting very soon.

- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from an incredible female author!
- Find out more about the amazing artists, Nubefy, behind the graphics we use here

If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍

Welcome to Episode 19, one for the working mamas out there! We recorded this episode on the 21st of February, the anniversary of Malcolm X's assassination and John Lewis' birthday, so we start the conversation talking about their impact, as well as Gloria Richardson's, on our lives. We move on to our central discussion of how mothers, whether or not they are engaging in paid work as well as looking after their children, are being chastised for their coping strategies and organisational skills as they struggle to keep themselves and their families afloat. We discuss what we feel are the structural inequalities that leave mothers in this position even after all of the advancements that women have worked so hard to achieve over the past decades/centuries. We dive into the societal gender bias around nurturing roles, the importance of understanding and giving space to "matrescence",  and how the pressure on mothers  is only becoming more intense.
 
 - Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from an incredible female author
- Find out more about the amazing designers, Nubefy, behind the graphics we use here