18th Down Under Feminists’ Carnival!

Welcome to the 18th Down Under Feminists’ Carnival! (And apologies for the delay.)

This Carnival has an optional caring theme, thanks to Australian Carers’ Week (which was October 18 to October 24). The theme for this year was “Anyone, Anytime, Across Australia”, which I modified to “Anyone, Anytime” for the purposes of the DUFC.

There wasn’t much sent in on theme, so I’ve expanded the DUFC rules just a little.

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The privilege of choice

I know it’s no longer Carers’ Week, nor is it still October, the month in relation to which I’m hosting the DUFC (you are still welcome to send me submissions by email, by the way, although anything sent via the blog carnival site will no longer come to me).

However, that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be concerned about issues faced by carers.

Such as the awful choice apparently faced by a number of parents who are carers for their children with disabilities.

It seems from this article that, if you are in a situation where you can care for your child some, but not all, of the time, you don’t receive a whole lot of respite support. Your care may also reduce the likelihood that your child will be placed in a permanent supported residential position (which may not be what every person with a disability aspires to, or hir carer, but I’m sure many people do).

The solution? ‘Abandon’ your child by leaving them permanently in the care of DOCS and relinquishing all parental rights.

Yeah. Good one.

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Caring and intersectionality: carers can be people with disabilities, too!

Just another reminder that it’s Carers Week this week and I’m hosting the Carers’ Week-themed DUFC early next month.

Take a look at the information about halfway down the linked page under the heading “Impacts of caring”. The first sentence under the heading is:

Carers have been found to have the lowest health and wellbeing of any group yet discovered.

The points I’m most interested in are:

more than a third of carers were found to be severely to extremely severely depressed

more than one third were found to be experiencing severe or extreme stress

carers are almost twice as likely than normal to experience chronic pain

caring could be one of the leading causes of depression in Australia

not receiving treatment for a significant medical or psychological condition is extremely damaging to carers wellbeing

caring compounds the effect of any other factor that leads to reduced wellbeing

it is evident that any level of consistent, daily, immediate caring responsibility is sufficient to severely damage wellbeing

These factors say to me that carers run a real risk that they are, or will become, a person with a disability themselves as a result of their caring work. (This is not to say that anyone affected by anything outlined in the points extracted above is a person with a disability, just that some of those factors may contribute to a person being or becoming disabled.)

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Why caring is a feminist issue

It’s Carers Week this week – it started yesterday – and as I’ve mentioned a few times, I’m hosting the Carers’ Week-themed DUFC early next month.

I’m not going to have the time to do a blog post on caring every day this week, but I thought it was important to write a post about why caring is a feminist issue.

Although I think it’s pretty obvious: although the Carers’ Week theme this year is “Anyone Anytime Across Australia”, and it is absolutely true that anyone, anywhere might be a carer at any time in their lives, a significant majority of primary carers in Australia – 71% – are women.

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Reminder: 18th Down Under Feminists’ Carnival (with Caring theme)

Just a reminder that I’m hosting the 18th Down Under Feminists’ Carnival here in early November. (It’s meant to be up by 5 November, but due to work commitments, it may be a few days late. My apologies in advance.)

Importantly: there is a theme! (Thus the early reminder.)

It’s Carers’ Week in Australia from October 18 to October 24. The theme this year is “Anyone, Anytime” (actually, it includes the words “across Australia”, but since the DUFC is not just Australia, I’m sticking with “Anyone, Anytime”). More information about the theme is at the link provided.

I am quite happy to accept submissions which do not fit within the theme, of course, but please consider writing at least one post that does. Also, when you submit a post, please let me know if you think there’s a link to the theme (and if so, what it is).

Submissions here by 2 November – or emailed to me at my gmail address, with the handle tamar [dot] jo .

Look forward to seeing you back here in early November.

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Carers’ Week and the Down Under Feminists’ Carnival

The 17th Down Under Feminists’ Carnival is up at Ideologically Impure, with a wonderful structure.

I’m due to host the next Down Under Feminists’ Carnival in November. (It’s meant to be up by 5 November, but due to work commitments, it may be a few days late. My apologies in advance.)

Submissions here by 2 November – or emailed to me at my gmail address, with the handle tamar [dot] jo .

Importantly: there will be a theme!

It’s Carers’ Week in Australia from October 18 to October 24. The theme this year is “Anyone, Anytime” (actually, it includes the words “across Australia”, but since the DUFC is not just Australia, I’m sticking with “Anyone, Anytime”). More information about the theme is at the link provided.

I am quite happy to accept submissions which do not fit within the theme, of course, but please consider writing at least one post that does. Also, when you submit a post, please let me know if you think there’s a link to the theme (and if so, what it is).

Look forward to seeing you back here in early November.

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