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Saturday, September 17, 2022

World Childless Week 2022, Day Six: "We Are Worthy"

The Day Six theme of World Childless Week -- as it has been for the past four years -- is "We Are Worthy."  

Someone recently said to me, “A peacock is most vulnerable when it shows its beauty.” It made me think of the beauty we all hold within us that can be diminished and feel tainted by the pronatalism surrounding us every day. We need to speak up and speak out until every childless person feels equal and confident to shine whilst showing their vulnerability. 

Today, let’s share and celebrate, why we are worthy and beautiful.

Four years ago, there was an online summit for childless people during National Infertility Awareness Week on the theme of "We Are Worthy," and I wrote about it and my thoughts on the subject of worthiness here. I can't think of any other posts I've written about worth/worthiness in particular, but I have pointed out plenty of examples of pronatalism and how the childless/free experience has been marginalized, when I've found them. I didn't know the term "pronatalism" when I first started this blog, so I started using the tag "mommy mania" -- the best I could come up with at the time. I've gradually been re-tagging them as "pronatalism." 

The "bible" on pronatalism from a childfree (by choice) perspective would be "The Baby Matrix" by Laura Carroll (which I reviewed here).  A real eye-opener, and highly recommended!  

On the flip side, I suppose, would be the posts I've written about or touching on feminism, tagged as "the f word." I was brought up thoroughly steeped in the second-wave feminist messages of the 1970s (for good and for bad);  I have always believed and often said that I am more than my uterus. Unfortunately, that's still not the message that society tends to send us or the people around us....!  

Check out today's content on the WCW site, including community members' contributions (new ones being added every 15 minutes throughout the day) and (count 'em!) FOUR free webinars and workshops! 

  • 4 a.m Eastern Time: "Childlessness and Pets," with Judy Graham, Narelle Hudson, Anne Xavier Altamore, Rochelle Trimnell-Ritchard and Sarah Roberts, all from Australia. 
  • 11 a.m. ET:  "Pronatalism May Be Getting Louder, But So Are the Childless," with Stephanie Phillips, Jessica Hepburn and Annie Kirby from England, and Hilary Fennell from Ireland.  
  • 12:30 p.m. ET: "Mindful Yoga Practice," with Sarah Jane Smith from British Columbia, Canada. 
  • 2 p.m. ET:  "We Are Worthy of Your Support," with six childless women from around the world. 

These will all be recorded and uploaded to the Day Six page for anyone who cannot make the live events. 

(On the subject of pets -- dh & I do not and never have had them during our married life -- although I had a puppy and a turtle when I was growing up, and we're constantly being told that we "need" to get a dog. (eyeroll)  I wrote posts in 2013 and 2017 explaining why we choose to remain petless. We do adore & dote on Older Nephew's miniature dachshund. :)  You can find all my pet-related posts here.) 

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