I’ve been contributing posts to the Brighton Mums blog for a few years. It’s great to have an outlet for my musings and I also really appreciate the support that has been given to my group Mothers Uncovered. So when Claire put out a call for people to join the team, I didn’t hesitate to become an editor.
I generally write ‘Opinion’ pieces as I have plenty of those (too many, the long-suffering around me might say). These might be directly related to ‘mothering’, such as breastfeeding, relationship with children or juggling work with your role as a mother, but I also write about women in general, especially how they are represented in the media or entertainment, or how they fare in the public eye.
Mothers sometimes don’t seem to be regarded as women, with wants and needs of their own. They are in a separate category, both revered and reviled. The ethos of Mothers Uncovered is ‘behind every mother is the woman she has always been’. Women are marginalised in society, this is indisputable. And mothers get doubly marginalised. While they are engaged in the piffling little job of raising the next generation, the world marches by them; pausing only to pass judgement on what they are doing wrong, ask when they plan to go ‘back to work’ or admire how they have shifted some of their ‘baby bulge.’ They often don’t feel they have a voice.
Claire and I have known each other for about seven years. We have contributed on various projects together and I have always admired her straight-talking, no-nonsense, fair-minded attitude. Not to mention her ability to pack more in a day than I would have thought possible. She cares about the Brighton Mums site because she cares that the mothers of Brighton (and Hove!) are represented. And so do I. Brighton mums are an enterprising, spirited, feisty bunch. It’s not just a listings or reviews site. It’s a forum for the many excellent mothers (who are also women) to come together to share their views.
We’re both busy, so sometimes there may be a delay while we get things done. But we are committed to bringing you thought-provoking, informative, moving and amusing material – sometimes all in the same post…We will also be featuring guest contributions from some excellent local writers. So stay tuned, pop-pickers. And enjoy our voices.
