Motherhood: A Manifesto by Eliane Glaser

‘Why, after decades of social progress, is motherhood still so much harder than it needs to be?’

Before they become mothers, women are repeatedly reminded that their biological clock is ticking. Once pregnant, a woman’s body becomes public property: she is patronised, panicked, and forbidden from exercising her autonomy.

In labour, women’s wishes are overridden, resulting in potentially life-changing injuries and trauma. When the baby comes home, women begin a life of pay cuts, lost job opportunities, heavier housework, unequal emotional loads, and judgement from all sides.