November 05, 2007

Purple Women Count on Nov. 15

I cannot tell you the number of women bloggers, let alone the number of chilfree women bloggers. Even the experts don't know. We do know that in the U.S., 42 percent of all women in the United States 15-44 years old are childless, according to the 2000 Census. (Likely many of them are still undecided about their family status.) Institutions tend to assume that we are all "future mothers", doctors tend to treat women as if they are forever "pre-pregnant". (Have you ever tried to get a permanent solution?) Childfree women bloggers are even more difficult to measure. I believe speaking out is more important than being counted literally.

Americans do not hold the exclusive on the trend of more women remaining childfree. The availability of contraception plays a role in this global trend associated with educated women.
The issue of childfree women has reached all time highs in Canada, Italy, New Zealand, and England. At home and abroad, we draw the unwanted attention of reporters, sociologists, feminists and institutions alike.

Thus, we bring you the Purple Women Count Campaign: an effort to have childfree women bloggers included more appropriately in women-centric websites, and in the long run, improve how we are treated by institutions from mainstream media to the doctor's office. Changes start with dialogue. Surely if we start with other women, our voices will be heard.

Have you experienced being invisible as a childfree woman? Do you self-identify as a chilfree woman?
1) For those of you who have your own blogs, please write a post on this topic, or contribute a Guest Post here to be posted on November 15th. Let's all post on the same day and link to each other. Send me your URL/link and I'll add your blog's name to the Purple Links in the sidebar and compile a list of all participating blogs in a separate post.

2) If you are a member of a chilfree forum or discussion group, please post a notice to them about our blogging event on November 15. Let me know if you do so, so I can track our outreach. I posted the campaign announcement to all 90 of the No Kidding clubs asking them to participate. No kidding is the international social club for childfree adults. I run a chapter here in the San Francisco Bay Area.

3) Don't be shy about joining these women-centric sites and requesting a place for Purple Women (childfree). I recommend we work towards a category called Women Without Children. We can avoid the hyphenation consternation problems of child-free vs. childfree.

4) Let me know if you want a Purple Woman! button to wear. If you send me an address by email, I will send you one for free, until supplies run out.

5) Consider placing the Purple Woman button graphic link in your sidebar. Wear it with pride! It is in development now and I will post the code here as soon as it is ready.

Let's no longer be invisible Purple WomenTM! It's easy, just
tell a friend, send us your blog's URL if you have one, and write about it on November 15.

Cheers,
Teri Tith

Creator & Contributing Editor
Purple Women & Friends

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37 comments:

Dani said...

Count me in!

The Coach's Wife said...

Yay! Absolutely....

Anonymous said...

My post is already up. In it I ask if, as childfree women, we are invisible. Certainly we seem to be as far as all women-blogging sites are concerned. But it isn't only in this arena. Interestingly it also threw some light on an interesting view...what some childfree women think of all-women blogging sites in general.

Check it out:


As commentators have said, we may have to fight for our rights to be heard. But it may not be too long before society is unable to ignore us. As another reader said.. "they'll be all over us." That will be a great day.

Anonymous said...

Sorry for the linked text... Blogger's done something weird with the html. But at least it links to the article.

Anonymous said...

Excellent post BritGirl, you are really fired up on this topic!

Dani, Neda, thanks you all for participating. I can get your URL from the Blogger link here, but do let me know when you post and I will do a hard link to that in a compilation post on Nov. 15.

Thank you!

M said...

I "advertised" the project on my blog, but haven't had the time to write the actual post yet, but hope I will in time. If not, I will still write it past deadline and link to it here when done. Great job, Teri.

Anonymous said...

My health has served as a powerful reinforcement to remain childfree. My doctors have always been very supportive of my desire to not have children. I cannot say this of people who ask "why not adopt?" One of my uncles made the decision to be childfree when he married in 1966: he and his wife have been a powerful role model for me. I have never seen motherhood as a necessary or desirable outcome.

Escape Brooklyn said...

Great idea - I'd love to participate! (I read about your project on M's blog.)

Sam said...

I posted my post as well (it will show up on the 15th). Heard about it via m's blog as well.

Laura said...

Count me in as well, just need the button code. :)

Laura said...

Just posted a notice about this to some of the childfree forums on LiveJournal and GreatestJournal.

Miranda said...

http://velvet_nights.greatestjournal.com

I am 39 years old, childfree, and have had a hysterectomy. I make sure all doctors who see me know about this surgery so that I will not be denied medicines as "pre-pregnant." Not that anyone should be!

Kat said...

Fantastic! I'm in. Let's do this!

KnittingBlueContent said...

I'm in and will blog this when I get home tonight.

For your stats:

39
Tubal at age 33 (years of trying to get it though)
Married at 35
Always knew I didn't want kids.
Even after marriage - still don't want them!

my blog is 'knittingbluecontent' over at blogger.com

Anonymous said...

I'm a childfree woman - so count me in!

M said...

I'm in. Took hours to write, but I did it! It's damn long but I hope people will take the time to read this first post I've written on my blog (some 350 posts total) on this topic. I had a lot to say and only said a small fraction of it!! Thanks for getting this going Teri!

M

Anonymous said...

pitbullgirl65: oh yeah, I feel invisible. 42 years old and knew I was childfree since I was a kid. Why are we called selfish? Life can be very cruel and you want to bring another person into the mix?

Anonymous said...

Wow -- this is great!!! Thanks all for the posts and the soon-to-be-posted. I am so gratified to have such a good response. I owe several PW the blog code to put up a linking button...I wish I had more time to get bloggy with it.

I need help, if you know anyone with such talents, to create a blogroll for PW. Let's connect to each other and not wait for the mainstream fill-in-the-blank to acknowledge us!

Anonymous said...

You can add me to this count. My journal is here: http://calligrafiti.livejournal.com/

Anonymous said...

I'll post! I'm at http://prncsspetulance.livejournal.com

Anonymous said...

Add me too, please:

http://laliatk.livejournal.com

Anonymous said...

Add me as well :)

Ravan Asteris said...

I like the concept, as I both like purple *and* am childfree!! You have made it into my little link list on Another Ravan Perch!

Yes, I'll try to get something CF up - I get really, really, sick of "womens" blogs being equated with "mommy blogging". Feh. I have a life, a career, and opinions that don't revolve around childrearing.

Addy said...

Count "us" (there is more than one contributer) in too!

cfinfo.wordpress.com (new Unscripted ezine blog)

Anonymous said...

I logged in under Blogger last time I commented, so I'm leaving my real address, not my old one: purplemelange.wordpress.com

Looking forward to reading everyone's posts!

Anonymous said...

Teri and all - I posted up another post... it will show up tomorrow (the 15th) so do pop over and check it out and link to it. I look at it as a "continuation post..heh! I've actually linked to your post in it and to my other post as well.
Click on my name to get to my blog.

AmandaJayne said...

I'm at faeriedaemon.livejournal.com
I'm posting mine now.

Kipene said...

kipene.livejournal.com

Anonymous said...

This is an amazing project you have going here, kudos for starting it. I don't have a public blog, I only have a livejournal (http://11000_feet.livejournal.com). I'll make a public post in it today about being childfree, but I don't see myself ever making regularly public posts.

Thank you for existing.

Anonymous said...

I wrote a blog on this topic, it can be found here:
http://alifaust.livejournal.com/1708.html

Thank you so much for asking us to do this. Writing this blog entry really made me think about some things, and it was nice to be able to verbalize what I was thinking about.

Anonymous said...

I'm all in favor of raising awareness as a demographic group and hope this activity will get some media attention, especially because most politicians ignore us. It disgusts me that we are ignored by commerce and politics alike. It's time for a change and what better time than just before an election?

Anonymous said...

I've just posted a small rant that has been building up for a few weeks.
http://hippywench.livejournal.com/

I would also like the purple women graphic button for my blogs.

BrideOfPorkins said...

It's very roundabout, but I posted.

http://sisterpepperspray.blogspot.com/2007/11/penance.html

Luckily I haven't (yet) had to kill anyone for asking, "Aren't you going to have kids?" so I went with my reasoning in the event that it happens someday, so I can show my state of mind. :)

Anonymous said...

I'm only sorry I found out about it so late.

Unknown said...

I'm in. I know I am late, but I would love the code for my blogs.

Kath said...

PLEASE let me know when you have your Purple Woman icon ready. Will GLADLY display it on my blog.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the overwhelming response and...

"Help!"

I need your URLs and your email so I can send you the CODE!

I will do a wrap up post on all the PW posts and save your URL for our future (hopefully not too hard to do) PW Blogroll of Honor). I need your email address so I can do a batch email to all of you to send you the code.

Thanks a bunch everyone, I am still getting to all your posts to read and comment on them. I am so happy to be reading so many self-identified Purple Women bloggers!