andrea mara

Have you heard the one about the tax incentive to encourage women to have babies by the age of 30? No, it’s not a joke. It’s a real suggestion. The idea was put forward by a medical professional who is concerned about the relatively high average age at which Irish women first give birth. Meanwhile, in […]

10 years ago

Reading an article recently, the following words stopped me in my tracks: “Modern parenting is all about the child and that’s what I don’t like about it.” They weren’t the words of a curmudgeonly bachelor, fed up having his morning stroll disrupted by racing, roaring toddlers. They weren’t the words of a publicity-hungry celebrity columnist, […]

10 years ago

For many, GE16 is an opportunity to voice concerns on issues that particularly affect women, such as reproductive rights and maternity services. Since the death of Savita Halappanavar in 2012, calls for improvements to the way women are treated during and after pregnancy have become increasingly loud, and Friday, February 26th is a chance to […]

11 years ago

November 9th was Equal Pay Day – from that point on, UK women work for free until the end of the year, at least when compared to their male counterparts. The campaign highlights the 14 per cent gender pay gap that exists in the UK, and the “working for free” concept seems, at least at first, like […]

11 years ago

Some months ago, my eldest child asked me if she could have pocket money. I said I’d think about it – not to fob her off, but because I wasn’t sure whether or not it was a good idea.  Instinctively, I knew two things: unless there was good reason not to give a seven-year-old pocket […]

11 years ago

Quick fixes for a hangover that has nothing to do with alcohol

11 years ago