women discuss

In past Women Discuss columns here on DW, we’ve discussed deciding not to have children, polyamory and open relationships, wedding advice, and how to express condolences. Today, we’re covering a topic close to my heart: being a woman in her forties. From physical changes to career developments to balancing the demands of caring for aging parents and – sometimes – young kids while finding time to nurture relationships, friendships, hobbies and civic responsibilities, being a woman in her forties can feel like climbing a summit: the views are often spectacular and the rewards are plentiful, but boy, do our backs ache. I recently shared my feelings about being a forty-something woman, and…

Image by Liberty Antonia Sadler for Metro Word on the street is that women of child-bearing age are opting out of having children more than any generation before them. (See this, this, this, this, and this if you don’t believe me.) I reached out to five women, most of whom are nearing the end of their child-bearing years and who range from pretty sure to absolutely certain they don’t want kids, about their choice to remain childfree – whether they always knew they didn’t want kids, whether they feel any negative repercussion about their choice, what they love most about not having kids (spoiler alert: traveling unencumbered is a pretty universal love),…

Chances are you probably know someone in a polyamorous or open relationship. You may not be aware that you do, but you probably do. And chances are, unless you are the someone in a polyamorous or open relationship, you may not know as much as you think you do about how such a relationship works and what some of the biggest benefits and challenges are. Below, five different women discuss their experience with polyamory and open relationships (they aren’t necessarily the same thing), and some of the biggest misconceptions people have about the lifestyle. For example, jealousy is NOT generally the biggest challenge people in polyamorous relationships face. Find out below what…