I grew up in a time when women were seen as feeders, breeders and follow the leaders, a time when brides walked down the aisle on their fathers arm to be given away to a future husband. Nursing, teaching or office work was seemed the perfect vocation for young women while waiting for the right (or chosen) man to come along. Once married the expectation was for women to not go to work but stay home and raise the children.

I did many of these things except stay home and raise my children, who were often told by my mother what a bad mother I was for going to work while my poor husband was left to hang the washing out or cook the family meal. As a nurse and a teacher, I worked in the evenings while studying for my university degree as my education ended at age 15 and I married at 19. As a rebel, I broke the rules, by being the first married nurse in my area to complete her nursing training, the first nurse to have dual employment and the first to have maternity leave and later be paid redundancy when my role was restructured.

For a woman all these things involved a battle and proved if you want something bad enough or if you have a voice, then use it, Just as I did, fighting discrimination was always the enemy! Four children, four grandchildren, four great-grandchildren later and the murder of my son being my greatest battle.

This one I didn’t win, but writing about my journey was my greatest victory. While writing about your personal life is like taking your clothes off in public, having a voice and using it can give you freedom. My greatest wish to the victims of this world is never give up, anything is possible if you make your mind up. I did and I survived.