Ducks on the Pond

Episode sponsor: Dimity Smith, Founder of GRO Rural If you’ve moved to a small town or even moved back to your hometown, after a long time away… how do you make friends? There are suggestions that Australia is in the middle of a loneliness epidemic; in fact one in three people experience it. Country towns are pretty good at welcoming people in, but making close, meaningful relationships takes time and it takes effort.In this episode we get advice from two experts and women who...

Does how we talk about men influence the massive problem of violence against women?There are conversations we need to have in broader society about family violence. But where are the men?How do we get our men to actively participate in a stand to stop violence against women? This is a tricky conversation. Clearly, it would be great if men just stop being violent. But telling men to simply ‘stop it,’ isn’t working.And this is certainly NOT about blaming women. This is more about how do w...

With gender roles for men not being as defined as perhaps they once were, what does this mean for our rural men who grew up with certain ideas of 'what a man should look like?' Does how we talk about our blokes matter too? Whether that's whinging about our husbands who seem to always miss kids bath time... or on a broader societal level about what men should or shouldn't be? This is a tough issue for a women's-centred podcast to dive into. But if we're ever going to tackle two major killers i...

**EPISODE SPONSOR: Moore Australia**Being diagnosed with a chronic illness is a massive change. And most people who have experienced this, speak about a grieving process for your old life and even your old identity, especially if it was based on being physically active.But our two guests insist a medical condition is not the end of your life. In fact, they say their illnesses have forced them to be innovative, creative and push for change - resulting in opportunities that never would have ope...

**EPISODE SPONSOR: Rural Women’s Day** There’s this persistent notion that starting up a retail store in the main street of town is just too hard. From the high rents, cost of living crisis, to the relatively low foot traffic in country towns, finding a physical space to sell things, the ‘ye olde way’ can seem impossible.But in this episode, we meet three business owners who have found success by leaning into the community side of their business. Economically, this might not make a lot o...