Ladies, We Need To Talk

BONUS —  The concrete ceiling

<p>You’ll have heard of the glass ceiling — the invisible barrier that stops women getting ahead at work. For women of colour, that ceiling is actually concrete. And while you can (sometimes) shatter a glass ceiling, the concrete ceiling is a much tougher barrier to smash. At a live recording of Ladies, We Need To Talk, Yumi Stynes speaks with a panel of brilliant women about what it’s like looking up at the concrete ceiling. Our guests were Professor Sujatha Fernandes, Shy Magsalin and Shyamla  Eswaran.</p><p>This episode is a part of the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/about/backstory/digital/2019-10-24/australia-talks-your-questions-answered/11608434">ABC’s Australia Talks project, </a>which aims to find out what Australians are really thinking and feeling, and uses those findings to help us all learn something about each other.</p>

Sex, health and relationships – Yumi Stynes delves into the issues women face but often find hard to talk about.  

Episodes are conversational and relatable: we talk to real women about real stuff, from sexuality, mental health, pregnancy, parenting, erotic fantasies and everything in between.

Hear from experts about the wonders of our bodies, who answer the question "Am I normal?". Women share their deeply personal stories to help you feel understood and part of a community.  

Whether it be the appearance of our vaginas, the orgasm gap or questions about our hormones, we all need reassurance sometimes and Ladies We Need to Talk has your back.

The messages we're bombarded with as women can be overwhelming and confusing. Get 8-hours of sleep. Kick goals at work. Be sexy. Look after yourself, look after your kids, your parents, your partner, your dog. Date. Try self-pleasure and masturbation. Experiment with sex toys. Be everything but don't burn out. It can be a lot. The podcast supports women, no matter where they're at in life.  

Ladies We Need to Talk brings you stories from women experiencing pelvic pain as well experts in treatment in the field. We cover conditions such as endometriosis, adenomyosis, IBS, period pain, persistent pelvic pain and urinary tract infections.  

The symptoms experienced by women during perimenopause, the 10–15-year period before menopause are often underplayed or misdiagnosed by doctors, leaving women feeling confused and unheard. The podcast looks at some of the common symptoms connected with perimenopause, including disturbed sleep, night sweats, hot flushes, dry vagina, mood changes, brain fog and depression.  

You'll hear advice about how to cope with metal health issues. Women share their tips on sobriety and exploring being sober curious when alcohol starts to have an unhealthy impact.

You'll also hear from psychologists and case studies on how to cope with anxiety. Get practical advice on what to do when life feels overwhelming and worry takes over.  

Coercive control, a pattern of manipulative and intimidating behaviours within a relationship is also discussed on the podcast.  

Different ways of having romantic and sexual relationships are talked about openly. You'll meet swingers who go to sex parties and polyamorous couples negotiating bringing up children as well as monogamous couples dealing with sharing the mental load.  

As caregivers, women often bear the brunt of caring responsibility within the home and the wider family. You'll hear women from the "sandwich generation" who are raising their kids while looking after aging parents.