Women

This week, she asks: could so-called 'baby brain' actually be a helpful affliction? Is it time for women doctors to ask for a pay rise? And, when will Australia give three-parent babies the green light?

The upside of 'baby brain'

I'm definitely not the first woman to think she's lost her mind after having a baby, and thanks to the kind people at Nature Neuroscience, I can now rest assured that not only is this totally normal but, ultimately, helpful.

Research increasingly points to the likelihood that some of the most aggressive ovarian cancers originate in the fallopian tubes. Most doctors now believe there is little to lose by removing the tubes of women who are done bearing children -- and potentially much to gain in terms of cancer prevention.

The stakes in this research are high. Ovarian cancer is the deadliest of gynecologic cancers, killing 14,000 women a year in the United States. It is often diagnosed in the late stages, when it is more difficult to treat.

She says: "I was a size zero. I wanted to actually have that curvy figure and that's why I got into training."

She thinks the trend started in America on social media.

"I think for girls, lifting weights feel good.

"Now they've got empowerment - they don't need a man for money.

"It feels good to walk into that gym, to walk into a weight room and curl more than a guy"

"Some people see it as a bit of self-obsession but I'd say it's the complete opposite.

The analysis of 4 million people, born between 1891 and 2001, showed that men used to be far more likely to drink and have resulting health problems.

But the current generation have pretty much closed the gap, the BMJ Open report says.

The changing roles of men and women in society partly explain the move towards boozing parity.

The study showed that in people born in the early 1900s, men were:

Car manufacturer SEAT and lifestyle publication Cosmopolitan are facing backlash over a brand new car for "women" that was jointly unveiled at Cosmopolitan's FashFest event in London on Friday.

The result of a collaboration between the manufacturer and the magazine, the SEAT Mii comes complete with jewel-effect rims, a handbag hook, and "eyeliner headlights" that are "emphasized in the same way as make-up emphasizes the eye," according to the manufacturer.

The awards are in recognition of their leadership and contributions to Vanuatu community.

They received their awards from the Australian High Commissioner, Jeremy Bruer, at an afternoon tea reception to celebrate International Women's Day yesterday.

A public exhibition of photos and stories of the hardships experienced by women across the country both in the wake of Cyclone Pam and as victims and survivors of domestic violence was launched in the capital Port Vila.

President of the Silae Vanua Market Vendors association Eslin Solomon said she believed economic empowerment for women was crucial to addressing many of the issues faced by women in Vanuatu.

However, the number of women set to contest the election is likely to have fallen significantly.

In the 2012 poll, a record 10 women ran, however none were voted in.

This time, at least 3 women are hoping to run as independent candidates, including Jenny Ligo who contested both the 2012 and 2008 elections.

Ligo says politics in Vanuatu is still failing to represent the needs of women.

Meanwhile, politicians in the past years have failed repeatedly to unite people at north Efate regardless of differences.

‘Disasters affect men and women differently and we need to understand the diverse needs and priorities of the various groups to be able to respond effectively to the realities on the ground. For Vanuatu, the initial rapid disaster assessment did not reflect everyone’s perspective hence the result was a blanket distribution of supplies’ reflects Mr Vano.

There have been presentations, marches and other activities in support of the international campaign which is focused on combatting gender-based violence.

The co-coordinator of Port Vila Activism Week, Jennifer Manua, says many people went to Morobe Market to listen to the presentations.

Manua says the women relayed how they'd lost their homes and struggled as single parents after Cyclone Pam.

"This programme encouraged the women to come forward to also give their testimonies on how they faced disaster and how they managed their families. Some of them shed tears."