As a childless woman ...

Loribeth highlighted an article from last year (one which I also missed) that featured an interview with Jody Day. There’s a lot in there that is thought-provoking, but I was struck by this comment:

Anytime you read the phrase, “As a mother…” you are likely to be seeing pronatalism in action - it’s a way of valorizing one woman’s experience over another… because when do you ever see, “As a childless woman…?”

“She’s so right!” I thought. The few times I’ve tried to say, “as a childless woman,” I have purely been explaining myself (instead of being judgemental or self-congratulatory). But it hasn’t always gone down well with those hearing it. Sigh.

 As a childless woman …

• writing a Will isn’t as straightforward as “I’ll leave it all to my kids.”
• I have to plan for my old age because nobody else will do it or be there with me.
• I have to bite my tongue around my friends.
  
• I am isolated.
• my experiences are devalued.
• mothers have been condescending to me.
• few people really want to understand my life.
• the government and policy makers forget about me.
  

On the other hand, I could also say the following:

As a childless woman …

• I have the interests of all children at heart, not just selfishly* those I love.
• my environmental footprint is so much lower than a parent’s.
• I have had time to work on myself, to grow, and develop.
• I have compassion for outsiders.
• I am realistic about what is possible and what isn’t. 
  

What would you say in a sentence beginning with "As a childless woman ...?"

* Yes, a deliberate use of the "S" word! lol