There would be no society without us.

You owe us your very existence.

And yet, when we ask for support, when we speak up about the fact that our role is not properly resourced, when we mention that we’re being asked to singlehandedly do the task of many, when we cry in exhaustion or scream in frustration, you turn you back on us.

You insult us, you refuse to listen to our experiences, you tell us to sit down, and shut up, and be grateful.

How dare you.

It is you society who needs to be grateful to us.

We are the most valuable part of you. If we stopped performing our function, you would cease to exist within 100 years.

We are not door mats. You will not walk all over us and you will not take us for granted.

Your lack of respect is appalling. You pay lip service to the role and then direct your funds toward armaments. You vote for men who don’t even speak to the issues of women and children because they’re deemed ‘soft’ issues that won’t make him seem like a ‘leader’.

Your idea of leadership is warped and we – the glue of society – will not abide it any longer.

Our voices will not be silenced this time.

The time of the ‘perfect mother’ suffering in silence with her bex or anti-depressants is over.

We will not be drugged into submission. We will not be cast aside and we will not be disrespected any more.