The Dilemma

Aug 12 2024 8 ep. 23 mins 27
The Dilemma Podcast artwork

Should we become parents? The Dilemma is here to explore all of the questions that come up when we're asking the mother of all questions. In a series of funny, uncomfortable and inspiring conversations journalist Gina Rushton speaks to psychologists, political observers, activists, philosophers and fertility specialists who all share the load in carrying a dilemma that can feel all too heavy at a time of uncertainty. 

  Society & Culture  News  Kids & Family
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BONUS EPISODE: How do friendships survive this decision?

Aug 12 2024 24 mins  
In this extra special bonus episode, Gina is joined by one of her best friends Gyan Yankovich, author of Just Friends. They discuss how the question of parenthood can transform friendships for better or worse. Host: Gina Rushton Executive producer: Kara Jensen-Mackinnon Guests: Gyan Yankovich Extra reading: You can read Gyan’s book here, catch up on the viral essay by Allison P.

Episode seven: Has this all been a waste of time?

Aug 05 2024 24 mins  
In the final episode The Dilemma, Gina talks to a philosopher and mother who isn’t convinced a pros and cons list can ever solve the question of parenthood. Stay subscribed to this channel as we’re not going anywhere! Host: Gina Rushton Executive producer: Kara Jensen-Mackinnon Guests: LA Paul, Chris Cheers Extra reading: This is the paper from Paul that changed Gina’s thin

Episode six: How do we hope better?

Jul 29 2024 22 mins  
Many people are trying to make decisions about their futures while holding both hope and fear. In this episode of The Dilemma we’re talking about climate guilt, who should be panicking and whether you can make hope from scratch. Host: Gina Rushton Executive producer: Kara Jensen-Mackinnon Guests: Tom Whyman, Mary Annaïse Heglar Extra reading: Tom’s book Infinitely Full of Ho

Episode five: Is egg freezing an insurance policy?

Jul 22 2024 25 mins  
In this week's episode of The Dilemma we are talking about fertility with two special guests. Sheree generously shares her personal story and Dr Tash tells us about the advice she gives patients. We talk about whether people are being pushed into egg freezing, what to do about time-wasting partners and what comes after the grief of infertility. Host: Gina Rushton Executive produce

Episode four: Why are we scared of raising boys?

Jul 15 2024 27 mins  
You can’t consider parenthood without thinking about gender — your own, that of your partner and that of your potential child. This week on The Dilemma we’re talking about why some women don’t want to raise boys, why men don’t want to go to therapy and why there are so many memes about boyfriends as hapless children and girlfriends as tired mothers. Host: Gina Rushton E

Episode three: Who killed the girlboss?

Jul 08 2024 25 mins  
If not kids then what? For many people the answer is a consuming career. Like many millennial women, Gina entered the workforce during the rise of the #girlboss and spent the next decade watching and experiencing the death of a dream in which a job could be an identity. This week on The Dilemma we explore what we internalise about what makes a good worker, what makes a good mother

Episode two: Can you bribe people into having kids?

Jul 01 2024 22 mins  
People are having no children, fewer children or waiting longer to have children. What can politicians be doing to make people feel more confident in growing their families? And what does this have to do with reproductive rights? This episode of The Dilemma was made possible with the support of The Victorian Women’s Trust. For almost 40 years, the Victorian Women’s Trust has p

Episode one: The Dilemma

Jun 24 2024 17 mins  
For journalist Gina Rushton, the question arrived as a sudden and unbearable cramp. Should I become a parent? In the debut episode of The Dilemma we explore why this question feels so complicated in 2024. This episode of The Dilemma was made possible with the support of The Victorian Women’s Trust, a feminist agency that has been amplifying women and their concerns for almost fo