Motherhood in Hard Times: Two Plays, Two Eras

They say time changes everything, but not always for the better. Two powerful plays, "Jordan" from 1992 and "Iphigenia in Splott" from 2015, bring to light the never-ending struggle of mothers living in poverty. Both plays tell the grim tales of babies who didn't make it due to insufficient help from health and social care services. "Jordan" was penned during the reign of Margaret Thatcher, while "Iphigenia in Splott" came after the 2008 financial crisis. Despite the different times, these plays show that the problems low-income mothers face haven't really changed. Governments have always played a big role in shaping the lives of these women, especially through policies like austerity measures. These measures often make it tough for mothers to get the help they need for their health and their children's well-being. Taking a closer look at these plays, we find a striking similarity. Gary Owen's play echoes the struggles that second wave feminists talked about in the 1990s. It connects the current care crisis to the social issues, housing problems, and depleted services that started under Thatcher's rule and were explored in "Jordan". It's like looking at the same problem through different lenses, but the picture doesn't change much. Both plays serve as a reminder that the fight for better care and equality is far from over. They encourage us to question why, after so many years, things haven't improved for the most vulnerable among us. Maybe it's time to ask if we're really doing enough to support mothers in need.