As the Eurozone crisis continues, so we hear news that Britain has a chance to ‘redraw’ the EU- well this is the story according to British PM, David Cameron.

As he and Angela Merkel met for crisis talks there were clearly two different discussions going on, and language barriers couldn’t be blamed. As Merkel made it clear that it was in Britain’s’ interests to strengthen ties, the British PM made it clear that his intention was to move towards a loser union.

You can read Patrick Wintour’s full report in the Guardian here.

I was troubled to read a letter in lasts weeks Guardian which revealed the very troubling news that a third of women have taken antidepressants at some point in their lives, while one in four women currently taking antidepressants have been on them for 10 years or more.

The research was based on a report by the group known as Platform 51 (formerly the YWCA) which helps women and girls take control of their lives.

It found that almost a quarter of those currently taking the medication have not had any kind of review over the last year, according to the research by the group.

Essentially women need more mental health support than they currently receive.

Organisations across the field wrote an open letter urging the Department of Health to commission an urgent review into the use of anti-depressants to ensure the right drugs are prescribed, in the right way and the appropriate level of care. You can read the letter in full here.

Meanwhile I stumbled across this blog last week, in which the author (Jane Martinson) poses the question: ‘Is government turning back the clock?’

When you consider it, it’s quite obvious. Women’s rights were minimal, rising levels of unemployment and very few women worked outside the home while housewives received very little support.

Women’s rights were not the top of most politicians’ agendas back then. And how easy it would be to slowly and seamlessly flop back to that phase (almost without anyone noticing).

Opportunities for women to continue working are, for now, good. But as the government cuts funding to Sure Start centres, plays around with child benefit and cuts public sector employment (an area which has a higher proportion of female employees) then so it jeopardises opportunities for women.

As Anna Bird, acting chief executive of the Fawcett Society said: ‘Women have not faced a greater threat to their financial security and rights in living memory.’

Already there is unrest, last weekend saw a day of action when 1,100 feminists to take part in a series of debates organised by UK Feminista.

As Martinson points out in her well observed blog, it could be just a blink of the eye before we revert back to the smart, yet oppressed 1950s. You can read her piece in full here.