Feminism NOW

It’s 2025 and there are ongoing cases in the courts that could affect women’s rights–from the ability to obtain medication abortion to protection from our former abusers. But these cases often don’t make headlines until the decisions are made. Our last episode, featuring Azaleea Carlea, Legal Director of Legal Momentum, addressed the powers and limitations of the legal system when it comes to protecting women’s rights. In this episode, NOW National President Christian F. Nunes sits down with Lynn Hecht Schafran, Senior Vice President of Legal Momentum, to discuss some of the court cases Legal Momentum is involved in—ones with major implications for our rights—to keep everyday feminists up-to-date about where our rights stand in the court of law. Want to hear more on how gender bias bubbles up in our legal system? Be sure to check out our episode, “The Abuse to Prison Pipeline,” featuring Becki Kondkar, founding director of Tulane Law School’s Women’s Prison Project.Links: https://www.legalmomentum.org/ https://www.legalmomentum.org/get-help-formCourt cases mentioned in this episode:Brenda Evers Andrew v. Tamika White, Warden (2025): https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-supreme-court/23-6573.html United States v. Rahimi (2024): https://www.oyez.org/cases/2023/22-915 FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine (2024): https://www.oyez.org/cases/2023/23-235 Guest: Lynn Hecht Schafran, Esq. is Senior Vice President at Legal Momentum and has been Director of Legal Momentum's National Judicial Education Program to Promote Equality for Women and Men in the Courts (NJEP) since 1981. Lynn also serves as Senior Vice President and a Senior Staff Attorney, litigating and writing in the areas of rape, domestic violence, the intersection of domestic violence and sexual assault, neuroscience and its implications for the courts, and all aspects of gender bias in the courts.Take Action NOW: Join NOW this July for our National Conference in Las Vegas! Click here to learn more and register. We can’t wait to see you there!Listen to new episodes of Feminism NOW released every other Wednesday. To find out more about the National Organization for Women, visit our website.Legal Momentum Socials:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LegalMomentum Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legalmomentum/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/LegalMomentum LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/legal-momentum YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@legalmomentum 

For many people, the court of last resort for their rights is, well, the courts. The legal system. But witnessing the highest courts in the nation strip away our rights begs the question: was this system really set up to protect women? In this episode, NOW National President Christian F. Nunes is joined by Azaleea Carlea, Legal Director of Legal Momentum, to discuss the U.S. legal system’s potential to protect women, but also its limitations—particularly for marginalized communities. This is only the beginning! We’ll be back in two weeks with a second episode discussing specific court cases impacting women’s rights in the United States today. In the meantime, be sure to check out our episode, “The Abuse to Prison Pipeline,” featuring Becki Kondkar, founding director of Tulane Law School’s Women’s Prison Project, to hear more about how gender bias shows up in our legal system. Links: https://www.legalmomentum.org/ https://www.legalmomentum.org/get-help-formhttps://oig.hhs.gov/reports/featured/emtala/ Court cases mentioned in this episode:Sessions v. Morales-Santana (2017): https://www.oyez.org/cases/2016/15-1191Brenda Evers Andrew v. Tamika White, Warden (2025): https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-supreme-court/23-6573.html United States v. Rahimi (2024): https://www.oyez.org/cases/2023/22-915 Guest: Azaleea Carlea has dedicated her career to advancing social justice for underserved communities, with a particular focus on supporting survivors of gender-based violence. She has extensive litigation experience in the NYS Family, Integrated Domestic Violence and Supreme Courts and has supported policy efforts aimed at improving systemic responses to intimate partner violence. Currently the Legal Director at Legal Momentum, the Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund, Azaleea oversees the organization’s initiatives on gender-based violence, reproductive rights, and workplace and educational equality. Take Action NOW: Join NOW this July for our National Conference in Las Vegas! Click here to learn more and register. We can’t wait to see you there!Listen to new episodes of Feminism NOW released every other Wednesday. To find out more about the National Organization for Women, visit our website.Legal Momentum Socials:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LegalMomentum Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/legalmomentum/ Twitter/X: https://x.com/LegalMomentum LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/legal-momentum YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@legalmomentum 

Childbirth. It can be a spiritual, life-altering experience. But giving birth—particularly for those with marginalized identities—is also dangerous, especially as attacks on our reproductive rights continue. Women die in childbirth every year, and the United States has the worst maternal mortality outcomes of any developed country. This week, NOW National President Christian F. Nunes sits down with Latham Thomas, founder of Mama Glow, to discuss maternal health in the United States. From legislation to community engagement, Christian and Latham discuss the wide range of approaches it will take to improve maternal health outcomes—and how everyday feminists, parent or not, can show up for their loved ones preparing to give birth. Links: How bad is maternal mortality in the U.S.? A new study says it's been overestimated | NPRMaternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2022 | CDCThe Momnibus Act | Black Maternal Health CaucusNOW Is Proud to Support the Black Maternal Health Momnibus ActGuest: Latham Thomas is the founder of Mama Glow, a global maternal health and education platform serving birthing people along the childbearing continuum and home to 3,000 doulas. Mama Glow supports families during the fertility period, pregnancy, birth and postpartum offering hand-holding through their bespoke doula services and work with insurance companies and hospital systems to improve the experience of maternity care. Named one of Oprah Winfrey’s Super Soul 100, Latham has served as a doula for clients including: Alicia Keys, Anne Hathaway, Ashley Graham, DJ Khaled, Rebecca Minkoff, Tamera Mowry, and more. She is a graduate of Columbia University and author of two best-selling books; Own Your Glow: A Soulful Guide to Luminous Living And Crowning The Queen Within and Mama Glow: A Hip Guide to Your Fabulous Abundant Pregnancy.Take Action NOW:  Learn more and get involved in Disrupt NOW, the National Organization for Women’s campaign to combat extreme misogynist propaganda, increase feminist education, and advocate for women’s equality and safety. Listen to new episodes of Feminism NOW released every other Wednesday. To find out more about the National Organization for Women, visit our website.Socials:Latham Thomas: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glowmaven/ Mama Glow:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mamaglow/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MamaGlow/

AI seems to be everywhere these days, and it’s often marketed to us as a way to boost our efficiency. But feminists have long known that technological advancements can also create new avenues for the exploitation of women, and AI is no exception. Our theme this season is “Protecting women in a hostile world.” In this episode, NOW National President Christian F. Nunes is joined by Andrea Powell, co-founding director of Alecto AI, a survivor-founded tech company that combats online image abuse, to discuss deepfakes, image-based sexual abuse, and how the law and technology itself can help keep women safe. Links: AlectoAIAndrea Powell’s book, Believe Me: The True Story of How a Trafficked Teen and Her Advocate Changed the Justice System and Found True FreedomAndrea Powell’s Congressional testimony - “Take It Down: Ending Big Tech’s Complicity In Revenge Porn”Demand for deepfake pornography is exploding. We aren’t ready for this assault on consent.Guest: Andrea Powell is a twenty year expert in global policy and direct services for survivors of sexual exploitation, human trafficking, sexual assault and image-based sexual violence. She has published in the New York Times, Washington Post, NBC, PBS, Ms. Magazine and more. Andrea’s social justice memoir, Believe Me, can be found online and throughout indie bookstores and has been awarded the New York Book Award of 2024. Take Action NOW:  In celebration of Women’s History Month, read more about the National Organization for Women and the Equal Rights Amendment here. Listen to new episodes of Feminism NOW released every other Wednesday. To find out more about the National Organization for Women, visit our website.Socials:Alecto AI:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alectoai LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/alectoai/ Andrea Powell:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ankachristine LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-powell-bb53255/

Note: This episode was recorded in early February 2025. As of March 11, 2025, Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order in the coming days that will aim to dismantle the Department of Education, which is responsible for upholding civil rights and ensuring equal educational opportunities.Women now make up more than 56% of college students in the United States. That must mean we’ve got equal opportunity to all the benefits education offers us, right? Right?  Recent attacks on Title IX and diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education threaten to roll back decades of feminist progress—all under the pretext of protecting women and girls. This season’s theme is “Protecting women in a hostile world,” and education needs protection more than ever. In this episode, NOW National President Christian F. Nunes sits down with Gloria L. Blackwell, CEO of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), to discuss the impacts of these attacks and the ways everyday feminists can get involved in protecting women’s access to higher education. Links: Education rules from 2020 are returning to ‘protect women.’ Are vulnerable students at risk?U.S. women are outpacing men in college completion, including in every major racial and ethnic groupAAUW Voter Issue GuidesBecome a Two-Minute Activist with AAUWGuest: Gloria L. Blackwell is CEO of the American Association of University Women (AAUW) and a prominent thought leader on issues ranging from equity for women in higher education and STEM to economic empowerment and the gender pay gap. With a strong international background, she also leads AAUW’s global and UN engagement and is featured in prominent media outlets, panels and symposia. Blackwell holds a master’s degree in education and human development from The George Washington University, and a bachelor’s degree in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.Take Action NOW: In celebration of Women’s History Month, read more about the National Organization for Women and the Equal Rights Amendment here. Listen to new episodes of Feminism NOW released every other Wednesday. To find out more about the National Organization for Women, visit our website.AAUW Socials:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aauwnational/ Facebook: facebook.com/AAUW.NationalLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aauw/

Feminism NOW is back for season 4! A lot has happened in the few weeks since our last episode. Women’s rights are actively being stripped away as the second Trump administration has quickly taken action to dismantle decades of feminist progress. Feminism NOW is here to help you navigate these unprecedented times. Our theme for season 4 is “Protecting women in a hostile world.” In our premiere episode of the season, NOW’s National President Christian F. Nunes is joined by V (formerly Eve Ensler), author of The Vagina Monologues and founder of V-Day and One Billion Rising, to discuss how we can all build effective social movements that ensure not just our safety, but our collective liberation. Guest: V (formerly Eve Ensler) is the Tony award-winning playwright, author, and activist. Her play The Vagina Monologues is an Obie award-winning, Olivier-nominated theatrical phenomenon that has been translated into 48 languages and performed in 140 countries. She is the author of numerous books and the founder of V-Day, the 27-year-old global activist movement that has raised over 120 million dollars to end violence against women, gender-expansive people, girls, and the planet—and founder of One Billion Rising, the largest global mass action to end gender-based violence in over 200 countries, as well as a co-founder of the City of Joy.                                                                              Take Action NOW: Read NOW’s statement on Black History Month here, and be sure to visit the Association for the Study of African American Life and History to learn more about this year’s Black History Month theme, African Americans and Labor. Listen to new episodes of Feminism NOW released every other Wednesday. To find out more about the National Organization for Women, visit our website.Socials:V’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eveensler/V-Day’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vdayorg/ V-Day’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vday/ V-Day’s Twitter/X: https://x.com/vday/ 

The theme of this season is “women uplifting women.” Domestic violence is an issue that affects many women in this country, but the ongoing criminalization of survivors is often overlooked in our conversations about ending gender-based violence. For our last episode of the season, NOW National President Christian F. Nunes sits down with Becki T. Kondkar, Director of the Tulane Law School Domestic Violence Clinic and Founding Director of the Tulane Law School Women’s Prison Project to discuss how some women end up unjustly incarcerated, and what other women can do about it. Links: https://law.tulane.edu/clinics/womens-prison-project https://www.sentencingproject.org/app/uploads/2022/08/In-the-Extreme-Women-Serving-Life-without-Parole-and-Death-Sentences-in-the-United-States.pdfGuest: Becki Kondkar is Director of the Tulane Law School Domestic Violence Clinic and founding Director of the Law School’s Women’s Prison Project (WPP). Kondkar has represented hundreds of survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, stalking, trafficking, and child sex abuse in civil and criminal courts, has trained generations of law students through Tulane’s clinical programs, and has educated attorneys, judges, mental health professionals, and advocates nationwide on legal system responses to gender-based violence. Since its founding in 2019, the WPP has been recognized for its groundbreaking work by the Conference on Crimes Against Women, the American College of Trial Lawyers, the Louisiana Association of Defense Lawyers, and the American Association of Law Schools. The program's mission is to end the criminalization of survival for women who experience gender-based violence and to free those unjustly incarcerated for killing an abusive partner or for participation in crimes under duress or coercion. Working alongside the law students they train, the WPP team has won freedom for 15 women who had served a combined total of 279 years in Louisiana's prisons. Take Action NOW: This is our final episode of season 3, which means it’s time to plan for season 4 of Feminism NOW! Reach out to us at feminismnow@now.org to let us know what issues you’d like to hear covered on the show. Listen to new episodes of Feminism NOW released every other Wednesday. To find out more about the National Organization for Women, visit our website.Social Media Handles:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tulanelawschool/Twitter: https://x.com/TulaneLawFacebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TulaneLawSchool

The theme of this season is “Women uplifting women.” Indigenous women in North America experience some of the highest rates of violence in this nation. This week, NOW National President Christian F. Nunes sits down with Kansas State House Representative Christina Haswood, who is also a member of the Navajo Nation, to talk about how to support those searching for Murdered and Missing Indigenous persons. Links: Rep. Christina HaswoodHB 2008 | Bills and Resolutions | Kansas State Legislature National Caucus of Native American State Legislators (NCNASL)NOW on Native American and the Violence Against Women ActGuest: Christina Haswood, a proud Dine’ (Navajo) from Lawrence, Kansas, embarked on her academic journey at Haskell Indian Nations University, earning an A.S. in Community Health. Transitioning to Arizona State University, she secured a B.S. in Public Health, followed by a Masters in Public Health from the University of Kansas Medical Center in 2020. Committed to elevating Native American representation, Christina, a Kansas State House Representative, is actively engaged in government and politics. Recognized for her advocacy, she serves on key committees, leads as the House Democrats' Policy Chair, and champions equity policies. A multi-award recipient, she continues to inspire through leadership and community service.Take Action NOW: Make an end-of-year contribution to NOW’s 2024 campaign to empower feminists to support and enshrine reproductive rights in the United States. Listen to new episodes of Feminism NOW released every other Wednesday. To find out more about the National Organization for Women, visit our website.Socials:Representative Christina Haswood:Instagram: https://instagram.com/haswoodforksTwitter: http://twitter.com/haswoodforks Facebook: http://facebook.com/haswoodforks TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@haswoodforks 

Episode Description: The theme of this season is “women uplifting women.” One issue that women often face is poverty. This episode, NOW National President Christian F. Nunes speaks with Leslie K. Gill, the President and CEO of Rung for Women, about why investing in women doesn’t just uplift those women, but their communities too.Links: Economic Justice | National Organization for Women Guest: Leslie K. Gill is President of Rung for Women, a nonprofit organization in St. Louis that helps women climb the economic opportunity ladder so they can live equitable and abundant lives. Recognized for her leadership and work empowering women, Leslie was awarded the Titan 100 Award recognizing top CEOs and executives in 2024, listed in St. Louis Magazine’s 50+ People Working Toward Solutions in St. Louis (2023), and named St. Louis Business Journal’s Most Influential Businesswomen (2022). In 2024, she gave the Commencement Address at Maryville University.Take Action NOW: Learn more about Native American Heritage Month here, and the challenges that Native American women in particular face in this country. Listen to new episodes of Feminism NOW released every other Wednesday. To find out more about the National Organization for Women, visit our website.Socials:Rung for Women: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rungforwomen/ Twitter: https://x.com/rungforwomen Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RungforWomen/ 

The theme of this season is “Women uplifting women." And women come in all shapes and sizes. This episode, NOW National President Christian F. Nunes sits down to speak with Tigress Osborn, the Executive Director of the National Association for the Advancement of Fat Acceptance, about bodies, fat liberation, and why uplifting women shouldn’t require a pants size. Links: NOW Love Your Body campaignFearing the Black Body by Dr. Sabrina StringsSaartjie Baartman NIDDK Overweight and Obesity StatisticsGuest: Tigress Osborn (she/her) is a fat rights advocate and the Executive Director of the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA). Tigress is a co-founder of and spokesperson for the Campaign for Size Freedom, which supports legal protections against height and weight discrimination. A two-time women’s college grad, she is an intersectional feminist teacher and writer whose fat liberation work has been featured on CNN, BBC, ABC News, and Free Speech TV.  In 2024, Tigress was named to the Time100 Health list of most influential global health leaders in recognition of her work to fight size discrimination.Take Action NOW: Learn more about Native American Heritage Month here, and the challenges that Native American women in particular face in this country. Listen to new episodes of Feminism NOW released every other Wednesday. To find out more about the National Organization for Women, visit our website.Socials:Tigress Osborn/NAAFA: Tigress Osborn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iofthetigressNAAFA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naafaofficialNAAFA Twitter: https://x.com/NAAFAofficial NAAFA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EqualityAtEverySize/