Across Women's Lives Archives - The World from PRX
79 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 3 years ago - ★★★★★ - 12 ratingsA daily public radio broadcast program and podcast from PRX and WGBH, hosted by Marco Werman
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Despite death threats, this trans woman is fighting for LGBTQ rights in Armenia
May 24, 2019 20:48 - 6.28 MBLilit Martirosyan misses the chance to go and sit somewhere outside to drink coffee. She hasn’t been able to do that for the past seven weeks. It’s too dangerous for her to even look out her own window. People can recognize her face now. She became the first transgender woman to speak to Armenia’s parliament last month. A video of her speech was shared around the world and applauded by LGBTQ activists and supporters. But she’s been getting death threats since then, and she’s afraid to lea...
This opera singer says the ‘hype’ should be on her voice, not her transgender identity
May 14, 2019 20:33 - 2.54 MBLucia Lucas sweeps across a noisy diner in Tulsa, Oklahoma, at 9 a.m. on a Saturday wearing a calf-length, black brocade frock coat and a bright, lipsticked smile. Most opera singers in her position would be resting up the morning after a big debut. But not Lucas. “Last night was super weird,” she said, tucking into a plate of chicken fried steak and eggs. “There were so many things going on all at once.” When Lucia Lucas stepped into the role of Don Giovanni, she became the first transge...
Advocates strive to raise awareness about missing and murdered Indigenous women in the US and Canada
May 07, 2019 20:17 - 4.26 MBThis story was produced in collaboration with Al Jazeera’s Fault Lines and was supported by a grant from the Solutions Journalism Network. Tina Russell drives along one of the main roads in Kent, Washington, about a half hour south of Seattle. She’s taking me to the place where her niece, Alyssa McLemore, used to live. We speed down a street neatly lined with suburban-style homes when we make a right turn. She points to a peach house with Christmas lights hanging in the window. It's not f...
Ethiopian women abroad give abuse survivors a new platform — and a new voice
May 07, 2019 16:49 - 1.81 MBWhen the Instagram page Shades of Injera was started in 2014, the slogan was “We don't follow the culture, we create the culture.” On the page, they discuss sensitive topics like dating outside the Ethiopian community, sex and nontraditional religions. They also talk about the status of women. For instance, on International Women’s Day this year the page featured the face of the country’s first female president photoshopped onto an image of Rosie the Riveter. It got thousands of likes. But ...
The US movement against female genital mutilation is at a crossroads
May 06, 2019 17:55 - 2.53 MBTwo years ago, a Detroit emergency room doctor, Jumana Nagarwala, allegedly texted, and called, two mothers in Minnesota to arrange clandestine operations for their 7-year-old daughters. Later, the mothers brought their daughters to a Michigan clinic where Nagarwala cut their clitoral hoods. “I’m sure she thinks she did no wrong,” said Mariya Taher, who leads the anti-female genital mutilation, or FGM, advocacy group Sahiyo. Like Nagarwala, she is part of the Dawoodi Bohra sect of Indian Sh...
This English collective says Brexit unfairly targets sex workers for deportation
May 02, 2019 19:32 - 1.98 MBAfter the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union in 2016, large industries have struggled to handle the ramifications of the upcoming Brexit. One affected industry that does not get much coverage is prostitution. Laura Watson is the spokesperson for the English Collective of Prostitutes in London. She spoke with The World's Carol Hills about what Brexit has meant for the numerous foreign prostitutes residing in the UK and what her organization is doing to help foreign sex workers ...
Vancouver Whitecaps accused of mishandling abuse allegations against former coach
May 02, 2019 19:04 - 2.3 MBFans of the Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional soccer club in Canada, are walking out on their team during games. They’re angry with the club for the way it’s handled abuse allegations against a former coach, which date back to 2008. At the time, members of the Whitecaps’ women’s team said their coach, Bob Birarda, behaved inappropriately and sent players sexually charged text messages. The allegations resurfaced recently after former Whitecaps player Ciara McCormack wrote about her own e...
How a high school student’s hand-painted graduation dress went viral
April 26, 2019 17:57 - 1.55 MBWhen 17-year old Ciara Gan arrived to her high school graduation ball on an emerald-green, hand-painted gown, her classmates were in awe. She had kept it a secret that she was making her own dress. The gown is tailored at the top and waist and features a folded skirt with hand-painted flowers. "My classmates got shocked because I kept it a secret from them and they told me, 'Wow, I didn't know you were gonna paint your dress, I thought you were just gonna make it,'" Gan said. Ciara Gan po...
A UN resolution condemning sexual violence against women should've been uncontroversial
April 24, 2019 19:45 - 1.93 MBOn Tuesday, the UN Security Council passed a resolution condemning sexual violence in war. It should have been an uncontroversial vote. But the resolution was only approved after language referring to sexual and reproductive health was taken out. The US delegation had threatened to veto the resolution in keeping with the Trump administration's opposition to any measure by the UN body that even implies support for abortion. Amanda Klasing co-directs the women's rights division at Human Rig...
Trial for Saudi activists who've served a year in prison has been delayed
April 22, 2019 19:13 - 1.84 MBLoujain al-Hathloul defied the ban on women driving cars in Saudi Arabia when she filmed herself driving and posted her videos on YouTube. That was nearly a year ago. After the driving ban was lifted, Hathloul and other activists were put in jail anyway. She remains in prison, and now there are reports she's being tortured. A hearing on her case was postponed last week but the judge didn't give a reason why. Walid al-Hathloul, right, poses for a photo with his sister, Loujain al-Hathloul...
Ready for her close-up, Guy-Blaché was a film pioneer lost to history
April 22, 2019 16:43 - 2.27 MBOne afternoon in Paris in 1895, a young secretary at the Gaumont Film Company attended a private screening put on by the Lumière brothers to demonstrate the Cinématographe, a camera and projector that paved the way for motion pictures. The audience was delighted by moving images of trains, oceans and people bustling about on busy Parisian streets. Related: Four women from history who changed the world But, that young secretary — Alice Guy-Blaché — thought more could be done with this new...
South African lawyer is first woman with albinism on Vogue cover: ‘The way I look is enough’
April 18, 2019 18:49 - 3.69 MBThe cover of this month’s Vogue Portugal edition featured a model, like it usually does. But this one is groundbreaking. The issue is about the diversity of African beauty, and it is the first Vogue cover to feature a woman with albinism. Her name is Thando Hopa and she’s a lawyer and activist from South Africa. The world has reacted to seeing Hopa on the cover. "That was so exciting," says Brandi Marie, a social worker and black woman with albinism from Chicago. "I got really emotional ...
As hurricane season nears in Puerto Rico, a doctor tries to help pregnant women prepare themselves
April 17, 2019 20:06 - 3.09 MBYahaira Molina Perez was 8 months pregnant when Hurricane Maria hit. In her town of Cidra, downed trees and power lines made roads almost impassable. Molina wasn't too worried, though — she wasn’t due for weeks. But just five days after the storm she started having contractions. The trip to the hospital in San Juan took twice as long as usual because the roads were such a mess. When she arrived, she found the hospital, which is located near the shore, full of sand and broken glass. Elevat...
How women who’ve left Turkey are helping those left behind
April 17, 2019 18:05 - 3.04 MBFor a year now, a group of Turkish women living in Massachusetts have gotten up on Sunday mornings, long before their husbands and children, to work on a project they told no one about. The handful of women — who are mainly in their 30s and 40s — meet at each other’s homes, taking turns hosting. “We come to the meeting yawning and sometimes complaining about it — ‘Oh, this is the only day I feel free, but we are doing this.’ But right at the same time that we start having our meeting, imm...
Abortion pardons in Rwanda leave rights activists hopeful
April 12, 2019 18:48 - 1.3 MBWhen Rwandan President Paul Kagame pardoned 367 women last week who were imprisoned for abortion, it came as a welcome surprise to many women’s rights activists there and around the world. Kagame also pardoned 62 women for abortion in 2016. Some see the president's latest move as a sign that the country is easing restrictions on abortion. Related: Legal abortions remain elusive in Argentina, especially for the most vulnerable The topic of abortion and reproductive rights has been in the ne...
Here's the story behind the iconic image of the Sudanese woman in white
April 10, 2019 18:41 - 2.02 MBWhen Hind Makki, a Sudanese American interfaith and racism educator in Chicago, first saw the image, she was blown away. “I was rendered speechless,” she said, “because of the amazing imagery and the symbolism that was inherent in the photo.” The image was taken by Sudanese photographer Lana Haroun in the capital Khartoum. Taken by me@lana_hago#8aprile pic.twitter.com/o7pDUsQg84 — Lana H. Haroun (@lana_hago) April 8, 2019 There have been ongoing protests in the country since last Decembe...
For this Turkish filmmaker, wedding dresses are a metaphor to discuss femicide
April 09, 2019 16:19 - 1.98 MBOn the first floor of the Gokce Wedding Dress store, Dilan Engin sells a dream. There is the “Helen,” a wedding dress with a classic line. By the window, a more conservative option is sold with sleeves and a line of buttons up the back. A sleek, shimmery number is called “The Fish.” But by far, the most popular model is a sequined, fitted bodice paired with a wide, puffy skirt: “The Princess.” And it’s this one that Engin selected as her focus for a short film, “Prenses Model (Princess Bal...
How a Japanese girl-group empire is conquering Asian pop
April 04, 2019 15:31 - 3.34 MBThe world’s biggest pop group, literally speaking, is AKB48. This Tokyo-based power-pop ensemble typically features between 110 and 140 singers. Most are in their late teens with a smattering of 13-year-olds and women in their mid-20s. When the group debuted in the mid-2000s, AKB48 was more easily dismissed as a novelty act. But in recent years, the group has expanded into a bona fide musical empire — one that has spread across Asia. It is now reimagining what it even means to be a pop grou...
Automation could have a disproportionate effect on women's jobs
April 02, 2019 21:24 - 1.29 MBHappy equal pay day. At least here in the US. Germany celebrated theirs last month by offering women a 21% discount on public transit for the day — since, on average, they earn 21% less than men. That's pretty close to the pay gap in the US, too. In fact, if you calculate the pay gap between women and men in the US, you'd find that women have to work an extra 92 days to earn what men made in the calendar year 2018. In other words, today is the day when women actually start catching up to ...
Women travelers on why they go solo: 'I never thought that I couldn't'
March 29, 2019 22:06 - 2.12 MBEstee Culbreth is an early childhood teacher from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, who has also worked internationally as a teacher. “I've lived and traveled all over Asia, Africa, Australia and Europe as a teacher," Culbreth said. "Older women often ask me, ‘How can you travel alone like that as a single woman, as a single African American woman?’ I don't really know how to answer that question. I guess I travel alone as a single woman because I never thought that I couldn't.” Related: Are onlin...
The ‘glass cliff’ puts women in power during crisis — often without support
March 28, 2019 19:40 - 1.88 MBIt's called the "glass cliff." It's the phenomenon of women in leadership roles — CEOs or political figures — who are far more likely to ascend to leadership roles during a crisis, when the risk of failure is highest. The world needs only to look to Britain to see the glass cliff in effect: From the moment Theresa May became Britain's prime minister two years ago, her attention has been mostly focused on making Brexit a reality. May didn't cause the crisis — in fact she was against the UK...
Women motorcyclists stage global relay to fight for equality
March 28, 2019 14:05 - 2.17 MBBritish motorcyclist Hayley Bell says she’s tired of feeling like an afterthought to the motorcycle industry. So, Bell put out a call on Facebook to her fellow female riders. "I’ve had a totally crazy idea who wants to join me? I’m thinking of doing a world relay and seeing how far we get." Hayley Bell, founder of Women Riders World Relay “I put out a post to say, 'I’ve had a totally crazy idea who wants to join me? I’m thinking of doing a world relay and seeing how far we get,'” Bell sa...
Are online travel platforms responsible for your safety?
March 27, 2019 21:41 - 2.16 MBUpdate: Kate, the survivor of sexual assault we featured in this story, received nearly 700,000 signatures on her petition. The petition was started on March 9 after Kate tried to post a review of a tour guide who allegedly raped her in her hotel room. As a result of the response of the petition, Trip Advisor has agreed to make some changes to their platform they say will warn users about businesses and help women post anonymous reviews. On May 14, 2019, TripAdvisor announced a new filter t...
This Orthodox Jewish wig shop in Brooklyn says covering hair doesn’t mean ‘you have to be ugly’
March 25, 2019 17:55 - 3.68 MBIf you’re looking for the epicenter of modern, feminist Orthodox Judaism, you might start at Zelda Hair in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Zelda Hair specializes in sheitels — a Yiddish word that refers to the wigs worn by married Jewish women. Since the 1950s, when affordable synthetic wigs first went on the market, sheitels favored within Orthodox communities have tended to be dark, short cuts. They didn’t look natural and they’re not mean to be. For Orthodox women, wigs are a kind of religious...
Legal abortions remain elusive in Argentina, especially for the most vulnerable
March 22, 2019 18:16 - 1.76 MBThe recent case of an 11-year-old girl in Argentina who was raped by her grandmother’s boyfriend was shocking enough. But when the girl, who’s referred to as Lucía, complained to a doctor of stomach pains, it turned out she was pregnant. Lucía’s situation was covered in the media, and local news reports said she and her family wanted an abortion. She was 16 weeks pregnant at the time. And in Lucía's case, it was legal. But several doctors reportedly refused. The provincial health secretary...
The world's first Vagina Museum opens this fall in the UK
March 21, 2019 19:59 - 1.78 MBFlorence Schechter is set to open the first bricks-and-mortar Vagina Museum in the UK. And yes, there is already a penis museum. The Vagina Museum will be a curation of gynecological studies that are gender inclusive and intersectional. "I found out there is a penis museum in Iceland, which is pretty cool," Schechter said. "But there was no vagina equivalent anywhere in the world. There's this art gallery in Tasmania, and there's a virtual museum based in Austria. But there was no physical...
The women of ISIS are more than just brides
March 14, 2019 17:06 - 1.81 MBCountries are grappling with what to do with women who left to join ISIS. Now, as the organization is driven from its last strongholds in Syria, many of these women have sought to return to their home countries. Shamima Begum, of Britain, was stripped of her citizenship on security grounds last month, leaving her in a detention camp in Syria. Her three-week-old baby died on March 9, the third of the 19-year-old's infant children to die since she traveled to Syria in 2015. Found in a refuge...
One year after Marielle Franco’s death, Brazil's human rights activists demand answers
March 13, 2019 20:58 - 2.13 MBOn March 14, 2018, Brazilian councilwoman, feminist and human rights activist Marielle Franco was brutally murdered in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, less than two hours after she delivered a speech the same day. Her driver, Anderson Gomes, was also assassinated. Raised in Maré favela, Franco, 38, was a staunch critic of police abuse against disadvantaged communities and gender violence. At the time of her death, she was one of Brazil’s most prominent advocates of reproductive, gay and civil righ...
How rising numbers of Gulf women are escaping abuse to seek asylum
March 11, 2019 14:28 - 3.38 MBShe wrote the note on the plane. “I want asylum,” it read. “My family doesn’t know. Plz protect me from them.” Dona, then 18, had made up her mind. She was going to make a run for it during the layover in London. She was traveling with her mother and sister, heading back to Saudi Arabia after a trip to the US. As the plane landed, Dona shoved the piece of paper in her passport. She planned to hand it to the agent at passport control. But once inside the airport, she had another idea. “I t...