Feminism Robbed Women of This — Here's How to Get It Back

What does it really mean to be a woman—and why has no one taught us? In this episode of the Chris Stefanick Show, Chris sits down with January Donovan, founder of Catholic Feminine Formation, for a wide-ranging and deeply practical conversation about what's been lost—and what's possible when women are truly formed. January brings nearly 30 years of experience helping women live out their God-given genius, and she pulls no punches. She unpacks how feminism—despite some early goods it sought—ultimately robbed women of their femininity, their faith, and their family. And she makes a compelling case that the Church now has an unprecedented opportunity to offer the world something better: a new model of womanhood rooted in Our Lady. This conversation will challenge you, inspire you, and give you real, practical tools—whether you're a woman seeking to thrive, a husband who wants to better understand his wife, or a parish leader wondering how to serve your community more deeply. In this episode: – Why the "fragile femininity" of 150 years ago and today's "vicious feminism" are both failures—and what comes next – What John Paul II's "feminine genius" actually means in everyday life – The chaos of the busy household—and how formation changes everything about how you show up – Why 7% of communication is words, and what that means for how you love your family – The difference between faith formation and human formation—and why women need both – How a growth mindset is really just another word for humility – The New Woman Masterclass: a year-long formation journey for women in small groups – How to bring Catholic Feminine Formation to your parish HIGHLIGHTS 0:00 – Introduction: Catholic feminine formation—and why men need to watch too 8:00 – How feminism robbed women of their femininity, faith, and family 11:10 – "Fragile femininity" vs. "vicious feminism"—and the new model the world is hungry for 13:45 – What the feminine genius actually is: nurturing humanity to its greatness 19:00 – The chaos of the busy household—and the dozen skills a woman needs in that one moment 23:00 – Tone, body language, and why 93% of communication has nothing to do with words 29:30 – Growth mindset vs. fixed mindset—and why it's really about humility 34:00 – "You can't preach joy frowning": why your thriving is your evangelization 38:30 – Why the feminine genius can't be fully lived without the masculine genius 45:10 – The New Woman Masterclass: a year-long, small-group Catholic formation journey 51:40 – How to bring Catholic Feminine Formation to your parish ....... Sign up for The Daily Anchor to get Chris Stefanick's bite-sized reflections every morning and be entered for a chance to win a trip for two on our Pilgrimage to Beauty: https://bit.ly/4tQCXtP ........ Support the creation of this content by becoming a Missionary of Joy with a monthly gift to Real Life Catholic and get free access to 9 transformative courses: https://bit.ly/4nTHbN0 ........ Learn more about Catholic Feminine Formation at https://catholicfeminineformation.com/ ........ The Chris Stefanick Show will soon be premiering on EWTN+ Streaming! You can start watching more great content at: EWTN.com/ondemand/ Chapters (00:00:00) - Catholic Female Formation(00:00:50) - Chris Stefanick: Missionaries of Joy(00:01:42) - Filipinos: The feminine genius(00:05:20) - Cook with Your Heart(00:10:46) - There's a New Model of Women(00:12:11) - What does a powerful Catholic understanding of femininity look like?(00:18:47) - How Many Skills Do a Woman Need To Manage Her Home?(00:22:15) - Women's spiritual formation(00:26:34) - On Growth and the Woman(00:32:38) - A Fixed Mindset in Relationships(00:37:47) - Formation of the Male Mind(00:42:13) - How to Salvage Your Marriage(00:45:08) - The New Woman: How to Be a Woman(00:48:10) - Wonders of the World: Marriage and Family(00:51:36) - Catholic Fanformation: Rebuilding Culture(00:54:52) - Chris on The Feminine Formation(00:56:17) - Praying the Hail Mary in Cebuano