The Womanity Project

This week we talked with Amy Schiller, a journalist and academic focused on feminism, politics, philanthropy, and culture. Her words can be found in The Atlantic, The Nation, The Daily Beast, New York Magazine, The American Prospect, Salon, and more. She is currently working toward a PhD in political science. Power song: I'm So Into You by SWV Quote : "Being a feminist, is really about affording equal humanity and equal opportunity to express that humanity to everybody."

Born in London and raised in Belfast, Rachel Tombs currently lives in New Zealand and is pursuing an undergraduate degree in history. She's a member of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa and was invited to the United Nations Commission on women's empowerment in the world of work to speak on behalf of the organization. Power song: Grigio Girls by Lady Gaga Quote: "That would be my main ask for gender equality, that women can feel safe in their homes and in their relationship...or at least feel safe on the streets."

Diana is a photographer, musician, chef, and founder and creative director of R&D Studios. She hosts regular multi-media art salons inspired by French salons and speaks about the wealth of ideas and momentum in the feminist movement currently. Power song: Girls Just Want to Have Fun by Cindi Lauper Quote: "I think right now, we are in such a moment of emergence. There are so many women starting businesses and fighting the system right now. It's a very inspiring time."

Rachel Trachtenburg is known for her role as drummer and backup vocalist in the Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players, alongside her parents Jason and TIna. She talks with us about growing up feminist and the importance of young women advocating for themselves.  Power song: Superstar by Lauryn Hill Quote: "I feel like, as a woman, you have to be a feminist, by being this gender, you have to be a feminist."

We spoke with actress and writer Melody Bates and dancer and choreographer Hettie Barnhill about feminist performance and their new play, The Cabaret at the End of the World. A "two-woman plus a few" riff on Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, it explores gender inequality through dark humor and cabaret.   Quote : “Inequality sucks for all of us. Women and men, people of all genders—patriarchy victimizes everybody" Power song: Holy Water by Alicia Keys

Waseif Qahatan is a Yemeni-American entrepreneur, mother, and the founder of Checkmate Cosmetics. She speaks with us about her relationship to religion and her experience as a former child bride. Power song: Human Nature by Madonna Quote : “I think religion is kind of outdated. I think it should be updated. It's like when you go and you see these cars being updated to get you to point A and B, and phones are becoming updated, the internet is becoming updated. I feel like religion should be updated.”

Becky Curran is the coordinator of the Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity department of SAG-AFTRA and an international motivational speaker. She's travelled all over the world speaking about Achondroplasia, the type of Dwarfism she was born with, and equality for people with disabilities. She speaks with us about how her disability has affected her life and how she wants to affect change. Power song: Don't Stop Believin' by Journey Quote: “Most people ask me, if I were to do it all over again, would I still want to be a little person? I always respond by saying, 'I would still choose to be a little person, but I would change the way society reacts to my difference.'" 

The Women's March on Washington in 2017 and the sister marches across the country marked a moment of renewed resistance and the continuation of a fight for equality that has long been ongoing. In the wake of the devastation of the election, we heard from attendees of the Women's March about why they showed up and where they hope to see the movement go. Power song: Tiny Hands by Fiona Apple (Matt Bailer remix) Quote: "It's our duty to resist if we think that our government isn't speaking for us as the people."

A pastry chef turned women's rights activist, Breanne Butler was born in raised in Detroit, Michigan. She moved to New York to pursue a degree as a chef and was one of the organizers of the first Women's March in 2017. She shares her journey to activism and how this moment feels inside the movement. Power song: Not Ready to Make Nice by The Chicks Quote: "When you see this influx of support [for survivors], then all of the sudden it gives you the strength and courage to come forward with your own situation." 

Angela Ellsworth is a multidisciplinary artist, performer, and professor. She created the Museum of Walking and the Plural Wife project, which navigates how the body relates to gender and sexuality. The project explores the inherent queerness in early Morman polygamy that Angela witnessed in her ancestry growing up in Salt Lake City, Utah. Part 2 of 2.  Power song: Say Yes by Elliott Smith Quote: "That non-heteronormative history of my ancestry also runs parallel to my queerness now. It was a way for me to sort of join hands with a history that I ran far away from."

Angela Ellsworth is a multidisciplinary artist, performer, and professor. She created the Museum of Walking in Phoenix, AZ—one of the least walkable cities in the U.S.— and discusses the impact walking has on our relationships and ability to understand each other. Part 1 of 2. Power song : These Boots Are Made for Walkin' by Nancy Sinatra Quote : "When we walk in silence, we actually hear each other and understand each other in a new way."

Nate Levin is a former staff attorney at Save the Children, amateur historian, and second generation member of the League of Women Voters. He talks with us about his interest in the history of the women’s suffrage movement and the book he wrote about the founder of the League of Women Voters. Power song: In Memory of Elizabeth Reed by The Allman Brothers Band Quote: "Many of the issues that have been of concern to women have not yet been resolved, and we are a long way from the society we should have."

Amelia Cain is an actress, director, and model who graduated from Boston University with a BFA in Theatre Arts and a concentration in Direction. We talk about gender and the arts, and the value of listening and understanding perspectives different from our own. Power song: Pretty Lil' Foot by Rising Appalachia and the Human Experience Quote: “We have to be patient and flexible, especially now… and being able to say I hear you, I don’t know if I understand or feel the same way but I can be present and I can hear you and we’ll find a way through.”

Part 2 of our conversation with Alexandra Tannous—a fencing champion, long-time athlete, and graduate student at St. John's University studying Sports Management.  Power song: Holding Out for a Hero by Bonnie Tyler Quote: "There's still a huge stigma of women in sports. It's a huge locker room mentality...a boys club."

In the wake of the 2016 election, we discuss disappointment, pain, and progress in the aftermath of the 2016 election. We share our thoughts and Clinton's words from the night of the election and reflect on what this means for women and for our country. Power song: Morning Comes by Delta Rae Quote : “A part of the American psyche seems to be on that forward motion, and honestly it's oddly hopeful that there is a possibility for things to get better with change."

The insight of children is often a glimpse at the world as it really is, and listening to our kids, we see the world as it could be. We spoke with the kids in our lives right before the 2016 election about how they are experiencing this election cycle, how they feel about Trump and Hillary Clinton, and where they see the future of the country going. Power song: When They Go Low We Go High by Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton Quote: "[Trump] is embarrassing himself in front of hundreds of people, and I don't feel like he's feeling it...He's just feeling like what he's saying is actually the right thing, and it's not." – Alona, 8

Alexandra Tannous is a fencing champion, long-time athlete, and graduate student at St. John's University.  Sdiscusses life as an athlete and how gender interacted with her experience in fencing. Part 1 of 2.  Power song: Army by Ellie Goulding Quote: "We're so much more influential than we think we are."

Jason Stuart is a New York-born, LA-raised actor and comedian. He has gone on to become a gay advocate after he came out in a TV episode. He talks to us about his journey as an actor and his film, The Birth of a Nation, which is critically acclaimed for its acting, directing, and depiction of the story of Nat Turner. Power song: Stay Gold by Stevie Wonder from The Outsiders Quote : “[Feminist] is an adjective for saying that we’re equal. But in a sense the fact that we have to say it says that we’re still not."

Marium Arache was born in Pakistan and raised in Brooklyn. She is a paramedic, wife, mother, and talks with us about growing up Muslim, how Islam relates to her experience of gender, and how she practices her faith today.  Power song: Sanam Ho Ja by Arjun Quote: "I wear [my hijab] because it's a part of me. I want it to be a part of me. I feel beautiful in it, and it's something that I do because I want to do it, not because somebody is telling me to do it."

Part 2 of our conversation with Glennda Testone, the first female Executive Director of the New York City LGBT community center. Glennda previously worked at GLAAD and the Women's Media Center and speaks with us this week about choosing a career of advocacy and giving back to her community. Power song: The Gambler by Kenny Rogers Quote: “I was always raised, and I believe, that you should give back, especially if you're in a position where you do have the security and the safety to do that."

Shivali is a singer, writer, actor, co-creator of The Bhajan Project, and the winner of two global Indian Music Awards. She is originally from London and spent time in Mumbai before moving to the U.S. to expand her music career. She speaks with us about Hinduism and feminism and being a woman in the arts.  Power song: Lost Ones by Lauryn Hill Quote: "It's so much easier for men to get attention in the arts than women. It's a constant struggle."

Part one of our conversation with Glennda Testone. Born and raised in upstate New York in a small town called Central Square, Glennda is the first female Executive Director of the New York City LGBT community center!   Power song: Not a Pretty Girl by Ani DiFranco   Quote: “There are a million ways to communicate with people but I think in some ways it’s become superficial...take the time to have conversations with people"

Aurélie Harp, founder of The Womanity Project, and Lydia Darly, VP/Producer at Womanity, talk about their experiences with making the tough decision to move to the United States, despite all the hoops immigrants are made to jump through and the patience and strength it takes to persevere.  Power song: Coming to America by Neil Diamond Quote: “What I've learned here is never, ever, ever, ever give up on your dreams. And if you really want to stay here, you're going to stay here."

Katie Hannigan is an actress, comedian, and creator of The Comedienne Project, a show that breaks the mold of traditional women comedians and explores the full spectrum of comedy women are capable of. She joins us this week to talk about women in comedy and breaking out of patriarchal norms. Power song: Timber by Pitbull feat. Ke$ha Quote: “It's very easy to write jokes about sex and it's very easy to write jokes about relationships, but does that define me as a person? No. I wanted to go a little deeper.”

Lydia Darly is a French-Guadalupan award-winning actress and filmmaker. She is the co-founder of NovaFrontier Film Festival and VP/Producer at The Womanity Project. Lydia continues our conversation this week talking about growing up with a single mother and exploring relationships between mothers and daughters in her work. Part 2 of 2. Power song: 1999 by Prince Quote: “I want to thank my mom, even if we don't speak and even if we don't understand each other, for everything that she didn't give me.

Lydia Darly is an actress and writer born and raised in Paris (France), and is originally from Guadeloupe. She won the Best Actress Award at the 2012 CinemAvennire Film festival and Best Director Award for THE WAY YOU LOVE in 2014 at the CinemAvennire Film Festival in Rome, Italy. Lydia is the co-founder of NovaFrontier Film Festival and VP/Producer here at The Womanity Project. She speaks in this episode about writing, self-discovery, and growing up. Part 1 of 2. Power song: Like a Virgin by Madonna Quote: “The more I write the more I want to know who I am… It's a journey of self-discovery.”

We spoke with Honey Al Sayed, founder of the talk show “Good Morning Syria”; and Rafif Jouejati, activist and co-founder of many initiatives aimed toward Syrian liberation, including the National Consensus Movement and the Syrian Freedom Charter. They discuss the challenges women face globally and how limits are placed on people for their genders in different countries Power song: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood by Nina Simone Quote: “I think if strong women can raise strong children who believe in equality, then from a generational perspective we won’t be having this discussion in a couple more generations.”

Rafif Jouejati is the co-founder of many initiatives aimed toward Syrian liberation and advocacy, including the National Consensus Movement and the Syrian Freedom Charter. She spoke with us about her work and about the charter, which seeks to answer the question, "What do Syrians want?" Power song: Kifak Enta by Fairouz Quote: “We need to overthrow it in favor of a government that is truly representative of all Syrians regardless of gender and regardless of anything else that makes us Syrian.”

Founder of Media and Arts for Peace, Honey Al Sayed is an award-winning journalist, radio host, and public speaker. She fled from Syria at the end of 2011 and now lives in Washington D.C. She hosts a radio show called “Good Morning Syria.” Part one of two.  Power song: Noel Kharman- Hello by Adele/ Fairouz (Mashup)  Quote : “Nobody can tell me I'm a nobody.”

Jeremy Pinsly is a standup comedian born and raised in Nashville, Jeremy grew up Jewish. He hosts a show in New York City, where he performs material about feminism (among other topics.) He talked with us about his thoughts on feminism and why everyone should be a feminist. Power song: My God is the Sun by Queens of The Stone Age Quote: “We put every girl in a sexual position of power when they should just be a person.”

Part 2 of our conversation with Andrea Owens, a young chiropractor and activist based in Brooklyn. We talk perfectionism, pressure, and the destructive power of shame and how each relates to our experience of gender.   Power song: You Know I'm No Good by Amy Winehouse   Quote: “Everyone should be equal...we are still all human and I don’t think we should be a gap to separate us and divide us and put us in groups so we can pick apart each other.”

Andrea Owens is a young chiropractor, activist, and “warrior.” She grew up in Florida and is now based in Brooklyn. Andrea talked with us about how shaving her head has influenced her perception of her gender and the world around her. Part one of two. Power song: Strange Little Girl by Tori Amos Quote: "I was feeling so much wasted time on fear. It was physically draining. I was so tired of that feeling of just emptiness. You only live once—enjoy the life you have.”

Part 2 of our conversation with Tania Katan, award-winning author, keynote speaker, performer, and two time breast cancer survivor. She spoke with us about working in the tech field and creating the now-famous ‘It was Never a Dress’ campaign. Power song: Superheroes by The Script Quote: “I started thinking about women in technology, and women in theatre, and women in every space, and how so many times we're not seen or heard or celebrated for the superheroes we are."

We spoke with author Tania Katan, the creator of the 'It Was Never a Dress' campaign and an award-winning author, keynote speaker, performer, and two-time breast cancer survivor. She tells us about her fight with cancer and how her experience has shaped her understanding of her gender Power song: Say Yes by Elliot Smith Quote: “Gender, like race, is a construct to keep some people down and elevate other people. You're not your parts and if you lose your parts it doesn't make you less or more of something. ”

We continue our conversation with actress and writer Breeda Wool, who spoke with us last episode about her feminist upbringing and the influence of her late father on her feminism today. She talks about what it’s like to be a woman in the media and how women’s representation in media has shaped our world, in good ways and bad. Power song: Temporary Love by The Brinks Quote : “People love to just hear the same story over and over again…I want to be apart of a new story.”

Part one of our conversation with actress and writer Breeda Wool, who’s known for her roles in UnREAL (2015), Mr. Mercedes (2017) and The Faith Diaries (2016), AWOL (2016). Breeda spoke with us about her feminist upbringing and how she has continued to explore gender equality in her work. Power song: Creator by Santigold Quote :“My father would always say 'remember who you are.' And it was implied there was an unwavering me, a person that was unshakeable at the core."