We focus on some of the most challenged workers in today’s workforce: domestic workers and young women of color.

At one end of the age spectrum, we talk to members of La Colectiva de Mujeres, the San Francisco Women’s Collective, part of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, about their Aging With Dignity campaign. The campaign draws attention to the situation of over half a million workers over 50 who have no retirement benefits. Domestic workers in the U.S. are 93% female, 20% without high school diplomas, and the median age is 44. In California, 75% of the 336,000 domestic workers (doing childcare, elder care and housecleaning) are women of color. Because domestic work is excluded from the Social Security Act, only 2% of domestic workers have any retirement benefits.

Young workers also face an uphill battle to find employment that not only pays a living wage, but offers a path to leadership and training. Mamacitas Cafe is dedicated to changing those odds in Oakland, by creating well-paid jobs, with mentorship and training opportunities, for young women of color 18-24, especially women transitioning out of the criminal justice or child welfare system. The three-year-old grassroots project started with popups and opened a brick-and-mortar cafe in 2015. Thanks to its success, the cafe is now fundraising to lease a bigger space and expand its staff.

The post Womens Magazine – June 12, 2017: Marginalized Women Workers Organize! appeared first on KPFA.

We talk with organizer, writer and freedom dreamer Alicia Garza, one of the founders of the #Black Lives Matter network. .Alicia is also Special Projects Director for the National Domestic Workers Alliance, the nation’s leading voice for dignity and fairness for the millions of domestic workers in the United States.

And Giovanna Capone discusses the new anthology, DISPATCHES FROM LESBIAN AMERICA, which she coedited with Xequina Maria Berber and Cheela Romain Smith. They’ll be reading on Saturday, June 10 at Laurel Bookstore in Oakland and on Friday, June 23 at Folio Books in San Francisco.

The post Womens Magazine – June 5, 2017 appeared first on KPFA.

Today  we look at the practice of Restorative Justice and how that practice of justice based on healing provides an alternative to the punitive systems we have in our society today. Unlike the punitive system of justice we have Restorative Justice focuses on healing and transforming the wounds of victims, offenders and communities caused by the wrongdoing through truth telling, apology, making amends, and reconciliation. We talk to three leaders in Restorative Justice in the Bay Area. Jodie Geddes, Community Organizer Coordinator at Restorative Justice for Oakland Youth (RJOY), Rose Elizondo, co-founder of the San Quentin Prison RJ interfaith group and of the North Oakland Restorative Justice Council, and Malachi Scott, the Re-entry and Community Restorative Justice Coordinator at RJOY and co-founder of the North Oakland Restorative Justice Council.

The post Restorative Justice appeared first on KPFA.

Six brilliant women read their letters from RADICAL HOPE: Letters of Love and Dissent in Dangerous Times: Jewelle Gomez, Faith Adiele, Aya de Leon, Reyna Grande, Kate Schatz and of course, editor and visionary, Carolina De Robertis. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry and you’ll want to give money to support Women’s Magazine! Thanks to our friends at Making Contact for this audio.

Reel Resistance

Free admission; donations will be requested

Contact [email protected] or 510-277-6669 for a reservation, and location information.

The post Womens Magazine – May 22, 2017: Radical Hope: Letters of Love & Dissent appeared first on KPFA.

This hour long radio program presents and discusses women’s lives and issues globally and locally from a radical, multiracial, feminist, mujerist, womanist perspective.

The post Womens Magazine – May 15, 2017 appeared first on KPFA.