For Women's Equality Day and the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in the United States, we're joining RepresentWomen's Cynthia Richie Terrell to discuss voting access and best practices for election systems to bring better gender balance and representation into politics. 

Find out more about RepresentWomen: https://www.representwomen.org/

See the letter Alyse and Cynthia discuss here: https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2020/08/women-group-warns-media-against-sexist-coverage-biden-veep

To learn more about Vital Voices, visit www.vitalvoices.org.

Invest in women, improve the world. 

Host: Alyse Nelson. 

Executive Producer and Editor: Lizzie Kubo Kirschenbaum. 

Music: Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod. 

Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/?keywords=deliberate+thought.

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

VVEngage Fellow Joelle Abou Farhat spoke with VV President and CEO Alyse Nelson about the devastating impact of not only the explosion in Beirut, but the lack of formal response in the country. She offered perspective on the government's response, and shed light on why Lebanese women - at the center of recovery efforts today - are always ready to serve their community at a moment's notice. 

And while her city recovers from the shock of the explosion, she discussed how this crisis demonstrates yet again  why women are so crucial in political office. Tune into this emotional discussion today. 

To learn more about Vital Voices, visit www.vitalvoices.org.

Invest in women, improve the world. 

Host: Alyse Nelson. 

Executive Producer and Editor: Lizzie Kubo Kirschenbaum. 

Music: Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod. 

Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/?keywords=deliberate+thought.

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Business leader and philanthropist Mona Sinha joined Vital Voices President and CEO Alyse Nelson for a passionate conversation about women's role investing in causes that matter and why authentic representation will make the world a better place for more people. Mona discussed her journey and drive to prioritize issues that advance equality, and what her career has shown her about the importance of embracing your voice and amplifying the issues you work on. From guidance on navigating hardship to perspective on why feminist principles of leadership are critical in crisis, you'll want to listen to this fascinating discussion!

Last week, the world lost an unparalleled human rights activist, Dr. Hawa Abdi. Hawa gained international attention when she was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2012, but spent a life long before that committed to overcoming obstacles so that she could care for those around her.

After losing her mother at a young age to maternal mortality, Hawa became Somalia's first female gynecologist.  She built her one-room clinic into a refugee camp that would ultimately serve more than 90,000 people -  complete with a hospital, school and shelter for those who need it.

Remember her life and work with this special episode from the Vital Voices Vault -  a 2011 interview with Dr. Hawa Abdi and her daughter Dr. Deqo Mohamed discuss their work, their commitment to ending harmful practices like female genital mutilation/cutting, and why they committed to supporting their home country despite all odds. 

To learn more about Vital Voices, visit www.vitalvoices.org.

Invest in women, improve the world. 

Executive Producer: Lizzie Kubo Kirschenbaum. 

Editor and Assistant Producer: Christi Owiye. 

Host: Alyse Nelson. 

Music: Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod. 

Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/?keywords=deliberate+thought.

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Entrepreneur and restauranteur Aline Kamakian was hosting a staff meeting in her restaurant near the port when the explosion in Beirut went off. The restaurant she worked to create for 20 years was immediately destroyed, and the 25 members of her team in the space were all injured. She joined the podcast to update us on the disaster, the quick work she and her team have done to start serving their community, and the hope she’s seen in the way people are taking care of one another. Tune into to hear from this powerful woman, and support her restaurant’s recovery through GoFundMe here. https://www.gofundme.com/f/mayrig

To learn more about Vital Voices, visit www.vitalvoices.org.

Invest in women, improve the world. 

Executive Producer: Lizzie Kubo Kirschenbaum. 

Editor and Assistant Producer: Christi Owiye. 

Host: Alyse Nelson. 

Music: 

Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod. 

Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/?keywords=deliberate+thought.

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Renée Brinkerhoff is breaking records as a rally racecar driver with a mission. She shared her journey from homeschool teacher and stay at home mom to racing around the world on all 7 continents. Renée is on a global tour to bring awareness and raise funds to fight child trafficking, and scheduled to race on her 7th and final continent – Antarctica – in January 2021.

To learn more about Vital Voices, visit www.vitalvoices.org. 

Invest in women, improve the world.  

Executive Producer: Lizzie Kubo Kirschenbaum. 

Editor and Assistant Producer: Christi Owiye. 

Host: Alyse Nelson. 

Music: 

Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod. 

Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/?keywords=deliberate+thought.

Artist: http://incompetech.com/ 

Anna Phearman from Mobility4All joined Vital Voices President and CEO Alyse Nelson to discuss the ways that the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the disabled community. The additional considerations that people with disabilities range from difficulties wearing masks to issues masks pose to reading lips and gathering facial expressions for deaf people to medical discrimination and medical rationing when the healthcare systems are overwhelmed – and so much more. Anna offered her perspective on how the pandemic and grassroots demonstrations are affecting disabled people in the COVID era.

To learn more about Vital Voices, visit www.vitalvoices.org. 

Invest in women, improve the world.  

Executive Producer: Lizzie Kubo Kirschenbaum. 

Editor and Assistant Producer: Christi Owiye. 

Host: Alyse Nelson. 

Music: 

Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod. 

Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/?keywords=deliberate+thought.

Artist: http://incompetech.com/ 

Three Vital Voices women leaders have come together in South Africa to join their artisanal forces to create masks and other goods to sustain artisans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hear directly from Eswatini Founder Kerry James and Signhild Brosvik on their work to sustain business throughout closures in South Africa, how they’ve seen strengths in collaboration emerge and why this poses an opportunity for leaders to really demonstrate who they are.

Want to order from eSwatini? Find them on Instagram at @eswatini_artisans or email them at [email protected]

To learn more about Vital Voices, visit www.vitalvoices.org.

Invest in women, improve the world. 

Executive Producer: Lizzie Kubo Kirschenbaum. 

Editor and Assistant Producer: Christi Owiye. 

Host: Alyse Nelson. 

Music: 

Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod. 

Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/?keywords=deliberate+thought.

Artist: http://incompetech.com/

Cameroonian activist and former Presidential candidate Kah Walla joined the podcast for an insightful conversation on anti-Blackness and racism in the wake of the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so many more. Kah reflects on the legacy of colonial control and its design for power held by few and oppression of the masses - and how that's defined Africa's leadership structures today. Tune in to hear Kah discuss the decolonization of public space, how crucial it is to maintain a critical eye on the ways structures are working against Black people, and why intersectionality is key to bridging gaps within communities.

To learn more about Vital Voices, visit www.vitalvoices.org. 

Invest in women, improve the world.  

Executive Producer: Lizzie Kubo Kirschenbaum. 

Editor and Assistant Producer: Christi Owiye. 

Host: Alyse Nelson. 

Music: 

Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod. 

Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/?keywords=deliberate+thought.

Artist: http://incompetech.com/ 

VVEngage Fellow and Venezuelan Member of Parliament Tamara Adrian joined Vital Voices President and CEO Alyse Nelson to talk about why her career as a politician is centered on her activism. As the country continues to face multiple crises, from oil to economy to COVID and more, Tamara continues to fight for her community. Tune in to hear her perspective as a leader and one of the first transgender MPs in the region.

To learn more about Vital Voices, visit www.vitalvoices.org. 

Invest in women, improve the world.  

Executive Producer: Lizzie Kubo Kirschenbaum. 

Editor and Assistant Producer: Christi Owiye. 

Host: Alyse Nelson. 

Music: 

Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod. 

Deliberate Thought by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license.  (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/?keywords=deliberate+thought.

Artist: http://incompetech.com/