The stories of those who exited prostitution tend to be wildly different than those still working in the industry and identifying as "sex workers." And what men tend to believe about those working in prostitution tends to align with that "sex worker" narrative as well — that some women just really enjoy prostitution, that it is simply a job like any other, that these women are making such good money it is a fair trade… But when you speak to women freed from the trade, able to look back at their experiences clearly and honestly, you will hear a different truth. Andrea Heinz is a Canadian feminist who, at the age of 22 and with tens of thousands of dollars in debt, entered the licensed commercial sex industry in Edmonton, Alberta. Andrea stayed in the industry for seven years, working as an escort, a dominatrix, and eventually a brothel owner. She left the industry in 2013 and is now a writer, speaker, and filmmaker working to raise awareness about commercial sexual exploitation, particularly the harms of “sex work” ideology. Meghan Murphy speaks with her about her experiences and why prostitution is not "a job like any other."  

Child marriage may be a thing of the past in many Western countries, but remains a reality for many girls in Mexico. While the law has changed, the practice remains, and one in four girls in Mexico are married before the age of 18. The persistence of this practice continues to have harmful impacts on Mexican girls, something Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage is trying to change.  In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with Elvira Pablo, regional Policy and Member Engagement Officer for Girls Not Brides in Latin America and the Caribbean. Elvira is an indigenous lawyer from Oaxaca, Mexico. She collaborates with civil society organizations for the defense and promotion of human rights, on topics related to sexual and reproductive health and rights, violence prevention, political participation and indigenous peoples’ collective rights. She is part of the National Coordinator of Indigenous Women, the National Network of Indigenous Women Lawyers, and the Youth and Children Commission of the Continental Network of Indigenous Women from the Americas.  

Milli Hill is a freelance journalist and author The Positive Birth Book, Give Birth like a Feminist, and a new book for preteens, My Period. She founded the Positive Birth Movement in 2012 and ran it until recently, when she was “cancelled” for defending women-centered language when talking about pregnancy and birth. In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with her about "positive birth," why birth is a feminist issue, and how being attacked by her own community impacted her.    

One of the most common questions I receive from women is, "How can I take action?" So many women are concerned about the legislation and ideology being embraced by politicians, the media, and institutions, yet feel helpless to make a difference.  A new book — Practical Politics for Bold Women — is for women who want to be heard, but may not be sure where to start. I spoke with author and women’s rights campaigner Natasha Chart about the book and how women can take action effectively.

In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with The Famous Artist Birdy Rose, a UK-based artist from Essex who has been subject to an ongoing slander campaign on account of her advocacy for women and women’s rights. Find her online @artistbirdyrose.

While kids once would (perhaps awkwardly) learn about the birds and the bees in school, sex ed has changed suddenly and rapidly, without consultation with parents or consideration for the impact on kids. Today, students are no longer learning about sex, but about gender and gender identity. Many are concerned about the impact this will have on kids and their understanding of their bodies, sex, reproduction, and sexual orientation, as well as on their developing minds. One of those people is Carol Dansereau — a parent and grandparent who worked for nonprofit environmental organizations for over 25 years as an attorney, organizer, and nonprofit director. She started digging into these new curriculums in Seattle, and was disturbed by what she found, leading her to produce a number of videos outlining what is being taught to kids in schools across the US, under the guise of "inclusion." In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with her about what she discovered, why we should be concerned, and what we can do about it.  

On Saturday, women gathered at Fraser Valley Institution, a prison in Abbotsford, BC, to protest the housing of men in women’s prisons. Since Bill C-16 passed in Canada, males who identify as transgender have been permitted to transfer to female prisons. Yet the Liberal government won’t address women's concerns about this. In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with Heather Mason, a founding member of Canadian Women’s sex based rights (CaWsbar) and a former prisoner herself, as well as Alia Pierini, who spoke at the event and is also a former prisoner, as well as an advocate for women in prison and a member of Strength in Sisterhood (SIS) about their work and what these "inclusion" policies mean for women in prison.  

On June 17, Britain’s Royal Academy of Arts published a post on Instagram, saying: “Thank you to all those for bringing an item in the RA Shop by an artist expressing transphobic views to our attention. We were unaware of the artist's stated views, and their work will not be stocked in the future. We appreciate you holding us to account on this issue, and we would like to reiterate that we stand with the LGBTQ+ community.” They were talking about artist Jess de Wahls, a textile artist who explores woman-centered themes through embroidery. But after the Royal Academy attempted to cancel her, Jess refused to sit down and shut up, and instead spoke out. Thousands defended her, including much of the UK media. In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with Jess about her background, her art, and her failed cancellation.

The transitioning of kids is ever more common these days, despite growing concerns about physical, mental, and social impacts of encouraging youth to identify as the opposite sex. A new documentary film, Trans Mission, explores the background, messaging, and consequences of transitioning kids, through conversations with doctors, experts, parents, educators, and detransitioners. In this episode, Meghan Murphy speaks with Jennifer Lahl, founder and president of The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network (CBC) and a pediatric nurse, whose writing has been published in Cambridge University Press, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Dallas Morning News, and the American Journal of Bioethics. She serves on the North American Editorial Board for Ethics and Medicine, and directed Eggsploitation and #BigFertility, both of which explore the infertility industry. Jennifer's newest documentary film, Trans Mission, is now available to watch on YouTube.

A key concern for women, in terms of the impact of gender identity legislation, has been new policies being rolled out in various countries around the world, allowing males to compete with and against girls in sport. Beth Stelzer is a housewife, a mom, and an amateur powerlifter in Minnesota. She founded Save Women's Sports in 2019. She is currently traveling around the US, advocating for legislation that protects women and girls sports and fighting legislation allowing males who identify as female to compete with and against women and girls. Meghan Murphy speaks with Beth about the situation in the US, in terms of legislation, and why this fight matters.