Breaking Down Patriarchy

Amy is joined by lawyer and author, Iris Mwanza, to discuss her novel - The Lion's Den - plus the status of patriarchy in Zambia, worldwide, and the critical role that books play in shaping public attitudes.Donate to Breaking Down PatriarchyIris Mwanza is a Zambian-American author and gender equality advocate. Born and raised in Zambia, early exposure to inequality has been a driving force in her life - from becoming a lawyer, writing a Ph.D. dissertation on women and children’s rights, a career fighting for gender equality, and now a thriller with gender equality as its heart.Iris has spent an inordinate amount of time studying and has law degrees from Cornell University and the University of Zambia, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in International Relations from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Her day job is Deputy Director of the Women in Leadership team in the Gender Equality Division of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and her night job is to write. Her debut novel The Lions’ Den took nine years of nights and weekends to finish. 

Amy is joined by activist, advocate, and influencer Mr. Jones X to strategize around hot topics and confrontations, including DEI, Critical Race Theory, and bringing men into our movement for a more just future. Donate to Breaking Down PatriarchyMr. Jones X is a well-known activist, political commentator, and courageous debater. His mastery of intersectionality and the importance of advocating from the bottom up distinguish him from the average content creator. These abilities have earned him numerous speaking engagements, invitations to panel discussions, and national attention for his debates. Jones is also an entrepreneur with TUFF (Transformative Uprising for Freedom), a socially conscious clothing company, in which his products are manufactured by a local minority women-owned business and the designs allow customers to wear their protest.

Amy is joined by adrienne maree brown to discuss her latest book, Loving Corrections, and learn about improving our accountability practices, plus what it takes to live in right relationship with the friends and family with whom we most disagree.Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchyadrienne maree brown (she/they) is growing a garden of healing ideas. Informed by decades of movement facilitation, somatics, science fiction scholarship and doula work, adrienne has nurtured Emergent Strategy, Pleasure Activism, Radical Imagination and Loving Correction as ideas and practices for transformation. adrienne is the NYT-bestselling author/editor of several published texts, a ritual singer-songwriter, co-generator of the Lineages of Change Tarot Deck, and co-creator/host of How to Survive the End of the World podcast with Autumn Brown. adrienne’s latest book Loving Corrections is now available from AK Press.

Amy is joined by Dr. Lexie Kite to revisit her book, More Than A Body: Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament, exploring the ways women and girls are looked at, predatory practices of the beauty industry, plus how to escape the sea of objectification and come home to your whole self.Donate to Breaking Down PatriarchyDr. Lexie Kite is co-author of the book More Than a Body: Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament and co-director of the nonprofit Beauty Redefined, along with her twin sister Dr. Lindsay Kite. They both received PhDs from the University of Utah in the study of female body image and have become leading experts in body image resilience and media literacy. Authors of numerous studies and books have cited Lindsay and Lexie’s original research and they have been featured in a variety of national media outlets, including The New York Times, CNBC, the Boston Globe, Slate, Shape, Glamour, Teen Vogue, and more.Lindsay and Lexie help girls and women recognize and reject the harmful effects of objectification in their lives through their significant social media reach, online Body Image Resilience course and facilitator program for dieticians and therapists, their popular book (More Than a Body), and regular speaking engagements for thousands of people of all ages. Lexie lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Amy is joined by Beatriz Albina, NP, MPH and host of the Feminist Wellness Podcast to discuss the wear and tear of patriarchy on our nervous systems plus practical strategies for overcoming "good-girl training" and restoring our dysregulated bodies.Donate to Breaking Down PatriarchyBeatriz Victoria Albina (she/her) is a Master Certified Somatic Life Coach, UCSF-trained Family Nurse Practitioner and Breathwork Meditation Guide. She helps humans socialized as women realize that they are their own best healers by reconnecting with their bodies and minds so they can break free from, codependency, perfectionism, and people-pleasing, and reclaim their joy. She is the of the Feminist Wellness Podcast, is trained in Somatic Experiencing, holds a master's degree in public health from Boston University and a B.A. in Latin American Studies from Oberlin College. Beatriz has been working in health & wellness for rover 20 years and lives on occupied Munsee Lenape territory in New York.beatrizalbina.com/bdp

Amy is joined by journalist Elle Reeve to discuss her book, Black Pill: How I Witnessed the Darkest Corners of the Internet Come to Life, Poison Society, and Capture American Politics. This conversation establishes the histories and intersections of incels, the alt right, and white supremacy movements, plus these subcultures' plans to strip away women's rights and what we can actually do about it.Donate to Breaking Down PatriarchyElle Reeve is a CNN correspondent whose work has won numerous awards, including the Emmy, the Peabody, and more. Her writing has appeared in VICE, The New Republic, New York magazine, Elle, The Atlantic, and The Daily Beast. She lives in New York. 

Amy is joined by advocate and influencer Paige Connell (@sheisapaigeturner) to discuss the slew of household work which women still disproportionally manage for our families, the mental load of motherhood, plus ways we can change the culture and make this invisible labor visible.Donate to Breaking Down PatriarchyPaige Connell, a working mom of four, shares her insights about motherhood and careers, the mental load, and relationships. She's a fierce advocate for affordable childcare and paid leave, she’s been featured in Scary Mommy, The Today Show, and more!

In our first episode of Season Five, Amy is joined by Sharon McMahon to discuss her book, The Small and the Mighty, honoring the histories of overlooked but world-changing women in America's history and discussing how we can all gain wisdom and take heart from their bold examples.Donate to Breaking Down PatriarchySharon McMahon is a #1 New York Times bestselling author, educator, and host of the chart-topping podcast Here’s Where It Gets Interesting. McMahon became known as "America’s Government Teacher" during the 2020 election for her viral efforts to combat political misinformation. Her knack for breaking down complex topics with clarity, humor, and a steadfast commitment to facts has attracted a community of one and a half million followers—affectionately called the “Governerds.” McMahon's newsletter, The Preamble, is one of the largest publications on Substack, providing historical context and non-partisan insights to help readers navigate today’s political landscape. Her debut book, The Small and the Mighty, has been celebrated as one of the year’s top reads by Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and Goodreads, highlighting the unsung heroes who shaped America.Beyond education, Sharon McMahon has led philanthropic initiatives that have raised over $11 million to address critical needs, from medical debt relief to disaster recovery. She inspires audiences with a message of hope: history shows us that even small actions can create powerful change.

Welcome to Season Five of Breaking Down Patriarchy. This season we'll be talking with incredible guests who will give you all kinds of ideas of things you can do right now to deconstruct patriarchy in your own life and to make a positive difference in your community. Donate to Breaking Down Patriarchy

Dr. Kristin Neff, an Associate Professor at the University of Texas and a pioneering researcher in self-compassion, discusses the powerful role of anger in women's lives. She emphasizes how embracing anger can lead to constructive action against injustice. Neff examines the dangers of rigid gender roles, advocating for both tenderness and assertiveness. She offers insights on navigating difficult interactions, using 'I' statements, and emphasizes self-compassion in fostering empowerment, particularly in the context of internalized sexism in the workplace.