A Woman’s Place

Electricians, construction workers, plumbers, power plant technicians, heavy equipment operators: all these and more make up the 'skilled trades.' Such jobs typically offer some of the best pay for workers without a college degree. These skilled trades make up almost 30% of our economy - and have historically been all male. Today, women hold only 4% of these jobs. (Take that, Rosie the Riveter.) W...

It can be hard to step back and 'see' our gendered world - all the different behaviors, work and family roles, clothes, speaking styles, body language, hair styles that to us mean 'male' or 'female.' This gendered world is all we've ever known, after all.  All those seemingly small gendered manifestations yield big consequences however: men are 4 times more likely to commit suicide, women accumula...

How do YOU view the government? Does it have a role in ensuring protections or enforcing rights? Does it handicap our lives with wasteful inefficiencies and rules? Does it help you - or do you think it only helps others? Whatever you think, you probably have good reasons for those beliefs. Which we get! In this episode, we peek into why and how we develop our attitudes about the government - and h...

Out of 50 states in the US, women hold 13 governorships, 28% of Congress, and have never been elected President. The US is 53rd in the world in political gender parity. This is 2025, so really, why is this? And does it even matter - do we really need equal representation in elected offices? In this episode, we look at the social forces at work (who is a leader?) as well as some pragmatic impedimen...

The League of Women Voters sounds like it comes from another era, like maybe that time of Victorian dresses festooned with "VOTES FOR WOMEN" sashes. Well, it sorta does. And yet it's still here today, more meaningful than ever. Today we talk with Terri Kondos, the Manatee County League Voter Services Chair. Terri spent 38 years with the Department of Defense in intelligence and national security,...

Are people having the families they want? Why or why not? And are women really to blame for low fertility rates? A new report surveyed 14,000 people in 14 countries to really understand what is happening and why fertility rates are dropping all over. The findings may surprise some policy makers who are struggling to identify incentives for families, but really shouldn't surprise any of us. Spoiler...

As part of our continuing series on 'when life begins - the surprising history of conception' we talk with Professor Emeritus Elizabeth Spahn about the surprising history of legal views on conception -when life begins- and it's probably not what you think. There is so much political talk about women having babies these days - whether they have too many or not enough - that is seemed essential to s...

Medicaid, SNAP, and Medicare are some of our largest domestic benefits programs. Eligibility is not gender-specific. Yet someone they affect women differently. We don't know whether or not these programs will be changed in the final version of the Big Beautiful Bill, but we do know who uses them and why. Get your facts here.   Resources:  Women's Health Insurance Coverage | KFF Gender and Racial...

As part of our continuing series on 'when life begins - the surprising history of conception' we talk with Professor Emeritus Elizabeth Spahn about the surprising history of the scientific understanding of conception - when life begins. And, spoiler alert, how we all get started is not what we were taught in high school biology class. There is so much political talk about women having babies these...

85% of all American women change their names at the time of marriage. If passed, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act could disenfranchise these women because their current legal name does not match the name on their birth certificate. How could this be? Why would we want to do this? Note: the SAVE act has passed the US house and is moving to the Senate, so keep your eye on this one.  Reso...

"Have more babies!" is the Trump administration's current family initiative. Huh? If you’ve never heard of ‘pro-natalism,’ this is for you. Join us for a talk of fertility treatments, Elon Musk, car seats, Nobel Prize winner Claudia Goldin, childcare, why families do and do not want babies, and much more. This is one topic you’ll want to keep an eye on. Resources: 1. Reasons adults give for not ha...

Childcare meets economics. This episode dives into how access to affordable, high-quality childcare shapes families, communities, and the economy at large. Resources: Data Dashboard: An Overview of Child Care and Early Learning in the United States - Center for American Progress , Lakewood Ranch business leads way in new Florida support for employee childcare , Florida childcare tax credits help S...

We talk with Professor Law Emerita, Elizabeth Spahn, about the fascinating and surprising history of Christian views on the beginning of human life - and It's most certainly not what you think. We cover the start of life, from Aristotle to Dobbs in 37 easy-to-understand minutes - you'll never think about conception the same way again. Resources: Arrested at gunpoint, charged as a felon: a midwife’...

Without equal resources, is equality even possible? In this episode, we look at the gender gaps in both pay and accumulated wealth: what the gaps mean, why these gaps are still with us, and what we can do. Resources: Gender pay gap in U.S. has narrowed slightly over 2 decades , Reckoning With the Hidden Rules of Gender in the Tax Code: How Low Taxes on Corporations and the Wealthy Impact Women’s E...

Who does care work? Why? And why does it matter? Join us for a look at paid and unpaid care work - nursing home aides, day care, cleaning, and all that goes with it - and see why it's a serious women's issue. Resources: wordslut Untapped Protentional: Florida Report Through Women's Eyes Film Festival  

Why do we want diversity anyway? Is there a business case for it? And why are folks opposed to it? This is our second go-around with DEI and in this episode we look at more human factors. What could be more important?

DEI has been around for a long time, but it exploded in the national news over the past two weeks. The federal government’s order to end all DEI policies and programs has immediate consequences - and potentially a very long tale. We take a look at what the hell DEI really is, where it comes from, and what to make of this new direction.

The world is changing fast, but is it benefiting everyone? A Woman’s Place examines how policies, politics, and cultural shifts impact women. From wage gaps to remote work, reproductive rights to crypto, we break down today’s biggest stories affecting the 51%. In this episode, we introduce ourselves, discuss why gender equality still needs attention and explore what’s shaping the future. How do we...