51 Percent

On this week’s 51% , we hear from the director of a new documentary telling the stories of domestic violence survivors in Sri Lanka. Teardrop on Fire , the debut film from director Jessica Palden, explores the community impacts of toxic, abusive relationships, and highlights the allies working to help survivors. We also speak with David Radley, senior scientist for The Commonwealth Fund, about the...

On this week’s 51% , we sit down with Muriel Fox, feminist activist and cofounder of the National Organization for Women, about her new memoir celebrating the second wave feminist movement — and those who made it happen. WAMC’s Ian Pickus also speaks with reporter Rose Eveleth about their new podcast Tested , examining the history of sexual division in elite sports.  Guests:  Muriel Fox, co-founde...

Following President Biden's decision to step away from this year's presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris is on track to become the first woman of color and first person of South Asian descent to earn the Democratic nomination for president. On this week's 51% , we speak with Ange-Marie Hancock, a political science professor at The Ohio State University, to learn more about Harris' wo...

On this week's 51% , we speak with Dr. Camille Clare, an OB/GYN and professor at SUNY Downstate, to learn more about cesarean sections, and what women should expect during and after delivery. Dr. Clare is also the secretary of the Board of Directors for the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and a member of New York's Maternal Mortality Review Committee. We also hear from Jenni S...

On this week's 51% , we brush up on the history of marriage equality in the U.S., and look back on the first same-sex weddings in New Paltz, New York — which took place more than a decade before the Supreme Court legalized marriage equality nationwide. We also hear from psychoanalysts Avgi Saketopoulou and Ann Pellegrini about their book Gender Without Identity , proposing a new way of looking at...

The Supreme Court has rejected a challenge of the Food & Drug Administration’s approval and regulation of mifepristone, preserving access to one of two pills commonly used in medication abortions across the U.S. On this week’s 51% , we break down the Court’s ruling with Carmel Shachar, faculty director of the Health Law and Policy Clinic at Harvard Law School’s Center for Health Law and Policy...

On this week’s 51% , WAMC’s Sarah LaDuke catches up with singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco to talk about her new record and her debut on Broadway. DiFranco is starring as “Persephone” in the Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical Hadestown through the end of June. We also hear from Amy Jordan, choreographer and founder of the Victory Dance Project, about the group’s upcoming 10-year anniversary. Guest...

On this week’s 51% , our associate producer, Jody Cowan, meets with alternative soul artist Iniko to discuss their creative process and their world tour. We also stop by a celebration of public art in Troy, New York, and Dr. Sharon Ufberg speaks with the director of a 2022 documentary celebrating Deaf culture and highlighting the need for more interpreters at concert venues. Guests: Iniko , songwr...

On this week's 51% , we speak with psychotherapist Dr. Judith Smith about how parenting doesn't stop once children reach adulthood – and how parenting a "difficult adult child" can be especially hard on moms in their later years. We also hear from the women behind Eyes That Weave the World's Wonders , a new children's book highlighting the experience of transracial adoptees.  Guests: Dr. Judith Sm...

On this week’s 51% , we meet with the head of the National Archives amid her tour of presidential libraries across the U.S. Dr. Colleen Shogan discusses the role historical records can play in healing the country’s cultural and political divides. We also stop by an event with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and learn about an artificial intelligence project at RPI telling the story of Emily...

On this week’s 51% , we wrap our series on endometriosis. “Endo Dietitian” Stefanie Valakas explains how some endometriosis patients shift to an anti-inflammatory diet to self-manage their symptoms. We also learn about a new endometriosis research hub at the University of Pittsburgh. Guests:  Stefanie Valakas, accredited dietitian and nutritionist and founder of The Dietologist   51% is a national...

On this week’s 51% , we speak with Dr. Karen Tang about everything from fibroids and PCOS to sexual pain and pelvic floor therapy. Tang is a board-certified gynecologist and surgeon who, in her spare time, debunks reproductive health myths for millions of viewers on Tik Tok, YouTube, and Instagram. In her new book, It’s Not Hysteria , Tang presents a comprehensive guide on common pelvic issues and...

On the latest 51% , we continue our series on endometriosis, speaking with doctors, patients, advocates, and researchers about a disease that impacts roughly 1 in 10 women worldwide. Patient advocate and “Endo Girls” blogger Kate Boyce discusses her journey with endometriosis treatment, and an often-overlooked aspect of gynecologic surgery: recovery.  Guest: Kate Boyce , BCPA and co-founder o...

On this week’s 51% , we kick off our series on endometriosis, an inflammatory disease impacting roughly 1 in 10 women. Dr. Lora Liu, a gynecologic surgeon and endometriosis excision specialist in New York City, discusses the basics of the disease – and why we still know so little about it. Dr. Liu also dives into treatment options for patients, and offers her advice for those considering excision...

The Arizona state Supreme Court has cleared the way for the revival of an abortion ban dating back to the 1860s. On this week’s 51% , Rutgers Law School professor Kimberly Mutcherson breaks down the court’s decision, and analyzes the current tumultuous legal landscape for abortion rights in the U.S. WAMC’s Ian Pickus also speaks with NPR political correspondent Sarah McCammon about her new book Th...

On this week’s 51% , WAMC’s Sarah LaDuke sits down with singer-songwriter Dawn Landes to discuss her new record reimagining "The Liberated Woman’s Songbook" from 1971. WAMC’s Samantha Simmons also meets a couple with a decades-long story of love and friendship that finally tied the knot during the Great North American eclipse. Guest: Dawn Landes , The Liberated Woman's Songbook 51% is a national p...

On this week’s 51% , we speak with mountain athlete and fertility doula Angie Marie to learn how some women are applying the concepts behind cycle syncing to their everyday lives. “Cycle syncing” is the practice of adjusting one’s diet or exercise to the different stages of their menstrual cycle. While the theory has become more popular among female athletes, Marie says she uses cycle syncing to i...

On the latest 51% , Dr. Elizabeth Comen gives us a lesson on gender bias in early medicine, and how it continues to prevent women from getting adequate care. Dr. Comen is a breast oncologist and medical historian with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan. In her new book, All in Her Head , she examines how early medicine failed women in just about every major organ system of their b...

On this week’s 51% , public speaker and mentor Chelsey Goodan provides insight on the wisdom and power of teenage girls. For years, Goodan has been working with girls one-on-one and speaking with them about mental health, body image, social media, boys, friendships, and parents. In her new book Underestimated , Goodan explores why we, as a society, so often restrict and belittle girls at an a...

On this week’s 51% , our associate producer Jody Cowan catches up with NASA astronaut, engineer, and chemist Tracy Caldwell Dyson ahead of her third mission to the International Space Station this month. During her six-month stay, Dyson will help maintain station equipment and contribute to a number of ongoing science experiments. WAMC’s Ian Pickus also speaks with NPR science correspondent Nell G...

On the latest 51% , we speak with the editors of Fighting Mad , a new book of essays reimagining the abortion rights — or rather, reproductive justice — movement. WAMC’s Samantha Simmons also brings us to a public hearing on the proposed closure of Burdett Birth Center in Troy, New York, and we learn about the life and career of American photographer Rollie McKenna.  Guests:  Krystale E. Littlejoh...

On this week's 51% , we kick off Women's History Month. We speak with the directors and flight attendants behind PBS' new American Experience film Fly With Me , about how the first female flight attendants in the U.S. fought for equal labor protections — and contributed to the broader feminist movement in the process. Author Shelley Fraser Mickle also dives into the fascinating life of first daugh...

On this week’s 51% , we speak with former Tennessee state legislator and judge Carol Chumney about the lessons she’s learned from her long-running political career, and the barriers that often keep women from the political arena. We also hear from the founder of a Florida nonprofit supporting homeless youth, and learn about a new financial literacy initiative in Vermont aimed at helping survivors...

On this week's 51% , we hear from NPR Weekend Edition Host Ayesha Rascoe about how her experience at Howard University shaped her into the reporter she is today. Rascoe is the editor behind a new collection of essays called HBCU Made: A Celebration of the Black College Experience , with contributions from alumni like Oprah Winfrey, Stacey Abrams, and more. Our Associate Producer, Jody Cowan, also...

On this week's 51% , we look back on some of our favorite conversations from 2024. Dr. Karen Tang gives us a lesson on everything from fibroids to endometriosis; youth mentor Chelsea Gooden shares how parents can better connect with their teenage daughters; and former NOW President Patricia Ireland remembers her early days fighting against gender discrimination — as a flight attendant for Pan Amer...