Women Without Kids

It is time to revalue the unpaid labor of childrearing, says Jenny Brown—feminist organizer and author of Birth Strike: The Hidden Fight Over Women's Work. In the episode we discuss:

-Jenny’s background campaigning for birth control access led to her deciding to write her book, Birth Strike.

-Ominous insights into the forces that led to the overturning of Roe v. Wade roughly a year after we recorded this interview.

-Abortion being legalized during the post-war “baby boom” of 1955-1975—a time when politicians were concerned about overpopulation.

-Why the founder of the official “Birth Strike movement” changed their message in 2020 to better reflect their environmental stance (not having kids in protest to conditions NOT as a comment on overpopulation).

-The systemic issues behind the current spontaneous “birth strike” being staged by women without kids globally.

-The impact of witnessing our mothers’ struggle on the procreative outcomes of modern women without kids.

-The roots of the Covid childcare crisis, and why this had been a long time coming.

-The policy change and ideological shifts that would enable more people to confidently embark on the path of parenthood.

-Why higher wages across the caregiving spectrum, and higher status being given to these jobs, are essential for the thriving of future generations.

-Jenny’s obvious, clear-cut solutions to the issue of the aging population!

You can learn more about Jenny Brown and her work and order your copy of Birth Strike HERE and follow her on Twitter HERE.

You can pre-order your copy of Women Without Kids: The Revolutionary Rise of an Unsung Sisterhood HERE—and enter your order number to receive a free book club guide and be entered into a prize draw to win a limited edition tote.

It's time to teach kids about human sexuality beyond the procreative act, says sexuality educator, Justine Ang Fonte. In the episode we discuss:

-Why sexuality education tends to reduce our bodies to their reproductive function - and what is problematic about this

-Why human sexuality is equally about pleasure, intimacy, agency, and personal power, and how to talk to kids about these things

-Justine’s introduction to teaching sex ed and why she’s so passionate about enacting reform in this area

-Why all non-procreative sex - including queer sex, masturbation, and sex work - is still so stigmatized

-Why we can’t have a real conversation about consent without centering pleasure - since consent begins with asking, “does this feel good?”

-Why male sexual entitlement stems from the notion that women’s bodies belong first and foremost to society as the means of reproduction

-Why talking about a “gender-full” world is part of dismantling reductive gender roles in the realm of human sexuality

-The role of intimacy education and teaching about healthy relationships in the context of sex ed.

-Why Justine does not expect to see a truly sexually liberated society in her lifetime - and why this won’t stop her continuing to work towards this

You can learn more about Justine and her work HERE and follow her on Instagram @imjustineaf

You can also pre-order your copy of Women Without Kids: The Revolutionary Rise of an Unsung Sisterhood HERE—and enter your order details to receive a free reading group guide for the book

Dr. Nicole LePera on creating a new legacy with our self-healing the potential impact of the "conscious parenting" revolution. In the episode we discuss:

-How dysfunctional patterns and behaviors are passed down the generations and imprinted in us in childhood

-Why not having children can be a way to stop the patterns repeating – as can conscious parenting

-How our mothers’ “self-healing” practices impacted both of us – and the potential for future generations of more people engaging with this work

-The roots of Nicole’s early knowing that she did not want to be a mom

-Why our experience of being mothered inevitably shapes how we feel about becoming mothers ourselves

-The decision not to have children due to fears about our mental health or passing on other genetic conditions

-The enormous emotional challenge of raising kids and how to assess our capacity for the vocation of parenthood

-Why grieving is part of any journey of healing from dysfunctional family dynamics

-Why feeling seen and heard is the essence of community – and why this begins with feeling safe to express who we are

-The healing path as a vocation in itself and a way to live a meaningful life without kids

Nicole's new book, How To Meet Yourself: The Workbook For Self-Discovery is out December 6, 2022. Get your copy HERE.

You can also pre-oder Women Without Kids: The Revolutionary Rise of An Unsung Sisterhood HERE. Enter your order details to receive a FREE book club guide to accompany the book.

Evolutionary biologist Gillian Ragsdale on the myth of the "maternal instinct," and the extent to which the desire to birth a biological child is a social and cultural phenomenon. In the episode we discuss:

-Why no mammal has a primal instinct that links sex to a desire to reproduce

-Why we talk about a “maternal” instinct and not a “paternal” instinct

-The real purpose of the sex drive in human beings

-Why individual differences and preferences are overlooked in conversations about procreative potential

-The different factors that might make a person more susceptible to “baby fever”

-Why it is so challenging to implement more shared responsibility for childrearing between men and women

-An evolutionary perspective on the global population slowdown

-Why modern societal structures and family formation are antithetical to proper caregiving

-How “pair bonding” came to take precedence among humans and the impact of this on community and family life

-What it means to “widen the moral circle” when it comes to who we care for and about – both individually and as a society

-Why biological evolution doesn’t care about “quality of life” - but how lifestyle stressors do impact human fertility

You can learn more about Gillian Ragsdale and her work HERE.

You can pre-order your copy of Women Without Kids: The Revolutionary Rise of an Unsung Sisterhood HERE—where you can input your order details to receive a FREE book club guide to accompany the book.

Dr. Jennifer Mullan of Decolonizing Therapy on non-motherhood as part of our intergenerational healing. In the episode we discuss:

-The intersections that are at play when we talk about intergenerational healing

-Different ways of thinking about what is “ending with us” when we don’t have kids

-The concept of the “soul wound” - and how this is passed on down the generations

-The trauma done to peoples - and lineages - across the globe by colonization, and the survivalist coping mechanisms that we have inherited from this

-Jennifer’s definition of “family dysfunction” - and how this is often a manifestation of these coping mechanisms

-Her experiences of family therapy, and how the focus is often on the child who is “acting out” - versus looking at the whole family system

-Why ambivalence about having children can reflect an intuitive pull not to pass intergenerational patters - or “curses” - on to a new generation

-“Parenting” in our activism or other community work - and prioritizing this over having kids

-What we are opting into when we “opt out” of having kids - whether this is a conscious choice or not

-How the pillaging of Mother Earth has impacted our capacity for mothering

-Jenn’s family’s response to her not pursuing motherhood - and her rage at their insensitivity around this

-The need for specific care and lifestyle options for older women without kids

Learn more and Dr. Jennifer Mullan and her work HERE and follow her on Instagram for updates about her forthcoming book, Decolonizing Therapy: Oppression, Historical Trauma & Politicizing Your Practice.

You can pre-order your copy of Women Without Kids: The Revolutionary Rise of an Unsung Sisterhood HERE.