Divided States of Women

As powerful men are toppled one after the other for their sexual predation, why are some women still missing from the dialogue? Women in service industries, who are often subject to severe power imbalances with their customers, have not been centered in the conversation about harassment. And one response to widespread sexual misconduct allegations has been the implication (or veiled threat) that exposing sexual harassment will lead to fewer women being hired. So how will working-class women get attention around abuses in the industries? And what do these allegations mean for all the women who already have to be "twice as good"? We're joined by Vox.com Race and Identities Senior Editor Michelle Garcia, and Nell Bernstein, author of "Burning Down the House: The End of Juvenile Prison." Show Notes: The Floodgates Aren't Open Until Working Class Women Tell Their Stories

CaShawn Thompson is credited with creating the social media movement that is #BlackGirlMagic. The hashtag is widely used as a celebration of black womanhood, beauty, and perseverance. But not every black woman endorses the term. When Dr. Linda Chavers saw the ubiquity of #BlackGirlMagic, she bristled—and she published an essay about why she felt the term was exclusionary. That's when the online backlash from other black women began. Writer and producer Aisha Turner brings us the story of how #BlackGirlMagic became a cultural phenomenon, and why it remains divisive for some black women. Show Notes: Here's My Problem With #BlackGirlMagic by Linda Chavers Black Girl Magic: song from "Empire"

This week, an interview with Wade Davis, the NFL's first Diversity and Inclusion consultant and, well, a professional feminist. (Ok, maybe that one's not on his business card). Davis uses his public platform to talk to men and boys about masculinity as a societal construct -- one that is a performance as harmful to men as it is to women. We'll also hear from Vox.com reporter Anna North, who attended the Women's Convention in Detroit and talked to women interested in running for office in 2018 about how Donald Trump's win, and Hillary Clinton's loss, have motivated their candidacies. Wade Davis: Taking off the mask of masculinity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umKKrbmdHFM Anna North: https://www.vox.com/identities/2017/11/6/16571570/female-candidates-trump-clinton-2016-election

Today, women are cheating nearly as much as men. But why do we judge women more harshly than men, whether they're the cheater, the victim of the cheating who decides to stay, or the mistress? Our guest today is Esther Perel, preeminent couples and family therapist whose new book, "The State of Affairs: Rethinking Infidelity" looks at infidelity from multiple perspectives and attempts to contest some of the cultural stereotypes we hold about cheating. Also: we hear from women who say post-election politics has hurt their intimate relationships, and get Perel's advice on how to navigate this discord.

Women of all shapes and sizes feel insecure about their bodies. Hitha and Liz compare notes, and discuss the economic and cultural ramifications of our stereotypes about "overweight" women. We hear from Emily Martin at the National Women's Law Center about how women's bodies are used against them in the workplace. And we'll hear from two women who are living with chronic illness about the insecurities and social pressures that come with the territory.