Inclusion in Crises: Women & Children First & The Next Great Fire
May 10, 2022
Hosted by Christine Erickson
[Download MP3] [itunes] [Bookmark Episode]
Guest Information
Episode Description
Today, we are honored to have Donna Ward as our guest. Donna is the author “She I Dare Not Name: A Spinster’s Meditations on Life”, her memoir, which was published in 2020. From the use of the term “spinster” and its origins, to the lifelong contemplation of crises and the prioritization of lives, we will discuss a range of topics from her touching and impactful essays and life reflections. We will address the support of single people in catastrophic events from climate change, fires and floods, war and invasions, to the COVID pandemic. We will explore the experiences of those who are living alone, single and without children, against the backdrop of proclaimed phrasing “Women and Children First.” Our conversation will include the ways in which current economic and health policies affect single people, given the assumed basic economic unit is a household of two incomes and children. Donna will draw on her writing, lived experience, expertise and current events to highlight the often invisible and potentially dire impact on those who are single and without children, in status quo crisis and policy planning.
New Legacy Radio
Tuesday at 10 AM Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Variety Channel
New Legacy Radio is a social justice platform about people without children. This space is intended to bring visibility and change to our experiences, to connect with our allies and anyone committed to learning more from our community, which is reaching an estimated one-third of the global population. The show addresses the social, systemic, and structural realities perpetuated by reproductive and relational identity bias. We discuss the impact of pronatalist behavior and policies, through the perspectives of our community and allies, as we work to achieve meaningful change that recognizes the truly diverse, intersectional continuum of our experiences. New Legacy Radio is brought to you by New Legacy Institute (NLI), which is policy institute, focused on the global culture and impact of pronatalism. The Institute’s social justice advocacy serves the growing, global community of people without children. NLI’s mission is to generate constructive change in cultural, organizational, and institutional policies that exhibit biases against people without children.
Christine Erickson
Christine Erickson (she/her) is the founder of New Legacy Institute. The Institute’s purpose is to advocate for change around social realities and policy inequities faced by those who do not have children. Christine is involuntarily childless by circumstance (cxc), and touched on her experiences in her award-winning book, The Mother Within: A Guide to Accepting Your Childless Journey. (2015) A revised edition is forthcoming. Her current writing focuses on the unacknowledged impact of women who are childless/childfree due to circumstances. Christine is dedicated to advancing the diverse narratives and experiences of people without children. She is a staunch advocate of our community’s equitable inclusion and belonging in the workplace, media & entertainment narratives, and making visible the ways in which our community is impacted by culture and policy, and the change we seek. As an executive and entrepreneur, she has lived and worked globally, for the majority of her career. She is an experienced executive coach, leadership educator, and the founder of the Center for Consent-Driven Leadership. She is writing a forthcoming book: Consent-Driven: Rethinking the Culture of Leadership. Christine is an advocate for justice reform in family law and court procedures, involuntary pro se representation, and multifaceted accountability regarding violence against women. She has also consulted on international women’s law and development, gender equity and healthcare access initiatives.
