There is no question that 2020 will be a critical year for women’s rights. Virginia may very well become the final state needed to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The Supreme Court will consider an abortion law that threatens Roe v. Wade later this year in Medical Services v. Gee. Clearly, it’s now more important than ever to understand the ways in which the law impacts women’s rights. Luckily, there are so many podcast episodes devoted to women’s rights that can help keep you in the loop. Read on for four episodes that can help bolster your understanding of women’s rights headlines this year.
1. Stuff Mom Never Told You, “The Untold History of Women’s Equality Day”
Stuff Mom Never Told You is a podcast that uncovers all things feminist. This episode about the Equal Rights Amendment provides a great primer on one of the original struggles in women’s rights and outlines the details of why the amendment was never passed.
2. More Perfect, “The Most Perfect Album: Episode 4”
If you’ve read any of my previous podcast articles, you know that I am obsessed with More Perfect, the spinoff from Radiolab that covers issues related to the Supreme Court. This episode, from the show’s third season, covers the history of the 19th Amendment, which gave (white) women the right to vote. I am not crazy about this season’s album format; however, this episode reveals a surprising story of the 19th Amendment that you’ll find hard to forget plus a bonus song written by Dolly Parton.
3. More Perfect, “Sex Appeal”
A key component to understanding modern women’s rights in the United States lies in understanding the move to acheive equal rights for women under the law. This phenomenal episode of More Perfect (I wasn’t kidding when I said I was obsessed with this show) details a famous Supreme Court case in which then-attorney Ruth Bader Ginsburg acheived a giant advance for women’s rights in the law. This episode is a must-listen for anyone wanting to understand the legal framework which governs gender-based discrimination in American law.
4. On the Media, “Body of Law: Beyond Roe”
Roe v. Wade is without a doubt one of the most critical Supreme Court decisions pertaining to women’s rights law from the last fifty years. But what if another abortion case had set the precedent before Roe’s famous decision? This episode of On The Media explains a critical abortion case (Struck v. Secretary of Defense) which failed to make it to the Supreme Court in 1972.
This new year is sure to bring several landmark moments in women’s rights law, and these four podcasts can help you get ahead of the curve when it comes to deconstructing the headlines surrounding this topic. Happy listening, collegiettes!