Zainab Zeb Kahn joins the podcast this week to discuss Muslim Women’s Day. She explains why it’s important to not group Muslim women into one progressive category, but instead see them as a diverse group of women who’ve given much to society. She also discusses her fight against FGM (female genital mutilation) and shares the stories of the women she is helping. And finally, Zainab shares her own story and explains more about her work at the Muslim American Leadership Alliance.

Zainab Zeb Khan is Chair and Cofounder of the Muslim American Leadership Alliance. Born in the US to Pakistani-Afghan immigrants, she became an activist after eye-opening experiences counseling survivors of domestic violence and organizing exhibitions for artists facing repression. A former Senior Clinician holding a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology, Zainab also co-curated the International Museum of Women’s exhibition “Muslimah: Muslim Women’s Arts and Voices”and has served as a United Nations Delegate on the Commission on the Status of Women since 2013. Zainab has been published in the Oral History Review on Muslim American oral histories, and also serves as an Advisory Impact Board of Director for Picture Motion.  She is also the recipient of the prestigious 2020 Silver Stevie Award for Women in Business, in the Non-Profit/Government sector.

Nazenin Ansari joins IWF Visiting Fellow Ellie Cohanim in this She Thinks Podcast pop-up for Women’s History Month. They discuss the role of women in ancient Persian civilization and the landmark legal rights women attained during the reign of Reza Shah Pahlavi in 20th Century Iran, only to see women’s status in society regress starting with the 1979 Islamic Revolution in the country. Today, under the Islamic Republic of Iran, women are facing gender apartheid.

Gabriella Hoffman joins the podcast this week to discuss The Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2021, also known as the PRO Act. She examines whether this bill is as pro-worker as proponents say it is and how the bill could affect the flexibility and livelihoods of 59 million independent contractors.

Gabriella Hoffman is a media strategist, conservative political columnist, and award-winning outdoor writer. Since 2016, she has consulted non-profits, political campaigns, start-ups, small businesses, and veteran-owned companies. Her articles and columns have appeared in Bristol Herald Courier, Field & Stream, Outdoor Life, Washington Times among others, She’s been interviewed by many national publications, including The Washington Post, Marie Claire, and she was one of 240 Americans featured on TIME Magazine’s “Guns in America” cover issue. Finally, Gabriella also hosts the weekly “District of Conservation” podcast.

Congress is fast on its way to passing severe restrictions on independent workers in America. That would likely lead to the loss of contracts, employment income, and opportunities.

Dr. Carol Swain joins the podcast this week to celebrate Women’s History Month. She’ll share her own contribution to politics, especially in the areas of race and patriotism, as well as talk about her views on feminism and the challenges of running for political office as a female.

Dr. Carol Swain is a former professor of political science at Princeton and Vanderbilt Universities and the author of the newly re-released book Be the People: A Call to Reclaim America’s Faith and Promise.

Rep. Lisa McClain joins to discuss what it’s like to be part of the record-breaking number of GOP women in Congress, how she’s handling being in the minority party during a very polarizing time, and finally the work she’s doing on behalf of our veterans.

Congresswoman Lisa McClain is serving her first term representing Michigan’s 10th Congressional District. She is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and also serves on the House Education and Labor Committee, where she works to advocate for schools to reopen for in-person learning full-time. Prior to Congress, Representative McClain spent more than 30 years in the business world. She knows how to run a business and supports policies that allow businesses to grow and people to prosper.

Dr. Naomi Wolf joins the podcast this week to discuss whether or not the current COVID lockdowns are forever changing the face of the U.S. We’ll revisit her previous New York Times Bestseller The End of America because the warnings she outlined are becoming today’s reality.

Dr. Naomi Wolf is an author, feminist leader, and a former democratic advisor. Her most recent books include the New York Times bestsellers Vagina, The End of America, and Give Me Liberty, in addition to the landmark bestseller The Beauty Myth. A former Rhodes Scholar, she completed a doctorate in English language and literature from the University of Oxford in 2015, was a research fellow at Barnard College and the University of Oxford, and taught rhetoric at the George Washington University and Victorian studies at Stony Brook University. Wolf lives in the Hudson River Valley. Her latest book is Outrages: Sex, Censorship and the Criminalization of Love (Chelsea Green Publishing, October 2020).

Carrie Lukas joins the podcast to talk about this month’s policy focus—Avoiding Paid Leave Pitfalls. We discuss why making the emergency COVID paid leave benefits permanent will undermine existing paid leave benefits, raise taxes, and reduce wages for poor workers, as well as limit women’s employment opportunities.

Angela Sailor joins the podcast to help us take on the woke left by discussing why American values are unifying for ALL Americans regardless of background, gender, or race. We’ll discuss the principle of a free society and why efforts to downplay America’s greatness are harmful to the commendable goal of equality and opportunity for all.

In honor of Black History Month, Mr. Robert L. Woodson Sr. joins the She Thinks podcast to discuss the Civil Rights Movement and how it contrasts with today’s social justice movement, why he launched 1776 Unites, and community-led solutions to violence in poor communities, including Voices of Black Mothers United Network.

Mr. Woodson is the founder and president of the Woodson Center, an organization committed to helping residents of low-income neighborhoods address the problems of their communities for over 30 years. He is a former civil rights activist, headed the National Urban League Department of Criminal Justice, and been a resident fellow at the American Enterprise Foundation for Public Policy Research.

Director of Economic Opportunity for the Stand Together Chamber of Commerce Erica Jedynak joins the podcast to talk about the American worker. With a new presidential administration and many states’ legislatures in session, we focus on the future of independent contracting, worker freedom, and whether new regulations will make it harder for all of us to pursue and find a choice in our work.

On this week’s episode, former Disney Channel actress turned White House Press assistant Caroline Sunshine joins to talk about how she went from Hollywood to the White House, and how to cancel culture came for her.

Caroline Sunshine is technically the first actor to serve in the West Wing of the White House since former President Ronald Reagan. At the time of her hiring, at 22 years old, she was one of the youngest professional staff members in President Trump’s West Wing. After finding teen stardom on Disney Channel, Ms. Sunshine left Hollywood to serve her country at the White House, and her controversial arrival made international news due to her public profile. Prior to serving at the White House, Ms. Sunshine starred in the Disney Channel original series Shake It Up alongside Zendaya and Bella Thorne. People Magazine critic Tom Gliatto praised Sunshine’s performance as, “the best on the show.” Shake It Up played in over 90 countries and the show remains one of the highest-rated series in Disney Channel history and continues to stream today on Disney+. And, yes, Sunshine is her real last name.

Inez Stepman joins the podcast to discuss this month’s policy focus– student loan forgiveness. As the cries for “free college” have gotten louder, and with a President who is pushing for a student loan relief plan, the question is — does this really help students, especially those that need financial assistance the most? Inez explains why loan forgiveness is costly, unfair, and regressive.

Julie Gunlock joins Inez Stepman in a pop-up episode to discuss her frustrating experiences with the public school system, making the big choice to begin homeschooling her son, and how exercising education freedom has made a difference in her family’s lives.

Emily Jashinsky joins this week’s podcast to talk about the red and blue divide in America. With polarization at an all-time high, we discuss the media’s role as well as what we can expect in a Joe Biden presidency. Is he really here to unify?

Emily Jashinsky is a culture editor at The Federalist. She previously covered politics as a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner. Prior to joining the Examiner, Emily was the spokeswoman for Young America’s Foundation. She’s interviewed leading politicians and entertainers and appeared regularly as a guest on major television news programs, including “Fox News Sunday,” “Media Buzz,” and “The McLaughlin Group.” Her work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Post, Real Clear Politics, and more. Emily also serves as director of the National Journalism Center. Originally from Wisconsin, she is a graduate of George Washington University.

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik joins the podcast this week to talk about the record number of Republican women who have been elected to Congress. She gives us insight into why more conservative women are running than ever and also shares her own experience as a strong conservative woman, including the recent controversy of her alma mater, Harvard University, dropping her from an advisory committee.

Congresswoman Elise Stefanik proudly represents New York’s 21st District in the House of Representatives in her third term in office. She is a Member of the Armed Services Committee, the Committee on Education and Labor, and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. On the Armed Services Committee, Congresswoman Stefanik serves as Ranking Member for the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities and is a Member of the Subcommittee on Readiness. On the Committee on Education and Labor, she serves on the Subcommittees on Higher Education & Workforce Development and Civil Rights & Human Services. Congresswoman Stefanik is proudly the youngest Republican woman ever elected to Congress in United States history.

Heather Nauert, journalist and former State Department spokeswoman, joins the podcast this week. She shares what she learned from her service in DC, the challenges women face in taking on high-profile, public roles while balancing a family, and the role of women in advancing constructive dialogue with the goal of solving our nation’s greatest challenges.

We dive into our policy year in review. And what a year it has been. With 2020 being anything but predictable, Hadley Manning joins us to discuss what policy wins IWF had over the past 12 months and what can look forward to in 2021.