Light Work by Dear Patriarchy

Jennifer Audrie & Lisa Lynn

An intersectional feminist guide for women trying to survive the (corporate) world. Jen & Lisa are sisters with over 2 decades spent working in the male-dominated industries of Construction, Tech and Finance. They delve into the pitfalls and the gas-lighting people who identify as women experience in the patriarchal construct of traditional corporate environments, sharing their personal experiences along with statistics relating to how misogyny, racism, queer-phobia, fatphobia, ableism and other forms of discrimination present in the workplace. If you’ve ever wondered why you’re not getting ahead at work (or getting as far as you want), they'll explore why (spoiler alert: it’s not your fault) and what you can do about it.

read less
Society & CultureSociety & Culture

Episodes

Kat Courtney: Ayahuasca, Plant Medicine & the Patriarchy
29-04-2024
Kat Courtney: Ayahuasca, Plant Medicine & the Patriarchy
If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍Welcome to season 5 of the Dear Patriarchy Podcast -  we're back, baby!Season 5 is the beginning of our evolution of the Dear Patriarchy offering. A year and a half ago, we stepped away to start healing and we're bringing back what we've learned and want to continue the healing journey with you.Our first conversation is with the incredible Kat Courtney, founder of Plant Medicine People, who has been involved in the plant medicine and shamanism communities for the last 2 decades. She is a loving source of wisdom and this episode is an outpouring of her knowledge, gained through 20+ years of experience in ceremonial healing. In this episode, we discuss what plant medicine actually is, specifically focusing on ayahuasca, and discuss Kat's journey with this beautiful medicine. Kat deep dives into her experiences of finding patriarchy within plant medicine & shamanism communities, and gives us a guideline of how to find safe retreat spaces, including things to look out for and red flags to be aware of. She shares her decades-long experience of sitting in, and holding, ceremony space and how plant medicine can not only heal, but also offer support and wisdom in helping you find purpose in the work that you're most passionate about. Towards the end of the episode, she offers up a powerful process for transmuting anger into purpose which we hope will help you as profoundly as it has helped us.We'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode once you've listened - share with us on Instagram or at patriarchypod@gmail.comIf you want more Kat Courtney in your life (because of course you do!), find her here:Discover the Plant Medicine People communityDive into excellent articles by Kat here & hereRead Kat's fantastic book "Plant Medicine Mystery School Volume I"Connect on Instagram with Kat here and with Plant Medicine People hereRetreat scholarship information
Nila Varman: The Joyful Activist
28-06-2023
Nila Varman: The Joyful Activist
If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍Welcome to the ninth episode of series 4, where we’re focusing on the educators, activists, and influencers who inspire and guide us.In this week’s episode, Lisa chats to the fabulous Nila Varman, host of the Nila Extract, an award winning radio show and educational platform that amplifies the voices of those from minority ethnic communities, dispels stereotypes and navigates socially pressing issues that are not spoken about enough. Nila has won many awards for her work, including a Diana award, Frontline 50 award, and SRA & BBC Award for Best Student Radio Presenter. We dive right into how Nila’s journey into activism was accelerated by the surge in global awareness of social justice issues at the start of the pandemic. Nila shares how, as a “British Tamil gal”, clearly seeing the everyday racism directed towards Tamil and South Indian communities, as well as occurring inside them, made her eager to speak out about its impact as well as other “taboo” topics.Nila is a passionate creative and speaks beautifully about how her work affects her own life and the lives of those around her. She talked about the constant pressure to create and how she finds balance on platforms that demand continuous content production.Listening to Nila, it’s impossible to miss the joy that infuses her work which, a lot of the time, is focused on heavy, hard issues. Nila consistently brings lightness to these important conversations, an invaluable skill which sets her apart as a truly joyful activist.You can find Nila & her award winning work here:- Nila’s website - Find Nila on Instagram at @the_nila_extract and on TikTok at @thenilaextract- Listen to The Nila Extract podcast, available on all major streaming platforms!-  Continue the conversation by picking up our book Dear Patriarchy: The Gaslit Women's Guide to the (Corporate) WorldInternational ordersNorth American orders- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from an incredible female author.- Find out more about Nubefy, the amazing artists behind the graphics we use, here.
✨Beltane Re-Release✨Shifra Nerenberg: Using intuition to overcome the Patriarchy
01-05-2023
✨Beltane Re-Release✨Shifra Nerenberg: Using intuition to overcome the Patriarchy
If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍Welcome to the eighth episode of series 4, where we’re focusing on the educators, activists, and influencers who inspire and guide us.In honor of Beltane (roll on summer!), this week’s episode is a re-release of our amazing conversation with Shifra Nerenberg (she/ her), owner of Spiral Intuitive & an intersectional feminist based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. With more than 20 years experience as an Intuitive Advisor, Shifra guides clients all over the world in connecting with their own powerful inner wisdom. Shifra does her best to increase the kindness & hope in our world. Her work is centered around helping intuitive folk trust themselves & shine their individual lights, spreading more of the bright light needed in the world. We talked with Shifra about the importance of connecting back to our bodies and grounding ourselves so that we can connect to our communities and work against capitalism and oppressive systems of control, which work best when we are isolated and alienated from each other. We discussed how knowing yourself and leaning into your intuition is an important tool to battle patriarchy, systemic racism, heteronormativity, ableism, and xenophobia.  We end by working through Shifra’s techniques and strategies to keep from getting stuck in heaviness while remaining rooted in your power and plugging back in to your community with love.- All things Shifra:Find her on Instagram: @spiralintuitiveSpiral Intuitive Website-  Continue the conversation by picking up our book Dear Patriarchy: The Gaslit Women's Guide to the (Corporate) WorldInternational ordersNorth American orders- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from an incredible female author.- Find out more about Nubefy, the amazing artists behind the graphics we use, here.
RE-RELEASE ❤️ Joshua Jernigan: The truth about gender-affirming care for trans children
23-03-2023
RE-RELEASE ❤️ Joshua Jernigan: The truth about gender-affirming care for trans children
If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍Welcome to the seventh episode of series 4, where we’re focusing on the educators, activists, and influencers who inspire and guide us.Due to the unprecedented onslaught of anti-trans legislation and the steep rise in anti-trans and anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric in the United States of America, we’re re-releasing our last episode in the hopes that it will spread some much needed truth about trans youth and the support they require. In this episode we speak to the incredible Joshua Jernigan, a trans rights activist and philanthropist based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Josh started the GEN (Gender Education Network) organization which helps transgender and gender diverse kids aged 12 and younger. As you’ll hear in the episode, Josh is a born educator and is deeply passionate about ensuring every child has a safe and loving home to nurture their growing identities.In this episode, we’re breaking down myths about the experiences of trans youth: What does gender affirming care REALLY look like for kids 12 and younger? What can adults actually do to actively support trans youth? Josh also dives into where he sees parents of gender diverse kids get tripped up or stuck when trying to educate themselves and support their kids as well as giving advice to parents and family members of gender diverse kids in order to help them survive and thrive. We talk about the importance of trans kids having a consistent affirming, loving adult presence in their lives and how we all have it in us to be that person. With the rise of anti-trans policies being brought forward in the United States, the UK, and around the world, Josh shares his hopes for the future: That we all be cycle breakers for our children and parent our children in ways which are right for them, ignoring what doesn't fit or is outdated and dangerous. We hope this educational episode sparks your activism - trans and gender diverse kids need your voice!How you can find Josh & GEN:Gender Education Network website (donation link at the top of the page!)GEN on Facebook - Josh mentions the Gender Spectrum website during our conversation which is a fabulous resource for parents, educators, therapists, WHOEVER, to learn more about how to support the health & wellbeing of gender diverse children & teens.-  Continue the conversation by picking up our book Dear Patriarchy: The Gaslit Women's Guide to the (Corporate) WorldInternational ordersNorth American orders- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from an incredible female author.- Find out more about Nubefy, the amazing artists behind the graphics we use, here.
Joshua Jernigan: The truth about gender-affirming care for trans children
21-12-2022
Joshua Jernigan: The truth about gender-affirming care for trans children
If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍Welcome to the sixth episode of series 4, where we’re focusing on the educators, activists, and influencers who inspire and guide us.In this week’s episode, we’re hosting the incredible Joshua Jernigan, a trans rights activist and philanthropist living in Charlotte, North Carolina. Josh started the GEN (Gender Education Network) organization which helps transgender and gender diverse kids aged 12 and younger. Josh is a born educator and is deeply passionate about ensuring every child has a safe and loving home to nurture their growing identities.In this episode, we cover big topics: What does gender affirming care look like for kids 12 and younger? What do parents of gender diverse kids get tripped up by or stuck on when trying to educate themselves and support their kids? Josh expertly breaks these topics down and gives advice to parents and family members of gender diverse kids and also what gender diverse kids need in order to survive and thrive. We talked about the importance of trans kids having a consistent affirming, loving adult presence in their lives and how we all have it in us to be that person. With the rise of anti-trans policies being brought forward in the United States, the UK, and around the world, Josh shares his hopes for the future: That we all be cycle breakers for our children and parent our children in ways which are right for them, ignoring what doesn't fit or is outdated and dangerous. We hope this educational episode sparks your activism - trans and gender diverse kids need your voice!How you can find Josh & GEN:Gender Education Network website (donation link at the top of the page!)GEN on Facebook - Josh mentions the Gender Spectrum website during our conversation which is a fabulous resource for parents, educators, therapists, WHOEVER, to learn more about how to support the health & wellbeing of gender diverse children & teens.-  Continue the conversation by picking up our book Dear Patriarchy: The Gaslit Women's Guide to the (Corporate) WorldInternational ordersNorth American orders-  Check out our website AND our new feminist merch collectionDear Patriarchy Podcast Website- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from an incredible female author.- Find out more about Nubefy, the amazing artists behind the graphics we use, here.
Rainbow Connections: Jessica Olzak and Shannon Collins Share Their Overflowing Cups
05-12-2022
Rainbow Connections: Jessica Olzak and Shannon Collins Share Their Overflowing Cups
If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍Welcome to the fifth episode of series 4, where we’re focusing on the educators, activists, and influencers who inspire and guide us.In this week’s episode, we’re hosting Jessica Olzak and Shannon Collins, creators and co-hosts of Rainbow Connections from the Abington library, a program designed to give youngsters a safe space in which to discuss LGBTQ+ themed books and topics.We started our love fest by chatting with them about the origins of their ground-breaking youth program: How & why they set it up, the challenges they faced, and how you, too, could get a program going in your community. We spoke with Shannon about their Youthphoria program and how they use photography as activism. We discussed how they keep their cups full while doing their important work, the statistics for LGBTQ+ youth & how just one affirming adult in the life of an LGBTQ+ child is a game changer. We hope you love the episode as much as we do: It’s an emotional & gratitude-filled journey. Abington Library website Rainbow Connections Next EventRainbow Connections LGBTQ+ ResourcesLink to the Rainbow Connections Webinar via the PLA Jessica Olzak contact - jolzak@mclinc.orgShannon Collins contact - shannon@shannoncollins.com Youthphoria website Rainbow Connections Guests include:03/2022 - Vanessa & JR Ford, authors of Calvin05/2022 - Lily Freeman, teen trans activist and creator of the IG campaign, @projectuncensored07/2022 - Lindz Amer, CEO of Queer Kid StuffIG:  @lindzamerQueer Kid Stuff website08/2022 - Amy Schneider, 40-time Jeopardy champion and writerTwitter: @Jeopardamy10/2022 - C.K. Malone, author of A Costume for CharlyTwitter: @CKMalone211/2022--Kyle Lukoff, authorKyle's website11/2022--Gavin Grimm, trans activistTwitter: @GavinGrimmVA -  Pick up our new book here:International ordersNorth American orders-  Check out our website to pick up our new book or via our IG: @dea
Trans Awareness Week
16-11-2022
Trans Awareness Week
If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍Welcome to the fourth episode of series 4, where we’ve been focusing on the educators, activists, and influencers who inspire and guide us. However, because this week is Trans Awareness Week, we're taking a short break from hosting guests to focus on the trans community and how cis people can be better supporters and allies.We're using information from the excellent Schuyler Bailar, the Human Rights Campaign, and PFLAG to guide this conversation and we've linked back to all of these educators & organizations (and more) below. We start off by running through Schuyler Bailar's "cheat sheet" about how to re-frame the language you use when talking about, or interacting with, transgender people. We then move through a list of disinformation, anti-trans tropes and rhetoric that many people believe to be true, and dispel the myths around each item.  We discuss the importance of moving away from the patriarchal gender binary and how we can support each other, and the trans, non-binary and LGBTQ+ community in general by leaving behind harmful and false heteronormative gender expectations.If you learned something from this episode, please share with those you know and love who may need more education on this important topic. Have the hard conversations, spread love, and reach out to the communities that need your support.- Schuyler Bailar:Find Schuyler (and his Trans Awareness Week Cheat Sheet) on IG: @pinkmantaraySchuyler's website- Human Rights CampaignMyths & Facts: Battling Disinformation About Transgender RightsBe an Ally: Support Trans Equality- Trevor ProjectA Guide to Being an Ally to Transgender & Non-Binary Young PeopleAdditional Transgender, Non-Binary & LGBTQ+ Resources:PFLAG websiteMarsha P. Johnson Institute websiteWe mentioned Alok V. Menon in the episode as well who is an excellent gender educator and author - find them on IG @alokvmenon-  Continue the conversation by picking up our book Dear Patriarchy: The Gaslit Women's Guide to the (Corporate) WorldInternational ordersNorth American orders-  Check out our website AND our new feminist merch collectionDear Patriarchy Podcast Website- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from an incredible female author.- Find out more about Nubefy, the amazing artists behind the graphics we use, here.
Shifra Nerenberg: Using intuition to overcome the Patriarchy
07-11-2022
Shifra Nerenberg: Using intuition to overcome the Patriarchy
If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍Welcome to the third episode of series 4, where we’re focusing on the educators, activists, and influencers who inspire and guide us.In this week’s episode, we’re hosting Shifra Nerenberg (she/ her), owner of Spiral Intuitive & a lifelong feminist based in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. With more than 20 years experience as an Intuitive Advisor, she guides clients all over the world in connecting with their own powerful inner wisdom.  Shifra does her best to increase the kindness & hope in our world. Her work is centered around helping intuitive folk trust themselves & shine their individual lights, spreading more of the bright light needed in the world. We talked with Shifra about the importance of connecting back to our bodies and grounding ourselves so that we can connect to our communities and work against capitalism and oppressive systems of control, which work best when we are isolated and alienated from each other. We discussed how knowing yourself and leaning into your intuition is an important tool to battle patriarchy, systemic racism, heteronormativity, ableism, and xenophobia.  We end by working through Shifra’s techniques and strategies to keep from getting stuck in heaviness while remaining rooted in your power and plugging back in to your community with love.AND - the best way to use that power and help your community is to VOTE!! We’re looking at you USA!! If you’re struggling with getting info on where to cast your vote, who to support and where you stand on measures, please check out the following resources:- You better vote b🐱tch:VoteSaveAmerica WebsiteBallot Ready Website - All things Shifra:Find her on Instagram: @spiralintuitiveSpiral Intuitive Website-  Continue the conversation by picking up our book Dear Patriarchy: The Gaslit Women's Guide to the (Corporate) WorldInternational ordersNorth American orders-  Check out our website AND our new feminist merch collectionDear Patriarchy Podcast Website- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from an incredible female author.- Find out more about Nubefy, the amazing artists behind the graphics we use, here.
Sasspatch: Good stuff is always worth the wait
26-10-2022
Sasspatch: Good stuff is always worth the wait
If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍Welcome to the second episode of series 4 where we’re focusing on the educators, activists and influencers who inspire and guide us.In this week’s episode, we’re hosting Gonzy, the fabulous owner of sustainable, feminist British brand Sasspatch. Gonzy's designs uplift you while keeping you grounded, and she specialises in Sassy Positivity: Sweet designs mixed with savage honesty. We talk about the struggle to balance motherhood with paid (and unpaid) work, how all parents need to get therapy, preferably before becoming parents, and how important equity is in everything we do. Gonzy is a passionate intersectional feminist, proponent of slow fashion and speaks beautifully on how much both matter to her and to the company ethos of Sasspatch. Gonzy closes our short (but very sweet) conversation with the perfect words: The good stuff is always worth waiting for.- All things Sasspatch:Find her on Instagram: @sasspatchworldSasspatch Website-  Continue the conversation by picking up our book Dear Patriarchy: The Gaslit Women's Guide to the (Corporate) WorldInternational ordersNorth American orders-  Check out our website AND our new feminist merch collectionDear Patriarchy Podcast Website- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from an incredible female author.- Find out more about Nubefy, the amazing artists behind the graphics we use, here.
Uju Asika: The work is more important than your comfort
12-10-2022
Uju Asika: The work is more important than your comfort
If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍Welcome to the first episode of series 4 where we’re focusing on the educators, activists and influencers who inspire and guide us.In this week’s episode, we’re hosting the incredible writer Uju Asika. She’s based in London, runs the “Babes About Town” social media accounts and is the author of two incredible books: Bringing up Race: How to Raise a Kind Child in a Prejudiced World and A World for Me and You.We discuss creative processes, particularly writing processes, and how the fear of writing about charged topics (like systemic racism, patriarchy and other oppressive systems) can be debilitating. Uju talked us through how she keeps herself balanced, feeds her activism and connects with her work in pursuit of change. In her (beautiful) words: This work is more important than your discomfort.- All things Uju Asika:Find her on Instagram: @babesabouttownWebsiteBringing up Race: How to Raise a Kind Child in a Prejudiced WorldA World for Me and You- During our discussion, Uju recommended two  books by Natalie Goldberg:Wild Mind Writing Down the Bones -  Continue the conversation by picking up our book Dear Patriarchy :International ordersNorth American orders- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from an incredible female author.- Find out more about Nubefy, the amazing artists behind the graphics we use, here.
Mini-breakdown: Eugenics & Forced Sterilization
05-07-2022
Mini-breakdown: Eugenics & Forced Sterilization
If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍Welcome to episode 19(ish) of series 3 where Lisa does a mini-breakdown on eugenics and how it relates to reproductive healthcare, specifically forced sterilization. She starts by explaining what eugenics, and scientific racism, is at a high level, touching briefly on Margaret Sanger & Planned Parenthood as well as the inherent ableism of eugenics. She goes on to talk about how, in the wake of SCOTUS overturning Roe vs. Wade, many people are suggesting that boys & men (presumably cis-het) should be given vasectomies until they are “fit” to be a father and how this idea is on the slippery slope to eugenicist beliefs. She runs through the recent history of forced sterilization in the USA & Puerto Rico (including that it is still legal to forcibly sterilize disabled people in 34 states) and how allowing systemically racist, ableist government systems to determine who is “fit” to be a parent is taking a massive step backward. She closes with a reminder that being branded with the title of “wokeness” should not deter us from actively working to be on the right side of history. We need to continue to educate ourselves, try to always use inclusive language (because words & language matter), and put in the work every day to protect the civil rights of all those around us, not just the people who look like or identify the same way as we do. We hope you’ll continue on in this fight.These articles were used to inform this discussion:- Eugenics & Scientific Racism- Margaret Sanger's Connection to Eugenics- America's "Forgotten" History of Forced Sterilization - Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from a Feminist author.- Find out more about the amazing artists, Nubefy, behind the graphics we use here.
Roe didn’t fall in a day
28-06-2022
Roe didn’t fall in a day
If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍Welcome to series 3, episode 18 where we talking about the overturning of Roe vs. Wade by the US Supreme Court. We talk about how we got here, starting with the election of Donald Trump who was voted in overwhelmingly by White women. While the Democratic Party needs to clean their house, White women (us included) need to look at and accept the responsibility we carry because we have historically chosen not to have uncomfortable conversations with each other. We talk about the insidious stigma surrounding abortion and how there does not need to be sexual violence preceding an abortion in order to make it acceptable. We discuss the statistics behind who get abortions and how the intersection of heteropatriarchy, systemic racism and ableism meet and impact different groups of people who have marginalised within our social construct. We  must all change our mindset and our language when it comes to abortion to make sure we are viewing it as inclusively and intersectionally as possible. That means including trans men and non binary people into the definition of who needs access to abortion, that means appreciating that those at the intersection of heteropatriarchy, systemic racism and ableism are the voices that need to be loudest in this fight. This is not just a White woman’s fight and we need to start addressing it as such. We end by sharing abortion resources and funds to donate to and use.We used the following sources to inform this conversation:- The Paradox of Disability in Abortion Debates- Access, Autonomy & Dignity- Who is Most Affected by US Abortion Changes- Meta Pixel Tracking Tool Links to Anti-Abortion Clinics- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from a Feminist author.- Find out more about the amazing artists, Nubefy, behind the graphics we use here.
Raising Good Kids
14-06-2022
Raising Good Kids
If this episode is resonating with you, send us a message - we’d love to hear from you 🤍Welcome to episode 17 of series 3 where we’re talking about how to raise good kids, which involves educating them (and yourself) about diversity, inclusion and consent. Jenni shares an experience she had with her daughter and Lisa talks about raising White boys, who need a lot of education to ensure they are informed enough to reject the White supremacist, heteropatriarchal and ableist messaging they receive from our social construct. We share books and other great resources for parents and caregivers that can support this educational journey. The importance of raising kind, inclusive children who expect to see and exist within diverse communities can’t be overstated. The bottom line is that if you don’t educate your kids on diversity, inclusion and consent, someone else will undoubtedly show them something different and it will make your job of forming their path to being a good human much harder. Here are some of the educational resource that we use:- 'Let's Talk About Race' by Julius Lester- 'Anti-Racist Baby' by Ibram X. Kendi- 'All Are Welcome' by Alexandra Penfold- 'I am Enough' by Grace Byers- 'The Pronouns Book' by Chris Ayala-Kronos- 'Inclusive Ninja' by Mary Nhin- 'Roxy the Racoon' by Alice Reeves- ‘Raising Anti-Racist Children’ by Britt Hawthorne- The Black Curriculum is an excellent resource for people based in the UK - check out their Instagram account @theblackcurriculum as well as at The Black Curriculum- Upgrade Accessibility is a disability rights and justice platform which regularly hosts workshops and events based on disability awareness, as well as on the intersection of LGBTQ+ and disability rights - check out their Instagram account @upgradeaccessibility as well as at Upgrade Accessibility- Stonewall is a UK-based LGBTQ+ charity who provide excellent resources for educating and providing support to children, young adults and parents/caregivers  and can be found at Stonewall- The Trevor Project is based in America but is the world's largest crisis intervention organization for LGBTQ+ young people under the age of 25 and provides education and support to children, young adults and parents/caregivers. It can be found at The Trevor Project | For Young LGBTQ Lives- Please check out our "Feminism 101" suggested reading list here if you're at a loose end for a great read from a Feminist author.- Find out more about the amazing artists, Nubefy, behind the graphics we use here.